Jing Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Jing Hongchen (镜红尘)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Empire; Mingde Hall; Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy
Occupation/Role	Hall Master of Mingde Hall; highest authority over Soul Tool research in the Sun Moon Empire; Rank 9 Soul Master
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 14

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 94 Titled Douluo	15	Defends himself against Evil Qi Xuan Zi with the Level 9 Soul Tool Hongchen's Protection, then uses his Toad True Body and the Sword of Judgment to injure the Taotie phantom.
Soul Tool-body transformation and fusion capability	84	After entering the mysterious puddle with Kong Deming, his Soul Tools fuse into his body. He and Kong Deming can combine into a heavily armed mecha-like form and later separate unharmed.
Second-level Deity	151	Emerges from the River of Time rejuvenated, with a divine throne formed from countless Soul Tool cores manifesting behind him.

Background / History

Jing Hongchen served as the master of Mingde Hall, the Sun Moon Empire's highest authority on Soul Tool research. He was a Rank 9 Soul Master and a level 94 Titled Douluo, combining political authority with formidable Soul Tool expertise 14 15.

As a senior Sun Moon Empire official, he knew that the Holy Spirit Sect was secretly connected to the empire and regarded as its state religion. Evil Qi Xuan Zi's public claim to be the sect's Supreme Elder therefore alarmed him; he understood that exposing the sect could jeopardize the empire's covert plans 15.

When Evil Qi Xuan Zi attacked near Mingdu, Jing Hongchen protected himself with Hongchen's Protection and ordered his grandchildren and guards to withdraw. He accepted the Huo brothers' battlefield assistance, using their support to create an opening for the Sword of Judgment to damage Xuan Zi's Taotie manifestation 15.

Afterward, he recruited Huo Yuhao, Huo Yu, and Huo Hao for the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. He offered unrestricted access to academy resources, Soul Tool blueprints, rare metals, and Mingde Hall research data in return for their participation in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament; when persuasion failed, he used the threat of imprisonment to force an answer 24.

Alongside Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen investigated the mysterious river around Mingdu. Their repeated tests established that entrants could emerge as three versions of themselves, that the first to emerge was the strongest, and that dishonesty toward the river could cause an entrant to vanish 35.

Mu Xuan's murder of the old emperor and capture of Xiao Hongchen left Jing Hongchen torn between protecting his family and defending the empire. He ultimately surrendered alongside Kong Deming under the pressure of Mu Xuan's overwhelming strength, though he later refused to fire Level 9 Soul Missiles at his own homeland and chose to oppose Mu Xuan directly 36 37 57.

Unable to contend with Mu Xuan conventionally, Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming entered a mysterious puddle connected to the river's power. Lin Feng instead used alchemy to fuse them into a Soul Tool-armored combat form, granting them a transformed mechanical body and the ability to merge again when needed 72 84.

He helped shield survivors during the battle over Mingdu and remained involved in the Sun Moon Empire's recovery following Mu Xuan's defeat. Later disasters, including the Evil Emperor's attack, led him to question whether rebuilding could matter in an era dominated by powers beyond ordinary Soul Masters 94 100 131 149.

After Xiao Hongchen returned from the River of Time, Jing Hongchen himself emerged from it rejuvenated and elevated to a Second-level Deity, his divine throne reflecting his Soul Tool path 150 151.

Appearance

Jing Hongchen initially appears as an elderly man with carefully arranged hair, sharp eyes resembling Xiao Hongchen's, and a dignified manner. He wears luxurious robes befitting the master of Mingde Hall 14.

• Initially has pale hair and aged, cloudy eyes 151.
• Possesses a Toad Martial Soul and can manifest a Toad True Body in battle 15.
• Following the River of Time, appears around thirty years old, with restored black hair, an upright physique, and visibly immense power 151.
• His divine throne manifests as a massive construct made of countless Soul Tool cores 151.

Personality

Jing Hongchen is calculating and politically pragmatic. His recruitment of the Huo brothers combines genuine recognition of their role in saving Mingdu with an explicit threat of arrest, showing that he prefers leverage over simple coercion when securing valuable talent 24.

He is deeply invested in Soul Tool development and believes technology can compensate for disparities in Martial Soul quality and cultivation. His own survival against Evil Qi Xuan Zi reinforces this conviction 24.

Despite his ruthlessness, Jing Hongchen is protective of his family and loyal to the Sun Moon Empire. Xiao Hongchen's capture breaks his resolve, while Mu Xuan's demand that he attack his homeland draws an absolute refusal 37 57.

Abilities & Skills

Soul Tool Mastery

Jing Hongchen is a Rank 9 Soul Master and the leading authority of Mingde Hall, with mastery over high-level defensive, offensive, and research-oriented Soul Tools 14 15.

