Zhao He

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhao He (赵赫)
Alias(es)	Young Master Zhao; “Zhao the Stubborn” 29 45
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhao family; East City Martial School’s Power Elite clique 29 41
Occupation/Role	Sword Dao Class Two student; leader of the school’s wealthy students 41
Status	Defeated and incapacitated by Lu Jue during the Quota Competition 69 70
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 29; appears in Chapter 41 29 41

Background / History

Zhao He is a direct descendant of the Zhao family, one of Tianhai City’s five great families. At East City Martial School, he leads the clique of wealthy students known for suppressing commoner competitors and controlling access to cultivation opportunities. His family’s influence places dependents such as Zhang Yang under heavy pressure to comply with him. 29 41 48

Before and during the Quota Competition, Zhao He sought to absorb capable commoner students into the Zhao family through restrictive sponsorship agreements. Lu Jue was offered cultivation resources in exchange for apologizing to Zhang Yang and giving the Zhao family ten years of unconditional obedience; after Lu Jue refused, Zhao He’s side repeatedly escalated its offers and pressure. 29 42

Zhao He’s faction manipulated the competition through forfeitures, forced matchups, attrition tactics, and recruited challengers. After Lu Jue defeated multiple Power Elite students—including Xu Jing—Zhao He personally entered the ring to break Lu Jue and extinguish the hope Lu Jue had inspired among commoner students. 40 61 65

Appearance

Zhao He is a young man who carries himself with conspicuous leisure and arrogance.

• Wore a striking deep-red robe during the Quota Competition. 41
• Later fought in ornate clothing and wielded a Composite Sword. 66
• His composed appearance deteriorated after Lu Jue forced him into close combat and drew blood. 67

Personality

Zhao He is calm, calculating, and accustomed to exercising control through family influence. He initially treats public humiliation, protests, and challenges as spectacles beneath his concern, responding to Liu Dong’s defiance with slow, mocking applause rather than open anger. 42

He values talent, but frames recruitment as ownership: his offers pair resources and protection with obedience, while refusal brings isolation and pressure. He views East City Martial School as his territory and intends to monopolize its departure quotas for those aligned with him. 29 45 66

In combat, Zhao He remains composed while holding an advantage, but loses that composure when Lu Jue breaks into close range. His confidence becomes fatal overconfidence when he misidentifies Lu Jue’s head as the weakness of his hardening technique. 67 68 69

Abilities & Skills

Qi Force and Sword Qi

Zhao He is at the Qi Force stage and channels highly refined force through his sword as Sword Qi. His sword-based force is sharper and more refined than Xu Jing’s, allowing him to suppress opponents from beyond fist range. 66 68

• Uses a Composite Sword to project condensed Sword Qi. 66
• Combines Sword Qi with long-range thrusts and slashes aimed at openings, vital points, and the head. 66 68
• His direct physical strength is assessed as slightly below Xu Jing’s, but his weapon skill and force refinement compensate for it. 66

Entwined Force

Zhao He can wrap force around his weapon with Entwined Force, a superior application that expends force according to actual resistance rather than wasting it on every attack. 67 68

• His ability to entwine force around a weapon while only at Qi Force marks him as exceptionally talented. 68
• The technique greatly improves his force efficiency and turns his swordplay into a sustained barrage of lethal attacks. 68
• He cannot yet form Protective Force around his body. 68
• Lu Jue eventually exhausts Zhao He’s force reserves through repeated charges and collisions. 69

Footwork and Combat Evasion

Zhao He possesses advanced, fluid footwork that lets him evade Lu Jue’s Straight Punch and maintain the distance needed for sword combat. 66

• Shifts with precise timing to let attacks pass narrowly by before countering exposed openings. 66
• Uses footwork to retreat after each exchange and reset the distance between sword and fist. 66
• Employs an unnamed secret movement technique to abruptly retreat several meters when threatened, though doing so leaves him pale and coughing blood. 67
• His footwork becomes far less effective once Lu Jue forces him into an uninterrupted close-quarters assault. 67

