Zhou Qing

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhou Qing (周青)
Alias(es)	Mad Blade; Lawless Madman
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Zhou Dynasty; Tai Xu Holy Land; Imperial Heaven Sect (Heavenly Guest Elder)
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; cultivator; founder of the Great Zhou Dynasty
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Acquired Realm, First Level (Third-rate Martial Artist)	1	Raised the Spring Return Technique from the third to sixth layer with Dao Source; opened the Twelve Meridians.
Acquired Realm, Second Level	2	Raised the Spring Return Technique to the eighth layer; gained Poison Resistance +100%.
Acquired Realm, Third Level (Peak Third-rate Martial Artist)	3	Raised the Spring Return Technique to the ninth layer.
Acquired Realm, Fourth Level (Second-rate Martial Artist)	10	Spring Return Technique reached the tenth layer; Traceless Blade Technique and Swallow Dips Water were perfected.
Acquired Realm, Fifth Level	10–13	Raised the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique to the fifth layer, obtaining Copper Skin Iron Bones and 50% rebound force.
Acquired Realm, Sixth Level (Peak Second-rate Martial Artist)	15	Recovered in seclusion after killing Eagle Wolf Guard officer Zhao Sheng.
Acquired Realm, Seventh Level (First-rate Martial Artist)	15	Raised the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique to the seventh layer; achieved the Diamond Body, Blood Qi Like Smoke, 100% repercussion, and Rock-Solid will.
Acquired Realm, Ninth Level (Peak First-rate Martial Artist)	16, 23	Perfected the ninth-layer Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique and Indestructible Vajra Body; later cultivated Golden Gang Art and fused several martial arts.
Xiantian Realm, First Level (Great Grandmaster)	45	Broke through the Gate of Heaven and Earth in a single charge after perfecting the Primordial Chaos True Art.
True Gang Great Grandmaster	56–58	Integrated multiple artistic conceptions into Primordial Chaos True Gang; used eight fused intent powers to kill thirteen True Gang Great Grandmasters in one sword strike.
Earth Ranking, 35th	63	Entered the Earth Ranking after killing Lu Yuan and Xu Feiyu; had mastered ten intent powers.
Primordial Chaos Intent, Domain Manifestation Stage	69	Used the Heavenly Heart Stone to elevate Primordial Chaos Intent from Melting Heaven to Domain Manifestation, forming an Artistic Conception Domain.
Earth Ranking, 1st	75	Killed Zhao Qianqiu and Jiang Zhu, becoming the top-ranked Earth Ranking Great Grandmaster.
Primordial Chaos Golden Core / Unity of Man and Heaven state	76–79	Formed the Primordial Chaos Golden Core and could merge with heaven and earth; later activated 108 spirit acupoints and 360 Primordial Chaos Spirit Meridians in battle.
Golden Core Major Completion / Primordial Chaos Spirit Body	84	Underwent Moulting and Bone Rebirth after upgrading the Golden Core; physique transformed into a Primordial Chaos Spirit Body.
Xiantian Realm, Ninth Level (Golden Core Grand Perfection)	89	Perfected the Primordial Chaos True Art and reached Golden Core Grand Perfection.
Unity of Man and Heaven Realm	91	Broke through amid five consecutive Heaven and Earth Phenomena; perception and comprehension of artistic conception greatly increased.
Heavenly Being Fourth Layer	109	Martial Dao Spirit transformed into a Primordial Spirit; triggered Ten Thousand Trees Meet Spring and Sun and Moon Shine Together.
Heavenly Being Sixth Layer Peak	109	Left the Ten Thousand Dao Forest after one year, having mastered the Myriad Dao Artistic Conception and all 12,960 types of Artistic Conception power.
Heavenly Being Seventh Layer (Unity Realm)	111	Merged Martial Dao Spirits, Divine Spirits, Primordial Spirits, and physical body after cultivating the Universe Two Sutras.
Heavenly Being Ninth Layer	111	Advanced through the eighth and ninth layers; manifested twelve Heaven and Earth Phenomena in total.

