Duan Jingt​​ao

Biodata

Name	Duan Jingtao (段惊涛)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Limitless Sacred Land
Occupation/Role	Core Disciple; former first-ranked Inner Sect Prodigy; Quasi-Sequence Disciple
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 84

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third-Level Venerable Realm	99	His cultivation is revealed when he accepts Lin Feng’s challenge; it places him two minor realms above Mo Chen and Yuan Mo.
Sixth-Level Venerable Realm	110	Survives the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades, obtains the Blade Saint Inheritance, and advances three minor realms.
Venerable Peak Realm	149	Returns from the Undying Ancient Battlefield after obtaining further Blade Saint-related inheritances and a powerful treasure.

Background

Duan Jingtao held first place on the Limitless Sacred Land’s Inner Sect Prodigy Ranking for a long period. His return to the inner sect caused an immediate uproar, as disciples regarded him as the strongest Inner Disciple and a likely future Sequence Disciple 84.

Before the Core Disciple Grand Competition, he had deliberately cultivated his Blade Intent to the tenth level rather than advancing to Blade Force at the usual ninth level. This pursuit of a stronger foundation reflected his ambition to compete with core disciples and eventually the Ten Great Sequences 103.

The competition ended his long-standing dominance. Duan placed second in the Dao Heart trial, withdrew from the seventeenth Sword Qi wave rather than expose his trump cards, and was ultimately defeated by Lin Feng in the final battle despite burning his Demonic Blood 91 94 106 108.

Afterward, he accepted Elder Hong as his master. He later survived the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades, received the Blade Saint Inheritance, and rapidly rose from the Third-Level to the Sixth-Level Venerable Realm 109 110. Further gains in the Undying Ancient Battlefield brought him to the Venerable Peak Realm and gave him combat power comparable to a Sequence Disciple 149 150.

Appearance

Duan Jingtao is a weathered, outwardly unremarkable man who carries an enormous broadsaber. When he releases his Blade Dao, his presence becomes overwhelmingly domineering 84 115.

• Often wears black robes with a massive broadsaber strapped across his back 115.
• His saber is described as roughly two feet wide, with a blunt, notched edge rather than a conventional sharp blade 84.
• His eyes can carry saber qi intense enough that other Core Disciples hesitate to meet his gaze 115.

Personality

Duan Jingtao is intensely confident in his own strength and standards. He initially views most Inner Disciples—including Lin Feng—as opponents beneath his full attention, but acknowledges skill when it is proven in battle 99 102.

His pride is tempered by restraint. After defeating Tang Yu in a single slash, he prevents Tang from falling in humiliation, seeing no value in needlessly targeting someone far weaker than himself 97. Following his loss to Lin Feng, he refuses to let defeat break his Dao Heart and remains determined to surpass him in the future 108.

He is ambitious and deliberate in cultivation. Rather than pursue quick advancement, he built his Blade Intent to the tenth level before entering Blade Force, and later risked the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades for the Blade Saint Inheritance 103 110.

Abilities & Skills

Blade Dao

Duan Jingtao is an exceptional blade cultivator whose Blade Intent reached the tenth level before he advanced into Blade Force. His Blade Force was later shown at the third level during his battle with Lin Feng 103 104.

• Creates a restrictive Blade Force field that fills the battlefield with blade qi and severely limits an opponent’s movement 102.
• His Blade Force could initially suppress Lin Feng’s movement technique and Sword Qi 102 103.
• His blade mastery was considered sufficient for a near-certain future in the Great Ability Realm, provided he did not fall prematurely 89.

Space-Rending Star-Shattering Palm

A perfected Venerable-grade palm divine ability used against Lin Feng at the beginning of their duel 101.

• Duan used it with his full cultivation realm, intending to end the battle before Lin Feng could attack 101.
• Its force was strong enough that Yuan Mo doubted his defensive divine ability could withstand it 101.

Extreme Shadow Thunderclap Blade

A blade technique that produces countless murderous blade shadows across the arena 102.

• Used after Duan judged Lin Feng worthy of drawing his broadsaber 102.
• Becomes particularly dangerous when combined with Blade Force, which turns the arena into Duan’s Momentum field 102.

Eight Gates Seal-Breaking Slash

A Mighty-grade blade technique divine ability cultivated to the Perfected Realm 104.

