Xu Taiping

Biodata

Power Progression

The Setting Sun Glow Art divides pre–Gate Opening cultivation into Dew Condensation, Frost Transformation, and Ice Formation. These are stages of true-qi development, not separate major realms 16.

• Post-breakthrough development: After another month, he can meditate instead of sleeping, go half a month without food, and execute all 108 punches of Charging Ox Breaks the Formation 38.
• Next bottleneck: He obtains the Setting Sun Glow Art’s second level but has not fully mastered it. Access to the third level requires inner-disciple status, making the Seven Peaks Selection essential to further advancement 48.
• Unreached goal: Lingyue believes a treasure nourished by the three-hundred-year-old fire spirit mushroom could bring him to the peak of Qi Refining before the selection; this remains a prospective benefit 49.

Background / History

Xu Taiping lost his parents several years before his grandfather’s death. His childhood included gathering herbs, falling down a hillside, and surviving days trapped by jackals without food or water. His grandfather remained his emotional anchor throughout these hardships 2.

He initially sought immortality to cure his grandfather’s illness. At the old man’s sickbed, he swallowed a saved Spirit Bone Pill and promised to protect a soybean seed and his grandfather’s secret. His grandfather died that night, while Taiping’s name appeared on the Azure Profound Sect’s Spirit Bone Stele 2.

On the seventh day of mourning, his uncle Xu Erniu and his aunt sold him to the White Household for thirty taels. Dugu Qingxiao and Zhao Linglong arrived before he was taken away. Qingxiao paid gold worth three thousand taels of silver to redeem him and tore up his indenture, allowing Taiping to leave his relatives behind 3 4 5.

At Dragon Gate Hall, Elder Black Dragon identified his aptitude as White Bone, disqualifying him from immediate admission to the Seven Peaks. Taiping chose three years of cultivation below the mountain rather than departure. Qingxiao guaranteed that the Seventh Peak would accept him if he passed the selection, and Linglong helped settle him at Green Bamboo Abode 7 8.

Appearance

• Childlike stature: Stands less than five feet tall during his confrontation with the Tiger Wraith 24.
• Expressive eyes: Lin Buyu recognizes his eyes and steadfast gaze despite a cloth covering half his face 45.
• Treatment-related emaciation: By the sixth day of marrow cleansing, he is pale, thin, and at least ten jin lighter; this is a temporary consequence of the treatment 15.
• Battle injuries: After killing the Demon Tiger, wounds and bloody scabs cover his body, including his face 47.

Personality

Taiping’s defining trait is persistence rather than confidence in his natural talent. He answers his poor aptitude by increasing his training hours, endures debilitating medicinal treatments, and resumes his Gate Opening breakthrough immediately after his first attempt collapses. His grandfather’s teachings remain central to his resolve 15 16 35 37.

He is observant and cautious without becoming passive. He recognizes his aunt’s financial motives, notices that Liu Qingmei’s clean shoes contradict her account of fleeing wolves, and leaves the Tiger Wraith’s possessions untouched until he can inspect them safely 3 20 28.

His generosity depends on trust, while his dealings remain precise. He honors his agreement with Lingyue without surrendering more than promised, welcomes White Rainbow to eat freely, and charges the unfamiliar Old Nine only seven Merit Coins despite being offered three hundred 10 28.

Taiping strongly rejects predation and corruption. Liu Qingmei’s account of Lu Chen’s abuse fills him with indignation, and he refuses the Tiger Wraith’s offer to become a ghost servant. Against enemies who continue threatening others, he follows his grandfather’s principle of answering evil with evil and kindness with kindness 22 24 27.

Abilities & Skills

Setting Sun Glow Art

His principal cultivation method produces Crimson Dawn True Qi, supports rapid recovery of true qi, and develops increasingly powerful ice-based protection 18 19 25.

• Protective qi: At Ice Formation, withstands the Tiger Wraith’s Sword Qi without injury, although the protective layer shatters 26.
• Freezing: Can freeze water, coat attacks in ice, and freeze a Demon Wolf solid with an arrow 25 26.
• Enhanced senses: Before Frost Transformation, can distinguish a sparrow five hundred meters away and identify nearby beasts by sound within a li 16.
• Internal vision: Can inspect his Qi Sea after reaching Gate Opening 37.
• Limitations: White Bone aptitude still makes advancement slow. Improperly releasing true qi during his first Demon Wolf fight causes severe swelling and loss of control, which he corrects by circulating the art 17 48.

Green Ox Fist

A fist art purchased for thirty Merit Coins, chosen for its compatibility with the Setting Sun Glow Art and its affordability 18.