Background

Zhou Qing transmigrated into the body of another Zhou Qing, a young physician from Zhou’s Medical Hall in Black Stone County. The original Zhou Qing had been falsely accused of murdering Master Zhou’s pregnant concubine, tortured in prison, and sentenced to execution after the autumn assizes. 1 24

While imprisoned, Zhou Qing awakened the talent Nine Breaths Assimilation, which converts the power of heaven and earth into one Dao Source per day. Each Dao Source grants the equivalent of a year of arduous cultivation, allowing him to advance techniques instantly while retaining the insights of the simulated training. 1 2

He escaped prison after Zhou Chen confessed to his affair with Madam Liu and to framing him for her death. Zhou Qing killed Zhou Chen, escaped Black Stone County, and became a wanted fugitive. 7

Appearance

Zhou Qing initially had a thin, undernourished body from imprisonment. Cultivating the Spring Return Technique and body-refining arts quickly gave him visible musculature, broader arms and palms, and a stronger physique. 2 4

• Often conceals himself with a bamboo hat while traveling as a wanted man. 24
• Wore a black robe when entering the Great Xuan Imperial Capital. 94
• Can use the Muscle Transformation and Bone Reshaping Art to take the appearance of a middle-aged man. 35
• His advanced Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique causes golden radiance to appear in his blood qi, bones, organs, and meridians. 15

Personality

Zhou Qing is highly pragmatic, cautious, and focused on survival. After becoming a fugitive, he repeatedly avoids direct confrontation until he has prepared sufficiently, using remote mountain seclusion, disguises, intelligence gathering, and rapid cultivation to control the terms of battle. 15 23 35 47

He is ruthless toward enemies and institutions that threaten him. He kills Zhou Chen, Eagle Wolf Guard officers, the Black Stone County Magistrate, and powerful pursuers without hesitation; this conduct earned him the names “Mad Blade” and “Lawless Madman.” 7 21 33

Despite this, Zhou Qing remembers genuine kindness. He remains grateful to Liu Shan, the jailer who helped him in prison, and leaves him silver while avoiding contact that could implicate him. 2 22

He values independence over affiliation. He rejected an invitation to become a Canghai Sect guest elder, but later accepted the Imperial Heaven Sect’s position of Heavenly Guest Elder after receiving the cultivation method he sought. 27 84

Abilities & Skills

Nine Breaths Assimilation

Zhou Qing’s innate talent automatically refines the power of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth into Dao Source after nine breaths.

• Produces one Dao Source each day. 1 2
• Each Dao Source equals one year of arduous cultivation. 1
• Allows him to cultivate techniques in an instantaneous external moment while experiencing years of practice internally. 2 10
• Enables extraordinary growth but does not replace the need for techniques, manuals, spiritual materials, or breakthroughs. 27 47 69

Spring Return Technique

A health-preserving internal art that became Zhou Qing’s first cultivation method.

• Heals injuries through internal energy and can restore him faster than medicine. 2
• Grants longevity and progressively improves poison resistance. 1 3
• At the tenth layer, improves root bone and extends lifespan. 10 13
• Served as the foundation through which he opened the Twelve Meridians and entered the Acquired Realm. 1

Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique

A body-refining art that formed the basis of Zhou Qing’s early combat strength.

• Enlarges and strengthens the dantian, meridians, and physical body, allowing greater internal-energy capacity than martial artists of the same level. 10
• At the fifth layer, grants Copper Skin Iron Bones, 400% strengthened blood qi, and 50% reflected force. 10
• At the seventh layer, grants a Diamond Body, full repercussion, force dispersion, and strong resistance to mental attacks. 15
• At the ninth layer, forms the Indestructible Vajra Body: resistant to blades, spears, water, and fire, with a Blood Qi Furnace and 50% force dissipation. 16

Blade and Sword Arts

Zhou Qing specializes in fast, overwhelming attacks and later incorporates artistic conception into swordsmanship.

