Jiang Jingnian

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Jiang Jingnian (姜景年)
Alias(es)	Jiang Second Dog; Young Hero Jiang; Burning Cloud True Disciple 36 306
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	Nineteen 323
Affiliation	Tongda Escort Agency (former); Mountain Cloud School; Burning Cloud Dao Lineage 31 306
Occupation/Role	Former rickshaw puller; escort master; Dao-Lineage True Disciple 10 190
Status	Alive 332

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Blood Tempering Martial Master	31	Stops concealing his blood-and-qi aura; Duan Deshun recognizes his exceptional aptitude for Iron Body Skills.
Blood Tempering, 70%	41	Fuses his cultivation methods into the Transforming Splendor Ultimate Bronze Scripture.
Bone Tempering, 56%	76	Enters Mountain Cloud School and refines the Tranquility Jade Pendant.
Marrow Tempering	91	Uses Qian Ningning's Merit Point investment and special items to advance from Bone Tempering.
Perfected Marrow Tempering / nascent Inner Qi	128 129	Reaches 97% Marrow Tempering, develops rudimentary Inner Qi, then achieves Perfected Marrow Tempering.
Marrow Tempering, 120%	132	Exceeds the normal limit, reaches the ultimate human physical threshold, and condenses dense inner qi.
Early Inner Qi Realm	141	Completes his simplified advancement ritual within the ruins of Tongda Escort Agency.
Mid Inner Qi Realm	210	Advances after completing another ritual; immediately possesses eleven Inner Qi Crystals.
Late Inner Qi Realm	254	Forms the Samadhi True Fire Martial Soul and reaches 32% of the Late Stage.
Late Inner Qi Realm, 91%	297	Refines captured special items and accumulates 181 Inner Qi Crystals.
Half-Step Grandmaster / True Astral Force	307 308	Condenses his first breath of Indestructible Vajra True Astral Force and forms a Golden Crow True Astral Core.
True Astral Divine Ability	329	Confirms the condensation of a divine ability, granting combat strength comparable to a veteran First-Heaven Grandmaster.

Background

Jiang Jingnian was born to a farming family in Elder Apricot Village. When his hometown was lost, his parents sold their last heirloom and sent him south with a merchant caravan. After enduring hardship as a Northern Lands refugee, he reached Peace City and relied on distant relatives connected to the Qu Household. He initially survived as a rickshaw puller. 108 323

He sought entry into Tongda Escort Agency as a route out of poverty. During his assessment, he endured Old Yu's suppressed Quasi-Martial Master palm strike and injured the veteran with a crude counterattack, while concealing the power of his Blood Core. Escort Chief Duan identified an unusual bodily constitution and Iron Body training beneath Jiang's outwardly rough appearance. 10

Jiang rapidly earned recognition within the agency by defeating Qian Shiqi—an eighteen-year-old Quasi-Martial Master—with three restrained punches. Duan Deshun subsequently accepted him as his final disciple, providing cultivation resources, money, and the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique. 15 16 31

Using Duan Xiaodie's household quota, Jiang entered Mountain Cloud School. His rise from Inner Disciple to Dao-Lineage True Disciple was fueled by special-item refinement, borrowed Merit Points, and repeated life-or-death battles. 77 91 187 190

Appearance

Jiang originally appeared as a ragged, broad-shouldered laborer with a bronze complexion and the intimidating build of a hard martial artist. The Jade Heart Method and its evolved trait, The Nobleman Is Like Jade, gradually remade him into a refined, fair-skinned youth whose restrained physique conceals explosive physical power. 10 88 129

• His skin becomes flawless and pale enough that his hands lose all calluses. 129
• His former muscular, heroic appearance changes so drastically that Duan Xiaodie initially fails to recognize him. 129 132
• He usually presents himself in neat silk or white robes, with calm and courteous bearing rather than the rough manner expected of an external martial artist. 88 268
• His enhanced charm frequently causes observers to underestimate him or mistake him for a noble-born scholar rather than a body-tempering specialist. 138 247

Personality

Jiang is cautious, pragmatic, and highly protective of his hidden advantages. From his first escort assessment onward, he deliberately withholds trump cards, avoids exposing his cultivation methods, and treats every confrontation as an opportunity to measure an enemy's strength and motives. 10 90 268

His pursuit of power is openly materialistic. He borrows money, seeks special items through merchants and department stores, accepts investments when they benefit him, and views wealth as a means of securing cultivation resources and influence. 38 91 109

