Ma Hongjun

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Ma Hongjun was orphaned in childhood. Flender took him in when he was ten and became his teacher, though Hongjun experienced him primarily as a stern authority figure. During the Furnace training, his classmates’ encouragement moves him deeply because he has rarely felt so many people caring about him 69.

His Martial Soul mutation produced the Evil Fire Phoenix but also left him with dangerous internal Evil Fire. Flender could not cure the condition. Hongjun initially relied on visits to brothels to release it, until Qin Muchu proposed strenuous combat as an alternative and promised a possible future cure 28.

Appearance

Hongjun’s physique changes markedly during Shrek’s special training, while his familiar nickname remains unchanged 27 70 81.

• Initially: Red-haired, barely five feet tall, with a round body and a disproportionately large belly 27.
• After one week of the Furnace: Considerably slimmer; Qin Muchu estimates that he has lost at least fifteen kilograms 70.
• After two months: His excess fat has disappeared, leaving an exceptionally solid build compared to Zhao Wuji’s 81.
• Martial Soul manifestations: Purple-red Phoenix Flame surrounds him during possession; after his third ring, his phoenix wings become more than twice as substantial, with golden-red flames at their tips 59 77.

Personality

Hongjun initially combines lecherous behavior with a quick temper and misplaced confidence. He insults Qin Muchu after being caught staring at Xiao Wu, then becomes frightened and apologetic when Qin defeats him before he can activate his Martial Soul. Over the next year, stricter cultivation and the memory of that confrontation make him more restrained toward his female classmates 27 52.

He remains boastful, quick-tongued, and fond of teasing. He openly calls Qin his idol, jokes about benefiting from his “brother’s” strength, and celebrates knocking Dai Mubai out during a team match. His exuberance can also undermine his concentration: excitement repeatedly disrupts his Soul Power during control exercises 30 31 62 83 86.

His confidence is vulnerable to failure, but he gradually develops perseverance. After abandoning his first cliff climb, he worries that he is a failure; the next day, he succeeds by concentrating on one foothold at a time. By the end of the body-tempering phase, he is the first student to propose an extra daily training run 68 69 81.

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix

Hongjun’s mutated Beast Martial Soul produces forceful Phoenix Flame suited to direct offensive combat 27 59 83.

• Possession: Envelops his body in purple-red flames 59.
• Internal danger: Evil Fire accumulates inside him and, according to Hongjun, could burn him to death if left unreleased 28.
• Management: Qin recommends fighting hard during flare-ups; Hongjun agrees to use this approach and stop visiting brothels 28.
• Control principle: Its flame must be guided rather than forcibly suppressed, since suppression makes it resist more strongly 83.
• Cure status: Qin claims he can eventually cure the problem, but no completed cure is documented 28.

First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line

An ordinarily instantaneous attack that fires a concentrated stream of Phoenix Flame from Hongjun’s mouth 60 85.

• Used to pressure Dai Mubai while Zhu Zhuqing attacks him from another direction 60.
• Intercepts an enemy Recovery Sausage during the team battle, allowing Hongjun to consume it himself 61.
• Kills the Lava Crimson Flame Vulture with a close-range blast into its vulnerable neck 77.
• Depends on an instinctive acceleration of Soul Power at the Lianquan Acupoint in his throat. Attempts to slow the skill without understanding that acceleration cause flames to explode in his throat or mouth 85 86.

Second Soul Skill: Phoenix of Rebirth

Creates a large phantom phoenix behind Hongjun and sharply raises his aura 76.

• Ning Rongrong’s enhancements make the phantom more solid 76.
• Enables him to meet the diving Lava Crimson Flame Vulture head-on, injuring it despite being knocked away and hurt himself 76.

Third Soul Skill: Explosive Meteor Crash

Granted by the Lava Crimson Flame Vulture’s third Soul Ring, this skill turns Hongjun’s attack into a flaming aerial plunge followed by an Evil Fire explosion 77.

• Delivers a destructive impact and can leave a lava-like crater 77.
• Fire from the attack makes affected targets more vulnerable to subsequent fire damage 77.
• Prioritizes offensive force; it lacks the flight capability and attack enhancement of Phoenix Wings Soaring, the skill Qin remembers from the original story 78.

Physical Conditioning and Combat Tactics

The Furnace strengthens Hongjun through weighted mountain travel, water crossings, and cliff climbing under tenfold gravity with his Soul Power sealed. Medicinal baths and the Entropy Silence Starforging Art support recovery and body tempering 64 65 68.

• Progresses from failing the cliff climb to completing it despite bleeding fingers and exhaustion 66 69.
• Eventually carries twice his body weight while moving faster than at the start of training 81.
• Coordinates attacks with Zhu Zhuqing to divide an opponent’s attention 60.
• Uses Oscar’s Flying Sausages and Ning Rongrong’s enhancements for aerial harassment, though his temporary flight initially leaves him much less agile than the vulture 75 76.
• Applies his strengthened body in close combat by gripping the vulture’s neck, striking its injured chest, and climbing onto its back 77.