• Ox Horn Crashes the Mountain: Delivers eight times the force of an ordinary Green Ox Fist move at full power 18.
• Charging Ox Breaks the Formation: Delivers a sustained barrage whose punches grow stronger while true qi lasts 18 26.
• Ice application: Crimson Dawn True Qi adds accumulating ice to each blow, freezing the Tiger Wraith’s possessed body 26.
• Progress: Initially exhausts his reserves after using each ultimate move once; after reaching Gate Opening and training for a month, can complete the 108-punch sequence 19 38.
• Weakness: The barrage leaves him depleted afterward. The Demon Tiger deliberately endures the sequence and counterattacks when it ends 26 46.

Piercing Willow Arrow

An archery technique purchased for ten Merit Coins. It improves eyesight and steadiness through true qi and teaches the user to empower arrows 18.

• Kills a Demon Wolf with a forehead shot from five hundred meters away 20.
• Develops freezing effects alongside his Crimson Dawn True Qi 20 26.
• Cannot initially overcome the Tiger Wraith’s direct sword defense, forcing him to rely on deception and traps 24.

Ice Breath Technique

A spell taught by Lingyue and largely mastered during the month following his Gate Opening breakthrough 35 38.

• Converts breath into ice and works with the Setting Sun Glow Art 35.
• Lingyue explains that a Qi-Gathering Pill could supply enough energy for him to freeze an area more than ten zhang across in one breath 35.
• Its ordinary requirements exceed his early reserves; the pill-assisted application is presented as a way to temporarily overcome that limitation 35.

Seven-Kill Blade

A saber art purchased after reaching Gate Opening to compensate for his lack of mid-range offensive power 38.

• Has more or less mastered it by the time Lu Chen visits Green Bamboo Abode 38.
• Before acquiring it, his saber attacks rely on true qi and timing rather than formal saber training 26.

Wind Shadow Step

A two-move movement technique found among the Demon Tiger’s stolen treasures 48.

• Taiping says he learned it the previous day when Bai Yu sees him rush out of Green Bamboo Abode 48.
• Fills a longstanding gap in his skills: earlier movement manuals had been too expensive to purchase 19 48.

Practical Skills

• Hunting and traps: Uses terrain, concealed wooden spikes, pits, and bait to defeat opponents stronger than himself 17 24 26 27.
• Herb cultivation: Maintains three mu of medicinal fields and grows nine-leaf white perilla to cover sect dues 14 15 16.
• Pill refinement: Refines two Qi-Gathering Pills under Lingyue’s instructions, controlling furnace heat and ingredient timing 34 35.
• Cooking: Prepares Yellow Sheep and hosts meals for White Rainbow, Old Nine, and visiting sect officials 28 29 30.
• Comprehension: His understanding of cultivation methods impresses Purple Sun True Lord despite his poor physical aptitude 13.

Possible Illuminated Dao Heart

Lingyue suspects that Taiping possesses an illuminated Dao heart during his breakthrough. The supplied passages present this as her assessment, not a confirmed diagnosis 36.

• The narration emphasizes that his strongest support is the unyielding will formed under his grandfather’s guidance, rather than this possible innate quality 37.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Earth Treasury Fruit: The soybean inherited from his grandfather. It nurtures treasures from spiritual energy and houses Lingyue’s remnant soul; its first documented crop provides Spirit Crystals 9 10.
• Gourd Fruit seed: Produced by burning the Earth Treasury Fruit’s stalks. Its next crop can yield three gourds whose treasures depend on the nourishment supplied 48 49.
• Spirit Crystals: Greatly accelerate his cultivation after marrow cleansing 10 16.
• Oxhorn Hardwood Bow and arrows: Purchased with his martial manuals; used for true-qi-enhanced archery 19 20.
• Refined Steel Wild Goose Feather Saber: Purchased for self-defense; later passages call his weapon a Fine Steel Saber 19 26 46.
• Flying-sword magic artifact: Taken from the Tiger Wraith. Responds to his will, consumes substantial true qi, and has only two uses remaining when examined 33.
• Copper pill furnace: Taken from the Tiger Wraith; expands from a palm-sized object into a stove-sized furnace. Used for pill refinement, then cracks apart during Seed Burning 34 35 48.
• Qi-Gathering Pills: Two refined with Lingyue. One is consumed for his breakthrough; one remains available during his subsequent month of training 35 38.
• Bronze/Mystic Spirit Mirror: Provides scripture lectures, information, and access to purchases from the sect armory 12 13 18.
• Bone flute: Given by Zhao Linglong to summon nearby spirit birds 8.
• Dust-Seeking Incense: Reveals evidence of Lu Chen’s abuse of Liu Qingmei; Taiping intends to bring that evidence to Liu Zijin 23 39.
• Northwind Pearl: Obtained from the Demon Tiger. Not immediately useful to Taiping, but suitable nourishment for an offensive treasure from the Earth Treasury Fruit 47 49.
• True Fire Talisman — consumed: Bought for two thousand Merit Coins and used to complete the Earth Treasury Fruit’s second transformation 48.

