Li Qiang

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Earth and departure

Li Qiang grew up poor and completed university through exceptional intelligence and financial help from friends. He later became wealthy through business, but Zeng Weiguang exploited his generosity by using Li Qiang’s company to guarantee Ansheng Company’s fraudulent dealings. Zeng also became involved with Li Qiang’s girlfriend. Upon discovering both betrayals, Li Qiang stabbed him and fled 1.

At Se Lake, Fu Shan renewed an offer Li Qiang had rejected five years earlier: to leave Earth with him. With police approaching and his former life ruined, Li Qiang agreed. Fu Shan took him to an ancient battlefield, fused him with the Purple Flame Heart, and supplied clothing and a storage bracelet for his new life as a cultivator 1.

Heavenly Court Star

On Heavenly Court Star, Li Qiang used his familiarity with Jiangsu and Zhejiang dialects to communicate with Hanlin City’s inhabitants. He took the elderly Zhao Hao as a disciple and began refining his own equipment 4 5 6.

His intervention against the Black Banner Army disrupted the Litang Kingdom’s offensive and bought the Gusong Kingdom time to mobilize. Despite his overwhelming advantage over ordinary soldiers, he found killing distressing and recognized that victory over people unable to resist him carried no honor 7 8 13.

Encounters with stronger cultivators exposed his lack of experience. After failing to stop an escaping expert, he resolved to cultivate seriously, recognizing that returning to Earth would require strength far beyond his current abilities. He subsequently entered the Star Palace, where absorbed purple flame strengthened him 16 18.

Captivity and the Black Prison

While rescuing Mei Jingjing from a plot involving the Spirit Coil Sect’s pills and Jade Pupil Slip, Li Qiang was captured by Situ Yong. His cultivation was sealed, and he was sent through Old Man Baihuang’s Shadow Castle to Tanbang Star 24.

In the Black Prison, he urged prisoners to care for one another and organized their survival. Even with little True Essence Power available, he manufactured weapons and shields; the refining process gradually weakened his cultivation seal. Fu Shan, Hou Pijing, and other companions eventually reached him, though his brothers immediately recognized abnormalities in his cultivation 27 31 36.

Travels, discipleship, and return

Li Qiang’s travels brought further companions and conflicts. Paben suffered a potentially fatal wound while shielding him from an ambush and asked him to find his daughter. At sea, Li Qiang rescued survivors and drew the Taimeng Beast away from their vessel, only to become separated from his companions in a storm 50 63.

In the Mystic Suppression Pagoda, he encountered Qi Junsha, a Loose Immortal who forcibly accepted him as a disciple. Their antagonistic exchanges developed into genuine affection. Li Qiang later claimed the Illusory Devil Pearl, broke the Great Illusion Buddha Realm, and revived Wu Chen, discovering their shared Chongxuan Sect affiliation 76 82 102.

After becoming involved with the Ancient Sword Academy through Qi Junsha, Li Qiang returned to Heavenly Court Star. There, he demonstrated how far he had advanced when he confronted Lei Tianxiao again. He also saved the Gusong emperor from Purple Ink Poison Yin and warned Crown Prince Zhao Qi about possible motives behind the poisoning 113 114 115 121.

God cultivation and immortal conflicts

Li Qiang began cultivating the Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation, replacing his former Nascent Soul-based foundation. Pursuit by immortals soon made the limits of his new strength clear. Dainan Fengyu robbed him, sealed his teleportation ability, and abandoned him on Goulan Planet, where he spent a year learning the local language and history 129 133 134.

His later activities included a three-year struggle with the Heart of Darkness in the Spirit Ghost Realm, a spell contest in Wondrous Dragon City, and encounters with Xuan Long, Gu Xing, and Qian Shanyong. Although his immortal artifacts overwhelmed ordinary cultivation treasures, he remained substantially weaker than powerful immortals 145 152 153 157 183.

As his strength increased, Qian Shanyong began treating him as an equal rather than merely a troublesome junior. Li Qiang also restrained Devil Venerable Chiming from preying on others and developed into a recognized artifact-refining grandmaster 174 196 204.

Xinbo Cape and reincarnation

After rescuing the injured Xuan Long, Li Qiang learned that Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan were trapped in Xinbo Cape’s Extremely Profound Ice Eye. He sought allies, prepared divine pills, and prioritized rescuing them over obtaining the Ancient God Repository’s treasures 223 232 244.

