Lü Bufan

Biodata

Power Progression

Lü Bufan develops martial and Daoist cultivation alongside Buddhist body refinement; their realms do not advance in step with one another 60 109 173.

Background / History

Beggar and brothel servant

Lü Bufan grew up without known parents, wandering with other young beggars. An old beggar took him as a disciple and taught him how to survive. His presumed surname came from a copper tag he had worn since infancy; the old beggar gave him the name Bufan after the boy insisted that he never tired of asking questions 1.

After the old beggar died, the madam Liu Jinyue brought Lü Bufan into her brothel as an unpaid servant. He survived on thin porridge and discarded clothing, working odd jobs for nearly three years. His childhood friend Liuzi offered to share a livelihood with him, but Lü Bufan refused to burden someone already impoverished by illness and funeral expenses 1.

Master Ming saved him after the brothel’s chief thug falsely accused him of stealing silver and the madam intended to drown him. When Ming later lost his money and was thrown into a mass graveyard, Lü Bufan went out at night to rescue him. He subsequently accompanied the half-blind man to Two-World Mountain 3 4 6.

Life in Two Realms Village

Master and disciple settled in the absent Village Head’s bamboo house. While cleaning it, Lü Bufan discovered a collection of human-face skins. At Ming’s insistence, he preserved the Village Head’s own face and burned the others 5 6.

He supported their household by gathering medicinal herbs, helping Mute hunt, and cooking. The villagers gradually became his protectors and teachers: Du Yuan and Han Wu subjected him to severe martial training, Huang Jiu taught him sword forms and footwork, and Mute instructed him in breathing and body tempering 7 19 21 23 60.

His attachment to Meng Lian’er began beside the village lake. Although he remained painfully aware of his low birth and poor aptitude, he promised to find her missing parents and later refused to forget her after women from Azurefall Lake carried her away 17 20 35 38.

Appearance

Lü Bufan grows from a thin, poorly clothed boy into an adult-height youth with a martial bearing distinct from the Taihua Sect’s refined cultivators 1 127 141.

• Hair: Black, casually tied behind his head with a beast-hide cord brought from Two Realms Village 141.
• Face: Bears several scars from his battle with Yun Yue 141.
• Clothing: Initially wears ragged garments and later plain cloth clothes with a bamboo hat; as a Sect Hall attendant, wears black robes embroidered with silver 16 22 141.
• Usual weapon: Carries the conspicuous Heavy Sword Wuming on his back 84 140.

Personality

Lü Bufan is compassionate without being sheltered. Having grown up amid exploitation, he recognizes deception and cruelty readily, yet remains especially moved by straightforward affection and righteousness. He helps prisoners and refugees even while working within institutions they associate with their suffering 57 58 83.

Gratitude strongly shapes his decisions. He exchanges valuable divine beast sariras for help for Liuzi rather than pursuing wealth or status, preserves his teachers’ secrets, and repeatedly seeks a way to save Master Peach. He regards the Vigorous Martial Gate as a formative home even after becoming an Immortal Master 29 53 133 159.

He is stubborn about dignity and self-determination. He resents being called a brothel lackey and openly admits that he fears death, but refuses to accept a life defined by his origins or poor aptitude. His training complaints and banter coexist with years of persistence under punishing instruction 3 15 18 20 46.

His distrust of powerful institutions does not become indiscriminate hatred. He distinguishes individual kindness from factional allegiance, refuses Zhong Huan’s proposal to murder survivors for treasure, and rejects strength obtained by sacrificing the Twelve Immortal Children 38 83 101 174.

Abilities & Skills

Dao-Martial Dual Cultivation

Lü Bufan combines martial Gang Qi with Daoist spiritual power. His teachers intended martial cultivation to temper his body and cultivator techniques to provide his principal means of attack 109.

• Can switch naturally between martial power and cultivator spiritual power, including during flight 160.
• Develops a method on Snow Mountain in which spiritual True Qi protects his dantian while Gang Qi circulates 45.
• Uses the Harmonizing Method during a breakthrough, with Big Black’s bead separating the conflicting powers into distinct regions of his Qi Mansion 109.
• Remains vulnerable to Dao-Martial Conflict, especially during breakthroughs; failure can destroy his meridians and Spiritual Platform 61 160.
• In an emergency, forcibly mixes both powers into a powerful gray substance. The process causes bleeding from his seven orifices and severely damages his meridians and dantian 182.

