Jing Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Jing Hongchen (镜红尘)
Alias(es)	Hall Master Hongchen; Mentor Jing Hongchen
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Hongchen Family; Mingde Hall; Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy; Sun Moon Empire
Occupation/Role	Dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy; Master of Mingde Hall; later Supreme Elder of the Hall of Souls 20 307
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 20

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 93 Soul Power	20	Already stood on equal footing with Xuan Zi and Du Busi despite being only Rank 93.
Rank 94	132	Broke through to Rank 94 before approving Xiao Qiang’s temporary departure from the Sun Moon Empire.
Rank 95 Super Douluo	186	Used Life Lake Water and a treasure from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well supplied by Xiao Qiang to break through, becoming a Super Douluo.
Tenth Level Soul Engineer	306	Emerged from seclusion as a Tenth Level Soul Engineer after the crisis involving Crown Prince Xu Tianran had already concluded.

Background

Jing Hongchen served as both dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and master of Mingde Hall, placing him among the Sun Moon Empire’s most influential figures. Even the emperor and crown prince treated him with exceptional respect, while his name alone could force officials and commoners to change their behavior 20 30.

He first noticed Xiao Qiang after Teacher Wang Heng delivered the fourteen-year-old’s Rank 4 Soul Cannon. Recognizing the craft behind the tool, Jing personally rushed to meet Xiao Qiang when he learned that the boy intended to attempt a Rank 5 Soul Engineer assessment. He encouraged Xiao Qiang’s attempt to produce a Rank 5 Milk Bottle—a tool normally requiring a Rank 6 Soul Engineer—and closely supervised the process 20 22.

After Xiao Qiang completed the Milk Bottle, Jing accepted him as a disciple. He immediately provided a living-storage Soul Tool, the Ranking Seventeen Engraving Knife Water Cold, thirty million Gold Soul Coins, and a disciple token carrying his authority 22. Jing regarded Xiao Qiang as a vital future pillar of the Hongchen Family rather than merely an academy student.

Appearance

Jing Hongchen commonly presents himself as an imposing elder concealed behind a human-skin mask. His usual demeanor is stern, and his presence naturally exerts pressure on those around him 20.

• Wears a human-skin mask while acting as Mingde Hall Master 20.
• Projects an overbearing and domineering aura in public 20.
• Can adopt a notably gentler manner when deliberately trying to win over talented people 20.

Personality

Jing is pragmatic, politically perceptive, and highly responsive to exceptional talent. When investigating Xiao Qiang’s background, he concluded that confirming the boy was a Sun Moon Empire native rather than a transformed soul beast or foreign spy was sufficient; further scrutiny, in his view, would only alienate a useful genius 22.

Though he cultivates a severe public image, Jing describes it as a means of intimidating others rather than his complete nature. Around Xiao Qiang and his grandchildren, he is generous, patient, and protective, often acting as both mentor and family elder 62 307.

He is also capable of revising his judgment. Xiao Qiang’s warning that the Sun Moon delegation could be ambushed during the tournament forced Jing to abandon his initial confidence in Shrek’s restraint and arrange additional protection from the Worship Hall 75.

“Who in this world doesn't have a few schemes of their own? Whether he has them is not important. What matters is whether his talent is genuine, and whether we can confirm that he can become one of ours.” 22

Abilities & Skills

Soul Tool Engineering

Jing is a master Soul Engineer who commands Mingde Hall’s advanced technology and eventually becomes a Tenth Level Soul Engineer 185 306.

• Personally recognized the exceptional design and workmanship of Xiao Qiang’s Rank 4 Soul Cannon 20.
• Could modify a Rank 7 Spirit Defense Soul Tool into a weakened Level 5 version for Xiao Hongchen; it was sufficient to resist the mental attacks of a Soul King-level mental-type opponent 37.
• Maintains Mingde Hall’s extensive defensive infrastructure, including more than a dozen Rank 9 defensive Soul Tools 165.
• Acknowledged that becoming a Tenth Level Soul Engineer was necessary to further strengthen himself after the empire’s enemies were defeated 240.

Long-Range Soul Tool Combat

At Rank 95, Jing’s cultivation greatly amplified the threat posed by his Rank 9 Soul Tools 235.

• Instantly deployed more than two hundred Soul Cannons to pressure Xuan Zi and protect his disciple 79.
• Could fight Xuan Zi evenly within one hundred meters after becoming a Super Douluo 235.
• At distances beyond one hundred meters, his Soul Tool firepower could force Xuan Zi to retreat; beyond one thousand meters, Xuan Zi considered escape his only reliable option 235.
• Used a Soul Tool Piercing Ray in coordination with Mu Qingxue during the battle against Xuan Zi and Du Busi 235.

Talent Cultivation and Resource Allocation

Jing uses the Hongchen Family’s resources aggressively to secure loyal talent and reinforce his family’s long-term position.

• Accepted Xiao Qiang as a disciple and gave him wealth, rare tools, authority, and unrestricted access to the Hongchen Family Treasury 22 63.
• Supported Xiao Qiang’s confidential Soul Spirit experiments by preparing an isolated experimental base, test subjects, remote controls, and a monitoring device 65.
• Agreed to gather materials for Xiao Qiang’s research into safely fusing higher-level spirit rings 62.
• Prepared a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast embryo for Xiao Hongchen’s eventual fusion at Rank 90 165.
• Helped Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen postpone their sixth rings until suitable Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Souls could be found 226.