His determination also made him reckless: when High Person Mist Star stood in his way, he resorted to force without considering whether defeating her would actually secure their release. After reaching his master and Mo Huaiyuan, he escaped with them through collapsing ice following an explosion he triggered near the Ice Eye’s core 247 250 251.

Li Qiang eventually realized that the Azure Emperor, Heavenly Aunt, and other powerful figures had manipulated events around him. He nevertheless continued because withdrawing would sacrifice Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan’s chance to reincarnate. Their successful reincarnation fulfilled a wish he regarded as deeply personal 254 269.

Return to Earth and inheritance

More than a thousand years after his departure, Li Qiang returned to a technologically transformed Earth. His immediate goals were to revisit home, locate his reincarnated companions when the time was right, and find a suitable recipient for the Flower of Heart Reflection 270.

He later defeated Tianzhen in a contest inside the Primordial Realm and agreed to visit the Illusory God Hall after twenty years. During his search for an inheritor, he worked for a month at the Day and Night Cake Shop, becoming attached to Cai Lihong’s family. He returned when the family faced coercion from a property developer and mobilized his disciples to help them 275 286 288 289.

When Qi Junsha recovered after reincarnation, Li Qiang reaffirmed that he remained his master even as a mortal. In the latest supplied events, Li Qiang sustained the Mortal-Breaking Ultimate with a divine pill, but ultimately exhausted his Divine Yi Power; his Golden Venerable Divine Heart stopped and the technique collapsed 291 297.

Appearance

The Purple Flame Heart completely replaces Li Qiang’s original short, dark-skinned appearance. Immediately afterward, he stands 180 centimeters tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, fair skin, and sharply defined features 1 2.

• Eyes: Long and narrow, initially shining with intimidating brilliance; later described with a golden glimmer 2 189.
• Hair: Worn long, sometimes tied with a ribbon; eventually reaches his waist 4 189.
• Scars: Facial scars become almost invisible after he enters the Leaving the Body Realm, softening his fierce appearance 91.
• Bearing: Often resembles a refined scholar despite his physical strength. Seven Star Heaven allows him to conceal his presence sufficiently to pass as an ordinary, exceptionally handsome man 115 286.
• Clothing: Frequently attracts attention by wearing outfits unsuited to local customs, including modern hiking clothes on Heavenly Court Star and antique-looking garments on his return to Earth 4 270.

Personality

Li Qiang is naturally sociable, generous, and loyal. He dislikes rigid hierarchy, readily jokes with strangers, and prefers friendships that are not constrained by sect seniority or court etiquette. His curiosity extends to local customs and everyday life, which he actively seeks out rather than remaining among officials and experts 1 5 8 46 121.

His easygoing manner conceals a firm and sometimes explosive temperament. Companions describe him as gentle outwardly but unyielding within; threats to those he cares about can provoke extreme violence. Nevertheless, he regrets needless killing, treats wounded opponents, and refuses to exploit helpless enemies 7 44 60 61 95.

A businessman by background, he normally favors negotiation and communication. Rapid growth in divine power sometimes encourages him to rely too heavily on force, particularly when his master or brothers are endangered. He is unusually composed before high-status figures, but remains wary of gifts that may conceal obligations 209 210 247.

His attachment to home survives his cultivation. He refuses to change the name his parents gave him because it connects him to Earth, and ordinary family life still moves him after centuries away. As a prospective guide, he respects the Chongxuan Sect’s requirement that inheritance be accepted voluntarily rather than obtained through coercion or deception 76 286.

Abilities & Skills

Artifact Refinement

Artifact refinement is Li Qiang’s principal specialty and an important source of his cultivation growth 6 31.

• Uses Heart Refining, controlling Samadhi True Fire and True Essence Power with heaven and earth as the furnace 5.
• Designs and modifies formations inside weapons, shields, and other treasures 5 6 31.
• Creates the Black Prison Spears, whose surviving examples later become valuable military weapons and collectors’ items 31.
• Experiments with allowing other cultivators’ True Essence Power into equipment during refinement 56.
• Masters the Condensation Refining Method and enters the ranks of artifact-refining grandmasters through Divine Yi Power 196.
• Early weapons waste energy because their output cannot be adjusted; he identifies this weakness through combat experience 10.

Heavenly Fire

His Purple Flame Heart absorbs Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire, while Fire Essence helps regulate it until it becomes fully controllable 33 48.

