Lu Chen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Lu Chen (陆辰)
Alias(es)	Martial Artist Lu; Wang Firm’s consecrated expert; Jade-Faced Flying Dragon; One-Punch Flying Dragon 110 173
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	16 after transmigrating; 17 by the Green Willow Alley duel; 18 upon becoming the Dragon Ascension Sequence’s third seed 1 63 178
Affiliation	Former inner court disciple of Hidden Dragon Martial Hall; Wang Firm retainer and consecrated expert; Great Zhou Martial Temple and Dragon-Tiger Guard; Gao Manor retainer; legacy disciple of the Heavenly Strategy Academy’s Divine Armament Academy 15 51 61 98 104 133 170
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; former Yam Herb Shop courtyard guard; protector and cultivator at Scarlet Cloud Mountain Herb Garden; Martial Guard; masked bounty hunter; arena fighter; academy legacy disciple 20 21 39 98 110 172
Cultivation Realm	Organ-Nourishing Realm 215
Status	Active; Scarlet Cloud County Martial Examination champion and Martial Scholar; Dragon Ascension Sequence third seed; returned to the Heavenly Strategy Academy after the Scarlet Cloud Mountain campaign 95 178 227
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Coiling Dragon Stance Art — Basics initiated	7	Becomes the third youth to master the stance art’s basics after persistent practice.
Coiling Dragon Stance Art — Minor Accomplishment	10	Daily Tiger-Bone Body-Strengthening Soup and training improve his sinew-and-bone tempering efficiency.
Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist — Beginner	10	His first documented progress record shows 21/300 progress.
Blood Shift — Initial	14	Forms a thread of blood qi and becomes a martial artist.
Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist — Minor Accomplishment	14	His fist technique reaches minor accomplishment during his breakthrough period.
Coiling Dragon Stance Art — Mastery	24	Reaches mastery while serving as a Wang Firm guard.
Blood Shift — Minor Attainment	38	Breaks through after months of cultivation supported by Blood-Qi Powder.
Coiling Dragon Stance Art — Perfect	41	Unlocks the Coiling Dragon Body · Dragon-Sighting Force Release trait.
Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist — Perfection	44	Cultivates Azure Dragon Force and defeats Sun Liancheng with one punch.
Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg — Mastery	48	Gains a major increase in speed and agility.
Blood Transferring — Minor Attainment	48	Reveals that he had reached this stage two months earlier while cultivating in secret.
Iron Thread Grappling Hand — Perfect	59	Unlocks Interception Force, which disrupts an opponent’s circulation of qi, blood, and force.
Great Strength Vajra Palm — Minor Accomplishment	60	Learns Qiao Yuan’s palm art at exceptional speed with Wang Firm’s medicinal liquid.
Blood Moving — Major Accomplishment	60	Wang Shouyi publicly reveals his advancement to strengthen Wang Firm’s deterrence.
Blood Shifting — Completion / Mastery	61	Becomes a Wang Firm consecrated expert; later described as a Blood Moving Mastery practitioner.
Great Strength Vajra Palm — Perfection	80	His hands become powerful enough to serve as weapons.
Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg — Perfection confirmed	56 57	His perfected movement art supports the eradication of Black Wind Stronghold; he promises to avenge Qiao Yuan.
Heart-Shattering Force — Major Accomplishment	80	His panel records 221/1000 progress as he prepares for the Martial Examination.
Blood-Moving Realm — Peak confirmed	95	Begins attempting skin tempering, but cannot make meaningful progress without a suitable cultivation method.
Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique — Cultivation begun	99	Completes one painful repetition, reaching 1/100 while still uninitiated.
Thunderclap Bone-Shattering Fist — Perfection	100	Unlocks Thunderclap Force after a month of secluded training.
Thirteen Steps of Chasing the Wind — Major Accomplishment	100	Panel records 142/1000; Gold-Thread Jade Vestment remains uninitiated at 65/100.
Double-layered force demonstrated	100	Combining Azure Dragon Force and Thunderclap Force increases a roughly 6,000-jin punch to at least 12,000 jin.
Skin-Tempering Realm — Initial; Gold-Thread Jade Vestment — Novice	105	Connects blood threads throughout his skin, forms Jade Skin, and reaches 1/500 technique progress.
