Three-Knock Blood Pass

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

The Three-Knock Blood Pass is the decisive third stage of the Blood Gate and a major dividing line among pre–Fetal Breath martial practitioners. Its practitioners are regarded as vastly stronger than those at the Second Knock, and the Six Halls Martial Meet is primarily contested by fighters at this level 16 17.

Cultivators reach the threshold by bringing two foundational stance arts to major mastery. After Wang Xuance brought the Tortoise-Snake Great Stance to major mastery, his template stated that a second basic stance at the same level would allow entry into the Three-Knock Blood Gate 9. He later advanced the Crane Form Grand Stance to Great Success, opening the Jiuwei Acupoint and completing the breakthrough 25.

Breakthrough

The breakthrough relies on opening the body’s major acupoints and gaining control over the circulation of blood and qi. The cited acupoints are Shanzhong, Zhongting, and Jiuwei; the breakthrough account refers to the first as Danzhong 3 25.

• Stance-art foundation — Basic stance arts are essential because they regulate blood and qi; fist, blade, and sword arts may increase blood and qi but generally cannot reverse its flow to open the Jiuwei Acupoint 25.
• Reverse circulation — Upon opening the Jiuwei Acupoint, a practitioner can direct the blood and qi of the entire body in either forward or reverse flow 25.
• Extreme risk — Reverse circulation is especially draining, often leaving old strength exhausted before new strength can form. Failure can damage vitality and halt further cultivation 25.
• Medicinal support — Breakthrough medicines can sustain blood and qi during the process. Wang Xuance used Fire-Core Jujubes and Vermilion Summer Fruits; the latter prevented his failed reverse-flow attempt from seriously harming his vitality 15 25.

Capabilities

Blood and Qi Control

A successful practitioner possesses dense, mercury-like blood and qi that can circulate throughout the body with far greater force than before 25.

• Can mobilize blood and qi in forward or reverse circulation after opening the final acupoint 25.
• Produces manifest force described as sounding like thunder 25.
• Forms the foundation for opening martial apertures and condensing blood essence on the path to Fetal Breath 10 11.

Physical Strength and Durability

Three-Knock practitioners possess bodies substantially beyond ordinary martial men.

• Martial artists at this stage can carry thousand-pound boulders and fight through ten soldiers without their blood and qi weakening 17.
• Wang Xuance split a bowl-thick ironwood stake with a casual punch immediately after his breakthrough; the force shattered both the stake and its buried section 25.
• Their greater blood-and-qi foundation allows them to employ fist, palm, sword, saber, and spear arts with far more destructive power than lower-stage fighters 17 19.

Blood Essence

The Three-Knock Blood Pass is closely tied to the development of blood essence, though entry alone does not guarantee that it has been condensed.

• Opening martial apertures nurtures blood essence; each aperture produces one strand 10.
• Three strands of blood essence can combine into a stream of true qi, enabling advancement into the Fetal Breath Realm 10 11.
• Chen Feng has passed the Three-Knock Blood Pass and condensed two strands of blood essence, placing him one strand short of Fetal Breath 24.
• Wu Shan’s ability to condense blood essence while only at the Two-Knock Blood Pass is treated as an exceptional consequence of his Vajra Ancient Vein 23.

Known Practitioners

• Wang Xuance — Reached the Three-Knock Blood Pass by opening the Jiuwei Acupoint after cultivating both the Tortoise-Snake and Crane Form Grand Stances to high attainment 9 25.
• Chen Feng — Has passed the Three-Knock Blood Pass and condensed two strands of blood essence 24.
• He Linfeng — Deputy squad leader of the Mountain Sea Guard; his Three-Knock strength is recognized as far beyond that of Second-Knock recruits 16.
• Li Mingyu — Flying Fish Martial Hall disciple and Three-Knock practitioner who fought Wang Xuance to a draw while Wang was still at the Second Knock 18 19 20.
• Yuan Nanting — Iron Garment Martial Hall’s leading Three-Knock practitioner of his generation 20.
• Chen Clan main-branch candidate — Had only recently entered the Three-Knock Blood Pass and had not yet condensed blood essence 24.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• The realm is first established as a difficult target among White Light City’s soldiers; Xu Dalin had previously attempted it and failed 4.
• Wang Xuance learns that two basic stance arts must reach major mastery to unlock the breakthrough, making the Crane Form Grand Stance central to his training 9.
• The Six Halls Martial Meet demonstrates the disparity between the Second and Third Knocks: many lower-stage challengers are killed quickly, while Wang Xuance’s ability to contend with Li Mingyu marks him as an anomaly 17 19 20.
• Wang Xuance formally breaks through after the first day of the martial tournament, gaining enough strength to no longer fear Wu Shan as completely as before 24 25.
• During his rematch with Li Mingyu, Wang Xuance’s blood-and-qi strength leads observers to suspect that his disguised identity, Wang Xiu, has also reached the Three-Knock Blood Pass 28.