Hong Jun

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hong Jun (鸿钧)
Alias(es)	Dao Ancestor; Daoist Hong Jun; Grandmaster
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zixiao Palace; associated with the Heavenly Dao
Occupation/Role	Dao Ancestor; master of six disciples; Saint-level authority
Status	Active; the Journey to the West counterpart joins the final battle against Yang Mei 121
Versions	A main-world Hong Jun and a Journey to the West-world counterpart appear together after the latter is freed from imprisonment 73 79
First Appearance	Chapter 11 — presents the Investiture of the Gods

Background and History

Hong Jun presides over Zixiao Palace as the Dao Ancestor and introduces the Investiture of the Gods, a register intended to appoint 365 righteous gods. Those whose names are entered receive eternal life and rapid cultivation, but are controlled by the register’s holder. He objects when Tongtian offers the Intercepting Sect to fill all positions, fearing the sect would monopolize the Heavenly Court 11.

Tongtian openly questions his authority and treatment of the Intercepting Sect. Rather than retaliating, Hong Jun withdraws from the Investiture discussion, a restraint that makes his disciples suspect that he has not fully merged with the Heavenly Dao and remains limited by his human nature 12 13. He later intervenes in Tongtian’s battle with Jieyin and Zhunti, confiscating the Six Souls Banner and declaring Buddhism’s prosperity to be the Heavenly Dao’s general trend 38 39.

His authority over the treasures he bestowed becomes increasingly clear when he easily takes Tongtian’s Six Souls Banner and Four Immortal Slaying Swords. His hidden marks remain within the swords, revealing that their users may possess only usage rights rather than full ownership 50. Hong Jun later admits that he placed restrictions in the treasures given to his disciples, though he offers to remove them 81.

The original Daoist Hong Jun is eventually revealed to have been ambushed by Yang Mei while attempting to merge with the Heavenly Dao. Yang Mei seized the opportunity, imprisoned him in Zixiao Palace, and used Hong Jun’s position and authority to manipulate his disciples. While trapped, Hong Jun regrets fostering divisions among his six disciples and regrets leaving contingencies in their treasures 55 71.

A main-world Hong Jun arrives in the Journey to the West world to investigate the impostor and Yang Mei’s scheme. Initially distrusted by Tongtian because of the decisions associated with Hong Jun’s name, he helps search for the true Hong Jun of that world instead 73 78. He breaks the seal on the Journey to the West counterpart, who confirms that Yang Mei imprisoned him shortly after the Investiture of the Gods tribulation began 79.

The two Hong Juns later negotiate the future of the Journey to the West world. The rescued counterpart reluctantly accepts Fuxi’s merger with the Heavenly Dao, while Hong Jun remains concerned that the world be governed fairly and that the Witch and Demon races not be unfairly excluded 81 86. They subsequently cooperate to reinforce the Investiture of the Gods as a means of restraining Saints 113.

Personality

Hong Jun is authoritative, calculating, and accustomed to being obeyed. He treats the Investiture of the Gods and the restrictions within his disciples’ treasures as safeguards against disobedience, even when those measures undermine the trust of Tongtian and the Intercepting Sect 38 50 81.

Despite this severity, the imprisoned Daoist Hong Jun shows remorse. He considers Tongtian his favorite disciple, regrets the collapse of the Intercepting Sect, and recognizes that his own manipulation helped divide his disciples into hostile factions 55.

The main-world counterpart is suspicious and direct, particularly toward Yuanshi Tianzun, Taishang Laojun, Jieyin, and Zhunti after learning of the Intercepting Sect’s destruction 75 80. The Journey to the West counterpart is more openly vindictive toward the Two Saints of the West, whose actions he believes enabled Yang Mei’s ambush 80 117.

Abilities & Skills

Saint and Heavenly Dao Authority

Hong Jun possesses power exceeding ordinary Saints. The Journey to the West counterpart is described as half a step into the Heavenly Dao realm and can apply Heavenly Dao rules outside his own world through cooperation between the two worlds’ Heavenly Daos 113 117.

• Can exert overwhelming pressure against Saints and suppress their resistance 38 116.
• Seals surrounding space to prevent escape 77.
• Uses divine sense to scan the Primordial World, locate sealed beings, and search for enemies 73 78 79.
• Can cross immense distances in moments; he states that Saints may reach anywhere with a thought 78.
• The Journey to the West counterpart freezes chaotic space and suppresses Yang Mei’s spatial laws during their final confrontation 121.

Divine Sense and Memory Inspection

Hong Jun can examine memories to verify identity and uncover concealed history.

