Zhao Lie

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao Lie (赵烈)
Alias(es)	Gang Leader Zhao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Black River Gang — leader; later a Qinghe Gang branch division; Embroidered Uniform Guard 217 211
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; gang leader; Fourth-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Deputy Commandant 211
Status	Active 227
First Appearance	Chapter 34

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Body Tempering Realm	47	Revealed to be a Body Tempering martial artist when offering to spar with Li Chengfeng; later reaches the realm’s limit while consolidating his foundation with One-Horned Crocodile flesh and blood 47 69
True Qi Realm	90	Breaks through alongside Li Chengfeng and celebrates the pair’s advancement during the Lantern Festival 90
Channel-Opening Realm	131	Has advanced alongside Li Chengfeng and helps defeat a Life Harvesting Sect martial artist 131
Perfected Channel-Opening Realm	137	Emerges from seclusion after digesting medicinal resources and reaches perfection 137 138
Aperture-Condensing Realm	160	Breaks through after the group hunts and consumes exotic beasts in the Beast Mountain Range 160
Aperture-Condensing Realm — additional aperture	185	Refines Snake Blood Elixir and opens one further aperture 185
Late Aperture-Condensing Realm	227	States that his cultivation has entered the late stage; his soul power has also begun to coalesce 227

Background

Zhao Lie was born into a ruined, impoverished household. He later became the leader of the Black River Gang, but his background continued to shape his outlook: he understood the fear commoners felt toward the county yamen and the difficulty of obtaining cultivation resources without family backing 37 74.

He had previously attended a martial school that looked down on his origins and refused to pass down a true inheritance cultivation art. After attaining the Aperture-Condensing Realm, he eagerly considered returning to show the school what he had become 163.

By the time of his later rise, the Black River Gang had expanded into a Qinghe Gang branch division. Zhao Lie rebuilt his hometown and household, supported by two sons and several clan relatives 217.

Appearance

Zhao Lie is commonly seen in practical martial attire, including a brown long robe and a martial-artist identity token at his waist 41.

• Carries himself with the force and confidence of an experienced gang leader.
• Uses treasured blades and, at times, twin blades in combat or travel 97 114.
• His aura becomes notably deep and powerful after reaching perfected Channel-Opening Realm 141.

Personality

Zhao Lie is pragmatic, ambitious, and highly conscious of the disadvantages faced by martial artists of humble birth. He urges Li Chengfeng to pursue resources, fame, and influence rather than accept the scraps left by powerful families 69 97.

He is also politically perceptive. Zhao Lie recognizes traps in Zheng Pandao’s proposed treasure-fish enterprise, advises Li Chengfeng on how to decline without causing offense, and uses his gang’s intelligence network to verify Wang Wusheng’s claims before committing to battle 96 97 100.

Despite his calculating side, Zhao Lie is loyal to those he accepts as brothers. He repeatedly assists Li Chengfeng against the Zheng Estate, risks his life against Xu Jiang, and serves as the vanguard against Jian Wuchen to expose the sword heir’s methods for Li Chengfeng 48 78 195.

He sometimes compares his own progress unfavorably with Li Chengfeng’s exceptional talent, but remains determined to improve and support their shared ambitions 160 185 209.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Cultivation

Zhao Lie possesses a solid foundation built through limited resources and persistent effort. He initially cultivated the Tiger Form Art, then improved his physical and medicinal refinement after Li Chengfeng taught him key methods of the Four Extremities Iron Shirt 114.

• Reached the limit of the Body Tempering Realm before deliberately delaying his True Qi breakthrough to repair weaknesses in his foundation 69.
• Cultivates the Essence-Congealing Formula, chosen for producing true qi stronger than that of several alternative cultivation methods 121.
• Cultivates the Meridian-Transforming Aperture-Strengthening Art alongside the Essence-Congealing Formula 126.
• His late Aperture-Condensing cultivation allows him to combine coalescing soul power, qinggong, and the force of heaven and earth 227.

Swift Rain Swordsmanship

An Aperture-Condensing Realm sword art taught by Zhou Dingyuan. Zhao Lie uses it as his primary offensive technique in the Shuiyang Prefecture Prodigy Martial Competition 159 192.

• Creates a dense, rain-like barrage of sword light.
• Defeated Iron Sword Sect true disciple Di Long with a decisive sword strike 192.
• Was insufficient against Jian Wuchen’s sword intent and superior spiritual strength 195.

Thousand-Mile-a-Day Step

A movement art used in tandem with Swift Rain Swordsmanship 192.

• Gives Zhao Lie phantom-like mobility in close combat.
• Lets him launch attacks at high speed while maintaining pressure with continuous sword strikes 192.

Brocade Sword Art

A half-step Innate Realm sword art issued to Zhao Lie upon his appointment as an Embroidered Uniform Guard Deputy Commandant 211 216.