Thousand-Face Shadowless Technique — Novice	105	Reaches 14/300 and successfully changes his features while concealing his cultivation.
Thirteen Steps of Chasing the Wind — Perfection	106	Unlocks Chasing Wind, Pursuing Shadow.
Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique — Minor Mastery	113	Golden threads form a continuous defensive network that disperses blows and can return a shock against weapons.
Flying Dragon Art — Perfection	118	Unlocks Flying Dragon Force, greatly improving explosive movement, leaping, pursuit, and escape.
Heavenly Terrace Demon-Subduing Fist — Major Mastery	118	Integrates Azure Dragon Force and Thunderclap Force, approaching the unification of three forces.
Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique — Major Mastery; Skin-Training Realm — Perfection	120	Uses twenty-six Metal Essence Pills over a week; his completed Jade Skin is difficult for ordinary peak Skin-Training fighters to injure.
Heavenly Terrace Demon-Subduing Fist — Perfection	120	Unites Azure Dragon Force, Thunderclap Force, and Demon-Subduing Force; further layering is limited by his sinews and bones.
One-Qi Soul-Severing Blade — Major Mastery	124	Learns to channel whole-body force through his saber and successfully transmits Azure Dragon Force through the blade.
Ninefold Returning-Heaven Blade — Beginner	132	After seven days of practice, can redirect a thrown knife once, including around an obstacle.
Sinew-Piercing Realm — Initial; Heavenly Silkworm Tendon-Transmutation Art — Beginner	133	Completes his first meridian transformation, reaches 1/500, and receives his Dragon-Tiger Guard token the following day.
Coldwater Force — Beginner confirmed	134	Panel records 236/500; the technique supplements restraint and force control.
Heavenly Silkworm Tendon-Transmutation Art — Minor Mastery	139	Reaches 14/1000 with daily Tendon-Strengthening Pills.
Black Carp Bone-Transforming Art — Perfection	139	Unlocks Black Carp Body.
Coldwater Force — Perfection	139	Fully develops its named force trait.
Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force — First level initiated	148	Manifests Azure Dragon Demon-Suppressing Force after repeated combat and training at Muddy Bay.
Sinew-Piercing Realm — Major Accomplishment confirmed	156	His strengthened sinew channels support rapid switching between martial forces while fighting a Bone-Forging Great Demon.
Heavenly Silkworm Tendon-Transmutation Art — Perfection; Sinew-Piercing Realm — Perfection	163	Golden Crow Breathing Technique accelerates pill absorption; interconnected heavenly silkworm sinews reinforce his entire body.
Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force — Minor Mastery / Second level	164	Develops White Tiger Evil-Breaking Force, reaching 1/2000.
Golden Crow Breathing Technique and Great Sun Golden Crow Fist — Beginner confirmed	171	Panel records 560/1000 and 301/1000 respectively.
Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art — Cultivation begun	170 171	Receives the art from Ouyang Xuanfeng; advances from 0/90 to 3/90 during his first night.
Six Forces in Harmony demonstrated	174	Combines six distinct forces to defeat Xiao Changhe’s five-layered attack.
Bone-Forging Realm — Initial	175	Breaks through using the Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art in less than a month after joining the academy.
Jade Bone — Minor Completion	178	Cultivates for a full day and night in the Bone-Forging Pool.
Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art — Major Mastery	179	Reaches 1/3000 after two months and five pool cleansings.
Bone-Forging Realm — Grand Completion assessed	182	Gu Chenfeng judges his cultivation to be at grand completion, with strength approaching perfection.
Nine-Burial Jade Bone Force — Perfection; Bone-Forging Realm — Perfection	210	Completes the final tempering of his skeleton; interconnected bone patterns transform his foundation and reduce new technique initiation requirements from ninety to eighty.
Five Saints Life-Exchange Scripture — First step completed; Organ-Nourishing Realm — Breakthrough	215	Forms a Vermilion Bird totem on his heart; refined Golden Crow Blood begins nourishing and transforming his organs.
Golden body strengthened with Heaven-Burying Thunder	223	Purifies and absorbs Thunder Beast energy, developing dark-red lightning markings and substantially greater strength and resilience.