• Refines treasures with fire substantially stronger than Samadhi True Fire 48.
• Destroys Ice Spirit Essences and helps penetrate the Mystic Qi guarding the Mysterious Domain Secret Chamber 74.
• Uses fire offensively through techniques such as the Purple Flame Giant Palm and manifested fire phoenixes 63 152.
• Later finds Divine Yi Power superior even to Heavenly Fire as a medium for artifact refinement 196.

Sword and Saber Combat

Li Qiang’s combat methods develop alongside his understanding of his weapons 94 231 232.

• True Illusion Sword Qi: An evolved form of the Star-Absorbing Sword arising from its water-aligned nature balancing his extreme yang treasures 94.
• War Soul Saber control: Initially depends on the scabbard for simple movements; later learns that properly refining the sheath lets him command the saber’s changing forms 191 231 232.
• Limit: Powerful weapons do not erase cultivation gaps. His confrontation with De Liuheng exposes both insufficient refinement and incomplete understanding of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt 234.

Immortal and Buddha Sect Techniques

He combines techniques from multiple traditions rather than restricting himself to one school 96 162.

• Demon-Extinguishing Divine Thunder: A Buddha Sect technique that can be released with a thought once mastered; used against cultivators and devils 115 212.
• Five Immortal Thunders: Uses Divine Yi Power in place of the required immortal spirit Qi. His habit of rapidly stacking Buddha Sect talismans helps him form the seals quickly 162.
• Immortal instructions: Guidance from Gu Xing and Xuan Long lets him understand previously inaccessible instructions recorded by Tianshi 180.
• Devil Restraint: Uses its Seven-Character Immortal Instruction and threatens Chiming with it to prevent attacks on others 174 180.

Teleportation and Restrictions

His mobility progresses from ordinary flight to interplanetary Greater Teleportation 17 192.

• Improves Greater Teleportation’s efficiency through repeated use while traveling with Chiming 192.
• Transports Hou Pijing across planetary distances when teleportation arrays prove too slow 223.
• Uses restrictions to create protective fields, conceal experiments, and open an escape tunnel through the Extremely Profound Ice Eye 180 251.
• Recognizes that anchored divine formations provide stronger protection than rapidly deployed restrictions formed solely from Divine Yi Power 296.

External Avatar

With Chiming’s assistance, Li Qiang develops the External Avatar Divine Ability using Seven-Aperture Exquisite Insects and a Black Devil Realm technique 232.

• Creates sentient Gold Puppets and Soul Puppets 232.

Primordial Realm Authority

Within the Primordial Realm, Li Qiang can manipulate the environment to an extent that changes the balance against stronger opponents 275.

• Reshapes terrain and evades Tianzhen’s divine artifact to win their contest 275.
• Offers to teach Chiming how to use the realm’s power 275.
• The realm becomes a destination for migrating Sealed Fate Planet cultivators, with Qian Shanyong organizing their settlement 286.

Mortal-Breaking Ultimate

A great Divine Ability intended to break free of restraints 288.

• Activates it through successive sets of 120 Divine Spirit Instruction hand seals 288.
• His cultivation is initially insufficient to break the space imprisoning him 288.
• Sustaining it eventually exhausts his Divine Yi Power despite his use of the purple Treasure Flame Assembling and Pillaring Divine Pill 297.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Storage Bracelet — Fu Shan’s early gift; stores clothing, materials, Immortal Stones, and equipment 1 5.
• Crimson Flame Dragon Shield — An early defensive treasure that Li Qiang modifies to include an offensive formation 5 6.
• Eagle Strike Crossbow — A palm-sized, eagle-shaped wrist weapon designed by Fu Shan and refined by Li Qiang; releases golden eagle attacks 6 7.
• Hundred-Blade Spear — An early weapon with eight overlapping, rotating blade edges. A spear bearing this name is consumed by the Star Palace’s purple flame and later appears among his Black Prison refinement projects 6 18 31.
• Star-Absorbing Sword — A water-aligned sword that develops into True Illusion Sword Qi; powerful against cultivators but inadequate on its own against immortals 94 115 133.
• Armor — Uses the Shadow Dream Armor, Billowing Essence Battle Armor, Fire Essence Immortal Armor, Extinction Heaven Divine Armor, Heaven-Pillaring Divine Armor, and Evolving Incantation Divine Armor at different points 18 45 152 183 220 234.
• Supreme Radiance Shuttle — An immortal artifact repeatedly refined by Li Qiang; later appears as two half-moon-shaped pieces above his head 133 173 189.
• Purple Bracer — His first refined treasure possessing divine-artifact properties. He initially avoids using it around crowds because of its destructive potential 156.
• War Soul Saber and Sheath — A shape-changing divine weapon controlled through its sheath; later housed in a protrusion on his divine armor’s shoulder 191 232.
• Ninefold Evolving Gilt — A divine artifact used for attacks, transforming golden claws, and teleporting himself and companions together 234 250 251.
• Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin — Imprisons powerful beasts’ Primordial Spirits; careless testing releases creatures whose effects overwhelm his protective field 180.
• Beiye Pill Cauldron and Beiye Heavenly Scripture — Resources for divine-pill refinement; Li Qiang plans to use the cauldron to heal Xuan Long 220 223.
• Sacred Fruit Olives — Replenish Divine Yi Power and assist cultivation, though he considers eating them directly wasteful compared with refining divine pills 183 220.
• Flower of Heart Reflection — A foundation-establishment inheritance treasure he refines using fire origin crystal and extreme cold. Finding a compatible, willing recipient becomes a major objective after his return to Earth 203 286 288.

