He was a son of Da Zuorong, the founder of Bohai and succeeded to the throne after his father's death in 718. He gave the posthumous title King Gao his father and declared the era name Ren'an at his own choice, which was considered impudent for the Tang Dynasty. On the other hand, he frequently sent embassies to Tang, including his sons and bothers.
Bohai's aggressive expansion triggered frictions between various entities including Tang, the Khitans, the Xi, Gokturk, Silla and several Mohe tribes. When Heisui Mohe in the north of Bohai came under the direct control of Tang in 727, Da Wuyi attacked Heisui Mohe fearing a pincer attack. His pro-Tang brother Da Menyi opposed the military campaign and defected to Tang. In 732 Da Wuyi made Zhang Wenxiu raid Shandong with the navy (called "pirates" in Chinese documents). Tang ordered Da Menyi to make a counterattack and Silla to attack from the south.
To avoid international isolation, Da Wuyi began to dispatch embassies to Japan in 729. Japan welcomed them as a revival of the tributary Goguryeo although Bohai assumed by mistake that Bohai and Japan were equal under Tang's suzerainty.
In 735 Tang accepted Da Wuyi's appology to incorporate Bohai into her anti-Gokturk alliance. Bohai enthusiastically introduced Tang's culture again although the tension with Silla remained high. He died in 737 and his son Da Qinmao succeeded to the throne.