#i love hua chengs true form

[arsoniiii]

THESE TWO

[lazyrunawayphilosopher]

No matter what form he is in, his fond smile remains the same.

[sisyphusslnabyss-sent-to-abyss]

Im not a Xie lian kinnie because of trauma. Im a Xie lian kinnie because I think it’s really hot when someone is obsessed with me

[elliotski]

I know that this has probably already been said before, but I just need to say how dear Hua Cheng’s ‘San Lang’ form is to me.

Like, I don’t think it’s ever explicit stated why Hua Cheng chose to appear before Xie Lian as he did on the ox cart, but I think that there are many reasons.

The first being that he just really wanted to get close to his god without the fear of being rejected because he was a ghost king. Hua Cheng’s low self esteem (at least in regards to his looks) is something that is very explicitly stated in the novels and is an important factor how he chooses to present himself to Xie Lian.

Hua Cheng has spent his entire life hearing vitriol being spit at him, being told that he is monstrous and deformed. Undoubtedly, he had to do some pretty nasty things in order to firmly establish and maintain his rank as a ghost king. I wonder if he’s still haunted by the things said to him and if the things that he had to do ever made him feel like he’s proving those things to be true.

In being ‘San Lang’ Hua Cheng was able to shed all things that he has done as a ghost king and that past that haunts him and just exist as a companion to his beloved.

‘San Lang’ is who Hua Cheng would be if everything was perfect. He is a smart lordling who has run away from home. He is someone who had a home to run away from and the money to have a proper education. He is not the street rat that was run out of a family that should have loved him because of a superstitious belief and economic stress.

It’s the idea that Hua Cheng has specifically created that body with a vision of a kinder past—a vision of what should have been—that really gets me.

[heartinhyacinth]

Something that I’ve always loved about Hualian is that throughout the series, people had warned Xie Lian of Hua Cheng left and right, told him various horror stories, rumors of cruelty and malice, etc., and yet…Hua Cheng never once (as far as I can remember) tried to counter the accusations with words. He never defended himself or his actions to Xie Lian, never told him of the ways it was false or not as bad as it sounds.

At times, he even went as far as to do the opposite, one example being when Xie Lian said he’d heard rumors of eming (to which Hua Cheng responds, “like how it’s evil, forged from the blood of a living sacrifice?”); when Xie Lian brushed them off as only rumors that shouldn’t be taken at face value, Hua Cheng only smiled (in the donghua at least, we couldn’t see his reaction in the novel considering Xie Lian’s back was to him), and didn’t say anything else on the matter, not refuting or confirming whether it was true, nor proving the details that would surely paint him in a much better light than Xie Lian’s colleagues had.

He’s always let Xie Lian form his own opinions on things, and that includes himself.

Much like the novels themselves, Hua Cheng takes a very “show don’t tell” approach to things. He doesn’t need to tell Xie Lian he can trust him, that he’d never harm him, and that he has reasons for doing what he does. Xie Lian already knows this. He’s shown it to him in his actions. If he had to say the words for Xie Lian to believe him, he’d have seen it as a failure to live up to them. It’s very in character for him imo—he hates hypocrisy and hates when people say one thing and then do another. So it makes sense that he would simply sit back and trust that Xie Lian would see him for who he is.

It’s all very similar to the fact that they don’t say “I love you” throughout all eight books (which I absolutely adore and I’ll make a separate post on soon).

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

I like the "Hua Cheng is actually an eldritch abomination and Xie Lian is just wearing rose-coloured glasses" joke as a joke. I love all the memes and the art it inspired. I don't think it's actually true, and I think it's important to Hua Cheng's character that for all his power and for all his facade of confidence, he has -1000 self esteem and it's his own view of himself that's skewed, not Xie Lian's.

ALL THAT SAID. I also think it'd be adorable if Hua Cheng's true form has """imperfections""" in a very normal way. He's got slightly crooked teeth, and one dimple so his smile is kind of asymmetrical, his nose was broken once and his true form still has the bend to it, and he's got a few random moles. And even though he's objectively gorgeous and those are all just everyday human features, he fixates on those perceived """flaws""" and hates them. Meanwhile, Xie Lian adores every single one of them because he knows that when he's seeing those little asymmetries and quirks, he's seeing the real San Lang.

*excess quotation marks to indicate that I am not saying these things are actually flaws.

[sisislair]

Thoughts on the importance of ghost city arc to building up Hualian's relationship.

