Zhang Jing

Biodata

Power Progression

Cultivation realms and Jade Talisman skill levels are separate measures; both are recorded below where their development is documented.

Background and History

Mortal Origins and Transmigration

Zhang Jing is a transmigrator whose mysterious Jade Talisman accompanied him into his current life. Its origins are unknown to him. He grows up in Yong'an City, where his parents run Zhangji Pharmacy, and studies at Yong'an Academy. The talisman's proficiency system helps him distinguish himself among thousands of students despite his family's limited resources 1 2.

Master Liu regards Zhang Jing as talented but constrained by poverty, in contrast to Ji Bochang's cultivation-clan background. Before leaving for the Dao Academy examination, Zhang Jing completes the Three Books and Six Classics and discovers that a fully developed skill can transform into a Dao Seed 2.

Dao Academy Assessment

At the Seventh Temporary Academy, Zhang Jing begins with only twenty-seven taels of silver. He combines Mind's Eye, the Jade Talisman's proficiency gains, spirit beast meat, and his fragmentary Dao rhythm to accelerate his cultivation. Initiating the Pure Origin Breath-Absorbing Visualization Method earns him a Grade B evaluation and access to a cultivation inheritance 5 7 11 14.

He chooses the Five Viscera Water-Origin Guiding Commentary, while noticing that his Dao rhythm resonates with the much more expensive Sea-Covering Flood Dragon Void-Seizing True Method. Determined to secure better rewards and recruitment prospects, he aims for the assessment's top ten 16 17 18.

During a visit to Dragon Marsh Market, four black-clad cultivators attack him. He kills them and gains valuable equipment and resources. He later claims the Third Demonstration Platform, defeats Xu Wan and Xia Fangming, and finishes third overall. His performance leads to his admission into the third-ranked Luodu Squad 23 27 29 31.

Return to Yong'an

Zhang Jing returns home to find that the Ji Clan has sent his parents gifts and a residence near Yong'an Academy. Ji Xianming also reveals that the clan has eliminated the Hundred Medicines Pavilion's owner and the rogue cultivator behind threats against Zhang Jing's family 31.

Accepting the clan's goodwill, Zhang Jing moves his parents into the safer residence, arranges household staff, and promises to look after Ji Bochang. He remains through the Chang'an Festival before returning to the Dao Academy 31.

Talisman-Making and Langya Commandery

After settling on Luodu Island, Zhang Jing chooses talisman-making as a relatively inexpensive craft suited to repeatedly building proficiency. He studies the Ninefold Evolution Spirit Star Talisman Canon and begins producing Star-Attracting Talismans 33 35 36 37.

His first demon-suppression mission takes him to Langya Commandery with Senior Brother Ding, Tong Yao, Xia Yuan, and Zhou Zhi. In Black Mountain County, he defeats rogue cultivators serving Lord Yin. The group subsequently discovers the devastation in Yinshan County, where Yaomo have destroyed grain supplies and traded food for people 41 44 47.

Senior Brother Ding reports his talisman talent to the squad leadership. After a practical demonstration, Zhang Jing becomes a high-level member and receives a shop, market access, and monthly materials. He opens This Is a Talisman Shop on Twin Phoenix Street, selling talismans for Demon Cores rather than continuing to hunt alongside his original group 49 50 52.

A gray-robed seventh-layer cultivator later pursues him for the Crimson Millstone. Zhang Jing survives the confrontation and confirms that he killed the pursuer. He also acquires the white deer Lu Thirty-Eight as his mount. On returning to his shop, he learns that the same pursuer had attacked his companions and subjected Xia Yuan and Zhou Zhi to soul-refining torture 66 67 70 71.

Upper-Grade Inheritance and Dao Foundation Plans

After escaping the increasingly dangerous Langya region, Zhang Jing focuses on selling talismans, spirit medicines, and purified Demon Cores. He spends nine thousand Dao Merit on the Sea-Covering Flood Dragon Void-Seizing True Method despite advice to reserve his resources for entering the Inner Academy 72 75 77.

