Dragon Whale Army

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Dragon Whale Army
Original Name	龙鲸军
Type	Military force
Founder / Army Master	Fang Xuan
Operational Commander	Fang Li
Origin	Formed from the former Black Whale Gang and its followers
Affiliation	Hua Dynasty by the Yi Province campaign 743
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 120

Background / History

The Dragon Whale Army originated from the Black Whale Gang of Pingjiang County. After becoming responsible for the gang's followers, Fang Xuan accepted former Pingjiang garrison instructor Ning Guanhai, whose military expertise transformed the group from scattered fighters into an organized army 120 191.

Ning Guanhai immediately imposed discipline, standardized ranks, and created a formal squad system. Fang Xuan remained the army's central figure; veterans regarded him as the reason they survived the Red Eyebrow Bandits and as the force that made the army possible 120 140.

After recruiting Yue Zhenting and the Cliff Mountain Water Bandits, the army established itself in Hai Province's East Sea. It grew rapidly through recruitment and victories, becoming a notable rebel force despite initially having only a few thousand men 123 124 136.

Organization & Strength

Initial Structure

Unit	Composition	Notes
Squad	5 soldiers	Basic unit established by Ning Guanhai 120
Team	5 squads	25 soldiers 120
Battalion	5 teams	125 soldiers 120
Legion	5 battalions	620 soldiers 120
Initial army	3 legions	Additional personnel served as scouts and specialized soldiers; noncombatants handled supplies, armor-weaving, cooking, and other logistics 120

Documented Growth

Period	Documented Strength	Notes
Formation	3 legions	Ning Guanhai's first formal reorganization 120
Early Hai Province expansion	Approximately 20,000–30,000	The army reportedly expanded tenfold from an initial 2,000–3,000 personnel within months 136
Hai Province campaign	60,000	Force assembled outside Yuqing City 215
Northern expedition	100,000	Marched from PingLiao City toward Daqu, Yangping, and Three Gorges 269
Barbarian invasion	400,000 total	Only 50,000 were stationed at PingLiao City when the Barbarian army advanced 451
Pan Tai Pass defense	500,000 total	Faced 130,000 Red Eyebrow Army troops at Pan Tai Pass 405
Yi Province campaign	500,000	Withdrew from Great Qian territory to answer the fiend threat 744

Leadership

• Fang Xuan — Founder, Army Master, and irreplaceable “soul” of the Dragon Whale Army. His return repeatedly restores morale and serves as the army's greatest deterrent against high-level martial artists 140 266.
• Fang Li — Fang Xuan's younger brother and the army's principal field commander. He directs campaigns, manages occupied territory, conducts diplomacy, and develops long-term strategy 186 225 266.
• Ning Guanhai — Former Pingjiang garrison instructor responsible for the army's discipline, infantry organization, and troop training; a Third Heavenly Gate martial artist at the time of joining 120.
• Sikong Jihuai — Military adviser whose planning helped the army survive several dangerous engagements; he also promotes literacy and strategic study among its officers 140 266.
• Yue Zhenting — Former Black Whale Gang leader recruited after defeat; later recognized for formidable naval warfare ability 123 140.
• One Line Sky — Veteran general and commander of Pan Tai Pass, noted for personally leading soldiers against the Red Eyebrow Army 404 416.
• Water Monkey — Founding veteran who develops into a capable general and strategist under Sikong Jihuai's guidance 266 269.
• Zheng Chuan — Zheng Family head and the army's strongest combatant besides Fang Xuan; enters seclusion in an attempt to reach the Fourth Heavenly Gate 237 267.

Military Capabilities

Discipline and Training

Ning Guanhai replaced the Black Whale Gang's Jianghu habits with a strict chain of command, trained soldiers who had formerly been undisciplined, and separated Sikong Family disciples across units rather than allowing them to remain concentrated 120.

The army earned a reputation for exceptional discipline and swift execution in battle. Its infantry training was considered effective enough to defeat the Hai Province Army despite numerical disadvantages 136.

Naval Forces

The Dragon Whale Army developed a naval arm after Sikong Jihuai identified the need for sea power in Hai Province. By its early expansion, it reportedly fielded 5,000 naval troops capable of defeating Hai Province's traditionally elite navy 120 136.

