Zhang Long

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Poverty and Apprenticeship

Zhang Long came from a poor family living in a small alley in Duchang City. His parents exhausted their savings and incurred substantial debt to send him to the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall. He initially pursued martial arts to earn money, improve his family’s circumstances, and escape being bullied 4.

Soon after joining, he helped Chen Tie wash dishes when Chen Tie was left handling the chores alone. The two discussed their ambitions on the walk home and agreed to work hard together 4.

Recognition and Recruitment

His rapid cultivation attracted Mo Hong’s attention. After recognizing his talent, Mo Hong waived his tuition, provided special instruction, and devoted substantial resources to nurturing him as a successor 4 16.

At a recruitment session, Zhang Long demonstrated Skin Refining strength after only a month of training. The competing offers reflected his future potential: even five Flesh Refining senior disciples received salary offers no higher than fifteen taels per month 6 7.

Combat Experience and Tiger Training

Mo Hong sent Zhang Long outside the city to suppress bandits, believing that real bloodshed was necessary to develop a martial artist. Zhang Long later joined senior disciples from other halls in destroying a bandit stronghold, personally killing a leader at Flesh Refining Greater Mastery 22 29.

As Mo Hong’s final disciple, he received early access to the basement training area and its giant striped tiger. After reaching greater mastery in Fierce Tiger Fist, he entered the cage to study the beast’s attacks at close quarters 32.

His initial approach emphasized ferocity, dodging, and counterattacking. Mo Hong contrasted this with Chen Tie’s understanding of how the tiger concealed and gathered strength in stillness. Although reluctant to accept the comparison, Zhang Long acknowledged that treating combat as the only route to improvement had narrowed his understanding 33.

Ambush and Treatment

After Zhang Long reached Flesh Refining Greater Mastery, Mo Hong took him to visit other martial halls. That night, an unidentified attacker ambushed him in the inner city, knocked him unconscious with a club, and deliberately shattered the joints essential to exerting martial force. Doctor Cao barely saved his life 34.

The attack was suspected to involve one of Mo Hong’s rivals or past enemies, but the assailant’s identity was not established. The injuries left Zhang Long’s limbs deformed and his meridians severely damaged, ending his prospects of continuing cultivation 34 35.

Doctor Cao proposed an uncertain treatment requiring rare medicinal catalysts, including a fifty-year-old treasure herb. Zhang Long begged Mo Hong to restore his martial path at any cost. Despite warnings from Qian He and Zheng Rong about the expense and poor prospects, Mo Hong refused to abandon him and later returned from a journey with medicinal supplies 35 36.

Treatment improved his physical condition, but Mo Hong confirmed that he could recover only to an ordinary person’s physique. By the eve of the Martial Hall Grand Competition, Zhang Long could leave his bed and attempt basic training. He nevertheless remained unable to cultivate Qi and blood, collapsed while practicing, and had to be helped into the shade by Shen Yan 37 40.

Appearance

• After gaining combat experience: His features appeared less childish, and his movements carried a faint imposing presence 29.
• Immediately after the ambush: His head was heavily bandaged, his limbs were swollen and splinted, and blue-purple bruising extended from his wrists and ankles along his arms and legs 34.
• During later recovery: He had a thin frame and wore coarse training clothes soaked with sweat from his unsuccessful attempts to practice 40.

Personality

Zhang Long was ambitious and determined to lift his family out of poverty. His early willingness to help Chen Tie showed a friendly, practical side, while his gratitude toward Mo Hong reflected an awareness of how much his master had invested in him 4 16.

Success also brought pride and a tendency to judge people by their strength and potential. He refused to see Lu Qi when the injured senior disciple left the hall, despite Lu Qi having guided him when he first arrived. Later, he encouraged Chen Tie to distance himself from less promising disciples, prompting Chen Tie to rebuke him for looking down on others 8 32.

His pride did not make him entirely unreceptive to correction: he admitted that his understanding of cultivation had been too narrow after watching Chen Tie’s tiger training. Following his own injuries, desperation replaced much of his confidence, but he continued attempting martial practice even after learning that his foundation could not be restored 33 35 40.

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation Talent

• Reached Skin Refining in one month and Flesh Refining in three months, earning recognition as the hall’s outstanding young talent 6 16.
• Received private instruction, extensive cultivation resources, and preferential access to the basement training area 16 30 32.
• Never reached Bone Forging. Mo Hong had intended to teach him the Fierce Tiger Internal Refining Chapter upon reaching that realm, but his injuries prevented it 37.

Fierce Tiger Fist

• Reached Greater Mastery, becoming one of only two disciples at the hall with that level of attainment at the time 32.
• Trained against a chained giant tiger by dodging, probing, countering, and observing its movements 32.
• Initially understood the tiger’s outward ferocity rather than the stillness through which it gathered force. Mo Hong stated that he remained far from the art’s true intent 33.

Combat Experience

• Participated in destroying a bandit stronghold alongside disciples from other martial halls 29.
• Personally killed a bandit leader at Flesh Refining Greater Mastery 29.

Post-Injury Limitations

• Could no longer circulate Qi and blood or perform basic martial exertion 40.
• Could imitate the Fierce Tiger Stance Art’s movements, but his arms lacked strength, his waist and hips could not generate force, and his stance repeatedly collapsed 40.

Relationships

• Mo Hong — Master who regarded him as a prospective successor. Continued seeking treatment despite the financial burden and the near-impossibility of restoring his martial foundation 16 35 36.
• Chen Tie — Senior fellow disciple and early friend. Their relationship became more distant as Zhang Long gained status, though he later sought closer contact after Chen Tie’s tournament victory 4 9 29 32.
• Mo Fang — Romantic attachment encouraged by Mo Hong. She initially cared for him tenderly after the ambush, but later avoided his attempt to touch her hand while struggling between their past affection and her future prospects 16 32 34 37.
• Parents — Financed his apprenticeship through savings and debt. After the attack, they pleaded with Mo Hong to save him and offered to work in repayment 4 35.
• Lu Qi — Former neighbor who taught him step by step when he first joined. Zhang Long declined to see him when overtraining injuries forced him to leave 8.
• Xiao Yue — Fellow disciple who invested her hopes in his future and remained committed to backing him even after witnessing Chen Tie’s unexpected progress 28 29.
• Shen Yan — Senior fellow disciple who helped him after he collapsed during training and urged him to prioritize his health 40.

Notable Quotes

“I'll learn martial arts and rise above the crowd, so everyone in my family can live a good life. Then no one will be able to bully me!” 4

“I always thought martial cultivation only required constantly finding powerful enemies to fight and temper myself against. My horizons were too narrow.” 33

“As long as I can recover, as long as I can return to my martial path, I, Zhang Long, am willing to bear any price! Master, please save me!” 35