Zhong Yi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhong Yi (钟义)
Alias(es)	Senior Brother Zhong; True Disciple Zhong; Old Zhong; Genius Cultivator
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Spirit Cloud Sect
Occupation/Role	True Disciple; teacher; Illusion Realm player, strategist, caster, and game creator
Status	Alive
First Appearance	13

Background

Zhong Yi is a True Disciple of Spirit Cloud Sect and a trusted figure among its elders. He participated in the quadrennial Martial Arts Exchange during his own generation, where Spirit Cloud Sect finished third after facing coordinated and underhanded opposition from rival sects. He remains particularly resentful of the Endless Sword Sect, Azure Peak Sect, and Limitless Sword Sect's conduct during that exchange. 45

During an outer training trip, Zhong Yi saved He Qingyue, a True Disciple of Cloud Immortal Palace. Because she responded by calling him a “disgusting man,” he concluded that she despised men, failing to recognize her feelings for him. 45 73 513

He publicly defended Demonic Path Escape when Elder Ding challenged its value, explaining that playing it had given him cultivation insights. He initially did not know that Lu Ze had created the Illusion Realm. 19

He later represented Spirit Cloud Sect in the Demon Slaying Day Illusion Realm exchange. After returning three days late, he questioned whether every Demon Cultivator should be killed, having encountered a scarred Demon Cultivator and a Normal girl who protected him. The resulting rumor that he had been “seduced by Demon Cultivators” led Chao Wendao to place him in Repentance Valley, partly to shield him from pressure by other sects. 286 291

Zhong Yi also teaches Spirit Cloud Sect disciples about Secret Realm expeditions. His immersion in Immortal Abyss Continent Operation once caused him to mistake dawn for the previous evening and give students advice drawn from the game; Chao Wendao punished him at Thunder Peak after attending the lesson. 358

Personality

Zhong Yi is intelligent, curious, and highly receptive to unfamiliar systems. He tends to dissect rules, mechanics, and hidden interactions until he understands them, whether he is facing an Illusion Realm, a tactical game, or a combat system. 28 135 259

He is also earnest and straightforward to a fault. His confidence can become boastful—especially when retelling his past exploits—yet he is easily embarrassed when corrected. 45 He is a loyal friend who offers guidance to others, though his cautious, theoretical approach often clashes comically with his poor practical execution. 135 152 271

His experiences with Demon Cultivators and the role of Li Ang gradually make him more sympathetic to moral complexity. He shows particular kindness toward non-combatants and concern for Sutier, even when the role-playing system restricts his ability to intervene. 294 297 298 300 Given a chance to change Li Ang's ending, he accepts a fatal time limit to protect Sutier. He spares a man who betrayed them under threats against his family, judging the circumstances rather than seeking indiscriminate revenge. 321

Zhong Yi's insight into rules does not extend reliably to romance. He mistakes Mu Yawen's interest in a Stormshock Bear for interest in Zoe, then repeatedly devises mechanical explanations for Zoe's growing attachment to him. 513 514 542 543

Cultivation

Zhong Yi is a Spirit Transformation cultivator and had reached the intermediate stage by the time he played Naraka: Bladepoint. Even at this realm, he was unable to endure Minecraft's fully enhanced graphics and mod functions indefinitely; excessive spiritual-energy consumption left him bleeding from the nose before he fainted. 141 259

He possesses the Sacred Speech Spirit Root and cultivates the Grand Dao Truth Incantation. Its power is closely associated with his spoken declarations in combat; Zhong Yi says he commonly supplements his swordplay by invoking “Sword Opens Heaven's Gate.” 39 223 564 After an all-night session in Immortal Abyss Continent Operation, Chao Wendao noticed that Zhong Yi's cultivation had advanced and that a long-standing bottleneck might soon break. 358

Power Progression

Stage / Development	Progression	Notes
True Disciple's cultivation	Zhong Yi's martial experience and Grand Dao Truth Incantation are revealed when Lu Ze receives them as system rewards.	The rewards establish Zhong Yi as the source of ten years of martial insight and the cultivation method. 12 39
Spirit Transformation	Zhong Yi is established as a Spirit Transformation cultivator.	His cultivation still cannot indefinitely sustain Minecraft's fully enhanced functions. 141
Sacred Speech Spirit Root	His root surges with spiritual energy and golden runes while he watches an Illusion Realm match.	Chao Wendao senses that his disciple may be approaching a breakthrough. 223
Intermediate Spirit Transformation	Zhong Yi is identified as an intermediate-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator.	His Divine Sense is described as exceptional within his realm. 259
Li Ang ending intervention	Heavenly Dao power restores his cultivation to mid Spirit Transformation inside the Illusion Realm.	Bringing in his full power starts a 180-second countdown to his death in that ending; he uses the time to save Sutier. 321
Bottleneck progress	Chao Wendao observes advancement in Zhong Yi's cultivation after prolonged Illusion Realm play.	The observation suggests his long-standing bottleneck may soon break, but does not establish a new realm. 358
Cross True Art	The cultivation method unfolds before Zhong Yi through Dao resonance following Zoe's thanks.	Receiving the method is shown; his mastery of it is not established. 545