Despite his ruthlessness toward enemies, Jiang treats allies and common people with consideration. He rewards escorts, pays rickshaw pullers generously, supports the injured members of Tongda Escort Agency, and deliberately maintains domestic routines with Duan Xiaodie to resist the beastlike impulses encouraged by his cultivation. 38 54 92 107

His ambitions eventually expand beyond personal survival. Under Manrod's spiritual suppression, he forms a great vow to overthrow corrupt aristocratic clans and foreign powers, transforming his path into a challenge against the existing order. 257 308

Abilities & Skills

Taotie and Archetype Refinement

Jiang's foundational trait allows him to devour objects with special entries, turning them into traits, cultivation progress, or materials for simplified advancement rituals. It does not depend on an item's conventional value. 13 128

• Devouring the Blood Moon-linked phonograph grants Psychic Whip (Incomplete). 13
• Refining special items rapidly increases his Archetype progression, allowing him to surpass ordinary cultivation timelines. 91 128
• Taotie's visions repeatedly depict an abyssal maw consuming supernatural entities and ancient relics, making Jiang suspect that its true origin is far more dangerous than its name implies. 195 286
• Its use may carry hidden costs: Jiang notices that increased Life Essence is seemingly consumed whenever he continues refining special items. 271

Transforming Splendor Ultimate Bronze Scripture

Jiang's primary body-tempering method originates from the fusion of the Taiji Vajra Art and Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique. It develops through multiple forms and grants extreme strength, resilience, regeneration, and fire-aspected inner qi. 38 41 54

• Transforming Splendor Copperflame Body more than doubles his physical ability, produces immense heated palms, and adds corrosive force, but initially lasts only about twenty seconds. 54
• The Giant Ayeli Technique contributes rapid regeneration and the Unyielding Iron Prison Technique, but its essence initially conflicts dangerously with Jiang's Copperflame Essence. 91 92
• His fully developed body can endure poison, firearms designed to counter Iron Body Skills, and severe physical trauma that would kill ordinary Inner Qi Realm experts. 90 141
• Prolonged injury and battle can trigger a feral berserk state, which Jiang must consciously restrain. 145

Fire, True Astral Force, and Divine Abilities

Jiang's fire-aligned power evolves from Copperflame Essence into Samadhi True Fire and eventually Lesser Yang True Astral Force. 254 307 308

• Samadhi True Fire is formed by transforming his Essence, Qi, and Spirit through his advancement ritual; it lets him overwhelm higher-realm opponents through extreme heat and destructive force. 254 257
• Indestructible Golden-Flame Body manifests Samadhi True Fire as a massive flaming form capable of resisting attacks near Grandmaster level. 257
• Pure-Killing Splendid Flame becomes a genuine divine ability after he condenses True Astral Force, allowing him to confront First-Heaven Grandmasters. 308
• He can convert Samadhi True Fire into Greater Yin Fire and use Greater Yin Shift to form moonlight-based combat clones and evade attacks through partial transformation into moonlight. 327

Mental and Illusory Arts

Jiang possesses several hidden mental attacks acquired or developed through refinement. 13 180 286

• Psychic Whip / Mind Plague attacks an opponent's mind, disrupting awareness or briefly stunning targets when their willpower is inferior. 13 136
• Moon-Reflecting Lotus Eye infects targets through eye contact within ten meters; weak-willed victims may suffer Blood Moon Pain and attack those around them. 286
• His mental defenses allow him to resist charm, illusion, contamination, and many forms of mental assault. 159 251

Protective Traits

Jiang supplements his body-tempering cultivation with several passive defensive traits. 128 129 195 282

• The Nobleman Is Like Jade resists mental attacks and contamination, suppresses most poisons, and greatly enhances his charm. 128 129
• Wind-Shocking Shadow increases movement, reaction, perception, and striking speed by 30% while suppressing the sound of his movements; it may be used twice daily. 129
• Hanging-Needle Black Scales rebounds roughly twenty to thirty percent of nearby physical force while inflicting piercing injury. 195
• Incomplete Moon Lotus Treasure-Rebirth Body resurrects him three days after death once per month, but costs one-fifth of his lifespan per activation. 282

Lifespan Theft

Jiang's lifespan-based abilities are among his most lethal hidden trump cards. 220 282

• Life-Shortening Age-Stealing: Fleeting Splendor permanently removes eight to twelve years from a living target's lifespan once per target. 282
• He uses the ability to instantly kill the mortally wounded End-of-the-Road swordsman Hase Ryunosuke before the latter can launch a final attack. 328
• Jiang avoids revealing these abilities unnecessarily, recognizing the danger of exposing a decisive secret technique. 90 250

