In the animated series Renegade Immortal (仙逆), few stories feel as genuinely tragic as that of Sun Tai (孙泰). His journey took a catastrophic turn when a powerful elder from the Giant Demon Clan used a divine ability to hurl him across the starry void to the Luotian (罗天) Star Domain. That single act condemned him to a century of servitude, a sentence from which he has never truly recovered. He still does not understand how such a feat was possible, only that it happened.
When he first arrived on this strange shore, his cultivation was at the Infant Transformation stage, a formidable realm. Now, after one hundred years of relentless hardship, his power has withered to the Spirit Manifestation stage. His life force is nearly extinguished, with a mere twenty years left to him. He moves like a husk, shrouded in dense death energy, his body frail, his steps unsteady. It is a fall from grace that is as profound as it is pitiful.
A Slave’s Final Gift
Despite the cruelty he has endured, Sun Tai has not become bitter. He treats Wang Lin (王林) with a warmth that is surprising, given his circumstances. In a gesture of genuine friendship, he shares tea leaves he brought from the Alliance Star Domain all those years ago. For Sun Tai, this is no simple drink; it is a precious relic, something he likely intended to take with him into his grave. One cannot help but wonder if these were the same leaves he once "acquired" from Li Yuanfeng (李元封).
As the end of his life draws near, his longing for home has become an obsession. He makes a simple request of Wang Lin: should he perish, he asks that his remains be returned to their homeland. Wang Lin, moved by the old man’s plight, gives his word that if he is still on Ranyun Star in twenty years, he will personally see Sun Tai on his final journey.
Their conversations also turn to a more pressing mystery. Wang Lin inquires about Donglin Star (东临星), a name that hangs in the air like a curse. He did not expect much from the question. Everyone he has asked about that place reacts with the same intense caution, a deep-seated fear that speaks of great danger. The four cultivators he rescued from Ranyun (冉云) Star had immediately grown wary at the mere mention of it. But Sun Tai is different. He was there. Donglin Star was the place where he spent his century of servitude, the very place where his Dao (道) Heart was shattered by unspeakable torment. He shares everything he knows, though his knowledge is limited. When Wang Lin presses for information about the Xiang (向) family, Sun Tai can only admit he is uncertain if any of its members remain on the planet.
Unworthy of the Truth
Wang Lin’s singular focus on the Xiang family of Donglin Star stems from a woman in a scroll painting. She spoke of a method to revive his beloved, Li Mowan (李慕婉). Whether the method is real or a trap, Wang Lin does not care. A sliver of hope is enough to drive him forward. Sun Tai, however, was never more than an insignificant ant during his time on that world. His duties were those of a menial laborer, and he was kept far from the planet’s true power structures. He could not provide the answers Wang Lin sought, but his own words inadvertently revealed the truth. He said, simply, “I was not qualified to know such secrets.”
That single admission spoke volumes. On the surface, Donglin Star appears to be governed by three families: the Xu (许), the Lü (吕), and the Liu (刘). They give the illusion of a world with a conventional balance of power. Yet the reality is that the Xiang family is the true ruler. These three prominent houses are nothing more than a facade, a shell designed to obscure the real authority that lurks in the shadows. The Xiang family is the ultimate power, the unseen hand that controls all of Donglin Star. Their dominance is absolute, enforced by their possession of a Seven-Star Ancient God. This includes the woman in the scroll painting whom Wang Lin sealed away in the Tidal Abyss. She is indeed a member of the Xiang clan, known as one of the Eight Ancient Consorts.
A Future Built on the Bones of the Past
Wang Lin’s decision to seal the woman from the scroll was a prudent one. She knew too many of his secrets. To keep her by his side would be to carry a living bomb, a constant and unpredictable threat. The Xiang family, as it is now understood, is shrouded in mystery and exudes an aura of immense, terrifying strength. They are a giant in the cultivation world, a force that would make most cultivators tremble. Yet, for all their current power, the future holds a different fate for them. It is a certainty that they will eventually be destroyed by the very man who now seeks them out.
Wang Lin has never feared the strong. He understands that power is not a static thing. He may not be able to defeat them today, but he will return tomorrow. He may not be able to destroy their clan now, but he will find a way in the future. His entire existence is a testament to this relentless pursuit. The Xiang family, with their ancient gods and hidden consorts, represent just another obstacle on his path. They are a mountain to be climbed, a fortress to be toppled. Sun Tai’s century of suffering, the secrets of Donglin Star, and the terrifying power of the Xiang family are all pieces of a larger puzzle. For Wang Lin, they are simply the next chapter in his long and bloody journey, one where the strong will eventually fall to the man who refuses to stop growing.
