Cheng Heng

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Following a serious illness, Cheng Heng realizes that he has transmigrated into the body of a frail scholar. He discovers the fate Heaven Rewards Diligence, which promises achievement through unceasing effort, and resolves to learn martial arts as his route out of poverty and instability 1.

His grandfather's household refuses to fund his training, having already spent its resources on cousin Cheng Qi. Cheng Heng instead sells household property, apprentices himself to Wu Zhong of Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall, and begins training despite possessing a Low-Grade Root Bone and an allegedly unsuitable physique 2 4 17.

His rapid rise overturns his relatives' expectations. After placing seventh in Gaoyang County's Martial Examination, he qualifies for sect entrance testing while Cheng Qi fails to secure the recognition the Cheng family expected 39. Cheng Heng later leaves Gaoyang County for Qingchuan Prefecture, enters the Cloudpiercing Sect's Fire Vajra Court, and rises from a newly recruited disciple to its chief senior disciple 47 54 120.

His advancement continues beyond Qingchuan Prefecture. After surviving campaigns against the Mahayana Evil Cult, defeating leading Dragon-Tiger Sect disciples in Dengzhou, and eliminating several Vajra-Force enemies, he reaches the Early Inner Vajra Realm through the unprecedented simultaneous transformation of seven kinds of qi 174 181 192 196.

Following this breakthrough, Cheng Heng is no longer regarded merely as a younger-generation genius. Cloudpiercing Sect's senior leadership recognizes him as a peer in matters concerning the Orthodox Alliance's struggle against the Mahayana Evil Cult 203.

Appearance

Martial training transforms Cheng Heng from a weak, thin scholar into a tall, heavily built martial artist with a composed and restrained presence 7 43.

• Stands approximately 1.9 meters tall after reaching Skill-Transforming Force 43.
• Has broad shoulders, a thick back, powerful limbs, and dense, well-defined musculature 27 43.
• His skin becomes smooth and lustrous after his breakthrough, replacing the roughness developed through hard training 43.
• Possesses clear, bright eyes and a calm bearing that conceals his sharpness and danger 43 47.
• Later commonly dresses in plain, elegant robes and restrains his aura to the point that his compact, tempered physique appears unremarkable to those unfamiliar with him 180.

Personality

Cheng Heng is disciplined, pragmatic, and intensely focused on cultivation. He repeatedly chooses positions, alliances, and expenditures based on whether they preserve time or resources for advancement; he chose low-paying Inner City patrol duty specifically because it left him free to train 12.

He avoids unnecessary fame and turns down recruitment by wealthy households and the All-Knowing Pavilion, believing that reputation without sufficient strength invites danger 32 66. Despite this restraint, he does not tolerate threats against himself or those he considers his own. He kills Zhou Qing after learning that Zhou had hired bandits to assassinate him, and he shows no mercy to hostile bandits or assassins 45 64 135.

He remains loyal to people who supported him when he was weak. He aids the Wang Family in a crisis, honors his obligations to the Might-Guard Escort Agency, and treats his fellow Fire Vajra Court disciples with patience even after rivalry and misunderstanding 30 64 131.

His composure persists after his status rises. Cheng Heng treats elders and court masters courteously despite being accepted as their equal, while preferring action and cultivation to public acclaim or verbal confrontation 180 203.

Abilities & Skills

Heaven Rewards Diligence

Cheng Heng's fate allows consistent practice to produce extraordinary progress, overcoming the limits others associate with his bone aptitude 1 5.

• Displays measurable proficiency in practiced techniques and predicts the results of continued training 5 14.
• Lets him cultivate multiple techniques that would ordinarily interfere with one another 62.
• Supports his rapid mastery of martial arts, body-tempering methods, and cultivation formulas 120 163.
• Enables him to sustain the exceptionally demanding simultaneous cultivation of seven elemental formulas, culminating in seven forms of Vajra qi 196.

Martial Dao Space

The Martial Dao Space initially appears locked, then unlocks when Cheng Heng reaches Skill-Transforming Force 1 41.

