Tensen

This is the article on the race of experimental immortals. For the rulers of Kotaku, head to Lord Tensen.

Tensen
Kanji	天仙
Literal Meaning	Heavenly Immortal
Additional Information
Abilities	Immortality Regeneration Gender Change Tao
Homeland	Kotaku
Debuts
Manga Debut	Chapter 16
Anime Debut	Episode 7

Tensen (天 (てん) 仙 (せん) , Pinyin: Tiānxiān, Literal meaning: Heavenly Immortal) are Sennin of the highest ranking, having completely mastered the Five Training Methods of Immortality. They have authority over the low ranking Dōshi and are in charge of teaching them in the ways of Tao.

The only Sennin who hold the title of Tensen are Rien and seven synthetic humans who were born from a single Tao puppet of herself. Before the truth was found out by Gui Fa, the seven were once believed to have been the product of a combination of Jofuku's mystic Tao and Flower Tao.

Biology

Physiology

The Tensens after assuming their Yang forms and donning the same clothing.

Tensens appear to resemble humans with colored, flower-like hair (with the exception of Rien and Mei), and golden-colored eyes and eyelashes. They are also described to be very beautiful. A hidden trait that all Tensens have is the fact that they all share the same facial features and voices either when they are in their Yin or Yang form. After donning the same clothing while assuming their Yang forms during a ritual, Chōbei found it difficult to distinguish the Tensens from one another. The reason being for this trait is the fact that they are all modelled after Rien.

Despite being indistinguishable to humans in appearance, it has been made apparent by the actual race that Tensens give off an unnatural presence that can evoke a sense of danger.

Psychology

Zhu Jin's eyes after becoming extremely annoyed.

Tensens are more human-like on top of their appearance as they have shown degrees of individuality, intelligence, and are capable of expressing emotions, such as anger, happiness, despair, and grief. Whenever they feel intense emotions, a Tensen's sclera will react by turning dark, which is due to the nature of Flower Tao. However, given how their bodies are created, the Tensens lack what it means to feel concern for one another when either of them got injured. Despite this, they care for one another and are able to see each other as a family. Because their lives became solely focused on their training in the ways of Tao, the Tensens lacked the emotional compacity to feel compassion for another living creature. They have no empathy towards humans, only viewing them as subjects who can provide them with more Tan to consume than the Hōko and that they are an inferior species. Out of the Tensens, Ju Fa was the one who was the most negative towards them, looking down on them with utter disgust, while Mu Dan found pleasure in modifying them as his "toys". Gui Fa admitted that they failed to comprehend human emotions such as love and only found Rien's goal in reviving Jofuku to be foolish. Though this was the case, it would be incorrect to imply that they were never born to feel sentimentality for another living thing, with Mei being a great example. Another example being how Tao Fa initially felt sorry for using the Hōko as a source to replenish her Tao but would later cast her feelings aside in order to see that the Tensens gained true immortality. Despite their distaste for humans, they can admire those who are superhuman or if they have a unique quality. Since their bodies don't confine to one form of sex, the Tensens have preferences in which gender is better suited for each of them.

Anatomy

The plant ovule and its defense mechanism.

Tensens are structured similarly to humans, possessing the same anatomical features inside and out. Since their bodies are plant base from being partially created from Flower Tao, they possess a plant ovule located within their tandens that acts somewhat like their hearts. If exposed and attacked directly, the ovule is functioned to defend the Tensen by pulling out any weapons impaled in it or invading the body of the attacker using vines. It has been shown by Zhu Jin that as long as the ovule remains intact a Tensen can still continue to live and move about even without a body. Other than the ovule, it is unknown if a Tensen possesses any other internal organs.

Although Tensens are capable of bleeding, they do not feel any pain no matter how critical the injury is unless it is from a hindering Tao attribute attack, especially towards their tanden.

Reproduction, Aging, Growth, and Diet

While Tensens are able to have sexual intercourse, they are incapable of breeding naturally, instead being artificially born. They go through the normal growth stages as a human being, starting off as infants until they reach old age. However, with their ability to absorb Tao from living things, they can maintain their youth and gain an incredible lifespan that can have them live for centuries. In light of this factor, the Tensens have a slow growth rate, as they had only reached their adolescences by the time 200 years had passed (though it is suggested that Rien plays a hand in their development, as she had once previously aged Ju Fa while he was still a child). Tensens are able to eat and drink (although it is unknown if they feel hunger like all living beings or simply do this out of pleasure) but mainly consume Tan.

Tensens

Tensens
Gui Fa	Ju Fa †	Mei	Mu Dan †	Ran †
Rien †	Tao Fa †	Zhu Jin †

Abilities and Powers

Yin-Yang

Further information: Yin-Yang

Ju Fa shifting from their Yin chi to their Yang chi.