Abilities & Skills

Game Analysis and Rule Deduction

Zhong Yi rapidly identifies game systems, optimal routes, and hidden mechanical constraints.

• Mastered the strategic mechanics of Plants vs. Zombies, reaching the night stage without dying and defeating an Armored General Zombie with a Hypno-shroom. 29
• Deduced that Zhou Yue's Minecraft monsters despawned because he died more than 128 blocks from the Dirt Block; he devised a method of lowering Zhou Yue's health before falling to preserve the spawn range. 135
• Studied Minecraft's villagers and villages to investigate the world's underlying rules. 132
• Understood Lu Ze's Redstone devices, Command Blocks, and Spirit Plant Farm after touring the western stronghold. 140
• Categorized Naraka: Bladepoint characters by offensive, defensive, support, and utility roles after studying their skills. 259
• Identified attack sequencing in Naraka: Bladepoint, including predicting a longsword user's charged attack after two normal attacks. 263
• Recognized that Sekiro's limited rewards for leveling were intended to make players improve their own skills rather than overpower enemies through grinding. 581
• Pieced together clues about the Hirata Estate attack and proposed that Sekiro and Lady Butterfly had been deceived into fighting each other. 580 597

Tactical Planning

He favors resource control, preparation, and flexible problem-solving.

• In Immortal Realm Supremacy, managed units, constructed buildings, upgraded his sect, recruited units and spirit beasts, and rescued villagers from Demonic Path forces. 66
• Organized his Bed Wars team around distinct tasks: Mu Yawen attacked enemy beds, Zhou Yue and Zhong Yi secured Central Island resources, and Zhou Qiaoling defended their base. 152
• Used tower stealing in the top lane while Zhou Yue distracted the Demonic AI, helping defeat Teemo the Great Devil. 213
• Cleared Li Ang's assassination mission through poisoning and infiltration rather than a direct assault. 294
• Devised an Immortal Abyss Continent Operation bridge defense using Uluru's barrier to create a protected high-ground firing position, coordinating it with positions at the bridge entrance and ascension mission point. 365 366
• Bred and assembled varied Palworld Arena teams. His water-and-lightning lineup chained Soaked, paralysis, and damage bonuses against Zhou Yue's creatures. 533 534

Deception and Social Deduction

In Demonic Murder, Zhong Yi is an effective manipulator when assigned to the Demonic Path.

• Used stealth kills and framing to create suspicion among players. 185
• Continued improvising after both Demonic Path teammates were eliminated, exploiting partial information to redirect suspicion. 186 187
• Manipulated the group into eliminating Zhou Qiaoling by presenting her as the Evil Ghost. 187
• Can also recognize suspicious patterns, such as identifying Zhou Yue's Calamity Fate and Cursed Healing Root as the source of his extreme misfortune. 100
• His reasoning can fail when other players behave unpredictably: as Lord in Three Kingdoms Kill, he formed a logical but incorrect account of the players' identities. 99

Illusion Realm Role-Playing

Zhong Yi adapts closely to character-driven systems and learns how to maintain a role's required behavior.

• Learned that Li Ang's Behavior Score rises or falls according to whether his actions match the assassin's personality. 291 292
• Used Assassin's Focus to access details and memory-based deductions available to Li Ang. 292
• Earned a perfect rating and the Top Assassin (Beginner) achievement for assassinating Zhang San, locating the Black Snake Gang Ledger, and maintaining stealth. 295
• Learned Li Ang's routines—including goat milk, caring for a potted plant, and shadow puppet shows—to raise his Behavior Score. 298
• As Assassin's Focus improved, used it to inspect an opponent's level, ordinary skills, and weaknesses. 312

Innovative Builds and Game Theory

Zhong Yi develops unconventional strategies and explains advanced mechanics to other players.

