Qi Dao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Qi Dao (齐道)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Notting Academy (former student; graduated early); Heaven Dou Academy; ally of Qian Renxue 26 38 136
Occupation/Role	Weapon Soul Master; sword cultivator; former first-year dormitory boss; Heaven Dou Team One member; Peerless King 5 6 108 136
Martial Soul	Peerless Sword — originally a malignantly mutated Iron Sword Martial Soul, subsequently evolved into a top-tier sword martial soul with its own spirit 1 2 53 182
Innate Soul Power	Half-rank 1
Status	Alive; Level 80, awaiting his eighth soul ring; accompanying Qian Renxue and the Snow Empress at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect 184 190 191 192
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Innate half-rank soul power	1	Awakens a cracked Iron Sword Martial Soul with a malignant mutation; resolves to follow the sword path despite the limitation.
Heart Sword State	9	Realizes a state in which his essence, energy, and spirit fuse, sharply increasing his strength, speed, and reactions for a brief burst.
Level 1 Soul Scholar	13	Breaks through after developing Peerless Sword visualization to improve his meditation efficiency.
Rank 10	15	Reaches the first major bottleneck after three years of cultivation and prepares to obtain a soul ring.
First soul ring — 600-year Ironclad Turtle	18	Absorption repairs the sword’s cracks into patterns and completes Peerless Sword’s first evolution.
Level 13, one-ring Soul Master	18	Advances directly to Level 13 after absorbing the Ironclad Turtle’s soul ring and gains Peerless Sword Body.
Rank 19	19	Reaches Rank 19 at age eleven, despite beginning with half-rank innate soul power.
Rank 20	25	Breaks through before leaving Notting Academy; requires a second soul ring to advance further.
Second soul ring — 1,400-year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo	34 35	Absorbs a millennium ring in Sunset Forest. Peerless gains durability, sharpness, and armor-piercing properties; Qi Dao gains Dark Gold Sword Array.
Rank 22, two-ring Soul Grandmaster	38	Enters Heaven Dou Academy at age eleven with one yellow and one purple soul ring.
Heat-and-cold tempering; Peerless’s elemental evolution	53	Absorbs the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Gains resistance to heat and cold; Peerless becomes a top-tier Tool Martial Soul. His soul power remains at Level 29.
Rank 30	58	Breaks through before turning fifteen as the immortal herbs accelerate his cultivation; prepares to seek a third soul ring.
Third soul skill — Divine Might of a Thousand Jun	65 179	Gains an enhancement skill that multiplies the power of his next attack fivefold.
Fleeting Sword Soul breakthrough	65 66	In mortal danger, briefly merges his will and soul with Peerless’s and infuses Sword Soul into his third soul skill to kill a Soul Emperor.
Rank 34 Soul Elder	77	Reveals his level during his return to Notting Academy at age fifteen.
Man and Sword as One	79	Attains the realm after resolving not to yield to Yu Xiaogang’s threats or abandon his principles.
Rank 40	87	Absorbs the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum after reaching Level 39 and breaks through the next bottleneck.
Fourth soul ring and skill — Dark Gold Armor-Piercing Sword Aura	90	Gains a ten-thousand-year ring and an enhancement that increases Peerless’s hardness and armor penetration by 300% for half an hour; reaches Level 44 at age sixteen.
Rank 55 Soul King; fifth ring and external soul bone	99 100	Absorbs a 70,000-year Dark Gold Bear ring and gains a spinal external soul bone that serves as a sword-nurturing scabbard. His fifth skill, Gold-Devouring Fang, lets Peerless consume metal to improve its properties.
Rank 59 Soul King	107	Reaches Level 59 before the Soul Master Tournament qualifiers.
Rank 60	134	Reaches the bottleneck after absorbing a 70,000-year Divine Edge Shadowless Right Arm Bone; stored energy remains in the bone.
Sword Soul Realm; sixth ring and Rank 63	140	Establishes Sword Soul after the Life and Death Arena ordeal, then absorbs the roughly 60,000-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger’s ring. Residual right-arm-bone energy accounts for two of his newly gained levels; he gains Dark Demon Evil God Slash.
Rank 68; six inherited attributes	146 150	Absorbs the tiger’s Life Essence Pearl over two weeks, gaining five levels, three abilities, and the attributes of evil, wind, lightning, time, space, and strength.
Six Swords of Supreme Sovereignty	150	Develops a six-strike sword technique over three months. Its final strike stops time within a hundred-meter domain for three seconds at enormous soul-power and mental cost.
Peerless Sword Domain	158 159	Awakens a self-comprehended domain while fighting Tang Hao; it suppresses opponents and strengthens Qi Dao, with a particularly strong effect against less accomplished swordsmen.
Rank 70	177	Reaches the seventh-ring bottleneck shortly after turning twenty and prepares to negotiate with the Snow Empress.
Seventh ring — Snow Empress; Rank 79 Soul Saint	182 183	Receives the Snow Empress’s nearly 700,000-year ring and left arm bone through sacrifice, advancing from Level 71 to 79. Gains Tool Soul Avatar and Emperor’s Cold Heaven, while Peerless develops an independent sword spirit.
Ultimate Ice Soul Core; Rank 80	184	Forms a soul core in his lower dantian under the Snow Empress’s guidance. His soul-power reserves, replenishment, and endurance increase substantially; he has not yet obtained an eighth ring.
Enhanced Peerless Sword Domain	192	Following his seventh ring, the domain extends to a five-li radius. It suppresses ordinary opponents by 30% and swordsmen below his mastery by 70%, while greatly enhancing Qi Dao.

