Ma Zhenhong

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ma Zhenhong (马真鸿)
Alias(es)	Heavenly Fortune; Xuanqing Sect Holy Son; former No. 1 of the Heavenly Pride Ranking
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xuanqing Sect
Occupation/Role	Chief True Disciple; designated sect successor; leader of Xuanqing Sect disciples
Status	Active through the latest documented events; the identity of “Ma Zhenhong” is maintained through replacement bodies and successors 225 562
First Appearance	Chapter 146 (mentioned)

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Upper First Rank	Before Ch. 151	Reportedly survived an ambush by three Innate Realm experts while at this level when divine lightning killed his attackers. 151
Mortal Transformation Realm, Third Rank	151, 157	Reached Mortal Transformation Realm in his twenties; his cultivation was widely credited to extraordinary fortune and Xuanqing Sect backing. 151 157
Saint Ascension Realm	559	As Chief True Disciple, he kills several Dark Guards with a single finger press while rescuing Zhao Xuanzhong. 559

Background / History

The name Ma Zhenhong is not exclusive to one individual. A prior bearer remembers having replaced an earlier Ma Zhenhong after the previous one displeased the Xuanqing Sect; his original name had been erased from memory. The sect treats “Ma Zhenhong” as a role that can be passed to any suitable disciple. 225

The bearer known as Heavenly Fortune rose as the Xuanqing Sect’s chief disciple and intended successor. Blessed with repeated fortuitous encounters, he became Central Prefecture’s most celebrated young martial artist and the original first-place holder on the Heavenly Pride Ranking. 151 156

His power was tied to the Xuanqing Sect’s God Invocation Technique. The technique requires the practitioner to offer their mind, flesh, and blood to the sect’s Grandmaster, allowing that entity to bestow power while retaining control over the recipient. 225

After Li Xian took first place on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, Ma Zhenhong’s admirers publicly challenged the ranking’s legitimacy. The controversy instead brought Li Xian’s accomplishments under greater scrutiny and ultimately confirmed them. 156 157

Appearance

Ma Zhenhong is described as an exceptionally handsome young man with an elegant, transcendent bearing. His composed manner and warm smile contrast sharply with his dangerous cultivation. 156 559

• Finely sculpted facial features. 559
• Upright posture likened to a pine or cypress. 559
• Often presents himself with a gentle, refined smile. 191 559
• Previously carried a folding fan during his appearance in Qingzhou. 191

Personality

The early Heavenly Fortune bearer was entitled, impulsive, and possessive. Raised with preferential treatment from childhood, he came to believe that anything he desired should belong to him. Shen Xuan'an regarded his conduct as a recurring burden for the sect. 159

He was also cruel when inconvenienced: after accidentally killing a princess, he killed the remaining witnesses rather than risk trouble. 160 His pursuit of Yuan Fengnan continued even after direct rejection, extending to a marriage proposal sent to her family. 195

His defeat by Li Xian shattered much of his confidence. He initially sought revenge, but later successors bearing the same name became markedly more cautious around Li Xian, prioritizing survival and negotiation over pride. 225 362 363

Abilities & Skills

God Invocation Technique

A Xuanqing Sect technique through which Ma Zhenhong receives power from an unknown higher existence.

• Enables access to power beyond his ordinary cultivation. 223 225
• Allowed him to call down powerful divine lightning during his battle with Li Xian. 223
• Its power is conditional: the Grandmaster’s influence can restrain or incapacitate the bearer. 225
• The technique requires a sacrifice of the practitioner’s mind, flesh, and blood. 225

Divine Lightning

Ma Zhenhong’s principal trump card in his battle against Li Xian.

• Summoned lightning serpents capable of filling the sky. 223
• The lightning was transformed into a Lightning Spear and turned against him by Li Xian. 223
• The resulting spear strike gravely wounded him. 223

Death Substitution and Avatar Bodies

Ma Zhenhong can preserve the identity through substitute lives and alternate vessels.

• During his defeat in Qingzhou, he called his current life a “substitute” before breaking his own neck. 224
• Another vessel awakened within the Xuanqing Sect after the apparent death. 225
• A later Ma Zhenhong is identified as an avatar of Xu Mu’s son. 453
• He considers abandoning his original main body and making his current body permanent, though doing so would initially leave him with Mortal Transformation Realm strength and a damaged soul. 452 453

Saint Ascension Realm Mana

By the Imperial City incident, Ma Zhenhong possesses Saint Ascension Realm cultivation.