His prospects attract discreet support from Senior Brother Li and Xie Yu, who decide to conceal his potential. After reaching the seventh Qi Refining layer, Zhang Jing receives Qiu Xiujun's explanation of Dao Foundation paths. He chooses to pursue the True Dharma Path rather than specialize in the Formation Talisman Path, believing it better suits the Jade Talisman. His immediate goal is the Qi Refining Tenth Layer before the Myriad Gods Lesser Void Heaven opens 81 84.

Appearance

• Youthful face: Other cultivators repeatedly remark on his youth when assessing his talisman-making ability 39 52.
• Pitch-black eyes: Described during the initiation of his visualization method 13.
• Blue robes: Worn when approaching Luodu Tower after his return from Langya 73.

Personality

Zhang Jing is cautious about exposing advantages he cannot explain. During the entrance assessment, he avoids unnecessary attention; later, he declines to test his strongest enhanced attack against a practice target because it might record the result. His caution does not prevent calculated displays of strength: he openly claims the Third Demonstration Platform when a high ranking offers substantial benefits 8 22 27.

He treats resource acquisition as part of cultivation planning. He rejects recruitment terms that demand thirty percent of his Dao Merit for five years, selects talisman-making for its low costs and repeatable practice, and builds a business around exchanging talismans for Demon Cores. Once assured of the academy's protection, he becomes more willing to present his unusual production ability as natural talent 19 33 49 50.

He is affectionate toward his parents and attentive to their safety, while remaining ruthless toward hostile cultivators. His humor is most apparent around family and Ji Bochang, with whom he exchanges teasing remarks and advice about painted fans 2 17 23 31.

Abilities and Skills

Jade Talisman

The mysterious Jade Talisman functions as a proficiency panel for Zhang Jing's learned skills 1 7.

• Records cultivation methods, Law Techniques, special abilities, levels, proficiency, and skill traits 24.
• Allows repeated practice to accumulate measurable progress, including early attempts that do not successfully complete a technique 7 36.
• Produces skill traits at documented milestones and transforms the completed Three Books and Six Classics into Mind's Eye 2 13 48.
• Appears increasingly solid as Zhang Jing develops, though he does not know the cause or eventual result 14 55.

Mind's Eye

A Low-Tier Dharma Seed that passively enhances thought and actively accelerates observation, analysis, learning, and comprehension 2.

• Reveals minute details such as wind paths, dust, insects, and tiny cracks 2.
• Greatly accelerates visualization practice and improves talisman-making accuracy 7 37.
• Initially causes severe mental exhaustion after brief use. Once he develops spiritual sense, he learns to reduce its output and consumption for longer sessions 2 14.
• Does not let him decipher the fragmentary Nether Flood Dragon Dao rhythm, even at full strength 20.

Cultivation Methods and Spiritual Light

Nether Flood Dragon Devouring the Void Dao Rhythm

The fragmentary Dao rhythm supports both cultivation and offensive techniques 11 19.

• Absorbs Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, strengthening his vitality and mental energy before formal qi refinement 11.
• Enhances the speed and power of the Ice Condensation Edge-Forming Technique, allowing its edge to devour surrounding spiritual qi 19.
• Cannot be successfully inscribed onto the lower- or middle-grade spirit paper he tests 37 41.
• Merges into the upper-grade inheritance's visualization and deepens his understanding of that method 78.

Five-Law Spirit River and Five-Treasure Spirit River

• Five-Law Spirit River: Stores prepared Law Techniques as fish. Zhang Jing uses it to hold offensive edges and layered defensive incantations, with capacity increasing alongside his cultivation 24 37 43 65.
• Five-Treasure Spirit River: Unlocked through sudden enlightenment in the Five Viscera Water-Origin Guiding Commentary. At the fifth Qi Refining layer, it can hold eight Law Artifacts; he also places a Demon Core within it while cultivating 60 65.

Combat Techniques

Talisman-Making

Zhang Jing studies the Ninefold Evolution Spirit Star Talisman Canon, producing Star-Attracting Talismans and later middle-grade Heavy Star Talismans 35 37 57.