Hua Cheng showing Xie Lian his true form as promised. Xie Lian getting to see him in his role as ruler of the ghost city, and not casting any judgement on it. He already trusts Hua Cheng enough to wholey believe he won't let things get out of hand in the gambling den.

God the gambling cup scene. What can I even say? The tenderness, the obvious teasing in this moment of intense intimacy. The shared bun. How obviously he dotes on him from the very beginning.

And it's not like Xie Lian trusts him blindly! He is very aware that Hua Cheng could very well be behind the missing official giving the timing. He just doesn't believe that Hua Cheng goes around killing or kidnapping people willy nilly. So when the waning moon officer is acting suspicious, he gladly latches onto another possible explanation for what's going on, but he doesn't fully dismiss his suspicions.

Trust but verify.

I always love reading Xie Lian's introduction to paradise manor, because it is so blindingly obvious that Hua Cheng is trying to court him. But he still leaves enough room for interpretation that if Xie Lian doesn't want this, he can pass it off as a joke. Just being in his presence, being able to feed him and offer shelter is enough for him.

And luckily for him it is working! Xie Lian is a bit overwhelmed at times by how much Hua Cheng gives him, but you can also tell that he deeply cherishes it.

And he is so excited about the armory! Hua Cheng set this up specifically for him, and the only reward he desires is getting to see Xie Lian's reaction to it. To see Xie Lian get to express himself in genuine happiness, to share love in an interest that they both have, truly I think that is the happiest both of them have been in a long time.

Of course the time that Xie Lian spends with him as San lang in book 1 is important! It's vital for establishing their initial rapport with each other, as well as the beginnings of trust. But it is under false identity. Ghost city allows both of them to interact for the first time both fully knowing who the other person is, and what that means for each of them.

They get to just bond and exist together for a bit during this arc, and that's very important to building up their relationship enough to see through some of the things ahead.

[jemkha]

I love that tweet about the headcanon that Hua Cheng’s true form is actually really scary (and the only reason it seems otherwise is bc TGCF is from Xie Lian’s biased POV). Because in the actual text, even Xie Lian describes Hua Cheng as looking wicked and evil.

Like Xie Lian’s biased POV could not even cover up how scary this dude is. It still slipped past the rose-colored glasses.

Xie Lian’s first impression of Hua Cheng’s true form at the gambler’s den:

In the cave of ten thousand gods:

And when Xie Lian had amnesia:

Even the sound of his voice during….umm

And I love all that fanart of him looking like literal slenderman

[emotionaldisaster909]

I’m losing my mind SO HARD over full-body shots of Hua Cheng,

because T H I S is my precious little novel-accurate stickman

who’s got SUCH “Top or bottom, what’s the difference?” ENERGY

just look at him, oh my god

I mean there’s nothing wrong in wanting to draw a beefy sexy wardrobe of a man

but this is his true form

and he has literally been malnourished his whole mortal life

and a good design tells you a story

and while size difference is cool, i love that their similar constitution highlights them being equal

in strength, in mind, in complexity

because that’s what hua cheng always wanted - to catch up to xie lian

and that’s what they both need

because just look at them go together

they radiate equality, understanding, mutuality, genuine human connection

and i adore them for this, and i adore donghua for this u-y

[xielianlover2]

I want to talk about unconditional forgiveness and how crucial it is for Xie Lian to have someone who offers it to him with no strings attached.

Throughout Xie Lian's life, he experiences numerous falls from grace, each one more devastating than the last. He goes from being a beloved crown prince and a renowned god to a figure of scorn and bad luck. The weight of his past and the suffering he has endured often make him question his own worthiness and ability to protect others.

Which is why, for Xie Lian, Hua Cheng's forgiveness is a lifeline. Knowing that there is someone who believes in him, no matter what, allows Xie Lian to forgive himself and move forward. In a world where divine beings are often portrayed as infallible, we see by the end, that pretty much every god has their own flaws and that even those with immense power are not immune to making grievous errors in judgment.

I think Hua Cheng’s forgiveness also symbolizes a deeper, transformative love. It’s a love that goes beyond mere acceptance; it’s a commitment, a promise, a vow to stand by Xie Lian no matter what, and that's what makes his love so rare and beautiful. It's such a stark contrast to the judgment Xie Lian has faced from his people and other gods. While his own friends basically turned their backs on him, Hua Cheng remained his most loyal and devoted believer. His cheerleader, for a lack of better words. Hua Cheng embodies the truest form of compassion– understanding and embracing someone wholly.

