Liao Mengkai

Biodata

Power Progression

• Next cultivation barrier: Reaching the Super Douluo realm requires him to comprehend unity of heaven and man. He becomes Yu Tianjun’s disciple to seek that understanding; no subsequent breakthrough is documented 59 71.
• Soul engineering limit: He acknowledges that his technical expertise remains far below Level 10, despite his improving cultivation prospects 71.

Background and History

Family Inheritance and Military Career

Liao Mengkai’s ancestors obtained a Behemoth Beast Inner Core from an exotic beast associated with ancient spatial rifts on the Sun Moon Continent. By studying it, his family developed a hereditary blood-and-qi cultivation method and produced physically powerful practitioners across successive generations 55.

He became commander of the Terror Claw Soul Engineer Legion before Kong Deming transferred him back to serve at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Even after leaving command, he continued looking for valuable soul rings and bones for the legion’s promising soldiers 33 41 43.

Assignment to Yu Tianjun

Kong Deming assigned Liao Mengkai to protect Yu Tianjun, while Jing Hongchen made that protection his principal academy duty. Liao immediately recognized Yu Tianjun’s exceptional vitality and wanted to secure him as the successor to his Demon God Saber techniques before Kong could claim him 33.

His role expanded beyond protection. Kong instructed him to teach Yu Tianjun beginner-level close-combat soul-tool construction and blood-vitality cultivation 43.

Appearance

• Build and features: Rugged face, tiger-like eyes, and a beard 48 71 76.
• Characteristic equipment: Carries twin blades on his back 37.
• Medical-room attire: Wears a white coat while discussing Zhang Lexuan’s treatment 46.

Personality

Liao Mengkai is outspoken, competitive, and enthusiastic about close combat. He values the physical satisfaction of fighting at close range and wants talented younger fighters to develop the strength and endurance to support it. Yu Yuanjue regards him as someone who wears his heart on his sleeve 37 40 51 59.

His confidence becomes conspicuous deference around Kong Deming. He trades insults freely with Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, yet becomes anxious when they threaten to report him to his teacher. His attempts at polished flattery are clumsy enough that Kong immediately recognizes Yu Tianjun’s influence 33 43.

He is also opportunistic about institutional credit and personal advancement. He claims credit for recruiting Han Ruoruo, jokes about replacing Jing Hongchen as dean, and later proposes making Kong Deming his junior fellow disciple under Yu Tianjun. Nevertheless, he takes his protective duties seriously and steps forward against an unknown threat before knowing whether he can defeat it 37 55 71.

His loyalty to the Sun Moon Empire does not extend to approval of its dealings with evil soul masters. He describes soul engineers as deeply wary of them and explains that imperial cooperation with the Holy Spirit Cult has constrained efforts to oppose them 53.

Abilities and Skills

Close-Combat Soul Engineering

• Recognized as the Sun Moon Empire’s foremost Level 9 close-combat soul engineer 31 37.
• Described as the physically strongest Level 9 soul engineer in the empire, capable of fully exploiting a Level 9 soul tool’s effectiveness 40.
• Uses the Demon God Sabers as his signature weapons; Kong Deming’s later modifications produce a Level 9 Peak Demon God Saber 43 62.
• Strikes the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s Spiritual Prison Cage with a powerful saber slash during the Ice Empress rescue 62.

Blood-and-Qi Cultivation

• Practices his family’s inherited method for tempering blood and qi 55.
• Possesses unusually strong physical attributes: a testing device gives his physical readings a Level 97 classification, which is not his actual soul-power level 46.
• Advocates stronger bodies to improve close-combat endurance and help weapon cultivators withstand the strain of their own attacks 37.
• Has medicinal impurities removed by Yu Tianjun before advancing to Level 94 59.

Combat Assessment and Instruction

• Recognizes Huo Yuhao’s mental-type abilities and identifies his dagger as a Level 5 close-combat soul tool 37.
• Identifies two ten-thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears by their roars and distinguishes the male from the female 40.
• Notices Ji Juechen’s talent after observing his daily challenges against Yu Tianjun 37.
• Assesses Xiao Hongchen’s enhanced cannons as approaching the power of some Level 7 soul tools 58.

