Chen Jianghe

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Chen Jianghe (陈江河)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xingyi Sect, Soaring Wood Court; formerly Xingyi Martial Arts Hall of Yilin County 32 75 132
Occupation/Role	Direct disciple of Li Chengyue; Inner Sect disciple and Chief Disciple of Soaring Wood Court 32 75 132
Status	Alive 150
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Three-Body Posture — Entry	9	Entered the threshold of Xingyi Fist after a month of stance training, crossing the barrier of “Changing Strength.”
Changing the Jin	10	Achieved after two months of practice; Li Chengyue judged his frame stable and his force fully connected.
Bright Strength	14	Attained through the Five Elements Fist; marked by bone resonance and fist wind that tears the air.
Dark Strength	31	Broke through after consuming the final portion of Bone Tempering Soup; gained internalized force capable of penetrating the body and shattering meridians.
Transforming Strength	60	Reached after a half-month seclusion with a Bone Tempering Pill; could project force up to ten paces.
Transforming Strength — Great Completion	80	Completed the first level of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Art, achieving unified blood and qi and refined control over force.
Gang Strength — Entry	95	Confirmed after completing the second level, “Flawless,” of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Art.
Root Bone — Six Forms	99	His aptitude advanced from Five Forms to Six Forms Root Bone.
Gang Strength — Minor Accomplishment	111	Reached at nineteen after six months of seclusion and cultivation.
Gang Strength — Great Accomplishment / Perfected	124	Completed three further months of seclusion, reaching a perfected level of Gang Strength.
Gang Strength — Peak	145	Solidified his foundation at the peak of Gang Strength while preparing for future True Essence cultivation.

Background

Three years before the story begins, Chen Jianghe transmigrated into the body of a youth with the same name. The original body belonged to a concubine-born branch descendant of the Chen family in Yilin County; his father disappeared after taking corvée labor in place of Chen Jianghe’s eldest uncle. Chen and his mother, Lin, survived through her net-weaving until he became a day laborer at the Shen Mansion. 1

He left the Shen Mansion to pursue martial arts despite the cost and uncertainty. Uncle Liu, who regarded him as family, gave him his savings for emergencies; Chen then set out for Xingyi Martial Arts Hall with fifteen taels of silver. 3 He paid ten taels for a year’s tuition and began learning the Three-Body Stance under Su Derong. 4

Chen’s early cultivation was driven by poverty and the need to protect Lin. He bought Blood-Qi Powder even after exhausting his money, trained relentlessly, and eventually moved his mother from the hall’s woodshed into a courtyard house he bought near the martial hall. 9 29 30

After attaining Dark Strength, Li Chengyue formally accepted Chen as his direct disciple and successor. Li also revealed that the Xingyi Sect expected direct disciples to reach Transforming Strength before age twenty. 32 37 Chen later entered the Xingyi Sect’s inner sect at eighteen, supported by his Five Forms Root Bone and solid Transforming Strength foundation. 75

Appearance

Chen began as a thin, gaunt laborer, but sustained martial training transformed him into a sturdy young man with broad shoulders, a strong back, and knotted arm muscles. 12 28

• Usually wears practical martial attire suited to training or travel. 21 47
• Wears Soaring Wood Court’s emerald-green robes after becoming its Chief Disciple. 135
• Commonly carries a spear, with concealed weapons and other supplies kept close at hand. 113 125

Personality

Chen is notably diligent, restrained, and difficult to provoke into careless action. Li Chengyue attributes his rapid rise not to exceptional initial aptitude or resources, but to a training routine built around constant practice. 15 Even when confronting sect leaders and stronger opponents, he remains composed rather than outwardly defiant. 112

His strongest motivation is protecting those he considers his own, especially Lin and Li Chengyue. Threats against them repeatedly drive him to pursue greater strength, obtain medicine, or take decisive action. 20 103 145