Relationships

• Fu Shan — Cultivation guide and elder brother figure. Waits five years for Li Qiang’s consent to leave Earth and remains fiercely protective of the path he introduced him to 1 127.
• Hou Pijing — Elder brother figure and Sacred King of the Gusong Kingdom. Helps rescue Li Qiang from the Black Prison and later travels with him 36 223.
• Qi Junsha — Master, initially through forced discipleship. Their mutual teasing develops into affection; Li Qiang continues acknowledging him after his reincarnation as a mortal 76 82 291.
• Mo Huaiyuan — Elder brother, teacher, and close friend. His rescue and eventual reincarnation are among Li Qiang’s highest priorities 244 269.
• Zhao Hao — Elderly disciple who accompanies him from his early travels. Later acts on his orders during the attempt to protect the cake-shop family 5 6 289.
• Nashan — Black Prison follower who petitions to become his disciple; remains a trusted companion whom Li Qiang calls upon after returning to Earth 36 286 289.
• Hong Qian — Chongxuan Sect junior who addresses him as martial uncle. Li Qiang teaches him on Ming Zhiyuan’s behalf without requiring him to abandon his original master 46 98.
• Mei Jingjing — Close companion whom he rescues from the pill-chamber conspiracy. Their emotional Black Prison reunion shows their mutual attachment 24 36.
• Qiao Yuhong — Fellow captive who admires him and develops a strong attachment; separation and his closeness to Mei Jingjing leave her distressed 27 36.
• Paben — Companion who shields him from an ambush and asks him to find his daughter 50.
• Mei’er — Treasured younger-sister figure. Her disappearance contributes to his loss of restraint, and he openly favors her in disputes over her participation in a cultivation competition 142 204.
• Chiming — Former Devil Venerable, traveling companion, and collaborator in developing External Avatar. Li Qiang repeatedly prevents him from harming others 174 232.
• Xuan Long — Immortal ally and instructor. Li Qiang rescues him from the Seven Sacred Envoys of Boyu and promises to heal him with divine pills 180 223.
• Qian Shanyong — Initially an intimidating opponent, later an ally who recognizes Li Qiang as someone he can treat as an equal 183 204 210.
• Azure Emperor — Accepts Li Qiang as a disciple, but is also among the experts whose manipulation Li Qiang later recognizes 235 254.
• High Person Yuangu / Heavenly Aunt — Powerful benefactor whose restraints, gifts, and hidden intentions make him wary 209 210 254.
• Tianzhen — Pressures him to visit the Illusory God Hall and threatens his reincarnated friends; concedes defeat after their Primordial Realm contest 275.
• Little White — Silver puppy released from the Suppressing Tranquility Intent Origin and named by Li Qiang; later accompanies him and Mei’er 180 193.
• Cai Lihong, Uncle Qi, and Qi Xiaorong — Cake-shop family whose warmth briefly makes him feel at home. He later intervenes against the developer threatening their property 286 289.

Notable Quotes

“My parents gave me my name. Since leaving my homeland, only this name still reminds me where home is. So I absolutely won't change it!” 76

“If everyone is indifferent to their companions, who can you count on to help when something happens to you? From now on, everyone must help and care for one another.” 27

“Let them go! I'm above taking advantage of someone in distress.” 95

“As long as I can rescue my master and big brother Mo, nothing else matters.” 232

“Even if you're a mortal after reincarnating, I still acknowledge you as my master.” 291