Zhao Yidong

Zhao Yidong is a Starry Quarter Rainbow cultivator whose highly anticipated ranking attempt is eclipsed by Bai Xiaochun, even as Bai's unconventional advice helps him advance farther. (Chapters 420–427)

Biography

The Starry Sky Ranking Trial

Zhao Yidong begins his run with the attention of the surrounding cultivators, who hope to see him enter the top one thousand. That prominence steadily disappears as Bai Xiaochun's unusual progress through earlier challenges draws every eye away, despite Zhao already reaching the fourth trial. On its lightning bridge, Zhao advances halfway only through severe effort and reacts with scorn when Bai appears to enjoy the punishment. He rejects Bai's suggestion that making noise will ease the crossing, but after reaching his own limit he reconsiders and tries the method. The change carries him thirty meters beyond where he otherwise would have stopped. Thus, although Bai's performance humiliates and overshadows him, Zhao makes a practical last-minute choice to imitate it and gains measurable progress. The corpus does not record his final ranking, later response, or fate. (Chapters 420–427)

Appearance and personality

No physical description of Zhao Yidong is supplied. He is proud of his trial performance, grim when overtaken, and openly rude when Bai offers advice. He is not wholly inflexible, however: once his own method fails, he tests the suggestion despite his anger and benefits from it. No later personality development is shown. (Chapters 420–427)

Abilities and cultivation

Zhao reaches the fourth Starry Sky Dao Polarity ranking challenge and crosses roughly half of a lightning-filled bridge through endurance. After reaching his limit, altered breathing or vocalization lets him travel another thirty meters. The corpus does not explain why this helps, state his cultivation realm, name any technique, confirm that he completed the bridge, or give his resulting rank. (Chapters 420–427)

Relationships

• Bai Xiaochun: Bai unintentionally steals the attention from Zhao's ranking run, overtakes him on the bridge, and gives advice Zhao angrily rejects before secretly adopting it.
• Starry Quarter spectators: They begin focused on Zhao's attempt to reach the top one thousand, but abandon that interest as Bai's performance becomes more extraordinary.