Xiang Kong

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiang Kong (翔空)
Alias(es)	Wang Yang; “Xiang Kong,” a name initially associated with rumors of a Hunter 42 74
Species/Race	Human player in Sword Art Online; later an anomalous hidden Dragon race in ALfheim Online 116 236 268
Gender	Male 1
Affiliation	Heavenly Dragon Sect; Blood Alliance; Scouting Team; allied with the Divine Martial Family during the World Tree raid 1 116 152 272
Occupation/Role	Sword-and-shield vanguard, Scouting Team leader, solo clearer, and dragon-target of the Dragon Remnants quest 116 152 208 271
Status	Exists in a virtual world; his family continues pursuing technology that could return his consciousness to reality 270 284
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Cultivator (realm unspecified)	1	Obtains the Heavenly Dragon Art, rapidly improves his strength, defeats a sect elder, and earns entry into the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Gene Lock, Second Stage	16	Awakens under lethal pressure from the Carnivorous Toad; his mind simulates fatal outcomes and his legs gain explosive power for a high-speed retreat.
Level 16 — Sword Shield User	116	Introduces himself upon joining the Blood Alliance and is assigned to Asa’s vanguard team.
Level 66	208	Reaches level 66 after roughly a month of isolated grinding on the forty-third floor, exceeding the level-55 mainstream player base.
Dragon race / anomalous virtual entity	236 268	Enters ALfheim Online without a player system menu or defined standard race; later identifies himself as a dragon and the subject of the Dragon Remnants main quest.

Background / History

An early account places Xiang Kong in a cultivation world, where he discovers the Heavenly Dragon Art, defeats several cultivators—including a sect elder—and joins the Heavenly Dragon Sect. His rapid rise earns him recognition within the sect. 1

In Aincrad, he uses the name Xiang Kong while also being known as Wang Yang. Rumors label him a Hunter, making other players wary when he first reveals his name. Argo nevertheless sends him a friend request, beginning a long association between the two. 42 74

Xiang Kong participates in Diavel’s exploration party, then gains major notoriety by defeating the fifth-floor boss alone. He subsequently joins the Blood Alliance, where he is assigned to Asa’s vanguard team and eventually leads the newly established Scouting Team. 75 110 116 152

After killing Baka, Xiang Kong receives a red-name status and is advised by Argo and Kirito to conceal it until it clears. He later patrols lower floors against red-named criminals, saving vulnerable players before confronting the attackers alone; six red-named players die by his hand during this campaign. 139 156

His efforts to surpass Heathcliff drive him into extreme solo leveling and equipment reforging. He reaches level 66, defeats the Carnivorous Toad that once nearly killed him, and enters the underground labyrinth to pursue greater strength. 187 208 211 212

Following Aincrad’s collapse, Kayaba Akihiko reveals that Xiang Kong is the only person who has not logged out and offers a dangerous consciousness-transfer process. Xiang Kong later awakens in the body of a terminally ill young man, accepts the limited time he has, and seeks player records in order to help those connected to the SAO incident. 227 228

He later reappears in ALfheim Online as an entity neither fully player nor NPC. The game’s system creates a hidden dragon race to accommodate him, then establishes the Dragon Remnants quest as a mechanism to purge him. 236 244 257

Appearance

In Aincrad, Xiang Kong is noted for his pale complexion, handsome features, and high-end white-and-red light armor. His distinctive shield makes him easily recognizable as a Blood Alliance star player. 162 164 203

In ALfheim Online, his appearance is markedly nonstandard:

• Flaming red, upright hair. 237
• Small fleshy horns protruding from his forehead. 237
• Pitch-black, bat-like wings that he controls as naturally as his own limbs. 236 237
• An appearance commonly mistaken for a quest NPC or a Salamander due to his unusual traits. 239 240 257

Personality

Xiang Kong is intensely driven by survival. His determination to return to reality pushes him into exhausting training routines, including sleeping only about four hours a day while continuously leveling. 187 208

