Li Mu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Mu (李牧)
Alias(es)	Mu Tou / “Woodhead,” used by Hui Zhen 12 272
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Hidden Sword Manor; Sword Pavilion; formerly Myriad Swords Tower 67 84 228
Occupation/Role	Sword Pavilion true disciple; Hidden Sword Manor’s Eldest Senior Brother; creator of a Sword Stele and teacher of sword disciples 149 228 234
Status	Active; last shown cultivating in the Return Ruins alongside Jiang Qingxue 274
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Swordsmanship nearing Initiation	3	Practiced diligently, approached initiation ahead of Cao A-Man, and could already improve Hui Zhen’s swordsmanship through discussion.
Second Vitality Barrier / Second Gate	61	Broke through after strengthening his body with the Thirteen Bone-Setting Swords; his physique became dense rather than bloated.
Third Gate	75	Blood and qi reached 30.0, opening a minor circulation and forming a minor heavenly cycle.
Orange-grade Sword Dao Talent	74	Broke the peak reflection of the Five-Poison Jade Shadow Sword and rapidly cultivated the Five-Elements Sword Sect’s second-tier manuals.
Fourth Gate	86	His breakthrough shocked Hidden Sword Manor and earned him access to Thousand-Jun Cavern after he stabilized his foundation.
Fifth Gate	103–104	Advanced while cultivating Pursuing Wind, Chasing Shadow Sword and Spring Congealing Moon; his red-grade talent later enabled him to contend with stronger martial artists.
Golden-grade Sword Dao Talent	126	Reached 14,100 talent points after advancing the Flower-Picking Zen Seal Sword and Peerless Silent Sword.
Nine Gates	143	Li Tianle recognized that Li Mu had reached the same Nine-Gate level as Li Yingqiu.
Second Realm: Internal Strengthening	154–156	Entered the Second Realm with an extraordinary foundation, then stabilized his spirit four times while advancing toward a fifth stabilization.
First Node of the Second Realm / Sixth Divine Stabilization	162	Broke the first node and entered a cocoon-like state for his sixth divine stabilization.
Second Node of Vitality and Spirit	165	Advanced both paths simultaneously after attaining Major Mastery in the Void-Resonance Intent Sword Heart Sutra and Supreme Heart Sword.
Scarlet-Gold Sword Dao Talent / Evolution Six	166	Unlocked Gathering Sword Origin, allowing mastery-grade sword arts to be ground into Sword Dao Origin fragments.
Crimson-Gold Sword Dao Talent	181	Reached 63,530 talent after recording the entry-level Lunar Yin Cold Moon Sword Canon.
Spirit Projection Realm	198	Cultivated the White Bone Spirit-Refining Sword Scripture and entered Spirit Projection.
Black-Gold Sword Dao Talent / Evolution Seven	200	Surpassed 100,000 talent points and unlocked Erect the Sword Stele, enabling him to establish a sword lineage and pass down techniques.
Yin Spirit Realm	251	Refined Dragon Pills and Lunar Polarity, entering the third Spirit-Refining realm.
Mid-stage Yin Spirit	268	Continued advancing through the Eightfold Heavenly Dragon Sword Canon and Return Ruins opportunities.
Four Symbols Force	273	Cultivated Lesser-Yang and Solar Force, then fused the Four Symbols Force and condensed its initial forms.
Evolution Eight / Command Sword Law	274	Reached 643,930 talent after initiating Fourteen Swords of Myriad Transformations; gained an understanding of Sword Dao rules through Command Sword Law.

Background

Li Mu arrived in an unfamiliar world with no resources and sold himself into Hidden Sword Manor to survive. As a slave assigned to Myriad Swords Tower, he wiped swords day and night, suffered hunger, and initially struggled to comprehend sword manuals. His circumstances changed through relentless practice, his developing sword talent, and his friendship with fellow servant Hui Zhen. 3 84

After becoming a household servant, Li Mu cultivated under the protection and support of Leng Shuangyu, Zhao Meng, and Zhao Tuo. His success on a hunting expedition and in contests against stronger opponents steadily raised his standing among the manor servants. When he requested sword manuals rather than material rewards after a martial contest, Third Manor Lord Ye Wei accepted him as a registered disciple and granted access to Sword Canon Tower. 39 54 55 67

Li Mu won the Azure River Hidden Dragon Martial Tournament, defeating prominent disciples and scions despite being targeted by multiple opponents. Ye Wei subsequently named him his final disciple, while Myriad Swords Tower celebrated the former sword-wiping servant as Azure River’s foremost Hidden Dragon. 80 82 84

Following the destruction of much of Hidden Sword Manor, Li Mu slew two Second-Realm demon martial cultivators and became the only capable figure left to direct the manor’s recovery. The surviving disciples rallied behind him, and he later succeeded as Hidden Sword Manor’s Eldest Senior Brother. 154 155 149

His victories in Jiangnan Commandery, including defeats of Li Yingqiu, Xiang Yang, Bu Lingyun, and several third-realm opponents, established his reputation beyond Azure River. He entered the Sword Pavilion through its ceremony with record-breaking trial scores, became Pavilion Master Jiang Shengfan’s direct disciple, and began building a sword lineage through his Sword Stele. 144 169 216 228 234

