A' Man

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	A' Man (阿蛮)
Alias(es)	Man Niu
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Long Chen's household
Occupation/Role	Laborer; Long Chen's sworn-brother-like companion and trainee
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 22

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dormant-cell physique discovered	22	Endures a prolonged beating by ordinary workers; an unseen force deflects much of the impact despite his lack of discernible spiritual-energy fluctuations.
Defensive awakening	25	Enters a heated state with red skin and blocks a Blood Condensation Mid-stage guard's punch using bare physical strength.
Dormant cells begin awakening through food	26	Long Chen determines that roughly 99% of his cells are dormant from insufficient energy; beef consumption gradually activates them.
Automatic spiritual-energy absorption	29	His strengthened body begins continuously drawing spiritual energy from heaven and earth into his dantian without conscious cultivation; fewer than one-tenth of his cells are active.
First directed spiritual-energy strike	29	Under Long Chen's Soul Force guidance, he channels dantian energy into his arm and throws a punch whose fist wind destroys an entire roof; the strike nearly empties his dantian.
Basic exertion method	50	When he successfully activates his dantian before punching, he shatters a nearly thousand-pound boulder. Long Chen judges the force comparable to Huang Shang's late Blood Condensation Realm strength, though A' Man's activation remains inconsistent.

Background

A' Man was born as Man Niu. He was found and raised by kind villagers, but a plague killed the entire village when he was five; he alone survived. He later wandered to the imperial capital and survived through odd jobs, repeatedly being driven away because of his enormous appetite. 22

Long Chen first finds him being beaten by construction workers after he mistakes plans for a well and builds an eighty-foot chimney instead. Though large and physically resilient, A' Man does not resist because he believes being punished for doing something wrong is proper. Long Chen pays the employer's losses, hires him in exchange for food, and gives him the name A' Man. 22

Appearance

A' Man is an enormous young man whose size makes even strong adults appear small beside him.

• Nearly ten feet tall. 22
• Initially lean despite his exceptional appetite; later develops thicker arms and visibly bulging veins. 29
• Has a broad back capable of enduring a powerful whip strike with only a superficial wound. 23
• His skin turns an unusual red when his physical power erupts. 25

Personality

A' Man is exceptionally honest, simple-minded, and literal. He initially accepts abuse without resistance because he assumes he deserves punishment for mistakes, and he struggles to understand basic cultivation concepts and instructions. 22 29

His loyalty to Long Chen is immediate and unwavering. He takes a whip intended for Long Chen, intervenes against a stronger opponent to protect him, and diligently follows training assignments despite his difficulty learning. 23 25 50

Abilities & Skills

Unique Dormant-Cell Physique

A' Man possesses an abnormal body unlike any Long Chen has encountered, even through the Pill Emperor's memories.

• Has only four meridians, extending from his dantian to his limbs. 26
• Most of his cells are dormant rather than dead; they absorb heat and energy before returning to dormancy. 26
• Beef and other meat provide the energy needed to awaken more cells. 26
• His growing appetite is a sign that more dormant cells are activating. 26
• Even after consuming dozens of cows daily, fewer than one-tenth of his cells are active. 29

Physical Durability and Strength

His body possesses extreme innate defensive and offensive power.

• Ordinary workers exhaust themselves beating him while receiving swollen hands and feet; A' Man remains largely unharmed. 22
• A powerful whip leaves only a surface wound despite drawing blood. 23
• He blocks a Blood Condensation Mid-stage cultivator's punch with his bare body, though the impact drives him back. 25
• A properly channeled punch can shatter a large boulder, and Long Chen compares its force to a late Blood Condensation Realm fighter's strength. 50

Automatic Cultivation

After his body becomes stronger, A' Man's dantian naturally absorbs spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

• Cultivates continuously while eating or sleeping without deliberate effort. 29
• Cannot use ordinary combat skills because his four-meridian structure is incompatible with their circulation routes. 29
• Long Chen instead teaches him to direct dantian energy into his limbs to amplify his raw strength. 29

Unstable Energy Control

A' Man can use spiritual energy to empower his punches but has severe consistency problems.

• He initially needs Long Chen's Soul Force to help him locate and activate his dantian. 29
• His first successful energy-infused punch unleashes enough force to destroy a roof, but nearly drains his dantian. 29
• He often punches first and tries to activate his dantian afterward, causing his attacks to fail. 50
• Long Chen trains him to activate the dantian first, then let it drive the fist. 50

Relationships

• Long Chen — Employer, protector, mentor, and brother figure. Long Chen rescues and names A' Man, provides food to awaken his physique, and personally teaches him how to use spiritual energy. A' Man is fiercely devoted to protecting him. 22 23 26 29 50
• Madam Long — Accepts A' Man into the Long household after hearing his history and recognizing his honest nature. 23
• Scar-faced guard of Great Xia — A hostile Blood Condensation Mid-stage cultivator whose attack on Long Chen A' Man intercepts. 25

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment into Long Chen's Household

Long Chen saves A' Man from being beaten by workers, compensates the employer, and takes him in as a laborer after learning that he has no home and only asks for food. 22

Carriage Incident and Gathering Heroes Tower

A' Man shields Long Chen and a little girl from a whip launched from a passing carriage. Later, at the Gathering Heroes Tower, he attempts to retaliate against the carriage's owner with a whip, but his poor aim repeatedly strikes unintended targets. 23 24

Clash with Great Xia's Guard

When the scar-faced guard attacks Long Chen, A' Man erupts in anger and blocks the guard's Blood Condensation Mid-stage punch. This reveals the frightening physical power hidden within his body. 25

Physique Discovery and Training

Long Chen investigates A' Man's body, discovers his dormant cells and unique meridian structure, then supplies him with beef to fuel his growth. Once A' Man begins absorbing spiritual energy naturally, Long Chen teaches him to channel it into his limbs. 26 29

Ranch Training

To make energy use habitual, Long Chen sends A' Man to hunt cattle using his own true essence; failing to do so means going hungry. The training is intended to turn his massive appetite directly into combat strength. 50

Trivia

• A' Man can eat several cows in a single meal and eventually consumes hundreds of cows per day. 26 50
• He was originally mocked as a “big idiot” for constructing a chimney where a well was meant to be dug. 22
• Long Chen considers A' Man's potential frightening even while more than ninety percent of his cells remain dormant. 29