Sword Venerable Mingxiao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xie Xiuji
Alias(es)	Sword Venerable Mingxiao; Mingxiao
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	Over five hundred years old 6
Affiliation	Sword Sect; master of Red Cloud Peak; formerly of the Heavenly Feather Sect 6 51
Occupation/Role	Sword Sect elder, Red Cloud Peak master, successor of Immortal Venerable Yinglian, foremost sword cultivator under heaven 6 79 130
Spiritual Root	Ice Spiritual Root 19
Cultivation	Mahayana Early Stage; already showing signs of a further breakthrough 132 178
Natal Sword	Blood Drinker
Status	Alive 178
First Appearance	Mentioned in the future framing narrative 1; identified as Xie Xiuji in person 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Mahayana Stage	Before Ch. 132	Reached Mahayana less than a century earlier; by this point, he is already nearing another breakthrough. He is later identified as Mahayana Early Stage. 132 178

Background

Xie Xiuji was originally the chief disciple of True Person Liuyi at the Heavenly Feather Sect. At twenty, he transferred to the Sword Sect and became the personal disciple of Red Cloud Peak’s Immortal Venerable Yinglian. When Yinglian ascended, Xie inherited Red Cloud Peak and became Sword Venerable Mingxiao. 6

After killing an escaped Mahayana tiger demon, Xie suffered grave injuries and memory loss. A prophetic dream showed the fate awaiting him without Song Zhizhi’s intervention: betrayal by cultivators, removal of his spiritual root and immortal bones, exploitation by supposedly righteous sects, exile to the Demon Realm, and transformation into a Half-Demon Body through forbidden methods. He wakes with his memories restored and recognizes Song as the person who saved him from that future. 6

Though he proposed marriage while amnesiac, Xie chooses to honor the promise after recovering his identity. Song’s disappearance and false address initially leave him angry and suspicious, but they reunite when she enters the Sword Sect. 6 21

Appearance

Mingxiao presents himself as a young, austere man in immaculate white robes. His refined, immortal-like appearance and cold bearing make him immediately recognizable among the Sword Sect’s elders. 19

• Ink-black hair, usually secured with a white jade hairpin. 19
• Cold, pale face and sharp phoenix eyes; his pupils can appear pale gold in sunlight. 6 26
• Prefers white robes and is not known to wear other colors. 32
• Carries a faint cool fragrance associated with his presence. 24

Personality

Mingxiao is outwardly reserved, dignified, and difficult to approach. He speaks and acts with restraint, maintains strict standards, and is uncompromising toward evil cultivators and those who harm innocents. His Dao heart was strong enough to resist Devour Heaven’s corruption when the evil sword sought to possess him. 6 97 131

Beneath that severity, he is intensely protective of those he accepts as his own. He treats Song Zhizhi’s injuries personally, escorts her to class, worries when she enters dangerous places, and confronts threats to her with immediate violence. 34 37 39 98

His emotional inexperience frequently clashes with his pride. He initially fails to understand why Song is hurt when he leaves without notice, seeks Sect Master Mingxu’s advice, and awkwardly attempts reconciliation with dumplings and a direct apology. 31 32 Despite his public composure, he can become insecure over Song’s attention and even worries that travel-worn clothes have made him less attractive to her. 15 161

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

Mingxiao is regarded as the foremost sword cultivator in the cultivation world. He has survived more than five centuries of life-and-death combat without defeat, using experience and precision to turn minor advantages into decisive victories. 79 113 133

• Can fight above his realm through superior combat judgment and technique. 113 178
• Reads flaws in opponents’ movements and attacks from difficult angles. 113
• Broke Flowing Feather Sect’s mountain-protecting formation with a single strike after several Spirit Transformation cultivators failed to damage it. 130
• Defeated and killed the Mahayana Qin Buwen and the divine-grade Heaven Devourer Sword Spirit. 132 133
• His combat ability is limited when opponents possess a major realm advantage; Shen Zhi’s Mahayana Late Stage cultivation eventually pushes him back despite Mingxiao’s superior fighting skill. 178

Divine Sense and Spiritual Pressure

Mingxiao possesses exceptional perception and spiritual pressure.

• Spread his divine sense across a hundred-mile radius even while seriously injured. 6
• Detected demonic aura near the Sword Sect and recognized the danger of an enemy capable of avoiding his perception. 9
• Sees through cultivation-concealing artifacts and identifies opponents’ true realms. 79
• Used controlled Mahayana pressure to subdue frightened prisoners without harming them. 87

Sword Flight and Spatial Movement

Mingxiao is highly proficient in rapid movement techniques.

