Xuntian Guard

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xuntian Guard (巡天卫)
Affiliation	Directly under the Great Xia court
Occupation/Role	Specialized law-enforcement force handling high-level martial artists, demonic creatures, major violent crimes, and supernatural incidents beyond local authorities’ capacity
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 7 — a Qingzhou Prefecture Xuntian Guard notice orders Black Mountain City to nominate a candidate for its preparatory-member examination 7

Mandate and Authority

The Xuntian Guard patrols on behalf of Heaven and operates under direct central authority. In cases involving demonic entities or powerful martial criminals, it may make on-the-spot decisions; local officials are required to cooperate fully 7 23.

• Handles public-security patrols, martial-artist disputes, prisoner escorts, wanted-criminal pursuits, and major criminal investigations 14.
• Responds to supernatural threats, including Monster Beasts, spirits, ghosts, demonic cultivators, corpse puppets, and other Yin-evil incidents 48.
• Uses mission grades to assess danger and reward, including Grade C Upper, Grade B Lower, and Class B assignments 16 22 48.
• Rewards merit through contribution points, which can be exchanged internally for techniques, pills, intelligence, and other resources 15 29.

Rank Structure

Rank	Typical cultivation / role	Notes
Probationary Xuntian Guard	Skin Refining or Body Refining	Lowest rank; performs patrols, alerts, and prisoner escorts.
Xuntian Guard	Bone Refining or above	Full member; may lead small squads, handle public-security cases, and pursue wanted criminals. The post is eighth-rank in official status.
Xuntian Envoy	Typically Blood Refining	Elite officer serving as a squad core or undertaking specialized missions; seventh-rank in official status.
Commander	Typically Meridian Opening	Commands roughly one hundred personnel and can deploy multiple squads.
Chief Commander	Typically Innate Realm	Commands roughly one thousand personnel and guards a region or conducts major missions.
Prefecture Commander / Deputy Prefecture Commander	True Essence Realm or above	Highest Xuntian Guard authority within a prefecture.

Promotion depends on cultivation, mission merit, completion rate, and loyalty; strength is the foundation, while merit provides the path upward 14.

A seventh-grade Patrol Officer holds independent authority and increased responsibility for both criminals and supernatural incidents 48.

Selection and Induction

Local governments may be ordered to nominate a registered clerk who is vigorous, capable in criminal law, and possesses solid cultivation for the preparatory-member examination in Qingzhou Prefecture City 7.

• Candidates receive a temporary token and lodging voucher upon registration 9.
• The selection includes strength testing, qualifying rounds, and a final ranking battle 10 11 12.
• The top twenty qualifiers earn eligibility for the final assessment and a chance to become reserve members 11.
• Final rankings determine initial resource allocation; rewards include Yellow Grade technique manuals and Bone Tempering Pills 12.
• Li Yifan placed second in the Qingzhou selection and was appointed as a full Xuntian Guard under Battalion C 14.

Organization and Operations

Qingzhou Prefecture Headquarters

Qingzhou Prefecture headquarters assigns personnel, administers merit rewards, maintains regulations, and deploys squads against threats throughout the province 14 16 42.

• Battalion C — Responsible for public-security patrols, martial-artist disputes, and low-level wanted missions in Qingzhou Prefecture City’s Eastern District 14.
• Seventh Squad — Led by Li Yifan after his promotion to full squad leader; it undertakes independent investigations, including corpse-puppet and evil-cultivator cases 16.
• Fuchang County substation — A local outpost that receives and supports headquarters personnel during the pursuit of Corpse Demon Old Monster Nie Wuya 42 43.

Field Procedures

Xuntian Guard units operate with military discipline, using formations, reconnaissance, shields, crossbows, and coordinated squad tactics against dangerous enemies 37 42 45.