Background

Qi Dao is a transmigrator who initially expected to receive an exceptional advantage in his new life. Instead, he awakened a plain, cracked Iron Sword Martial Soul with only half-rank innate soul power. After a brief period of despair, he concludes that martial soul quality is beyond his control, while his will is not; this realization becomes the foundation of his sword cultivation 1.

He names his martial soul Peerless, believing that he and the sword will one day stand unmatched. Carrying the summoned sword in a scabbard strengthens their connection and slightly improves his cultivation speed. Under Qi Mingyuan’s strict instruction, he develops practical swordsmanship centered on slashing, thrusting, relaxed control, and combat efficiency rather than formal technique 2.

Qi Dao enters Notting Academy despite Headmaster Hans’s expectation that his half-rank innate soul power will prevent him from ever reaching Rank 20. Yu Xiaogang likewise rejects him as a prospective disciple after reviewing his awakening certificate, prompting Qi Dao to resolve to prove his worth with Peerless 2 3.

After graduating early, Qi Dao seeks Xue Qinghe’s patronage to secure protection, suitable soul-ring hunts, and opportunities to learn from stronger swordsmen. Xue Qinghe arranges his admission to Heaven Dou Academy. Qi Dao later learns that the person he has known as Xue Qinghe is Qian Renxue; he tells her that his loyalty is to the person rather than the Crown Prince’s name or title 21 26 38 136.

Appearance

Qi Dao is described as handsome, with bright, spirited eyes and a composed bearing unusual for his age. By the time he reaches Rank 10, he has grown into a young man with a more developed physique 1 3 15.

• Usually carries the sheathed Peerless Sword at his waist 2 4.
• Peerless initially appears as a dull-gray iron sword marked by several cracks 2.
• Following his first soul ring absorption, the blade’s cracks become intricate patterns 18.
• Often adopts a calm, ready sword stance with one hand near the hilt 2 13.
• After absorbing the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo ring, Peerless acquires a dark-golden luster, and its patterns spread across the blade 35.
• After its evolution at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the blade radiates both intense heat and bitter cold 53.

Personality

Qi Dao is intensely self-reliant. He refuses to let his malformed martial soul or poor innate soul power define his future, choosing instead to cultivate through persistence, insight, and deliberate self-improvement 1 6. His confidence is not passive: he openly rejects Yu Xiaogang’s attempt to recruit him and declares that Yu is unworthy to teach him 12.

In combat, he is calm, focused, and ruthless when necessary. He does not fear stronger opponents, but he also recognizes the physical cost of his own trump card and trains specifically to compensate for it 7 9 10. Outside battle, he shows restraint and responsibility, taking Xiao Chenyu to the infirmary after defeating him and establishing quiet, orderly rules for the dormitory 5 6.