• Time flows at a ratio of one day outside to ten days inside 41.
• Allows Cheng Heng's mind-form to train without physically entering the space 41.
• Death within the space causes no harm to his real body 41.
• Can imprint mind-images of martial artists, creating opponents for practice and analysis 46.
• Can project pill furnaces and ingredients for simulated alchemical practice, allowing Cheng Heng to refine his technique through repeated trial and error without wasting real materials 85.

Seven-Element True Qi

Cheng Heng cultivates several elemental formulas simultaneously, eventually developing Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder true qi 62 161.

• Can fuse multiple qi types as a hidden combat trump card 91 135.
• Achieves full seven-qi fusion at Elixir-Embracing Perfection 162.
• Can switch between qi attributes freely, adapting his power to different combat needs 162.
• His unusually dense qi and expanded dantian let him challenge opponents above his apparent realm 137 146.
• Converts all seven types of true qi into corresponding Vajra qi upon entering the Early Inner Vajra Realm, granting him balanced offense, defense, speed, endurance, explosive force, and spiritual strength 196.
• Uses the seven qi in seamless succession during battle, allowing his attacks and defenses to change attributes according to the situation 166 211.

Blade Arts and Blade Intent

Blade techniques are Cheng Heng's foremost offensive specialty. His main arts include the Heavenly Flame Yuan-Burning Blade and Golden Metal Demon-Slaying Blade 55 69.

• Uses the Heavenly Flame Yuan-Burning Blade to destroy Crimson Blade Taisui's stronghold and defeat stronger opponents 64 91.
• Develops nascent Blade Intent while demonstrating the Golden Metal Demon-Slaying Blade 69 130.
• Reaches Perfection in the Golden Metal Demon-Slaying Blade through solitary training 163.
• Can manifest Golden Metal Blade Intent without holding a weapon, producing blade force with bare hands 163.
• Defeats Chen Meng, Zhu Hu, and Chen Kun in consecutive sect celebration duels 128 129 130.
• Overcomes Mountain-Shaking Sect true disciple Xiao Dongsheng through superior physical power and saber mastery 146.
• His perfected Blade Intent allows him to perceive flaws in enemy qi circulation and techniques, while making his saber techniques more direct and instinctive 166.
• Combines Flame-Gang and Geng Metal Vajra qi with his blade arts to confront Early Inner Vajra opponents during the Azure Water Pavilion crisis 211.

Body Tempering

Cheng Heng practices external and internal body-tempering arts, beginning with the Vajra Art and later advancing through the Vajra Internal Strength Technique 22 62.

• Vajra Art tempers skin, flesh, sinews, membranes, and eventually internal organs across its three levels 22.
• His body neutralizes Zhou Qing's Tendon-Severing Bone-Twisting Hand and withstands attacks from stronger martial artists 24 31.
• Reaches the Boulder Bones Realm, making him exceptionally resistant to physical attacks 62 64.
• Reaches the Strengthened Five Organs Realm through a costly medicinal bath; ordinary sharp weapons leave only faint marks on him 102.
• The Golden Metal Battle Vajra Art and later Golden Metal Physique further refine his bodily toughness, allowing him to withstand attacks that would normally breach same-realm protective qi 137 181.
• Defeats Dragon-Tiger Sect core disciple Lu Zheng barehanded by relying on his physical foundation, force control, endurance, and combat analysis rather than his saber 180 181.

Movement, Concealment, and Alchemy

Cheng Heng supplements his direct combat ability with mobility, disguise, concealment, and alchemical training 70 79.

• Blazing Mountain Thunder-Running Leg Technique — enhances speed, close-range kicking power, and long-range striking options 70.
• Thousand-Forms Bone-Shrinking Transformation Technique — alters his body and appearance for disguise 70.
• Myriad Peaks Cloud-Climbing Step — used for high-speed movement and escape 84 90.
• Flame Vajra Fire-Control Alchemy Art — grants fire-control methods and access to pill-refining knowledge 79.
• Brings the Flame Vajra Fire-Control Alchemy Art to Perfection after entering the Early Inner Vajra Realm 197.
• Uses the Tortoise-Breath Cicada-Stillness Art to assist in concealing and regulating his aura 120.

