Cheng Yang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cheng Yang (程阳) 1
Alias(es)	Night Ghoul; Fangtooth Ghost; publicly hailed as “Qinglin County’s greatest genius in history.” 20 39 61
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male 1
Affiliation	Chen Clan Martial Hall — Seventh Core Disciple; Star Tower — assassin and mission contractor 9 60
Occupation/Role	Martial artist, core disciple, and masked assassin
Status	Alive; competing in the Ascending Dragon Conference as of the strength trial 63
First Appearance	Chapter 1: Peerless Bearing

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Skin Tempering Realm	2	Reached after Spirit Crane Stance advanced to Minor Mastery beside the river; his first Foundation Establishment breakthrough. 2
Flesh Tempering / Muscle Tempering Realm	19	Advanced after bringing Back-Piercing Stance to Great Mastery; took five actual days of training, excluding days without a stance art to practice. 19
Bone Tempering Realm	29	Entered upon perfecting Back-Piercing Stance; his bones became denser with a silvery-gray sheen. 29
Copper Bone	33	Forged after building two perfected stance-art foundations. 33
Silver Bone	39	Had attained and concealed Silver Bone cultivation by the time he destroyed the Bamboo Gang. 39
Gold Bone	51	Successfully forged Gold Bone before setting out to rescue Wang Haowen. 51

History

Cheng Yang awakened with memories from a past life after the original Cheng Yang suffered a qi-and-blood backlash while failing to enter Skin Tempering at Spirit Crane Martial Hall. He inherited a destitute household, a widowed mother, and a debt to Liu Yuan of the Golden Tiger Gang. At the same time, he awakened the destiny Peerless Bearing, transforming his failed martial path into one of extraordinary acceleration. 1

After reaching Skin Tempering, Cheng Yang retaliated against Liu Yuan’s extortion. He defeated and killed Dong Hao, murdered Liu Yuan and his underlings, erased evidence of his techniques, and seized enough wealth and resources to fund further training. 2 3

He abandoned Spirit Crane Martial Hall for Chen Clan Martial Hall, where Chen Feiyi recognized his exceptional comprehension and physique. Cheng Yang rapidly became Chen Feiyi’s seventh core disciple, gained patrons among Qinglin County’s families, and moved Lin Xia into the martial hall for safety. 4 9 12

His rise brought escalating conflict with the Golden Tiger Gang, the Gu Family, the Four-Ping Gang, Star Tower, and powerful county figures such as Commander Wei He. Cheng Yang consistently answered threats with preparation, secrecy, and decisive violence, while pursuing an increasingly ambitious goal: to surpass even the legendary Qin Wudi’s Divine Bone foundation. 16 20 34 50

Appearance

Cheng Yang initially has a sharp-featured young face resembling his past-life appearance, though more angular and martial in bearing. His slightly elongated eyes lift subtly at the outer corners, while upper-lip stubble gives him a rugged, masculine look. 1

As his stance arts and bone foundation advance, his body grows dramatically larger, denser, and more imposing. 27 61

• Reached approximately 1.85 meters after Rock-Still Stance reached Great Accomplishment. 27
• Possesses broad shoulders, heavily developed arms, and dense musculature described as being forged from steel. 27 61
• By the eve of the Ascending Dragon Conference, he stands over six feet three inches and resembles “a wall” beside ordinary people. 61
• Uses masks and dark robes to conceal his identity during assassinations and raids. 13 26 39

Personality

Cheng Yang is intensely ambitious and refuses to accept a submissive life. Having experienced weakness, poverty, and humiliation, he views martial strength as the only reliable protection for himself and those he cares about. He rejects shortcuts that would cost him his name, independence, or future potential, including Wei He’s offer to marry into the Wei family and change his surname. 20 31

He is calculating in conflict. Cheng Yang conceals his cultivation when useful, studies opponents before committing to battle, destroys evidence after killings, and favors an overwhelming information advantage over public displays of strength. 3 30 39

Toward enemies, he is ruthless and willing to kill without hesitation. However, his violence is often targeted: during his attack on the Peaceful Reach Escort Bureau, he disabled most guards nonlethally while executing only the conspirators directly responsible for betraying Haozi. 3 53

Despite his hardening outlook, Cheng Yang remains deeply filial and loyal. He provides food, security, and status to Lin Xia; repays Haozi and Xiaoxue’s early kindness; and treats Ge Tao’s murder as a blood debt. 6 16 32 53

Abilities & Skills

Peerless Bearing

Cheng Yang’s destiny grants an abnormal cultivation advantage that underpins his rapid rise. 1

• One day of his cultivation is equivalent to one year of ordinary cultivation. 1
• He encounters no cultivation bottlenecks. 1
• His innate talent continues to improve over time. 1 33
• In combat, he rapidly internalizes opponents’ technique, rhythm, force habits, and weaknesses through repeated exchanges. 3 17
• This combat comprehension allowed him to learn force-control principles and the Wind Concealment Step while sparring a Force Tempering martial artist. 55

Stance-Art Foundation

Cheng Yang specializes in accumulating vast quantities of qi and blood through stance arts rather than rushing into higher realms. His approach produces an exceptional physical foundation at the cost of enormous food and medicine consumption. 5 19 34

• Perfected six stance arts by completing Tiger-Leopard Stance: Through-Back Stance, Spirit Crane Stance, Wild Bull Stance, Bedrock Stance, Great Dragon Stance, and Tiger-Leopard Stance. 60
• Expanded to nine perfected stance arts before the Ascending Dragon Conference. 61
• His nine perfected foundations grant enough raw strength to contend with an Elixir Force martial artist despite remaining in Foundation Establishment’s Three Gates. 61
• He aims to exceed Gold Bone and eventually surpass Qin Wudi’s rumored Divine Bone achievement. 50

Fist and Saber Techniques

Cheng Yang uses a mixture of copied techniques, learned martial arts, overwhelming physical strength, and precise targeting.

