Song Qingming

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Song Qingming (宋青鸣)
Alias(es)	Seventh Brother; Old Ancestor of the Song Family 733 443
Species/Race	Human cultivator 886
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Song Family; Carefree Sect Guest Elder 464
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, formation master, puppet master, former Song Family Patriarch 1297
Spiritual Roots	Four-attribute Pseudo Spirit Root; his Earth attribute is comparatively stronger 4 8
Status	Alive; Spirit Transformation cultivator 1403
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Refining, Fourth Layer	4	Consumed a Qi Gathering Pill, broke into the Mid Qi Refining Stage, and cultivated the Earth Origin Art to its fourth layer.
Qi Refining, Sixth Layer	43	Returned from Lingyuan Mountain as a Mid-grade Talisman Master, having surpassed most of his generation in cultivation.
Qi Refining, Seventh Layer	81	Stabilized his breakthrough and entered the Late Qi Refining Stage before leaving the Flying Cloud Guard.
Qi Refining, Eighth Layer	143	Retrospectively recorded as his cultivation during the battle for Chifeng Ridge.
Foundation Establishment	142	Returned to Funiu Mountain after achieving Foundation Establishment and gaining the ability of sword flight.
Late Foundation Establishment	345	His advancement was confirmed by Huang Sibao through the strength of his mana fluctuations.
Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer	396	Entered the Sword Discussion Assembly at this level and fought into the top ten.
Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer	417	Used a Moon Gazing Pill and Calming Heart Talisman during months of seclusion to reach the realm’s peak.
Golden Core	457	Formed his core, greatly expanded his lifespan and spiritual sense, and refined the Level 3 Qing Liu Sword.
Golden Core, Second Layer	504	Could enhance magic treasures through the Five Elements Shield Light Needle and was confident against Early Golden Core opponents.
Golden Core, Sixth Layer Peak	693	His cultivation had pulled well ahead of contemporaries such as Zhang Tieyang.
Golden Core, Eighth Layer	748	Reached this level while continuing to oversee the Song Family’s long-term security.
Golden Core, Ninth Layer Peak	820	Broke through to Peak Golden Core, though he still needed time to refine his mana before attempting Nascent Soul.
Nascent Soul	885	Advanced in little more than a decade after Golden Core and confronted the Golden Horn Demon Emperor as an equal.
Nascent Soul, Second Layer	891	Completed a three-year seclusion; the breakthrough temporarily depleted Funiu Mountain’s summit spirit energy.
Middle Nascent Soul	1012	Consolidated the Middle Nascent Soul realm, more than doubling his mana.
Nascent Soul, Fourth Layer	1048	Reached this level before returning to challenge the Qinghe Cave Mansion’s Bronze Giant Cauldron.
Nascent Soul, Sixth Layer	1090	Had advanced far beyond fellow early Nascent Soul cultivator Qi Rong.
Nascent Soul, Sixth Layer Peak	1137	Reached the bottleneck of the Late Nascent Soul stage, though an immediate breakthrough attempt failed.
Late Nascent Soul	1153	Stabilized the late stage and could wield the Golden Palace Cloud Light Sword with ease.
Half-step Spirit Transformation	1285	Reached this realm during seclusion and forced the Four Seas Merchant Alliance to apologize for attacking a Carefree Sect elder.
Spirit Transformation	1403	Advanced into the Spirit Transformation Realm and escaped demonic territory after helping defeat the Nine Nether Old Demon.

Background / History

Song Qingming was born into the Song Family of Qinghe County. His spiritual-root aptitude was poor by cultivator standards, but the clan provided a stable spirit vein, technical instruction, and elder guidance from childhood. Before entering the Mid Qi Refining Stage, he earned Spirit Stones through frugal living and by drawing auxiliary array diagrams and establishing low-level formations for the family. 1 2

At twenty, he had not yet reached Mid Qi Refining. A Qi Gathering Pill allowed him to overcome that bottleneck, after which he mastered the fourth layer of the Earth Origin Art, several low-level spells, and Sword Control Technique. The clan rewarded him with his first Storage Bag. 4

He later served at Lingyuan Mountain, taking over duties from his second sister Song Qingwan. There he inspected mines, guarded against demonic beasts, and received cultivation guidance from Ninth Uncle Song Changxin. During this period, he found Xiao Yu and brought her to Funiu Mountain; she was accepted into the clan as Song Qingyu. 6 8

His early career included service with the Flying Cloud Guard and repeated expeditions into the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. Those experiences developed his formation, artifact-refining, and combat skills, while his eventual Foundation Establishment transformed him into the principal pillar of the rising Song Family. 66 82 142 152