Qi Dao is also strategic about his future. Rather than blindly joining an organization, he weighs the benefits and risks of Martial Soul Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, advanced academies, and service under Xue Qinghe before deciding to seek the Crown Prince’s patronage 20 21 26.

His concern for others accompanies that ambition. He gives his parents medicinal treasures, supports the academy that taught him, repays the Ye family’s aid with a soul bone for Ye Lingling, and feels responsible for Li Luo’s loss of an arm while protecting him 67 74 75 134. When threatened by Yu Xiaogang and Tang Hao, Qi Dao weighs the danger honestly but refuses to renounce principles he believes are right—a decision that clears his sword heart 79.

Abilities & Skills

Peerless Sword Martial Soul

Peerless is Qi Dao’s mutated Iron Sword Martial Soul. Its unusually deep connection to Qi Dao allows it to develop alongside his comprehension of the sword.

• Initially manifests as a cracked iron sword regarded as a useless malignant mutation 1 12.
• Responds to Qi Dao’s intent with tremors and fighting spirit 2 4 5.
• Warned him of Xiao Haijie’s surprise attack, leading to a sudden deepening of their connection 7.
• Gradually repairs as Qi Dao’s bond with it grows; its first major evolution occurs after absorbing the Ironclad Turtle’s soul ring 17 18.
• Can remain summoned in its scabbard, though doing so continuously consumes soul power 2 22.
• Gains greater durability, sharpness, and armor-piercing properties from the Dark Gold Sword Bamboo ring; the ice-and-fire immortal herbs later give it heat and cold attributes and raise it to a top-tier Tool Martial Soul 35 53.
• Develops an ultimate metal attribute through its later evolutions. Qi Dao can further nurture it with his Dark Gold Bear external soul bone and improve its metallic properties by feeding it metal through Gold-Devouring Fang 100 183.
• Develops a sword spirit after absorbing the Snow Empress’s origin essence. The spirit, also called Peerless, can fight independently and grants Qi Dao’s sword techniques an additional 100% boost 182 183.
• The sword spirit can use and study Qi Dao’s ring-derived soul skills and offers to teach him their underlying principles. She has not mastered his soul-bone skills 187 188.
• Absorbs Ice Extreme Divine Crystals, which Qi Dao hopes will advance the sword toward the quality of a divine artifact 187 190.

Swordsmanship and Sword Aura

Qi Dao’s swordsmanship is built on practical combat training from his father, then refined through repeated duels and his own understanding of force, timing, footwork, and precision.

• Defeated the rank-three Xiao Chenyu before acquiring any soul ring, becoming the first-year boss 4 5.
• Severely wounded the much stronger Xiao Haijie with one strike while still possessing only half-rank soul power 7 8.
• Defeated Xiao Haijie again at Level 1 through explosive movement and precise thrusting, deliberately avoiding a fatal injury 13 14.
• Used only Peerless’s scabbard to overwhelm Xiao Wu in a sparring match 22.
• Countered Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass and wounded both of Tang San’s wrists to end their duel 23.
• Can release invisible sword aura from the blade’s edge, demonstrated during a spar with Qi Mingyuan 15.
• Comprehends Heaven Guard, extreme heat, extreme cold, and gale sword intents. Heaven Guard is his longest-studied intent and emphasizes defense 68.
• Achieves Man and Sword as One after resolving a crisis of conviction. His precise control subsequently allows him to lodge dormant strands of sword intent near Tang San’s and Yu Xiaogang’s hearts, deterring Tang Hao from attacking him 79 81 82.
• Briefly reaches Sword Soul while fighting for his life against a Soul Emperor, then establishes the realm after the Life and Death Arena ordeal. Sword Soul can be infused into soul skills to increase their power 65 66 140.
• Creates the Six Swords of Supreme Sovereignty using attributes inherited from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Its fourth strike, Heavens Collapse in an Instant, concentrates immense force into one blow; its final strike, Ten Directions Lockdown, stops time within a hundred-meter area for three seconds but is exceptionally costly 150 179 180.
• Can shift a short distance through space and uses mobility and his Mind’s Eye to evade powerful attacks, including Tang Hao’s Great Sumeru Hammer 150 158.