Background / History

Lu Chen was an ordinary office worker on Earth before being struck by a vehicle while crossing a street. He awakened in another world as a sixteen-year-old mountain-village youth from Lu Family Village in Scarlet Cloud County. His family had farmed for generations, and he entered Hidden Dragon Martial Hall’s Lucky Plan to change both his own fate and that of his parents. 1

Unlike most recruits, Lu Chen possesses perfect recall and a mysterious cultivation panel that records his martial practice and improves his techniques. Watching Chen Chong demonstrate the Coiling Dragon Stance Art allowed him to begin training immediately; every completed practice session increased the panel’s recorded progress. 1 3

He trained with relentless consistency despite Shi Hao’s far greater early talent. Lu Chen eventually mastered the basics of the Coiling Dragon Stance Art, entered the martial path, and rose from an outer-court recruit to an inner-court disciple. 7 14 15

His eventual victory in Scarlet Cloud County’s Martial Examination earned him the title of Martial Scholar and a residence from the Wang Firm. He moved his parents into the county town, fulfilling his early ambition to free them from poverty and the dangers of village life. Rather than retiring into comfort, he used his new standing to seek superior cultivation methods through the Great Zhou Martial Temple. 95 96

Court service took him from Scarlet Cloud County to Gaolin County, then to Bend River City and the Qu River Dragon-Tiger Camp. His suppression of Gaolin’s rebellion, victories during the water-demon conflict, and increasingly strong cultivation established him beyond the local martial world. He subsequently entered the Heavenly Strategy Academy and became Ouyang Xuanfeng’s fifth disciple in the Divine Armament Academy. 101 130 148 170

Appearance

Lu Chen began as a lean mountain-village youth, but martial training rapidly made his build sturdier and more muscular. By the time he returns home after his first month at the martial hall, he is darker from outdoor training and visibly stronger. 3 9

• Calm, tenacious eyes that gradually replace his initial confusion. 3
• Firmer shoulders, back, and arms from stance training. 3
• Dark-golden, heavily callused palms after cultivating the Great Strength Vajra Palm. 60
• Usually wears fitted martial clothing; Wang Firm provides him with blue guard uniforms. 20 21
• After forming Jade Skin, his complexion becomes fine and lustrous, with golden threads appearing beneath it when he circulates the Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique. 105 113
• His Jade-Faced Flying Dragon disguise presents a handsome, refined young gentleman with a jade-like face; he can return to his original features through the Thousand-Face Shadowless Technique. 105 117
• Temporarily conceals his distinctive skin with black pigment, black leather armor, and black-iron gauntlets, creating the impression of an Iron-Skin Hardening practitioner. 117 120 124
• Thunder tempering produces dark-red lightning markings throughout his body. Upon his later return to the academy, faint thunder from within his flesh makes nearby weapons tremble despite his restrained blood energy. 223 227