Hua Cheng's love and acceptance allow Xie Lian to feel seen and understood in a way that no one else has ever provided. This kind of forgiveness is not about overlooking mistakes or pretending they didn't happen; rather, it's about recognizing the entirety of a person's journey and choosing to embrace them regardless.

Hua Cheng's acceptance allows Xie Lian to be vulnerable about his deepest fears and struggles. It also gives him the ability to ask for something he needs for himself:

"All right... don't say any more. I get it... but... but don't be like this, all right? San Lang? I... I've borrowed so much spiritual power from you that I haven't repaid. And I'm not done telling you all the things that I wanted to say; there's still so much. It's been so long since anyone listened to me talk. Won't you stay? Don't.. don't do this. I won't be able to take it. Twice, it's happened twice already-I really don't want there to be a third time!"

In this moment, Xie Lian’s plea reveals how extremely isolating his life has been. He has been perpetually misunderstood, and I believe that even before his first ascension, he has always felt profoundly alone. Throughout his life, Xie Lian has been surrounded by people who either see him through the lens of his past or view him as a mere symbol; a divine god, so therefore flawless and someone beyond approach. It strips away his humanity and the complexities of his true self, unable to be seen as a person with real feelings and imperfections. Even his Feng Xin and Mu Qing put him up in a pedestal, and no matter what happened, no matter how understandable it was, everyone still left him in the end.

Then, to have someone say they understand his everything, from his wisdom to his foolishness, and then also wholeheartedly support him and unconditionally love him? That they never, ever left him, that they've always been there, constant and unchanging in their love, in their devotion? That must have felt life-changing to him. Something groundbreaking and pivotal.

He is essentially begging for the one person who understands him completely—and who accepts him unconditionally despite everything—not to leave him. When Xie Lian begs Hua Cheng to stay, it is not just a request for physical presence but a desperate need for emotional reassurance and acceptance. For Hua Cheng is Xie Lian's safe haven where he can express his deepest fears and unspoken desires, a place of solace and affirmation that he has long been missing from everyone else.

[baiwu-jinji]

I read the new TGCF extra about Xie Lian seeing Hua Cheng half awake with dishevelled hair and no eye patch, and Hua Cheng got really insecure about gege seeing his unkempt appearance, not realising that what XL loves is his true appearance without any disguise or beautification.

In this chapter, both XL and HC had moments of self-doubt and insecurity despite the fact that they've always given each other endless reassurance and approval, which is very human (although neither of them are). When HC rushed out of bed in the morning because he didn't want XL to see his blind eye, XL's first reaction was to doubt and question himself about whether he did anything wrong to upset HC - and yet we see HC telling XL in the same chapter that "dianxia will never not be good". And even though XL thinks HC is the most goregous person he's ever seen, HC is still insecure about his disfigurement and only wants to show his perfect side to XL (and even when it's HC who said "what matters is you and not the state of you" to XL, he doesn't seem to realise that this applies to XL's perception of him too).

XL eventually persuaded HC to let down his guard and show his true form, and I love the description of it: "He's no longer using his disguised appearance; a few strands of long hair hang loosely in front of his hollow eye, a little ghastly and fearsome, a little tragically beautiful." XL loves HC's ghastly hollow eye as much as his glamorous beauty because the hollow eye is a testament to all of HC's struggles and pain, and XL understands HC's suffering and feels deep sorrow and empathy for the tragedy of it.

What I also find interesting is when HC tells XL that the chopsticks he's using is made from the bone of a jade demon, and XL jokingly asks HC if he obtained the bone by beating the demon up, HC answers: "No way! What kind of bad guy does gege take me to be? Why would San Lang hit someone for no reason?" I find this to be a contrast to the amoral attitude HC showed when XL expressed concern about the Gambler's Den in chapter 40. Back then HC didn't care if hosting deadly gambling games is moral or not, because "someone's got to run this place". But in this extra, HC cares about XL's opinion and wants to be good. Did XL tame HC in a moral sense? hehe

[misakidraconia]