Palm Arts and Spiritual Techniques

After entering the Inner Vajra Realm, Cheng Heng expands beyond his saber-centered combat style with high-level palm and spiritual arts 200 201.

• Azure Sea Formless Palm — A supreme palm art based on the yielding, continuous principles of water; Cheng Heng reaches Minor Mastery soon after acquiring it 200 201.
• Uses the Azure Sea Formless Palm to form layered water vortices, disperse enemy force, and suppress more violent attacks through softness 211 213.
• Possesses the Spirit Refining Art, a secret spiritual technique used to strengthen his divine sense and mental foundation 134 168.
• Obtains the related Spirit Transformation Art during the campaign against Zhao Shilei, further strengthening his prospects for high-realm cultivation 168.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Meteoric Iron Blade — Mid-grade treasure saber chosen from the Cloudpiercing Sect vault; increases the power of his Golden Metal Demon-Slaying Blade by 30% 133.
• Thousand-Pound — Low-grade treasure saber forged from meteoritic iron and hundred-forged steel gold; purchased from the Wu Clan's Divine Armory Pavilion as Cheng Heng's first treasure-grade weapon 72.
• Mother-and-Child Linked Needles — One mother needle and eight hair-thin child needles designed to pierce protective qi in concealed attacks 133.
• Fire Thunderbolts — Three explosive weapons capable of severely injuring Mid Elixir-Embracing opponents and disrupting Late Elixir-Embracing experts 112.
• All-Knowing Pavilion token — Retained after Cheng Heng declines the organization's offer to promote his reputation 66.
• Boundless Swallowing Vehicle True Formula — Six-level cultivation manual, capable of leading to the Vajra Force Realm, taken from an evil-cult deputy general 151.
• Spirit Transformation Art — A rare spiritual cultivation manual related to the Spirit Refining Art, recovered from Zhao Shilei during an Orthodox Alliance mission 168.