Chen is pragmatic and can be ruthless toward active enemies. He uses ambushes, deception, lime powder, poison, terrain, and enemy rivalries when necessary; however, he refuses recruitment by the Sun-Moon Divine Cult and explicitly rejects its path. 20 42 113 123 He also values reciprocity, refusing to exploit Ghost Hand Zhang’s generosity by accepting an interest-free loan without formally promising repayment. 145

Abilities & Skills

Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success Is Inevitable

Chen possesses the Fate “Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success Is Inevitable,” which records his training progress and allows repeated effective practice to rapidly improve his skills. 7 9

• Converts sustained, effective repetition into measurable advancement. 7
• Supported his unusually fast rise despite mediocre initial aptitude and limited resources. 15
• Does not remove the limits imposed by nutrition, medicinal resources, or dangerous cultivation barriers. 7 112

Xingyi Fist

Chen’s foundational martial art is Xingyi Fist, taught through Li Chengyue’s lineage.

• Three-Body Stance — The source of Xingyi techniques, developing a stable frame, coordinated force, and flexible waist-and-hip movement. 4 10
• Five Elements Fist — Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Crossing Fists; Chen uses the forms in linked combinations for direct, integrated attacks. 10 14
• Twelve Forms Fist — Xingyi Sect’s advanced external method for tempering the physique and stimulating blood and qi through twelve animal forms. 67 78
• His Dark Strength can penetrate opponents’ bodies and damage their meridians. 31 42

Withered Wood Meets Spring Art

The Soaring Wood Court’s internal cultivation art forms Chen’s primary Gang Strength foundation.

• Return to Origin refined his Transforming Strength to Great Completion. 80
• Flawless brought him to the threshold of Gang Strength after extended seclusion. 92
• Its wood-attribute Gang Qi is gentle and enduring, emphasizing stability, recovery, and a firm foundation. 79 124

Five-Elements Cultivation

Chen acquired internal methods corresponding to wood, fire, water, earth, and metal, giving him access to all five elemental paths. 110 111

• Cultivates the Withered Wood Meets Spring Art, Nine Heavens Flame Prison Art, Mystic Sea Return to Origin Art, Ten Thousand Mountains Suppressing Earth Art, and Heaven Pivot Golden Gang Art. 110 111
• Avoids recklessly condensing additional Gang Qi before comprehending how the Five Elements generate and overcome one another. 112
• Has also learned the Demonic Sect’s Blood Shadow Steps, which burns blood and qi for explosive speed. 111

Spear Arts

Chen developed spear combat after recognizing that fists and movement techniques alone were insufficient against stronger enemies. 86

• Heaven Pivot Breaking Formation Spear — Learned independently from a manual; reached minor success within six months and later perfected the art. 92 117
• Uses the spear’s sharp intent to break Body-Protecting Gang Qi and overwhelm multiple opponents. 107 118
• Spirit Attachment — Can attach wood-attribute Gang Qi to his Army Breaker Spear, increasing its endurance and toughness. 128 129

Movement, Concealment, and Tactics

Chen supplements direct combat with evasive footwork, hidden weapons, and planning.

• Phantom Shadow Steps — Looted from Green Dragon Guards; enables rapid evasions and close-range repositioning. 43 48
• Shape-Shifting and Breath-Concealing Technique — Used to hide his presence while observing the conflict between the Chang family and Demonic Sect remnants. 124
• Routinely uses lime powder, Bone-Corroding Powder, hidden darts, and terrain to create openings against stronger enemies. 20 39 42 113

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Army Breaker Spear — Chen’s primary weapon, forged by Fu Tieshan to withstand the full power of a Great Accomplishment Gang Strength practitioner. 127
• Abyss Settler Spear — A previous spear acquired from the Caoshui Gang; used extensively before Army Breaker was forged. 88 125
• Octagonal Flying Star — A rare octagonal hidden weapon with eight detachable blades; acquired through an installment arrangement with Deacon Zhou. 104
• Willow Leaf Darts — Concealed projectiles used alongside his spear techniques. 113 125
• Xingyi Sect token — Li Chengyue’s token, which granted Chen access to the Xingyi Sect’s inner sect. 37 67
• Butchery Blade and brass knuckles — Weapons from his early martial career, used during escort work and his first life-or-death conflicts. 21 26