• Zhao Lie states that he can use the art after his soul power begins to coalesce 227.
• Requires sufficient soul power to draw upon the force of heaven and earth 227.

Divine Soul Visualization Method

Zhao Lie gains the qualifications to cultivate a Divine Soul Visualization Method through Li Chengfeng’s performance in the Prodigy Martial Competition 200.

• Cultivates the method under Sun Qing’s guidance after recovering from his injuries 207.
• His soul power later begins to coalesce, enabling more advanced martial applications 227.

Equipment

• Treasured blade / longsword — Zhao Lie’s standard weapon; used in hunting, bandit suppression, and tournament combat 62 97 192.
• Twin blades — carried when accompanying Li Chengfeng to the Wang residence 114.
• Iron-backed bow — lent to Li Chengfeng before their Exotic Beast Forest hunt 58.
• Exotic beast-hide armor — obtained with Li Chengfeng from Xu Jiang’s equipment after the battle 80.
• Official robes, seal, treasure sword, and Brocade Art manual — received upon becoming a Fourth-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Deputy Commandant 211.

Relationships

• Li Chengfeng — Sworn brother, business partner, and closest martial ally. Zhao Lie helps Li register with the Martial Hall, supports him through the Zheng Estate conflict, hunts and fights beside him, and shares both ventures and official advancement with him 37 48 80 205.
• Liu Yuniang — Li Chengfeng’s wife. Zhao Lie treats her courteously, calls her “little sister-in-law,” and considers the duration and risks of Li’s hunts from her perspective 41 58.
• Zheng Pandao — Initially a powerful figure Zhao Lie fears and opposes indirectly; later an ally in business, cultivation, and provincial ambitions 44 141 153.
• Wang Wusheng — Allied with Zhao Lie and Li Chengfeng to destroy the West Mountain bandits; afterward shares an agreement concerning woodland and exotic-beast resources 98 103 114.
• Sun Qing — Qinghe Gang leader who receives Zhao Lie with courtesy, offers cultivation guidance, and later oversees his soul-art cultivation 169 207.
• Zhou Dingyuan — Martial Hall patron who provides access to higher-level martial skills and arranges the pair’s challenges against provincial prodigies 149.
• Jian Wuchen — Southern Heaven Sword Sect sword heir. Zhao Lie challenges him to expose his methods for Li Chengfeng, but is incapacitated by Jian’s spiritual sword intent 192 195.
• Wei Zhong — Zheng Estate steward whose rumors endangered Li Chengfeng; Zhao Lie orchestrates events leading to Wei Zhong’s death 44 53.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Reconciliation with Li Chengfeng — Learns that Li Chengfeng has become a martial artist, apologizes for prior conflict, and provides Blood-Qi Pills to preserve their relationship 34.
• Martial Hall registration — Explains the Martial Path Register, guides Li Chengfeng toward official registration, and introduces him to Green Mountain City’s influential merchants 37 41.
• Zheng Estate conflict — Warns Li Chengfeng of Zheng Pandao’s return and Wei Zhong’s false rumors, offers him refuge, spars with him to assess his strength, and supports him against Zheng Lianqing 44 48 49.
• Exotic Beast Forest hunt — Invites Li Chengfeng to hunt, provides the iron-backed bow, and shares the One-Horned Crocodile’s materials and flesh equally 58 62.
• Road-guarding battle — Leads Black River Gang members in guarding a dangerous route and fights Xu Jiang with Li Chengfeng, suffering internal injuries while protecting him 74 78 79.
• Fish Offering Gathering and woodland venture — Persuades Li Chengfeng to seek a Dragon Carp, places third in the tournament, and later establishes the Li-Zhao Manor enterprise with him 69 88 105.
• Rise through the Martial Hall — Cultivates with exchanged merit resources, reaches Channel-Opening Realm, and seeks higher-level martial arts and recognition alongside Li Chengfeng 121 131 143.
• Provincial prodigy campaign — Publicly announces a plan to challenge provincial prodigies, defeats Di Long, and challenges Jian Wuchen at the Shuiyang Prefecture competition 147 152 192.
• Imperial appointment — Becomes second on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking and accepts a Fourth-Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Deputy Commandant post with Li Chengfeng 205 211.

Notable Quotes

“The martial path demands struggle. You and I were born from the mud to begin with. If we do not dare fight for even an opportunity like this, how will we ever fight our way toward a better future?” 69

“A true man does not fight for a momentary advantage. Someday, you and I may not be unable to carve out an even greater enterprise!” 86

Trivia

• Zhao Lie placed third in the Fish Offering Gathering after Zheng Lianqing withdrew 88.
• He was publicly ranked second on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, behind Li Chengfeng 211.
• He describes the difference between himself and Li Chengfeng’s talent as feeling “greater than the gap between people and dogs” 209.