He is calm and analytical in combat, but emotionally vulnerable when confronted with his terminal illness or the potential loss of people close to him. The revelation of his illness causes him to fight recklessly against the white-haired man, a sharp contrast to his usual precision. 178

He is fiercely protective of Argo and other vulnerable players. His willingness to kill red-named criminals is not accompanied by guilt; he considers their cruelty sufficient justification and refuses to conceal his actions as shameful. 136 156 159

Despite his reputation and strength, Xiang Kong can become isolated. In ALfheim Online, fear of the system’s purge quest leads him to avoid cities and distance himself from the player community, though his desire to find Argo eventually draws him back. 256 257

Abilities & Skills

Heavenly Dragon Art

An ancient cultivation technique discovered early in Xiang Kong’s life.

• Rapidly enhances his strength. 1
• Contributes to his rise within the Heavenly Dragon Sect. 1

Dynamic Vision and Reflexes

Xiang Kong’s defining combat trait is his ability to perceive rapid movements and react with extraordinary precision.

• Tracks projectiles, sword strikes, and opponent trajectories that normal players struggle to follow. 187 200
• Allows him to evade PoH’s thrown needles and seize the initiative in their duel. 200
• Lets him block Sephiroth’s irregular normal attacks from multiple angles. 196
• Gives him enough processing time to alter his movement and attack path in midair against Kirito. 265
• Does not always overcome physical limitations; he can perceive the Carnivorous Toad’s tongue but initially cannot move his body fast enough to fully evade it. 187

Sword-and-Shield Combat

Xiang Kong is formally a Sword Shield User and serves as a vanguard.

• Uses his shield to withstand boss attacks and defend allies. 116 173
• Combines shield defense with one-handed sword counterattacks. 170 196
• Later trains in one-handed-sword-only combat to increase his offensive capability against highly defensive opponents. 213
• Learns to incorporate normal attacks into fluid, skill-less sword combinations. 200

Gene Lock: Second Stage

A survival-triggered enhancement awakened while facing the Carnivorous Toad.

• Clears fear and despair from his mind under death pressure. 16
• Produces simulated predictions of fatal evasive choices, allowing him to identify retreat as his only viable option. 16
• Greatly strengthens his legs, enabling an explosive backward leap. 16

Guard Skill

A rare and unexplained Skill Bar anomaly.

• Appears when Xiang Kong arrives in Aincrad. 224
• Causes Heathcliff to identify him as an “unstable variable.” 224
• Its exact effect remains undocumented. 224

Fate-Influencing Ability

Xiang Kong gains an ability that can affect other people’s fate.

• Its burden distracts him and negatively affects his behavior around Diavel. 75
• Its mechanics and limits are not specified. 75

Dragon Magic

As a dragon in ALfheim Online, Xiang Kong demonstrates unusually powerful magic and can cast without chanting.

• Hunts ground beasts using chantless magic. 243
• Uses fire magic to defeat Salamander forces. 246 247
• Casts Fire Dragon’s Roar to eliminate more than two hundred guardian elves during the World Tree raid. 272
• Uses Dragon’s Breath in repeated monster-clearing cycles. 252
• Casts large-scale fire rain to finish enemy mages and wounded opponents. 247

Dragon Skin

A defensive dragon spell.

• Reduces magic damage by 70%. 247
• Allows Xiang Kong to survive five spells at once while losing only about 20% of his HP. 247
• Does not eliminate the sensation of being struck by magic. 247

Flight

Xiang Kong’s wings are directly controlled rather than operated through conventional player inputs.

