Ning Qingman

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ning Qingman (宁青曼)
Alias(es)	“Sword Immortal”
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Independent sword cultivator; descendant of the Ning Family
Occupation/Role	Martial Saint; sword cultivator and knight-errant
Status	Active; prepares to accompany Li Fei to the Land of Origin while awaiting a further breakthrough 713
First Appearance	Chapter 418 (identified as the Sword Immortal and a Ning Family descendant) 418

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Martial Dao Master	537	Broke through at age 32; her talent was regarded as peerless even by the standards of the era.
Grandmaster	537	Reached the realm at age 40 after learning the truth behind the Ning Family’s destruction and dedicating herself to revenge against Li Ming.
Peak Establish Dao Realm	537	Reached the peak at age 56 and prepared to ascend further; Li Ming attempted to exploit this breakthrough for his own Great Dao.
Martial Saint / Peak Expert	537	Wen Xuexian’s intervention allowed her to survive Li Ming’s ambush and become the youngest Martial Saint in history.
Sword Dao at its absolute peak	671	Insights gained by defeating True Lord Wuhui with Sword Dissection brought her Sword Dao to its highest point.

Background / History

Ning Qingman was born into the Ning Family, one of the former Eight Great Clans. Raised as a refined noble daughter, she studied music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and tea ceremony, but preferred martial arts and sword practice from childhood. Her father taught her the sword, and her exceptional talent was recognized when she was seventeen. 587 663

At age thirty-three, shortly after becoming a Martial Dao Master, Ning Qingman lost her family during the Ning Family’s destruction. The clan had become entangled in court factional struggles, while Li Ming secretly manipulated certain Ning family members through the Demon Fetus Soul Seed, worsening the chaos. Although the prince supported by the Ning Family eventually became emperor and purged those responsible, Ning Qingman’s direct relatives were already dead. 536 537

She rejected the new emperor’s overtures and declined to rebuild the Ning Family, instead traveling the martial world alone. Despite her independent status, the surviving Ning Family preserved part of its foundation and continued supplying her cultivation resources. 536 651

Her pursuit of Li Ming became the driving force behind her advancement. Wen Xuexian saved her from Li Ming’s attempt to exploit her Martial Saint breakthrough, allowing Ning Qingman to ascend and begin a decades-long hunt for the fiend. 537 671

Appearance

Ning Qingman is most often seen in a green robe and cloak. Despite rumors calling her the world’s foremost beauty, Li Fei observes wheat-colored skin, a straight nose, and strongly defined facial features rather than a conventionally delicate appearance. 535 536

• Green robes and a cloak that often conceals her face. 536 587
• Long hair, usually controlled but left unbound during intense battles. 587
• Blue light can appear in her eyes when her Sword Intent rises. 671
• Her presence can blend so naturally into her surroundings that ordinary people overlook her, despite her using no concealment Mystical Power or Technique. 651

Personality

Ning Qingman is direct, self-reliant, and reluctant to involve herself with court affairs. The Ning Family’s destruction left her disillusioned with the imperial court, yet she repeatedly intervenes when people in immediate danger need protection. She chooses to face the Heavenly Tribulation in Tan City rather than abandon its residents, because doing otherwise would repeat the helplessness she experienced during her family’s fall. 537 546

She is warm-hearted beneath her aloof Sword Immortal image. She protects Tian Sha Mountain by leaving behind a sword as a deterrent, remembers the wine brewed by Zhang Jun years earlier, and once spent three days teaching the young Nie Susu because the girl reminded her of her younger self. 534 536 570

In battle, Ning Qingman seeks decisive confrontation rather than safety. Her swordsmanship is overwhelmingly offensive, and she is willing to confront stronger enemies or unfavorable odds if doing so serves her Sword Dao, protects others, or settles an old grievance. 587 589 697

Abilities & Skills

Sword Dissection

Ning Qingman’s Dao Principle, Sword Dissection, analyzes and severs the structure of opposing techniques, Sword Intent, and Dao Principles.

• Interrupts Li Ming’s Dao Principles and enables his destruction during their pursuit. 533
• Breaks through Li Ming’s Devouring Heaven power after improving during the Cuiqing City battle. 588
• Defeats True Lord Wuhui by breaking his Sword Immortal Dao Principle. 671
• Allows her to identify openings in an opponent’s sword forms and direct countless fine sword energies with precision. 671 697

Sword Qi and Invisible Sword Attacks

Ning Qingman can kill or disable opponents with sword qi without visibly drawing or wielding a weapon.

• Pierced Tiger Sabre Gang leader Zhang Qihu’s protective Internal Force with Invisible Sword Qi. 570
• Returned an elder’s sword qi with a fatal strike to the glabella. 570
• Can unleash sword intent even while unarmed, making the surrounding Heaven and Earth Essence Qi tremble. 540

Man and Sword as One

Ning Qingman can wield Li Fei’s transformed Primal Chaos Sword Body as an exceptional divine sword, dramatically raising her own sword intent, sword qi, and sword momentum.