• Spirit Crane Fist — His earliest fist art; used to kill Dong Hao with Crane-Wing Sweep and to redirect Qian Biao’s attacks during their spar. 3 10
• Vajra Fist — Advanced to Minor Mastery while fighting Huang Xuan; its close-range striking power is one of Cheng Yang’s principal tools. 26 34
• Clearwind Saber Technique — Reached Great Accomplishment before Haozi’s rescue; emphasizes weapon control, weak-point targeting, and swift precision. 51 52
• Wind Concealment Step — Footwork copied from the Star Tower Master during their spar; recorded at Beginner level upon acquisition. 55

Breath Concealment Formula

A Star Tower cultivation art that suppresses Cheng Yang’s apparent aura and allows him to hide his true realm. It enabled him to appear to be merely a Muscle Tempering martial artist despite his far stronger foundation. 38 61

Golden Dragon Protection

Cheng Yang repeatedly dreams of a massive golden dragon whose nature remains unknown. The dragon awakened him before Star Tower’s poisoned darts struck and later repelled Huan Xin’s hostile mental assault. 2 17 63

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Long saber — His primary weapon in later battles; used with the Clearwind Saber Technique. 48 52
• Black robe and fanged mask — Used while annihilating the Golden Tiger Gang. 13
• Blue evil-ghost mask — Used during his assault on Four-Ping Gang guards at the Cheng family courtyard. 26
• Fang-toothed mask — Associated with his Fangtooth Ghost identity during raids against the Four-Ping Gang. 61
• Blood-Coalescing Pills — Star Tower pills that purify qi, clear minor meridian blockages, and accelerate stance-art cultivation. 60

Relationships

• Lin Xia — His mother. Her sacrifices and vulnerability drive Cheng Yang’s determination to gain strength and protect the Cheng family. 1 12
• Chen Feiyi — Master and head of Chen Clan Martial Hall. Chen recognizes Cheng Yang’s talent, accepts him as his seventh core disciple, and repeatedly supports him against external threats. 9 34
• Wang Haowen (Haozi) — Childhood friend. Haozi and Xiaoxue supported Cheng Yang financially when he was destitute; Cheng Yang later rescues him from Zhao Tiankuo and pays for his martial-hall tuition. 1 53
• Xiaoxue / Xiao Ningxue — Close friend whose death at Gu Shaojiu’s hands gives Cheng Yang a personal grudge against the Gu Family. 16 47
• Chu Yunjiang — Junior brother and sponsor who warns Cheng Yang about the Cai Family and provides exotic-beast meat support. 12 23
• Ge Tao — Fellow disciple who voluntarily surrendered his Ascending Dragon Conference position to Cheng Yang. His subsequent murder becomes a blood debt Cheng Yang vows to repay. 30 32
• Liu Yi — Whale Breath Martial Hall disciple who initially challenges Cheng Yang to close-quarters combat and later expresses personal interest in him. 23 24
• Star Tower Master — A Force Tempering martial artist who spars with Cheng Yang, exposes weaknesses in his force control, and becomes shocked by his learning speed. 55 60
• Yang Zheng — Former Third Senior Brother, Four-Ping Gang hall master, and Star Tower informant. Yang Zheng murdered Ge Tao’s family and was later killed by Cheng Yang. 37 47
• Gu Shaojiu — Gu Family young master responsible for Xiaoxue’s death. Cheng Yang accepts a Star Tower mission against him and eventually kills him. 16 47 60

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Transmigration and Peerless Bearing — Awakens in a failed martial artist’s body, inherits the Cheng household’s debt crisis, and gains his cultivation destiny. 1
• Golden Tiger Gang retaliation — Reaches Skin Tempering, kills Liu Yuan and Dong Hao, then later destroys the Golden Tiger Gang and seizes its manuals and wealth. 2 3 13
• Chen Clan Martial Hall rise — Joins Chen Clan Martial Hall, displays unprecedented comprehension, and becomes Chen Feiyi’s seventh core disciple. 4 9 10
• Gu Family enmity — Defies Gu Shaojiu and Gu Taibao over Xiaoxue’s death, formally making enemies of the Gu Family. 16
• Assassination and Cai Family conflict — Survives Star Tower’s poisoned-dart attack, suspects Cai Qingwen, and uses his core-disciple status to pressure him publicly. 17 18
• Foundation-building campaign — Reaches Bone Tempering, Copper Bone, Silver Bone, and Gold Bone while accumulating stance arts, patrons, Star Tower points, manuals, and medicinal resources. 29 33 39 51 60
• Four-Ping Gang conflict — Kills Huang Xuan, Yang Zheng, the Big-Ears Gang leaders, and Zhao Tiankuo while investigating the gang’s role in Qinglin County’s upheaval. 26 37 48 52
• Haozi’s rescue and retribution — Saves Haozi from a Four-Ping Gang trap, then raids the Peaceful Reach Escort Bureau and executes the conspirators who betrayed him. 51 53
• Ascending Dragon Conference — Publicly reveals overwhelming strength in the trial by lifting a four-thousand-jin iron lock twenty-one times, earning a Grade A-superior rating and drawing Huan Xin’s attention. 63

Notable Quotes

“Master, the martial path lies entirely in one word: struggle. Struggle against others, struggle against heaven, struggle against fate.”
— Cheng Yang 20

“If one still had to tuck one’s head and tail, bow and scrape whenever faced with injustice, what use were this body’s muscles and bones?”
— Cheng Yang 16