Sun Tao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Sun Tao (孙涛)
Alias(es)	Senior Brother Sun
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Wei Yuan Hall; Purple Sun Sect (Separating Fire Peak); Heavenly Strategy Academy
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; Lin Cheng's formal disciple; former Outer Courtyard instructor for new Wei Yuan Hall recruits 6 53
Status	Active 520
First Appearance	Chapter 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Gathering — Major Success	66	Had reached Major Success two months before Kong Yu; his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist's Explosive Bear Force was insufficient to overcome Kong Yu's superior physical tempering.
Marrow Cleansing	98	Refined his qi into steel and entered Marrow Cleansing.
Marrow Cleansing — Minor Mastery, nearing Major Mastery	249	His rapid advancement let him challenge ninth-ranked Han Feng; his cultivation was already nearing Major Mastery.
Marrow Cleansing — Major Mastery	257	Completed a further breakthrough after benefiting from the strange spiritual herb found in the Cloud Ridge Mountains.
Heavenly Origin Realm	286	Became the first among his peers to enter Heavenly Origin, earning sect-wide congratulations and a Spirit Weapon.
Near-perfect Comprehension	312	Revealed that he had comprehended eight forms of the Dragon Ascent swordsmanship test, placing him just below Lin Jingyu's perfect Comprehension.
Heavenly Origin — Second Level	356	Broke through at Heavenly Strategy Academy and held a celebration attended by fellow students.
Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique — Mastered	369	Used the top-tier cultivation method alongside the Eight Fiends Dragon-Subduing Force to defeat Wan He with a single palm strike.
Body Tempering — Third Level	439	Had only recently reached the third level, leaving him physically outmatched by Lu Wei despite his other strengths.

History

Sun Tao first served as Lin Cheng's representative at Wei Yuan Hall, taking responsibility for teaching new Outer Courtyard recruits after Lin Cheng's initial instruction. He explained the criteria for mastering the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, answered novices' questions, introduced the hall's facilities, and supervised discipline among the recruits. He later punished Zhou Yang and Zhou Yuan for bullying Xu Yang and Lu Ren. 6 7 15

Although nominally many students called Lin Cheng their master, Sun Tao was Lin Cheng's only formal disciple. He supported Xu Yang after Xu Yang's fair duel with Hong Feng, promising that Wei Yuan Hall would protect him from retaliation by Tiger Roar Martial Hall. 53

At the Purple Sun Sect, Sun Tao struggled with the limits of his original talent. His physical tempering was notably weaker than his internal cultivation, as shown when Kong Yu suppressed him despite Sun Tao's earlier breakthrough to Major Success in Qi Gathering. 66 He continued to act as a dependable senior martial brother, organizing a search when Lin Wei disappeared and worrying about how he could answer to Lin Cheng if she had been harmed. 118

His fortunes changed in the Cloud Ridge Mountains. During a near-fatal expedition with Zhang Hong, he consumed a strange spiritual herb that forced an overnight breakthrough into Marrow Cleansing. Its medicinal effects lingered visibly for days and continued to fuel extraordinary later growth. 234 Within months, he rose from an unknown disciple to ninth place on the Purple Sun Sect's Top Ten Elites Ranking after defeating Han Feng. 249

Sun Tao subsequently entered Heavenly Origin before several established geniuses. His rise earned him attention from elders and prospective followers, but he declined recruitment and marriage-alliance offers from major clans. 286 339 344 He stood beside Xu Yang when other allies attempted to exclude Xu Yang out of fear of Huo Xiaochen, withdrawing from their alliance rather than abandon his martial brother. 294

At Heavenly Strategy Academy, Sun Tao's unusually high Comprehension became apparent. He entered Beginner Class A with Xu Yang and Lu Ren, mastered the Eight Extremes Mountain-Crushing Fist during the academy's assessment, and later chose the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique rather than risk wasting time on a spirit-bone cultivation method. 349 338 369

While exploring the Azure Dragon Trial, Sun Tao was pursued by Lu Wei for his Azure Dragon Tokens. Unable to win a direct fight because of his depleted qi and blood and weaker physique, he fled until Xu Yang intervened. 438 439 He later survived a near-fatal ambush by a seventh-level Heavenly Origin cultivator from the Blood Lotus Sect by relying on the Lotus Origin Restoration Art, then recovered under Golden Feather's treatment. 473 475

Appearance

Sun Tao is first introduced as a man dressed in white. 6

• His bearing becomes increasingly confident and heroic after his early cultivation progress. 11
• After consuming the Cloud Ridge Mountains spiritual herb, his body repeatedly glowed and retained an abnormal luster beneath the skin for several days. 234
• Following his Heavenly Origin breakthrough, he is described as radiant with vigor and exuding formidable pressure. 286

Personality

Sun Tao is patient and approachable when teaching, recognizing that beginners need practical explanations of cultivation, talent, and the Turtle-Snake Great Stance rather than empty encouragement. 6 He is also decisive when enforcing rules; he punished Zhou Yang and Zhou Yuan without indulging their excuses. 15

He values loyalty over convenience. When Xu Yang was treated as a liability because of Huo Xiaochen's hostility, Sun Tao immediately withdrew from the proposed alliance and chose to stand with Xu Yang. 294 He remains protective of his martial brothers, warns Xu Yang of dangers, and openly defends him against gossip. 320 464

Unlike Xu Yang, Sun Tao is more inclined to socialize and build connections, though he despises shameless flattery and opportunistic associations. At Heavenly Strategy Academy, he rejected Han Yingjie's overtures and remained dismissive of Lü Fengxing and Yuan Chengji's attempts to ingratiate themselves. 346 347

Abilities & Skills

Martial Instruction

Sun Tao served as the primary guide for Wei Yuan Hall's new Outer Courtyard disciples.