Tao Fa's partial Yang chi switch on her arm alone.

Gui Fa, a Tensen who chooses to assume a body that is between male and female.

While organisms normally possess chi of either Yin or Yang, Tensens possess both energies that allows them the freedom to assume either a male or female body. By having both chi of Yin and Yang flow and revolve inside their bodies, the Tensen's Tao is greatly augmented and can be used to recover their lost Tao. The Tensens mainly make use of this ability when engaging in Bōchū Jutsu training. With the case of Gui Fa, a Tensen can obtain a body that combines the two genders by cycling between Yin and Yang, thus allowing more Tao to be molded within them. Zhu Jin also followed Gui Fa's example during their battle with Shion and Nurugai in order to recover their Tao in an instant after being reduced to a weakened state, however, the Tensen noted that maintaining the form for long was not a simple task.

Physical Capabilities

Ran destroying a pillar with a swipe of his hand.

Mei being able to throw Gabimaru despite her small size.

Zhu Jin instantly appearing in front of Tenza.

Tensens possess inhuman strength, speed and endurance, making it impossible for a normal person to compete with them in physical combat. Ran, a Tensen who specializes in the physical training of Dō'in, was able to cleanly destroy a stone pillar with a simple swipe of his hand, while Zhu Jin showed being capable of breaking the ground with an opened palm strike. Even for her small size, Mei demonstrated to be strong enough to throw a grown man such as Gabimaru aside. Both Zhu Jin and Mu Dan could move so fast that they instantly appear at the location of their intended target as if they teleported. The bodies of Yin-Yang the Tensens assume factor into specific physical capabilities. Using the Yin chi, a Tensen gains an increase in mobility from the slim, lightweight female body, while the Yang chi grants an increase in strength from the muscle mass of the male body.

Regeneration

Further information: Flower Tao

Ju Fa regenerating.

Rien choosing to substitute her missing body with flowers.

Having been born from Flower Tao, the Tensens are blessed with powers of regeneration. They can heal any damage they take no matter how severe, such as lost limbs, and are even able to grow back their entire heads. The regeneration process shows as vines with flowers (that vary with each Tensen) emerging from their bodies and bringing back what was lost to its original state. As an option, a Tensen can also substitute a portion of their bodies with flowers instead of forming back the original half. A rule to this regeneration is that a Tensen can only be brought back from their torso, or a portion of their lower bodies, if they are destroyed from the waist up since their plant ovule resides around this region. According to Mei, a Tensen can regenerate up to 100 or even 1,000 times. For example, after having their body cut 215 times by Shion, Zhu Jin was still able to come back alive. However, as a result of having their Tao depleted from the many times they had to regenerate, the Tensen's body had to suffer the drawbacks. The time it takes for their bodies to regenerate happens in a matter of seconds. They can also willingly delay the healing if it's for a purpose. Any lost limbs or bodies that are present will immediately turn into vegetation or a lifeless corpse.

Tao

Further information: Tao

Rien creating a highly concentrated ball of Tao.

Ran controlling the Tao of inorganics.

Mu Dan using senjutsu to overwhelm a group of humans.

After consuming the elixir known as Tan, the Tao reserves of Lord Tensen are extended and are able to have continuous usage of it than humans. For years of training, the Tao of each Tensen have been greatly refined and go beyond human limitations. With their knowledge and great mastery of it, many have view them to that of the gods. Their combat abilities are heightened to immense levels, due to the many years of training, and are able to easily fight and defeat strong opponents such as the inhuman group of criminals sent out by the shogun, with each having their own high reputation that make them out to be dangerous, along with the revered Yamada Asaemons. As Sennin, they are able to use a technique that is exclusive to them called Tōate where they can launch their Tao as an invisible projectile.

Absorption

Tensens are capable of absorbing, or consuming, the Tao of living things to extend their lifespans. By gaining a large quantity of Tao, a Tensen is granted eternal life where they can live for centuries while being forever in their youth.

Kishikai Transformation

Tensens are able to unleash a monstrous transformation known as a Kishikai (鬼 (き) 尸 (し) 解 (かい) , Literally meaning: Demonic Corpse Release). The Kishikai transformation acts as a last resort for the Tensens whenever they are backed up into a corner with their opponent, offering them a tremendous boost in power that allows them to overwhelm their target. If they enter the transformation after having their bodies experience too much damage, a Tensen's mind will become unstable and will lose control of themselves. The Kishikai appearance differs from each Tensen but their bodies are generally represented with a combination of their Yin and Yang forms (with the exception of Mei and Rien). The Kishikai form comes with a risk however as it uses up a lot of the Tensens Tao within half an hour, and once time has run out, they are reduced to their weakened elderly bodies and will need time to recover through the cycling of chi or the consumption of Tan.