• Traceless Blade Technique — Perfected early; grants 300% blade-speed burst and 200% strength burst. 4
• Traceless Thirteen Wave Blade Technique — Fusion of Traceless Blade Technique and Gale Nine Waves; can unleash thirteen unpredictable strikes in an instant. 23
• Sky River Sword Technique — Uses True Gang and multiple artistic conceptions to create sword qi powerful enough to annihilate thirteen True Gang Grandmasters in one strike. 58
• Seven Emotions Sword Technique — An ancient Xiantian martial skill suited to Zhou Qing’s multiple intent powers; he cultivated it to perfection. 62 64
• Vajra Karma Slaying Saber — A Xiantian martial skill that allows more refined applications of artistic conception power. 58

Movement and Concealment Arts

• Swallow Dips Water — Perfected movement art that grants lightness, midair force use, and a 200% speed burst. 10
• Floating Crossing — Fusion of Swallow Dips Water and Flying Catkins Misty Smoke Art; enables void-crossing movement and a 400% speed burst. 23
• Illusion Demon Movement Technique — Perfected movement technique that creates illusions and grants a 500% speed burst. 23
• Muscle Transformation and Bone Reshaping Art — Alters his appearance to evade recognition. 35

Nine Character True Word Seal

A fragmentary mantra-seal art mastered during Zhou Qing’s early seclusion.

• Reached the Three Character True Seal stage. 23
• Provides 1000% defense amplification, internal-energy compression, and potential stimulation. 23
• Uses seals such as the Dou Character Outer Lion Seal and Bing Character Great Vajra Wheel Seal to amplify combat power. 32 60

Primordial Chaos True Art and Artistic Conception

Zhou Qing’s principal Xiantian cultivation method, eventually cultivated to perfection.

• Opened the ancestral aperture between his brows and reached peak first-rate cultivation through the perfected Profound Ice Heart Method and Primordial Chaos True Art. 27 45
• Fuses different artistic conceptions into Primordial Chaos Intent and Primordial Chaos True Gang. 56 58
• Combined eight intent powers to defeat thirteen True Gang Great Grandmasters with one sword strike. 58
• Used the Heavenly Heart Stone to establish his first Artistic Conception Domain. 69
• Later cultivated ten additional artistic conceptions in five days and sought forty-nine types for a perfect Golden Core. 77

Heaven and Earth Phenomena

Zhou Qing manifests multiple Heaven and Earth Phenomena, an exceptional feat among cultivators.

• Triggered five consecutive phenomena upon entering the Unity of Man and Heaven Realm. 91
• Revealed Golden Lotuses Springing from the Earth, Heavenly Maid Scattering Flowers, and Milky Way Falling from the Nine Heavens during the Tai Xu Holy Land selection. 104
• Manifested twelve phenomena by the time he reached the Heavenly Being Ninth Layer. 111

Equipment

• Mysterious Iron Saber — Taken from the Black Stone County armory; used in the battle against Li Baichuan. 22 25
• Storage Bag — Taken from Lu Yuan and Xu Feiyu; stores Spirit Stones, silver notes, and other valuables. 62
• Silver Flood Dragon Armor — Mid-grade defensive Spirit Weapon that can be concealed against his skin and deployed as light armor. 62
• Spirit Weapon longsword — Contains Sword Intent and can amplify Zhou Qing’s own Sword Intent. 62
• Poison Dragon Banner — High-grade Spirit Weapon taken from the Poison Demon; refined with a Dragon Vein, later nurtured a spirit, and was fused with a Nation Suppressing Spirit Weapon. 69 75 77 89
• Chilong Sword — Refined and merged with the Human Emperor Banner. 98
• Human Emperor Banner — Enhanced through fusion with the Chilong Sword. 98