Relationships

• Lin — Chen’s mother. His desire to provide for and protect her is central to his cultivation and choices. 3 20 30
• Uncle Liu — Former Shen Mansion associate and father figure who financially supported Chen’s departure for the martial hall. 3 36
• Li Chengyue — Master and direct-disciple mentor. Li recognizes Chen’s work ethic, teaches him Xingyi Fist, and entrusts him with the sect token. 15 32 67
• Su Derong — Third Senior Brother and early instructor. He corrects Chen’s stance, provides meat and medicinal resources, and repeatedly supports him in danger. 7 30 39
• He Shouzhuo — Senior Brother who quietly aided Chen when he was weak and later joined the Su Family Escort Agency to protect the hall. 59
• Liu Shuling — Senior Sister, later rival for the Soaring Wood Court Chief position. She defended Chen within the sect and later trains alongside him. 92 132 145
• Han Shuitian — Soaring Wood Court Master who protects, advises, and entrusts Chen with sensitive sect responsibilities. 112 116 145
• Qian Shouyi — Qian family patriarch and ally who treats Chen with respect and relies on him as a protector. 85 103
• Lin Yan — An acquaintance who regards Chen’s earlier gift of fifty taels as life-saving kindness. 104

Story Role / Major Arcs

Yilin County and Xingyi Martial Arts Hall

Chen abandons his stable work at the Shen Mansion to study Xingyi Fist, develops from an impoverished novice into a Bright Strength martial artist, and earns Li Chengyue’s recognition. 3 14 15 He confronts Sun Moon Cult threats against his mother, killing Zhang Mingyuan and Aunt Wang after uncovering their plot. 20

Escort Agency Conflicts

During his first escort mission, Chen earns the respect of Zhou Yong and Wang Gui through sparring and survives real combat against Dark Strength opponents. 23 26 29 He uses the mission’s rewards to buy a home for Lin and then breaks through to Dark Strength. 29 31

Yilin Martial Arts Tournament

Chen reaches Transforming Strength at eighteen and becomes a recognized figure in Yilin County. 60 61 At the tournament, he cripples Lei Xiao, fights Zhao Litian to a draw, and helps defend the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall from the Green Dragon Gang. 66 67

Xingyi Sect and Changxi Prefecture

After entering the Xingyi Sect, Chen cultivates the Withered Wood Meets Spring Art, learns spear combat, and destroys the Caoshui Gang’s headquarters alone. 75 86 88 He later reaches Gang Strength, defeats five peak Transforming Strength disciples in under thirty breaths, and is rewarded with the Heaven Pivot Breaking Formation Spear Intent Interpretation. 92 95

Demonic Sect Investigation and South Street Authority

Cen Qianfan recruits Chen to secretly investigate a mole connected to the Demonic Sect. 111 112 In Changxi Prefecture, Chen exposes the Zhang family’s cult ties, assists in the fall of the Blood Hand Gang, and takes control of its businesses for the Xingyi Sect. 114 116 He establishes authority by annihilating the Green Wolf Gang and later uses the Chang family’s revenge campaign against the remaining Demonic Sect members. 118 123

Chief Disciple and Li Chengyue’s Treatment

Chen defeats Liu Shuling to become Chief Disciple of Soaring Wood Court. 132 He seeks the Pulse-Renewing Spirit Marrow and Life-Extending Lingzhi to treat Li Chengyue’s long-standing injuries, eventually delivering the latter to his master. 103 145 While continuing to cultivate at peak Gang Strength, he prepares for the threat posed by Lie Fangxu and the Blazing Sun Sect. 142 145 150

Notable Quotes

“I don't believe in evil.” 113

“The path of martial arts does not lie in following the roads others have walked, but in finding the path that suits oneself.” 128