Zhang Xueyan

Biography

Erfan Representative and Rivalry with Yeorum

Zhang Xueyan enters the competition as one of Erfan Guild's prominent cadets and repeatedly acts as a buffer for her teammates, restraining O Wong and speaking for the anxious Ling Ling during a hostile interview. That loyalty also places her directly against Yeorum. Their filmed match ends in five seconds when Yeorum disrupts the mana flow on which Zhang's defensive swordplay depends, then uses Zhang's defeat to taunt Zhou Luxun. Zhang thereafter shares Erfan's antagonism toward Yeorum, including openly laughing when her group gains an advantage during the fissure raid. (Chapters 106, 111, 121)

The Collapse of Erfan's Ranking Strategy

During the later ranking campaign, Zhang initially helps calm Lyun and joins her guildmates in celebrating Zhou's apparent success. Yeorum's systematic challenge strategy then turns Zhang's hard-earned points into a liability: repeated losses drive her from Rank 15 to Rank 19 and leave her crying to her guardians about the approaching cutoff. Faced with another scheduled defeat, she refuses to enter until someone consumes Yeorum's available challenge, contributing to the breakdown of Erfan's collective discipline as individual cadets begin protecting their own rankings. (Chapters 154–156)

Appearance and personality

No detailed physical description is established. Zhang is protective and socially alert around Erfan's cadets, stepping between O Wong and a confrontation and answering questions for the fragile Ling Ling. That solidarity has a harsher side: she participates in her guild's mockery of rivals, and sustained ranking losses expose how strongly she values the points earned through earlier work. Under that pressure, her composure gives way to anger, fear, and tears. (Chapters 106, 121, 154–156)

Powers and abilities

Zhang is introduced as an Erfan ranker candidate specializing in gentle swordplay. She creates and controls an unusual flow of mana, redirecting incoming attacks while waiting for openings. This defensive method is suited to attrition and is said to work even against professors, giving her a favorable theoretical matchup against aggressive opponents who commit heavily to attacks. (Chapter 111)

The style depends on maintaining its surrounding mana flow. Yeorum's Karl-Gullakwa pulsations destabilize that mana, destroying Zhang's control and leaving her unable to redirect or avoid the follow-up attacks; the bout ends within five seconds. Later ranking defeats show that she has not found an answer to Yeorum's approach within the period shown, although the details of those rematches are not described. (Chapters 111, 155–156)

Relationships

• Ling Ling: Zhang protects Ling Ling in tense public situations, speaks on her behalf during an interview, and remains one of her close Erfan peers.
• Zhou Luxun: They share Erfan's competitive interests. Yeorum deliberately marks Zhang with Zhou's initials after defeating her, using Zhang as the vehicle for a warning directed at him.
• Yeorum: Zhang's loyalty to Erfan makes her an early social and combat opponent of Yeorum. Repeated losses to Yeorum later threaten her ranking and help fracture her willingness to follow Erfan's schedule.
• Lyun: Zhang attempts to restrain the head guardian when his anger risks escalation, but later turns to him in distress when Erfan's plan fails to protect her points.

Items

Zhang uses a sword for her gentle swordplay, but no individually named or otherwise notable personal item is established.