• Flies by sword and personally taught Song Zhizhi Sword Flight. 56
• Can tear through space for short-distance travel rather than travel conventionally by sword. 68
• Uses teleportation and divine sense together to survey large areas quickly. 82

Instruction

Though he had never accepted a disciple when Song Zhizhi entered the sect, Mingxiao is a demanding and perceptive instructor. 19

• Identifies technical flaws in sword forms immediately and provides direct corrections. 23 25
• Ordered Song to perform ten thousand sword swings daily and practice sword arts for two hours to build her foundation. 23
• Sparred with her using only a freshly snapped branch, withholding spiritual power to force her to develop composure and adaptability. 25
• Creates training and lecture schedules tailored to Song’s cultivation needs. 33 75

Spiritual Heart Art

Mingxiao cultivates the Spiritual Heart Art with Song Zhizhi.

• The technique allows their spiritual power and Divine Senses to merge, strengthening their spiritual connection. 101
• He carefully guides Song’s weaker Divine Sense during the technique’s second level. 101
• Their growing synchronization lets Song rapidly understand thoughts he leaves unsaid. 58

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Blood Drinker — Mingxiao’s natal sword, personally forged from materials he collected. Its blade remains unstained after slaughter, and once drawn, it must drink blood. It is partially suppressed in areas saturated with evil energy. 6 58 132
• Vermilion Bird Sword — Song Zhizhi’s lifebound sword, temporarily wielded by Mingxiao against Devour Heaven and Shen Zhi because its righteous fire strongly restrains evil beings. 132 178
• Azure Dragon Sword — A degraded former divine sword that Mingxiao removed from the Sword Tomb and later gave to Song for Sword Flight practice. Its Sword Spirit had already vanished, leaving it as an ordinary Superior Spirit Sword. 56 58

Relationships

• Song Zhizhi — His life-saver, Dao companion, and mother of his child. He resolves to honor his marriage promise after recovering his memories; their Bonding Ceremony is later arranged and publicly confirmed. 6 51 55 61 71
• Jiujiu — His and Song Zhizhi’s fire-aspected egg; at three months old, it is expected to hatch in another three months. 161
• Immortal Venerable Yinglian — His late master and the former master of Red Cloud Peak. Mingxiao inherited the peak after Yinglian ascended. 6
• Sect Master Mingxu — His senior brother and the Sword Sect’s sect master. Mingxu assists in Song’s search, advises Mingxiao on reconciliation, and manages sect affairs alongside him. 6 32 59
• Qingyu — His martial uncle and Song Zhizhi’s master. She initially competes with him to recruit Song, later becomes aware of his feelings for her disciple, and works alongside him against major threats. 21 47 178
• Qin Buwen — A former companion who became his enemy after yielding to Devour Heaven’s temptation. Mingxiao ultimately kills Qin and destroys the evil sword. 131 133
• Unadorned Sword Lord — A fellow Sword Sect authority who cooperates with him in enforcing sect justice; their exchanges often include dry competitive teasing. 39 97

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Prophetic dream and recovery — Regains his identity after amnesia, learns of the horrific future he avoided through Song Zhizhi, kills nearby evil cultivators, and begins searching for her. 6
• Sea demon response — Investigates demonic activity near the Sword Sect, then leaves Myriad Sword City under orders to handle the Sea Demon Tide in Extreme Sea City. 9 10
• Sword Sect reunion — Recognizes Song during the apprenticeship ceremony, attempts to recruit her to Red Cloud Peak, and later becomes her senior brother and swordsmanship instructor. 21 23
• Song Zhizhi’s protector and mentor — Trains Song rigorously, treats her after Feng Yulong’s attack, and demands accountability when Feng attempts murder. 23 25 37 39
• Bonding Ceremony — Formally arranges his bond with Song Zhizhi and publicly establishes her as his future Dao companion. 55 61 71
• Sect Tournament — Supports Song’s participation despite concern for her pregnancy, offers a Heaven-Tier Sword Manual to every victorious Sword Sect competitor, and waits anxiously for her return from the Secret Realm. 59 60 65
• Extreme Sea City investigation — Helps uncover Feng Jinlei’s collusion with evil cultivators and disables him when he attempts to flee. 87 88
• Flowing Feather Sect purge — Breaks the sect’s formation, exposes Qin Buwen’s demonic stronghold, destroys Devour Heaven, and orders the surviving demonic elders captured for interrogation. 130 133
• Shen Zhi confrontation — Faces the Mahayana Late Stage Shen Zhi with the Vermilion Bird Sword while Song and Qingyu protect the surrounding mortals. 178

Notable Quotes

“A momentary lead means nothing. The one who laughs last is the winner.” 62

“Because I have a cultivation partner.” 132

Trivia

• Mingxiao’s record for climbing the Questioning Heart Road is nearly twenty hours, and no one has broken it. 12
• He had never accepted a disciple by the time of the apprenticeship ceremony. 19
• He took only half an hour to learn Sword Flight, but falsely told Song Zhizhi it had taken him half a day so she would not lose confidence. 56
• He considers Blood Drinker comparable to, or potentially stronger than, the time-worn Azure Dragon Sword. 58