Xu Ming

Biodata

Background / History

Bureau service and the mountain-god conspiracy

Xu Ming was an Azure Dragon Guard field agent whose Centurion title signified the ability to destroy an elite unit of one hundred soldiers single-handedly, rather than an ordinary military appointment. His guard specialized in control-oriented cultivation 25.

Although his blue-badge standing normally disqualified him from the elite Purple Star Mansion Guards, Chongzhou’s personnel shortage secured him an exceptional admission. His close coordination with his younger brother, Xu Shang, also supported his selection. The brothers and Wu Dongyan were temporarily assigned to assist Xuan Feng after nine of her previous partners died on missions 34.

Xu Ming was implicated in the scheme to feed human sacrifices to the Phoenix-Cry Mountain God and nurture the Two-Faced Buddha Head. During his final confrontation, he claimed the Bureau had kept the god fed for years and worried that its escape would ruin an unnamed lord’s plans. Sanjie later reasoned that a scheme involving more than a thousand victims required backing beyond Xu Ming’s own authority 28 32.

Confrontation on Phoenix-Cry Mountain

Xu Ming raced ahead of his assigned group to prove that he deserved his elite placement through strength, rather than his brother’s standing. He intercepted Zhang Xuan and Monk Sanjie as they fled the Corpse Buddha’s territory 25 34.

His Long-Beaked Messenger detected no spiritual power in either fugitive, leading him to dismiss them as harmless mortals. Their performance as grateful victims allowed Sanjie to approach and launch a surprise attack. Xu Ming’s protective pendant stopped the first punch, but his wind blades and controlled sword failed to seriously injure the monk 25 26.

Zhang Xuan then spat black dog blood onto Xu Ming’s barrier, exploiting its aversion to filth. Sanjie shattered the weakened ward, broke Xu Ming’s left arm, and knocked him into the mud. Unable to recover his trapped Demon-Slaying Sword, Xu Ming formed a freezing scarlet flying sword from his own blood 27.

Before he could attack, the Corpse Buddha—possessing Meng Changxi’s body—pierced his neck with a red thread. Xu Ming redirected the blood sword toward the monster, prioritizing control of the creature over killing Zhang Xuan and Sanjie. The thread beheaded him, but his sword continued onward and froze most of the Corpse Buddha’s body. That brief opening enabled Zhang Xuan’s decisive attack 27 28 30.

Posthumous identity and investigation

Zhang Xuan took Xu Ming’s intact uniform and Azure Phoenix Jade Pendant, while Sanjie captured his messenger. Sanjie transferred the equipment’s Soul Mark to Zhang Xuan and modified its formation to warn him when headquarters attempted to locate the bird. The pair buried Xu Ming’s body to conceal evidence and delay his associates’ search 29 31 32 33 38.

Xuan Feng, Xu Shang, and Wu Dongyan subsequently investigated his disappearance. Wu suspected that Xu Ming might have stolen the Buddha Treasure himself; Xu Shang violently rejected the accusation. Xuan Feng requested headquarters’ records of the messenger’s final six hours of movement 34 35.

The Celestial Master’s Ordination later instructed Zhang Xuan to impersonate Xu Ming and deliver half of the Buddha Head to Xuan Feng. Its preceding instruction to kill Xu Shang led Zhang Xuan to infer that the younger brother posed a recognition risk to the disguise 38.

Appearance

• Young, delicate-featured man, introduced in rich clothing 25.
• Azure Dragon crown, still on his head when the Corpse Buddha beheaded him 28.
• Azure Phoenix Jade Pendant worn at his waist and a Demon-Slaying Sword carried at his side 25 26.
• His Bureau uniform comprised a fitted black outfit with Cloud-Thunder Patterns and golden Eight Trigrams Totems, a scarlet cloak, and a jade belt, later worn by Zhang Xuan 31 33.