Influence and Recruitment

Zhao He commands a network of wealthy students, dependents, and recruited fighters at East City Martial School. 41 48 61

• Uses sponsorship offers, resources, safety guarantees, and departure quotas to recruit students. 29 42 66
• Manipulates Quota Competition pairings to exhaust Lu Jue through repeated opponents. 40
• Pressures subordinates to fight even when they fear Lu Jue, including Zhang Yang and other Power Elite students. 47 48 61
• Sent Jiang Youwei to deliver a renewed recruitment offer to Lu Jue during a match. 42

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Composite Sword — Zhao He’s primary weapon, used to channel refined Sword Qi and Entwined Force. 66 68
• Deep-red robe / ornate combat attire — clothing associated with his prominent status among the wealthy students. 41 67

Relationships

• Lu Jue — Rival and recruitment target. Zhao He repeatedly offers Lu Jue resources and protection in exchange for allegiance, then personally fights him after Lu Jue refuses. Lu Jue defeats and incapacitates him. 29 42 66 69
• Xu Jing — Follower and combatant aligned with Zhao He; Xu Jing is described as Zhao He’s master-disciple subordinate and fights Lu Jue with Zhao He’s approval. 61 64
• Zhang Yang — Dependent member of Zhao He’s circle whose family businesses rely heavily on the Zhao family. Zhao He pressures him to challenge Lu Jue rather than surrender. 29 48
• Jiang Youwei — Messenger who delivers Zhao He’s recruitment offer to Lu Jue during the Quota Competition. 42
• Yan Hao — Follower who challenges Lu Jue in an attempt to advance Zhao He’s interests and gain standing within the group. 49
• Liu Dong — Public opponent who calls out Zhao He’s dirty tactics after defeating Wu Dazhuang. 41 42
• Qin Shuang — A martial-school master who confronts Zhao He over his methods and plans concerning East City Martial School’s quota spots. 45

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment Attempt

Zhao He first approaches Lu Jue indirectly after Lu Jue’s conflict with Li Zhanting. Through an envoy, he offers Zhao-family sponsorship, but demands an apology to Zhang Yang and ten years of unconditional obedience. Lu Jue rejects the offer and challenges Zhang Yang to settle matters in the Quota Competition. 29

Manipulation of the Quota Competition

As the competition begins, Zhao He’s faction arranges forfeitures and sends manipulated challengers against Lu Jue to drain his strength. He also uses offers of money and family backing to entice Lu Jue into joining him. 40 42

Power Elite Gauntlet

When Lu Jue challenges Zhao He’s entire faction, Zhao He watches as his followers are defeated. His frustration peaks after Lu Jue defeats Wang Zhuang and six additional challengers, leaving the remaining Power Elite students too frightened to step up. 59 61

Zhao He approves Xu Jing’s challenge, but Xu Jing is ultimately defeated despite using Force Control and deceptive tactics. Zhao He then steps forward himself, still intending to recruit Lu Jue before fighting him. 61 64 65

Duel with Lu Jue

Zhao He initially dominates the duel through superior footwork, Sword Qi, and the reach of his Composite Sword. After Lu Jue lands a close-range blow, Zhao He reveals Entwined Force and targets Lu Jue’s apparent weakness—his head. 66 67 68

Lu Jue deliberately lets Zhao He believe his forehead is vulnerable while repeatedly charging to deplete Zhao He’s force. When Zhao He commits to a finishing strike, Lu Jue counters with a headbutt and a barrage of punches, leaving Zhao He incapacitated. 69

Notable Quotes

“But the East City Martial School is my territory. All the quota spots for the disciples behind me can only be mine!” 45

“Stubborn… seeking your own death!” 66

Trivia

• Zhao He is one of the three top-ranked students Liu Ga specifically notes as being separated from Lu Jue’s initial competition group. 41
• Despite being only at Qi Force, his command of Entwined Force is described as a level of refinement many Force Condensation martial artists have not achieved. 68
• His defeat prompts the remaining Power Elite students to avoid Lu Jue’s gaze and refuse further challenges. 70