Soul Power Control

Hongjun initially struggles to separate his fiery Soul Power into a fine thread. He progresses by guiding the flame and steadying his mind, eventually levitating a silver needle, though he advances more slowly than the other trainees 83 84.

• Learns to examine the circulation of Phoenix Fire Line instead of relying entirely on instinct 86.
• Identifies its throat-acceleration point and uses that discovery to advise Dai Mubai on a similar problem with White Tiger Fierce Light Wave 86.
• Recognizes that knowing another person’s circulation route is insufficient to reproduce a Soul Skill without the corresponding Martial Soul and compatible attributes 85.

Relationships

• Flender — Teacher and guardian who took him in at ten. Flender disciplines him, reassures him about his talent, and takes pride in his third-ring breakthrough 28 30 69 78.
• Qin Muchu — Classmate, mentor, and self-proclaimed “brother.” Their hostile first encounter develops into admiration and trust; Qin offers help with Evil Fire, supplies training resources, and insists Hongjun earn his third ring through his own fighting 27 28 31 68 76 77.
• Xiao Wu — Classmate whom he calls “Sister Xiao Wu.” She rejects his early leering, later catches him when he falls during the cliff climb, and joins in teasing him 27 28 66 71.
• Dai Mubai — Senior classmate and friendly rival. Dai mediates his first conflict with Qin, encourages him during training, and later benefits from his Soul Skill advice 27 69 86.
• Oscar — Close friend and support teammate. They share the disappointment of quitting their first climb, celebrate completing it together, and rely on Oscar’s sausages during Hongjun’s Soul Ring hunt 68 69 76 77.
• Ning Rongrong — Support teammate whose enhancements help him fight the vulture and stabilize his third-ring absorption. Hongjun explicitly credits her contribution to his victory 76 77.
• Zhu Zhuqing — Combat partner during the internal team battle and the rhinoceros encounter; their coordinated attacks create openings against stronger opponents 60 75.
• Cuihua — Former girlfriend, an ordinary village girl with no Soul Power. Their relationship lasts about a month; Hongjun says they broke up because they had little to discuss 52 63.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival of Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu

Hongjun’s introduction becomes a confrontation when Qin catches him leering at Xiao Wu. After a forced apology and Dai Mubai’s intervention, he apologizes sincerely and joins the newcomers for their training run. Shortly afterward, he accepts Qin’s proposed changes to how he manages Evil Fire 27 28.

At the Soto Great Soul Arena, Hongjun wins his individual match with Phoenix Fire Line. Watching Qin and Xiao Wu fight leaves him both awed and insecure, prompting Flender to remind him that he is already unusually talented 30 31.

Teamwork and the Furnace

In Shrek’s internal team battle, Hongjun fights alongside Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing. He exploits openings against Dai Mubai and Oscar, then boasts during the debrief that knocking out Boss Dai felt “amazing” 58 60 61 62.

The Furnace exposes his poor endurance and fear of failure. He quits the first cliff climb but returns after experiencing the medicinal baths and body-tempering art. His successful second climb marks a turning point: he begins embracing hardship rather than merely enduring it 66 68 69 70.

Third Soul Ring Hunt

After reaching level thirty, Hongjun accompanies Flender and the other students to the Star Dou Great Forest. Following three days without finding a suitable beast, Qin identifies a Lava Crimson Flame Vulture and assigns Hongjun to fight it with Oscar and Rongrong’s support 70 76.

Hongjun survives its superior aerial maneuvering, wounds it in a direct clash, and eventually kills it while narrowly escaping its attempted suicide dive. He then endures a painful absorption of its over-2,100-year ring, reaching level thirty-one and gaining Explosive Meteor Crash 76 77.

Soul Skill Deconstruction

During the Furnace’s control phase, Hongjun struggles with needle levitation and repeatedly burns his throat while trying to stretch Phoenix Fire Line’s release to ten breaths. Qin’s instruction helps him identify the skill’s instinctive acceleration point, turning a personal breakthrough into practical advice for Dai Mubai 83 84 85 86.

Notable Quotes

“Yeah, Little Ao. We both did it. We’re fucking amazing.” — Celebrating their successful cliff climb 69.

“A lot of the credit goes to Rongrong’s support. Otherwise, I definitely couldn’t have beaten that thing.” — After defeating the Lava Crimson Flame Vulture 77.

Trivia

• His classmates continue calling him Fatty even after the Furnace eliminates his excess body fat 81.
• On the third-ring expedition, he is the only member of the group who has never previously visited the Star Dou Great Forest 70.
• Showing off his new phoenix wings pulls at his fresh injuries and drops him back to the ground, giving his friends another reason to laugh 78.