Personality

Xu Ming was openly contemptuous of people without spiritual power, repeatedly treating Zhang Xuan and Sanjie as “ants” or “scum.” His confidence in the messenger’s assessment and his protective treasure made him careless. Once their deception became clear, humiliation drove him into murderous rage 25 26 27.

His ambition was tied to a desire for recognition: he wanted to prove that his elite assignment was earned rather than granted through Xu Shang. Even after suffering a mortal wound, he maintained his sword-control seal and attacked the Corpse Buddha. His final resolve was explicitly connected to preserving his superior’s plans, not rescuing the fugitives 28 34.

Abilities & Skills

Heart-Ruling Sword Control

Xu Ming could direct his Demon-Slaying Sword remotely through hand seals and spiritual power 25 26.

• Launched the sword at Sanjie’s back after it had been knocked away 26.
• Could not free it once Sanjie clamped it beneath his arm 26 27.

Wind-Control Spellcraft

His mystic-eye status identified wind control incorporated into spellcraft 25.

• Produced three Azure Phoenix Spikes, wind blades aimed at Sanjie’s vital points 26.
• The blades struck accurately but inflicted only shallow wounds on Sanjie’s exceptionally powerful body 26.

Blood-Colored Flying Sword

After losing access to his regular weapon, Xu Ming condensed coughed-up blood into a scarlet sword approximately one foot long 27.

• Its supernatural cold froze nearby falling raindrops 27.
• Continued flying after his death, though without precise control it missed the Corpse Buddha’s Buddha Head and struck its abdomen 28.
• Froze most of the monster’s body; Sanjie estimated that the restraint would last no more than two breaths against its full strength 28 30.

Azure Dragon Rider Escape Arts

Wu Dongyan described Xu Ming as an Azure Dragon Rider with exceptional escape techniques 34.

• Wu claimed that even he, Xu Shang, and Xuan Feng together might have failed to stop Xu Ming if he had committed to fleeing 34.
• These escape arts were not demonstrated during Xu Ming’s fatal confrontation 25 26 27 28.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Demon-Slaying Sword — Blue-green magical blade with an azure-dragon hilt. It remained intact even when Sanjie bent it into a semicircle 26.
• Azure Phoenix Jade Pendant — Heaven-Opening Workshop treasure serving as protection and Bureau identification. It consumed spiritual power to generate the Azure Phoenix Ward, also called the Azure Luan Veil, rated to withstand at most one full-force strike from a tenth-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator. Black dog blood corroded it 26 27.
• Long-Beaked Messenger — Soul-linked mechanical falcon created by the Fate-Command Palace. It detected spiritual power and supported long-distance Bureau communications, but did not fight. Its communication was one-way, with seven days required between connections 25 26 31 32.
• Bureau uniform and crown — Taken by Zhang Xuan after Xu Ming’s death to support his assumed official identity 31 32 33.

Relationships

• Xu Shang — Younger brother and effective operational partner. Fiercely defended Xu Ming’s reputation during the disappearance investigation 34.
• Xuan Feng — Leader he was temporarily assigned to assist. She organized the inquiry into his disappearance and prioritized recovering the Buddha Treasure 34 35.
• Wu Dongyan — Fellow assigned operative who criticized Xu Ming’s pursuit of merit and suspected him of stealing the treasure 34.
• Zhang Xuan — Enemy who helped destroy his ward, then appropriated his equipment and official identity after his death 27 31 32 33.
• Monk Sanjie — Opponent who neutralized his sword, broke his arm, and later transferred his messenger’s Soul Mark to Zhang Xuan 26 27 32 38.
• Headless Corpse Buddha — Creature connected to the sacrificial scheme Xu Ming served. It killed him, but his final sword strike briefly immobilized it 28.
• Unnamed lord — Superior whose plans Xu Ming was determined not to ruin; the lord’s identity is not revealed in the provided chapters 28.

Notable Quotes

“A mere ant dares lay hands on me? You're courting death!” 26

“Fengming... Mountain God, the Demon Suppression Bureau has kept you fed for years, yet you... you dare attack me!” 28