Relationships

• Li Qingwan — His wife and earliest source of emotional support. She works to help sustain their household, later joins him in Qingchuan Prefecture, and begins martial training herself 1 3 77 135.
• Wu Zhong — Master of Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall. He accepts Cheng Heng despite his poor aptitude, provides the Force Fundamentals Diagram, lends him money, and arranges protection for Li Qingwan before Cheng Heng leaves Gaoyang 4 25 47.
• Wang Ming — Former patrol colleague and trusted friend. He sponsors Cheng Heng's cultivation, assists with inquiries into Cheng Heng's missing father, and later asks Cheng Heng to admit his nephew Wang Lei to the Cloudpiercing Sect 14 47 137.
• Lin Qing — Chief Escort of the Might-Guard Escort Agency. He recruits Cheng Heng for his character, rewards his service generously, and grants him long-term dividend shares in the agency; after Cheng Heng's rise, Lin increases those shares to 40% 49 66 77 122.
• Chen An — Fellow disciple from Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall and later traveling companion. He initially spars with Cheng Heng as an equal and is assigned to accompany him toward Qingchuan Prefecture 12 47.
• Zhao Wei — Fourth Senior Brother at Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall. He offers Cheng Heng employment options, defends his diligence before hostile disciples, and remains one of his earliest supporters 12 17.
• Fang Yang — Golden Vajra Court elder who recognizes Cheng Heng's blade talent, gives him the Golden Metal Demon-Slaying Blade manual, and later regrets failing to recruit him. He subsequently leads an urgent rescue effort when Cheng Heng is believed to have fallen to the Dark Nether Elders 69 122 174.
• Zhang Jin — Cloudpiercing Sect elder who provides Cheng Heng with Fire Thunderbolts and helps him acquire the Meteoric Iron Blade at a discount. He later regards Cheng Heng as a fellow combatant rather than a junior following their battles against the Yu Clan 112 133 192.
• Lu Ding — Head of the Fire Vajra Court and Cheng Heng's master within the Cloudpiercing Sect. Although outwardly detached, Lu Ding recognizes Cheng Heng's value, appoints him chief senior disciple, and directs his alchemical development 69 120 196.
• Xu Qinghe — Golden Vajra Court core disciple and occasional ally. She witnesses Cheng Heng's rise repeatedly, fights alongside him against the Mahayana Evil Cult, and is shocked when he becomes the first of their generation to reach the Inner Vajra Realm 91 152 203.
• Zhou Qing — Former First Senior Brother and hostile rival. After challenging Cheng Heng and later arranging an assassination attempt, Zhou is killed by Cheng Heng before he can flee Gaoyang County 24 45.
• Xiao Dongsheng — Mountain-Shaking Sect true disciple initially defeated by Cheng Heng in a major arena duel; the loss risks becoming Xiao's heart demon. Xiao later falls to evil cultivation and is killed during the Azure Water Pavilion crisis 146 211 213.
• Lu Zheng — Dragon-Tiger Sect core disciple and renowned practitioner of the Dragon-Tiger Vajra Fist. He challenges Cheng Heng in Dengzhou but is defeated barehanded after Cheng Heng studies and exploits the limitations of his fist art 180 181.
• Yu Kun — Dragon-Tiger Sect true disciple and Yu Shou's cousin. He investigates Yu Shou's death, becomes consumed by resentment toward Cheng Heng, and is ultimately killed amid the Yu Clan conflict 163 170 190.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Outer City rise — Rejects dependence on his grandfather's household, joins Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall, and advances from a frail scholar to Bright Force martial artist in three months 4 11.
• Gaoyang County service — Takes Inner City patrol duty, advances to Hidden Force during bandit suppression, and becomes constable captain responsible for Inner City security 12 22.
• Wang Family crisis — Defeats veteran Hidden Force fighter Wu Zhenyue, saving the Wang Family estate and receiving an Inner City residence, monthly resources, and a stronger patronage bond 31 32.
• Martial Examination and Gaoyang Martial Gathering — Places seventh in the county examination, reaches Skill-Transforming Force, and defeats Shen Liang in the gathering's featured match 39 41 45.
• Qingchuan Prefecture ascent — Joins the Fire Vajra Court, becomes a Might-Guard Escort Agency retainer, and wipes out Crimson Blade Taisui's stronghold alone to recover the agency's cargo 54 64.
• Fire Vajra Court leadership — Reaches Core-Embracing Force, serves as Herb Garden No. 11's steward, and is appointed chief senior disciple of the Fire Vajra Court 77 120.
• Sect grand celebration — Sweeps three challengers from rival sects, establishes his Blade Intent publicly, and earns True-Tempering Elixirs, Earthcore Lava Cavern access, and a Mid-Grade Treasure Weapon 128 129 130.
• Qingchuan's leading prodigy — Defeats Xiao Dongsheng, advances through Elixir-Embracing cultivation, and is ranked first among Qingchuan Prefecture's Ten Great Geniuses 146 162.
• Orthodox Alliance campaigns — Joins the righteous sects against the Mahayana Evil Cult, kills Late Elixir-Embracing enemies, and returns unharmed after eliminating Zhao Shilei and both Dark Nether Elders 151 174.
• Dengzhou confrontation — Travels to Dragon-Tiger Sect territory, defeats Lu Zheng without drawing his saber, survives a Vajra-Force pursuit, kills Yu Kun, and aids Zhang Jin against the Yu Clan's senior experts 181 190 192.
• Inner Vajra breakthrough — Quietly reaches the Early Inner Vajra Realm by transforming seven elemental true qi into seven forms of Vajra qi, surpassing the other leading youths of Qingchuan Prefecture 196 203.
• Azure Water Pavilion crisis — Confronts a Mahayana Evil Cult guardian and the fallen Xiao Dongsheng, using his seven Vajra qi and Azure Sea Formless Palm to destroy two Inner Vajra opponents and protect the righteous side's surviving forces 211 213.