Xuántiān shàngdì (玄天上帝), the Mysterious Heavenly Highest Deity, is known by many names. Amongst other things he’s called the True Martial Great Emperor and the Mysterious Warrior. He is the god of the North and the Northern sky, and by some accounts he let himself be born as a human, only to forget his divinity and struggle through several reincarnations before ascending to godhood anew. He is an important god in Daoism and Chinese folk religion.

Here he has been painted digitally, wearing his armour and carrying his Big Dipper sword. He is barefoot, as he usually is, and standing on top of the celestial beast of the North.