Appearance

Song Qingming is repeatedly described as an ordinary-looking cultivator who commonly wears green robes. His unassuming presentation contrasts with the reputation and pressure attached to his later cultivation. 707 885

• Usually appears in green or green-lined robes. 675 707
• Maintains a deliberately low profile and rarely uses his real name while traveling. 741
• His True Spirit Disintegration technique enlarges and heavily strengthens his body in battle. 1329 1402

Personality

Song Qingming is cautious, restrained, and difficult to provoke into reckless action. He prefers to conceal his identity, prepare formations and escape routes, and withdraw when a battle no longer favors him. 741 785

His caution does not prevent him from taking responsibility for family and allies. He guarded Song Qingyu through her Foundation Establishment, subsidized promising juniors, supported external-family cultivators, and repeatedly returned to protect the Song Family during crises. 249 539 635

He is also notably forgiving when retaliation offers little value. He dismissed the Zhao Family’s offense rather than escalate it, and later refused an apology from an old adversary because he did not hold grudges over past conflicts. 443 1300

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation Methods

Song Qingming began with the earth-aligned Earth Origin Art, chosen because his Earth spiritual root was his strongest attribute. He later cultivated the Jade Profound Scripture, adopted the Five Elements Profound Gang Art after reaching Golden Core, and pursued the demanding Tongtian Myriad Spirits Art. 4 464 597

• The Jade Profound Scripture granted Mystic Light Armor, Formless Jade Wind Needles, and Conceal Origin Art. 146
• Mystic Light Armor improves defense without reducing his speed. 146
• Conceal Origin Art can increase the chance of Core Formation by 20%, though it is exceptionally difficult to cultivate. 146
• Tongtian Myriad Spirits Art strengthens spiritual sense and physical body by absorbing and refining spiritual essence. 891
• At Nascent Soul Third Layer in the Tongtian Myriad Spirits Art, his spiritual sense became comparable to that of a Nascent Soul Ninth Layer cultivator. 1170

Array Formations

Array formations are Song Qingming’s earliest technical specialty. He advanced from drawing clan auxiliary diagrams to becoming a high-level formation master capable of repairing and constructing major arrays. 1 66

• Reached intermediate formation skill while serving with the Flying Cloud Guard. 66
• Was recognized as a Rank 3 Formation Master. 753
• Helped establish a teleportation array over nearly two years. 1091
• Reached Grade 4 High-grade formation mastery and was considered close to Level 5 by the Spirit Transformation era. 1258 1347
• Uses formations tactically, including the Heavenly Dipper Five Elements Array against superior opponents. 742

Puppetry

Song Qingming combines artifact refinement, spiritual sense cultivation, and puppetry into one of his strongest combat systems.

• Became a low-grade Artifact Refiner after studying and practicing for more than two years. 66
• Controls the Golden Core puppet Golden Wind, which can wield the Grade 3 Mid-grade Mo Bai Sword. 665
• Uses the Myriad Spirit Puppet Great Formation to coordinate six puppets simultaneously. 891
• The formation can temporarily double his mana, but he can maintain this enhancement for only about an hour. 891
• His puppet formation was instrumental in defeating the Golden Horn Demon Emperor. 891

Movement and Concealment

Song Qingming has accumulated multiple methods for evasion, pursuit, and ambush.

• Nine Palaces Meteor Escape increases his escape speed and can briefly grant a late Golden Core cultivator speed comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator when used with the Nine Palaces Array Formation. 598
• Crimson Blood Escape temporarily doubles his evasive speed by consuming essence blood; repeated use damages vital energy. 742
• Formless Art conceals his form for surprise attacks or brief escapes, but loses much of its effectiveness against enemies already prepared for it. 1011 1012
• His lightning techniques allowed him to pursue and suppress Yu Zifang during their clash at Demon Quelling Palace. 1095

Body Refinement

The Tongtian Myriad Spirits Art gave Song Qingming a path to compensate for the weaknesses of a conventional cultivator’s body. 891

• He cultivated the True Spirit Disintegration technique by refining demonic-beast blood essence. 1329
• The technique greatly increases his physique and physical strength. 1329
• At Spirit Transformation, he could block the Nine Nether Old Demon’s full-force blade strike with one arm, shocking his opponent. 1402

Combat Experience

Song Qingming’s strength is not based solely on cultivation level. He relies on layered defenses, prepared magic tools, formations, puppet support, and sudden counterattacks.