Heart Sword State

The Heart Sword State is Qi Dao’s self-created burst state, formed when his essence, energy, and spirit become perfectly unified.

• Greatly enhances his strength, speed, and reactions for a short period 9.
• Lets him temporarily produce combat power several times above his normal level 9 25.
• Places immense strain on both his body and mind, leaving him weak and exhausted afterward 8 9.
• Requires physical conditioning and sufficient soul power to sustain safely 10.
• With Wang Rou’s enhancement, he uses the state to sever a careless Soul Ancestor’s arm 28.
• Continues using it alongside his sword intent and enhancement soul skills against much stronger opponents; forming an Ultimate Ice Soul Core later makes its soul-power cost more sustainable 179 184 192.

Peerless Sword Visualization and Cultivation Optimization

Qi Dao visualizes Peerless during meditation to strengthen his mental power and improve his cultivation efficiency. He also uses early internal perception to study and simplify his soul-power circulation routes.

• Visualization restores mental clarity after internal observation and accelerates soul-power circulation 6.
• Allows him to examine the paths of soul power through his meridians before obtaining a soul ring 6.
• Removes unnecessary circulation routes over several years, increasing his cultivation speed by at least twenty percent 25.
• His improved cultivation rate becomes comparable to that of a soul master with roughly seventh-rank innate soul power 25.
• He stops further optimization because replacing the remaining routes exceeds his current knowledge and strength 25.
• Immortal-herb tempering later improves his physique and cultivation potential. His Ultimate Ice Soul Core further increases his reserves and draws energy from his surroundings, extending his endurance in battle 53 87 184.

First Soul Skill: Peerless Sword Body

Obtained from a 600-year Ironclad Turtle, Peerless Sword Body is a temporary self-enhancement skill 18.

• Slightly increases strength and soul power 18.
• Doubles Qi Dao’s defense by one hundred percent 18.
• Its effectiveness depends on Qi Dao’s existing physical foundation 18.

Second Soul Skill: Dark Gold Sword Array

Obtained from a 1,400-year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo, this skill creates solid dark-golden flying swords. Qi Dao initially controls up to eighteen, with nine more available for each ten levels gained. He can maintain them until his soul power runs out, but controlling many at once burdens his mind 35 36.

• The swords can cut through large trees and can also support Qi Dao in flight 35 36 82.
• Qi Dao envisions eventually developing a formation resembling “Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect” 36.

Third Soul Skill: Divine Might of a Thousand Jun

Also called Thousand-Jun Force, this skill multiplies the power of Qi Dao’s next attack fivefold. Infusing it with his fleeting Sword Soul breakthrough enables him to kill a Soul Emperor during the Star Dou Great Forest expedition 65 179.

Fourth Soul Skill: Dark Gold Armor-Piercing Sword Aura

This enhancement increases Peerless’s hardness and armor penetration by 300% for half an hour. Qi Dao obtains it from his fourth, ten-thousand-year soul ring 90.

Fifth Soul Skill: Gold-Devouring Fang

Gold-Devouring Fang lets Qi Dao devour metal to enhance Peerless’s metallic properties. Together with his sword-nurturing external soul bone, it offers a means of improving his martial soul beyond ordinary ring absorption 100.

Sixth Soul Skill: Dark Demon Evil God Slash

Obtained from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, this power-attack skill releases a corrosive black slash. Qi Dao’s demonstration tears a trench more than three hundred meters long without using either the Heart Sword State or Sword Soul to enhance it 140.

Seventh Soul Skills and Domains

The Snow Empress’s nearly 700,000-year ring grants Qi Dao Tool Soul Avatar and Emperor’s Cold Heaven. The latter creates a five-li realm of extreme cold that suppresses opponents and strengthens Qi Dao 182 193.

Qi Dao also possesses the separately comprehended Peerless Sword Domain. After his seventh ring, its radius reaches five li; within it, ordinary soul masters are suppressed by 30%, while swordsmen whose mastery falls below his are suppressed by 70%. The domain also substantially amplifies Qi Dao, making it especially effective against another swordsman 158 159 192.

