Li Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Li Yuan (李原)
Alias(es)	Brother Yuan; Little Yuan
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Five Animals Academy / Five Animals Martial Hall — official disciple, later Yang Chong's sixth personal disciple 18 38
Occupation/Role	Hunter; martial artist; occasional escort and hired protector
Status	Active 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Five Animals Fist Stance — Entry	11	Learns the Standing Root stance and receives the “Heaven Rewards Diligence” notification.
Five Animals Tiger Form Fist — Entry	17	Chooses the Tiger Form for its killing power and suitability for hunting large beasts.
Five Animals Stance — Minor Accomplishment; Ox Skin Realm	18	Condenses blood and qi, forms an initial skin membrane, and becomes an official disciple.
Five Animals Tiger Form Fist — Minor Accomplishment	25	Reaches Minor Accomplishment after focused practice; his blood-qi circulation and striking power improve.
Five Animals Bear Form Fist — Entry	29	Comprehends the Bear Form while fighting the Black Lump, using its movements as a living reference.
Consumption — Minor Mastery	31	Develops improved ability to process and benefit from nourishing meat and tonics.
Archery — Minor Mastery	31	His hunting skill advances alongside martial training.
Literacy — Minor Accomplishment	33	Gains slightly increased comprehension through continued reading and study.
Five Animals Bear Form Fist — Minor Accomplishment	33	Unlocks a steadier foundation and “mountain-like” stability.
Five Animals Stance — Major Accomplishment; Stone Skin Realm	33	Blood and qi surge through a new barrier; his skin, physique, and physical resilience undergo a qualitative increase.
Five Animals Ape Form Fist — Minor Accomplishment	39	Demonstrates the Ape Form alongside the Tiger and Bear forms.
Iron Arm Technique — Mastery	46	Masters the arm-conditioning technique, then shifts focus back to his principal fist forms.
Five Animals Tiger Form Fist — Great Achievement	45	Achieves incipient tiger might after repeatedly sparring with the tiger he names Little Flower.
Five Animals Bear Form Fist — Great Success	48	Defeats a black bear with a full-power Bear Form strike; gains a boulder-like body and mountain-like momentum.

Background / History

Li Yuan is an orphaned hunter from Blue Stone Village. His uncle Li Zhi is his only remaining relative in the village, though he also has cousins Li Wen and Li Cuihua. Before entering the martial path, Li Yuan survived by hunting small game and selling it at market. 2 6

His poverty leaves him vulnerable to local extortion and the threat of frontier conscription. Learning that martial artists can gain exemptions and greater security, he resolves to earn enough silver for martial training. 5

After Chen Qing steals his crate and valuables, Li Yuan tracks him to Wuxi County, kills him, and recovers his silver. He then uses the opportunity to enroll in the Five Animals Academy under Yang Chong. 10

Appearance

Li Yuan begins as a thin but sturdy young hunter of roughly seventeen or eighteen. Martial training, quality food, and repeated breakthroughs transform him into a noticeably more robust martial artist. 6 25 33

• Initially wears a grey short-sleeved tunic even in winter. 5
• Has sharp, focused eyes and a steady temperament after becoming an official disciple. 25
• Grows visibly larger after reaching the Stone Skin Realm; his old clothes become tight. 33
• Possesses vigorous blood and qi and a physique hardened through skin refinement. 18 33

Personality

Li Yuan is practical, disciplined, and intensely focused on survival. He views martial strength as the only reliable means of escaping exploitation, protecting himself, and improving his life. Rather than pursuing social standing or influential connections, he repeatedly chooses training, hunting, and study. 14 25

He is cautious when outmatched, but ruthless when faced with threats he believes cannot be allowed to persist. He kills Chen Qing after the theft of his property, eliminates Zhou Wu while protecting his uncle and Chen Quan, and later ambushes Zhou Deshun's party after learning they are seeking revenge against him. 10 30 45

Despite this harsh pragmatism, Li Yuan is protective of those close to him. He helps Li Zhi's family during tax collection, protects Chicken Brother from extortionists, and shares the proceeds from the Black Lump hunt with Li Zhi and Chen Quan. 14 19 29 31

Abilities & Skills

Five Animals Stance Technique

Li Yuan's foundational cultivation method is the Standing Root stance of the Five Animals Academy. It tempers his lower body, mobilizes blood and qi, and serves as the basis for skin refinement. 11 16

• Ox Skin Realm: Forms an initial skin membrane, improves physical fitness and senses, and earns him official-disciple status. 18 20
• Stone Skin Realm: Greatly increases the toughness of his skin, the volume and vitality of his blood-qi, and his overall power. 33
• Limitation: He has not yet reached the Iron Skin Realm, which he considers necessary to compete seriously in the Inspectorate tournament. 50

Five Animals Fist

Li Yuan studies multiple forms of the Five Animals Fist despite Yang Chong's warning that most practitioners should specialize in one style. His hunting background and encounters with wild beasts allow him to understand the forms through direct combat. 11 26 29

