Ma Hongjun

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ma Hongjun (马红俊) 83
Alias(es)	Fatty; Invincible Fire Phoenix; Southern Vermillion Bird Heavenly King; Evil Fire Phoenix 68 107 115
Gender	Male 45
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; Shrek Four Heavenly Kings 45 107
Occupation/Role	Shrek Academy student; long-range Assault-Type Soul Master 45 70
Martial Soul	Mutated Evil Fire Phoenix 45 123
Rank	Level 31 Soul Elder 198
First Appearance	Chapter 44 44

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul Grandmaster	46	Identified as a Soul Grandmaster after Li Chen defeats him; his injuries are superficial despite the impact.
Level 28	103	Yu Xiaogang cites his level while warning that his Evil Fire will intensify with further cultivation.
Level 30	198	Breaks through after beginning to cultivate diligently rather than relying on his former habits.
Level 31 Soul Elder	198	Receives a thousand-year-old Fire Turkey as his third Soul Ring after reaching level 30.

Background / History

Flender brought Ma Hongjun to Shrek Academy several years before the other students arrived. His mutated Phoenix Martial Soul possesses formidable firepower, but its flawed mutation produces Evil Fire that disrupts his cultivation and drives his need to vent it through intimate activity. Dai Mubai explains that this condition is why Ma Hongjun had been frequenting brothels. 45

His first major conflict with the newer Shrek students begins when Cuihua refuses to help him vent his Evil Fire and threatens to end their relationship. Enraged, Ma Hongjun lunges at Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, is bound by Tang San, then blasted into an outhouse by Li Chen. He later apologizes after his Evil Fire subsides. 45 46

Beatings can temporarily reduce the Evil Fire, but Tang San notes that this is not a lasting cure. Tang San instead proposes the Cock's Comb Phoenix Sunflower, an Immortal Herb said to purify Ma Hongjun's flames and remove the defect. 47

Ma Hongjun later takes a 100-year loan from Ning Rongrong for 30-kilogram Weighted Bracers. Unaware that Ning Rongrong extracts a sliver of his Martial Soul as collateral, he initially plans to default once he becomes powerful. 62

Appearance

Ma Hongjun is a short, heavily built youth with a round, furry belly and red hair. By the journey to Thunderclap City, his weight rises from 180 to 200 jin despite being only slightly over 1.5 meters tall. 45 197

• His Martial Soul Avatar gives him small wings and makes his hair stand on end. 201
• His manifested Phoenix is described by an observer as a plump, fiery-red chicken rather than a convincing true phoenix. 201
• He attempts to conceal his stomach and arrange his red hair before approaching Shui Bing'er. 123

Personality

Ma Hongjun is impulsive, lecherous, and prone to provoking others, particularly when his Evil Fire flares up. His behavior toward Cuihua, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Skywater Academy's students earns repeated disgust from his peers. 45 46 82 124

He is also vain, suggesting the name “Strikingly Handsome” for his partnership with Tang San because he believes his own name implies extreme handsomeness. 68 Despite his immaturity, he can show genuine remorse: after accidentally destroying Tang San's arm, he kneels and offers to serve Tang San for life in apology. 80

Ma Hongjun has a calculating side beneath his recklessness. In Thunderclap City, he improves Zhao Wuji's match-manipulation plan by proposing false leaks that encourage wealthy bettors to wager against a team secretly intended to win. 203

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul

A mutated Phoenix Martial Soul with powerful fire attributes, but significant impurities that manifest as uncontrollable Evil Fire. 45 123

• Provides strong offensive potential as a long-range Assault-Type Martial Soul. 70 202
• Its flames can be amplified by Evil Fire, but this makes Ma Hongjun less controlled and more dangerous. 45 79
• The defect can be temporarily eased by being beaten, but this method becomes less practical as his cultivation rises. 47 158
• Without a true solution, the Evil Fire is expected to become severe enough around level 50 to halt his cultivation. 158

Phoenix Fireline

Ma Hongjun's First Soul Skill condenses Soul Power into a focused beam of fire. 77