• Proposes memory inspection to distinguish the present Jieyin and Zhunti from their future counterparts 65.
• Forces open Journey to the West Jieyin’s memories after his initial attempt is blocked 65.
• Learns of the Investiture of the Gods war, the destruction of the Intercepting Sect, and Buddhism’s rise through those memories, causing him to question his future self 65.

Control of Bestowed Treasures

Hong Jun maintains hidden authority over artifacts he distributed to his disciples.

• Confiscates Tongtian’s Six Souls Banner with a gesture 38.
• Retrieves two sets of Four Immortal Slaying Swords without encountering resistance, exposing the marks left within them 50.
• Admits that he placed restrictions in his disciples’ treasures and offers to remove them 81.
• Removes the restrictions on Xuanming’s Four Immortal Slaying Swords 82.

Investiture of the Gods Enhancement

Hong Jun tests and strengthens the Investiture of the Gods as an instrument against Saints.

• Places a strand of his own true spirit into the register to test whether it can restrain him 113.
• Concludes that the register can trap Saints, though an unmodified version is not impossible for a Saint to escape 113.
• Jointly refines the register with his counterpart and adds further restrictions 113.
• Extracts Saint Spirits and sends them into the register, allowing its restrictions to punish and restrain their true bodies 116 117.

Nine Heavens Tribulation Lightning

Hong Jun can wield Nine Heavens Tribulation Lightning through his authority over his domain.

• Strikes Yang Mei with the lightning after revealing that he left contingencies within his own home 74.
• The Investiture’s enhanced punishment methods include blood-red Nine Heavens Divine Lightning against Saint Spirits 117.

Associated Artifacts

• Four Immortal Slaying Swords — Originally bestowed upon Tongtian; Hong Jun’s hidden marks allow him to reclaim or release his restrictions on them 50 81 82.
• Six Souls Banner — Temporarily confiscated from Tongtian after its use against Jieyin 38.
• Investiture of the Gods — A register of divine appointments later reinforced by both Hong Juns to trap and control Saints 11 113.

Relationships

• Tongtian — Disciple and historically Hong Jun’s favored disciple. Their relationship becomes deeply strained by the apparent suppression of the Intercepting Sect and Hong Jun’s control over Tongtian’s treasures 38 50 55.
• Yang Mei — Ancient rival and captor. Yang Mei ambushes Hong Jun during his attempt to merge with the Heavenly Dao, imprisons him, and exploits his authority 55 79.
• Journey to the West Hong Jun — Alternate-world counterpart imprisoned by Yang Mei. The two cooperate after his rescue to reinforce the Investiture of the Gods and confront their enemies 79 113.
• Xuanming — Addressed as a junior disciple/grand-disciple figure. Hong Jun examines his cultivation, advises him against prematurely seeking to reforge the Heavenly Dao, and helps unlock his swords 78 82.
• Jieyin and Zhunti — Disciples whose future counterparts’ memories reveal events that make Hong Jun doubt his own future actions. The Journey to the West counterpart later punishes them through the Investiture of the Gods 65 117.
• Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun — Disciples regarded with suspicion after the Intercepting Sect’s destruction; Hong Jun investigates their possible involvement with Yang Mei 75 80 106.
• Fuxi — Chosen to refine the Earth Core and merge with the Heavenly Dao of the Journey to the West world; Hong Jun asks him to uphold equality among all races 81 86.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Investiture of the Gods dispute — Introduces the register and clashes with Tongtian over the Intercepting Sect’s role in filling its positions 11 12.
• Conflict with Tongtian — Intervenes against Tongtian’s retaliation, confiscates the Six Souls Banner, and invokes the Heavenly Dao’s general trend 38 39.
• Treasure-control revelation — Reveals his ability to seize or restrict artifacts bestowed upon his disciples 50 81 82.
• Yang Mei’s deception exposed — The true Hong Jun’s imprisonment and Yang Mei’s impersonation are uncovered 55 70 71.
• Rescue of the Journey counterpart — The main-world Hong Jun finds and frees the Journey to the West Hong Jun, confirming Yang Mei’s long-term plot 79.
• Heavenly Dao succession — Accepts Fuxi’s role in merging with the Journey to the West world’s Heavenly Dao after initially resisting the loss of that position 81 86.
• Saint suppression — Reinforces the Investiture of the Gods, captures Saint Spirits, and uses the register to punish Jieyin, Zhunti, and other fleeing Saints 113 116 117.
• Final battle against Yang Mei — The Journey to the West counterpart suppresses space and Yang Mei’s escape methods while the Tongtians’ sword formations attack 121.