I find it really unfair that writers are insulted because they write Heaven Official Blessing fics with female readers. I believe that it is everyone's right to fantasize despite the character's love interest. And in any case it is not necessarily true that the character is actually only gay( Hua cheng still loves the female form of xie lian no?), it could be that pansexual, bisexual but this doesn't only apply to this fandom but in general, I don't understand so much hate on this thing I find it very unfair we all love these characters why deprive ourselves of a fic just for our gender. I understand that it can be annoying but at least don't spit venom in the comments of the fics, just scroll, **everyone has the right to do what they want**

My question is why so much Badness ?❤️🤷🏻‍♀️

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

It is always funny to me the silly tropey reveal of hua cheng's true form after all his insistence about being ugly being... a normal handsome man with an eyepatch LMAO

BUT lowkey I also kind of love it. I love that he is so horrified for Xie Lian to see him as he truly is, not because his true form is actually literally monstrous, but because he saw himself as an ugly monster long before he become a ghost king. It's just really beautiful that he receives Xie Lian's love and appreciation and benediction for like... a normal person being self conscious about his appearance in a very normal way. Hua Cheng doesn't feel ugly because he is inhuman, he feels ugly because of his humanity

[hualianschild]

let's talk abt hua cheng and the way his entire *almost* existence relates back to xie lian cuz it's been my current roman empire, his name having the word 'hua' which means 'flower' can be seen as relating to xie lian's god name (the flower crowned martial god), also he's called crimson rain sought flower cuz he was shielding a lone white flower (also represents xie lian) from the blood rain (he can be the said 'flower' in that rain too actually), that red coral pearl on his hair braid ? it belongs to xie lian, that red string tied around his finger, xie lian tied strands of his hair around that finger which represents marriage and ofc the red-string-of-fate soulmate trope, he has xie lian's name tattooed on him in his terrible writing, made an entire city just so his love can come there and rest and build a temple there so he can worship him and remained his only devotee when xl lost everything (that thing abt gods being in existence as long as there is someone to worship them) he gave up on becoming a god cuz then who will be worshipping his god ?? isn't afraid to show his true form to xl which he never did to anyone, destroyed those thirty three gods cuz they ridiculed his gege, took lqq along with him to qi rong's den so he can clear the false accusations even if xl didn't want him to CUZ YOU WILL NAWT BE HATING HIS DIANXIA OVER THINGS HE NEVER DID i mean his entire existence is because xie lian said 'if you can't find any reason to live, make me your reason to live' and oh isn't that level of devotion and love so devastating ?

[revel-inbluehues]

This is very much an essay. Consider this my praise for s2ep9. I'll fangirl in another post.

Xie Lian acknowledged that he's never seen Hua Cheng angry, but he approached him without any fear or worry. Even after he was unexpectedly paralysed, he still didn't doubt the fact that HC would never hurt. While he was confused and nervous, he still trusted HC with his life, despite having been out into a paralysis, and doesn't doubt HC's intentions for even a second.

Hua Cheng is angrier than we've ever seen him. He wasn't fazed at all by anything in season 1 except when XL mentioned being hurt or was hurt. He had, in the previous episodes, watched as the love of his existence discredit himself and hold back his tears. Even earlier, HC had accidently hurt him. Now, he gets to vent the anger at himself for his helplessness, anger at the Lang Qianqiu for his ignorance and anger at Qi Rong for his schemes. He is angry and one of the many people who hurt and mocked XL was in front of him. With every insult against XL, HC only gets angrier.

For the next part, I'd like to mention that LQQ in his daruma form is adorable and I laughed when he jumped out like a pokeball.

Onto the more serious look, LQQ is angry as well, but a lot more confused and the donghua team did a great job at expressing. He shifted between denial, confusion, reassurance and anger as he battles the words between XL and QR, and the donghua team did brilliantly to express this. The music was appropriately dramatic. It feels sharp, more like battle music, and paused and played at the right moments to increase the drama. He'd rather trust the man he thinks murdered his whole family rather than face the possibility that he condemned the wrong person and he lived a large portion of his life based on a lie, hating a person who might not have deserved and letting the men who did commit the murder get away with it (to some extent). Even Prince Anle was honoured as a friend of the king in death rather than a traitor to the nation.

Speaking of XL's words to LQQ, the fact that he yelled against QR's words the moment he could talk was a testament to his nerves and desperation and a shock to both LQQ and QR. It is an absolutely absurd situation from LQQ's view. He's watching a man argue that he was the guilty party behind the murders when normally, people would be trying to blame each other and prove themselves innocent. It's very obvious the XL is hiding something but LQQ chooses not to chase the answers and settles with XL's story because if it isn't true, then he would have to reevaluate the past few centuries and face the reality that his personal feelings blinded him to the facts, not that anyone can quite blame him for it. Meanwhile, Qi Rong is shocked because, from his view, a random man showed up and called him a liar, despite him very much telling the truth, or what he believes to be the truth.

