Zhang Yuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhang Yuan (张远)
Alias(es)	Zhao Yun; Wei Yan; Chen Zi'an
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Raging Whale Gang; Heavenly King Hall; Upper Scene Heaven; Western Plains Dao Barracks
Occupation/Role	Martial Artist; Guardian Deity General; Outer Guardian; Dao General of Western Plains City
Status	Alive
First Appearance	4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
First Order — Manifested Strength	15	Becomes an Entry-Level Martial Artist; Divine Nest panel gains a realm display.
Second Order — Hidden Strength	74	His cultivation surprises Captain Zheng Hong and the Seventh Patrol Squad.
Third Order — Transformed Strength	150	Breaks through after three days and five hours in an Advancement Room, using two Vitality Pills.
Fourth Order — True Qi	201	Achieves a one-step breakthrough; Vitality rises to 815.
Fourth Order — Late Stage	281	Completes the conversion of his Innate True Qi into Mixed Origin Heavenly Astral True Qi and advances through the late stage.
Fifth Order — True Essence	343	Reveals his true cultivation to Fan Tai after establishing his reputation on Gold Sand Island.
Sixth Order — True Astral	503 615	Reaches the peak of the Sixth Order; Divine Nest advances to Level 7, while the Jade Mantis reaches Level 6 and grants Advanced Blade Esoterica.
Seventh Order — Innate / Entry Spirit	638	Breaks through after destroying Wu Tai Barbarian City; Vitality reaches 5,000.
Eighth Order	641	The martial essence contained in Yin Zhou Wang’s Supreme Martial Golden Core integrates into his Divine Soul, completing a further leap.

Background / History

Zhang Yuan began as a resident of Chen Family Village and refused the Chen Family’s offer to waive his corvée duty in exchange for becoming the Young Master’s servant. He chose “starvation, not servitude,” adhering to his ancestors’ teachings despite the pressure placed on him. He later entered Thousand Peak Mountain, where he temporarily cooperated with a Crow Spirit to hunt. 4

After awakening the Divine Nest, Zhang Yuan became an Entry-Level Martial Artist and began using its symbiotes to supplement his cultivation. He left Chen Family Village for the County City, joined the Raging Whale Gang as a reserve disciple, and trained under Battle Hall instructor Dong Yuanwei. Though isolated by fellow trainees, he focused on cultivation and quickly demonstrated talent in Surging Wave Palm and blade techniques. 15 37 38 40 47

His accomplishments earned the recognition of Helmsman Wei Changfeng and Battle Hall Master Yue Wuji. He became an Incense Master, rose to Third Order Transformed Strength, and was regarded as the leading member of the Linhe Branch’s younger generation. 63 143 150

After leaving the Raging Whale Gang’s sphere of influence, Zhang Yuan spent time in Xia Ruins under the alias Zhao Yun. He served the Heavenly King Hall as an Outer Guardian, later accepted an honorary Guardian Deity General position from Hui Zhi, and ultimately registered under his real name after refining the sentient Taotie Saber. 208 306 308 309

Zhang Yuan later entered Upper Scene Heaven to pursue higher martial training. He studied under Elder Wei Long, earned Dao Merit through dangerous missions, explored Mo Yuan with Xiao Hong’s team, and became involved in the sect’s conflicts with the Yang Family and other factions. 392 394 457

Following his appointment as a Dao General, Zhang Yuan took command of the Western Plains Dao Barracks. He rebuilt its forces, suppressed bandits and pirates, secured trade routes, and established authority independent of Dao Official Fei Hongming. 542 548 553 565

Appearance

Zhang Yuan’s body becomes increasingly powerful through the Boulder Foundation Skill, Iron Shirt, and Six Harmonies Qilin Body. By his time in the Raging Whale Gang, he has grown taller and developed a heavily muscled physique. 48 143

• Bronze-cast, iron-like musculature after sustained external training. 143
• Natural strength exceeding seven hundred pounds even without activating the Black Giant Ant. 48
• Dark gold scales emerge beneath his skin when he activates the Six Harmonies Qilin Body. 542
• At high cultivation, activating the Six Harmonies Qilin Body can produce horn-like protrusions on his forehead and a Qilin Armor-like appearance. 615
• Frequently uses disguises and suppresses his aura while traveling incognito. 251 380 387

Personality

Zhang Yuan is fiercely independent. His refusal to become a servant establishes an enduring principle: he will endure hardship but rejects being controlled or humiliated. He later declines the Heavenly King Hall’s initial Guardian Deity General offer because he does not wish to be bound by an organization. 4 292

He is highly disciplined and patient in cultivation, repeatedly choosing secluded training, medicinal refinement, and long-term preparation over complacency. He also recognizes the limits of his foundation and actively seeks instruction from more experienced figures such as Yue Wuji, Xuan Cheng, Hui Zhi, and Wei Long. 149 223 392

