Duan Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Duan Xuan (段暄)
Alias(es)	Black Wolf Guest (suspected identity) 66 74 76
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	17 at his entry into Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall 5
Affiliation	Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall; Benevolent Harmony Hall
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; medicinal-garden guard for Benevolent Harmony Hall 16 17
Status	Alive 84
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Bright Force	15	Reached the first martial threshold on the final day of Chen Feng's two-month deadline after relentless stance and fist training, supported by Blood-Qi Powder. His qi and blood surged, his body grew, and his strength increased severalfold. 15
Covert Force	35	Broke through after a month of training with the Broken Mountain Stake Method and Vitality Powder. 35
Dark Force	39	Publicly recognized by Chen Feng after breaking through the second threshold only months after entering Bright Force. Chen Feng began personally teaching him the final three moves of the Broken Mountain Fist. 39

Background

Duan Xuan transmigrated into his current world three years before the story began. His father, Duan Jian, was forcibly conscripted with other hunters to gather beast cores for nobles and never returned; Duan Xuan believes he is dead. Zhou Fang injured her leg while searching for him, leaving her bedridden and dependent on Duan Xuan's hunting and her own sewing. 1 2

Living in Snakehead Ravine under imperial taxes and Wolf Stronghold's extortion, Duan Xuan concluded that martial arts were his only means of changing his and his mother's fate. Despite having severely depleted qi and blood, he sought admission to Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall. 1 5

Chen Feng accepted him as a nominal disciple, but gave him two months to reach Manifest Force or leave the hall. Duan Xuan endured daily pain, hunger, and ridicule while practicing the Broken Mountain Stake Method, becoming the only new disciple to persist consistently. 5 8

Appearance

Duan Xuan initially appears thin, underfed, and plainly dressed, with qi and blood weaker than that of an ordinary person. Sustained cultivation gradually fills out his frostbitten frame, enriches his qi and blood, and increases his height. 5 10 15

• Often presents himself as an ordinary, unassuming martial-arts-hall disciple. 66
• His eyes can take on a cold, wolf-like intensity when confronting threats. 27 33
• When using Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt, he adopts a low, predatory posture resembling a wolf prepared to pounce. 26 28

Personality

Duan Xuan is disciplined, patient, and intensely pragmatic. He trains methodically, studies opponents, and avoids unnecessary confrontations, but he does not hesitate to kill when his family or allies are endangered. 20 27 57

His core motivation is protecting Zhou Fang and repaying those who helped him when he was poor. He remembers the support of Duan Xin, Zhao Rui, Liu Chunmei, Chen Feng, Zhang Chen, and Benevolent Harmony Hall, and answers generosity with material aid, protection, or service. 4 25 31 65 77

He is also modest about his strength, sometimes deliberately concealing his abilities or feigning weakness to avoid scrutiny. 59 66 68 69

Abilities & Skills

System Panel

Duan Xuan possesses a system panel that records skills and increases their proficiency through repeated complete practice. It allowed him to quickly internalize the feeling required for the Broken Mountain Stake Method despite his weak condition. 1 8

• Records skills including traps, hunting, the Broken Mountain Stake Method, and the Broken Mountain Fist. 12 17
• Rewards consistent practice rather than granting instant mastery. 8 12
• Enables unusually rapid improvement when paired with food, medicinal resources, and real combat. 22

Broken Mountain Stake Method

His foundational body-tempering and realm-advancement method. It strengthens qi and blood through a stance embodying relentless forward momentum. 6 17

• Allowed him to establish the foundation for Bright Force despite severely depleted qi and blood. 8 15
• Forms the physical basis for his Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt practice. 26
• Used alongside the Broken Mountain Fist to build force through continuous exchanges. 53 57

Broken Mountain Fist

Duan Xuan's primary combat art, taught by Chen Feng as a killing technique rather than merely a fist form. 10

