Xie Daoyun

Xie Daoyun is the most outstanding disciple of the Fan Xinzhai and a member of the Five Beauties and Five Princes.

Personality and Traits
As an adherent of Buddhist spirituality, Xie Daoyun is quaint, stoic, and reticent. She is a gorgeous young lady, desired by Ji Yuntao, Xie Yan, and Di Xiaoyao, three of the five dignified princes. Xie Daoyun is virtually impossible to attract, and she admits that she can't promise a lasting relationship to anyone due to her duty towards her sect. Despite her innocent charm, she is best described as a "cultivation machine with no feelings", unintentionally charming and breaking the hearts of many suitors. However, she falls in love with the monk Shenxiu, and grieves when they must part ways.

Plot
As the most outstanding righteous practitioner of her generation, Xie Daoyun is famous for executing many criminal demonic practitioners. As a descendant of the Fan Xinzhai, she is on a quest for a reincarnated saint destined to be the leader of all Righteous and Demonic sects. According to Ji Changwu, Xie Daoyun has travelled extensively across the Han Empire with many martial artists, although the Gentle Dignified Prince, Ji Yuntao is the one who has spent the most time with her.

Xie Daoyun and Ji Yuntao arrive at the city of Qufeng in pursuit of the rogue Yan Jie. A few days later, the two disciples successfully corner and execute Yan Jie, winning the favor of the local businessmen of Qufeng. Ji Yuntao plans to usurp the Cold Iron Ore mines of the Mo Qing Sect in behalf of the Fan Xinzhai. Xie Daoyun supports him but isn't so involved in it. Unexpectedly, Ji Yuntao loses the struggle for supremacy against Xie Yan of the Mo Qing Sect. Shortly after the end of the duel between Ji Yuntao and Xie Yan, Xie Daoyun suddenly transitions into the Innate Realm. Having lost to Xie Yan, the two disciples graciously admit defeat and return to their respective sects.

Few months later, Xie Daoyun visits the Buddhist city of Luoyang, where she meets Xie Ran, a novitiate at the Liantai Temple. She is surprised to learn that Xie Ran is the younger sister of Xie Yan and recounts his deeds in Qufeng to her. On the same day, the two girls attend the festival of Buddha where several monks across the world undertake the three great trials. Xie Daoyun is impressed by the wisdom of the renowned monk Shenxiu, who clears all the three trials. Later, Xie Daoyun, Shenxiu, and the Golden Dignified Prince, Di Xiaoyao travel to the Ji Ye ruins. Xie Daoyun is unaware that "Shenxiu" is actually Xie Yan, who requires her peerless beauty energy to cultivate his Finger Of Flowery Swords and ascend the Innate Realm.

Along the journey, Shenxiu a.k.a Xie Yan impresses Xie Daoyun with his knowledge of Buddhism, but is unable to attract her. Later, as they enter the ruins of Ji Ye, Xie Daoyun unwittingly becomes the target of Xi Sanmei's ploy to blackmail Di Xiaoyao. The next day, after Di Xiaoyao and his retinue leave temporarily, Xie Daoyun is attacked by Xi Sanmei and is poisoned in the process. Shenxiu saves her and they flee. The duo spend the following days escaping from Xi Sanmei and recuperating. During that period, Xie Yan attempts to charm Xie Daoyun with his affability, but he fails. One night, Xi Sanmei loses his patience and decides to rape Xie Daoyun. He defeats Xie Daoyun and Xie Yan and the duo escape once again. This time however, both of them collapse from the poison. Just then, Xi Sanmei is ambushed by the three Vermilion Bird Temple monks that were summoned by Xie Yan.

As the three monks assail Xi Sanmei, Xie Yan carries the injured Xie Daoyun to safety, and explains her of Shenxiu's true identity as Xi Sanmei's foster son. Meanwhile, Xi Sanmei intercepts the two and knocks down Xie Daoyun. He coerces Xie Yan to torture her but Xie Yan defies him and vows to defend Xie Daoyun with his life. Xie Daoyun faints from stress while Xie Yan fights a bloody battle with Xi Sanmei. Despite the heavy odds, Xie Yan successfully kills Xi Sanmei and emerges victorious. Feeling guilty for endangering Xie Daoyun, Xie Yan gives up on courting her. He heals her wounds before leaving Ji Ye.

In the aftermath, Xie Daoyun wakes up but Shenxiu is no where to be found. She discovers a message carved on a rock by Shenxiu, claiming that the battle with Xi Sanmei has terminally depleted his life force. He tells her that since he betrayed his elders and his ideals, he will spend his final days alone. He thanks her for giving him the best days of his life, and since his journey has concluded, they should forget one other. Xie Daoyun weeps as she reminisces her time with the monk and realizes that she has fallen in love with Shenxiu. Consequently, Xie Daoyun ascends to the 2nd layer of the Innate Realm, and elsewhere, Xie Yan receives her beauty energy. The star-crossed lovers sadly part ways and decide to forget one other. Xie Daoyun bids farewell to prince Di Xiaoyao and returns to the Fan Xinzhai to stabilize her cultivation. Di Xiaoyao graciously accepts her implicit rejection.

That night, Xie Yan cultivates Xie Daoyun's beauty energy and finally ascends the Innate Realm. He discovers that he can manifest a powerful primordial spirit in the form of Xie Daoyun.

The Saint of the Primordial God Star
The Saint is the legendary embodiment of the Primordial God Star, who allegedly reincarnates within the Han Empire every century to unite the Righteous and Demonic sects. Every century, the Fan Xinzhai dispatches one disciple to seek this reincarnation. It is currently unknown how the Saint is identified. Xie Daoyun's master, Xuhui, believes Ji Yuntao of the Tai Xuan Sect to be the Saint of this era. However, no public announcement has been made about this because Ji Yuntao hasn't "awakened" yet.

According to Di Xiaoyao, all the past Saints were the most prominent figures of their times, and heroes among heroes. In his opinion, the ideal Saint should possess virtue, erudition, noble character, sterling integrity, and stately comportment.

Trivia

 * Xie Daoyun is named after a historical scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
 * Xie Daoyun is first mentioned in chapter 27, where she is portrayed by the actress Bai Yuyan of the Yunyu County Hall in Jiangling city.
 * Every disciple of the Fan Xinzhai has to undergo the three tribulations of Worldly Affairs, Love, and Inner Demons before achieving enlightenment. So far, Xie Daoyun has undergone two trials, which interestingly involved Xie Yan.
 * Xie Daoyun's Worldly Affairs trial involved her journey to Qufeng city, where she killed Yan Jie and saw Ji Yuntao's plans unexpectedly thwarted by Xie Yan. This caused her to enter the Innate Realm.
 * In her next trial, Love, Xie Daoyun was expected to experience a brief moment of true love, then forget it. She journeyed to Ji Ye, where she eventually fell in love with the monk Shenxiu, but is forced to part ways with him. This caused her to enter the 2nd layer of the Innate Realm. Unbeknownst to Xie Daoyun, Shenxiu is none other than Xie Yan himself.
 * By Xie Yan's own admission, Xie Daoyun is the first girl he has ever tried to actively pursue. Despite deeming her as an eccentric and frigid girl, Xie Yan did genuinely care for Xie Daoyun and felt very guilty for playing with her heart.
 * After the events of Ji Ye, Xie Daoyun changes her hairstyle to that of a married woman, to express her love for the late monk Shenxiu.
 * Xie Yan's Flowery Swords Primordial Spirit derived from Xie Daoyun can induce surrender within opponents. The spirit was often mistaken for an S Class Fallen Fighter in the world of Ba Quan.