Appearance

Li Mu is a tall, handsome young swordsman whose body has been continuously refined through sword qi, medicinal nourishment, and bone-setting arts. He is approximately two meters tall, but his muscles are compact and powerful rather than swollen. 61 75

• Often wears gold-and-white or black-gold scholarly sword robes. 84 154
• Carries himself with a composed bearing that lacks the inferiority expected of a former servant. 76
• His physique was reshaped by the Thirteen Bone-Setting Swords, giving him dense bones, taut musculature, and exceptional physical strength. 61 75
• Commonly appears armed with a sword, including Black Frost, Hidden Snow, Weak Water, or Snow Listener of the Western Heavens. 76 115 181 235
• Can use the Mist Stone to alter his appearance, body shape, apparent cultivation, clothing, and even sex; such disguises cannot withstand direct physical contact. 181 182

Personality

Li Mu is disciplined, cautious, and intensely focused on cultivation. He repeatedly rejects distractions—including romantic attention, status, and immediate comfort—when they interfere with his sword path. Even after gaining fame, he measures himself against stronger experts rather than becoming complacent. 34 67 76 102

He is courteous toward seniors and allies, deliberate in political situations, and willing to leave a favorable impression when doing so protects his future prospects. At the same time, he does not tolerate coercion, betrayal, or enemies who would endanger Hidden Sword Manor. 67 99 123 227

Li Mu is protective of those who have supported him. He aids Hui Zhen’s cultivation, rewards loyal attendants, directs Hidden Sword Manor’s survivors after its crisis, and shares sword arts with disciples through his Sword Stele. 98 104 155 234

Abilities & Skills

Great Expansion Sword Register and Clear Sword Eyes

Li Mu possesses the Great Expansion Sword Register, whose Clear Sword Eyes let him examine others’ cultivation data, identify flaws in sword arts, and preserve what he comprehends from complete manuals. 10 139

• Records sword arts to raise his Sword Dao Talent dramatically. 91 145
• Allows him to understand and cultivate manuals at extraordinary speed after reading them. 145 159
• Evolution Six: Gathering Sword Origin can convert mastery-grade sword arts into Sword Dao Origin fragments. 166
• Evolution Seven: Erect the Sword Stele lets him establish a sword lineage and bestow techniques upon sword disciples. 200 234
• Evolution Eight grants insight into Sword Dao rules through Command Sword Law. 274

Swordsmanship

Li Mu specializes in rapidly mastering and combining sword arts from different traditions. His foundational art is the Five-Elements Unified Sword Canon, but he also cultivates Buddhist, Daoist, spirit-refining, movement, assassination, and body-tempering sword techniques. 113 162

• Five-Elements Unified Sword Canon — His primary foundational martial art; produces Five-Elements Force and supports his superior physical foundation. 113 161
• Grand Void Sword Canon — Includes Reverse Rush Yin-Yang, which combines speed, force, and meridian-sealing effects, and No Self, No Sword, which accumulates sword qi within an opponent before detonating it. 162
• Sword Roaming the Grand Void — A Peak-level Grand Void Sword Canon move used in high-speed combat and against the Many-Faced Woman. 165 181
• Flower-Picking Zen Seal Sword — A Buddhist sword art that tempers his spirit through lived visualizations and supports the development of Tathagata Force. 126 162
• Beginningless Sword Intent — A gold-grade art based on forging oneself into a sword; Li Mu comprehended its core principle but initially lacked the physical and spiritual requirements to cultivate it. 198
• Fourteen Swords of Myriad Transformations — A black-gold Divine Martial Path sword art created from Li Mu’s accumulated understanding; he reached beginner level after entering the Hanging Void Temple’s meditation courtyard. 233 274

Forces and Body Tempering

Li Mu’s body is reinforced by sword qi, rare medicines, demon cores, and numerous forms of force. His unusual foundation allows him to cultivate several forces that most martial artists could not combine safely. 156 162

• Possesses both Five-Elements Force and Unified Force as foundational forces. 161
• Refined Wind, Thunder, Vajra, Purple Radiance, Tathagata, Stone, Five-Poison, Lunar, and other forces. 159 161 183 200
• Fused seventeen types of force within six days before the Heart-Tempering Trial. 242
• Developed Small Five-Elements Force in three days; its early form could only be held briefly before release. 148 149
• Completed Four Symbols Force after cultivating Lesser-Yang, Solar, Lesser-Yin, and Lunar Yin-related arts. 273
• Uses the Penglai God-Repelling Body-Tempering Sword Talisman to forge temporary pseudo-bones and enhance his body. 246 249

Spirit Refinement

Li Mu cultivates body and spirit in parallel, following the Divine Martial Path. His spirit is tempered by sword intent, Buddhist methods, Purple Radiance nourishment, and the Golden Cicada Consciousness Body. 102 128 180