• Tiger Form Fist: A fierce, power-focused style used for slaughter and direct offense. Li Yuan develops it to Great Achievement, gaining surging blood-qi and incipient tiger might. 11 45
• Bear Form Fist: A heavy, defensive style centered on stability, brute force, and body conditioning. Its Great Success allows Li Yuan to strike with mountain-like momentum. 11 48
• Ape Form Fist: An agile, dexterous style that Li Yuan has cultivated to Minor Accomplishment. 39
• Deer and Bird Forms: The manual identifies the Deer Form with speed and the Bird Form with qi cultivation; no personal advancement in either form is documented. 11

Archery

As a hunter, Li Yuan is an accomplished archer before beginning formal martial training. He uses a bow to hunt game, weaken dangerous beasts before close combat, and suppress enemies during escort work. 7 17 24

• His arrows kill or maim multiple bandits during an attack on the Wei Yuan Escort Agency convoy. 24
• He combines ranged attacks with the Tiger Form for long- and short-range combat. 14 24
• His Archery reaches Minor Mastery by Chapter 31. 31

Literacy and Comprehension

Li Yuan develops literacy by studying the Five Animals Academy's manuals and later bartering for books. His growing comprehension helps him interpret martial principles rather than merely copy movements. 14 15 33 48

• Reads the Tiger Form materials and True Meaning of the Five Animals. 14 35
• Literacy at Minor Accomplishment slightly increases his comprehension. 33
• Uses written knowledge to refine his fist intent and understand force generation. 15 29

Consumption

Li Yuan deliberately tests and consumes nourishing meats and medicinal materials to support cultivation, including Silver-Backed Bear Meat, bear gallbladder, and bear heart. 15 29 31

• Silver-Backed Bear Meat provides substantial satiety and replenishes blood and qi, but excessive consumption can cause congestion. 15
• His Consumption skill reaches Minor Mastery after the Black Lump hunt. 31

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Hunting bow and arrows — His primary ranged weapons; Li Zhi provides him with arrows during winter. 2
• Willow Leaf Arrows — Purchased to improve his hunting capability. 5
• Short blade — Carried during mountain herb-gathering expeditions. 44
• Lime and paralyzing poison — Carried as practical tools against threats in the mountains. 44
• Five Animals Play Manual — The foundational manual of Yang Chong's lineage. 11
• True Meaning of the Five Animals — A booklet provided by Yang Chong to cultivate the spiritual and conceptual side of the Five Animals Fist. 35
• Books and local records — Includes Great Yan Statutes, Comprehensive Examination of Agriculture, and Atlas of Mountains and Rivers. 48

Relationships

• Li Zhi — Uncle and Li Yuan's only remaining relative in Blue Stone Village; provides arrows and food, hunts with him, and supports his rise as a martial artist. 2 29
• Li Wen — Cousin who shares Li Yuan's desire to learn martial arts. 6
• Chicken Brother — Close childhood friend and hunting companion; Li Yuan protects him from ruffians, inspiring him to begin martial training. 10 14 26
• Yang Chong — Master of the Five Animals Academy; accepts Li Yuan as an apprentice, recognizes his breakthroughs, and later takes him as his sixth personal disciple. 10 18 38
• Zhao Qin — Third Senior Brother; teaches Li Yuan the Standing Root stance, advises him on cultivation resources, and attempts to help him build social connections. 11 15 25
• Liu Yan — Second Senior Sister and sparring partner; she recognizes Li Yuan's unusually rapid mastery of multiple fist forms. 25 50
• Lin Mingsheng — Disciple from the influential Lin Family; excludes Li Yuan from his social circle due to their differing backgrounds. 24 25
• Su Wan — Hundred Herb Hall associate who hires Li Yuan to gather medicinal herbs and help protect her household. 40 44
• Little Flower — A tiger Li Yuan repeatedly spars with to advance his Tiger Form Fist; he names it Little Flower and feels remorse after accidentally killing it. 45
• Chen Xiao — Chen Qing's elder brother; suspects Li Yuan's involvement in Chen Qing's death and investigates him. 31 32

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Hunter of Blue Stone Village: Lives alone as an impoverished hunter, sells game for food and silver, and endures harassment from local bullies. 1 5
• Entry into the Martial Path: Kills Chen Qing after the theft of his property, then enrolls at the Five Animals Academy. 10
• Official Disciple: Achieves the Ox Skin Realm, gains status within the academy, and protects Li Zhi's family from tax collectors. 18 19
• Black Lump Hunt: Fights and kills a black bear with Li Zhi and Chen Quan, gaining bear meat, gallbladder, practical combat experience, and insight into the Bear Form. 29 31
• Stone Skin Breakthrough: Advances to the Stone Skin Realm and is formally announced as Yang Chong's sixth personal disciple. 33 38
• Mountain Training: Uses a tiger and later a black bear as live training partners to advance the Tiger and Bear forms. 45 48
• Inspectorate Ambition: Resolves to reach the Iron Skin Realm within three months so he can contend in the Inspectorate recruitment tournament. 50

Notable Quotes

“Only by practicing martial arts can one possess the power to protect oneself in this world.” 14

“Three months... I must break through to the Iron Skin Realm within three months!” 50

Trivia

• Li Yuan initially considered studying the Iron Sand Palm, but chose the Five Animals Fist because his hunting experience made animal-based forms a better fit. 26
• He splits food stores between his rented room and Blue Stone Village after experiencing a break-in. 24
• He names the tiger used for his Tiger Form training “Little Flower.” 45