Martial Artist Corps

The army's principal weakness was originally its shortage of high-level martial artists, particularly compared with the Hai Province Royal Court Army's Fourth Heavenly Gate experts. Fang Xuan addressed this by sharing his breakthrough experience and cultivation knowledge with selected officers 267.

By the Central Province period, the army had gained dozens of martial artists and later possessed four Ninth Grade Martial Venerables alongside more than ten Upper Realm martial artists 594.

Formations and Enhanced Equipment

• Siege forces employ ladders, siege engines, archers, armored infantry, and martial artist assault units 184.
• Tai Xuan Sect Array Masters inscribe runes on the army's dark armor, allowing it to gather Heaven and Earth Vigorous Qi and strengthen both defense and offense 743.
• In Yi Province, soldiers channel their internal Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into massive fiery-dragon attacks 743.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Formation at Pingjiang — Ning Guanhai joins Fang Xuan and formally organizes the Dragon Whale Army into three legions 120.
• East Sea establishment — Yue Zhenting and his water bandits are incorporated; the army emerges from a cove and establishes a base in Hai Province's East Sea 123 124.
• Rise in Hai Province — Rapid expansion and the victory at Desire Sea Plains establish the army as a major regional force, supported by a powerful navy 136.
• War with the Red Eyebrow Army — The army clashes with the Red Eyebrow Army while Fang Xuan returns to confront Yuan Jun, the Bone Asura 141.
• Conquest of Xinhua and Yuqing — The army captures Xinhua City, defeats the Hai Province Army at Yuqing City, and later annexes five cities and more than 40,000 enemy troops 184 215 225.
• Unification campaign in Hai Province — Under Fang Li's strategy, the army captures Daqu, Yangping, and Three Gorges before ambushing Royal Court Army reinforcements 266 269.
• Northern and Central Province expansion — The army occupies Pan Tai Pass, fights the Red Eyebrow Army, and later moves into Central Province amid the Barbarian invasion 404 405 470.
• Jing Province campaign — The main force divides to seize Jiasheng Pass, advance on Jing Province City, and reinforce the Martial Forest Alliance in western Jing Province 604.
• War against Great Qian and the fiends — As a Hua Dynasty force, the army attacks Great Qian in Yi Province before Fang Li orders a full withdrawal to reinforce the defense against invading fiends 743 744.

Relationships

• Fang Xuan — Founder and Army Master; regarded by veterans as the army's sole soul and greatest source of confidence 140.
• Fang Li — Field commander and strategist entrusted with governance, diplomacy, and major campaigns 186 266.
• Black Whale Gang — Predecessor organization from which the Dragon Whale Army developed 191.
• Sikong Family — Early source of many elite martial artists, though Ning Guanhai dispersed its disciples among regular units to prevent factional concentration 120.
• Azure Sea Cloud Sect — Allied force whose disciples received protection during the fall of Xinhua City; later provides martial support alongside the army 184 594.
• Martial Forest Alliance — Strategic ally in Jing Province; its support allows the army to operate across Jing and Central Provinces 594 604.
• Tai Xuan Sect — Provides Array Masters and later fully aligns with the Dragon Whale Army 694 743.
• Red Eyebrow Army — Long-standing enemy force fought at Hai Province and Pan Tai Pass 141 597.
• Hai Province Royal Court Army — Rival force whose attempted bribe was rejected and whose territories became a target of the army's unification campaign 225 269.
• Barbarian armies — Major enemy during the southern invasion; the army defended PingLiao City and later fought in Ji Province 472 489.

Reputation

The army is feared for its battlefield strength and rapid expansion, but it also gains public support by accepting refugees from disaster-stricken Ji Province when local authorities failed to provide relief. This reputation led some observers to compare it to Emperor Wuzong's Wuyang Army 423.

Its governance and military presence draw martial artists and sects to its territories, particularly after the stability and prosperity of Jinjiang City become visible to outside groups 695.

Notable Quotes

“The Dragon Whale Army had only one soul, and that was Fang Xuan!” 140

“My Dragon Whale Army has never been a bunch of cowards relying on formations!” 416