Battle Through the Heavens — Ren Xiang's manhua
At a glance83 volumes · completed
The Battle Through the Heavens manhua is one of the longest in the history of Chinese comics. Drawn by Ren Xiang (任翔) and JOE for Zhiyin Dongman, it began on 31 October 2011 in Zhiyin Manke magazine. Nearly fifteen years later, the online serialization ended on 27 June 2026, with 83 collected volumes in China.
Origins and publication
The manhua arrived just after the novel ended, when Zhiyin Manke dominated the Chinese comics market. It ran continuously there for over eleven years, until the magazine ceased publication in May 2023. Meanwhile the series had also moved online to Tencent Animation in June 2019, where it ended in 2026. The first collected volume came out in June 2012.
Its success led to spin-off series: a manhua about Yao Lao, Xiao Yan's master, launched in 2014, and the Great Ruler adaptation, published as Doupo Cangqiong zhi Da Zhuzai.
Volume covers
The first 12 volumes of the print edition, out of 83 released.
Vol. 1
Vol. 2
Vol. 3
Vol. 4
Vol. 5
Vol. 6
Vol. 7
Vol. 8
Vol. 9
Vol. 10
Vol. 11
Vol. 12
How it differs from the donghua
The manhua predates the donghua by more than five years and was long the only visual version of Xiao Yan. Its style, typical of 2010s magazines, is more expressive and more comedic than the animation's 3D. It follows the novel closely and adapted it to the end, while the donghua is still running. On the other hand, the art evolved over the years and teams, and recent volumes look quite different from the first ones.
Reception and success
With 83 collected volumes, the series is a benchmark of long-running Chinese manhua. It accompanied a whole generation of Zhiyin Manke readers. Its ending in 2026 was hailed as the close of an era, that of print manhua magazines.
Trivia
- In Zhiyin Manke, the manhua ran from issue 185 to issue 697 of the magazine.
- A 22-volume collector's reissue was published from 2020.
- Its original English title was Fight Break Sphere, a literal translation of the Chinese title.
- The series was serialized for nearly fifteen years, from 2011 to 2026.
My take
It is a monument, with the strengths and weaknesses of such a long series. The early volumes are hugely charming, the ending is very solid, and in between there are inevitably weaker stretches. If you want Xiao Yan's whole story in pictures, it is currently the only complete version.
Who is it for?Patient readers who want the ending without reading 1,600 chapters of novel.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
The authorTian Can Tu Dou 天蚕土豆The prodigy of Battle Through the Heavens