Xiao Hongchen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Xiao Hongchen is Jing Hongchen’s grandson and Meng Hongchen’s older brother. As a prodigy of Illustrious Virtue Hall, his enrollment at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy is treated as a formality; he and Meng enter through the noble registration area rather than the commoner queue. He initially ignores Wang Shaojie’s attempt to ingratiate himself, showing little interest in social flattery. 12

When Ye Chenxing and Qian Renxue arrive, Xiao looks past their appearance and immediately questions why unfamiliar outsiders have appeared among Ming Capital’s upper circles. Ye’s displayed Level 20 Soul Power disappoints him, but the revelation of Ye’s unusually pure Sun Martial Soul and dual ultimate attributes overturns that judgment, leaving Xiao deeply shaken. 12 13 14

He openly acknowledges Ye as a superior talent but refuses to abandon his own ambitions, challenging him to a future fair fight based on Soul Tools and practical combat. During the Jingyang Mountain Range expedition, Xiao’s rivalry repeatedly pushes him to prove himself, first through overwhelming cannon fire and later through coordinated combat against the wolf kings. His near-death mistake against a Golden Tiger and Ye’s subsequent guidance force him to reconsider how a Soul Engineer should allocate soul skills. 18 25 26 27 28 29 30

During the Holy Spirit Cult ambush, Xiao accepts Ye’s decision to separate and brings Meng to seek aid from the nearby garrison, despite fearing for Ye’s safety. Afterward, he redirects his competitive drive toward Soul Tool assembly and aiming contests rather than direct violence. 33 38

Xiao initially imagines that he and Ye could become the Sun Moon Empire’s “twin stars,” with Xiao excelling in Soul Tools while Ye pursues Martial Soul cultivation. Ye’s unprecedented Soul Tool aptitude, culminating in his instruction of the empire’s Rank Eight and Rank Nine Soul Engineers, ultimately destroys this belief and leaves Xiao struggling with the scale of their difference. 47 54

During Ye’s seclusion, Gu Yeqiu defeats Xiao instantly in combat, Gu Yuena surpasses him in Soul Tool creation despite being a beginner, and Meng successfully obtains a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring. These setbacks reduce the former academy leader to fifth place among its young geniuses and drive him into an exaggerated period of melancholy shared with Wang Jiahao. 86

Ye later gives Xiao the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as compensation and encouragement. Its absorption purifies and sharpens the Three-Legged Golden Toad’s metal attribute, strengthens his body, and raises his Soul Power close to Rank 50. Xiao subsequently agrees to strive for Spirit Emperor rank within a year so that he can compete alongside Ye’s team in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament. 89 94 95

Appearance

Xiao is a fair-faced, red-haired youth with a typically cold and composed demeanor. 24 42

• Martial Soul possession produces a third, golden leg that forms a triangular support with his body. 25
• His body gains a golden sheen and fine metallic patterns while possessed. 25
• His possessed form is powerful but conspicuous enough to become a source of embarrassment when Meng teases him. 24 25
• After absorbing the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, the phantom of his Three-Legged Golden Toad becomes sharper and heavier in aura than before. 94

Personality

Xiao begins as proud, aloof, and highly competitive. He has long regarded himself as one of the Sun Moon Empire’s greatest talents, so Ye Chenxing’s superior Martial Soul foundation and control repeatedly damage his confidence. Rather than surrendering to resentment, however, he works to reinterpret his defeats and find a path suited to his own strengths. 14 18 27

He is observant and practical beneath his pride. He notices that Ye and Qian are unfamiliar to Ming Capital, recognizes when remaining with Ye would make him and Meng liabilities, and accepts Ye’s advice on integrating Soul Tools into a Soul Engineer’s cultivation strategy. 12 27 33

His desire to save face can make him reckless—most notably when he exhausts much of his Soul Power against the Golden Tigers and loses focus—but he learns from Jing Hongchen’s rebuke and sincerely thanks Ye after gaining a clearer direction for his future. 25 26 27

Xiao remains extremely sensitive to being surpassed. Ye’s Soul Tool accomplishments and the arrival of Gu Yuena and Gu Yeqiu repeatedly undermine his belief that he can stand beside Ye as an equal, eventually leading to a comically depressive period in which he stands in the rain with Wang Jiahao. Nevertheless, he continues cultivating, accepts Ye’s assistance gratefully, and commits himself to the team’s ambitious one-year Spirit Emperor goal. 54 86 94 95