As proven by Zhu Jin, a Tensen can also partially transform into their Kishikai to have access to their special powers, while also gaining an increase in their physical abilities. Although not stated, this method presumably lowers the risk of consuming a Tensen's Tao within their time limit since only half of the Kishikai power is being used.

Full

Zhu Jin's Kishikai form.

Mu Dan's Kishikai form.

Ran's Kishikai form.

Ju Fa and Tao Fa's Kishikai form – Offensive.

Ju Fa and Tao Fa's Kishikai form – Defensive.

Mei's Kishikai form.

Rien's Kishikai form.

Partial

Zhu Jin's partial transformation.

A clone of Mu Dan partially transformed.

A clone of Tao Fa partially transformed.

A clone of Ju Fa partially transformed.

Weaknesses

An Earth Tao Tensen being brought down by a Wood Tao user after having their tanden severed.

The regenerative abilities of the Tensens are not entirely foolproof against all attacks. Since the regeneration draws on Flower Tao, a Tensen is vulnerable to the hindering Tao cycle. If a Tensen receives an attack from a Tao user with a hindering attribute, the regeneration process will be weakened and will usually result in them being left with scars on their bodies by the time their wound is healed. Also, repeated damage done to the Tensen's body will result in them expending too much Tao, causing their regeneration to stagnate, as well as have them be reduced to a shriveled form. The only way to truly kill a Tensen is if a Tao user with a hindering attribute completely destroys the Tensen's tanden located at the navel or their plant ovule. Though this is the case, a Tensen may still be able to live on even after having their tanden destroyed, as a simple Tao hindering attack from an average amount of Tao lacks the necessary power that is needed to slay them. As such, Sōsei is usually a requirement to achieve this feat by having the hinderer maintain contact with someone, or something, possessing the right restorative attribute to give a boost to their Tao.

Ran after running low on Tao.

Though they are powerful with Tao, they are not truly invincible and are able to suffer drawbacks. If a Tensen were to use too much of their Tao they will have their bodies reduced to their weakened bodies. Their Kishikai mainly runs the risk of this drawback. In rare cases, a Tensen may also have their bodies reduced to that of a child's when expending too much of their Tao, as seen with Gui Fa when they tried to protect the Basin with their Tao. Due to the nature of nyctinasty, a Tensen's Tao is at its weakest during the night.

Trivia

• In Taoism, the term 天仙 (Tensen, Pinyin: Tiānxiān) is one of the classifications for a xian.
  • In the Baopuzi, a Tensen is said to be the one that is the closest to becoming divine and is considered the highest level out of the three classes of immortals.
  • In the Zhong Lü Chuan Dao Ji, written by Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, two of the Eight Immortals, Tensen is listed as one of the five classes of immortals. A Tensen is defined as an immortal who is summoned to heaven and is seated as a judge of the water realm.
  • In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, a Tensen is an immortal who is in constant practice of controlling their own body fluids.
• The Tensens are based off of the Eight Immortals, eight well-known xian who are classified within the realm of Tiānxiān.
• The Tensens' Kishikai transformations are inspired by the concept of Shijie (尸解, Pinyin: Shījiě, Literally meaning: Corpse Release), an esoteric Taoist technique that is said to allow a person to transcend their mortal body and transform into a xian after using a ruse to avoid departing to the underworld.
• The Tensens are not so different from the legends of how alchemists use the mandrake plant to create homunculi.
• In addition to inheriting Rien's facial features, the Tensens are also passed down Rien's mediocre art style and Chinese language.
• Each Tensen is named after a flower, which is reflected by their hair and regeneration.
• The weakened bodies of the Tensens may give reference to the fact that xian are depicted as being elderly men in Chinese culture.
• Because Rien used her puppet(s) for her own emotional obsession to revive a loved one, which strays away from the way of Tao since both life and death are simply states of Tao, Gui Fa did not consider her to be a true Tensen in spirit.
• Before it was explained that Tao of the right attribute was needed to destroy the Tensens' tandens and cause them harm, Gabimaru was shown capable of causing harm to Zhu Jin after unknowingly striking their weak spot despite the fact that his attribute is Fire, which is the inferior element against Zhu Jin's Water attribute.
• According to the Q&A of Jigokuraku Kaitai Shinsho, Kaku confirmed that the scenes with the Tensens in their Kishikai were the most difficult for him to draw due to how complex their designs were.