• Defeated a Foundation Establishment opponent with a concealed green light needle after using the Bewildering Soul Banner to create an opening. 234
• Reached the top ten of the Sword Discussion Assembly despite being below many opponents in cultivation. 398
• Destroyed a Level 4 High-grade Magic Treasure with a single sword strike at the Eastern Phoenix Sword Convention. 1175
• Defeated True Lord Jingyue head-on and entered the convention’s top ten experts. 1180

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Five Elements Divine Light Mirror — Song Qingming’s Natal Magic Treasure; its defenses reached the level of a formidable Grade 3 High-grade defensive treasure before advancing to Level 4 Low-grade at Nascent Soul. 665 886
• Qing Liu Sword — Level 3 Magic Treasure received from the Fire Phoenix and refined after his Golden Core breakthrough. 457
• Golden Palace Cloud Light Sword — imitation spiritual treasure whose power became manageable after he stabilized Late Nascent Soul cultivation. 1151 1153
• Black Tortoise Spirit Armor Shield — Grade 4 Middle-rank defensive magic treasure presented by Li Boying. 969
• Seven-Colored Green Lotus — defensive treasure restored to full strength after Song Qingming removed its residual Sha Qi; its defense is nearly comparable to an imitation spiritual treasure. 1230
• Golden Light Mirror — Level 2 Magic Tool with Pure Yang Qi, especially effective against demonic cultivators. 165
• Bewildering Soul Banner — concealment and battlefield-control tool used to obscure his movements. 234 397
• Ten Thousand Foot Jade Shuttle — Level 4 High-grade flying boat obtained from Lin Yuan’s Storage Artifact. 1325
• Thunder Gathering Pearl — used as a defensive shield against the Nascent Soul-level puppet beast controlled by Fenghe. 742

Relationships

• Song Qingyu — His adopted younger sister in the Song Family. He brought her to Funiu Mountain, supported her Foundation Establishment, and continued to rely on her in family and sect affairs. 8 249 1158
• Huang Siyuan — His Dao Companion. Their marriage began as a mutually beneficial alliance but developed into a close and affectionate relationship over decades of shared cultivation and travel. 155 450
• Daoist Lingxu — His master. Lingxu entrusted Song Qingming with Li Xuanyi’s welfare, three sword intents, and the Tai Xu Sword Art legacy before preparing to ascend. 932 933
• Li Xuanyi — His senior sister and a person entrusted to his care by Daoist Lingxu. They repeatedly travel and face dangers together. 733 932
• Fenghe — Senior, benefactor, and hidden guide who reformed Song Qingming’s Soul Devouring Art, tested his abilities, and provided resources for his advancement. 429 742
• Long Ziyun — Political ally within the Four Seas Merchant Alliance. Song Qingming helped her reclaim its First Elder position and became its Guest Elder. 1325
• Bai Jingyun — His eldest disciple, accepted after Song Qingming reached a private agreement with Bai Yunhua. 755 1013
• Wei Yunlong, Tang Muyan, and Liu Yue — His second, third, and fourth disciples, respectively. 1013
• Song Shangyun, Song Shiqing, and Song Shixuan — His fifth, sixth, and seventh direct disciples. 1251

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Lingyuan Mountain and Song Qingyu’s adoption — Assumes mountain-guard duties, matures through practical responsibility, and brings Song Qingyu into the clan. 6 8
• Floating Cloud Mountain Range training — Leaves the family for practical experience, joins the Flying Cloud Guard, studies technical disciplines, and becomes a notable figure among the Song Family’s Qing generation. 66 81 82
• Rise of the Song Family — Reaches Foundation Establishment, accepts family leadership, expands the clan’s presence in Qinghe Market, and establishes the Song Family as a Foundation Establishment Family. 142 144 152
• Golden Core advancement and Carefree Sect ties — Forms his core, joins the Carefree Sect as a Guest Elder, and obtains the Five Elements Profound Gang Art. 457 464
• Family protector and mentor — Supports the Foundation Establishment of Song Qingyu and Song Yuanli, aids talented descendants, and promotes a more inclusive policy toward external-family cultivators. 249 443 635
• Nascent Soul-era defender — Defeats major demonic enemies, uses the Myriad Spirit Puppet Great Formation to overcome the Golden Horn Demon Emperor, and becomes a central power in the region. 885 891
• Ziyang Heavenly Palace inheritance — Becomes trapped in the Ziyang Heavenly Palace, discovers its legacy, cultivates the Ziyang Divine Light Art, and refines the Ziyang Token to return home. 1111 1113
• Late Nascent Soul leadership — Declines the Carefree Sect’s First Elder position despite becoming its sole Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, preferring cultivation and broader responsibilities over formal authority. 1158
• Spirit Transformation and clan legacy — Promotes the Song Family to a Nascent Soul Immortal Clan, appoints Song Xinyuan as patriarch, and later advances to Spirit Transformation. 1385 1403