Relationships

• Liu Shan — Prison jailer who supplied Zhou Qing with food and martial-arts manuals out of gratitude for Zhou Qing saving his son; Zhou Qing later left him silver while avoiding further contact to protect him. 2 3 22
• Zhou Chen — Perpetrator behind the framing; confessed to his affair and murder of Madam Liu before Zhou Qing killed him. 7
• Master Zhou and the Zhou Manor — The household connected to Zhou Qing’s false accusation; Zhou Qing later returned to Black Stone County and destroyed the Zhou Manor. 1 23
• Shen Qingyue — Survivor and mistress of Cold Moon Villa; rewarded Zhou Qing with the Profound Ice Heart Method after he killed Li Baichuan. 26 27
• Li Baichuan — The Blood Hand Butcher; Zhou Qing killed him with a single saber strike to claim Cold Moon Villa’s bounty. 26
• Gong Yuchen — Nineteenth Prince of Baoyu Kingdom; Zhou Qing served as his protector in the succession contest and helped secure his heir position in exchange for the Heavenly Heart Stone. 64 69
• Chu Linfeng — Imperial Heaven Sect Master; welcomed Zhou Qing, granted access to the Heavenly Being chapter, and later discussed demon threats and spiritual qi resurgence with him. 83 91
• Third Supreme Elder — Zhou Qing’s master at Tai Xu Holy Land; removed Zhou Qing’s Life Poison, accepted him as a disciple, and gifted him Dao Rhythm. 106
• Li Yuan — Zhou Qing’s senior disciple brother; gave him Undying Demon Phoenix blood essence. 111

Story Role / Major Arcs

Black Stone County Fugitive

After transmigrating into a condemned prisoner, Zhou Qing awakened Nine Breaths Assimilation, reached the Acquired Realm, escaped prison, killed Zhou Chen, and became the subject of both an imperial wanted poster and a Zhou Manor bounty. 1 7

Rise of Mad Blade

Zhou Qing acquired body-refining techniques in the black market, killed Eagle Wolf Guard officer Zhao Sheng, and entered the top 100 of the wanted list. He then secluded himself, advanced to first-rate martial artist status, and perfected the Indestructible Vajra Body. 10 16

Revenge and Imperial Pursuit

Returning to Black Stone County, Zhou Qing killed Deputy Commander Lin Feng and County Magistrate Lin Yue, plundered the county armory, and destroyed the Zhou Manor. The Eagle Wolf Guard raised his bounty and intensified its pursuit. 21 23

Xiantian Breakthrough

He obtained the Profound Ice Heart Method by killing Li Baichuan, perfected the Primordial Chaos True Art, and broke through the Gate of Heaven and Earth into the Xiantian Realm. 26 27 45

Earth Ranking Ascension

Zhou Qing killed Eagle Wolf Guard Blade Catchers, slew thirteen True Gang Grandmasters in one strike, and defeated Earth Ranking Great Grandmasters Lu Yuan and Xu Feiyu. He debuted at 35th on the Earth Ranking before eventually reaching first place. 32 58 62 63 75

Baoyu Kingdom Heir Contest

In exchange for the Heavenly Heart Stone, Zhou Qing represented Gong Yuchen in the Baoyu Kingdom succession contest. He killed the Poison Demon, defeated Meng Feng, secured Gong Yuchen’s succession, and used the stone to create an Artistic Conception Domain. 64 69

Imperial Heaven Sect and Martial Saint Legacy

Zhou Qing entered the Imperial Heaven Sect, received the Martial Saint Mark and Primordial Chaos Creation Art, and became a Heavenly Guest Elder. His Golden Core later reached major completion, transforming him into a Primordial Chaos Spirit Body. 83 84

Fall of Great Xuan and Founding of Great Zhou

After rising to the top of the Heaven Ranking, Zhou Qing entered the Great Xuan Imperial Capital, used the Poison Dragon Banner to divert national fortune, annihilated Great Xuan, and established the Great Zhou Dynasty. 88 94 95 97

Tai Xu Holy Land

Zhou Qing entered Tai Xu Holy Land, became the Third Supreme Elder’s disciple, rapidly advanced through the Heavenly Being Realm, and manifested twelve Heaven and Earth Phenomena before the Holy Land Grand Competition. 102 106 109 111

Trivia

• Zhou Qing was reportedly only sixteen when he rose from an ordinary physician to a feared martial artist in less than a month. 24
• Storytellers exaggerated his appearance into a three-headed, six-armed demon standing thirty feet tall. 24
• He was suspected by others of possessing an ancient Great Grandmaster’s inheritance or being the reincarnation of an ancient powerhouse because of his cultivation speed. 24 55 56
• His rise from obscurity to destroying Great Xuan took only a little over a year. 94 95