Sacred Divinity
楊戩
Widespread was his fame for killing the Eight Demons, and he had become one of Plum Hill's Seven Sages.
力诛八怪声名远，义结梅山七圣行
Erlang Shen, also known as Yang Jian, is one of the immortals in Heavenly Court pantheon and considered the Court's strongest warrior god.Unlike most of the immortals in the Court, he's a half-human-half-immortal being, with a mortal father and an immortal mother. His immortal blood allows him access to divinity, while his human blood ties him to his humanity.Erlang Shen does not reside in Heavenly Court. He lords over Guanjiangkou, Sichuan with his main place of residence being in Mount Mei (Meishan). Which is why he's also known as "God of Guan River" among his many titles.
| Name | Yang Jian (楊戩) |
|---|---|
| Title | Sacred Divinity True Lord Erlang (顯聖二郎真君), True Lord of the Illustrous Sagacity (清源妙道真君), Great General of Divine Courage (神勇大將軍), God of Guan River (灌江神), Lord of Sichuan (川主) |
| Nickname | Prince Jinhua (金花太子) |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Date | June 24th of Lunar Year |
| Race | Immortalized demigod (half-human half-god) |
| Age | Unknown (thousands of years) |
| Height / Weight | 192 cm // 75 kg |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Affiliation | Celestial Court, Guankou (main) |
| Place of Residence | Guankou, Sichuan |
| Likes | Spicy food, exhilarating battles, worthy opponent, hunting |
| Dislikes | Heavenly Court, Jade Emperor, Injustice |
| Voice Actor | Zhang Jie (notable role: Wei Wuxian) |
仪容清俊貌堂堂，两耳垂肩目有光
Despite his true age, Yang Jian appears as a young man in his early thirties. His obsidian hair cascades like silk curtain, the golden sanshan crown on his head had three peaks and phoenixes flying. His bearing was refined, his visage noble and his eyes shone.Yang Jian wears a chinese armor topped with white surcoat, on his belt his sacred sword hangs behind. When he's off-duty, he wears a pale-goose yellow hanfu with simple embroidered pattern depicting clouds and rivers of Guanjiangkou.
心高不认天家眷，性傲归神住灌江
Erlang at first glance has a haughty personality with an arrogant streak, as seen when he claims how few celestials are an equal to himself in terms of power, and claims that he does not make a habit of fighting opponents he bested before like with Sun Wukong."I do not make a habit of defeating those who I have bested before."Despite these prideful traits however, Erlang actually has a very honorable and noble personality; which often clashes with how Celestia Court works. It's not an overstatement to say that he's one of the more reasonable gods in the Court.Erlang is independent and rebellious in nature, as he only obeys order from the Court in regards to fighting threats that only he alone can face, such as Sun Wukong. Other than that, he minimalizes his contact with the Court.As the famed god of war, he revels in the adrenaline of a good battle and won't hesitate to challenge those who are strong. He can respect worthy foes and allies alike, accept his defeat humbly if it's deserved and is willing to encourage his rivals and foes to reach even greater heights of their potential to best him."Monkey! You lifted my spirits! Let me try and see what the difference is between you and him!"Beneath all this, he's a humble and loving god who cares for his Guanjiangkou and the little people living in it. He despises senseless massacre, which is why despite being the one who burned down Huaguoshan after Wukong's first defeat against him, he secretly saved as many of Wukong's subjects and their families as he could."My heart knot has been untied, and your journey has just begun."
赤城昭惠英灵圣，显化无边号二郎。
Erlang is the nephew of the Jade Emperor through his mother, Yunhua, who's the Emperor's sister.
The other surviving member of his family is his younger sister, Yang Chan.
It is said that his spear nearly weighs 13 tons.
He trains under Yuding Zhenren, one of the 12 golden immortals, in order to save his mother.
Xiaotian Quan is a dog that ascended to a 'Xian' alongside its master.
He once disguises himself as a mourning widow in order to trick Sun Wukong in a transformation battle. Sun Wukong however saw through his disguise but chose to flirt with him...and even touch his leg, which is considered a vulgar action on par with fondling one's chest in public.
In another tale, Sun Wukong transformed into a bustard bird when Erlang transformed into a crane. This shocks Yang Jian so much that he transformed back into his original form and shoots the disrespectful monkey with his slingshot.
Alongside Sun Wukong and Nezha, he's known as one of the Three Rebels.
Prince Jinhua is his name in the myth where he's adopted by Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West).
The Jade Emperor once tried to drown Guanjiangkou in order to defeat him, but Erlang uses his ability to avert the flood and save his territory. This earns him the title of God of Flood. He's also known as God of Hunting, God of Opera and God of Cuju.
Yang Jian's Chinese Lunar Year birthday is on June 24th. On leap years, he has two birthdays because there are two Lunar Junes. For year 2025, it's on July 18th and August 17th.