Life Essence Pearl Inheritance

Absorbing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger’s Life Essence Pearl grants Qi Dao Evil God’s Protection, Dark Demon Evil God Thunder, and Evil Devour, along with lesser command of the tiger’s evil, wind, lightning, time, space, and strength attributes. Wind is easiest for him to wield because of his experience with Gale Sword Intent. His early time manipulation is costly and limited, while his spatial power permits short-range shifts 146 150.

Equipment / Items

• Scabbard for Peerless — Allows Qi Dao to carry his summoned martial soul at his waist and meditate beside it 2.
• Whale glue — Regularly purchased and consumed during his physical conditioning period 15.
• Gold cards — Receives a 1,000-gold-soul-coin card as compensation from Xiao Chenyu, later wins a wagered duel against Xiao Haijie, and is given 50,000 gold spirit coins by Xiao Chenyu before departing Notting Academy 10 14 26.
• Heaven-Deceiving Cloak — A Soul Tool given by Xue Qinghe that conceals a human wearer’s presence; Qi Dao uses it while escaping the Star Dou Great Forest 59 65 66.
• Dark Gold Bear spinal external soul bone — A 70,000-year bone that acts as a scabbard within Qi Dao’s spine and nurtures Peerless’s quality 99 100.
• Divine Edge Shadowless Right Arm Bone — A 70,000-year soul bone whose absorption strengthens his physique and brings him to Level 60 134.
• Snow Empress Left Arm Bone — Acquired through the Snow Empress’s sacrifice; greatly strengthens his physique 182.
• Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud — A powerful Soul Tool and Heaven Dou national treasure presented to Qi Dao by Emperor Xue Ye after the Soul Master Tournament 136.
• Dark Demon Evil God Tiger’s Life Essence Pearl — Absorbed to gain five levels, inherited abilities, and six attributes 140 146 150.
• Deep Blue Ring — A storage ring from which Qi Dao retrieves medicinal treasures and gifts 74 75.
• Inkfeather Soft Armor and Soul-Calming Incense — Among the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s gifts of thanks after his exchange with Sword Douluo 73.

