Zhou Leng

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhou Leng (周冷)
Alias(es)	Xinhe; Martial Saint of Ru University; Frost Giant Grand Duke; Starry Sky's Son 79 216 313 771
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ru University; Ancient River Sect (Eldest Senior Brother); Dragon Nation martial community 715
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; Junior Divine Script Researcher; Ancient River Sect disciple and instructor 51 617
Status	Alive 831
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi-Nourishing Stage	1	Began as a Grade 12 student in the Blood Qi Realm; an earlier demon-related injury had limited his internal cultivation. 1
Blood-Circulating Stage	52	Advanced under Huang Jingqiu's supervision after using a single Origin-Replenishing Pill and ten Blood-Replenishing Pills. 51 52
Standing Elephant Chapter, second move	79	Completed 36 cycles of the first move, unlocking the second and significantly altering his physique. 79
Body-Refining Stage	156	His breakthrough caused his body to expand and contract three times, absorbing unusually large amounts of power. 156
Force-Generating Early Stage	235	Registered himself as a Force-Generating Early Stage martial artist during an escort mission. 235
True-Liquid Innate Realm	376	Reached the True-Liquid Innate Realm; his actual combat strength already approached the Blood-Shaking peak. 376
Shaking Blood Innate Realm	398	Faced a Bone-Tempering-equivalent upper-ranking demon general while at the Shaking Blood Realm. 398
Force-Channeling Stage	446	Manifested Force-Channeling unusually early while mastering True Qi Perpetual Motion. 446
Bone-Tempering Innate Realm	447	Tested himself against the Grandmaster-level lifting platform after reaching Bone-Tempering. 447
Muscle-Tendon Innate Realm	489	Advanced into the Muscle-Tendon Realm; his aura was already comparable to a Great Innate expert. 489
Grandmaster Realm	583	Advanced without true qi by using Giant and Dragon methods, then tempered himself against Grandmaster ferocious beasts. 583
Ten Thousand Feathers	598	Reached the Ten Thousand Feathers stage of the Star Phoenix Restoration Art and gained Stellar Body Self-Sharpening. 598
Upper Realm / Threefold Astral Body	634	Completed the Second Star-Body Transformation, entered the Upper Realm, and began the Threefold Astral Body. 634
Great Grandmaster Realm	662	Had only recently advanced when he began using Martial Saint Realm equipment under temporary authorization. 662
Stellar Orbit Force, first strand	663	Comprehended and opened his first strand of Stellar Orbit Force through the Planet Ball's fifth stage. 663
Diamond Realm Martial Will	665	His Martial Will reached the Diamond Realm, allowing him to spar Martial Saints without true qi. 665
Martial Saint Realm	715	Revealed his advancement while distributing Headless God components to Ancient River Sect disciples. 715
Demigod Realm	744	Demonstrated overwhelming strength against newly advanced Demigod Realm Giants in the Giant Battlefield. 744
Ancient River Three Sons threshold	761	Reached this threshold after killing twenty Lower Demigod Realm Orcs. 761

Background

Zhou Leng began as a Ru City high-school student whose cultivation had been hindered by injuries sustained during an encounter with a demon. Rather than abandon martial arts, he trained at home through palm forms, qi-control drills, and daily medicinal supplementation. His persistence led Sun Xiong to suspect that he possessed a faint Martial Path Will. 1 2 6

While searching for Big Yellow, Zhou entered a hidden rift leading into a primeval otherworldly forest. The discovery became the beginning of his contact with the Ten Realms and with powerful nonhuman factions. 3 8

His early advancement was supported by Li Linhan's meals and guidance, formal instruction from Deng Zhijue and Huang Jingqiu, and repeated life-or-death combat. After saving a field-study team from an Ice Crystal Demon Lion, he began accumulating merit, resources, and recognition beyond his school. 4 23 52

Appearance

Zhou Leng's physique changes dramatically with cultivation. After reaching the Muscle-Tendon Innate Realm, he stood roughly 1.9 meters tall with a compact, proportioned, exceptionally dense build; his exposed skin had a faint jade-and-steel luster. 489

• His Giant Physical Strange Body can expand him to approximately 3.2 meters, greatly enlarging his musculature and physical strength. 216
• His skin can redden or turn red-purple during intense qi-and-blood cultivation. 178
• He has demonstrated rapid regeneration, including the restoration of wounded skin and hair. 401
• During periods of extreme training, he has become visibly thinner and gaunter. 79