• Introduced the Magic-Build Sword Saint, using Spirit Qi-focused equipment to exploit the high Spirit Qi scaling of Sword Saint's first two skills. 215
• Achieved a Penta Kill with the build, prompting widespread adoption before he developed the “Five-A Combo” Mordekaiser counter. 215
• Explained animation canceling and attack moving to Zhou Yue and Li Moran. 207
• Developed Naraka: Bladepoint techniques and earned the nickname “Coach” in the Blade Training Room, despite his poor results in its practical matches. 271
• Published knife-running guides and Gun-modification tutorials for Immortal Abyss Continent Operation. His deliberately unpleasant-to-loot “Poop Gun” designs helped make him an influential figure among cautious scavenging players known as “Rats.” 361
• In Sekiro, found a way to defeat Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa without drawing his sword by exploiting terrain, ash, and the boss's pursuit behavior. 590
• Demonstrated a slash-and-step approach to Lady Butterfly's first phase and used a shuriken to interrupt her movements in the second. 597

Limitations

• Despite his theoretical strength, Zhong Yi is frequently clumsy in direct, fast-paced gameplay. He fell into the void in Bed Wars, rebuilt bridges too slowly to support Zhou Yue, and later fell again while carrying Spirit Stones. 152 153
• His early performance with Yasuo was notably poor; he died 26 times across three AI matches. 203
• He repeatedly lost one-on-one exchanges in the supposedly beginner-friendly parry room, concluding that it was not truly for beginners. 271
• He can become overly confident in his predictions and has a habit of speaking too much, a flaw “White Curtain” recognized from his livestreams. 45 157
• His attempted Crouching Tiger Cannon ricochet struck a crate and returned to knock him down. His subsequent jet-assisted escape carried him into Zhou Yue just as Spirit-Draining Bombs exploded, wiping out their team. 357
• He initially treats rare cards and ambitious routes in Slay the Immortal Spire as safer than they are. After a powerful Silent Hunter run, he also mistakes a results-screen damage total for proof that he cleared the game. 432 434 439
• In the Palworld Arena, Zhou Yue defeats him by attacking Zhong Yi rather than his formidable creatures. Zhong Yi adds the vulnerability of players themselves to his arena handbook. 534
• Easy stealth kills in Sekiro lead him to underestimate group combat. Later, he repeatedly loses sparring matches to Emma before deciding to train elsewhere. 564 603

Relationships

• Lu Ze — Junior Brother whose Illusion Realm design Zhong Yi deeply admires; Zhong Yi calls him a “divine being” after witnessing the Hypno-shroom strategy in Plants vs. Zombies. Lu Ze also recognizes Zhong Yi's exceptional aptitude for analyzing game mechanics. He later gives Zhong Yi's own game time to attract attention, and the two stream one another's creations. 29 140 286 431
• Mu Yawen — Fellow Spirit Cloud Sect disciple and frequent gaming partner. Mu Yawen regularly corrects Zhong Yi's exaggerated stories, while Zhong Yi patiently explains game mechanics and coordinates with him in team modes. 28 45 152
• Zhou Yue — Close friend and frequent rival. Zhong Yi often guides Zhou Yue through difficult mechanics, while Zhou Yue mocks Zhong Yi's slow bridging and poor practical performance. Zhong Yi also reserves the Palworld tower boss Li Wei as a potential companion for Zhou Yue. 135 152 203 545
• Zhou Qiaoling — Friend and teammate with a teasing dynamic; Zhong Yi laughs at her Heroic Soul appearance and later manipulates her elimination while playing as Demonic Path. Her approach to scavenging inspires his “Poop Gun” designs. 187 200 361
• Li Moran — Fellow Spirit Cloud Sect disciple whom Zhong Yi respects for her swordsmanship and strategic ability. He recommends Heroic Souls to her but acknowledges her strength. 45 203
• Chao Wendao — Master and Grand Elder of Spirit Cloud Sect. Chao Wendao reprimands Zhong Yi over the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm incident and later sends him to Repentance Valley amid rumors about Demon Cultivators. He recognizes Zhong Yi's cultivation progress through Illusion Realm play but punishes him when gaming disrupts his teaching. 178 291 358
• Sutier — Li Ang's young neighbor in This Demonic Cultivator Is Not Too Cold. Zhong Yi grows concerned for her safety after learning of her abusive home and the Demon Suppressing Division's planned massacre. In a revised ending, he sacrifices his time with her to destroy the threat, arrange her protection, and direct her toward cultivation. 296 297 298 321
• He Qingyue — Cloud Immortal Palace True Disciple who developed feelings for Zhong Yi after he saved her. He interprets her hostile words as sincere dislike. Her Cybersoul later serves as the foundation for Zoe's soul, though Zoe's identity and memories of He Qingyue have been erased. 45 73 513
• Zoe — A Palworld Tower Master captured by Zhong Yi. Her insults conceal affection, but he repeatedly misreads them as hostility or evidence that she enjoys combat. Reassuring her that he will not replace her resolves a bond quest, after which her thanks precedes his discovery of the Cross True Art. 529 542 543 545