• Opening Mountain Form — the first move he learned after reaching sufficient progress in the hall. 10
• Mountain Rift — a penetrating-force move designed to overcome armor and durable defenses; its forms include Drill Split, Mountain Sweep, and Rupture. 19
• Peak-Crusher — an offense-first move that accumulates and releases force; its known forms include Rage Charge and Overlapping Waves. 30 53
• Earth Suppression — uses contained force to restrict an opponent's movement space. 40
• Chen Feng eventually taught him the full six-move set, though the fifth and sixth moves cannot be fully unleashed before the Transformation Realm. 40 41
• His refined use of the art lets him contend with opponents possessing greater qi and blood. 36 44 57

Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt

A body-tempering, stealth, footwork, and close-quarters killing art recovered from Wolf Tian. It complements Duan Xuan's preference for circling, ambushing, and striking decisively rather than meeting every opponent head-on. 22 26

• Crouching Wolf Hide — a low stance that tempers skin, sinews, back, waist, and hips for explosive pouncing attacks. 26
• Wolf-Sweeping Leg — a low sweep intended to collapse an opponent's stance. 26
• Strengthens clawing and grappling through daily finger and palm hardening. 26
• Its stealth applications allowed him to circle behind Xiao Rong and kill him before he recognized the danger. 27 28
• Uses Gray Wolf Vanishing Steps to evade and separate stronger opponents in forest terrain. 79

Hunting, Traps, and Archery

Raised as a hunter and refined through the system, Duan Xuan combines fieldcraft with martial ability to control terrain and dictate engagements. 12 20

• Builds traps around the medicinal garden and patiently waits for intruders. 20
• Uses decoys, tripwires, ropes, hidden mechanisms, and prepared arrows to break up enemy groups. 21
• Eliminated Wolf Stronghold's attackers through traps and archery before finishing Wolf Tian in close combat. 20 22
• Removes bodies and erases evidence after covert killings. 28 36

Concealed Weapons and Mechanical Arts

Duan Xuan uses sleeve arrows and other hidden devices to compensate for disadvantages in direct combat. 36 59

• Used a sleeve arrow to kill an assassin during an alley ambush. 36
• Defeated Jiang Meng through superior footwork, Broken Mountain Fist, and an unexpected sleeve-arrow strike. 59
• Developed Triple-Shot Sleeve Arrows, each loaded with three metal arrowheads, for Duan Xin's self-defense. 74
• Used the Triple-Shot Sleeve Arrows to defeat Xiao Xiangbei and Feng Xiu during Benevolent Harmony Hall's match against White Jade Hall. 80

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt — martial manual taken from Wolf Tian after his death. 22
• Triple-Shot Sleeve Arrows — paired concealed launchers made for Duan Xin; each carries three arrowheads. 74
• Hunting equipment — traps, bows, arrows, knives, ropes, and improvised mechanisms used for hunting and ambushes. 2 20 21
• Blood-Qi Powder and Blood-Qi Pills — medicinal resources used to replenish qi and blood and support breakthroughs. 12 15 22
• Vitality Pills and Vitality Powder — resources he later shared with fellow disciples. 35 68