Personality

Lu Chen is disciplined, pragmatic, and intensely self-directed. He treats cultivation as the means to secure his family’s safety and personal freedom, spending his income on food, medicinal baths, and Blood-Qi Powder rather than luxuries. 9 31 41

He is calm in confrontations and avoids needless disputes, but he does not hesitate when people threaten those under his protection. He kills the extortionists Ge Ming and Zhao Sihu after they repeatedly prey on Lu Family Village, then uses the money taken from them to pay for his father’s treatment. 12 13

Lu Chen is also strategic rather than merely forceful. During his duel with Liu Xiaolou, he lets his opponent attack first so he can observe and acquire the Iron Thread Grappling Hand before ending the fight with a decisive counterattack. 19 20

Despite being expelled from Hidden Dragon Martial Hall, he retains gratitude for its teachings and does not resent Shi Hao’s success. He values loyalty and repays the Chen Family’s support by risking himself to defend their ancestral property. 49 52 62

His independence becomes more pronounced after the Martial Examination. He accepts Mighty Far Hall’s goodwill but refuses to affirm its fabricated claim that he is a hidden disciple. He also declines Tang Yuqi’s recruitment offer, choosing the court’s broader cultivation path over immediate family patronage. 94 95 98

He favors difficult methods that strengthen his long-term foundation rather than merely accelerate a breakthrough. Although unusually tolerant of pain, he recognizes when his body cannot safely bear additional layered force and redirects his training toward other skills. His willingness to exceed the Bone-Forging Pool’s recommended time nevertheless worries his teacher. 96 120 130 178

Lu Chen deliberately controls what others know about his strength. He hides his Skin-Tempering breakthrough, hunts criminals under a disguised identity, and suspends that persona when its fame draws assassins. In battle, his composure can include provocative humor, as when he asks three ambushers how they intend to divide the bounty on his head. 105 110 114 117

Despite his widening reputation, he remains attached to family and old friendships. His return to Scarlet Cloud County brings him more personal satisfaction from his parents’ welcome and Chen Chong’s prosperity than from titles or rankings. 163

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation Panel and Perfect Recall

Lu Chen’s “golden finger” records the progress of his martial arts and rewards sustained practice with breakthroughs. It also lets him retain and study techniques he witnesses.

• Tracks named techniques, stages, and numerical progress. 3 10
• Allows him to acquire the Iron Thread Grappling Hand after observing Liu Xiaolou use it. 20
• Produces martial traits when a technique reaches perfection. 41 59
• His progress still depends on training, resources, physical conditioning, and comprehension. 8 31 38
• Identified as the Fate Pattern [Practice a Hundred Times, and Success Is Certain], which gives him confidence that persistent practice can overcome the barriers of exceptionally difficult techniques. 95 96
• Practice gains are not invariably limited to one point: improved understanding and suitable medicine can increase the progress earned from a completed session. 23 100
• His accumulated experience improves his underlying comprehension and aptitude. The One-Qi Soul-Severing Blade requires only ninety initiation repetitions rather than the earlier hundred; after bone-forging perfection, a new technique’s threshold falls further to eighty. 118 210

Coiling Dragon Stance Art

Lu Chen’s foundational stance art strengthens his body, circulates qi and blood, and improves the absorption of medicinal nourishment.

• Refines the effects of Tiger-Bone Body-Strengthening Soup and Blood-Qi Powder. 8 18
• Provides stable footing, integrated body movement, and strong defensive structure. 27 55
• At perfection, grants Coiling Dragon Body · Dragon-Sighting Force Release. 41
• The trait allows him to sense incoming force with extreme precision and redirect or shed force through coordinated muscle movement. 41 55
• Remains part of his later cultivation routine, helping prepare smooth qi-and-blood circulation before skin-tempering practice. 95 100

Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist

Lu Chen’s principal offensive martial art, characterized by powerful, direct strikes and fluid dragon-like movements.

• Techniques include Azure Dragon Claw, Azure Dragon Coiling Body, Piercing Clouds, Entering the Sea, and Dragon’s Roar Pierces the Sun. 14 19 27 63
• Its perfected state produces Azure Dragon Force, a smooth, overwhelming internal force. 44 63
• Defeats Liu Xiaolou, Li Qing, Sun Liancheng, and Shen Shijun through its superior force and control. 19 31 44 64
• Its reputation eventually eclipses Hidden Dragon Martial Hall’s association with Shi Hao. 77
• Later supplies a core component of his layered-force attacks and can be transmitted through a saber after he adapts its flow to weapon use. 100 124 174
• Continues to overwhelm opponents at the Skyreach Sword Arena, including Iron-Armed Luo Hong. 173

Iron Thread Grappling Hand

A grappling technique learned from Mighty Far Hall’s Liu Xiaolou and later perfected by Lu Chen.

• Uses close-range control over an opponent’s limbs, joints, and openings. 19 20
• At perfection, grants Interception Force. 59
• Interception Force can briefly obstruct an opponent’s muscles, sinews, qi, blood, and martial force. 59
• Its disruption lasts only moments, but can determine a life-or-death exchange. 59
• Its perfected state and Interception Force astonish Qin Wuhe during the Martial Examination. 89
• Used to capture a fleeing assassin and to disrupt Mo Qianjun’s wrist during the West Liang Inn ambush. 106 115

Great Strength Vajra Palm

A palm art inherited from Qiao Yuan and cultivated with Wang Firm’s medicinal liquid.