• An emergency distress signal arrow releases a long-lasting blood-red flare and is reserved for dire emergencies 37.
• Elite teams may be assembled from multiple guard posts for high-risk operations 42.
• During the confrontation with Nie Wuya, shield-bearers formed the defensive line while rear-rank crossbowmen covered the formation with poisoned bolts 45.
• Major missions may emphasize reconnaissance and lair-location over direct engagement when the target exceeds the squad’s strength 22 23.

Resources and Equipment

• Contribution points — Internal currency for exchanging techniques, manuals, pills, intelligence, and other cultivation resources; they cannot be directly used in external shops 15 29.
• Standard uniform and waist saber — Issued to regular guards upon reporting for duty 14.
• Standard black armor, sabers, and crossbows — Used by elite headquarters deployments 42.
• Emergency signal arrow — Standard distress and warning device 37.
• Wind Breaking Saber — Grade Two, Low-Rank saber available to a Patrol Officer; blood-essence infusion activates wind patterns that enhance slash speed and sharpness 48.
• Black Iron Chainmail — Grade Two, Low-Rank armor with resistance to true qi and some sinister energies 48.
• Golden Bell Cover — Peak Yellow Grade defensive technique selected by Li Yifan after his Patrol Officer promotion; forms a golden bell-like qi shield when mastered 48.

Notable Personnel

• Li Yifan — Entered through the Qingzhou selection, served under Battalion C, became captain of the Seventh Squad, and was promoted to seventh-grade Patrol Officer after reaching Blood Refining and earning major demon-slaying merit 14 16 48.
• Commander Wang — Meridian Opening Initial commander of Battalion C; appointed Li Yifan, promoted him to squad leader, and later recommended his promotion to Patrol Officer 14 16 48.
• Zhang Meng — Senior Xuntian Envoy and squad leader who initially guided Li Yifan through Eastern District patrol operations 14.
• Zhao Kuangfeng — Qing Province Xuntian Envoy renowned for speed, bravery, and tracking; led reinforcements against Nie Wuya and later commanded the Fuchang pursuit 37 42.
• Chen Feng and Zhang Tie — Probationary Xuntian Guards assigned as Li Yifan’s direct subordinates after his appointment 14.
• Zhao Xiong, Qian Xiaoliu, and Sun Shi — Members of Li Yifan’s Seventh Squad, respectively serving as a saber-and-shield fighter, archer-scout, and defensive specialist 16 23.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Qingzhou Selection

The Guard’s selection notice gives Li Yifan a route beyond Black Mountain City. He travels to Qingzhou Prefecture City, registers, competes against martial artists from noble families and rogue backgrounds, and ultimately ranks second, earning formal admission 7 9 14.

Battalion C Service

Li Yifan is assigned to Battalion C in the Eastern District, initially serving under Zhang Meng while leading two probationary guards. His work includes patrols, intervention in martial disputes, and the Yongfeng Granary theft investigation 14 15.

Seventh Squad and Corpse-Puppet Cases

After receiving a full squad-leader appointment, Li Yifan leads the Seventh Squad to Linshan County to investigate corpse-puppet attacks. The squad defeats an Iron Corpse, uncovers an evil cultivator’s involvement, and earns a substantial contribution-point reward 16 17 18 19.

Pursuit of Evil Cultivators

The Guard investigates threats linked to the Black Swamp and Maple Forest County, where Li Yifan’s squad tracks and confronts evil cultivators whose cultivation surpasses much of the unit 21 22 23 24.

Fuchang Demon-Slaying Operation

Under Zhao Kuangfeng’s command, a twenty-person elite force—including the Seventh Squad—investigates the Zhang family massacre in Fuchang County and pursues Corpse Demon Old Monster Nie Wuya. The operation ends with Nie Wuya’s death, though three elite guards are killed and eight are injured 41 42 44 45 46.

Patrol Officer Promotion

Following the demon-slaying operation and a breakthrough to Blood Refining, Li Yifan is promoted to seventh-grade Patrol Officer. His new responsibilities expand beyond routine enforcement to supernatural incidents and the political balance among Qingzhou’s major families 48.