Ma Hongjun

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ma Hongjun (马红俊)
Alias(es)	Fatty
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; Blue Tyrant Academy's Shrek Special Training Class 116 137
Occupation/Role	Fire-type battle Soul Master; Pokémon Trainer; tournament-team member
Martial Soul	Phoenix
Pokémon Partner	Charmeleon
First Appearance	13

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Breath-Calming Pure Flame · One Wisp	26	Draws an insight reward that can suppress his restless Evil Fire after an extreme dodge, critical halt, or post-battle rest. It is not a cure and requires sustained practice.
Soul Power advancement	83	Breaks through after defeating the Level 42 Rock Armor through firewire route control and a ring-out strategy.
Phoenix Martial Soul purification	122 123	The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower burns away the impurities destabilizing his Phoenix Martial Soul; his flame changes from dark red to pure crimson-gold, and he gains five Soul Power levels.
Phoenix Flame refinement	159	Learns to disguise his actual output, produce nearly identical fine firewires, and reserve his full strength until opponents misjudge him.
Soul Power advancement	167	After the Blazing Fire and Thunderclap matches, plus Charmeleon’s training battle, he advances another level and compresses Phoenix Flame into a stable fire bead.

Background

Ma Hongjun habitually hides the discomfort caused by his Evil Fire behind crude jokes, self-deprecation, and exaggerated confidence. He recognizes that the behavior prevents others from seeing how serious his condition is, but becomes unable to maintain the façade when the roulette offers even a partial path toward controlling it. 25 26

Flender recognizes the burden beneath Ma Hongjun’s carefree behavior and pays for his roulette draw despite his usual stinginess. Ma Hongjun receives Breath-Calming Pure Flame · One Wisp, which does not remove the Evil Fire but gives him his first experience of fire that does not dictate his actions. 25 26

He later refines the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower under Tang San’s guidance. The immortal herb purifies his Phoenix Martial Soul, removes the dark-red impurities in his flame, and turns his fire crimson-gold. 122 123

Personality

Ma Hongjun is outspoken, competitive, food-motivated, and quick to boast. He frequently turns tense situations into jokes, though this habit initially masks anxiety and shame over his unstable Evil Fire. 14 23 26

His growth is defined by learning restraint. He gradually accepts that controlled flame, careful positioning, and protecting teammates are more valuable than simply producing the largest possible attack. This change appears in cooperative trials, Soul Battles, Pokémon training, and tournament combat. 40 63 79 159 167

He remains enthusiastic about rankings, rewards, and direct competition, but increasingly channels that enthusiasm into preparation and tactical discipline rather than reckless charges. 71 83 167

Abilities & Skills

Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Hongjun possesses the Phoenix Martial Soul, originally burdened by unstable Evil Fire. After consuming the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, his flame becomes purer, stronger, and substantially easier to compress and direct. 109 122 123

• His purified Phoenix Flame changes from dark red to crimson-gold. 122
• He can compress a large amount of flame into a stable fire bead rather than releasing it wastefully. 167
• His fire can be used for force, positional pressure, vision disruption, route denial, and controlled demolition rather than direct damage alone. 63 83 89
• His fire still demands active control; reckless output can obstruct allies, reveal his intentions, or consume excessive Soul Power. 64 137 159

Breath-Calming Pure Flame · One Wisp

An insight-type reward that gives Ma Hongjun a method to temporarily suppress the restless fire inside him. 26

• Can be guided after an extreme dodge, a halt in critical danger, or a post-battle rest. 26
• Gives him a moment of clarity in which his fire no longer controls his decisions. 26
• Does not cure the Evil Fire at its source and succeeds inconsistently without continued training. 26
• Supports the restraint he displays while defending the Incense Lamp and navigating narrow cooperative-trial routes. 40

Phoenix Firewire

Ma Hongjun’s principal precision technique: narrow streams of Phoenix Flame used to shape enemy movement and control space.