• Learns flight faster than ordinary ALfheim Online players. 236
• Uses aerial mobility to bypass shield formations and target enemy mages. 248
• Maintains precise weapon control while maneuvering through strong downward air currents. 265
• Considers himself effectively unmatched in aerial combat. 281

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Eternal Night — A black one-handed sword forged from rare boss materials for the purpose of piercing Heathcliff’s defenses; later reforged by Lisbeth to double its sharpness and armor penetration. 162 211
• Light of Mercy / Merciful Gaze — A limited, one-of-a-kind shield focused on durability and thickness. 162 164 209
• rian armor series — White light armor initially reforged from rian-1 into rian-2 by Yuxi; its defense surpasses heavy armor, and it is later reforged through rian-7. 154 209
• Might Sword — A sword taken from Sigurd after his defeat and later used by Xiang Kong during the martial arts tournament. 260 265
• Enhanced Snot Fried Rice — Quest reward food that grants a 10% overall attribute increase for 60 minutes. 208
• Corridor Crystals — Used to access the underground labyrinth and prepare for extended campaigns. 168 211
• Beast Trap — Accidentally materialized instead of a Transfer Crystal; restrains the Carnivorous Toad for 30 seconds and enables Xiang Kong’s escape. 187

Relationships

• Argo — Information broker, confidante, and Xiang Kong’s closest emotional connection. He protects her from Baka, asks her to promise they will be together in reality, and later searches ALfheim Online for her. 42 136 187 256
• Kirito — Ally and occasional ideological counterpoint. Kirito supports Xiang Kong after his red-name incident but questions his lack of remorse over killing red-named players. 139 159
• Yui — AI companion who assists Xiang Kong in both Aincrad and ALfheim Online, including identifying his anomalous state and searching for SAO character data. 213 236 256
• Sakuya — Sylph Lord and close friend. She knows the danger of Xiang Kong’s dragon race, vows to remain at his side, and later joins his World Tree raid. 244 272
• Heathcliff — Xiang Kong’s principal Aincrad target. Xiang Kong prepares Eternal Night, extreme levels, and buff items in the hope of overcoming Heathcliff and returning players to reality. 154 209 226
• Asa — Blood Alliance vanguard captain who receives Xiang Kong as a team member; Xiang Kong later learns of Asa’s death after the battle against Laughing Coffin. 116 200
• Yuxi — Tailor who reforges Xiang Kong’s rian armor. He persuades her to join the Blood Alliance by promising to find the murderer she seeks. 154
• Lisbeth — Freelance blacksmith who reforges Eternal Night. 209 211
• Sachi — Tailor who reforges Xiang Kong’s remaining equipment and is concerned by his low spirits. 211
• Kayaba Akihiko — Offers Xiang Kong the opportunity to preserve his life through consciousness transfer after Aincrad’s collapse. 227
• Shenwu Liangzi and Shenwu Feng — His mother and stepfather after his return to the real world; both support him despite his terminal condition. 228

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Early Aincrad reputation — Xiang Kong is feared as a rumored Hunter before earning recognition through exploration and a solo victory over the fifth-floor boss. 74 110
• Blood Alliance service — He joins as a level-16 Sword Shield User, becomes a vanguard, and later leads the Scouting Team. 116 152
• Red-name vigilante campaign — He secretly rescues players from red-named criminals, killing six attackers while allowing the rescued players to leave before the fighting begins. 156
• Underground labyrinth campaign — After nearly dying to the Carnivorous Toad, Xiang Kong upgrades his equipment, returns stronger, and defeats it to press deeper underground. 187 211 212
• Laughing Coffin conflict — He duels and kills PoH during the subjugation force’s battle against Laughing Coffin. 200
• Aincrad’s collapse — As the sole person left behind after other players log out, he accepts Kayaba’s offer to fight for continued existence. 227
• Dragon Remnants — In ALfheim Online, he learns that the system’s hidden dragon quest may erase him, then rallies Sakuya’s followers and the Divine Martial Family to raid the World Tree. 268 271 272
• Absolute Sword duel — Xiang Kong challenges Yuuki in Ground Battle and Full Loss Mode, blocks her eleven-hit combo, and wins. 281

Notable Quotes

“There are still things I haven't finished, things I still want to do. I absolutely can't die here!” 187

“There are only hunters and the hunted here... I believe I'm the hunter.” 246

“Don't compare me to filth like you.” 137