Hongjun

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Hongjun remained secluded at Mount Yujing while the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans fought their final war. He recognized that their decision to battle beneath Mount Sumeru was abnormal, but the Tribulation Aura and Demonic Qi obscured his deductions; he ultimately chose to observe rather than intervene 18.

After Luo Hou and the three clan leaders left one another gravely wounded, Hongjun maintained that the “great tide” of Heaven’s Way remained irreversible. He waited for Luo Hou to recover and for the three clans’ eventual withdrawal from the struggle for supremacy 19 20.

When the three clan leaders sacrificed themselves to stabilize the world, Hongjun declared that Heaven’s Way had determined the greater trend. He summoned Ancestor Yin-Yang, Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor, and Five-Elements Ancestor to help destroy Luo Hou at Mount Sumeru 21 22.

During the Dao-Demon War, Hongjun entered the Sword Formation of Immortal Execution with the Jade Disc of Creation and Pangu Banner, while the three ancestors fought at the other sword gates. He withheld meaningful aid as they were overwhelmed, allowing their self-destructions to damage the formation and severely injure Luo Hou 23. Before he could seize the aftermath’s treasures, Dijiang and the Eleven Ancestral Witches emerged from concealment, took the Four Swords of Immortal Execution, Heaven-and-Earth Cauldron, Taiji Diagram, God-Slaying Spear, and World-Destroying Black Lotus, and left him to suppress the Western Continent’s catastrophe 24 25.

Hongjun later attained Sagehood and opened Violet Firmament Palace to teach the Dao. The Twelve Ancestral Witches refused both his first and second sermons, denying him the Pangu fortune he sought to gather through Dao transmission 34 35 43.

After compensating the Ancestral Witches for Yuanshi’s attack on Mount Buzhou, Hongjun secured their attendance at his final sermon by agreeing to give them the Pangu Banner and another Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure. He taught the Sage’s Path and the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal path, distributed seven strands of Primordial Purple Qi, and named the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti as disciples. He then fulfilled his bargain with the Witches by handing over the Pangu Banner and Creation Pearl 48 49 50 51.

Hongjun intended the treasures on Treasure-Dividing Rock to strengthen his disciples and the Arcane Gate, but Dijiang exploited his declaration that the fated could claim them. The Ancestral Witches broke Hongjun’s restriction and carried off the entire rock and its treasures. Unable to reclaim them without contradicting his own words, Hongjun distributed his remaining treasures among his six disciples 51 52.

Hongjun subsequently merged with Heaven’s Way and declared that he would not emerge while the great tide remained unchanged. When the Ancestral Witches seized the Heavenly Court and Heaven’s Way recognized their rule, he could not attack them directly. He instead considered supporting the Demon Clan and promoting his disciples’ Sagehood to counterbalance the Witch Cult. As the Witch-controlled court grew stronger, he used Heaven’s Way authority to guide Nuwa toward creating a new race and attaining Sagehood 54 55 61 68.

Hongjun later used Yuanshi’s battle with the Witch Cult to test how far the Ancestral Witches had advanced along their independent cultivation path. He secretly empowered Yuanshi with Heaven’s Way power, but Dijiang’s public accusation of partiality triggered a backlash that injured Hongjun. Hongjun sealed Violet Firmament Palace to halt it, then strengthened Yuanshi further, summoned Jieyin and Zhunti to the battle, and prevented Nuwa from intervening 90 92 93.

When the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ Pangu Phantom overwhelmed the Three Pure Ones, Hongjun withdrew the Heaven’s Way power he had lent Laozi and Yuanshi. He stopped Dijiang from destroying their Sage Seats by offering knowledge of the World-Opening Tribulation and a cultivation path beyond the Primordial Zenith Heaven realm. Hongjun claimed that surviving Chaos Fiends posed a threat and that resisting their invasion was a principal reason for his merger with Heaven’s Way; Dijiang accepted that some might have survived but doubted Hongjun’s account of his motives 96 97.