• Seals routes, forces opponents toward arena boundaries, and restricts rescues or retreats. 63 67 83
• Can be split into several thin firelines to herd a stronger opponent toward a planned ring-out. 83
• Ignites realgar liquor in a controlled fan-shaped area, burning away Dugu Yan’s poison without harming allies. 86 89
• Creates narrow aerial barriers that prevent Yu Feng from reaching or rescuing teammates. 88 90
• Can be disguised as weak flame before being activated as a prepared fire field. 159 160

Phoenix Sky-Shaking Strike

A powerful Phoenix-based ground strike used during Blue Tyrant Academy’s battle against Blazing Fire Academy. 161

• Sends a pillar of force and flame upward from beneath the target. 161
• Strikes Huo Wu Shines on the Sun from below, helping shift its trajectory rather than attempting to overpower it directly. 161
• Pushes Ma Hongjun to his limits and contributes to the Soul Power bottleneck he later breaks through. 161 167

Pokémon Training

Ma Hongjun trains Pokémon under the internet café’s separate Pokémon-system rules. His command discipline and tactical lessons from these battles directly influence his Soul Master combat style. 79 159 167

• Chooses Charmander as his starter because of its Fire typing. 48
• Guides Charmander’s evolution into Charmeleon at level sixteen and successfully calms it after its aggression increases. 79
• Trains Charmeleon to conceal the true power, direction, and visual appearance of its Ember attacks. 159
• Defeats Tai Long’s Wartortle through a restrained Ember feint, allowing Charmeleon to reach level thirty. 167
• Distinguishes between Pokémon levels and Soul Master cultivation after Grandmaster’s warning that the two systems cannot be merged. 167

Equipment / Items

• Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower — Immortal herb consumed to purge Phoenix-Martial-Soul impurities and strengthen his flame control. 122 123
• Realgar liquor — Used with Tang San’s planning and Ma Hongjun’s Phoenix Firewire to disperse Jade Phosphor Purple Poison. 86 89
• Wind-Fixing Pearl — A cooperative-trial resource Ma Hongjun saves for Yin Tiger’s dangerous red-blade phase. 164
• Shield equipment — Uses shields in game trials for defense, baiting, and emergency positioning; later changes to a lighter shield for mobility against Sand Erlang. 96 107
• Poké Balls and Pokémon supplies — Carries Charmeleon’s Poké Ball, recovery medicine, and capture supplies during Pokémon training. 98 99 167

Relationships

• Flender — Dean and mentor. Flender funds Ma Hongjun’s roulette draw because he recognizes the seriousness of the Evil Fire beneath his joking behavior. 25
• Tang San — Shrek teammate and tactical guide. Tang San repeatedly helps Ma Hongjun turn fire into battlefield control and coordinates the realgar-and-flame poison countermeasure with him. 63 86 89
• Xiao Wu — Shrek teammate. She fights beside him in cooperative trials, rescues him during the Little Black Dragon lightning sequence, and shares his competitive energy. 40 107
• Ning Rongrong — Shrek teammate and frequent battlefield commander. Her concise orders teach Ma Hongjun to place and withdraw fire at exact moments. 67 69 88
• Grandmaster — Instructor who teaches him that calmness, timing, and controlled danger—not brute force—are necessary to activate and develop the Pure Flame. 26 63 159
• Charmeleon — Pokémon partner. Their shared fire-control training strengthens their trust; Charmeleon obeys Ma Hongjun’s command to stop fighting immediately after evolving. 79 167
• Yan — Fire-attribute rival. Yan’s own heat-control reward inspires Ma Hongjun to seek a solution for Evil Fire, and their rivalry continues through Pokémon and cooperative challenges. 25 79 82
• Dugu Yan — Competitive rival. She threatens to poison him after Shrek defeats the Imperial Fighting Team, while Ma Hongjun answers with open provocation. 91
• Huo Wu — Fire-attribute tournament rival. Their clash over Huo Wu Shines on the Sun ends in mutual respect and a promise to improve before their next encounter. 161
• Tai Long — Blue Tyrant teammate and Charmeleon’s recurring Pokémon-training opponent through Wartortle. 167

