Chen Ping'an

Overview

Chen Ping'an (陈平安) is the central protagonist of the series. Rising from exceedingly humble beginnings as a poverty-stricken orphan in Mud Bottle Alley (泥瓶巷) of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven (骊珠洞天), he forged a legendary path to become the Last Hidden Official (末代隐官) of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, the Mountain Lord of Luopo Mountain (落魄山山主), and the National Teacher of the Dali Empire (大骊国师). Following a heaven-defying dual path of cultivation, he is both an Immortal Realm (仙人境) Sword Cultivator and an Ultimate Realm (止境) Pure Martial Artist. He is the closed-door disciple of the Confucian Wen Sage (文圣) and the founder of the Qingping Sword Sect (青萍剑宗).

Appearance

In his early years, Chen Ping'an was a scrawny, deeply tanned youth who habitually wore simple, worn-out straw sandals (草鞋) and carried a bamboo basket. As he matured and ventured further into the cultivation world, his attire transitioned to that of a refined wanderer. He is most commonly seen wearing a pristine green scholar's robe (青衫长袍), black cloth shoes (布鞋), and a white jade hairpin (玉簪). He carries a sword on his back and perpetually hangs a vermilion sword-nurturing gourd (养剑葫) from his waist. On the battlefield, he is known to don the Immortal-tier Golden Dharma Robe known as Jin Li (金醴), which manifests phenomena of golden dragons swimming in a sea of clouds.

Personality

Chen Ping'an is defined by his unyielding moral compass, an incredible capacity for enduring hardship, and a relentless desire to "reason" (讲道理) with the world. Because his natal porcelain was shattered early in life, he experienced extreme misfortune and suffering, causing him to become exceptionally cautious, meticulous, and frugal. He firmly believes in establishing boundaries, evaluating right and wrong, and examining the magnitude of actions before acting. Despite facing immense malice from the world, he maintains a pure, childlike kindness, striving to be a good person so that his deceased parents' reputation is honored. However, if words and reasoning fail to persuade malicious individuals, he will not hesitate to use his fists and his sword to mete out justice.

Cultivation

Chen Ping'an walks a heaven-defying dual path, cultivating both his physical body and his spiritual qi to the highest echelons.

• Pure Martial Artist (纯粹武夫): Mentored initially in the foundational stances of the "Mountain Shaking Manual" (撼山谱) and later pushed to his limits by Cui Cheng, he reached the 10th Realm (Ultimate Realm / 止境), specifically the "Qi Sheng" (气盛) layer. He possesses an incredibly sturdy physique and unmatched fist intent, capable of fighting toe-to-toe with supreme martial entities.
• Qi Refiner (练气士): As a Sword Cultivator (剑修), he reached the Immortal Realm (仙人境) and actively strives for the mythical 14th Realm. His cultivation foundation integrates the Five Elements through extremely rare natal items, including a Water Seal (水字印) and Dali's Five-Colored Earth (五色土).

Abilities

• Natal Flying Swords (本命飞剑):
  • Caged Sparrow (笼中雀): A terrifying sword that creates an inescapable, self-contained small world/domain (小天地) where Chen Ping'an dictates the rules.
  • Moon in the Well (井中月 / 井口月): Capable of dividing into hundreds of thousands of microscopic flying swords to form inescapable sword arrays.
  • Qingping (青萍): Formed from his profound connection to the Great Wall and its long-qi sword.
  • Beidou (北斗): His fourth natal flying sword.
• Swords: Wields the longsword Night Tour (夜游), forged from a broken tip of the ancient Immortal Sword Taibai, and the sword Duckweed (浮萍). He also utilizes the dagger Caomo (曹沫) (formerly Zhaolu/朝露) for assassinations.
• Golden Dharma Robe "Jin Li" (金醴法袍): An ancient Immortal-tier robe that originally belonged to an ocean dragon, granting him immense physical defense.
• Martial Techniques: Mastered powerful moves such as the Divine Man Beating the Drum (神人擂鼓式) and Iron Cavalry Breaking the Formation (铁骑凿阵式).

Relationships

• Ning Yao (宁姚): His Dao companion and the love of his life. A peerless sword cultivator from the Great Wall of Sword Qi.
• Wen Sage (老秀才 / 文圣): His revered master, who took Chen Ping'an as his closed-door disciple.
• Qi Jingchun (齐静春): His senior brother and a pivotal early mentor who protected him and guided his moral compass.
• Cui Chan (崔瀺): His eldest senior brother and the former Dali National Teacher. A highly complex figure who orchestrated agonizing trials for Chen Ping'an to force his growth.
• Cui Dongshan (崔东山): His student/disciple, possessing the splintered soul of Cui Chan. Highly devoted to Chen Ping'an and serves as the first sect master of Qingping Sword Sect.
• Disciples: Pei Qian (裴钱 - opening disciple), Cao Qinglang (曹晴朗), Zhao Shuxia (赵树下), Guo Zhujiu (郭竹酒), Ning Ji (宁吉), and Deng Jianping (邓剑枰).

Affiliations

• Luopo Mountain (落魄山): Mountain Lord and ultimate founder.
• Great Wall of Sword Qi (剑气长城): The Last Hidden Official (末代隐官).
• Qingping Sword Sect (青萍剑宗): Founder.
• Dali Empire (大骊王朝): National Teacher (国师).

Story / Arc

Chen Ping'an was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (五月初五) in the poverty-stricken Mud Bottle Alley of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven. His parents died when he was very young, leaving him to survive on scraps and the occasional kindness of neighbors. He eventually became an apprentice at a local porcelain kiln. Unbeknownst to him, his destiny was secretly suppressed because his natal porcelain (本命瓷) had been deliberately shattered, leaving him devoid of natural luck or spiritual roots.

His life shifted irreversibly when outside cultivators entered the small town searching for fortuitous encounters. After narrowly surviving several assassination attempts by arrogant immortals, Chen Ping'an acquired foundational cultivation manuals and began practicing martial stances to stay alive. He soon crossed paths with the local sage Qi Jingchun, who saw his potential and tasked him with escorting Li Baoping and others to the Shanya Academy in the Great Sui Empire.

Following this escort mission, Chen Ping'an traveled across multiple continents to deliver a sword to Ning Yao at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, cementing their deep bond. He returned to his homeland and established his base at Luopo Mountain. There, he endured horrific, life-threatening martial arts training under the brutal tutelage of the tenth-realm martial artist Cui Cheng, which forged him an unparalleled physical foundation.

During the apocalyptic war against the Wild World (蛮荒天下), Chen Ping'an rose to become the Last Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, leading the defense alongside the city's sword immortals. He was trapped in the battlefield and forced to merge with half of the Great Wall to hold back the demon hordes, enduring immense suffering as countless demonic true names were stitched into his flesh by the seamstress Nian Xin.

After finally returning to the Haoran World, he helped rebuild the fractured continents, founded the Qingping Sword Sect as a lower sect to Luopo Mountain, and assumed the role of Dali's National Teacher following Cui Chan's passing. In the culmination of his journey, Chen Ping'an ascended to the heavens to battle the supreme entity Zhou Mi, wielding his swords to cut open the sky and defend the human realm.

Quotes

• "My name is Chen Ping'an, the Ping'an of safe and sound, and I am a swordsman." (我叫陈平安，平平安安的平安，我是一名剑客。)
• He frequently asserts that if the Heavenly Dao collapses, he will rely on his solitary sword to move mountains, overturn seas, subdue demons, and open the sky.