When Xie Lian is talking about his second demotion, I love how they cut to HC, softer now that he was looking XL. HC knows exactly why his 'heart was uncertain' but he is also clearly hoping that part of it was because XL missed Wu Ming and he mourned him. The implications is something that novel readers can see and cry about; XL's second shackle was his own punishment for getting Wu Ming killed and it was sign that he did care for Wu Ming, the nameless ghost, his last believer. However, HC doesn't know that. He can only hope that he occupied a modicum of XL's heart but never think of asking because he's afraid of the answer. His love may be unconditional, but rejection would hurt and meaning nothing to XL would be a painful existence for him. In a single frame, I see the love, hope and adoration that HC has for XL.

There are a lot of good Hualian scenes in this episode. There is a lot more casual touches, where Xie Lian is trying to calm HC down and HC is too angry to be panicking about it. The irony is absolutely not lost when QR asks about who'd worship XL and make statues of him while HC, XL's most devoted follower who carved thousands of statues of him, was standing right there.

XL takes every one of QR's insults with a smile because he genuinely isn't offended. It's hard to be insulted by children's jabs after everything he went through. To him, it isn't a big deal, while HC was only getting progressively angrier at QR for insulting him. The moment QR insulted HC, however, was when XL instantly turned to violence, striking before he could fully finish. It wasn't that big of an insult, calling HC blind, but it was enough of a transgression that XL slapped him like a fly. To XL, HC quickly became someone he cared for, respected and wanted by his side, for what was probably the first time in forever. It only makes sense for XL to be viciously protective of the first person that he cared for on a personal level rather than 'the world should be protected' stance. Meanwhile, HC was genuinely surprised by XL's actions. While he would protect XL against everything, he was never expecting that protection returned but HC, in his insecurity and devotion, does not fully understand the fact that, while true devotion can be one-sided, true love can't be. XL does care deeply for HC, a fact that he hasn't comprehended yet.

Even when Hua Cheng blocks Feng Xin with E-Ming, he is extremely gentle. He knows that all of this is going to hurt XL but it needed to happen and Hua Cheng was there to catch. It was also fascinating to see Lang Qianqiu realise that he won't be able to stop Xie Lian from killing Qi Rong if it came down to it and there was a true worry that he might never find out the truth if Xie Lian got through him. On the other hand, Xie Lian was truly desperate; this was a secret he buried, and faced 100 years in a coffin to ensure that it stayed buried. Now, without much of a warning, all of it was coming out and Xie Lian is panicking.

One of my favourite parts in this episode is Qi Rong himself. His voice actor did a brilliant job at portraying the wild, manic and immature personality of Qi Rong. He is somewhat intelligent; you can't survive 800 years without some serious planning, and he did plot the gilded banquet along with other skirmishes everywhere else. However, he is childish and arrogant in a way that the other ghosts aren't. He's powerful enough to stand above other ghosts and too weak to stand as equals with the calamities, so despite his attempt to escape his mediocrity compared to certain others (e.g., Xie Lian and Hua Cheng) failed. His immaturity shines through in the animation. He is the most animated and restless character so far, moving constantly and expressing himself in his limbs a lot more than others. It makes him feel a lot less composed than the others, and his actions cement that. He crawls around, he holds his knees, and he gets red in the face when people don't respond to his riling. It gives a much more maniachal yet silly vision of him. While it doesn't make him a completely terrifying presence like White No-Face, he does make people weary with his antics. He is definitely one of the characters that I hate as people but love as character. I think Qi Rong was the part where the entire donghua team truly and absolutely outdid themselves, even though I do think they do an amazing job every day.

[illuminatedferret]

Back Hugs in Tian Guan Ci Fu:

1. Volume 2, "To Ascend is Human, to Fall Is Also Human", pg. 380

The Deputy State Preceptors hurriedly moved aside, and Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't know whether to act. Seeing that everyone was avoiding him like he was poisonous vermin, the child was shaken and started thrashing even harder, biting and screaming with all his might. "I'm not! I'm not!! I'M NOT!!!" Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, encircling his small form. A voice came from above his head. "You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not." The young child pressed his lips closed tightly, grabbing on to the pair of snow-white sleeves around his waist with a desperate grip. He forced himself to hold back for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't. A stream of tears suddenly rolled down from that round black eye, and he burst out into sobs. Xie Lian embraced him from behind and reiterated with conviction, "It's not you. It's not your fault." Honghong-er whipped around, buried his face in Xie Lian's chest, and wailed.