Personality

Zhou Leng is relentlessly disciplined. Even when injured, short on resources, or repeatedly defeated in training, he treats setbacks as material for further cultivation rather than reasons to stop. His approach to the Heavenly Stair's combat trials—fighting, reflecting, and trying again without losing heart—defines his method of growth. 6 97

He is observant and pragmatic in combat, favoring efficient movement, feints, targeted force application, and adapting his techniques to an opponent's habits. 34 72

Despite his capacity for lethal violence, Zhou Leng is described as soft-hearted. He values reducing internal conflict among martial artists, protects companions, and supports the people and factions that aid him. When he judges violence necessary, however, he can act with extreme decisiveness. 241 595 598

His long-term priority is ascension. He considers romantic and family matters secondary to cultivation, explaining that his Martial Will continually drives him toward godhood. 665

Abilities & Skills

Martial Path Perception and True Qi Control

Zhou Leng possesses the national divine ability Martial Path Perception, which helps him identify techniques suited to his body and refine their use. 4 73

• Achieved a perfect score in true qi control during academy testing. 34
• Uses true qi with unusual precision, including bean-flicking drills against marked targets. 2
• Chose Cloud-Treading Leap and Flying Crane Step as his most suitable Blood Qi Realm lightness skills. 73
• His control lets him compensate for lower raw strength through superior force application. 34

Physical Cultivation and Regeneration

Zhou Leng's body is strengthened through the Ten Inverse Beast Fist, hard-body cultivation, the Giant Physical Strange Body, and later the Star Phoenix Restoration Art. 160 216 598

• Completed the Standing Elephant, Flying Whale, and Crouching Serpent Chapters of the Ten Inverse Beast Fist. 716
• Uses Steel Skin and hard-body techniques to withstand impacts that would normally injure Body-Refining martial artists. 160 173
• The Giant Physical Strange Body enhances his size, organs, muscles, strength, and true qi. 216
• His healing can rapidly repair severe injuries and restore lost hair and skin. 401
• Acquired Stellar Body Self-Sharpening at the Ten Thousand Feathers stage. 598

Unarmed Martial Arts

His foundational style centers on the Wave-Stacking Palm and Eight Trigrams Step, later expanded with fist, leg, finger, and battlefield arts. 4 168

• Wave-Stacking Palm — Reached the Extreme Realm, then Divine Communion; its layered force is especially effective at close range. 168 277
• Eight Trigrams Step — Reached the Grandmaster Realm and supports his evasive, adaptive movement. 168
• East Wind Fist — A Grandmaster Realm fist art whose moves build momentum progressively; Zhou later used One Break in Ten Thousand Instants to defeat Yuan Kuojing. 583 643
• Space-Severing Finger — An Innate Realm finger art that condenses true qi into a cutting edge and contains principles useful for sword cultivation. 284 350
• Ten Inverse Beast Fist — A body-tempering art that improves strength, explosive power, muscular control, and stored force. 627

Weapon Arts

Zhou Leng studies weapon techniques as part of the Ancient River Sect's orthodox cultivation path. 583

• Nineteen Star-Slaying Swords — Ancient River Sect sword art taught to him by Shen Yunxian; its nineteenth move destroys both wielder and sword. 583
• Star-Orbit Sword Method — A sword method he uses to study higher Martial Dao principles. 386
• Dragon God Battle Techniques — Refined through repeated combat with Dragonblood Guards; later taught five moves to Deep Dark Fury. 526

Combat Methods and Martial Will

Zhou Leng uses high-level combat methods to process battle experience and improve tactical judgment. 97 512

• Mind-Spirit Shadow Division — Comprehended after passing the Heavenly Stair's second trial by selecting the best option among multiple combat possibilities. 97
• No-Return Battle Method and Mountain-Subduing River Battle Art — Among the three battle arts he later mastered. 583
• Martial Dao Afterimage — Lets him recall and learn from prior battles; gained after encountering the Undying Knight. 512
• Diamond Realm Martial Will — Allows him to contend with Martial Saints through will and physical strength even without true qi. 665

Divine Script and National Divine Ability

Zhou Leng is a Junior Divine Script Researcher and later scored a perfect 150 on an advanced Divine Script examination. 51 253

• Learns and memorizes Divine Script rapidly through his unusually strong martial foundation. 276
• Helped Azure-Crimson Flame improve during Spirit Magic trials through his understanding of their underlying principles. 424
• Obtained the national divine ability Tough Body, which strengthens the base physique of all Dragon Kingdom citizens. 315