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Illusion Realm Player

Zhong Yi is among the early disciples to experience Lu Ze's Illusion Realms. He displays tactical talent in competitive duels, tower defense, and real-time strategy games, helping demonstrate the appeal of Lu Ze's creations to the sect. 13 29 66

Multiplayer Teammate and Strategist

Across Bed Wars, Immortal-Demon Supremacy, and Naraka: Bladepoint, Zhong Yi commonly serves as the team's planner and analyst. His strategies are often sound, but his execution in high-speed combat regularly makes him the subject of Zhou Yue's teasing. 152 203 259 271

Demonic Murder Schemer

When assigned Demonic Path roles in Demonic Murder, Zhong Yi reveals a far more deceptive side. He uses stealth, misinformation, and social manipulation to destabilize groups, though unpredictable deaths and teammate losses repeatedly disrupt his plans. 185 186 187

Demon Cultivator Controversy

After the Demon Slaying Day exchange, Zhong Yi's encounter with a Demon Cultivator and a Normal girl causes him to challenge the absolute condemnation of the Demonic Path. His change in perspective sparks sect-wide suspicion and leads to his confinement in Repentance Valley. 286 291

Li Ang Role-Playing Arc

While confined, Zhong Yi enters This Demonic Cultivator Is Not Too Cold as the assassin Li Ang. Through Li Ang's history and the Behavior Score system, he comes to understand the possibility that people forced into the Demonic Path may retain humanity, while becoming invested in Sutier's fate and the corruption surrounding the Demon Suppressing Division. 292 295 297 298

When offered the chance to revisit the tragedy, Zhong Yi brings his cultivation into the Illusion Realm despite the fatal countdown. He kills Stan, destroys the Demon Suppressing Division, and secures Sutier's future. As his time expires, he tells her she can find him in the sky, flowers, grass, wind, and water before his Illusion Realm form dissolves. 321

Immortal Abyss Continent Operation

Playing as “Genius Cultivator,” Zhong Yi studies the game's Guns, extraction rules, and character abilities. His ambitious combat experiments often fail spectacularly, but his guides and unusual Gun builds earn him a large Forum following. When Azure Peak Sect players coordinate to hunt his team, he devises a bridge-camping position using Uluru's barrier, allowing his group to control exposed approaches to Ascension Base. 346 357 361 365 366

Game Creation and Slay the Immortal Spire

Zhong Yi creates Brave the Demon-Locking Tower. Lu Ze delays releasing Slay the Immortal Spire to give Zhong Yi's game room to grow, then streams it in return for Zhong Yi streaming his. As a player of Lu Ze's card-battle Illusion Realm, Zhong Yi experiments with routes and decks, suffers repeated defeats, and later coaches Zhou Yue through a Silent Hunter build. 431 432 434 439 440

Palworld Arena and Zoe

Zhong Yi becomes engrossed in Palworld's cross-world Arena, breeding unusual creatures and developing team compositions that suit his strengths as a planner. He also captures Tower Master Zoe. Although he detects that her bond has a hidden condition, he fails to recognize her affection; resolving her fear of being replaced brings their bond to level ten and leads to his encounter with the Cross True Art. 529 533 534 542 543 545

Sekiro Exploration

Zhong Yi enters Sekiro as Wolf and becomes as interested in Kurō and the Hirata Household's hidden history as he is in combat. Repeated defeats teach him that grinding offers little substitute for skill, but he continues to find unconventional routes and boss tactics. After defeating Lady Butterfly, he concludes that a hidden party likely manipulated their confrontation and that Kurō's blood explains Sekiro's resurrection. 564 581 590 597

Trivia

• Zhong Yi once described Lu Ze as a “divine being” after seeing an Armored General Zombie turned against other zombies by a Hypno-shroom. 29
• He has a reputation for accidentally “speaking things into existence,” though his predictions are frequently mocked when they fail. 100 152
• In Naraka: Bladepoint, he initially selected Master Tianhai and was transformed with a buzz cut and golden Zen-like eyes. 259
• He later chose Wuchen partly because he was embarrassed by his earlier “Crotch-Guarding Buddha” reputation. 266
• He is a master-level Go player; in Li Ang's Illusion Realm, he easily outplayed an opponent using an outdated chess manual. 305
• His Sekiro viewers joked that Lady Butterfly called him a “puppy” 131 times before finally acknowledging him as “Wolf.” 597