Xu Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xu Yuan (徐元) 1
Alias(es)	Brother Xu; Brother Yuan 6 45
Gender	Male 1
Affiliation	Shangyang Family 1
Occupation/Role	Former menial laborer; Three-stripe Household Guard; Outer Courtyard Instructor Martial Master 1 42 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1: Family Servant

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Tai Chi Exercise — Minor Accomplishment	1	His first recorded skill breakthrough; Aptitude rises from 1 to 3.
Tai Chi Exercise — Great Accomplishment	11	Aptitude rises from 3 to 5. Xu Yuan subsequently condenses the Essence of Qi and Blood.
First Meridian Realm / Martial Artist	15 17	Stone Platform Stance Practice reaches Minor Accomplishment, opening the Ren Meridian; Aptitude rises from 5 to 8. He is recognized as a formal Martial Artist.
Thunderclap Fist — Minor Accomplishment	31	His fist technique breakthrough raises Aptitude from 8 to 9 and lets him barely control weak internal force.
Second Meridian Realm / Martial Master	35	Blood Essence enters the Governing Meridian; Stone Platform Stance Practice reaches Major Accomplishment and Aptitude rises from 9 to 11.
Third Meridian Realm	49	He opens the Conception Vessel; Stone Platform Stance Practice reaches Perfection and Aptitude rises from 11 to 14.
Tai Chi Exercise — Perfection	50	His Aptitude reaches 15, further enhancing his comprehension.

Background

Xu Yuan transmigrated from another world after living with a heart condition in his previous life. He awakened as a young menial servant of the Shangyang Family, bound by a ten-year labor contract and assigned to chores such as chopping wood, carrying water, cooking, and cleaning. 1

The Xu family had fallen into poverty after his father gambled away its wealth; their mother died from grief and their father later died of illness. His elder brother, Xu Zheng, and sister-in-law, Madam Zhang, were left struggling with debt, while the original Xu Yuan joined the Shangyang Family because it offered food, wages, and a possible path into martial arts. 6

Xu Yuan secretly practiced Tai Chi Exercise at night, a routine he had learned as a university elective in his former life. The exercise activated his System Panel, which records his skills and Aptitude; its breakthroughs steadily improve both his talent and cultivation speed. 1 2

Appearance

At sixteen, Xu Yuan has changed markedly through cultivation. He grew more than half a head taller within little more than a month, developed a stronger build, and gained a notably more spirited bearing. 20 43

• Initially wore patched, coarse laborer clothing. 1
• His shoulders broadened substantially through stance training, with tight, defined muscles. 14
• His formerly dark complexion became fairer and smoother after becoming a Martial Artist. 20
• Later appears in the Shangyang Family’s blue Household Guard uniform, standing tall with an imposing presence. 39
• Has well-defined features, a sharp jawline, and a rugged appearance. 42

Personality

Xu Yuan is disciplined, pragmatic, and intensely focused on advancement. As a laborer, he refuses to spend his limited practice time giving free instruction to opportunists, instead forming a small group with Li Shan and Sun Rong to train efficiently. 4 He consistently treats cultivation as the most reliable route out of poverty and danger. 7 46

He deliberately keeps his progress quiet to avoid envy and unnecessary attention, even after mastering Thunderclap Fist and reaching the Second Meridian Realm. 31 38 His caution also shapes his career choices: rather than pursue dangerous high-reward assignments, he selects the stable Outer Courtyard instructor post to preserve time and safety for cultivation. 40 42

Xu Yuan is protective of his family but can be ruthless toward threats. He uses his resources to support Xu Zheng’s household and relocate them to the inner city, yet kills Li Daqiang after extracting his confession and information about the Wild Wolf Gang. 12 22 23

Abilities & Skills

System Panel and Aptitude Growth

Xu Yuan possesses a System Panel that records learned techniques, tracks their progress, and increases his Aptitude when skills break through. 1 2

• A rise from Aptitude 1 to 3 makes his Tai Chi practice roughly three times as efficient. 2
• Higher Aptitude improves his comprehension, physical coordination, and ability to identify flaws in Blood Essence circulation. 11 15
• Skill breakthroughs become harder at higher Aptitude; his Thunderclap Fist breakthrough raises his Aptitude by only one point, from 8 to 9. 31

Tai Chi Exercise

A slow, fluid fist routine that Xu Yuan learned in his previous life and practiced secretly after work. It is the first technique recorded by his System Panel. 1

• Relieves fatigue after exhausting labor. 1
• Provides repeated Aptitude increases through its breakthroughs. 1 11 50
• Reaches Perfection by the first day of the second month. 50

Stone Platform Stance Practice

The foundational cultivation technique taught to Shangyang Family laborers by Feng Xiao. It tempers Blood Essence and opens meridians. 3

• Lets Xu Yuan condense Essence of Qi and Blood and improve his physical foundation. 11
• Opens the Ren Meridian at Minor Accomplishment, making him a formal Martial Artist. 15 17
• Opens the Governing Meridian at Major Accomplishment, advancing him to the Second Meridian Realm. 35
• Reaches Perfection alongside his Third Meridian breakthrough. 49
• The version taught to ordinary Shangyang martial artists is incomplete; the complete technique is withheld until the Fourth Meridian. 40

