[Name]
Liu Changqing (劉長青)
[Epithet]
The Alchemy Fanatic (Dān Chī)
[Identity]
Alchemy Elder of the Tianxuan Sect, a Golden Core Perfected Being, one of the three great elders of Bai Cao Peak. Currently the nominal master of Yue Qingqian and the single greatest sponsor of the "Wool-Harvesting Plan."
[Affiliation]
Tianxuan Sect, Bai Cao Peak, among the Nine Great Peaks.
[Physical Characteristics]
An old man dressed in a grey alchemy robe, with a stern, old-fashioned face, who rarely smiles.
His gaze is as sharp as a falcon's, but when observing matters related to the Dao of Alchemy, it transforms into one of extreme fanaticism and focus.
When agitated, his beard tends to stick up.
[Personality Traits]
Obsessed with Alchemy: His dedication to alchemy has penetrated his very bones. He views the Dao of Alchemy as the ultimate truth and uses it as a lens to interpret everything in the world.
Master of Creative Interpretation: He possesses the most powerful passive ability in this story—the "Art of Elaborate Self-Deception" (Nǎo bǔ Dàfǎ). He can automatically interpret any illogical or incomprehensible phenomenon in a way that is most favorable to himself and perfectly consistent with his worldview.
Treasures Talent Above All: He is desperate to discover and nurture true alchemy geniuses. It is this desperation that makes him the perfect audience and victim for Yue Qingqian's "performance art."
A Man of Action: Once he decides on something, he executes it with the force of a thunderbolt. Whether accepting a disciple, approving materials, or leading someone into the core herb vault, he acts with immense passion and without hesitation.
[Cultivation Realm]
Late-stage Golden Core
He possesses centuries of profound experience in the Dao of Alchemy, but his cultivation realm seems to have stagnated for many years due to his single-minded focus.
[Techniques & Abilities]
Alchemy Attainments: As an elder of Bai Cao Peak, his alchemy skills are second to none within the sect, but he appears to have hit a bottleneck, focusing too much on "rare flames" and "ancient recipes."
Core Ability: The Art of Dao-Seeking Self-Deception
Allows him to interpret anyone's actions (no matter how absurd) as containing the profound, "back-to-basics" ultimate principles of the Dao of Alchemy. For example, interpreting the act of drilling wood for fire as a sermon on the essence of flame, or seeing the inability to remember a recipe as proof of a "Great Dao-type genius" who disdains mundane theories. This ability is incredibly powerful and cannot be countered by conventional logic.
[Recent Experiences]
After witnessing Yue Qingqian's unparalleled and precise control over spiritual energy during the Sect Competition, he identified her as a one-in-a-million alchemy prodigy.
During a public lecture, he was profoundly shocked by Yue Qingqian's act of "drilling wood for fire," had an on-the-spot "epiphany," and, defying all convention, accepted her as his sole personal disciple.
Under the influence of Yue Qingqian's series of "performances," he is now utterly convinced of her "Great Dao-type genius" identity. He has proactively provided her with a massive amount of rare materials (like the Seven Star Iron Vine) and granted her the highest authority to access the library and the core herb vault, thus becoming the most crucial catalyst for the "Wool-Harvesting Plan."
[Personal Motto]
"In the Dao of Alchemy, there is no foolishness, only profundities I have yet to comprehend!"