Zhou De

Zhou De commands the southern warzone during the Berserker–Shaman battle outside Sky Mist City. He sees Su Ming as both a fighter and an opportunity: by assigning him an exceptionally dangerous mission and making other commanders watch, Zhou De attempts to stage a demonstration of battlefield will.

Biography

Freezing Sky and the Ninth Summit

Protected by nine aloof fighters, Zhou De observes Su Ming's growing team and issues his first direct order: Su Ming must carry a black cone to a designated place, regardless of method. Zhou De's authority comes from his appointment by Sky Mist City, so all Berserkers in the southern zone are expected to obey. When Su Ming's force begins moving, Zhou De burns four wooden slips that project his image to the other warzone commanders and invites them to watch a "performance." His plan is therefore not merely tactical; he wants Su Ming's advance to demonstrate how will can unify soldiers and also sees the result as a chance for himself. (Chapters 350–351)

The gamble succeeds in spectacle but not in complete control. Zhou De watches with anticipation as Su Ming leads a thousand people beyond the safer bounds of the warzone. Su Ming fulfills the assignment in his own fashion, then sends his followers back and stays behind alone, asserting a will that Zhou De cannot dictate. Zhou De smiles at the final display, but his feelings become complicated when Su Ming's Bone Sacrifice breakthrough reveals power far beyond what he expected. The same commander who arranged the test is left shocked alongside the battlefield's greatest Berserkers. (Chapters 352–358)

Appearance and personality

Zhou De is introduced as a middle-aged man under guard. He is self-assured, theatrical, and willing to expose a promising subordinate to extreme danger in order to test and display him. He thinks strategically across multiple warzones, yet his expectation that Su Ming will serve his intended performance underestimates Su Ming's independence. His final reaction mixes satisfaction, surprise, and unease rather than simple triumph.

Abilities and cultivation

The text calls Zhou De extraordinarily powerful but does not name his cultivation realm or show a formal advancement. His demonstrated expertise is command: he monitors a broad battle, assigns a precise emplacement mission, and coordinates observers in the other zones. Four wooden slips can burn, fly to distant commanders, and project an illusion of him carrying his message. This is a communication method, not evidence that Zhou De can personally relocate or fight across those distances. His black cone is mission equipment whose exact function is not established in his dossier. Most importantly, command authority does not grant control over another person's will; Su Ming obeys the objective while rejecting Zhou De's preferred manner of obedience. (Chapters 350–354)

Relationships

• Su Ming: Zhou De values and tests Su Ming, but treats his charge as a planned performance. Su Ming completes the mission while refusing to surrender his own judgment, and his unexpected breakthrough leaves Zhou De shaken. (Chapters 350–358)
• Tian Lan Meng: Zhou De includes the western commander among the recipients of his invitation. She chooses to watch Su Ming through a light screen. (Chapter 351)
• Yan Bo and Zi Che: They are officers within Zhou De's zone, but ultimately follow Su Ming's order to withdraw the survivors. (Chapters 350, 353–354)

Items

• Black cone-shaped object: Zhou De sends it with an order that Su Ming place it at a chosen location. Its precise effect is not stated in the available evidence. (Chapter 350)
• Four wooden slips: Consumable long-distance message carriers; each burns and forms an illusory projection of Zhou De before another commander. (Chapters 350–351)