Thunderclap Fist

A combat-oriented fist art characterized by sweeping strikes, short-range attacks, speed, and explosive force. 25

• Allows Xu Yuan to cultivate and manipulate weak internal force after reaching Minor Accomplishment. 31
• His distant strike can leave a shallow mark on the ground. 31
• He continues practicing it alongside his cultivation after becoming an instructor. 44 50

Meridian Cultivation

Xu Yuan tempers Blood Essence through the meridians, greatly improving his strength, physique, and reactions. 20 35

• At the First Meridian, his strength is sufficient to crush a wooden board. 20
• At the Second Meridian, he becomes a Martial Master and Second Pattern Household Guard. 35 38
• At the Third Meridian, his Blood Essence becomes more vigorous, his body strengthens further, and his thoughts become clearer. 49

Equipment & Resources

• Thunderclap Fist manual — His issued combat-technique manual. 25
• Blue Household Guard robes and waist token — Received upon promotion to Second Pattern Household Guard. 38
• Meridian Nourishing Powder and Blood Activating Pills — Primary medicines used to sustain intensive cultivation and force breakthroughs. 35 49
• Meridian Nourishing Soup — Restores energy depleted by stance practice. 3 45
• Precious Meat — Spirit Beast meat that enhances Blood Essence and physique. 39
• One hundred taels of silver — Compensation sent by Quan Xiong through Liu Yue as part of their reconciliation. 44

Relationships

• Xu Zheng — Elder brother. Xu Yuan supports him financially, confronts the debt collectors threatening his family, and relocates his household to the inner city. 7 11 23
• Madam Zhang — Sister-in-law. Initially resentful of the burden Xu Yuan places on the household, she later defends and supports him after he improves the family’s circumstances. 7 23
• Feng Xiao — First martial mentor. He teaches Xu Yuan Stone Platform Stance Practice, later advises him on cultivation, assignments, and the incomplete nature of the family’s stance technique. 3 39 40
• Zhao Qiusheng — Shangyang Family steward and patron. He recognizes Xu Yuan’s potential, gives him guidance and financial gifts, and helps deter the Wild Wolf Gang. 17 37 49
• Tian Yang — Fellow laborer and close ally. Xu Yuan saves him from Liu Hong, after which Tian Yang becomes deeply grateful and follows Xu Yuan’s example. 17 19
• Chen Sanli — Former dormmate who becomes strongly aligned with Xu Yuan after the dormitory conflict; he later seeks Xu Yuan’s advice and companionship. 34 42 47
• Li Shan — Early training companion. Xu Yuan respects his generosity but gradually distances himself from him after Li Shan sides with Wang Huan during the dormitory conflict. 4 35 38
• Sun Rong — Early training partner whose relationship with Xu Yuan grows distant after her advancement; she later regrets the lost connection. 13 37
• Wang Huan — Rival and former dormitory leader. Wang Huan repeatedly underestimates Xu Yuan, later apologizes after Xu Yuan’s Second Meridian breakthrough, and continues trying to surpass him. 36 38 46
• Ye Qing'er — Outer Courtyard maid who grows close to Xu Yuan and calls him Brother Yuan, but leaves for an inner-courtyard promotion after pursuing a better opportunity. 45 46
• Quan Xiong — Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang and Li Daqiang’s superior. After Xu Yuan’s rapid advancement, Quan Xiong sends an apology and one hundred taels of silver, though Xu Yuan intends to settle their conflict later. 21 44

Story Role / Major Arcs

Laborer to Martial Artist

Xu Yuan begins as a menial servant with little free time, secretly building his System Panel through Tai Chi Exercise. After Feng Xiao begins teaching the laborers Stone Platform Stance Practice, Xu Yuan systematically raises his Aptitude and opens his first meridian. 1 3 15 He later admits to killing Liu Hong after Liu Hong attacks Tian Yang, earning recognition as a formal Martial Artist and moving into the training camp. 17

Conflict with the Wild Wolf Gang

When Li Daqiang’s debt scheme threatens Xu Zheng’s household, Xu Yuan confronts him, learns that Quan Xiong leads the Wild Wolf Gang, and extracts information about the gang’s connections. 11 21 He takes Li Daqiang’s wealth, kills him, warns Xiao Ping to flee the city, and uses the money to move Xu Zheng and Madam Zhang into the safer inner city. 22 23

Rise Through the Shangyang Family

Xu Yuan registers as a First-Rank Household Guard, learns Thunderclap Fist, and progresses rapidly enough to achieve both martial-skill mastery and the Second Meridian within a month. 19 31 36 He becomes a Second Pattern Household Guard, receives improved treatment, and chooses the Outer Courtyard instructor role for its security and cultivation time. 38 42

Outer Courtyard Instructor

As an instructor, Xu Yuan teaches laborers and Martial Students the Stone Platform Stance Practice while continuing to cultivate in private. 43 48 He rejects distractions, uses expensive medicines to force open the Third Meridian, and is promoted to a Three-stripe Household Guard. 46 49 50

Notable Quotes

“In the end, to forge iron, you must be strong yourself!” 10

“Strength is the foundation of everything.” 46