• Toughens Lu Chen’s palms until they resemble tempered iron. 60
• Enables him to catch a saber barehanded without being cut. 68
• Supplies the final force needed to draw a fifty-stone bow to a full moon. 84
• Reaches perfection before the Martial Examination. 80
• Used alongside his grappling technique to intensify a captured assassin’s pain during interrogation. 106

Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg

A movement technique that improves Lu Chen’s mobility in uneven terrain.

• Reaches mastery while he cultivates at the herb garden. 48
• Allows him to evade Qiu Heixiong’s frontal charge and move through the mountain battlefield with speed. 54
• Reaches perfection before his return to the wounded Qiao Yuan. 56 57
• Later works in combination with Thirteen Steps of Chasing the Wind and Flying Dragon Force to improve escape, pursuit, and explosive movement. 100 106 118

Heart-Shattering Force

A sinister martial force added to Lu Chen’s repertoire during his preparations for the Martial Examination.

• Becomes one of his major combat methods alongside Azure Dragon Force, Vajra Palm, and Interception Force. 65
• Is noted for its vicious and penetrating nature. 65
• Obtained from Qiu Heixiong’s manual after Lu Chen wipes out Black Wind Stronghold. It trains force rather than a set of combat movements, progressing from penetrating skin toward damaging the heart meridians. 56
• Reaches major accomplishment, with 221/1000 progress recorded shortly before the Martial Examination. 80
• Incorporated into his Azure Dragon Heart-Shattering Force hidden-force killing method; finer circulation and force transmission are among his reasons for choosing the Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique. 96

Physical Strength and Endurance

Lu Chen’s body develops rapidly through stance work, medicinal nourishment, and continuous combat training.

• Could lift up to 300 jin shortly after reaching minor accomplishment in the Coiling Dragon Stance Art. 10
• Reaches more than 800 jin of strength after roughly a month at Wang Firm. 31
• Increases from 1,400 jin to 2,000 jin in a single month while cultivating at the herb garden. 48
• Draws a fifty-stone bow to a full moon, earning first place and a Grade A-High result in the Martial Examination strength trial. 84
• Before entering the Skin-Tempering Realm, produces roughly 6,000 jin with a normal qi-and-blood punch and at least 12,000 jin with Azure Dragon and Thunderclap forces combined. 100
• At minor mastery of the Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique, can overpower an ordinary peak Skin-Tempering fighter without using double-layered force. 113
• His Organ-Nourishing breakthrough greatly improves sustained blood generation, vitality, recovery, stamina, and control over blood energy. 215
• Thunder tempering further raises his strength and resilience, enabling him to kill five Thunderbone Demon Wolves easily and break free of a giant python’s coils. 223

Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique

A superior Skin-Training method chosen from the Great Zhou arsenal because it complements his numerous martial arts and hidden forces.

• Refines qi and blood into hair-thin threads that penetrate and weave through the skin and membranes. Its difficulty lies in the precision required and the risk of losing progress through mistakes. 96
• Forms Jade Skin, improving defense, containing his blood vitality, and making force transmission faster and more precise. 105
• At minor mastery, its connected golden threads distribute a localized blow across his skin and can return a shock that jolts weaker weapons aside. 113
• At major mastery, completes his Skin-Training cultivation and provides defense that ordinary peak Skin-Training martial artists struggle to overcome. 120
• Allows him to withstand Mo Qianjun’s sleeve blade and survive Song Lie’s saber strike during the West Liang Inn fight, although the latter impact still disturbs his qi and blood. 115
• Cultivation consumes substantial vital blood and costly resources. Metal Essence Pills stabilize the threads, while Origin-Restoring Pills replenish the qi and blood needed for repeated practice. 99 100

Thunderclap Bone-Shattering Fist

A fist technique centered on compressing qi and blood into the sinews and bones, then releasing it in an instantaneous explosion.

• Emphasizes sudden fist speed and force rather than elaborate movements. 100
• At perfection, produces Thunderclap Force. 100
• Requires precise control and a sufficiently strong body; excessive practice or force vibration can injure the arms and bones. 100
• Combines with Azure Dragon Force for double-layered attacks and later becomes a component of both the Heavenly Terrace Demon-Subduing Fist and Six Forces in Harmony. 100 120 174

Movement Arts

Lu Chen expands his original forest movement technique into a complementary set of speed, pursuit, and evasive skills.

• Thirteen Steps of Chasing the Wind — At perfection, grants Chasing Wind, Pursuing Shadow, uniting qi and blood, breathing, footwork, and surrounding wind currents. It produces explosive short-range acceleration and makes opponents’ sight and judgment lag behind his movement. 106
• Flying Dragon Art — Tempers the muscles and tendons of his legs for powerful leaps and bursts of motion. It consumes considerable vital essence and benefits from Exotic Beast Meat. 108
• Flying Dragon Force — The perfected Flying Dragon Art trait further strengthens Golden Ape footwork, pursuit, escape, and leaping. 118
• Uses Flying Dragon movement to evade Organ-Nourishing pursuers, thread through Ning Canghe’s multiple saber shadows, and redirect a charge into a feint against Meng Qianyue. 202 207 208

Thousand-Face Shadowless Technique

An unorthodox disguise and presence-concealment art recovered from the false Zheng Yuan’s residence.