• Uses Soul Tools to bridge the gap between weaker and stronger Soul Masters 24.
• Participated in systematic testing of the mysterious river and its effects on living subjects 35.
• His transformed body is itself described as an exceptionally precise Soul Tool 84.

Toad Martial Soul

As a level 94 Assault-type Titled Douluo, Jing Hongchen can summon his Toad Martial Soul and assume its True Body form 15 59.

• His Toad True Body amplifies his combat capability against high-level opponents 15.
• He mobilized the Martial Soul phantom when attempting to protect Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the Huo brothers from Silver-Haired Kong Deming 59.

Hongchen's Protection

Hongchen's Protection is a Level 9 triggered defensive Soul Tool that creates an invisible crimson barrier around Jing Hongchen 15.

• Withstood a direct claw strike from Evil Qi Xuan Zi 15.
• The impact still forced Jing Hongchen backward by more than ten meters 15.

Sword of Judgment

The Sword of Judgment is Jing Hongchen's powerful offensive Soul Tool weapon 15.

• Used after Huo Hao briefly interrupted Taotie's Devour 15.
• Cracked Evil Qi Xuan Zi's hastily condensed Taotie phantom and forced him back 15.

Soul Tool-Body Fusion

The puddle transformation fused Jing Hongchen's Soul Tools into his physical body, replacing ordinary flesh with a mechanical Soul Tool structure 84.

• Allows his skin to display a metallic luster 84.
• Enables fusion with Kong Deming into a combined armored combat entity 84.
• The merged form can separate back into Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming without harming either of them 84.

Fusion Form with Kong Deming

Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming can merge into a powerful mecha-like warrior after their transformation 84.

• The form combines their facial features and wears streamlined Soul Tool armor 84.
• Carries eighteen miniature Soul Cannons and a destructive greatsword 84.
• Its pressure is below Mu Xuan's but sufficient to overwhelm those nearby 84.

Divine Power

After the River of Time materialized his peak potential, Jing Hongchen became a Second-level Deity with a Soul Tool-based divine throne 151.

• His transformed body is youthful and imbued with world-ending power 151.
• His divine throne is formed from innumerable Soul Tool cores 151.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Hongchen's Protection — Level 9 triggered defensive Soul Tool that generates a crimson protective barrier 15.
• Sword of Judgment — High-power offensive weapon used to break Evil Qi Xuan Zi's Taotie phantom 15.
• Soul Tool armor — Integrated into his body after the puddle transformation 84.
• Fusion-form armament — Eighteen miniature Soul Cannons and a destructive greatsword available while merged with Kong Deming 84.

Relationships

• Kong Deming — Teacher, ally, and fellow defender of the Sun Moon Empire. They investigate the river together, resist Mu Xuan together, and later gain the ability to fuse into a single combat form 35 57 84.
• Xiao Hongchen — Family member and heir whose capture by Mu Xuan drives Jing Hongchen into despair; Jing later grieves the decades of growth Xiao experienced in another world 37 150.
• Meng Hongchen — Family member who fears for Jing Hongchen during his fusion with Kong Deming and later witnesses his divine transformation 84 151.
• Huo Yuhao, Huo Yu, and Huo Hao — Recruited academy talents. Their intervention against Evil Qi Xuan Zi earns Jing Hongchen's respect and motivates his offer of unrestricted resources 15 24.
• Mu Xuan — Overwhelming enemy who murders the emperor, captures Xiao Hongchen, and forces Jing Hongchen to confront the limits of his power 36 37 57.
• Qian Renxue — A Martial Soul Hall powerhouse whose decisive defeat of the Evil Emperor leaves Jing Hongchen considering her a potential counterweight to Light Ye Xishui 131.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Mingdu River Incident

• Receives the report concerning the river's ability to split people into three versions 14.
• Battles Evil Qi Xuan Zi outside Mingdu with support from the Huo brothers 15.
• Recruits the Huo brothers into the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy 24.
• Conducts repeated experiments on the river with Kong Deming 35.

Mu Xuan Crisis

• Condemns Xuan Zi's participation in the Sun Moon emperor's assassination 36.
• Surrenders when Mu Xuan captures Xiao Hongchen but later refuses to attack the Sun Moon Empire 37 57.
• Enters the mysterious puddle with Kong Deming in pursuit of power to save the empire 72 84.
• Assists in protecting Mingdu during the final battle against Mu Xuan 94 100.

River of Time Transformation

• Reflects on the limits of ordinary talent while watching Xiao Hongchen struggle with his inadequacy 149.
• Reunites with Xiao Hongchen after the latter's return as a Demigod 150.
• Emerges from the River of Time as a rejuvenated Second-level Deity 151.

Notable Quotes

“We will never attack our homeland! Mu Xuan! We are your opponents!” 57

“This is the power of technology. It can bridge the gap in talent, allowing Soul Masters to fight against stronger opponents, and even... turn the tide of defeat.” 24