Abilities & Skills

Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul

Xiao’s Martial Soul is a Three-Legged Golden Toad, a metallic beast Martial Soul stated to stand near the threshold of Extreme Metal. 13 25

• Martial Soul Possession — Grants a third golden leg, metallic body patterns, and a reinforced physical form. 25
• Metal Control — His first Soul Skill; manipulates metal materials and metal spheres used as foundations for his artillery formations. 25
• Golden Form Condensation — His third Soul Skill; condenses cannon barrels around his prepared metal cores. 25
• Post-Herb Enhancement — The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum makes his metal attribute purer, sharper, and heavier. The transformation does not visibly attain Extreme Metal, but Ye suspects that it has caused an inconspicuous deeper evolution. 94 95
• Limitation: Large-scale cannon deployment consumes enormous amounts of Soul Power; firing sixty Third-Level Soul Guidance Cannons expends nearly half his reserves. 26

Soul Engineering

Xiao is a Rank Four, all-round Soul Engineer who emphasizes ranged firepower and battlefield distance. 25 47

• Uses Soul Guidance Rays to quickly dispatch weaker soul beasts. 25
• Can deploy nearly sixty Third-Level Soul Guidance Cannons simultaneously, surrounding himself in a “metal hedgehog” artillery formation. 25 26
• Uses stored metal powder, metal spheres, and Soul Guidance core formations to construct weapons during combat. 25
• Employs a Milk Bottle to replenish Soul Power before launching a charged barrage. 30
• Learns to prioritize Soul Rings that enhance Metal Control, survival, defense, and close-combat weaknesses while relying on Soul Tools for offensive output. 27
• Continues to identify himself as an all-round Soul Engineer, capable of working with offensive, defensive, and support-type Soul Tools rather than specializing in a single field. 47

Martial Soul Fusion Skill

Xiao shares the Martial Soul Fusion Skill Red Dust Yearning with Meng Hongchen. Its compatibility remains intact and appears smoother than before despite both siblings’ Martial Soul improvements. 94

• Ye Chenxing infers that the fusion skill’s continued stability indicates that Xiao’s Three-Legged Golden Toad has undergone a hidden evolution alongside Meng’s more obvious transformation. 95

Combat Coordination

Though initially focused on individual displays of strength, Xiao becomes an effective long-range member of a three-person team.

• Provides concentrated artillery support while Meng Hongchen controls enemies with poison and illusions and Ye Chenxing engages at close range. 29 30
• Immediately follows Ye’s instruction to close his eyes before the Solar Fist, demonstrating growing trust in his judgment. 29
• His enhanced cannon barrage helps severely injure both the Golden Wolf King and Silvermoon Wolf King after Ye creates an opening. 30
• He accepts Ye’s plan to accelerate his cultivation for the academy tournament, where he is expected to serve as one of the team’s main combat forces. 95

Equipment

• Soul Guidance Cannons — Deployable artillery produced through Metal Control and Golden Form Condensation. 25 26
• Soul Guidance Rays — Standard ranged weapons used against weaker soul beasts. 25
• Milk Bottle — Restores Soul Power for continued combat and charged attacks. 30
• Metal spheres and stored metal powder — Materials used to construct cannon formations. 25
• Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum — An Immortal Herb given to him by Ye Chenxing; it nourishes the limbs, improves his body, and assists his metal-attribute Martial Soul in approaching Extreme Metal. 89 94