Wandering Sword Dao

The Wei Clan’s Wandering Swordsmanship is Lü Bufan’s signature sword art. Master Peach gives him its silk booklet, and Crouching Dragon identifies him as possibly its only inheritor outside the Wei family 83 112.

• Combines sword attacks with elusive movement, phantom images, and sword-and-body coordination 77.
• Sends Wuming flying under his control and later fights with the sword independently while attacking with fists, palms, and kicks 109 167.
• Can pierce formations and travel through them; it also possesses a sword-formation application, though Lü Bufan acknowledges his slow progress 106 173.
• Passage through a powerful space-sealing formation can still injure him 106.
• Before his desperate escape, cannot ordinarily fly on his sword. Twelve consecutive spatial movements nearly exhaust his spiritual power 140 182.

Golden Body Body-Refinement Art

Mute passes down an incomplete Buddhist body-refinement method through the markings on his Vajra Pestle. Its protection becomes visible when Lü Bufan regains the Third Martial Realm 60 72.

• Produces a faint golden sheen over his skin and reinforces his martial physique 72 134.
• Helps him withstand sword qi while closing with ranged opponents 134.
• Is recognized by sect elders as resembling the lost Immovable Golden Body and later identified by an ancient Land God as the Buddhist Indestructible Golden Body 134 173.
• Does not make him invulnerable: powerful sword qi can tear through it, injuring flesh, bone, and meridians 138.

Martial Techniques

His martial foundation centers on Du Yuan’s Thirty-Six Fists, heavy-load training, and close-range weapon combat 19 20 60.

• Integrates his heavy sword into the thirty-six boxing forms, supplemented by Huang Jiu’s footwork 60.
• Learns Third Realm force control described as making something light carry the weight of something heavy 72.
• Uses physical resilience and aggressive closing tactics against cultivators, but higher-realm opponents can contain him with formations or superior power 77 135.
• Continues practicing the Thirty-Six Forms of the Martial Scripture after entering the Fourth Realm 175.

Daoist Scripture

His foundational Daoist technique is initially described as a basic introductory scripture; an ancient Land God later calls it the Heaven and Earth Dao Scripture 115 173.

• Provides spiritual-power circulation and internal nourishment rather than a broad repertoire of offensive arts 83.
• Develops a subconscious sensitivity to mortal danger, which Lü Bufan considers his greatest gain from practicing it 182.
• Typically consumes two or three low-grade spirit stones during a full day and night of meditation 175.

Sword-Nurturing Platform

Lü Bufan can summon and command an ancient White Jade Stone Seat comparable to an Immortal Artifact 115.

• Nourishes Immortal Sword Tianxiu, ending Sword Slave’s need to feed it Magic Artifacts and flying swords 120.
• Can supply power to the Immortal Sword during combat 124.
• Its Sword Spirit Qi attracts Zhou Mo’s flying sword; the platform subsequently covers that sword in frost 140.

