The jianghu of The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre revolves around two legendary weapons — the Heavenly Jian and the Dragon-Slaying Dao — forged from Yang Guo’s Heavy Iron Sword by Guo Jing and Huang Rong. These weapons contain the secrets to overthrowing the Yuan dynasty and dominate the jianghu’s power struggles. The novel, the final installment of the Condor Trilogy, weaves together items from earlier novels while introducing new treasures like the Holy Fire Tablets and the Nine Yang Manual.
Named weapons
The twin legends
- Heavenly Jian (倚天剑 — Yǐtiān Jiàn) — Forged by Guo Jing and Huang Rong from Yang Guo’s Heavy Iron Sword; contains the Book of Wumu (武穆书) hidden inside1
- Dragon-Slaying Dao (屠龙刀 — Túlóng Dāo) — Forged by Guo Jing and Huang Rong; contains the Nine Yin Manual and Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms manual2
Historical weapons
- Heavy Iron Sword (玄铁剑 — Xuántiě Jiàn) — Yang Guo’s iconic weapon from Return of the Condor Heroes, later reforged into the Heavenly Jian and Dragon-Slaying Dao
Character weapons
- Jade Bamboo Sword (玉竹剑 — Yùzhú Jiàn) — Zhou Zhiruo’s sword
- Tiger Saber (虎头刀 — Hǔtóu Dāo) — Xie Xun’s weapon
- Silver Hook (银钩 — Yíngōu) — Yin Susu’s weapon, a pair of silver hooks
Hidden weapons
- Golden Needle (金针 — Jīnzhēn) — Used by various characters as concealed weapons
Manuals & scriptures
The hidden treasures
- Nine Yin Manual (九阴真经 — Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng) — Hidden inside the Dragon-Slaying Dao; contains comprehensive martial arts techniques that counter virtually every known fighting style3
- Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms Manual (降龙十八掌 — Xiánglóng Shíbāzhǎng) — Hidden inside the Dragon-Slaying Dao; the Beggars’ Guild’s supreme palm technique
- Book of Wumu (武穆书 — Wǔmù Shū) — Military treatise hidden inside the Heavenly Jian; contains strategies for overthrowing tyranny
Internal cultivation
- Nine Yang Manual (九阳真经 — Jiǔyáng Zhēnjīng) — Hidden in the Lankavatara Sutra; Zhang Wuji learns this from a white ape in the Kunlun Mountains
- Tendon-Transmuting Sutra (易筋经 — Yìjīn Jīng) — Shaolin’s supreme neigong manual
- Marrow-Cleansing Sutra (洗髓经 — Xǐsuǐ Jīng) — Shaolin’s other supreme internal cultivation text
Buddhist scriptures
- Lankavatara Sutra (楞伽经 — Lénggā Jīng) — Buddhist scripture that contains the Nine Yang Manual hidden within its text
Artifacts & treasures
Ming Order relics
- Holy Fire Tablets (圣火令 — Shènghuǒ Lìng) — Twelve golden tablets of the Ming Order, symbols of authority that Zhang Wuji uses to claim leadership of the cult
Protective gear
- Golden Silk Robe (金丝锦袍 — Jīnsī Jǐnpáo) — Protective clothing worn by Zhang Wuji that resists blades and poisons
Storage vessels
- Iron Boxes (铁盒 — Tiěhé) — Used to store the manuals hidden inside the Heavenly Jian and Dragon-Slaying Dao
Medicinal treasures
- Jade Face Fire Lotus (玉面火莲 — Yùmiàn Huǒlián) — Rare medicinal herb with potent healing properties
Treasures hidden in the weapons
The central mystery of the novel revolves around what lies inside the two legendary weapons:
Inside the Dragon-Slaying Dao:
- Nine Yin Manual (partial)
- Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms manual
Inside the Heavenly Jian:
- Book of Wumu (military strategies)
When both weapons are united, the bearer can claim supremacy over the wulin and lead the rebellion against the Yuan dynasty. This prophecy — “武林至尊，宝刀屠龙，号令天下，莫敢不从，倚天不出，谁与争锋” — drives the entire plot.
Cross-novel connections
The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre inherits items from the earlier Condor Trilogy novels:
- Heavenly Jian & Dragon-Slaying Dao — First mentioned in Legend of the Condor Heroes, forged at the end of Return of the Condor Heroes
- Heavy Iron Sword — Yang Guo’s weapon from Return of the Condor Heroes, the raw material for the twin legends
- Nine Yin Manual — Central to Legend of the Condor Heroes and Return of the Condor Heroes, hidden in the Dragon-Slaying Dao
- Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms — The Beggars’ Guild’s signature technique from Legend of the Condor Heroes
- Tendon-Transmuting Sutra — Shaolin’s supreme manual, also appearing in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and Laughing in the Wind
See also
- The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre characters
- The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre factions
- The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre locations
- The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre martial arts
- Jin Yong items
Footnotes
-
倚天剑 – Yǐtiān Jiàn. “Heavenly Jian” — the jian that reaches the heavens. When united with the Dragon-Slaying Dao, the bearer can claim the jianghu and lead the rebellion against the Yuan dynasty. ↩
-
屠龙刀 – Túlóng Dāo. “Dragon-Slaying Dao” — the dao that slays dragons. Contains the Nine Yin Manual and Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms manual, the secrets to supreme martial power. ↩
-
九阴真经 – Jiǔyīn Zhēnjīng. The Nine Yin Manual appears across the Condor Trilogy — Legend of the Condor Heroes, Return of the Condor Heroes, and The Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Sabre — as well as Laughing in the Wind. ↩