I've been reading 'Apotheosis' for a while now, and the character list gets pretty sprawling, but a few really define the core. Luo Zheng is obviously the heart of it, starting from his humble, mocked beginnings as a waste cultivator and climbing up through sheer stubbornness and secret arts. His journey from the Luo family to the Cloud Sect and beyond is the main thread. Then there's Luo Yu, his younger sister, who provides that early emotional anchor and motivation for him to get stronger. You can't forget Lin Xintong either—she's the elusive, gifted love interest who sort of represents the peak he's striving toward, and their fates get tangled in complicated ways.
The supporting cast around them fleshes out the world. The Blood Evil Sect cultivator who becomes a mentor figure, various sect elders who either oppose or grudgingly respect Luo Zheng, and the array of rivals and allies he picks up at each new realm. The characters shift in importance as the story escalates; some early ones fade as Luo Zheng ascends to higher worlds and meets new cosmic-level entities. What sticks with me is how even the antagonists often have their own logic, not just pure evil for the sake of it.
Honestly, sometimes I mix up some of the mid-tier sect members' names because there are so many, but the core dynamics between Luo Zheng and the women in his life, plus his relentless drive against the heavens, are what keep me coming back chapter after chapter.