Appearance

Hongjun is depicted as an ageless Daoist in gray-white robes, usually seated in meditation with the Jade Disc of Creation suspended above him. His restrained bearing contrasts with the overwhelming pressure he releases as a Sage 18 23 34.

• Gray-white Daoist robes 18
• Usually appears seated on a meditation cushion or purple prayer mat 18 35
• Carries the Jade Disc of Creation and the Pangu Banner 22 23
• His Sage pressure carries the authority of Heaven’s Way 34

Personality

Hongjun is patient, calculating, and highly committed to the course he believes Heaven’s Way requires. Even when the Three-Clan War deviates from his expectations, he chooses restraint and long-term planning over direct intervention 18 20.

His public image as a teacher of the Dao conceals a ruthless pragmatism. He promises the three ancestors merit and a chance at the Primordial Origin Realm, yet protects himself while they bear the Sword Formation’s killing power; afterward, he publicly praises their sacrifice while immediately moving to claim their treasures 23.

Hongjun is also politically adaptable. Though angered by Dijiang’s demands, he yields Sea-Calming Divine Pearls and the Myriad Poisons Pearl because the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ Pangu fortune remains necessary to his plan of merging with Heaven’s Way 48 49.

His inability to openly confront the Witch Cult after merging with Heaven’s Way leads him to work through other powers. He guides Nuwa toward Sagehood and uses Yuanshi to probe the Witches’ strength, even after his first covert intervention brings a Heavenly Dao backlash upon himself 61 68 90 92 93.

Abilities & Skills

Sagehood and Heaven’s Way Authority

Hongjun’s Sagehood grants him pressure powerful enough to affect the entire Primordial World.

• His aura forces ordinary beings and Daluo Golden Immortals alike to kneel; Pangu Hall alone blocks its influence 34.
• He neutralizes the pressure of the Twelve Capitals Divine Baleful Formation long enough to intervene in Yuanshi’s punishment 48.
• He intends to merge with Heaven’s Way and become its representative, making the fortune carried by the Twelve Ancestral Witches strategically important to him 35 49.
• After merging with the Dao, he can wield Heaven’s Way power throughout the Primordial World, but its rules restrict him from emerging or directly attacking the Ancestral Witches while the great tide remains unchanged 54 55 61.
• He channels Heavenly Dao Origin power into Yuanshi, eventually raising him to the Sage Middle Stage. Dijiang’s accusation of partiality causes a backlash that severely injures Hongjun; he uses the Jade Disc of Creation to seal Violet Firmament Palace and stop it 90 92 93.
• He seals Wa Emperor Palace to prevent Nuwa from aiding Dijiang during the Sages’ assault on Mount Buzhou 93.

Deduction and Strategic Foresight

Hongjun can calculate heavenly secrets and infer hidden schemes, though tribulation forces can obstruct his sight.

• He identifies the Three Clans’ western “final battle” as suspicious but cannot determine their exact strategy through the Tribulation Aura and Demonic Qi 18.
• He correctly understands that Dijiang seeks the three Heaven-Opening Treasures to strengthen the Pangu Phantom 49.
• His predictions are vulnerable to altered events; the survival of the three clan leaders and the intervention of the Ancestral Witches disrupt his expected script 19 24.
• After the Ancestral Witches seize the Heavenly Court, their interference leaves even Hongjun unable to calculate the future’s direction 61.
• He determines that the Pangu Phantom summoned by the Twelve Capitals Divine Baleful Formation depends on a finite reserve of Pangu’s residual will 96.

Dao Transmission

Hongjun uses Violet Firmament Palace to spread the Dao of Heaven and establish karmic ties with the Primordial World’s strongest cultivators.