Relationships

• Jing Hongchen — Grandfather and mentor figure. Jing is protective of Xiao, supervises his combat training, and reprimands him sharply when his pride causes him to lose focus in battle. He is deeply moved by Xiao’s improvement after the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. 15 25 26 94
• Meng Hongchen — Younger sister. Their relationship is affectionate but combative; Meng frequently mocks his pride, fear of heights, and unusual possessed form. They possess the Martial Soul Fusion Skill Red Dust Yearning, which survives both of their Martial Soul enhancements. 18 24 47 94 95
• Ye Chenxing — Classmate, rival, teammate, benefactor, and eventual source of guidance. Xiao initially vows to surpass Ye, but later accepts his advice on Soul Engineer development, trusts him in battle, and receives the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum from him. Ye’s repeated displays of overwhelming Martial Soul and Soul Tool talent remain the source of Xiao’s deepest insecurity as well as his motivation to improve. 18 27 29 54 89 94 95
• Qian Renxue / “Ye Xue” — Classmate presented to Xiao as Ye Chenxing’s adopted older sister. Xiao and Meng guide her and Ye through the academy after their enrollment. 18
• Wang Jiahao — Initially a classmate whose challenge to Ye prompts Xiao to reveal his three-ring Soul Elder cultivation; Xiao sarcastically calls him a “true warrior” for choosing Ye as an opponent. After both suffer defeats and setbacks, the two become companions in their shared, rain-soaked melancholy. 42 86
• Gu Yuena — A newly enrolled academy prodigy who defeats Xiao in Soul Tool creation despite being a novice, contributing to his loss of confidence and academy standing. They later become members of the same tournament reserve team. 86 95
• Gu Yeqiu — The Auspicious Beast in human form. She defeats Xiao instantly in their first duel, demonstrating a level of physical power that he cannot resist. They later become members of the same tournament reserve team. 86 95

Story Role / Major Arcs

Academy Enrollment

Xiao witnesses Ye Chenxing’s entrance testing, first dismissing his Level 20 Soul Power before becoming alarmed by the purity and dual-ultimate nature of Ye’s disguised Sun Martial Soul. His own Level 36 result establishes him as an elite eleven-year-old Soul Elder. 13 14

Jingyang Mountain Range Expedition

Seeking to restore his confidence, Xiao takes initiative against the Golden Tigers with an extravagant cannon formation. His carelessness nearly gets him killed, forcing Ye to rescue him with a precise fire attack. He later accepts Ye’s theory that Soul Engineers should reserve soul skills for enhancement and survival rather than duplicate the offensive functions of Soul Tools. 25 26 27

Battle with the Wolf Kings

Xiao fights alongside Ye and Meng against the Golden Wolf King and Silvermoon Wolf King. He serves as the team’s artillery specialist, charging and firing a decisive barrage after Ye’s Solar Fist blinds and stuns both ten-thousand-year soul beasts. 29 30

Holy Spirit Cult Ambush

When a Soul Douluo pursues the group, Xiao overcomes his fear and forces Meng to follow Ye’s escape plan. He leads her to the Sun Moon Empire garrison for reinforcements, understanding that staying with Ye would only worsen the situation. 33 36

Freshman Class One

Xiao joins Freshman Class One with Ye, Meng, and Qian Renxue. He silences doubts about their placement by displaying his three rings, then watches Ye’s entrance duel and growing recognition as a Soul Engineer with mixed admiration and insecurity. 42 45 46 47

Ye Chenxing’s Soul Tool Lecture

Xiao watches Ye Chenxing teach the Sun Moon Empire’s foremost Soul Engineers and solve problems that had challenged them for decades. The sight shatters Xiao’s hope that he and Ye can become equal “twin stars,” forcing him to confront the true gulf in their Soul Tool talents. 54

Fall to Fifth at the Academy

During Ye’s seclusion, Xiao is defeated in a single blow by Gu Yeqiu, surpassed in Soul Tool creation by Gu Yuena, and overtaken by Meng after she obtains a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring. Reduced to fifth among the academy’s leading young geniuses, he and Wang Jiahao cope with their frustration by standing in the rain under the belief that it relieves depression. 86

Immortal Herb Enhancement

Ye gives Xiao the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a treasure suited to strengthening his metal-attribute Martial Soul and physical foundation. Xiao’s Three-Legged Golden Toad becomes purer and sharper, his Soul Power rises close to Rank 50, and his preserved fusion compatibility with Meng indicates an unrecognized deeper evolution. 89 94 95

Tournament Preparation

Xiao joins Ye, Meng, Qian Renxue, Gu Yue, Gu Yuena, and Gu Yeqiu as a seven-person academy reserve team. When Ye promises to raise them to a level capable of fighting Shrek Academy’s main team within a year, Xiao reluctantly but sincerely commits himself to reaching Spirit Emperor rank. 95

Notable Quotes

“Your talent truly surpasses mine by far. But I, Xiao Hongchen, am not someone who gives up easily! … One day, I will defeat you fair and square on the Soul Duel Arena!” 18

“Thank you, Chenxing. I know how I should proceed from here.” 27

“I can do it too!” 95