In combat, Zhang Yuan is calm, decisive, and often ruthless. He does not hesitate to kill enemies who threaten him, but he can show generosity toward innocents, such as the family traveling with him in a caravan and Scholar Guan’s charitable work. 129 388 589

Abilities & Skills

Divine Nest

The Divine Nest is Zhang Yuan’s greatest secret. It allows him to cultivate symbiotic host bodies, gain their abilities, consume Source Essence, and purify corpses from a distance. 47 183

• Enhances Zhang Yuan’s physical abilities through symbiote powers.
• Converts purified corpses into Source Essence. 183 583
• Allows remote corpse purification; at higher levels, Purification reduces corpses within a thousand-pace radius to dust. 183 638
• Grants increasingly acute intuition and perception as it advances. 393
• Its abilities are concealed even from Zhang Yuan’s mother and close associates. 47

Black Giant Ant

The Black Giant Ant grants Zhang Yuan extraordinary strength amplification.

• Level 1–2: Raises his explosive force from several hundred jin to nearly one thousand jin. 10
• Level 3: Grants eightfold strength. 98
• Level 4: Grants sixteenfold strength. 217
• Level 5: Grants thirty-twofold strength. 386
• Level 6: Grants sixty-fourfold strength; Zhang Yuan can briefly withstand a thirty-fivefold self-amplification. 589 615
• Its amplification, combined with Zhang Yuan’s cultivation and physique, lets him fight opponents above his realm. 132 479

Jade Mantis

The Jade Mantis strengthens Zhang Yuan’s saber and blade comprehension.

• Initially grants Beginner Blade Technique Mastery. 15
• Advances through Intermediate and Advanced Blade Technique Mastery. 31 98
• At Level 4, unlocks Beginner Blade Esoterica and Formless Blade Qi, normally associated with Entry Qi martial artists. 139
• At Level 6, grants Advanced Blade Esoterica, improving his saber cultivation by at least one rank in a short period. 615
• Its later ability is recorded as Advanced Profound Saber Technique. 630

Golden Grasshopper

The Golden Grasshopper grants agility amplification.

• Reaches fourfold agility at Level 2. 40
• Reaches eightfold agility at Level 3. 98
• Reaches sixteenfold agility at Level 4. 223
• Reaches thirty-twofold agility at Level 5. 386
• Reaches sixty-fourfold agility at Level 6. 630
• Enhances his movement techniques, particularly Rippling Steps and Carefree Roaming. 50 244

White Dragon Loach

The White Dragon Loach grants water-related comprehension and control.

• Provides Intermediate Water Proficiency at Level 2. 78
• Advances to Beginner Water Profound Understanding at Level 4. 165
• Advances to Intermediate and later Advanced Water Profound Understanding. 386 630
• Enables Zhang Yuan to kill multiple Barbarian Martial Masters using Water Control. 339

Red-Eyed Crow

The Red-Eyed Crow is Zhang Yuan’s aerial scout and Mystic Spirit.

• Evolves from Beginner Familiar Spirit to Intermediate Familiar Spirit and later Advanced Familiar Spirit. 150 165 201
• Reaches Intermediate Mystic Spirit by the Fifth Order stage. 386
• Locates prey during hunting and observes threats from afar. 223 285
• Eavesdrops on enemies, exposing plots against Zhang Yuan. 273
• Tracks fleeing targets and detects incoming danger. 540 559

Brocade Fur Rat

The Brocade Fur Rat provides expanding storage space.

• Level 2: Nine cubic meters of storage. 387
• Level 3: Twenty-seven cubic meters of storage. 386 387
• Level 4: Sixty-four units of storage capacity. 419
• Level 6: Two hundred and sixteen cubic meters of storage. 630
• Stores weapons, elixirs, materials, food, water, currency, and other supplies. 387

Six Harmonies Qilin Body

A powerful external training technique that transforms Zhang Yuan’s body into a formidable weapon.

• Greatly strengthens his skin, bones, muscles, viscera, and Vitality. 479
• Produces dark gold scales and significantly increases physical combat power when activated. 542
• Cultivated to Great Accomplishment through Qilin Pills and other resources. 479
• Its activation can provoke fierce combativeness and destructive impulses. 615

Saber and Blade Arts

Zhang Yuan possesses broad saber proficiency developed through martial training and the Jade Mantis.

