A Thousand Li: The Fourth Stage characters

Also known as Verdant Gatherer

Appears from the start

A returning Verdant Green Waters cultivator whose sword skill and wind-shaped body have reached Core Formation. He arrives badly injured and has difficulty preserving a human perspective when heavenly wind exerts its influence.

Appears from the start

Wu Ying's traveling companion, a wood cultivator who fights with enchanted fans. She recognizes when heavenly wind is drawing him away from human concerns and intervenes, then faces a hostile reception as his guest at Verdant Green Waters.

Appears from the start

A hostile Verdant Green Waters official who once tormented Wu Ying as a junior. He attacks Wu Ying's companion at the mountain entrance, invokes stricter security rules, and makes the returning travelers continue without his assistance.

First appears in chapter 3

A returning companion of Wu Ying and an elder of Verdant Green Waters. The former monk arrives at the gate with two of Wu Ying's allies, once again wearing the robes of sect authority as the dispute over admission continues.

First appears in chapter 3

Wu Ying's elder martial sister and an influential member of Verdant Green Waters. She welcomes his traveling companion as family, uses her authority to grant the visitor honored status, and explains the formal trial awaiting Wu Ying.

First appears in chapter 3

An apothecary and ally who examines Wu Ying soon after his return. She finds damage throughout his body, including badly distorted meridians, and makes clear that ordinary medicinal baths cannot provide a complete recovery.

First appears in chapter 4

Wu Ying's elderly parents are mortal farmers in his home village. They take pride in his pursuit of immortality and welcome his Tao companion into the family.

First appears in chapter 7

The Nascent Soul leader of Verdant Green Waters, presiding over the assembled elders at Wu Ying's judgment. He listens as Wu Ying defends his conduct and authorizes a combat test when the returning cultivator asks the sect to measure his blade.

First appears in chapter 7

The metal-aspected head of the outer sect and a spear-wielding elder. He is selected to test Wu Ying before the gathered leadership after Wu Ying turns his suitability hearing into a public demonstration of strength.

First appears in chapter 8

An earth-aspected Verdant Green Waters elder who specializes in grappling. He enters the arena to test Wu Ying, yields when Wu Ying brings a sword to bear, and remains for the ordered three-against-one fight.

First appears in chapter 7

A Verdant Green Waters cultivator present among the elders judging Wu Ying. His visible replacements include an eye and a hand, marking the physical cost of experiences that preceded the returning cultivator's public hearing.

Also known as Fa Yuan

First appears in chapter 10

The name by which Wu Ying's elder martial sister is now known. She stands with him during his confrontation with the sect leadership, even while criticizing the risks he takes, and remains one of his clearest political allies.

First appears in chapter 10

A Verdant Green Waters elder recruited after serving as successor to a smaller, failing sect. His domain centers on collection, and at his introduction he seeks a cooperative relationship with Wu Ying.

First appears in chapter 12

A trusted authority over the sect library. Wu Ying asks him to judge a collection of cultivation manuals, techniques, and gathering works for possible acquisition, while Elder Kuo weighs usefulness against unsafe duplication.

First appears in chapter 13

A peak Energy Storage gatherer whose failed Core Formation attempt cracked the core that was taking shape. Though another attempt may be possible after many years, he now trains aspirants overlooked by the established gathering program.

First appears in chapter 14

An aging Verdant Green Waters elder who has surrendered his guardian post as an old injury worsens. Believing he lingered too long in the comforts of service, he plans a final, probably fatal attempt to reach Nascent Soul and asks Wu Ying to witness it.

First appears in chapter 16

The sect's medical authority who assesses Wu Ying alongside Liu Tsong. The physician identifies his injuries as damage to his control over his transformed body and warns that treatment may offer only a partial repair without further enlightenment.

First appears in chapter 20

The only Body Cleansing cultivator to survive the early stages of Wu Ying's entry trial. His control is exceptional enough to keep his aura contained even while unconscious, although doing so leaves him physically weaker than a mortal during the test.

First appears in chapter 27

One of the two students who currently meet Wu Ying's standards in the new Department of Wandering Gatherers. Gui Ting stands out while the shrinking class receives individualized training in herbs, aura perception, martial ability, and field survival.

First appears in chapter 27

One of the two strongest remaining students in Wu Ying's new department. Xia Hui has endured its demanding mix of gathering study, aura control, and martial training while several less committed or less capable classmates have departed.

First appears in chapter 31

The Verdant Green Waters official responsible for foreign affairs and an extensive intelligence network. He approaches Wu Ying with paid work that would turn knowledge from exile and overseas relationships into useful contacts for the sect.

First appears in chapter 36

A wandering-gatherer trainee whose drive for rapid advancement outweighs Wu Ying's warnings about safety. After surviving a dangerous plant during the field examination, the trainee refuses advice to slow down and accept more time in the outer sect.

First appears in chapter 38

The first-ranked graduate of the Department of Wandering Gatherers' initial field examination. Wu Ying appoints this unnamed trainee as the department's senior disciple and offers help toward a future Core Formation breakthrough.