Relationships

• Qi Mingyuan — Father and first swordsmanship instructor. A Soul Elder by Qi Dao’s Rank 10 breakthrough; spars with Qi Dao and supports his plans despite concern for his safety. Qi Dao later gives him Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma and brings him to Heaven Dou City for protection 2 15 26 74 83.
• Wang Rou — Mother and a support-type Soul Master. She consistently encourages Qi Dao, assists in his soul-ring hunt, and enhances him during the battle against the fallen soul masters. Qi Dao later gives her Aromatic Silk Beauty, which evolves her martial soul, and brings her to Heaven Dou City 3 17 28 74 83.
• Xiao Chenyu — Began as Qi Dao’s challenger, then became his loyal subordinate after losing their duel. He supports Qi Dao financially and helps arrange the rematch with Xiao Haijie. They remain friends after Qi Dao leaves Notting Academy 5 10 26 108.
• Liu Long and Ling Feng — First-year companions who support Qi Dao against Xiao Haijie and continue following his example in cultivation. They reunite with him in Heaven Dou City alongside Wang Sheng 7 18 20 108.
• Headmaster Hans — Recognizes Qi Dao’s potential, regrets not taking him as a disciple, and provides a letter of introduction for Heaven Dou City when Qi Dao graduates early. Qi Dao later funds improvements to Notting Academy, gives Hans Soul-Calming Incense, and relies on his help during the confrontation with Tang Hao 9 26 75 83.
• Yu Xiaogang — Rejected Qi Dao over his martial soul mutation and half-rank innate soul power, later sought to recruit him to study Peerless. Qi Dao rejects him publicly. Their hostility deepens when Yu threatens him and demands his cultivation secret; Qi Dao uses dormant sword intent to prevent retaliation during his escape 3 12 79 81 82.
• Tang San — Initially avoided by Qi Dao; later challenges Qi Dao after Xiao Wu’s loss and is defeated, suffering wounds to both wrists. Years later, Tang San again seeks to defeat him for Yu Xiaogang’s sake. Qi Dao plants sword intent in him during their confrontation with Tang Hao and defeats his Seven-in-One Fusion Skill at the Soul Master Tournament 19 23 75 81 82 136.
• Xiao Wu — Challenges Qi Dao for the dormitory-boss position. Qi Dao defeats her while using only Peerless’s scabbard. They meet again at Notting Academy and later in the Star Dou Great Forest 22 76 141.
• Qian Renxue / Xue Qinghe — Recruits and protects Qi Dao while disguised as Heaven Dou’s Crown Prince, arranging hunts, academy admission, and powerful escorts. Qi Dao promises to protect her and accepts her after she reveals her true identity, maintaining that his loyalty is to the person he knows rather than her title 33 38 59 130 136.
• Dugu Yan — A friend and arena teammate whose concern for Qi Dao develops into romantic affection. She shares medicinal resources with his family, supports his cultivation, and grows closer to him through sparring and outings 47 67 68 73 74 90.
• Dugu Bo — Initially investigates Qi Dao’s warning about the poison afflicting him and Dugu Yan, then becomes a trusted senior and soul-hunting ally. He watches over Qi Dao during immortal-herb absorption and supports his later breakthroughs 49 53 87 90 140.
• Ye Lingling and her family — Ye Lingling’s mother rescues Qi Dao and his parents after the fallen soul master ambush. Ye Lingling later heals him at Heaven Dou Academy and becomes his friend and teammate; Qi Dao gives her a Shadow-Weaving Hand Left Arm Bone in gratitude for her family’s aid 31 41 47 134.
• Chen Xin, Sword Douluo — Recognizes Qi Dao’s sword talent. Their sparring helps Chen Xin gain insight, prompting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to recognize Qi Dao as a friend. They later spar again, when Qi Dao’s evolved domain forces Chen Xin to use his Seven Kill Avatar 70 73 192.
• Snow Empress — Initially tests Qi Dao’s claim that he can help her attain godhood, then acknowledges his potential. She sacrifices herself to become his seventh ring, remains with him, and guides his formation of an Ultimate Ice Soul Core; Qi Dao has promised to help her be resurrected 179 180 182 183 184.
• Li Luo — A Soul Saint assigned to accompany Qi Dao into the Star Dou Great Forest. He loses an arm during the expedition, for which Qi Dao feels responsible and hopes eventually to make amends 59 66 67 164.
• Tang Hao — A powerful enemy whom Qi Dao initially deters by planting sword intent in Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. They later fight directly, and Qi Dao awakens the Peerless Sword Domain during their battle 80 81 82 158 159.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rise at Notting Academy

Qi Dao enters Notting Academy after Yu Xiaogang rejects him. He refuses Xiao Chenyu’s demand to become a lackey, defeats him, and establishes himself as the first-year boss. He later badly wounds Xiao Haijie after the upperclassman attacks him without warning, revealing the Heart Sword State for the first time 3 5 7 9.

Building His Foundation

Unable to rely on his innate soul power, Qi Dao develops Peerless visualization and begins refining his meditation routes. He reaches Rank 10 after three years, hunts a 600-year Ironclad Turtle, and gains the Peerless Sword Body skill along with a restored, evolved martial soul 6 15 17 18.

Conflicts with Xiao Wu and Tang San

At Rank 19, Qi Dao remains the academy’s strongest student. He defeats Xiao Wu without drawing his sword, then defeats Tang San after Tang San challenges him in response. The victories reinforce his reputation while leaving Tang San and Xiao Wu isolated from their peers 19 22 23 24.

Early Graduation and Journey to Heaven Dou City

After reaching Rank 20, Qi Dao decides that Notting Academy can no longer meet his needs. He graduates early, accepts Headmaster Hans’s letter of introduction, and leaves with his parents to seek the Crown Prince’s patronage in Heaven Dou City 25 26.

