Zhang Chen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhang Chen (张辰)
Alias(es)	Senior Brother Zhang
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall
Occupation/Role	Senior disciple; informal mentor and sparring partner to junior disciples
Status	Recovering from severe injuries inflicted during the conflict with Scale Python Martial Academy; later relies on a wheelchair 43 44 58
First Appearance	5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Bright Force	10	Chen Feng identifies Zhang Chen as a Bright Force practitioner while using him to demonstrate the Opening Mountain Form.
Dark Force	24	After two years of tempering, Zhang Chen and several veteran disciples have entered Dark Force.

Background / History

Zhang Chen is an established resident disciple of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall. When Duan Xuan arrives, he explains that the hall has thirty-two disciples, with twenty remaining at the hall and twelve holding outside positions. He personally gives Duan Xuan a thorough tour, including the lodging, meals, and rules against bullying, theft, and passing martial arts to wicked people. 5

Although his appearance initially intimidates Duan Xuan, Zhang Chen immediately treats him as a junior brother. He repeatedly spars with Duan, teaches him the practical details of the Broken Mountain Fist, explains the martial thresholds, and helps him secure work guarding Benevolent Harmony Hall's herb garden. 5 11 12 16

Zhang Chen hopes to redeem a failed prior martial examination by reaching the First List, but he is eclipsed by Lin Hu and Liu Mingze's rapid advancement. 24 Before the next examination, he spends over a month delivering letters to Chen Feng's friends in Cloudfall County to prevent an ambush. He and Zhou Ye return badly beaten, with Zhang Chen suffering bone-deep wounds and extensive damage to his lumbar vertebrae from the Scale Python Martial Academy's Scaled Serpent Coiling Art. 43 44

Appearance

Zhang Chen is a towering, heavily muscled martial artist whose imposing physique contrasts sharply with his warm disposition. 5

• Stands over six feet three inches tall. 5
• Has knotted muscles compared to coiling dragons. 5
• Wears a thin pale-yellow training uniform even in freezing weather. 5
• Is later left wheelchair-bound while recovering from his injuries. 58 67

Personality

Zhang Chen is “cold on the outside, warm on the inside”: despite looking fierce, he is approachable, generous with his time, and eager to help newcomers settle into the hall. 5 He teaches Duan Xuan without reservation, including his own practical insights for adapting the Broken Mountain Fist to Duan's smaller frame. 11

He is notably talkative and emotional. His fellow disciples appreciate the help he has given them, even if they sometimes avoid him simply to escape his endless chatter. 44 Duan Xuan's apparent departure deeply upsets him, while Duan's return to the hall makes him openly ecstatic. 15 16

Abilities & Skills

Broken Mountain Fist

Zhang Chen is a skilled user of the Broken Mountain Fist and serves as one of its practical instructors within the hall.

• Uses the first two moves of the art during his sparring session with Duan Xuan. 22
• Explains the first move's three forms in meticulous detail, including training methods and his own insights. 11
• Regularly suppresses his strength while sparring with weaker disciples for instructional purposes. 10 11
• Recognizes and praises Duan Xuan's use of feints and the Mountain Rift's penetrating applications. 22

Dark Force Physique

Having reached Dark Force, Zhang Chen possesses vigorous qi and blood and greater resilience than an ordinary martial artist.

• His Dark Force cultivation helps him survive injuries that would likely have killed a weaker person. 44
• His tendons and bones begin recovering rapidly under Chen Feng's medicine, though his injuries remain serious. 45
• He and Zhou Ye are nevertheless defeated by Jiang Meng, revealing the limits of his strength against stronger Dark Force challengers. 58

Martial Guidance and Connections

Zhang Chen is knowledgeable about cultivation paths and employment opportunities for martial artists.

• Explains the distinctions between Bright Force, Hidden Force, and Transforming Force to Duan Xuan. 12
• Finds five possible posts for Duan Xuan and provides the recommendation letter that enables his herb-garden appointment. 16
• Explains how faction sponsorship works and why powerful groups invest resources in promising martial artists. 16

Equipment / Items

• Wheelchair — Used during his recovery after the Scale Python Martial Academy's assault. 58 67

Relationships

• Duan Xuan — Junior brother, sparring partner, and mentee. Zhang Chen welcomes him into the hall, instructs him in the Broken Mountain Fist, helps arrange his outside post, and remains emotionally invested in his progress. 5 11 16 22
• Chen Feng — Master of Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall. Zhang Chen acts on Chen Feng's instructions, assists with demonstrations, and undertakes duties for the hall. 6 10 43
• Zhou Ye — Fellow senior disciple and Dark Force martial artist. They are injured together by Scale Python Martial Academy and later jointly face Jiang Meng. 43 58
• Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall disciples — Zhang Chen is broadly well-liked because he has helped many disciples since their arrival, despite his excessive talking. 44
• Lin Hu — A fellow disciple whose hostility toward Duan Xuan is intensified after Zhang Chen interrupts Lin Hu's attempted intimidation. 10 14

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Duan Xuan's induction — Introduces Duan Xuan to Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall, its rules, facilities, and daily life. 5
• Early cultivation — Becomes Duan Xuan's primary sparring partner and gives detailed instruction in the Broken Mountain Fist. 10 11 19
• Appointment and sponsorship — Helps Duan Xuan find an occupation compatible with cultivation and explains the value of sponsorship. 16
• Martial examination preparations — Seeks to improve his own standing through the examination while witnessing Lin Hu and Liu Mingze surpass veteran disciples. 23 24
• Scale Python Martial Academy conflict — Is gravely injured while carrying out a defensive errand for the hall, becoming a focal point of the disciples' anger toward Scale Python Martial Academy. 43 44
• Recovery and later challenges — Remains injured during the martial hall's conflicts with imposters and Jiang Meng, while continuing to support Duan Xuan and the other disciples. 55 58 68

Notable Quotes

“No need to be so stiff, Junior Brother.” 5

“Junior Brother Duan, over here! Junior Brother Duan, I missed you to death!” 30