Hunting and Survival

• Learns a flying-stone technique from Mute, enabling him to hit almost anything within fifty paces with First Realm martial strength 20.
• Gathers medicinal herbs, assists with hunting, cooks, and manages household work 6 7 12.
• Uses disguises and restrained inquiries to investigate vulnerable people without publicly exposing their connection to him 159.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heavy Sword Wuming / Nameless Heavy Sword — A roughly hundred-jin weapon obtained from the Vigorous Martial Gate’s vault. Jinshan and Jinshui reforge it to top-grade Spirit Artifact quality; Sword Slave identifies it as a Ferocious Weapon 53 90 107.
  • Absorbs spirit stones and displays emotion when fed. Its hardness eventually rivals a top-grade Magic Treasure 175.
  • Contains yin-cold sword qi that Lü Bufan normally suppresses. Released with the Wandering Sword Dao, it can destroy an ordinary Magic Treasure shield in one stroke 175.
  • Lü Bufan believes it could grievously injure an unsuspecting opponent two or three realms above him; this is his assessment, not a demonstrated limit 175.
• Du Yuan’s short sword — An initially unsharpened refined-iron weapon whose weight approaches that of Lü Bufan’s former sixty-jin training ball 23.
• Demon-Subduing Pestle / Vajra Pestle — Mute’s parting gift, bearing the Golden Body cultivation method in its patterns 38 60.
• Armor — Receives Bamboo-Silk Armor from Zhong Huan; later wears two layers of Longcheng Peak top-grade Spirit Artifact armor, comprising close-fitting chain mail and pale-gold half armor 53 135.
• Mustard-Seed Objects — Receives storage gifts from Simen Baihua and Master Ming; uses them for weapons, provisions, spirit stones, and keepsakes 29 32 38 83.
• Coffin Bearer’s storage ring — Payment containing over a hundred spirit stones and storage space equivalent to ten pouches 174.
• Village Head’s human-skin mask — Preserves Wei Wuchen’s own face at Master Ming’s instruction and continues carrying it long afterward 6 8 112.
• Beast Hide Book — Obtains an old text written in dark-red pictographs he cannot read, intending to show it to Master Peach 83.
• Sword Pellet — A valuable possession requested for Northern Qi’s visitors; Lü Bufan agrees to provide it if the sect requires it 148 149.
• Mirage pearl — Uses it to conceal a courtyard while discussing intervention on behalf of the Twelve Immortal Children 175.

Relationships

• Master Ming — Rescuer, master, and fatherlike guardian. Lü Bufan repays Ming’s rescue, cares for him, and protects his identity and cultivation secrets 3 6 53.
• Du Yuan and Han Wu — Martial teachers whose harsh conditioning establishes his physical foundation; both also help stabilize him during an early cultivation crisis 18 19 20.
• Huang Jiu — Sword and footwork instructor, as well as a frequent source of teasing. Lü Bufan admires his flying sword and effortless movement 20 23 60 83.
• Mute — Hunting teacher, Buddhist body-refinement instructor, and quiet protector. Guards Lü Bufan while he sleeps and leaves him the Demon-Subduing Pestle 7 14 21 38.
• Granny Yu — Provides food, medicine, and practical support despite her sharp tongue. Lü Bufan gives her a nearly century-old reishi in gratitude 7 15.
• Big Black — Companion and powerful protector. The bead he leaves within Lü Bufan helps him survive and restructure his dual cultivation 20 22 109.
• Master Peach / Old Skeleton — Mentor who provides Wandering Swordsmanship. Finding a way to heal him becomes a central reason for Lü Bufan’s investigations 68 83 109 133.
• Meng Lian’er — Sweetheart and enduring motivation. After her removal by Azurefall Lake, Lü Bufan remains determined to reach her through his own ability 17 20 38 140.
• Liuzi — Childhood friend and fellow former beggar. Lü Bufan secures the Southern Garden Marquis Estate’s help for him rather than seeking personal advancement 1 29.
• Zhong Huan — Rescuer and employer at the Vigorous Martial Gate. Their bond survives Lü Bufan’s refusal to join his treasure-driven killing scheme and subsequent effort to subdue him 47 49 101 102 109.
• Zhao Ping — Former Sect Master whose trust and example deeply influence Lü Bufan’s understanding of martial virtue 69 101 159.
• Feng Hu and Zhong Duo’er — Close companions at the Vigorous Martial Gate. Lü Bufan protects Feng Hu and gives up an equipment opportunity for Duo’er 49 64 84.
• Mo Bai and Abugu — Trusted friends from the Black Man Tribe’s struggle. Lü Bufan respects Mo Bai’s devotion to the tribespeople and encourages his affection for Abugu 77 83 149.
• Sword Slave — Initially challenges him over the Sword-Nurturing Platform, then becomes his protector and companion. His final gift of sword insight enables Lü Bufan’s Fourth Realm breakthrough 110 120 133.
• Bai Ye — Eldest senior brother whose plans intersect with Lü Bufan’s journey. Lü Bufan remains wary of him because of his role in the bloodshed involving Two Realms Village’s disciples 68 111 143.
• Jiang Yu and Tianyu — Traveling companions. Lü Bufan includes them in his Zhou-family investigation but seeks to keep Jiang Yu out of the danger surrounding the Immortal Children 159 175.