• Golden Cicada Consciousness Body — Stabilizes his mind, improves perception, helps him endure dangerous cultivation, and exposes deception hidden by mist or spiritual methods. 165 181
• White Bone Spirit-Refining Sword Scripture — Advanced him into the Spirit Projection Realm and later gave him a Dharma Sword at Major Mastery. 198 233
• Vajra Dharma Form — Manifested during the Sword Pavilion’s spirit trial to slay an Out-of-Body-level demonic soul. 212
• Reached the Yin Spirit Realm by refining Dragon Pills and Lunar Polarity. 251
• Can cultivate meditative sword arts that use the spirit to contemplate and manifest higher sword intent. 272

Sword Origins and Heart Sword

Li Mu has comprehended several Sword Dao Origins, giving his techniques a level of intent beyond ordinary force-based martial arts. 166 252

• Commands swords with his heart through Supreme Heart Sword. 165
• Broke the reflection of Mastery-level Supreme Heart Sword, demonstrating the capacity to command ten thousand swords. 166
• Confirmed to possess the Qian Heaven, Gen Mountain, Kan Water, Xun Wind, and Zhen Thunder Sword Origins. 252
• Uses Sword Origin fragments to strengthen divine weapons, including the Drunken Moon Divine Weapons. 200

Seals, Talismans, and Buddhist Treasures

Li Mu employs powerful seals and treasures in addition to conventional swordsmanship.

• Demon-Suppressing Pagoda — An immortal-grade treasure obtained from Lu Chen’s coffin; it can destroy demonic entities and supports his Heavenly Dragon seal arts. 237 238 251
• Heavenly Dragon Demon-Sealing Seal — A Buddhist sword seal used to activate the pagoda’s power. 241
• Penglai God-Repelling Body-Tempering Sword Talisman — A gold-grade talisman method for refining body and spirit. 246
• Mist Stone — A disguise treasure seized from the Many-Faced Woman; conceals his cultivation and enables detailed physical disguises. 181

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Black Frost — Famed sword carried during Li Mu’s early rise at Hidden Sword Manor. 76
• Hidden Snow — Divine weapon used in major battles after Li Mu became a core disciple. 115 136
• Snow Listener of the Western Heavens — Divine weapon used against the Many-Faced Woman. 181
• Weak Water — Heavy sword carried during the Poison Dragon Pool confrontation. 235 237
• Drunken Moon Divine Weapons — Enhanced using Qian-Heaven Sword Origin. 200
• Demon-Suppressing Pagoda — Immortal-grade pagoda acquired from the ancient coffin at Poison Dragon Pool. 237 238
• Golden Page — A true-inheritance page linked to Jiang Qingxue’s Cloudsea Immortal Realm and the Beginningless Sword Intent. 84 198
• Flameshadow Token — A token connected to Lu Chen’s inheritance and the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda. 123 237
• Mist Stone — Artifact enabling cultivation concealment and identity-changing disguises. 181

Relationships

• Ye Wei — Third Manor Lord of Hidden Sword Manor; first accepted Li Mu as a registered disciple, then publicly named him his final disciple. 67 82
• Ye Ying — Hidden Sword Manor Lord and Li Mu’s “First Master”; instructs him in foundational swordsmanship, force cultivation, and bone forging. 139
• Leng Shuangyu — Manager of Myriad Swords Tower; protected Li Mu’s opportunities, secured resources for him, and celebrated his Hidden Dragon Tournament victory. 39 58 84
• Zhao Meng and Zhao Tuo — Early protectors and sworn-brother-like companions from Myriad Swords Tower. Zhao Meng and Zhao Tuo regard Li Mu as a younger brother. 39 58
• Hui Zhen — Li Mu’s earliest friend and fellow sword practitioner. Li Mu guides his cultivation and continues supporting him after Hui Zhen awakens as the Hundred-Lifetime Golden Cicada Body. 3 98 233 272
• Xu Xia — Legendary wandering merchant and elder figure who repeatedly protects and advises Li Mu; Xu Xia later views him with grandfatherly affection. 99 100 123
• Jiang Qingxue — Sword Pavilion senior sister linked to Li Mu through the Golden Page and Cloudsea Immortal Realm. They later explore the Return Ruins together. 84 232 272
• Princess Zhaoyang — Imperial princess and Divine Martial Path ally who refines a Heavenly Profound Pill for Li Mu, guides his Lunar Polarity refinement, and recognizes his potential. 198 251
• Zhai Anning — Zhai Clan companion who considers Li Mu a true brother; later becomes one of Li Mu’s sword disciples. 178 238
• Zhai Qianqian — Initially encountered as the Many-Faced Woman’s disguise target; later becomes a sword disciple after Li Mu defeats and captures the assassin. 181 238
• Feng Qingluo — Former rival from North River Commandery. After repeated defeats, she becomes Li Mu’s neighbor on Heavenly Pillar Peak and seeks his instruction in Beginningless Sword Intent. 194 244
• Suyun — Li Mu’s personal maid and trusted household manager; she handles his daily affairs and admires his dedication to cultivation. 85 91

Notable Quotes

“I am the sword path.” 198

“To cultivate is to enlighten the heart, see one’s true nature, and illuminate one’s true self.” 241