• Wave Cutting Blade Technique — learned in the Raging Whale Gang; Dong Yuanwei recognizes his exceptional blade talent. 47
• Beginner Blade Esoterica — produces Formless Blade Qi and can combine with Blood Burning Art to create blade flame. 139 140
• Taotie Saber mastery — fully refines the sentient Mystic Weapon until it acts like an extension of his body. 308
• God Slaying Flying Dagger — evolved from the Crimson Blood Blade through the Ancient Blood Sacrifice method. 540
• Divine Lock Art, Divine Light Art, and Divine Flash Art — unlocked through Divine Weapon Diagrams; Zhang Yuan plans to combine Divine Lock and Divine Flash for instant kills. 532

Equipment

• Crimson Blood Blade — Divine Weapon capable of changing between a sharp blade and a liquid form that wraps around his hand bones. 119
• God Slaying Flying Dagger — evolved form of the Crimson Blood Blade. 540
• Taotie Saber — sentient Mystic Weapon given by Hui Zhi and refined by Zhang Yuan. 308
• Overlord Halberd — used to pierce a Sixth Order martial artist after breaking free of a talisman restriction. 542
• Iron Womb Bow — used with the Red-Eyed Crow for hunting and long-range combat. 223 394
• Eagle Shooting Bow and Meteor Iron Arrows — used to prepare an ambush against Yang Family pursuers. 439
• Mighty Dragon Armor — high-grade Profound Armor forged from the Weird Python’s scales; has strong defense and water-control capability. 616 617
• Edge Piercing Dagger — top-quality Mortal Weapon recovered after a Fourth Order martial artist’s death. 163
• Upper Scene Heaven Guidance Token — proof of his connection to Upper Scene Heaven and later used to establish his status before the Gu Yuan Zhao Family. 388

Relationships

• Zhang’s Mother — his mother; Zhang Yuan repeatedly prioritizes her safety and arranges for her relocation to Whale Fortress. 131 139
• Xiang Xiu — lives with Zhang’s Mother in Whale Fortress; Zhang Yuan gifts her a hairpin and acknowledges her work. 139
• Dong Yuanwei — Raging Whale Gang instructor who recognizes Zhang Yuan’s talent and provides individual guidance. 38 40 47
• Chen Zhize — Raging Whale Gang instructor and early supporter who helps recommend Zhang Yuan. 37 63
• Yue Wuji — Battle Hall Master and major patron; provides Zhang Yuan with resources, the Iron Shirt technique opportunity, and support for his Third Order breakthrough. 139 149 150
• Wei Changfeng — Raging Whale Gang Helmsman who recognizes Zhang Yuan’s achievement in killing Niu Dali. 63
• Xuan Cheng Daoren — Heavenly King Hall elder who provides guidance, helps cleanse Zhang Yuan’s bloodlust, and warns him of the Li Family’s revenge. 223 292
• Hui Zhi — Chief Great Master of the Xia Ruins Heavenly King Hall; appoints Zhang Yuan honorary Guardian Deity General and gives him the Taotie Saber. 306 308
• Han Zixun — Heavenly King Hall Guardian who provides Carefree Roaming and information about the Great Dream Marsh. 220 223
• Wei Long — Upper Scene Heaven Law Teaching Elder and Zhang Yuan’s martial instructor. 392 457
• Xiao Hong — leader of Zhang Yuan’s Mo Yuan exploration team; recruits him for his Fifth Order cultivation and Evil Suppression Talismans. 393 394
• Zhang Feihu — Mo Yuan teammate who initially offers to protect Zhang Yuan and later warns him about Xiao Yan. 394 418
• Su Jingyao — Upper Scene Heaven cultivator for whom Zhang Yuan agrees to act as Guardian of the Dao. 416 418
• Yuan Zishan — Azure Mist Peak true disciple who repeatedly attempts to recruit or influence Zhang Yuan; he consistently refuses her proposals. 418 455
• Scholar Guan — Nine Worlds Alliance member and mentor-like elder who gives Zhang Yuan a Pure Spirit Jade Pendant and accepts funds for charitable work. 587 589
• Wu Ziyu — Wu Family heir and Upper Scene Heaven Inner Disciple; develops an alliance with Zhang Yuan and gifts him the Mighty Dragon Armor. 601 616

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Chen Family Village — Rejects servitude, awakens the Divine Nest’s potential, and becomes an Entry-Level Martial Artist while clashing with the Chen Family. 4 15 28
• Raging Whale Gang — Joins as a reserve disciple, endures isolation, develops his martial foundation, and becomes a key Battle Hall talent. 37 38 63 150
• Xia Ruins — Operates under the name Zhao Yun, serves the Heavenly King Hall, gains Guardian Deity General status, and reveals his true identity. 208 292 308 309
• Upper Scene Heaven — Seeks advanced instruction, earns Dao Merit, explores Mo Yuan, and faces sect politics and Yang Family hostility. 392 394 439 457
• Dao General of Western Plains — Takes command of the Western Plains Dao Barracks, suppresses bandits, and builds public prestige through military success. 542 553 565
• Wu Tai Barbarian City — Invades barbarian territory, annihilates Wu Tai Barbarian City, reaches Seventh Order Innate, and obtains the Nine-Winged Celestial Cicada as his Divine Nest’s Post-Body. 630 638