Zhuo Bufan

Zhuo Bufan (simplified: 卓不凡, traditional: 卓不凡, pinyin: Zhuó Bùfán, jyutping: coek3 bat1 faan4), known as the God of the Sword (剑神), was the sole survivor of the One-Character Hui Sword School after Tianshan Child Granny destroyed it. He trained for twenty years in seclusion and emerged as a skilled swordsman, but was ultimately defeated by Xuzhu during the confrontation at Lingjiu Palace.

Biography

Early life and the destruction of his school

Zhuo Bufan was a member of the One-Character Hui Sword School (一字慧剑门), which was originally based in Jianyang, Fujian. The school was completely destroyed by Tianshan Child Granny, who killed all members of Zhuo Bufan’s family. Fortunately, Zhuo Bufan was not in Fujian at the time and thus escaped the massacre.

Exile and training

To escape Tianshan Child Granny’s pursuit, Zhuo Bufan fled to Changbai Mountain (长白山) in the remote northeast. There, he discovered a sword manual left by a previous master and dedicated himself to intensive training.

Zhuo Bufan trained diligently for twenty years, mastering the sword techniques from the manual. His hard work paid off, and he became highly proficient in swordplay, developing confidence that he had achieved unparalleled skill. He believed that after such extensive training, no one in the world could be his match in swordsmanship.

Return to jianghu and self-proclaimed title

After completing his training, Zhuo Bufan emerged from seclusion and entered the jianghu once more. He travelled to Hebei, where he successfully killed several famous martial artists in succession. These victories reinforced his belief in his own superiority and led him to self-proclaim the title “God of the Sword” (剑神).

His martial arts skills were considered slightly superior to Cui Lühua (崔绿华), the Hibiscus Fairy, and Adept Buping (不平道人), the Dragon King, placing him among the upper echelons of martial artists in the jianghu.

Alliance with the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands

Zhuo Bufan joined forces with the Alliance of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands to seek revenge against Tianshan Child Granny and to obtain the antidote for the Mark of Life and Death. He hoped to use the antidote to control the alliance members, demonstrating his ambition for power.

He formed a strategic alliance with Cui Lühua and Adept Buping, working together to coordinate their efforts against the Lingjiu Palace. The three martial artists tested each other’s abilities and found that while Zhuo Bufan was slightly stronger, the differences between them were minimal, making them effective partners.

Confrontation with Xuzhu

During the confrontation at Lingjiu Palace, Zhuo Bufan fought against Xuzhu, who had inherited the combined neili of three Xiaoyao Order masters (over 200 years of cultivation). Despite Zhuo Bufan’s confidence and skill, he was completely outmatched by Xuzhu’s superior martial arts.

Xuzhu demonstrated his mastery by using the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hand to effortlessly catch Zhuo Bufan’s sword along with all of Cui Lühua’s flying daggers, placing them at his feet. This display of overwhelming martial arts prowess completely shattered Zhuo Bufan’s confidence.

Defeat and departure

Following his defeat, Zhuo Bufan left Lingjiu Palace in anger and frustration. He had failed to achieve his goals of obtaining revenge against Tianshan Child Granny or controlling the alliance members. His departure, along with Cui Lühua, was marked by their realisation that they were completely outmatched by Xuzhu’s abilities.

Personality and traits

Arrogant and overconfident

Zhuo Bufan was characterised by his arrogance and overconfidence. After twenty years of training in isolation, he believed himself to be invincible and self-proclaimed the title “God of the Sword”. His confidence was reinforced by his victories in Hebei, but his encounter with Xuzhu revealed the limits of his abilities.

Determined and persistent

Despite the destruction of his school and family, Zhuo Bufan demonstrated remarkable determination and persistence. He spent twenty years in seclusion, training diligently to master sword techniques, showing his commitment to seeking revenge and restoring his school’s legacy.

Ambitious

Zhuo Bufan’s alliance with the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands was motivated not only by revenge but also by ambition. He sought to control the alliance members through the Mark of Life and Death antidote, demonstrating his desire for power and influence in the jianghu.

Martial arts abilities

Duke Zhou’s Sword

Zhuo Bufan mastered Duke Zhou’s Sword (周公剑), the signature sword technique of the One-Character Hui Sword School. This technique included moves such as “Sky Like a Vaulted Roof” (天如穹庐) and “White Mist Vast and Boundless” (白雾茫茫), and could generate a green sword aura (剑芒) extending half a foot from the sword tip.

Sword aura generation

One of Zhuo Bufan’s most impressive abilities was his capacity to generate a sword aura (剑芒), a visible extension of sword energy that extended half a foot from the sword tip. This technique demonstrated his high level of neili cultivation and sword mastery.

Combat skills

Zhuo Bufan’s combat skills were considered superior to many martial artists in the jianghu. He was able to fight effectively against opponents like the Zhuyai Two Monsters (珠崖二怪), nearly cutting off one of their hands and knocking the other back four steps with a single move. However, his skills were ultimately insufficient when facing truly master-level opponents like Xuzhu.

Relationships

Tianshan Child Granny

Zhuo Bufan’s primary relationship was one of enmity with Tianshan Child Granny, who had destroyed his school and killed his family. This enmity drove his twenty years of training and motivated his participation in the alliance’s rebellion against the Lingjiu Palace.

Cui Lühua and Adept Buping

Zhuo Bufan formed strategic alliances with Cui Lühua and Adept Buping, working together to coordinate their efforts. While they were not close friends, they were effective partners who could work together toward common goals.

Xuzhu

Zhuo Bufan’s encounter with Xuzhu demonstrated the vast difference in power between them. Despite Zhuo Bufan’s confidence and skill, Xuzhu’s superior martial arts completely overwhelmed him, leading to his defeat and departure.

Behind the scenes

Zhuo Bufan serves as an example of how individual dedication and training could preserve martial arts knowledge even after the destruction of an entire school. His story illustrates the theme of revenge and the limitations of personal power when facing truly exceptional opponents.

His character also demonstrates how overconfidence and isolation could lead to a false sense of superiority. Despite his impressive skills, Zhuo Bufan’s twenty years of solitary training left him unprepared for the reality of facing opponents with truly exceptional abilities.

Portrayals

Zhuo Bufan has been portrayed in various adaptations of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, including:

2003 version: Played by Ju Long (巨龙)
2013 version: Played by Zhang Mingming (张明明)
2021 version: Played by Gao Liang (高亮)