• Defines entry-level Turtle-Snake Great Stance mastery as feeling strength rise from the ground while the blood boils. 6
• Explains that both bone structure and comprehension affect progress; even talented recruits may require several days, while some may never succeed. 6
• Introduces recruits to Wei Yuan Hall's Medicine Hall, dining arrangements, and Body-Strengthening Soup allotments. 7

Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique

A top-tier cultivation method that dramatically elevates Sun Tao's vital essence and striking power.

• Mastered after rejecting the slower path of spirit-bone cultivation methods. 369
• Sent nineteenth-ranked Wan He flying with a single palm strike. 369
• Its power conversion was initially incomplete, leaving further room for growth. 369

Eight Fiends Dragon-Subduing Force

A combat-enhancing secret art used in conjunction with the Purple Extreme Heaven-Burning Technique.

• Reached Minor Mastery by the time of his duel with Wan He. 369
• Amplified his combat power by roughly one and a half times during that battle. 369

Sword and Fist Techniques

• Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist — Uses its Explosive Bear Force in direct combat. 66
• Windbreaking Fist — Obtained from Xu Yang and cultivated to Major Success; it helped Sun Tao overwhelm Han Feng in their Top Ten Elites challenge. 249
• Eclipse Sun Sword Art — Chosen as a reward after reaching Heavenly Origin; Sun Tao rapidly comprehended its martial manifestation and used it to knock back Lin Jingyu. 324

Comprehension

Sun Tao's Comprehension rose to a level near perfection after the Cloud Ridge Mountains opportunity.

• Comprehended eight forms in the Dragon Ascent swordsmanship test. 312
• Mastered the Eight Extremes Mountain-Crushing Fist alongside Gu Qingfeng during the academy assessment. 338
• His former ordinary Comprehension and later exceptional growth strongly suggest that the spiritual herb transformed more than his cultivation base. 312

Lotus Origin Restoration Art

A restorative art crucial to Sun Tao's survival after his ambush.

• Allowed him to hold on after sustaining severe injuries from a seventh-level Heavenly Origin Blood Lotus Sect cultivator. 473
• Reduced what would otherwise have been a recovery period of five or six months. 473

Limitations

• His physical body was initially a major weakness; his Spirit Stele strike was only nearly two inches deep, disappointing observers who expected more from his other talents. 336
• Even after reaching the third body-tempering level, he could not match Lu Wei's physical strength in the Azure Dragon Trial. 439
• He lacks Xu Yang's preference for concealment and is more readily drawn into public challenges and recognition. 249 339

Equipment

• Sword — Carried a sword before obtaining a corresponding Gang Qi sword technique. 142
• Spirit Weapon — Received from the Purple Sun Sect after entering Heavenly Origin. 286
• Spirit Weapon blade — Used to launch long-range attacks against an Eight Extremes Sect expert. 491

Relationships

• Lin Cheng — Master; Sun Tao is Lin Cheng's sole formal disciple and acted as his representative at Wei Yuan Hall. 6 53
• Xu Yang — Junior martial brother and closest ally. Sun Tao protects him, exchanges cultivation information with him, and withdrew from an alliance rather than leave him isolated. 53 294 320
• Lin Wei — Junior martial sister. Sun Tao organized a large search effort after she disappeared from the Purple Sun Sect. 118
• Zhang Yong — Close martial brother and Cloud Ridge Mountains companion; Sun Tao was deeply affected when Zhang Yong remained behind at the Purple Sun Sect. 142 296
• Zhang Hong — Longtime companion in Cloud Ridge Mountains expeditions; Sun Tao trusted him despite later concerns that information connected to Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong may have contributed to Sun Tao's ambush. 234 473 475
• Jiang Ping — Fellow Wei Yuan Hall disciple and associate; Sun Tao joined Xu Yang and Zhang Yong in assisting with Lin Wei's disappearance. 118
• Lu Ren — Fellow former Wei Yuan Hall disciple and later academy student. Sun Tao considers their relationship ordinary and distrusts Lu Ren's profit-driven conduct. 300 373
• Zhang Jun and Liu Rumei — Allies with Sun Tao and Xu Yang against Huo Xiaochen during the second Dragon Ascent. 312

Notable Quotes

“I may not be their match now, but that doesn't mean I won't be in the future.” 350

“We martial brothers must advance and retreat together.” 294

Trivia

• Sun Tao's greatest original ambition was simply to undergo Marrow Cleansing and become an inner sect disciple; the strange spiritual herb made that aspiration possible. 234
• He refused marriage alliances with both the Kong Family and other powerful clans, mirroring Xu Yang's refusal to compromise his martial path for patronage. 312 339
• He once dreamed of becoming a master weapon forger and chose Separating Fire Peak partly for that reason. 420
• Despite his fame, he was initially ranked only ninety-ninth on the Soaring Cloud List, making his later achievements appear to many observers as those of a dark horse. 324 361