Story Role / Major Arcs

Grand Dao Internet Cafe

• Becomes envious after Xiao Wu receives Moonshadow Linked Steps, then grows interested in the roulette’s potential to solve his Evil Fire problem. 13 25
• Draws Breath-Calming Pure Flame · One Wisp and begins treating self-control as a trainable skill rather than an impossible hope. 26
• Joins Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong in the first multiplayer cooperative trial. Their team earns the official designation Lantern Guardian and takes first place on the Team Evaluation Rankings. 40
• Learns to restrain his fire while guarding the team’s rear and protecting the Incense Lamp on a narrow path. 40

Soto Great Soul Arena

• Wins an individual Soul Battle by using Phoenix Firewire to direct an opponent toward the arena edge while spending less Soul Power than usual. 63
• Helps Shrek defeat Iron Horn Team by sealing off the enemy assault-type Soul Master with a precisely timed firewire barrier. 67
• Defeats the Level 42 Soul Ancestor Rock Armor in a public cross-rank Soul Battle by manipulating his routes, footing, balance, and final point of support. 83
• Reaches first place on the night’s individual battle-efficiency rankings after the Rock Armor victory and subsequent Soul Power breakthrough. 83

Imperial Fighting Team Battles

• Uses carefully restricted Phoenix Firewire to create a safe route through Dugu Yan’s Jade Phosphor Purple Poison. 86
• Helps wear down Yu Tianheng by sealing escape paths during Shrek’s repeated three-sided attacks. 87
• Keeps Yu Feng from reaching Ye Lingling by erecting narrow fire barriers in the air. 88
• Ignites the second bag of realgar liquor to disperse poison and create a safe regrouping route for Shrek. 89
• Forces Yu Feng’s final escape route off the arena with controlled flame walls, contributing to Shrek’s victory. 90

Blue Tyrant Academy and Tournament Preparation

• Joins the Shrek Special Training Class after the group leaves Heaven Dou Royal Academy and enters Blue Tyrant Academy. 116
• Uses Phoenix Firewire as a feint to split Blue Tyrant Academy’s strongest students from their healer, Jiang Zhu. 118
• Learns to divide Phoenix Flame into three stages: force defense, seal routes, then detonate once the target turns. 144
• Is selected for Blue Tyrant Academy’s eight-person Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament roster. 137

Blazing Fire Academy

• Trains to ignite tinder below twelve water basins without heating the water or metal, developing fine control over Phoenix Firewire. 159
• Conceals his true firepower throughout the opening phase, laying seventeen weak-looking firewires across the arena. 160
• Activates the prepared firewires as a Phoenix Fire Field once Tang San immobilizes the trapped opponents. 160
• Uses Phoenix Sky-Shaking Strike against Huo Wu Shines on the Sun, helping redirect the attack and secure Blue Tyrant Academy’s sixth consecutive victory. 161

Pokémon Growth and Skywater Academy

• Leads Charmeleon to victory over Wartortle through Smokescreen, blind-spot positioning, and a deliberately weak Ember, advancing Charmeleon to level thirty. 167
• Achieves another Soul Power advancement after understanding that a flame need only be strong enough for its intended purpose. 167
• Enters Blue Tyrant’s battle against Skywater Academy as its primary answer to the ice-and-water battlefield, using compressed Phoenix Flame to melt ice without endangering allies. 168

Notable Quotes

“It works.” 26

“I used to think bigger fire meant more fun. Today, I learned that when you can compress a sea of flames into something this small, that's when it really feels good to fire it out.” 167

“Ice can suppress fire, but fire can melt ice too.” 167

Trivia

• Ma Hongjun initially falls off a cliff in the game while being chased by a Little Demon, prompting Lin Chuan to clarify that he was not killed by the enemy—he “fell off by himself.” 14
• He is especially motivated by prize money, immediately accepting Rock Armor’s cross-rank challenge after learning that the 3,000 Gold Soul Coin wager would go to him if he won. 83
• His first Pokémon starter choice is immediate: he selects Charmander without hesitation because it is a Fire-type Pokémon. 48
• His initial goal for Charmeleon is to evolve it into Charizard so that they can both have wings. 167