Fallen Soul Master Ambush

During the journey, Qi Dao and his parents are attacked by three fallen Soul Ancestors responsible for massacring a village. Though initially afraid, Qi Dao resolves to fight. Empowered by Wang Rou and the Heart Sword State, he exploits an opening to sever one attacker’s arm 27 28. When the family appears to face death, memories of his parents strengthen his resolve; he gains new sword insight and kills all three attackers. Ye Lingling’s mother subsequently rescues the injured family 29 31 47.

Heaven Dou Academy and the Sword Sovereign

Under Xue Qinghe’s patronage, Qi Dao obtains a 1,400-year Dark Gold Sword Bamboo second ring and enters Heaven Dou Academy. After impressing teacher Zhou Huan, he gains permission to train independently. He registers at the Great Soul Arena as the Sword Sovereign, defeats Yu Tianheng, and builds a citywide reputation through repeated victories 34 35 38 41 43 45 47.

Qi Dao’s friendship with Dugu Yan leads him to Dugu Bo and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Immortal herbs strengthen his body and evolve Peerless, while his bond with Dugu Yan and his alliance with Xue Qinghe deepen 49 53 58 67.

Sword Breakthroughs and Return to Notting

During a dangerous third-ring expedition, Qi Dao briefly reaches Sword Soul and kills a Soul Emperor who pursues him. Later, an exchange with Chen Xin benefits both swordsmen 65 66 73. On a visit to Notting Academy, renewed conflict with Tang San and Yu Xiaogang draws out Tang Hao. Qi Dao attains Man and Sword as One, uses dormant sword intent to secure his escape, and takes his parents to Heaven Dou City before that protection can fade 75 79 80 81 82 83.

Tournament, Kingship, and Qian Renxue’s Revelation

Qi Dao becomes a leading member of Heaven Dou Team One. After its Soul Master Tournament victory, Emperor Xue Ye grants him the title Peerless King, Fasinuo Province as a fief, and the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Soon afterward, Xue Qinghe reveals that she is Qian Renxue; Qi Dao affirms his loyalty to her as a person 108 128 136.

Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and New Sword Arts

Qi Dao reaches Level 60 after absorbing a right arm bone. A perilous encounter with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger leads to a lasting Sword Soul breakthrough, his sixth ring, and the tiger’s Life Essence Pearl. Absorbing the pearl raises him to Level 68 and grants six attributes, which he draws upon to create the Six Swords of Supreme Sovereignty. He subsequently awakens the Peerless Sword Domain while fighting Tang Hao 134 140 146 150 158 159.

Snow Empress and the Ultimate Ice Soul Core

Seeking an extraordinary seventh ring, Qi Dao travels to the Extreme North with Qian Daoliu and persuades the Snow Empress to test his potential for godhood. She ultimately sacrifices herself to become his ring, raising him to Level 79 and giving Peerless an independent sword spirit. Under her guidance, he forms an Ultimate Ice Soul Core and reaches Level 80 174 177 179 180 182 183 184.

On returning to Heaven Dou City, Qi Dao supports Qian Renxue amid uncertainty over the exposure of her identity. He accompanies her and the Snow Empress to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, where a spar with Sword Douluo demonstrates the strength of his evolved domain and forces Chen Xin to activate the Seven Kill Avatar 190 191 192.

Notable Quotes

“My sword and I will prove it all!” 3

“We sword cultivators fear no battle.” 7

“Thanks to you, I’ve gained a little insight.” 7

“Even if I surpass you, you’ll always be my senior!” 140

Trivia

• Qi Dao’s decision to carry his summoned martial soul in a scabbard is highly unusual because a summoned martial soul normally consumes soul power continuously 2 22.
• He was granted a separate teacher’s dormitory at Notting Academy and occasionally taught students practical combat techniques despite still being a student himself 18.
• Before obtaining his first ring, Qi Dao could already perceive his internal soul-power circulation, an ability he considers possibly connected to his two lifetimes or his awakening-day enlightenment 6.
• His donation of 100,000 Gold Soul Coins helped Notting Academy expand its grounds, improve dormitories and training facilities, and raise staff salaries 75.
• Peerless’s sword spirit takes an appearance modeled on the Snow Empress because the sword absorbed her origin essence 190.