2. Volume 6, "Cave of Ten Thousand Gods- Faces of the Ten Thousand Gods Revealed", pg. 78-79

Hua Cheng inclined his head slightly- it was like he wanted to glance back but was too afraid to look Xie Lian in the eye. Only the two streaks of blood on his cheek could be seen. "Your Highness, would you please... not tell me?" His voice cracked as he asked. "I'm sorry," Xie Lian said. "Something like this has to be made clear." Hua Cheng didn't need to breathe, but he still sucked in a deep breath. Although his face was awfully pale, he still smiled and replied courteously, "That's true. It's for the best." He was like a criminal on death row, waiting for his sentence. He closed his eye. Yet his eye didn't remain closed for long- soon it snapped open once more as a pair of arms suddenly circled him from behind and caught him in a forceful embrace. Xie Lian buried his face in Hua Cheng's back, but he didn't speak either. Though nothing was said, it was enough. It was a long time before Xie Lian felt the man he was hugging turn around. Hua Cheng fervently returned the embrace, engulfing Xie Lian in his arms.

3. Volume 6, "Warm Words of a Cold Ghost Beguile the Lost Child", pg. 203

And then, Xie Lian abruptly froze. White No-Face was hugging him. As Xie Lian tilted and fell to his knees in a slump, he had been captured by a pair of cold, powerful arms that pulled him into a lifeless embrace. At some point, White No-Face had sat down on the ground with him. "So sad, so sad," he murmured. "Your Highness, look. Look at what they've done to you." He whispered softly as he stroked Xie Lian's head, his hands gentle and full of pity. It was like he was petting a wounded puppy or his own gravely ill child on the brink of death. The smiling half of the crying-smiling mask was hidden in the darkness; the moonlight revealed only the half that was crying, looking like genuine tears of grief shed for Xie Lian. Xie Lian remained stiff and curled in on himself, moving no further. The man in white behind him raised his fingers to wipe the filthy mud from Xie Lian's face. He sensed a peculiar kind of loving compassion in the man's touch. Like the embrace of a close friend or a dear family member, it miraculously returned a bit of warmth to Xie Lian's shivering body. He never expected that this sinister creature would be the one to finally offer him compassion.

4. Volume 7, "Dominate Heaven and Earth, Divine Being Breaks Through the Kiln", pg. 19

Xie Lian stood on the giant's palm, one hand pressing the bamboo hat down on his head while the another blocked his face from the snowstorm. The stifling hot air was swept cleanly away, and Xie Lian took a deep breath of fresh, freezing air and shouted: "San Lang-!" The first syllable was still echoing in the air when a pair of arms pulled him into an embrace from behind. Xie Lian stiffened at first, but he relaxed when he looked down and saw red sleeves and silver vambraces circling his waist. A deep, forlorn voice came from above his ear. "...I was about to lose my mind!" Xie Lian hurried to turn around. He cupped his captor's cheeks with his hands and soothed him, "Don't... don't. I'm here... I'm out!" Hua Cheng stood before him. His raven hair was mussed, and there was a lost look in his eye. He gripped the cry-smiling mask Xie Lian hadn't been able to remove no matter how hard he tried, easily tore it off, and tossed it away.

Bonus: Volume 7, "Dominate Heaven and Earth, Divine Being Breaks Through the Kiln", pg. 29-30

Before Xie Lian could finish his thought, the three mountain spirits besieged them together. They surrounded the giant stone statue and pressed firmly inward, trying to crush the state to pieces. The divine state couldn't move a single limb, nor could Xie Lian. He poured all of his strength into getting the statue to push them back, but it didn't budge- and at that point, it was probably powerless to fight back! As he tried to think of another way to escape, he unconsciously took a step backward and bumped into a chest. When he looked back, Hua Cheng grasped his shoulders. "Fight freely! It'll be fine- none of them are a match for you. Nothing in this world can stop you!" His chest was the strongest backing in existence, and in an instant, Xie Lian was brimming with confidence. A refreshing current flowed through his body, and he struck back with all his might.