Story Role / Major Arcs

First journey beyond the village

Lü Bufan leaves to visit Liuzi with Big Black accompanying him. His return to the mortal world exposes him to tax-driven persecution, abused captives, militia violence, and cultivators exploiting refugees. Master Ming subsequently entrusts him with guiding survivors toward Western Liang and begins teaching him Daoist cultivation 20 22 23 31 32.

At Old Dragon Gully, he trades divine beast sariras to the Southern Garden Marquis Estate, asking that it look after Liuzi. Huo Shanbei later warns Simen Baihua that approaching Lü Bufan and Big Black could be dangerous, revealing how little outsiders understand their actual relationship 29.

Separation and the Vigorous Martial Gate

As conflict engulfs Two Realms Village, Lü Bufan asks Big Black to help avenge Village Head Shameless and witnesses Lian’er’s departure. Separated from his teachers and emerging from the Ice Cave with impaired cultivation, he joins Zhong Huan’s Vigorous Martial Gate as an attendant 38 47 49 60 69.

Escort work forces him to confront both institutional cruelty and the mixed conduct of rebels. He protects vulnerable prisoners, arranges transport for the sick, and regains the Third Martial Realm while defending the convoy from wolves 57 58 60 62.

Greenwood Mountain

After escorting Zhou Shi and her daughter to safety, Lü Bufan becomes involved in the Black Man Tribe’s conflict with Greenwood Stockade. His Wandering Swordsmanship wounds the Fourth Realm Bao Linghu despite the disparity in strength, but the exchange leaves Lü Bufan with broken ribs and other injuries 72 73 74 77.

The subsequent secret-realm encounter and recovery deepen his friendship with Mo Bai and Abugu. He leaves for Guangling Commandery intending to investigate the Taihua Sect and seek answers about his teachers 81 83.

Longcheng Peak and the Immortal Sword

Lü Bufan enters the Taihua Sect as Longcheng Peak’s mountain-guarding attendant. On Marsh Pearl Island, he opposes Zhong Huan’s attempt to kill survivors for treasure and exposes increasingly unusual applications of his hidden Dao-Martial cultivation 87 101 102 106.

His meeting with Sword Slave links him to the history of the Five Demons of the Sword Dao. After surviving his Third Daoist Realm breakthrough and acquiring control of the Sword-Nurturing Platform, he becomes valuable to the sect as the person capable of nourishing Immortal Sword Tianxiu 109 115 120.

Competition and the Northern Immortal Sect

Following Sword Slave’s death, Lü Bufan reaches the Fourth Daoist Realm and earns a place representing Longcheng Peak. The Sect Leader offers him an item from the Heaven Character Treasury after he comprehends the Mirror-Viewing Platform, giving him hope of obtaining something to save Master Peach 133.

His competition battles display his combination of physical protection, close-range pressure, and spatial sword movement. He then travels to the Northern Immortal Sect, where he reunites with Mo Bai and becomes involved with Northern Qi’s visitors and their request for his Sword Pellet 134 135 136 140 148 149.

Zhou descendants and the Immortal Children

During the journey toward Heavenly Capital Ghost City, Lü Bufan investigates the descendants of an upright magistrate once protected by the Vigorous Martial Gate. His search takes him to Mianchi Academy, where he encounters Senior Mei and later meets Master Li again 159 160 162.

After entering the Sealing Formation, he refuses Immortal Xuanjing’s offer of Origin Spirits taken from the Twelve Immortal Children. He resolves to seek help against their planned sacrifice rather than profit from it 174 175.

His later flight from an Immortal Spirit Killing Formation pushes his cultivation to its limits. With spiritual power exhausted, he forcibly combines it with Gang Qi, suffers severe internal damage, and steps onto Wuming while activating the Wandering Sword Dao 182.

Notable Quotes

“It does... I ended up among beggars when I was little, and I've seen life and death... Nothing frightens me more than seeing them, but I... don't want to accept my fate! For the people who treat me well, I want to live like someone worth something...” 15

“First, lower your head and learn the skills! Then never forget the resolve that made you want to learn today...” 25

“I can't give up either one. I'm going to do my best! I'm going to be a Great Cultivator, and a Great Martial Artist whose heroic spirit soars ten thousand fathoms! I'm going to save Master Peach and Big Black... and protect Two Realms Village!” 109