Relationships

• Zhou Fang — His mother. Duan Xuan hunts, earns wages, and cultivates primarily to support and protect her; she supports his martial path without demanding to know the source of his money. 2 7 23 71
• Duan Xin — His young aunt and one of his earliest supporters. She contributed tuition money, repeatedly defended him against family bias, and later received his protection, gifts, and self-defense weapons. 3 4 31 65 74
• Duan Jian — His missing father, a hunter forcibly conscripted to gather beast cores. His disappearance left Duan Xuan as the household's provider. 1 2
• Chen Feng — Master of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall. He accepted Duan Xuan despite his poor qi and blood, then later recognized his rapid growth and personally taught him the complete Broken Mountain Fist. 5 39 40
• Zhang Chen — Senior brother, guide, sparring partner, and close supporter. He introduced Duan Xuan to the hall, explained martial thresholds and sponsorship, and helped secure his medicinal-garden post. 5 12 16 22
• Zhao Rui — Childhood friend who became a county copyist. He supported Duan Xuan's martial ambitions and later sent money to Zhou Fang's household. 1 13 23
• Liu Chunmei — Childhood friend employed as a Wang-family maid. She contributed toward Duan Xuan's tuition and remains loyal despite her timid nature. 4 13 14
• Ren Yun and Ren Wanqing — Leaders of Benevolent Harmony Hall. They sponsored Duan Xuan, trusted him with increasingly important responsibilities, and formed an alliance with the Duan family. 25 39 77 81
• Zhou Wei — Benevolent Harmony Hall elder and martial mentor. He initially judged Duan Xuan by his character, later recognized his strength, and supported his role in the hall's conflicts. 19 57 80
• Zhao Hui and Zhao Bastard — Fellow disciples who seek his guidance and hope to join Black Wolf Guest's forces. Duan Xuan permits them to practice but refuses to break academy rules by privately teaching them moves. 61 71 77
• Lin Hu and Liu Mingze — Fellow disciples and recurring rivals. Both initially mocked Duan Xuan's weak qi and blood; Lin Hu in particular repeatedly sought to provoke or challenge him. 8 12 35 68
• Duan Xu — Younger cousin favored by Duan Jiantao's branch of the family. Their relationship is hostile, shaped by Duan Xu's arrogance and the elders' demand that Duan Xuan support his cultivation. 2 3 31 62
• Black Wolf Guest — An elusive martial artist connected to Duan Xuan through an invitation and guidance in Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt; their apparent connection causes others to investigate Duan Xuan. 68 71 74

Story Role / Major Arcs

Entry into Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall

After abandoning hope of help from his grandfather's household, Duan Xuan gathers tuition through Duan Xin, his grandmother, Zhao Rui, and Liu Chunmei. He enters Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall as a nominal disciple and survives Chen Feng's two-month Bright Force deadline. 3 4 5 15

Wolf Stronghold Conflict

While guarding Benevolent Harmony Hall's medicinal garden, Duan Xuan prepares traps and wipes out the Wolf Stronghold assault force. He kills Wolf Tian, acquires Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt, and eliminates a major threat to Snakehead Ravine. 17 20 21 22

Benevolent Harmony Hall Patronage

Recognizing both his strength and conduct, Benevolent Harmony Hall grants him sponsorship: increased pay, meat, and qi-and-blood resources. Duan Xuan accepts, gaining stability for his cultivation while becoming tied to the hall's survival. 25

Rise Through the Martial Thresholds

Duan Xuan develops Azure Wolf Stealth Hunt, wins Benevolent Harmony Hall's Harvesting Tournament, defeats Ren Yu, and learns Peak-Crusher. He later breaks through to Covert Force and then Dark Force, earning Chen Feng's full recognition. 26 29 30 35 39 40

Defense of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall

Duan Xuan defeats the Scale Python Martial Academy challenger Jiang Meng in three moves, preserving his academy's reputation. Chen Feng later regrets that Duan Xuan did not participate in the martial examinations, believing he could have ranked highly. 58 59 61

Black Wolf Guest Suspicion

After assisting Wang Qingyan and conducting covert operations, Duan Xuan becomes a suspected link to the Black Wolf Guest. Zhang Zhuanghe repeatedly probes him, but Duan Xuan conceals his identity and eventually clears the immediate suspicion. 66 69 74 76

White Jade Hall Fist Match

To protect his family through an alliance with Benevolent Harmony Hall, Duan Xuan volunteers for its decisive contest against White Jade Hall. He defeats Xiao Xiangbei and Feng Xiu with strategy, footwork, and Triple-Shot Sleeve Arrows, allowing Benevolent Harmony Hall to absorb White Jade Hall's influence. 77 79 80 81

Notable Quotes

“If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. But if others bully me, I will fight to the bitter end!” 57

“I need neither your silver nor your service as slaves or maids. Nor will I teach you any moves. At most, I can let you practice.” 61

Trivia

• Duan Xuan's initial martial condition was so poor that Chen Feng warned training could kill him, despite judging his bones and physique to be upper second-grade. 5
• He brought half a steamed bun from the martial arts hall home for Zhou Fang after becoming a nominal disciple. 7
• He made Duan Xin a white-marten scarf to repay her childhood kindness and tuition support. 31
• His system tracks non-martial skills such as trapping and hunting alongside martial techniques. 12