• Uses soft force and delicate qi-and-blood control to shift facial muscles and contours, changing the brow, eyes, nose, cheeks, and jaw. 103 104
• At advanced levels, can alter body shape, although drastic changes impair fighting strength. 103
• Suppresses qi-and-blood fluctuations, vitality aura, and personal presence, allowing him to appear less cultivated or blend into a crowd. 103 105 113
• Conceals his initial Skin-Tempering breakthrough by making him appear to remain at peak Blood-Moving cultivation. 105
• Supports the Jade-Faced Flying Dragon persona and its later replacement by a rougher identity. It does not by itself remove the distinctive appearance of his Jade Skin, so he supplements it with pigment and clothing. 117
• Enables him to resume using his Jade-Faced Flying Dragon identity at the Skyreach Sword Arena without registering his real name. 172

Layered Forces and Heavenly Terrace Demon-Subduing Fist

Lu Chen increasingly builds his fighting style around coordinating different martial forces rather than relying on a single powerful art.

• Heavenly Terrace Demon-Subduing Fist unites Azure Dragon Force, Thunderclap Force, and Demon-Subduing Force at perfection. 118 120
• His capacity to combine forces depends on the strength of his skin, sinews, meridians, and bones. He temporarily reaches a physical limit at perfected Skin-Training cultivation and selects later foundation arts partly to remove that restriction. 120 130
• Can channel several forces through his saber, changing between heavy Azure Dragon attacks, explosive Thunderclap attacks, chilling Coldwater attacks, and demon-suppressing strikes. 156
• Six Forces in Harmony combines Azure Dragon, Thunderclap, Azure Dragon Demon-Suppressing, Demon-Subduing, White Tiger Evil-Breaking, and Coldwater forces. Coldwater Force reconciles conflicting powers and stabilizes the combined attack. 174
• Uses the six-force combination to defeat Xiao Changhe’s Five Waves Unite as One. 174

Saber and Ranged Techniques

• One-Qi Soul-Severing Blade — Obtained from Li Jun and originating from Southern Sky Saber Hall. At major mastery, Lu Chen understands how to gather and transmit whole-body force through a saber rather than relying only on the arms. 118 124
• Force channeling through the saber — Adapts Azure Dragon Force into a continuous flow through the weapon, later using the blade as an outlet for several distinct forces. 124 156
• Ninefold Returning-Heaven Blade — A throwing-knife art chosen at the Dragon-Tiger Camp to address his lack of ranged attacks. At beginner level, he can make a knife change direction once and curve around an obstacle. 132
• Coldwater Force — Chills an opponent’s qi and blood, reinforces restraint and grappling, and later stabilizes his layered attacks. He also uses it to suppress the heat of stolen Spirit Essence, though this drains his blood energy. 132 139 174 202

Heavenly Silkworm Tendon-Transmutation Art

A superior Sinew-Piercing cultivation art chosen to improve his capacity to bear multiple martial forces.

• Repeatedly transforms and strengthens sinews and meridians rather than merely expanding their channels. 130 132
• Its first transformation marks his entry into the Sinew-Piercing Realm and makes his three-force combination easier to control. 133
• At major accomplishment, broad interconnected channels support faster switching and stronger transmission of different forces. 152 156
• At perfection, heavenly silkworm sinews link and reinforce the entire body, improving force release and resistance to impact. 163
• Forms an important foundation for his subsequent Nine-Burial Jade Bone cultivation. 171

Black Carp Bone-Transforming Art

• Practiced after joining the Water Transport Office. Its cultivation, like Coldwater Force, benefits from water-aspected medicinal resources. 134
• Reaches perfection and grants Black Carp Body during a month of concentrated training. 139

Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force

A treasure-grade Martial Temple legacy introduced as a reward during the water-demon conflict at Muddy Bay.

• Develops four distinct forces, one at each level, and is ordinarily associated with access available to Bone-Forging Martial Guards. 147
• Lu Chen earns the first-level method through demon-slaying and becomes the first publicly reported cultivator at Muddy Bay to master it. 147 148 150
• Azure Dragon Demon-Suppressing Force — The first level, producing heavy force that suppresses demonic power. 148 156 164
• White Tiger Evil-Breaking Force — The second level, condensing a sharp force specialized in killing and breaking protective force. He uses it against the Bone-Forged Red-Back Gray Wolf during the academy assessment. 164 169
• Vermilion Bird Baleful-Burning Force — Protects him against Burning Wind Ridge’s heat and fire poison in conjunction with his golden crow blood. 202
• Later helps purify the corrupting energy of Heaven-Burying Thunder before he absorbs it for body tempering. 223

Golden Crow Legacy and Advanced Cultivation

• Golden Crow Breathing Technique — Refines blood and nourishes energy, accelerating circulation and the absorption of pills. Its efficiency helps him reach Sinew-Piercing perfection, and it later runs almost instinctively while condensing his vital blood. 160 163 171
• Great Sun Golden Crow Fist — An ancient martial true art from the Golden Crow General’s legacy, compatible with his fist-centered fighting system; recorded at beginner level by his early academy training. 160 171
• Golden Crow Blood and Three-Legged Golden Crow — His fire-associated blood protects him in Burning Wind Ridge, suppresses the Ember Sun Blade’s baleful intent, and supports the purification and absorption of Thunder Beast energy. 202 215 223
• Five Saints Life-Exchange Scripture — Completing its first step forms a Vermilion Bird heart totem that refines Golden Crow Blood to nourish and transform his internal organs, producing his Organ-Nourishing breakthrough. 215
• Profound Water Demon God Scripture — Discovered through the Dragon Palace murals and capable of leading to the Mystic Aperture Realm. He cannot begin it before reaching perfection in the Dragon-Manifestation Realm and therefore sets it aside. 163

Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art

The Divine Armament Academy’s finest Bone-Forging art, given to Lu Chen by Ouyang Xuanfeng.

