Xiao Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiao Hongchen (笑红尘)
Alias(es)	Brother Xiao; Hongchen-class 12 49
Gender	Male 9
Affiliation	Mingde Hall; fifth-grade student of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy 12 49
Occupation/Role	Class 6 Soul Engineer; assault-type Battle Soul King 54
Status	Alive; recovering after overexerting himself during his duel with Xu Qing 57
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Spirit King	10	At fourteen, Xiao declares himself the only Spirit King of his age and invincible among his peers.
Rank 56 Assault-type Battle Soul King	52 54	His confirmed cultivation before the selection-tournament final; possesses five soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black.

Background & History

Xiao Hongchen arrived at the Body Sect with his younger sister, Meng Hongchen, to seek medicine. Reuniting with Xu Qing, whom he considered the only peer able to match him, he immediately issued a challenge in his usual grandiose style. His Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul, however, warned him of Xu Qing's danger, and he withdrew from an immediate fight. 9 10

During the visit, Xiao worked with Xu Qing to refine a Level 6 hand-type soul tool from Million-Year Insect Skin. The process elevated his confidence in his own engineering ability; he declared that he could now manifest Level 6 soul cannons in battle. Xu Qing stopped him from taking a pill to force further output, warning that it would overdraw his potential. 11

After Xu Qing transferred into his academy class, Xiao continued to treat him as his “best friend” and future decisive rival. He spent the selection tournament studying Xu Qing’s matches, then absorbed a 23,200-year metal-attribute head soul bone ahead of schedule to prepare for their final. 30 52 53

In the final, Xiao deployed every resource he had: Ring Fusion, 361 Class 6 gun barrels, Nine Dragon Power injectors, the Crimson Gold Crown, and his ultimate East Wind shell. Though Xu Qing defeated him, Xiao remained standing long enough to demand a final attack, earning Xu Qing’s recognition as the strongest Soul Engineer he had fought. 54 55 56 His body was severely strained by the battle and the drug injections; Xu Qing later stabilized him with surgery, cardiac stimulants, and antidotes. 57

Appearance

Xiao Hongchen is a handsome white-haired youth with heterochromatic eyes—one blue and one green. His dramatic styling and poses match his flamboyant behavior. 9

• White hair, later dyed with black streaks and eventually several bright colors. 12 30
• Heterochromatic blue and green eyes. 9
• Often covers one eye, points theatrically, or strikes exaggerated poses. 30
• Manifests the crimson-gold Crimson Gold Crown from his forehead after activating his head soul bone. 52

Personality

Xiao is intensely theatrical, prideful, and chuunibyou. He habitually frames ordinary conversations as declarations of destiny, calls Xu Qing his “best friend,” and treats their rivalry as the central contest of their generation. 9 10 30

His arrogance is tempered by genuine dedication. Rather than dismissing Xu Qing’s strength, Xiao studies it obsessively and responds by preparing more thoroughly, even accepting severe long-term costs for a chance to win. 52 54 He is also protective of Meng Hongchen, worrying that Xu Qing may “swindle” her away, although his concern is mixed with jealousy over her closeness to Xu Qing. 10 49

Abilities & Skills

Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul

Xiao possesses the Three-Legged Golden Toad, a martial soul with divine-beast bloodline. Its battle intent strengthens his resolve, particularly when he is close to exhaustion. 10 54 55

• Martial-soul possession manifests a golden third leg that supports his body and helps resist Xu Qing’s extreme cold. 54 56
• Possesses five soul rings: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black. 53 54
• Reached a half-step Martial Soul Avatar state while using Metal Control and Gold Solidification. 12

Metal Manipulation & Ring Fusion

Xiao’s metal-attribute soul skills allow him to shape metallic elements into weapons and amplify their destructive power.

• Metal Control and Gold Condensation create and shape metal constructs, including his cannon fortress. 54
• Gold Boiling and Gold Sacrifice drastically increase the concentration, heat, firing rate, and output of his Soul Tools. 55
• Ring Fusion combines multiple soul skills; Xiao’s control was still imperfect during the final. 53 54
• A four-ring fusion of Metal Control, Gold Boiling, Gold Shaping, and Gold Sacrifice created his ultimate East Wind shell. 56

Soul Tool Engineering

Xiao is a Class 6 Soul Engineer with exceptional concentration and carving ability. He regards Soul Tools as the future of combat and believes sustained mechanical firepower can overcome even powerful soul masters. 11 12 54

• Crafted a Level 6 hand-type soul tool from Million-Year Insect Skin. 11
• Can construct Class 6 soul cannons in combat. 11
• Created a floating fortress of 361 Class 6 gun barrels, called the Six-Barrel Rapid-Fire Machine Gun, for overwhelming suppressive fire. 54 55
• Constructed the East Wind, a Level 6 Ultimate Series Soul Guidance Shell, after receiving one minute to complete it. 56

Crimson Gold Crown

The Crimson Gold Crown is formed from a 23,200-year metal-attribute head soul bone that Xiao absorbed before reaching Soul Emperor rank. 52 53

• Grants a period of effectively unlimited Soul Power lasting four minutes and eleven seconds. 54
• Its activation burns through his reserves at a severe cost: twelve months of cultivation. 54
• After using its soul-bone skill, Xiao cannot gain Soul Power for the following year. 70

Nine Dragon Power

Xiao used more than ten Nine Dragon Power injectors during his final against Xu Qing to sustain his fortress and continue fighting. 54

• Greatly increases his available output during combat. 54
• Places extreme stress on his body; Jing Hongchen noted that Xiao had ignored whether he could metabolize so many injections. 57
• Required cardiac stimulants and antidotes after the match. 57

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• No. 91 Ranking Engraving Knife — a birthday gift used during the refinement of the Million-Year Insect Skin gloves. 11
• Crimson Gold Crown — metal-attribute head soul bone manifestation. 52 54
• Nine Dragon Power injectors — emergency combat stimulants used in his final. 54
• Six-Barrel Rapid-Fire Machine Gun — 361 Class 6 Soul Tool gun barrels formed through metal manipulation. 54
• East Wind — Level 6 Ultimate Series Soul Guidance Shell created through four-ring fusion. 56

Relationships

• Xu Qing — Rival and self-proclaimed “best friend.” Xiao sees Xu Qing as the only opponent who can match him, while Xu Qing recognizes Xiao as the strongest Soul Engineer he has faced. 9 10 55
• Meng Hongchen — Younger sister. Xiao is protective of her and jealous of her open affection for Xu Qing. 10 49
• Jing Hongchen — Grandfather and Mingde Hall’s Hall Master. Jing provides him with major resources, including the head soul bone used to form the Crimson Gold Crown. 10 52
• Electrolux — Indirectly assisted Xiao’s refinement work through an external spiritual projection while supervising his creation of the Level 6 gloves. 11

Notable Quotes

“Across the world, throughout history, at fourteen years old, the only Spirit King is I, Xiao!” 10

“For the next four minutes and eleven seconds—I will defeat you!!!” 55

“Carrying everyone’s hopes on my back, I absolutely cannot fall here!!” 55

Trivia

• Xu Qing dyed the white gloves Xiao crafted black, much to Xiao’s outrage; Xiao later embraced the resulting dyed streak in his own hair. 11 12
• Xiao’s No. 91 Ranking Engraving Knife was a birthday gift. 11
• He repeatedly invokes “all that’s missing is the east wind” before deploying major attacks, culminating in the creation of his East Wind shell. 54 56