Xiao Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Hongchen (笑红尘)
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy; Grade 3 Class 1; Qian Daoliu's disciples
Occupation/Role	Soul master; soul engineer; student
Martial Soul	Three-Legged Golden Toad
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 36 Soul Elder; Class 3 soul engineer	13	Introduces himself upon entering Grade 3 Class 1.
Rank 40 cultivation bottleneck	30	Reaches the bottleneck alongside Meng Hongchen after intensive cultivation under Qian Daoliu.

Background / History

Xiao Hongchen is Jing Hongchen's grandson and Meng Hongchen's elder brother. He and Meng Hongchen secretly entered the Evil Demon Forest after Xiao stole and accidentally killed the cub of a Wind Demon Wolf King, intending the cub as a birthday gift for his sister. The enraged wolf pack pursued them until both siblings were near death. Xiao blamed himself for dragging Meng into the danger and resolved to repay her in another life if they died. 8 9

Ye Fan intervened to protect the siblings, while Qian Daoliu annihilated the wolf pack and its ten-thousand-year king. Witnessing Qian Daoliu's nine soul rings and overwhelming strength, Xiao became determined to take him as his teacher. 9

After returning to Ming Capital, Xiao persistently sought Qian Daoliu's acceptance, repeatedly asking Ye Fan to advocate for him. He even attempted to persuade Ye Fan by offering to introduce him to Meng Hongchen. Qian Daoliu ultimately accepted both Hongchen siblings as disciples and gave them a divine-level Meditation Technique for soul-power and spiritual-power cultivation. 10 12

Personality

Xiao Hongchen is proud, competitive, and quick-tempered when his companions or his status are insulted. Chen Fei's accusations of backdoor admission provoked him into nearly deploying his weapons inside the classroom, and he later demanded a public duel to make Chen apologize to the transfer students. 13 16 17

His confidence can turn into recklessness. His unauthorized expedition into the Evil Demon Forest endangered Meng Hongchen, and Jing Hongchen reprimanded him for taking her along. However, Xiao's regret in that crisis shows that he prioritizes his sister's safety over his own. 8 10

He greatly admires strength and works hard toward it. Qian Daoliu's power inspired his desire for discipleship, while his loss to Ma Rulong only strengthened his resolve to surpass him at the same age. 9 12 27

Xiao also has romantic feelings for Ye Guyi. He is especially protective of her reputation and reacts strongly when she is harmed or insulted. 9 13 25

Abilities & Skills

Soul Engineering

Xiao is a Class 3 soul engineer who can alternate effectively between ranged artillery, defensive barriers, and close-combat soul tools. 13 17

• Deploys multiple metal cannon barrels for ranged bombardment. 13
• Uses layered defensive soul-engineering barriers to withstand incoming fire. 17
• Switches between shoulder-mounted main cannons and wrist-mounted rapid-fire weapons during combat. 17
• Divides production tasks with Meng Hongchen, handling metalworking while she engraves core formations. 18

Close-Quarters Swordsmanship

Though primarily a soul engineer, Xiao can fight effectively after exhausting his ammunition. His swordsmanship drew Ji Juechen's attention and prompted the sword fanatic to seek a challenge. 17 20

• Uses a soul-engineering longsword in close combat. 17
• Presses opponents through increasingly fast and forceful sword attacks. 17
• Disarmed Chen Fei and forced his surrender by placing a sword at his throat. 17

Meditation Technique

Qian Daoliu gave Xiao and Meng Hongchen a divine-level Meditation Technique intended to improve both soul power and spiritual power. 12

• Supports rapid cultivation under Qian Daoliu's guidance. 12
• Contributed to Xiao reaching the Rank 40 bottleneck before the midterm break. 30

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Soul-guided cannons and firearms — Used for sustained ranged fire. 13 17
• Defensive soul-engineering barriers — Layered shields used against enemy artillery. 17
• Soul-engineering longsword — Close-combat weapon used to defeat Chen Fei. 17
• Nine-Grade Fire Dragon Ganoderma — Immortal herb assigned to Xiao Hongchen and absorbed under Ye Fan's instructions. 32

Relationships

• Meng Hongchen — Younger sister and frequent partner in combat and soul-tool production. Xiao endangered himself attempting to obtain her a birthday gift, then blamed himself for placing her in danger. 8 9 18
• Jing Hongchen — Grandfather and dean of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. Jing is stern over Xiao's reckless behavior but protective of both grandchildren. 10 11
• Qian Daoliu — Master. Xiao's admiration for Qian began after witnessing him destroy the Wind Demon Wolf pack; Qian later accepted him and Meng as disciples. 9 12
• Ye Fan — Friend, fellow disciple, and classmate. Xiao initially tried to use Ye Fan to gain Qian Daoliu's favor, but later supports Ye Fan in class conflicts and competitions. 10 15 20
• Ye Guyi — Fellow disciple and Xiao's romantic interest. He is particularly defensive of her and reacts angrily when she is injured by Ju Zi. 9 13 25
• Chen Fei — Classmate and rival. Xiao defeated him in a soul duel and compelled him to apologize for insulting the transfer students. 13 16 17
• Ma Rulong — Senior classmate and stronger tournament opponent. Xiao and Meng lost to Ma and Chen Fei, but Xiao remains determined to surpass Ma Rulong. 25 27
• Ji Juechen — Swordsmanship admirer. Ji sought to challenge Xiao after watching him defeat Chen Fei, but Xiao declined because of the approaching monthly assessment. 17 20

Story Role / Major Arcs

Evil Demon Forest Rescue

Xiao and Meng are pursued by the Wind Demon Wolf pack after Xiao kills the Wind Demon Wolf King's cub. Ye Fan's group saves them, establishing Xiao's connection to Ye Fan, Ye Guyi, and Qian Daoliu. 8 9

Becoming Qian Daoliu's Disciple

Xiao repeatedly pursues Qian Daoliu as a master after arriving in Ming Capital. Qian eventually accepts Xiao and Meng as disciples, beginning their soul master training. 10 12

Grade 3 Class 1 Conflict

Upon transferring into Grade 3 Class 1, Xiao clashes with Chen Fei over accusations that the newcomers entered through connections. He later defeats Chen Fei in a soul-tool duel, securing an apology for the transfer students. 13 16 17

Monthly Assessments

Xiao partners with Meng Hongchen for the monthly assessments, including the construction of a Class 3 Invincible Barrier. Their tournament run reaches the semifinals, where they lose to Ma Rulong and Chen Fei. 18 25 27

Sunset Forest Expedition

After reaching the Rank 40 bottleneck, Xiao joins the expedition to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He receives the Nine-Grade Fire Dragon Ganoderma among the immortal-herb distribution. 30 32

Trivia

• Xiao initially tried to persuade Ye Fan to help secure Qian Daoliu as his master by offering to introduce Ye Fan to Meng Hongchen. 10
• Jing Hongchen calls Xiao and Meng Hongchen his “unruly” grandchildren after their unauthorized excursion. 11
• Xiao's swordsmanship was impressive enough to attract Ji Juechen, a swordsman obsessed with challenging strong blade users. 17 20