• Repeatedly wears away and reshapes the bones through nine successive “burials,” seeking a transformed foundation and the development of Jade Bone Force. Only two people had mastered it in the academy’s centuries of history before Lu Chen received it. 170
• Supported by Heavenly Fragrance Jade-Bone Pills and the Bone-Forging Pool. Its cultivation is intensely painful and can become dangerous when pushed beyond the body’s limits. 173 178
• Enables him to enter the Bone-Forging Realm in less than a month at the academy. 175
• Advances to minor completion after prolonged pool cultivation, then major mastery after two months and five cleansings. 178 179
• At perfection, links patterns throughout his skeleton and fully integrates sinews, flesh, and bones, improving both his foundation and aptitude for new cultivation methods. 210

Equipment

Item	Details
Scarlet Valorous Guard token and armor	Receives an official waist token and standard leather armor upon appointment; the red-copper badge identifies his court position. 98 99
Black disguise armor and gauntlets	Black leather soft armor reinforced with iron wire and Black-Scaled Rhino Hide, paired with black-iron gauntlets and dark pigment to conceal Jade Skin. 117
Dragon-Tiger Guard token	Receives his own waist token after entering the Sinew-Piercing Realm. 133
Ember Sun Blade	Fire-aspected weapon formerly owned by a Heavenly Dragon Guard. Lu Chen subdues its accumulated fire baleful intent with Golden Crow Blood and tests it by splitting darksteel; it requires regular cleansing with his blood vitality. 215

Relationships

• Lu Shan — Father. A poor farmer who sacrifices his savings to support Lu Chen’s training and is later injured by the mountain patrol’s extortion. After Lu Chen becomes Martial Scholar, he moves into the gifted county residence and no longer needs to farm. 9 13 95
• Zhou Yun — Mother. Deeply concerned for Lu Chen’s welfare and entrusted with the money he brings home for Lu Shan’s medicine. She takes pride in his court appointment and continues fussing over his health during his later return home. 9 13 99 163
• Lu Yuan — Fellow recruit from Lu Family Village. The only other youth from their village selected by Hidden Dragon Martial Hall. 3
• Chen Chong — Senior martial brother, mentor, and close friend. He trains with Lu Chen, introduces him to the inner court, and remains connected to him even after his expulsion. Their friendship endures despite the widening gap between their cultivation levels. 10 15 62 163
• Chen Yue — Chen Chong’s father and Lu Chen’s early sponsor. He provides monthly financial support after recognizing Lu Chen’s potential. His family later prospers through the Wang Firm connection strengthened by Lu Chen’s rise. 13 17 163
• Qin Wuhe — Former master and head of Hidden Dragon Martial Hall. He promotes Lu Chen to the inner court, but later expels him for failing to agree to abandon Wang Firm for the Huang Family. Lu Chen’s subsequent victories force him to reassess the disciple he discarded. 15 51 64 89
• Wang Shouyi — Shopkeeper of Wang’s Ginseng Shop and Lu Chen’s principal patron. He recruits Lu Chen, provides cultivation resources, and elevates him to Wang Firm’s consecrated expert. The firm later gifts Lu Chen a residence and supplies expensive pills for his skin-tempering cultivation. 17 39 61 95 100
• Wang Zhong — Herb-garden leader and respected elder brother figure. He welcomes Lu Chen to the Scarlet Cloud Mountain Herb Garden and shares concerns about the mountain’s dangers. 39 65
• Qiao Yuan — Senior Wang Firm expert who teaches Lu Chen the Golden Ape Piercing-the-Forest Leg and serves as the standard Wang Firm expects Lu Chen to succeed. After Qiao dies from injuries sustained defending the firm, Lu Chen inherits his Great Strength Vajra Palm and promises to avenge him. 51 57 59 60
• Shi Hao — Former fellow disciple and rival. Shi Hao initially looks down on Lu Chen, while Lu Chen recognizes Shi Hao’s accomplishments without jealousy. 15 49 77
• Shen Shijun — Thousand Crane Martial Hall expert defeated by Lu Chen in the Green Willow Alley duel. 62 64
• Little Green — Maid and practical cultivation support. She develops feelings for him early in his guard service, but he maintains distance. She later prepares medicinal baths and meals during his intensive training. 23 99 100
• Ge Ye — Wang Firm alchemist and familiar adviser. Provides healing decoctions after the Martial Examination and helps arrange Metal Essence Pill production. Later mistakes Lu Chen’s disguise for evidence that he abandoned Gold-Thread Jade Vestment cultivation. 94 99 124
• Du Jincheng and Mighty Far Hall — Du negotiates reconciliation after Li Huchen’s death. Lu Chen refuses to acknowledge the hall’s fabricated hidden-disciple claim but does not publicly deny it, leaving a pragmatic relationship open. 94
• Zhou Lingfeng — Scarlet Cloud County Commandant and court sponsor. Helps Lu Chen enter the Martial Temple, guides his selection of a Skin-Training method, and secures his Scarlet Valorous Guard appointment. 95 96 98
• Tang Yuqi — Tang Family young cultivator who unsuccessfully offers to recruit Lu Chen. They encounter one another again at Muddy Bay after both have advanced beyond their earlier county meeting. 98 140
• Cao Zhen — Gaolin colleague and close friend. Initially underestimates Lu Chen, then helps arrange lodging, outside patronage, and practical advice after the false Zheng Yuan case. Their exchanges become warm and teasing as Lu Chen rapidly advances. 101 103 104 120
• Gao Jian — Gao Manor lord and resource patron. Hires Lu Chen for ten Metal Essence Pills monthly, supports his cultivation with additional medicine and Exotic Beast Meat, and rewards him after the rebellion. 104 112 120 130
• Zhu Hanjiang — Gaolin official whose initial skepticism changes into respect after Lu Chen exposes the impostor Zheng Yuan and later helps save the county. 103 130
• Ma Changkui — Gaolin Martial Examination champion and competitive rival. Repeatedly underestimates Lu Chen’s progress, later joins the rebellion, and is killed by Lu Chen after reaching the Sinew-Piercing Realm. 105 117 130
• Li Ang and Liu Zijin — Dragon-Tiger Camp friends who share meals and discuss regional martial talents with Lu Chen. Liu provides useful information about Bend River City’s major families. 131 132
• Song Renli and Li Tai — Guard comrades at Muddy Bay. Explain the Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force and encourage Lu Chen to become the Guard’s representative young talent. 147 148
• Qin Yueshan — Bend River City leader who observes Lu Chen’s rise, supports the distribution of true-art rewards during the demon conflict, and later introduces him to the Scarlet Cloud Mountain expedition’s senior commanders. 147 160 180 182
• Meng Tingxue, Xue Ping, and He Jinnian — Prominent Qu River young cultivators whose achievements initially broaden Lu Chen’s ambitions. By their reunion during the Crimson Tide Gathering, his progress visibly surpasses their recent advances. 110 147 182
• Shen Siqi and Yuan Jiyun — Friends from the academy entrance assessment. Assigned to different branches, they promise to remain in contact and spar. 170
• Ouyang Xuanfeng — Teacher and Divine Armament Academy dean. Selects Lu Chen as his fifth disciple, gives him the Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art, advocates his entry into the Dragon Ascension Sequence, and secures additional cultivation resources. 170 175 178
• Qin Bailian — Ouyang’s second disciple and Lu Chen’s senior martial brother. Helps him earn cultivation money at the Skyreach Sword Arena and watches over him as his fame grows. 171 172 173 174
• Xiao Changhe — Xiao Family arena prodigy defeated by Lu Chen’s Six Forces in Harmony. Their match provides substantial winnings and establishes Lu Chen’s reputation against a renowned clan fighter. 174 175
• Luo Yun and Gu Chenfeng — Senior Martial Temple allies during the Crimson Tide campaign. Recognize Lu Chen’s exceptional combat value, fight beside him against Demon Wraiths and Thunder Beasts, and help him obtain the Ember Sun Blade. 182 213 215 223
• Ning Duanjiang and Meng Qianyue — Pursuing elders whose families unite against Lu Chen over slain relatives and stolen high-grade Spirit Essence. He escapes their immediate pursuit through Burning Wind Ridge. 202