Equipment / Assets

• Human-skin mask — Used while maintaining his intimidating public identity as Mingde Hall Master 20.
• Mingde Hall defensive network — Includes more than a dozen Rank 9 defensive Soul Tools stationed underground 165.
• Soul Cannons — Can deploy over two hundred cannons in combat 79.
• Modified Spirit Defense Soul Tool — A weakened Level 5 version of a Rank 7 design, created for Xiao Hongchen to counter mental-type abilities 37.
• Hongchen Family Treasury — A vast store of Soul Tools, rare metals, and precious materials; Jing allowed Xiao Qiang unrestricted access to it 63.

Relationships

• Xiao Qiang — Disciple. Jing recruited him immediately after recognizing his unprecedented Soul Tool talent, then became one of his strongest patrons and most trusted elders 20 22.
• Xiao Hongchen — Grandson. Jing repeatedly uses Xiao Qiang’s victories to temper Xiao Hongchen’s arrogance, while supplying him with counters and resources to improve 23 29 37.
• Meng Hongchen — Granddaughter. Jing prioritizes her suitable Soul Spirit opportunity and later worries whether Xiao Qiang can offer her a stable relationship 226 307.
• Kong Deming — Teacher and Xiao Qiang’s grandmaster. Jing introduces Kong as the Sun Moon Empire’s true pillar and treats him with marked respect 117.
• Xuan Zi — Rival from Shrek Academy. Their hostility escalates through tournament disputes and direct combat, especially after Jing’s advancement to Rank 95 79 235.
• Mu En — Adversarial elder of Shrek Academy. Mu En infiltrated the academy intending to seize Xiao Qiang, but withdrew from that plan after encountering Jing and Kong Deming together 118.
• Xu Tianran — Political adversary. Xu Tianran secretly betrayed Jing’s Extreme North expedition to foreign powers, fearing Jing’s influence and refusal to support his succession 226 305.
• Mu Qingxue — Ally of Xiao Qiang’s faction. Jing fought alongside her against Xuan Zi and Du Busi during the attempted ambush 235.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment of Xiao Qiang

Jing’s discovery of Xiao Qiang establishes the latter’s connection to Mingde Hall and the Hongchen Family. He recognizes Xiao Qiang’s potential as both a Soul Engineer and a Soul Master, accepts him as a disciple, and invests heavily in his development 20 22.

Correcting Xiao Hongchen

Jing arranges for Xiao Qiang to fight Xiao Hongchen because he believes his grandson’s arrogance requires correction. After Xiao Hongchen’s defeats, Jing redirects his pride toward research, teaching him to pursue a Spirit Defense Soul Tool rather than blindly demanding rematches 23 29.

Tournament Leadership

Jing places Xiao Qiang, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy’s tournament roster. Before the delegation leaves for Star Luo City, he accepts Xiao Qiang’s concerns about assassination or hostage-taking and reinforces the group with Worship Hall experts 37 75.

Following the academy’s victory over Shrek, Jing announces that the main team will receive the title of count. He also privately explains the political value of the win to Xiao Qiang and introduces him to the imperial Rank 9 Soul Tool, the Silver Dragon Staff 115.

Conflict with Shrek and the Exchange Program

Jing confronts Shrek’s elders over their conduct in the tournament and refuses to tolerate perceived cheating or harm to his family and disciples 79 108. His prior admiration for Shrek fades after witnessing its conduct, but he later agrees to a negotiated exchange program intended to protect Xiao Hongchen while competing for talented students 153 176.

Rise to Super Douluo

After receiving Life Water, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, and a suitable treasure from Xiao Qiang, Jing breaks through to Rank 95. The increase transforms him into a combatant capable of challenging Xuan Zi with Rank 9 Soul Tools 185 186 235.

Extreme North Betrayal and Counterattack

When Jing travels with Xiao Qiang to the Extreme North, Xu Tianran secretly reveals their location to the former Three Douluo Kingdoms and seeks Holy Spirit Cult support for their deaths 226. Jing survives the ensuing conflict, battles Xuan Zi directly, and later decides that becoming a Tenth Level Soul Engineer is necessary to meet future threats 235 240.

Tenth Level Soul Engineer

Jing emerges from seclusion as a Tenth Level Soul Engineer after Xu Tianran’s downfall. Although he regrets missing the opportunity to personally eliminate his enemies, he remains aligned with Xiao Qiang and continues planning his next spirit ring 306.

Trivia

• Jing’s disciple token carries enough authority that Zhang Zhao immediately abandoned his hostile attitude toward Xiao Qiang upon seeing it 30.
• Xiao Qiang emptied the Hongchen Family Treasury after Jing told him to take whatever he needed; Jing was initially slow to understand that “everything” meant the treasury had been left completely bare 63.
• Jing once considered Xiao Qiang a possible match for Meng Hongchen partly because Xiao Qiang’s martial souls could strengthen the Hongchen Family bloodline 62.