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Enchanted Mini Computer and Enchanted Connector — Gifted by Xue Chengsong after the Ice Crystal Demon Lion incident; linked to Martial City and controlled through thought, voice, or touch. 23
• Demonic Wristwatch — Used to record training, access Martial City, communicate, and review martial data. 73 170
• Spirit-Land Jade — Found in an abandoned mine; improves cultivation speed and true qi recovery. 116
• Gravity Training Armor — Used for progressive high-weight resistance training. 252 253
• Demon Spirit Bag — Carries weapons, medicinal resources, and large items. 385 627
• High-Heaven Demon Armor — Acquired after defeating Sijiao Changxing. 595
• Star-Slaying Sword — Entrusted to him by Li Shenkong's younger sister on Li Shenkong's behalf. 715
• Spirit Mist Jade Pendant and Earth Chariot — Obtained from Azure-Crimson Flame. 587

Relationships

• Li Linhan — His uncle and an injured veteran martial artist; provides meals, practical advice, and steady support despite their occasionally strained dynamic. 1 4
• Big Yellow — His intelligent, loyal canine companion; led Zhou to the otherworldly rift and often assists with danger assessment and treasure retrieval. 3 53 108
• Deng Zhijue — Instructor and mentor who recognizes Zhou Leng's potential, protects his scholarship, and guides his training. 52 73 153
• Huang Jingqiu — Chief Instructor who supervised Zhou Leng's Blood-Circulating and Body-Refining breakthroughs. 52 156
• Wang Boxiong — Mentor, senior brother, and Ru University backer; helps Zhou manage advanced cultivation problems such as True Qi Perpetual Motion. 153 445
• Xu Qingjin — Childhood friend and romantic partner; their relationship became openly acknowledged after Zhou held her hand. 231 417
• Zhang Xinglie — Close friend, fellow prodigy, and Ancient River Sect collaborator; they share techniques and plan to pass their inheritances to new disciples. 197 313 514
• Shan Heyuan — Fellow martial prodigy and frequent point of comparison; later reunites with Zhou as an ally on the Corpse-Burying Star Stele battlefield. 53 512
• Rao Mingxian — Former classmate and companion whose loyalty becomes compromised after Madam Xi Yan orders him to kill Zhou Leng. 176 353 401
• Liang Baiyin — A younger martial artist who shows clear affection for Zhou Leng and assists him during his Giant Clan investiture. 122 218 445
• Azure-Crimson Flame — Friend and trading partner; worked with Zhou in the Battle Path and Technique Path trials. 424 587
• Deep Dark Fury — Former Dragon Clan threat turned temporary ally; learned the Dragon God Battle Techniques from Zhou Leng. 526

Story Role / Major Arcs

Ru City Student and Martial Examination

Zhou Leng begins as an injured high-school martial arts student preparing for the Martial Examination. He compensates for limited resources and damaged cultivation with obsessive training, medicinal diets, and increasingly refined true qi control. 1 2 4

Field Studies and Academy Rise

During martial field studies, Zhou kills an Ice Crystal Demon Lion and earns merit, an Enchanted Mini Computer, and broader attention. His academy results—especially his true qi control—establish him as a dangerous opponent despite his comparatively modest physical foundation at the time. 23 34

Blood Qi and Combat Camp Advancement

After reaching the Blood-Circulating and Body-Refining stages, Zhou develops lightness skills, hard-body cultivation, and combat experience through the Combat Camp and Bronze Man Formation. He clears the sixth Bronze Man Formation floor despite severe injuries and begins drawing recognition beyond Ru City. 73 156 173

Ancient River Inheritance

Zhou becomes deeply involved with the Ancient River Sect's inheritance, learning Divine Script, studying Martial Shadow Walls, sharing the Mountain-Slaughter Battle Body with Zhang Xinglie, and receiving the code name Xinhe. 276 313

Interworld Alliances and National Importance

His Giant Physical Strange Body earns him the Frost Giant Grand Duke title, while his national divine ability Tough Body makes him strategically important to Dragon Kingdom. He also forms working relationships with Giants, Dragons, Treants, Dwarves, and other races. 216 315 512

Ancient River Sect Leadership

As the Ancient River Sect's Eldest Senior Brother, Zhou distributes martial arts, trains disciples, and makes decisions concerning the sect's future membership and public role. 617 715

Great Battlefield and Higher-Realm Warfare

After advancing through Grandmaster, Martial Saint, and Demigod levels, Zhou becomes a central combatant against demonic beast factions, foreign hostile forces, and divine threats. His intervention repeatedly changes battles that stronger or more numerous enemies expected to win. 595 715 761 805

Notable Quotes

“This qi duel is not for victory or defeat, only for learning.” 115

“Of course I can.” 446