• Summons eight void gates around the target, each releasing suppression and killing intent 104.
• When empowered by third-level Blade Force, it was judged capable of defeating many Fifth- or Sixth-Level Venerable Realm experts 104.
• Its clash with Lin Feng’s perfected Half-Saint-grade Yellow Springs Soul-Calming Melody escalated the duel beyond the level expected of Inner Disciples 104 105.

Demonic Blood

Duan can burn purple-black Demonic Blood as a final trump card, drastically increasing his combat strength 105.

• Multiplies his power severalfold and potentially far more, but drives him into a violent demonic state 105.
• He used it after being forced back by Lin Feng’s Yellow Springs Soul-Calming Melody 105.
• Even this enhancement could not overcome Lin Feng’s Saint-grade Nether River Reversal 106.

Blade Saint Inheritance

Duan obtained the sole Blade Saint Inheritance from the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades and later acquired additional core inheritances from the same legacy in the Undying Ancient Battlefield 110 152.

• Raised his cultivation from the Third-Level to the Sixth-Level Venerable Realm after the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades 110.
• Greatly strengthened his saber, Blade Dao, and status among the Core Disciples 111 173.
• Enabled him to reach the Venerable Peak Realm and gain combat strength comparable to several Sequence Disciples 149 150.

Equipment

• Massive broadsaber — A weathered, broad-bladed saber used as his primary weapon; it was strengthened through his Ancient Battlefield opportunities 84 173.
• Blade Saint Inheritance — The legacy obtained from the Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades and further developed in the Undying Ancient Battlefield 110 152.

Relationships

• Lin Feng — Rival and fellow Limitless Sacred Land prodigy. Lin Feng surpassed Duan in the first two competition trials and defeated him for first place; Duan nevertheless continued treating him as a benchmark for his own future progress 94 106 108.
• Elder Hong — Master. Duan accepted Elder Hong as his teacher after the Core Disciple Grand Competition 109.
• Mo Chen — Long-standing rival. Mo Chen challenged Duan four times before the competition and lost every time 85.
• Yuan Mo — Rival among the former top-ranked Inner Disciples; Yuan Mo acknowledged the vast gap between himself and Duan after witnessing his Blade Force 94.
• Nie Xinghai — Leading Core Disciple and potential competitor. Nie recognized that the post-inheritance Duan might be strong enough to challenge him 111.
• Sixth Sequence Disciple of the Ten Extremes Demon Sect — Blade-wielding enemy who nearly killed Duan while the Myriad Demons Soul-Devouring Formation had reduced him to roughly half strength 173.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Core Disciple Grand Competition

Duan enters the competition as the uncontested first-ranked Inner Sect prodigy. He takes second place in the Dao Heart trial and withdraws from the seventeenth Sword Qi wave to preserve his ultimate techniques, allowing Lin Feng to claim first in both preliminary rounds 91 94 95.

In the final assessment, he defeats Tang Yu with one slash, then accepts Lin Feng’s direct challenge. Duan reveals Blade Force, Eight Gates Seal-Breaking Slash, and Demonic Blood, but Lin Feng defeats him with Nether River Reversal. Duan finishes the competition in second place 97 101 106 108.

Blade Saint Inheritance

After becoming Elder Hong’s disciple, Duan enters the deadly Abyss of Ten Thousand Blades. He survives, gains the Blade Saint Inheritance, and advances three minor realms to the Sixth-Level Venerable Realm, transforming himself into one of the Limitless Sacred Land’s strongest Core Disciples 109 110 111.

Undying Ancient Battlefield

Duan gains further Blade Saint inheritances and a powerful treasure in the Undying Ancient Battlefield, reaching the Venerable Peak Realm. Although he sees himself as beyond merely competing for a Sequence position, Lin Feng’s greater gains remain a source of comparison 149 152.

War Against the Ten Extremes Demon Sect

While weakened by the Myriad Demons Soul-Devouring Formation, Duan is severely injured and cornered by the Ten Extremes Demon Sect’s sixth-ranked Sequence Disciple, a Great Ability Realm blade cultivator. Lin Feng’s intervention saves him, after which Duan joins Lin Feng in seeking further Demon Sect Sequence Disciples 173 175.