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Hidden Dragon Martial Hall recruit — Joins the Lucky Plan, discovers his cultivation panel, and steadily develops the Coiling Dragon Stance Art despite being overshadowed by Shi Hao’s talent. 1 3 7
• Protector of Lu Family Village — Returns home to find his family targeted by the mountain patrol; he kills Ge Ming and Zhao Sihu after they extort and injure his father. 9 12 13
• Rise as a martial artist — Breaks through to Initial Blood Shift, gains inner-court status, and attracts recruitment offers from Scarlet Cloud County’s leading businesses. 14 15 16
• Wang Firm guard — Accepts Wang Shouyi’s offer at the Yam Herb Shop, defeats Liu Xiaolou to secure his position, and proves himself among the courtyard guards through victories over Liu Heng and Li Qing. 17 20 27 31
• Herb garden defender — Cultivates in secret at Scarlet Cloud Mountain Herb Garden, perfects his foundational arts, and repels Black Wind Stronghold’s assault by killing Sun Liancheng and forcing Qiu Heixiong to withdraw. He later kills Qiu Heixiong, eradicates the stronghold, and takes the Heart-Shattering Force manual. 39 41 43 44 56
• Expulsion from Hidden Dragon Martial Hall — Does not agree to abandon Wang Firm for the Huang Family and is removed from Qin Wuhe’s register of disciples before he can personally explain his position. He accepts the break without abandoning his gratitude for the hall’s teachings. 51 52
• Wang Firm consecrated expert — Publicly emerges as a major Wang Firm power, helping preserve the firm’s reputation after Qiao Yuan’s loss. 60 61
• Green Willow Alley duel — Repays the Chen Family’s kindness by defeating Shen Shijun and saving their ancestral property from the Xu Family. 62 64
• Martial Examination candidate — Enters the county examination seeking a path beyond Scarlet Cloud County and wins the strength trial with a fifty-stone full draw. 65 84
• Martial Examination champion — Defeats Li Huchen and becomes Scarlet Cloud County’s first-place Martial Scholar. Mighty Far Hall seeks reconciliation instead of revenge, while the Wang Firm gives him a residence in which he settles his parents. 94 95
• Entry into court service — Agrees to serve the Great Zhou Martial Temple, selects the difficult Gold-Thread Jade Vestment Technique, and becomes a Scarlet Valorous Guard. Declines Tang Yuqi’s competing offer and begins investing heavily in superior pills and technique integration. 95 96 98 99 100
• Gaolin County and the hidden infiltrator — Transferred to Gaolin County, he exposes and kills the false Zheng Yuan, an infiltrator responsible for Fei Tong’s death. The case wins official respect and yields the Thousand-Face Shadowless Technique. He then gains Gao Manor patronage and secretly enters the Skin-Tempering Realm. 101 102 103 104 105
• Assassination and wider conspiracies — Survives a coordinated attack at his residence, killing one assassin and capturing the other. Subsequent interrogation identifies the attackers as low-ranking Heaven Principle Society members but does not reveal the organization’s leadership or possible connection to the Blood God Sect. 106 107
• Jade-Faced Flying Dragon bounty hunter — Funds costly cultivation by hunting criminals under a concealed identity. His exploits include killing Mountain-Crossing Leopard Xu Heng and Red-Faced Ghost Zhou Hengshan, capturing the Blackwater Three Fiends and Night Owl Ding Ping, and entering the Qu River Potential Newcomer Rankings. 110 112 113
• West Liang Inn ambush and change of identity — Survives the trap set by Song Lie, Shen Zhong, and Mo Qianjun and kills all three. A ten-thousand-tael bounty and the Little Knife Society’s threat lead him to suspend the Jade-Faced Flying Dragon persona and conceal his Jade Skin beneath a black-iron disguise. 114 115 117
• Gaolin rebellion suppression — After completing Skin-Training cultivation and developing three-force attacks and saber skills, returns to the rebellion and kills Bloodhand Daoist, He Chenzhou, and Ma Changkui. His service earns a recommendation for Dragon-Tiger Guard promotion and admission to the Qu River Dragon-Tiger Camp. 120 124 130
• Dragon-Tiger Camp and Water Transport Office — Selects the Heavenly Silkworm Tendon-Transmutation Art, adds control and ranged techniques, enters the Sinew-Piercing Realm, and becomes a Dragon-Tiger Guard. Joins the Water Transport Office and continues refining his martial foundation. 130 132 133 134 139
• Muddy Bay demon conflict — Earns access to Fourfold Demon-Subduing True Force through demon kills. Reaches 321 kills and thirteenth place on the Guard’s Demon-Slaying Ranking, then becomes the first publicly reported cultivator to master its initial force. His later combat proves he can contend with Bone-Forging Great Demons despite a lower realm. 147 148 150 156 157
• Dragon Palace legacies and return home — Studies ancient legacies, adopts the Golden Crow cultivation path, and discovers the currently unusable Profound Water Demon God Scripture. Reaches Sinew-Piercing perfection and returns home near the New Year, finding that his success has benefited both Wang Firm and the Chen Family. 160 163
• Heavenly Strategy Academy admission — Masters White Tiger Evil-Breaking Force during his journey, kills a Bone-Forged mutant wolf in the entrance assessment, and is chosen by Ouyang Xuanfeng as a Divine Armament Academy legacy disciple. Accepts the demanding Nine-Burial Jade Bone Art. 164 169 170
• Skyreach Sword Arena — Resumes the Jade-Faced Flying Dragon identity to earn cultivation funds. Nine consecutive one-punch victories lead to the nickname One-Punch Flying Dragon; his tenth match ends in victory over Xiao Changhe through Six Forces in Harmony, followed by a thousand-gold-tael payout. 172 173 174 175
• Bone-Forging and Dragon Ascension Sequence — Enters the Bone-Forging Realm in less than a month at the academy. After defeating Su Changmei, becomes the Sequence’s third seed and youngest current member. Uses the Bone-Forging Pool to accelerate Jade Bone cultivation and reaches major mastery after two months. 175 178 179
• Crimson Tide Gathering — Returns to the Qu River region and accompanies Luo Yun and Gu Chenfeng to Scarlet Cloud Mountain. His unusually pure yang blood qi makes him especially valuable against Demon Wraiths, while encounters with regional peers demonstrate how far he has advanced. 180 182
• Spirit Essence pursuit — Escapes the Ning and Meng families’ Organ-Nourishing elders after taking high-grade Spirit Essence and killing family members. Suppresses the treasure’s heat with Coldwater Force and exploits Burning Wind Ridge’s fire poison to escape, though the pursuers seal the ridge rather than abandon the hunt. 202
• Wraith-tide defender and Organ-Nourishing breakthrough — Reaches bone-forging perfection, slays multiple Organ-Nourishing Demon Wraiths, and helps Luo Yun and Gu Chenfeng kill a peak Organ-Nourishing red-robed Ghost General. Completes the first step of the Five Saints Life-Exchange Scripture, enters the Organ-Nourishing Realm, and obtains the Ember Sun Blade as the camp prepares for further danger. 210 213 215
• Thunder Beast tempering and academy return — Purifies Heaven-Burying Thunder from slain Thunder Beasts to strengthen his golden body, astonishing his companions with increasingly overwhelming combat power. Later returns to the Heavenly Strategy Academy with a presence and internal thunder that unsettle fellow disciples. 223 227

Notable Quotes

“Without Hidden Dragon Martial Hall, I am still myself.” 52

“The Chen Family’s affairs are my affairs.” 62

“But I will not personally acknowledge that I am a disciple of Mighty Far Hall.” 94

“Lord Zhou, I’ll choose it.” 96

“Five thousand taels? How will the three of you split it?” 114

“Who’s next?” 115

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