• His first sermon teaches the Dao of the Daluo Golden Immortal over three thousand years 35.
• His second sermon explains the Dao of Quasi-Saints and the three methods of proving the Dao 43.
• The sermons are intended to gather the fortune of the attending innate sacred beings and support his eventual union with Heaven’s Way 35.
• His third and final sermon explains the Sage’s Path and the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal path. Afterward, he distributes seven strands of Primordial Purple Qi, selecting six disciples and granting the seventh strand to Red Cloud 51.
• He claims knowledge of the World-Opening Tribulation and a path beyond the Primordial Zenith Heaven realm, which he offers Dijiang in exchange for sparing the Three Pure Ones’ Sage Seats 96 97.

Formation Warfare and Combat

Hongjun wields powerful defensive and offensive treasures in high-level conflicts.

• He uses the Jade Disc of Creation and Pangu Banner to withstand the Sword Formation of Immortal Execution while fighting at the Severing Immortal Sword Gate 23.
• The Pangu Banner releases Chaos Sword Qi capable of tearing through primal chaos 24.
• His attack on Dijiang is briefly halted by Zhu Jiuyin’s Time Law, allowing Dijiang to seize the Taiji Diagram 24.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Jade Disc of Creation — A supreme treasure used for deduction, protection, and suppressing powerful attacks; it is described as half-broken during Hongjun’s early seclusion at Mount Yujing. Hongjun later uses it to observe the battle at Mount Buzhou and seal Violet Firmament Palace against a Heavenly Dao backlash 18 23 90 92.
• Pangu Banner — A Heaven-Opening Treasure and Hongjun’s principal offensive weapon; it releases Chaos Sword Qi. Hongjun gives it to the Ancestral Witches after his third sermon under their negotiated agreement 23 24 50 51.
• Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls — Given to the Ancestral Witches as compensation for Yuanshi’s actions; together with Gonggong’s existing twelve pearls, they complete the thirty-six-pearl set 48 49.
• Myriad Poisons Pearl — A Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure given to She Bishi to end Dijiang’s compensation demands 49.
• Promised compensation — Hongjun agrees to transfer the Pangu Banner and an additional Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure after the third sermon, contingent on the Ancestral Witches’ attendance. He fulfills the agreement by giving them the Pangu Banner and Creation Pearl 50 51.
• Primordial Purple Qi — Hongjun distributes seven strands after his final sermon: six to his selected disciples and one to Red Cloud 51.
• Treasure-Dividing Rock — Held thousands of Innate Spirit Treasures behind a restriction Hongjun intended to use to control their allocation. The Ancestral Witches break the restriction and take the rock and its treasures 51 52.

Relationships

• Dijiang — Principal rival and political adversary. Dijiang steals the rewards of the Dao-Demon War, rejects Hongjun’s early sermons, then uses Yuanshi’s defeat to extort treasures and demand the Pangu Banner 24 35 48 50. He later takes the entire Treasure-Dividing Rock, seizes the Heavenly Court, and exposes Hongjun’s covert empowerment of Yuanshi. Hongjun ultimately bargains with him to save the Three Pure Ones’ Sage Seats 52 61 92 96.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches — A major source of Pangu fortune Hongjun needs for his plan to merge with Heaven’s Way. Their collective absence from his first two sermons frustrates him 35 43 49. Their later advances along a path outside Heaven’s Way and the increasing power of their Pangu Phantom make them a threat he seeks to contain 68 90 96.
• Yuanshi Tianzun — Hongjun rescues Yuanshi from the Pangu Phantom because Yuanshi is vital to his future Arcane Gate plans 48. After Yuanshi becomes a Sage, Hongjun secretly lends him Heaven’s Way power to test the Witch Cult, then withdraws that support when the Ancestral Witches reveal their formation’s strength 90 93 96.
• Luo Hou — Dao-Demon War opponent. Hongjun organizes the campaign against him, while Luo Hou repeatedly accuses him of sacrificing allies for personal gain 22 23 24.
• Ancestor Yin-Yang, Heaven-and-Earth Ancestor, and Five-Elements Ancestor — Recruited allies in the assault on Luo Hou’s formation. All three perish after Hongjun leaves them to endure its full killing power 22 23.
• The Three Pure Ones — Important attendees at Violet Firmament Palace; their Pangu lineage partly fulfills the fortune Hongjun seeks, but does not replace the absent Ancestral Witches 34 35. Hongjun names them personal disciples and later intervenes to preserve their Sage Seats after their defeat by the Pangu Phantom 51 96.
• Nuwa — Hongjun’s personal disciple. He guides her toward creating a new race as a path to Sagehood, but later seals Wa Emperor Palace to prevent her from aiding Dijiang against the other Sages 51 68 93.
• Jieyin and Zhunti — Hongjun’s registered disciples. He orders them to assist the Three Pure Ones during the assault on Mount Buzhou 51 93.
• Di Jun and the Demon Clan — Hongjun favors the Demon Clan as a counterweight to the Ancestral Witches. After the Witches take the Heavenly Court, he considers supporting Di Jun’s faction indirectly because he cannot confront them himself 61 68.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Observer of the Three-Clan Calamity