• Reshaped Li Fei’s Primal Chaos Sword Realm into a sword through Sword Dissection. 540
• Used Li Fei’s transformed body to fight Li Ming and the Nether River Old Ancestor during the Tan City Heavenly Tribulation. 540
• Repeated the technique against the River-Suppressing Heavenly King and later against Lin Tianyi. 565 617
• The combination is powerful enough that even Peak Experts treat a Sword Immortal wielding Li Fei as a serious threat. 588

Sword Dao Mastery

Ning Qingman is among the era’s greatest swordsmen and a Sword Dao specialist whose progress continues after becoming a Martial Saint.

• Quietly ascended all nine floors of Heaven One Pavilion more than thirty years before Li Fei’s challenge. 615
• Fought Sword Ancestor in a pure Sword Dao duel, exchanging tens of thousands of sword movements in an instant. 697 698
• Defeated Great Luo Sect Master Tai Yu by a single move and was later ranked fourth in the world. 675
• Her offense is exceptional, but she is comparatively weak in defense; this weakness leaves her vulnerable to Tian Youpeng’s Uninterrupted Killing Path. 654

Unity with Nature

During her recovery, Ning Qingman develops a state of harmony with heaven and man that lets her presence merge into ordinary surroundings.

• Walked through a crowded market without drawing notice despite making no effort to hide herself. 651
• This state reflects her growth after recovering from her injuries. 651

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Ordinary iron sword — Left embedded in Tian Sha Mountain’s main peak; its presence serves as a deterrent that protects the mountain from internal chaos for ten years. 534
• Long sword — Her usual weapon in major confrontations, including the Tan City tribulation and Cuiqing City battle. 540 587
• Green robe and cloak — Her customary attire while traveling the martial world. 534 536
• Thousand Machine Shadowless Silk — Used to communicate with Li Fei across great distances. 568 611

Relationships

• Li Fei — Trusted companion, fellow sword cultivator, and eventual romantic partner. Ning Qingman repeatedly risks her life to save him, while Li Fei protects her, heals her injuries, and publicly offers to bear the consequences of her karma. 587 589 663 671
• Li Ming — Her primary enemy for decades. His schemes contributed to the Ning Family’s downfall, and Ning Qingman devoted much of her life to hunting him down. 537 593
• Wen Xuexian — Saved Ning Qingman during her Martial Saint breakthrough. Their connection originated from karma Wen Xuexian left behind after abandoning the Sword Dao for the saber. 537 671 672
• Nie Susu — A young swordswoman Ning Qingman guided for three days when Nie was twelve. Nie later unknowingly practiced Ning Family sword techniques taught through Li Ming’s scheme. 536 537
• Zhang Jun — An upright former official Ning Qingman rescued from assassins eleven years earlier. They share a friendship rooted in mutual respect and Zhang Jun’s homemade osmanthus wine. 570
• Ning Family — Her ancestral clan and remaining support network. Though she refused to rebuild it, the surviving family continues to provide resources and maintain contacts for her. 536 651
• True Lord Wuhui — A major Sword Dao rival. Their duel gave Ning Qingman new insight into Sword Dissection and advanced her cultivation. 671
• Sword Ancestor — An ancient swordsman whose Sword Dao could rival hers. Their duel allowed him to improve by borrowing insights from her swordsmanship. 697 703

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Li Ming pursuit — Joins Li Fei in pursuing Li Ming after Tian Sha Mountain, explains Li Ming’s method of exploiting Grandmaster breakthroughs, and seeks Wen Xuexian’s aid to locate him. 533 534 535
• Tan City Heavenly Tribulation — Recognizes Li Ming’s trap, remains behind to save Tan City’s residents, and faces Li Ming and the Nether River Old Ancestor under a Heavenly Tribulation. 536 537 538
• Sanmen City intervention — Kills Tiger Sabre Gang leader Zhang Qihu, exposes the Heavenly Water Sword Tower’s involvement with local corruption, and pushes Hua Donghan to abandon her position. 570
• Cuiqing City battle — Attempts to rescue Li Fei, confronts Li Ming, Qilian Guanshi, and the Nether River Old Ancestor, and sustains severe Dao Principle injuries while helping bring Li Ming’s long-running threat to an end. 587 588 589 593
• Heaven One Pavilion ascent — Accompanies Li Fei to Heaven One Pavilion, then wields his transformed sword body against Lin Tianyi. 614 617
• Western Extremity Kingdom war — Rushes to rescue Li Fei, breaks the Universe Inversion Five Elements Grand Array, and is critically wounded fighting Tian Youpeng. 651 654 655
• Later Sword Dao advancement — Defeats True Lord Wuhui, settles her karmic connection with Wen Xuexian through Li Fei’s duel, and rises to fourth in the world. 671 672 675
• Final journey — Accompanies Li Fei in eliminating Jing Heng and prepares to travel with him to the Land of Origin. 713

Notable Quotes

“Lend me your sword!” 540

“We swordsmen, our Sword Heart must not be bogged down.” 570

“We agreed to travel the world together, to slay injustice wherever we found it. How could you die before me?” 654

Trivia

• Ning Qingman was the youngest Martial Saint in history until later prodigies emerged. 671
• She quietly climbed all nine floors of Heaven One Pavilion decades before her public visit with Li Fei; only Lin Tianyi and a few direct disciples knew. 614 615
• Tea ceremony is the only one of her childhood “refined lady” studies that she continued practicing throughout her life. 663
• Besides her father, Li Fei is the first man to drink tea personally brewed by her. 663