Relationships

• Grandfather — Raised and guided him; left the Spirit Bone Pill and soybean seed. His final charge to prove the worth of mortal bones drives Taiping’s cultivation 2 15 16.
• Xu Erniu and his wife — Second uncle and aunt. Sell him into slavery for thirty taels, then attempt to claim the money paid for his redemption 3 4.
• Dugu Qingxiao — Redeems him from the White Household and guarantees him admission to the Seventh Peak if he passes the selection 4 5 7.
• Zhao Linglong — Protective senior-sister figure who escorts him below the mountain, helps him settle in, and gives him practical guidance and supplies 7 8.
• Chu Lingyue / Fairy Lingyue — Mentor and trusted companion. Supplies his marrow-cleansing prescription, guides his cultivation, and saves him from the heavenly demon. Asks him to call her “Sister Lingyue”; no formal discipleship is established 9 11 12 33 37.
• White Rainbow — Spirit-eagle friend whom he calls Uncle White. Helps with purchases and arranges Old Nine’s visit to secure protection for him 18 19 28 30.
• Bai Yu — White Rainbow’s son; transports Taiping and becomes his friend. Initially jealous of his father’s attention to Taiping, but gains deep respect after the Demon Tiger’s defeat 39 41 46.
• Old Nine / Ninth Uncle — Secretly observes and admires his resourcefulness, then intervenes with sect officials on his behalf. Tells White Rainbow that he would accept Taiping as a personal disciple and teach him swordsmanship if he reaches Gate Opening within two years 28 30 32.
• Liu Qingmei — Her account and evidence of Lu Chen’s crimes prompt Taiping to seek justice for her and protect her sister 21 22 23.
• Liu Zijin — Qingmei’s younger sister. Taiping seeks an opportunity to deliver evidence away from Lu Chen and watches over her hunt; he describes them as friends when Bai Yu teases him about romance 39 41.
• Lin Buyu — Fellow recruit who recognizes his disguised appearance and privately judges Lu Chen and Mo Jun inferior to him 5 45.
• Lu Chen — Fifth Peak disciple responsible for Qingmei’s death. Taiping conceals what he knows while Lu Chen is present and intends to expose him 22 23 38 39.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Establishing a Foothold Below the Mountain

• Plants his grandfather’s soybean and awakens Lingyue, agreeing to reserve two of its three pods for her in exchange for guidance 9.
• Overcomes his initial inability to absorb spiritual energy through marrow cleansing, Spirit Crystals, and sustained cultivation 14 15 16.
• Funds his survival and weapons through medicinal herbs and hunting, while learning that outer disciples must earn enough merit to remain in the sect 7 14 18.

The Tiger Wraith and Sect Negligence

• Learns of Qingmei’s abuse and attempts to report the Tiger Wraith, only for Raging Wind Hall disciples to demand seventy percent of his harvest for protection 22 23.
• Prepares a last stand after the wraith threatens the water supply sustaining both his medicine garden and courtyard barrier 24 25.
• Forces the wraith into a pit, exploits its exposed yin soul’s weakness to liquor, and destroys it despite threats of the Tiger King’s revenge 26 27.
• Repairs the blocked spring afterward. White Rainbow and Old Nine then arrange closer official protection for Green Bamboo Abode 28 30.

Gate Opening and the Heavenly Demon

• Refines Qi-Gathering Pills and attempts to transform his dantian into a Qi Sea; his first assault fails under overwhelming pain 35.
• Continues the breakthrough while Lingyue confronts the heavenly demon. He succeeds, but she exhausts herself and returns to the Earth Treasury Fruit to recover 36 37.
• Resolves to become less dependent on her protection and trains almost continuously during her absence 37 38.

Pursuit of the Demon Tiger

• Encounters Liu Zijin and Lu Chen at his home, then uses a hunting trip with Bai Yu to reach the area of their planned tiger hunt 38 39 41.
• Pursues the wounded Demon Tiger for seven days and nights without food or water 46.
• Survives its final counterattack, breaks its neck with a headbutt, and decapitates it. Keeps the head and stolen treasures while giving Bai Yu the body in exchange for transport home 46.

Second Transformation of the Earth Treasury Fruit

• Uses proceeds from the tiger’s hoard to buy a True Fire Talisman and transform the Earth Treasury Fruit into its Gourd Fruit stage 47 48.
• Agrees to reserve one gourd for Lingyue and considers nourishment that will produce an offensive treasure and a cultivation aid 49.
• Waits five days for the Fire-Patterned Python to leave Bamboo Creek Valley before preparing to seize the three-hundred-year-old fire spirit mushroom. Its retrieval is not yet completed in the supplied material 49.

Notable Quotes

“Grandpa said diligence can make up for a lack of talent. If they practice four hours a day, I'll practice eight. If they practice eight, I'll practice sixteen. One day, I'll catch up!” 16

“Grandfather said to answer evil with evil and repay kindness with kindness. Never bargain with a tiger for its skin or wallow in the same filth.” 27

“As long as I live, you won't stop. As long as you live, I won't stop. We both know that.” 46