Martial Insight and Combat Skill

Although his strength is primarily body-tempering based, Jiang possesses unusually refined control and tactical awareness. 54 86 268

• Mirror Reflection Insight improves the precision of his force control and enables him to identify weak points in techniques and Grandmaster-level trump cards. 54 268
• His early Taiji Vajra Art uses deceptively fluid movements for brutal, lethal close-range attacks. 13
• He frequently defeats stronger opponents through elemental counters, hidden traits, feints, and calculated restraint rather than openly displaying every ability. 180 250 327

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Phantomless Flood Dragon Eye — Mid-Grade Dao Armament formed as invisible water bracers; enhances fist techniques, redirects or slows attacks, and can transform into water, mist, ice, or qi. Jiang receives it from Jiang Nianci in exchange for three future favors. 330
• Spirit Serpent Sword — Dao Armament recovered after Bai Xuerou's death. 257
• Bloodmoon Dark Painting — A dangerous painting containing an incomplete lunar-phase trait; Jiang studies and prepares to devour it after its required holding period. 267
• Iron Puppet Warhorse — Used while traveling after the Little Auspicious Village ritual. 281

Relationships

• Duan Deshun — Master and former Tongda Escort Agency chief. Duan recognizes Jiang's potential, accepts him as his final disciple, and gives him accumulated medicines, money, and cultivation techniques. 31
• Duan Xiaodie — Household companion and intended bride. Her domestic support helps Jiang retain his humanity, while her tears purify the Jade Bracelet that evolves his Jade Heart trait. 107 128 223
• Liu Qingzhi — Senior Sister, frequent combat partner, and emotionally complicated ally. She publicly announces that they are preparing to become Dao companions, though their relationship remains strained by jealousy and Jiang's refusal to abandon Duan Xiaodie. 187 193
• Qian Ningning — Early investor, intelligence contact, and business partner. Her 532 Merit Points enable Jiang's Marrow Tempering breakthrough, and she later helps establish his flour-mill venture. 91 109
• Chai Li — Former Tongda Escort Agency colleague. She witnesses Jiang's rise from novice escort to Inner Qi expert and protects him during his advancement ritual in the agency's ruins. 31 141
• Monk Jie Er — Buddhist ally and intelligence source. He repeatedly assists Jiang against demonic factions and ultimately chooses to remain as Jiang's vanguard despite the karmic burden. 286 297
• Jiang Nianci — Jinling Jiang Family eldest miss and cautious political ally. She provides resources, grants Jiang the Phantomless Flood Dragon Eye, and seeks to bind him to the Jiang Family through favors and marriage proposals. 306 309 330
• Qu Lanlan — Cousin who formerly despised him as “Jiang Second Dog.” She is shocked when the rickshaw puller she mocked becomes the martial expert who saves her. 36 38

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Tongda Escort Agency — Jiang enters the martial world by passing the agency assessment, defeats Qian Shiqi's rank challenge, becomes Duan Deshun's disciple, and accepts independent protection work against Garden Celebration Hall. 10 16 31 36
• Mountain Cloud School ascent — He enters the sect through Duan Xiaodie's quota, accumulates Merit Points through borrowing and investment, and advances from Bone Tempering to Marrow Tempering. 76 91
• Tongda's destruction and Inner Qi breakthrough — He defends the burning escort agency against Inner Qi Realm enemies, completes his advancement ritual in its ruins, and formally enters the Inner Qi Realm. 136 141
• Demonic-sect conflicts — Jiang repeatedly battles the Lotus Intent Sect, Illusory Water Sect, Harmonious Joy Sect, and associated factions; his victories establish him as a terrifying cross-realm prodigy. 180 181 254 257
• True Disciple and regional influence — After becoming a Dao-Lineage True Disciple, Jiang gains allies, resources, commercial interests, and a growing reputation while becoming a target of aristocratic clans and rival Dao Lineages. 187 193 223
• Jinling and the Blood Moon crisis — Jiang intervenes against the Yellowwater Tiger Boxing Hall, Human Pill refinement, foreign-backed martial factions, and the Blood Moon Ritual, steadily escalating from a Late Inner Qi expert to a Half-Step Grandmaster. 286 297 307 308
• Aftermath of the Greater Yin Furnace — Surviving the furnace grants Jiang Greater Yin abilities, a combat clone, and the capacity to kill weakened Grandmasters. His return forces the Jinling Jiang Family to reevaluate him as a major power. 327 328 329

Notable Quotes

“Reopen earth, wind, water, and fire; recreate heaven and earth.” 308

“Within the bounds of my ability, I will still do what ought to be done.” 331