Operational Limits

• The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s million-year mental power immobilizes him despite his readiness to fight 37.
• An overnight escape carrying a ten-thousand-year bear, escorting five people, and watching for pursuers leaves him nearly exhausted 41.
• His Blade Soul and strong comprehension give him a chance at Super Douluo, but he initially cannot grasp unity of heaven and man 59 71.

Equipment and Items

Identified Soul Bones

Relationships

• Yu Tianjun — Initially his protection target and intended disciple. Liao contributes his ancestral beast core to Yu’s development, receives life-energy cleansing and a powerful soul bone in return, and eventually becomes Yu’s disciple to pursue Super Douluo 33 55 59 71.
• Kong Deming — His teacher and superior. Kong assigns his protective and teaching duties, rewards his achievements, and upgrades his weapons. Liao is openly deferential—and frequently nervous—around him 33 43 48.
• Jing Hongchen — Academy dean, colleague, and frequent verbal sparring partner. Jing secures Liao’s cooperation in academy recruitment and persuades him to surrender his family heirloom for Yu Tianjun 33 55.
• Ye Yulin — Fellow vice dean and competitive colleague. Ye uses the Sun God Needle to discourage Liao from claiming Ye Guyi as a disciple 33.
• Yu Yuanjue — Fellow protector of Yu Tianjun and cultivation discussion partner. They share an interest in developing Yu’s close-combat strength; Yu later suggests that his grandfather discuss Super Douluo cultivation with Liao 51 59.
• Ji Juechen — A combat talent Liao hopes to recruit. Liao encourages physical strengthening and accompanies the hunt for his sixth soul ring 37.
• Ice Empress and Snow Empress — Powerful Far North allies whose involvement brings him valuable soul bones and sensitive secrets. He swears not to reveal what he has witnessed 69 71.

Story Role and Major Arcs

Star Dou Great Forest Expedition

Liao accompanies Yu Tianjun, Xiao Hongchen, and Ji Juechen to obtain Ji’s sixth soul ring. During the expedition, he shields the younger members when the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm emerges, but is immobilized by its mental power 37.

He subsequently identifies Zhang Lexuan’s Moon Martial Soul as evidence of Sun Moon imperial descent and argues for bringing her back. After she is grievously injured fighting Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears, Liao and Yu Tianjun subdue the male bear and evacuate with Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming. Liao leads the escape away from Shrek-controlled airspace and later knocks Wu Ming unconscious again 40 41.

Treatment and Academy Recruitment

• Explains the equipment used to draw out Zhang Lexuan’s damaged Silver Moon Martial Soul and the residual bear energy obstructing its repair 46.
• Reports Yu Tianjun’s newly revealed Ultimate Metal ability to Kong Deming 46.
• Presents Han Ruoruo’s teaching-assistant contract under his own name as academy representative, claiming credit for recruiting her 55.
• Provides the ancestral beast core used to entice Yu Tianjun into accepting the Deming Class monitor position 55 59.

Death Canyon and the Far North

Liao accompanies Yu Tianjun to Death Canyon and receives the treatment and torso bone that enable his Level 94 breakthrough 59.

In the Far North, he helps attack the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm’s prison and pursues Huo Yuhao alongside Yu Yuanjue. The Ice Empress later delivers his promised soul bones. After recognizing Yu Tianjun’s mastery of unity of heaven and man, Liao asks to become his disciple 62 63 69 71.

Opposition to the Holy Spirit Cult

• Explains the imperial succession struggle and the political obstacles to confronting evil soul masters 53.
• Suggests using the Ordinary Alliance and Otto Chamber of Commerce as fronts against the Xishui Alliance, allowing underground conflict to weaken the Holy Spirit Cult’s allies 80.
• Is included in Ye Yulin and Yu Yuanjue’s proposed three-expert force for that operation; its execution is not shown in the provided chapters 80.

Notable Quotes

“Because close combat feels great! Much better than certain soul engineers who only know how to hover in the air and threaten their colleagues with the Sun God Needle.” 40

“Don't worry. I won't tell him even if they beat me to death. Once he takes you as his master, I'll make my dazzling entrance. Then I'll outrank him in seniority, and I can call him Junior Brother!”
— Proposing that Yu Tianjun also accept Kong Deming as a disciple 71