• Talisman Source Nurturing: Successful inscriptions yield fragments that eventually form complete Source Talismans. These stamp their patterns directly onto spirit paper, eliminating failure when sufficient spiritual power is available 37 55.
• Rapid production: Completed Source Talismans increase his production speed more than tenfold, and their use continues to generate proficiency for the canon 55.
• Stacked Dao Gathering Spirit: Allows new patterns to be inscribed over existing ones on a finished talisman. Stacking is limited by spiritual power, spiritual sense, and material durability 80.
• Middle-grade proficiency: Initially estimates a thirty-percent success rate, later reporting thirty to forty percent to Senior Brother Li 57 71.

Demon Core Purification

Zhang Jing possesses a Demon Core cleansing method that others consider valuable enough to demand or bargain for. He refuses Senior Brother Gou's proposed partnership and request for the method 62 66.

• Trades purified Demon Cores at an internal exchange meeting 62.
• Receives an offer of twice the ordinary purchase price for purified cores of the same level from the Luodu Squad repository 75.

Equipment and Items

• Storage Spirit Pendant — Records his name, Outer Court status, and Dao Merit; contains storage vastly larger than his original Storage Bag. It also bears a defensive Law Technique of at least middle grade that he cannot activate himself when received 28.
• Cloudwater Shield / Water Cloud Shield — Lower-grade defensive Law Artifact purchased for thirty Spirit Stones; used against Xu Wan during the assessment 21 27.
• Law Artifact Flying Sword — Captured from the black-clad attackers and adopted as a regular combat weapon 23 24.
• Flying Needle Law Artifact — Taken from the same attackers 23.
• Netherwater Flood Dragon Soul Bell — Powerful water-aspect Law Artifact acquired for two qian of Spirit Divine Liquid 62.
• Crimson Millstone — Found among the demon tiger's possessions; later becomes the object sought by the gray-robed cultivator 47 66.
• Life-Saving Ring — Retained after returning from Langya; Lu Thirty-Eight reminds him about it 75.
• Talisman-making supplies — Spirit brush, spirit paper, and spirit ink. Following his promotion, Senior Brother Yan provides five hundred sheets of paper and a monthly supply of ink 43 50.

Relationships

• Mother Zhang and Father Zhang — His parents in Yong'an City. He reassures them about his cultivation, relocates them to a safer home, and arranges support before returning to the academy 1 2 31.
• Master Liu — His Yong'an Academy teacher, who recognizes his talent and welcomes him home after the assessment 2 30.
• Ji Bochang — Close friend and fellow Yong'an student. Shares cultivation-world knowledge, guides him through Dragon Marsh Market, and helps negotiate a squad offer; Zhang Jing advises him on painted fans 7 17 19 20.
• Ji Xianming — Ji Bochang's father. Supports Zhang Jing's parents and resolves the Hundred Medicines Pavilion threat; Zhang Jing reciprocates by promising to look after Ji Bochang 31.
• Senior Brother Liu — Advises him on inheritances, recognizes the danger in the Azure Sparrow Qi-Gathering Method, and arranges his journey home 16 30.
• Zhang Yangchu — Luodu senior who escorts him to the squad, helps him register, and asks other members to protect him on missions. Their shared surname does not establish kinship 31 32 33.
• Tong Yao — Senior sister and mission companion who takes his safety seriously. Later warns him against leaving Langya alone 40 44 71.
• Senior Brother Ding — Leads his first demon-suppression group and brings his talisman talent to the squad leadership's attention 41 49.
• Senior Brother Li, vice-captain — Sponsors his talisman-making career, arranges his promotion, and encourages him to apply for a squad manager position once qualified 49 50 71.
• Senior Brother Yan — Supports his talisman business with a shop, materials, middle-grade paper, and intervention during Gou's pressure campaign 50 57 62.
• Qiu Xiujun — Encourages him to explore Immortal Dao crafts and later invites him into the Formation Talisman Path, while explaining the alternatives for building a Dao Foundation 30 84.
• Senior Brother He — Neighboring alchemist and friendly contact. Gives him pills, offers alchemical assistance, and introduces him to an internal exchange meeting 52 59.
• Pei Xiaoshuang — Supplies information about the hidden spirit-medicine cavern and warns him about its white deer guardian 59.
• Lu Thirty-Eight — White deer mount who submits to Zhang Jing and helps grow spirit medicines. Zhang Jing values his obedience and mobility, and promises him cultivation resources and a future medicine-growing island 67 72 73.