Zhao Zhiqing

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Zhiqing (赵知清)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Zhao Family of Yingtian Prefecture
Occupation / Role	Daughter of City Lord Zhao Pojun; martial artist and Secret Realm explorer
First Appearance	322

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Cultivation Body	322	Zhiqing and her younger brother Zhao Zhichen have both condensed their Cultivation Bodies by the Prefectural Competition.
Unspecified higher realm	323	Li Bufan's unusual strike causes her True Qi to stir on its own; she immediately sits to guide it and break through.

Appearance

Zhao Zhiqing is a young woman whose usual spirited composure sharply contrasts with her battered condition after being pursued in the Starry Sky Secret Realm. 369

• Wears practical combat attire during exploration; after Zhou Hong's pursuit, it is torn, dirtied, and bloodstained. 369
• Keeps her hair in a neat bun, though it becomes disheveled during battle. 369
• Later wears her hair in a neat ponytail with fitted training clothes or exploration attire. 402 403
• Has a cold, clear expression and a commanding presence when confronting her younger brother. 322
• Later appears in a light-blue dress with a gentler, more graceful demeanor outside the Secret Realm. 385
• During her late-night visit to Li Bufan, she wears a light-green, wide-sleeved dress that emphasizes her refined side. 400

Personality

Zhiqing is resilient and proud. Even while seriously injured and fleeing Zhou Hong, she remains concerned for Li Bufan's safety; after being rescued, however, his brutal interrogation of Zhou leaves her frightened, grateful, and awed. 369 370

She is knowledgeable, direct, and strategically minded. She weighs risks carefully in dangerous regions, shares information freely with trusted companions, and provides Li Bufan with practical guidance in both exploration and martial theory. 371 373 402 448

Around Li Bufan, Zhiqing also displays a playful and slightly bossy side, personally dragging him to her family home and teasing him during a late-night visit. 397 400 Her concern for him gradually deepens during their time in the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm, where she tends to him through his extreme cultivation injuries. 439

Although she can be impulsive and competitive, Zhiqing is capable of accepting Li Bufan's judgment when the difference in strength makes further contention unwise. She agrees to withdraw from the fight for the Heavenly Spirit Flower rather than recklessly challenge stronger Xia Family cultivators. 420

Zhiqing becomes increasingly protective and anxious over Li Bufan's repeated life-threatening cultivation at Gale Cliff. At one point, she pretends to remain asleep because she fears that waking would prompt him to continue toward the more dangerous upper reaches. 440 446 Her caution persists in the Water Marsh Forest, where a dangerous encounter leaves her uneasy about pressing onward. 453

Her loyalty to her family also places her in a difficult position. She is unable to prevent the Xia Family elders' coercive investigation of Li Bufan after the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm. Li believes she helped draw information from him immediately after their exit, despite recognizing that she was likely under family pressure. Her guilt and his resulting distance strain their relationship. 459 460 462

Abilities & Skills

Surging Waves Palm

Zhiqing practices the Surging Waves Palm, a layered-force palm art supported by water-attribute True Qi. 369 402

• Her palm force contains ten distinct layers of stacking force, each stronger than the last. 402
• Her strikes maintain a continuous, river-like momentum even when she restrains her True Qi. 402
• Her palm, fist, and footwork foundations combine hardness and softness with varied changes. 402

Martial Knowledge

Raised in the Zhao Family, Zhiqing possesses a systematic grounding in martial theory that Li Bufan considers more thorough than his own. 402

• Explains Demonic Beast realms and their martial-artist equivalents. 375
• Explains the significance of the three Dantians and the “Three Flowers Seeds” born with an opened Spirit Dantian. 419
• Explains the normal relationship between Human Tier martial skills and the Meridian Connecting, Dantian, and Qi Sea realms. 447
• Exchanges insights with Li Bufan during sparring and lends him basic martial-theory texts. 402

Secret Realm Expertise

Zhiqing is familiar with the Zhao Family's exploration records and uses that knowledge to guide expeditions. 371 373

• Possesses a Zhao Family map of the extreme cold region that is more detailed than Zhou Hong's. 373
• Identifies the Snow Vulture Tiger's habits and helps locate two Cold Marrow Buds in its lair. 376
• Provides intelligence on the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm's history and its five interconnected regions. 400
• Advises traveling to Gale Cliff rather than the Spirit Gathering Cave after recovering from her injuries, adapting their route to their circumstances. 434
• Explains the danger and possible tempering value of Gale Cliff's wind blades. 436
• Recognizes the danger posed by a fast-moving black shape in the Water Marsh Forest's depths and urgently signals Li Bufan to ascend. 454

Equipment / Items

• Zhao Family map — A detailed map of the extreme cold region used to guide Li Bufan through the Starry Sky Secret Realm. 373
• Mysterious Ice Law Robe — Protective cold-attribute robe provided through the Xia Family for exploration of the Blazing Sun Space; Zhiqing lends one to Li Bufan for additional protection against heat, pressure, and fire poison. 421
• Fire-Repelling Shield — A protective artifact Zhiqing activates with an Origin Stone while entering the Blazing Sun Space. 421
• Wind Settling Bottle — Used to collect wind blades while ascending Gale Cliff. 436

