In "The Sword of Destiny," Jiang Xiaotong, as one of the important NPCs that the protagonist meets early in the game, not only plays a crucial role in the plot but also has a cultivatable affection system. How to increase Jiang Xiaotong's affection in The Sword of Destiny? To build a deeper bond with her, unlock subsequent unique plots and possible ending directions, players must continuously improve her affection towards the protagonist through specific tasks, options, and items. The improvement of Jiang Xiaotong's affection is not achieved all at once, but rather scattered across multiple key points as the main story progresses, requiring players to carefully observe and make the right choices.

The first opportunity to increase Jiang Xiaotong's affection appears relatively hidden, during a certain part of the plot before being promoted to an elite disciple. Players need to go to the left side of Youyunze and participate in a side quest called "Healing the Overlord Saber Qin Lie." When faced with Qin Lie's life and death, if you choose "Not to heal," the system will prompt "Mysterious girl's affection +20," and this mysterious girl is precisely Jiang Xiaotong. This segment does not directly mention her name, belonging to a hidden affection event, which requires players to be aware of the relevant background or pay attention to the prompts, otherwise, they may miss this early bonus. It is also recommended to return to Wutong Village as soon as possible at this stage, and obtain Jiang Xiaotong's "Wooden Sword" from the protagonist's old house, as this item will play a significant role in the subsequent plot.

As the main storyline progresses, players will encounter Jiang Xiaotong again during the "Shaolin Hero Conference," which is one of the main stages for affection improvement. At the conference site, if the player chooses to help Jiang Xiaotong defend herself, she can immediately gain 10 affection points; then, if the player continues to choose "Let them go," another 20 points can be added. This plot not only affects Jiang Xiaotong's attitude but also potentially influences whether she participates in certain side quests later on, so it is suggested to choose options that support her. After completing this phase, Jiang Xiaotong's attitude will noticeably change, showing higher trust and closeness.

The next opportunity for improvement is related to the "Five Spirit Heart Sutra" quest. When the protagonist acquires the relevant martial arts and prepares to submit it, if the "Jiang Xiaotong's Wooden Sword" is carried in the backpack and the player chooses to return this item in the plot, a new affection event can be triggered, gaining 20 affection points. The prerequisite for this part is that the player did not lose the wooden sword and has not been promoted to the head of Zhenwu Hall; otherwise, this event will become invalid. Therefore, maintaining awareness of preserving key items is key to successfully advancing the emotional line. Subsequently, when receiving the "Finding the Golden Snake" side quest at the entrance of Xuanhuo Sect, if the player chooses to agree to assist, 10 affection points can also be gained, which is one of the few bonus points in the mid-game stage.
The final stage of affection improvement occurs just before the climax of the plot with "Mo Wen." If all the available bonus events have been completed previously, and Jiang Xiaotong's affection has accumulated to a high level, plus meeting the conditions of "Yao Ji's affection higher than Ouyang Xue" and "Ouyang Xue leaving the team," the player can trigger a special plot in Wutong Village. Here, the player needs to personally return the "Wooden Sword" to Jiang Xiaotong, thus gaining the final 20 affection points. Completing this event not only symbolizes a breakthrough in their emotional relationship but may also affect the game's ultimate ending and character affiliation, carrying significant importance.

To summarize, although the path to increasing Jiang Xiaotong's affection is not complicated, it demands extremely high control over timing and conditions. Many events have a limit where, if missed, they become ineffective, so players need to reasonably plan the pace of main and side quests' advancement while retaining key items and paying attention to NPC dynamics to maximize Jiang Xiaotong's emotional accumulation. With careful operation, not only can players experience deeper character relationships during the game, but they can also unlock more unique plot content, experiencing the unique warmth of the martial world presented by "The Sword of Destiny."