• Eradicates several Dark Guards with one finger press. 559
• Can face a barrage of divine abilities without retreating while buying time for Li Xian’s allies to escape. 562
• His presence alone frightens Zheng Lengqiu, Xie Fengnian, Zhao Xuanzhong, and the Dark Guards. 559

Relationships

• Li Xian / Li Dragon King — Former rival and the martialist who decisively defeated him in Qingzhou; later Ma Zhenhong submits to Li Xian’s authority, rescues his allies on Li Xian’s orders, and fights to cover their escape. 219 224 363 562
• Shen Xuan'an — Xuanqing Sect leader and master of an earlier bearer. Shen Xuan'an discarded and replaced him after his defeat by Li Xian. 160 225
• Luo Xinghai — Longstanding rival from the Nine Nether Sect. They temporarily discussed cooperating against Li Xian, but Luo Xinghai later abandoned Ma Zhenhong during their failed confrontation. 206 219
• Yuan Fengnan — Object of Ma Zhenhong’s unwanted pursuit; she repeatedly rejected him and hid in the Demon Suppressing Division yamen to avoid him. 195 210
• Xu Mu — Ma Zhenhong is identified as an avatar of Xu Mu’s son and fears both Xu Mu’s Seal Mark and his father’s retaliation. 453 483
• Jiuzhen — Junior brother installed as the new Ma Zhenhong after the former bearer was discarded by the sect. 225
• Zhao Xuanzhong — Third Prince rescued by Ma Zhenhong during the Imperial City crisis. 559 562
• Zhao Xuanji and Li Mingzhe — Rescued alongside their group under Li Xian’s orders; both are alarmed by Ma Zhenhong’s change from enemy to apparent subordinate. 562

Story Role / Major Arcs

Heavenly Fortune and the Ranking Dispute

Ma Zhenhong’s position as the Heavenly Pride Ranking’s foremost prodigy is overturned when Li Xian is ranked first. His devoted supporters protest the result, helping turn Li Xian into a figure of nationwide attention. 155 156 157

Qingzhou Confrontation

He arrives in Qingzhou after reaching the Mortal Transformation Realm, initially expecting to overwhelm Li Xian. After sensing Li Xian’s physical strength and oppressive aura, he hesitates to fight. 191 194

He later joins Luo Xinghai and Pei Liushui against Li Xian. Li Xian blocks Ma Zhenhong and Luo Xinghai’s combined attack with his bare body, neutralizes Ma Zhenhong’s divine lightning, and gravely wounds him with a Lightning Spear. 219 223

Facing defeat, Ma Zhenhong invokes a substitute life and snaps his own neck, promising revenge before escaping through another vessel. 224 225

Replacement by the Xuanqing Sect

Upon returning to the Xuanqing Sect, the defeated bearer learns that Shen Xuan'an has already chosen a replacement. The sect reveals that its disciples’ power was granted through sacrifice and cannot be used against the Grandmaster. 225

Jiuzhen is ordered to become the new Ma Zhenhong and sent toward Yunzhou and the Western Regions to pursue the Imperial Seal. 225

Submission Before Li Xian

A later bearer encounters Li Xian in the Western Regions and immediately adopts a deferential stance. To save himself and the Xuanqing Sect disciples with him, he offers the Soul-Bewildering Soul-Snatching Great Method in exchange for their release. 362 363

Imperial City Rescue

Ma Zhenhong reappears as a Saint Ascension Realm Chief True Disciple, claiming to act on Li Xian’s orders. He rescues Zhao Xuanzhong, Zhao Xuanji, Li Mingzhe, and their allies, then remains behind to confront the pursuing forces. 559 562

Notable Quotes

“It’s nothing more than a substitute’s life. You can have it.” 224

“Ma Zhenhong is merely a designation. As long as our Xuanqing Sect wishes it, anyone can become Ma Zhenhong!” 225

“Li Dragon King, this time, you owe me, Ma Zhenhong, a huge favor!” 562

Trivia

• Ma Zhenhong’s extraordinary popularity in Central Prefecture was particularly strong among women, including aristocratic ladies and princesses. 156
• He was once considered the unchallenged symbol of Central Prefecture’s younger generation. 153 156
• His earlier reputation for never suffering defeat ended with Li Xian. 151 224
• The title “Heavenly Fortune” refers both to his apparent luck and to the Xuanqing Sect’s deliberate cultivation and control of its chosen bearer. 151 225