Relationships

• Li Bufan — Initially a Prefectural Competition opponent, then her rescuer and Secret Realm partner. Their relationship grows from gratitude and mutual reliance into affection, though Zhiqing later feels guilty over the Xia Family's treatment of him and senses his distance after their return. 323 371 417 439 459 460 462 She repeatedly entrusts her safety to Li, cares for him after his dangerous wind-tempering sessions, and worries intensely when he risks himself. 434 439 440 446 Xia Jianlin presents Li as her husband to satisfy Xia Family scrutiny, but this is a cover identity, not a marriage. 404 405 Much later, Li mentions Zhiqing to his partner Lin Zhiyan, who responds with jealousy; no renewed contact between Li and Zhiqing is shown. 765
• Zhao Pojun — Her father and the City Lord of Yingtian Prefecture. His earlier guidance to Li Bufan motivates Li to rescue Zhiqing, and he later formally thanks Li for saving her. 369 371 398
• Zhao Zhichen — Her younger brother. She decisively defeats him in a martial-arts match and continues to supervise his training. 322 402
• Madam Xia — Her mother, who invites Li Bufan to the Zhao residence to thank him for saving Zhiqing. 385 397
• Xia Jianlin — Her uncle and the Pavilion Master of Treasure Gathering Pavilion. He arranges for her and Li Bufan to explore the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm together and presents them as husband and wife to avoid Xia Family scrutiny. 398 399 404 405
• Xia Chong'an — A senior Xia Family member who receives Zhiqing and Li Bufan at the Xia Family's hidden cave heaven and later speaks up for Li during the elders' investigation. 404 459
• Zhou Hong — An enemy who pursues her for the Cold Jade Ice Heart Grass and intends to kill both her and Li Bufan to conceal the matter. 369 370

Story Role / Major Arcs

Prefectural Competition

Zhiqing defeats Zhao Zhichen before facing Li Bufan, who reaches the stage in a severely injured state. During their confrontation, Li's strike provokes an opportunity for her own breakthrough. 322 323

Starry Sky Secret Realm

While fleeing Zhou Hong over the Cold Jade Ice Heart Grass, Zhiqing encounters Li Bufan. He intervenes because of Zhao Pojun's prior kindness, defeats Zhou, and treats her injuries. 369 370 Zhiqing subsequently proposes that they travel together, contributing Zhao Family intelligence and leading him into the extreme cold region. 371 373

The pair cooperate to search the Snow Vulture Tiger's territory, where Zhiqing's understanding of Demonic Beast behavior helps them find two Cold Marrow Buds. 375 376

Return to Yingtian

After the State Competition, Zhiqing invites Li Bufan to a family thank-you feast and warns him that the Zhou Family may retaliate over Zhou Hong's defeat. 385 At the Zhao residence, she and Li Bufan spar with the Surging Waves Palm, exchange martial insights, and train alongside Zhao Zhichen. 397 402

Journey to the Xia Family

Zhiqing travels with Li Bufan and Xia Jianlin to the capital under the cover of Treasure Gathering Pavilion personnel, learning more about the Xia Family's bloodline-based control of the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm. 403

At the Xia Family's hidden cave heaven, Xia Jianlin introduces Li as Zhiqing's husband to prevent disputes over their eligibility to enter the Secret Realm. The unexpected cover identity embarrasses Zhiqing, but she cooperates with it. 404 405

Spirit Marsh Secret Realm

Zhiqing joins Li Bufan in the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm and is severely injured after absorbing excessive wood-attribute Vital Energy inside a giant tree. Li uses acupuncture and True Qi to disperse the energy over two days and nights. 416 417

Her injuries repeatedly leave her dependent on Li's protection during later battles and exploration. He carries her through Gale Cliff and protects her while she recovers, while Zhiqing nurses him after his extreme wind-tempering sessions. 425 434 436 439 Their mutual trust deepens during this period. 439 448

Although still weakened, Zhiqing guides their movements through the Secret Realm, recommends Gale Cliff as their next destination, and uses the Wind Settling Bottle to gather wind blades while Li carries her through the gale. 434 436

After descending Gale Cliff, the pair proceed into the Water Marsh Forest despite Zhiqing's concern about her injuries and its dangers. 448 Following a battle with a green snake, she considers turning back, but Li persuades her to continue. Deep underwater, the pressure becomes too much for her; Li helps her ascend, and she then urgently warns him away from a fast-moving black shape. 453 454

Aftermath

After the Spirit Marsh Secret Realm, Zhiqing is present when the Xia Family elders subject Li Bufan to a coercive inquiry and search his belongings. Though concerned for him, she cannot effectively oppose her family's authority. Li believes she helped lead him into disclosing information immediately after they left the Secret Realm. 459 460

Upon returning to Yingtian, Zhiqing feels guilty over what Li endured. Li remains courteous but distant, and she gradually stops visiting as often. When she invites him to her home after their return, he declines, citing urgent business at the martial arts school. 460 462