Hongjun monitors the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans’ war from Mount Yujing. He expects their conflict and eventual sacrifice to follow the greater trend of Heaven’s Way, even after their actions begin deviating from his calculations 18 19 20.

Architect of the Dao-Demon War

After the clans withdraw, Hongjun gathers ancient powers to attack Luo Hou. His strategy succeeds in breaking the Sword Formation of Immortal Execution, but the deaths of his allies and Dijiang’s intervention leave him unable to claim the war’s treasures 22 23 24.

Sage and Teacher of Violet Firmament Palace

Hongjun becomes the first Sage shown in the Primordial World and convenes the Dao lectures at Violet Firmament Palace. His teachings spread the Daluo Golden Immortal and Quasi-Saint paths, while also binding attendees to him through fortune and karmic ties 34 35 43.

At his final sermon, Hongjun teaches the Sage’s Path, distributes Primordial Purple Qi, establishes his disciples’ hierarchy, and hands over the treasures promised to the Ancestral Witches. Their subsequent seizure of Treasure-Dividing Rock overturns his planned allocation of treasures to the Arcane Gate 51 52.

Bargaining with the Witch Clan

When Yuanshi attacks Mount Buzhou and is overwhelmed by the Twelve Capitals Divine Baleful Formation, Hongjun is forced to intervene. Dijiang turns the rescue into a series of escalating demands, gaining treasures for Gonggong and She Bishi before conditionally accepting the invitation to Hongjun’s final sermon 48 49 50.

Hongjun initially offers only a temporary loan of the Pangu Banner, but agrees to give it away along with another supreme-grade treasure when Dijiang refuses. He completes the exchange after the sermon 50 51.

Merger with Heaven’s Way and the Struggle for Control

Hongjun merges with Heaven’s Way, gaining greater authority while becoming restricted from acting directly whenever the great tide remains unchanged. The Ancestral Witches’ seizure of the Heavenly Court disrupts his intended balance between them and the Demon Clan. He responds indirectly, including by guiding Nuwa toward Sagehood as the Witch-controlled court continues to grow 54 55 61 68.

Hongjun later empowers Yuanshi and summons other Sages to test and contain the Witch Cult at Mount Buzhou. Dijiang’s accusation causes a Heavenly Dao backlash against him, while the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ formation ultimately defeats the Three Pure Ones. Hongjun withdraws his support from them and offers Dijiang knowledge of the World-Opening Tribulation and higher cultivation to avert the destruction of their Sage Seats 90 92 93 96 97.

Notable Quotes

“The great tide of Heaven’s Way cannot be reversed. A few minor twists and turns are of no consequence.” 20

“The Great Dao has three thousand paths, and every one may lead to the Primordial Dao Fruit.” 43

“From this day forth, Hongjun is Heaven’s Way, but Heaven’s Way is not Hongjun!” 54