• A powerful single-target attack. 77
• Its narrow area of effect makes fast opponents difficult to hit. 77
• When infused with a surge of Evil Fire, it accidentally obliterates Tang San's arm during their arena match. 79

Phoenix Nirvana

Ma Hongjun's Second Soul Skill. Tang San directs him to activate it before using Phoenix Fireline as part of their planned combination attack. 78

Flight

His Martial Soul Avatar grants him wings, allowing at least limited attempts at flight. 115 201

Equipment / Items

• 30-kilogram Weighted Bracers — acquired through a 100-year loan from Ning Rongrong; repayment is set at 20,000 Gold Soul Coins annually. 62
• Martial Soul collateral contract — Ning Rongrong secretly extracts a sliver of his Martial Soul; without repaying his debt, he cannot advance to Soul Douluo. 62

Relationships

• Flender — Dean and master who brought Ma Hongjun to Shrek Academy and treats him as a disciple. 45
• Dai Mubai — Fellow Shrek student and close companion; frequently mediates Ma Hongjun's conflicts, partners with him in combat, and joins his betting schemes. 45 198 203
• Tang San — Arena partner in the Strikingly Handsome Combination; Tang San proposes an Immortal Herb cure for Ma Hongjun, while Ma Hongjun later accidentally destroys Tang San's arm. 47 68 79
• Li Chen — Defeats Ma Hongjun during his attack on Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu, blasting him into an outhouse. 45
• Cuihua — Former girlfriend who refuses to help him vent his Evil Fire and threatens to break up with him. 45
• Ning Rongrong — Fellow student and creditor who arranges his Weighted Bracers loan and secretly takes Martial Soul collateral. 62
• Shui Bing'er — Ice Phoenix Soul Master whom Ma Hongjun immediately pursues as a potential girlfriend and marriage partner. 123 124
• Zhao Wuji — Teacher who travels with Ma Hongjun to Thunderclap City and approves the arena-betting scheme. 197 198

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shrek Academy introduction

Ma Hongjun enters the story as the source of a conflict involving Cuihua and the Shrek girls. His assault attempt exposes both his vulgar behavior and the Evil Fire defect of his Martial Soul. Li Chen defeats him, and he subsequently apologizes to the group. 45 46

Suotuo Great Soul Arena

Yu Xiaogang pairs Ma Hongjun with Tang San as the Strikingly Handsome Combination, assigning Tang San control duties and Ma Hongjun ranged offense. During their match against the Cat-Rat Combo, Ma Hongjun is wounded, then accidentally hits Tang San with an Evil Fire-enhanced Phoenix Fireline, destroying his arm and forcing the match's cancellation. 68 77 78 79

Training journey and Skywater Academy

Yu Xiaogang pressures Ma Hongjun to train and endure the Evil Fire rather than continue relying on brothels. During the journey, Ma Hongjun becomes infatuated with Meng Yiran and later Shui Bing'er, whose Ice Phoenix Martial Soul makes her especially appealing to him as a possible solution to his condition. 103 123 124

Thunderclap City scheme

After reaching level 31 and receiving his third Soul Ring, Ma Hongjun struggles with renewed Evil Fire and seeks money to visit brothels. He joins Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Zhao Wuji at the Thunderclap Great Soul Arena, where he devises a deceptive betting strategy built around false rumors of a fixed loss. 198 203

Notable Quotes

“This great master's name is Ma Hongjun of Shrek Academy, and I sit without changing my name!” 83

“Brother, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to. My wound was hurting too much at the time, and I accidentally let it go a little crooked.” 80

Trivia

• Ma Hongjun prefers the arena designation Invincible Fire Phoenix over Evil Fire Phoenix, as he does not want his Martial Soul's flaw publicly advertised. 68
• After consuming Oscar's third Soul Skill sausage, he temporarily gains extraordinary flexibility and performs splits, backbends, and backflips despite his build. 89
• He is designated the Southern Vermillion Bird Heavenly King within Yu Xiaogang's Shrek Four Heavenly Kings. 107