Hongjun

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Hongjun (鸿钧)
Alias(es)	Dao Ancestor; Teacher
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zixiao Palace; Heavenly Dao (after merging with the Dao)
Occupation/Role	Heavenly Dao Saint; preacher of the Dao; teacher of the Six Saints
Status	Defeated and later described as destroyed after the Heavenly Dao gained dominance 157 166
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Heavenly Dao Saint	4	Attains the Dao after a hundred thousand years; his aura envelops the Primordial World, and he establishes Zixiao Palace in Chaos to preach.
Merged with the Heavenly Dao	21	Announces his merger with the Heavenly Dao after the third sermon and establishes Treasure Distribution Cliff.
Heavenly Dao’s embodiment	151, 154	Later appearances are identified or suspected to be the Heavenly Dao manifesting through Hongjun’s body rather than Hongjun acting independently.

Background / History

Hongjun attained the Dao as a Heavenly Dao Saint, an event heralded by heavenly flowers, golden lotuses, purple qi from the east, and an aura that shook the Primordial World. He established Zixiao Palace in Chaos and invited those with fate to hear his teachings after three thousand years. 4

At Zixiao Palace, Hongjun delivered three sermons. His first lecture systematically expounded the Dao of Great Luo; the second introduced the Quasi-Saint realm and the method of Severing the Three Corpses; and the final sermon addressed the means of becoming a Sage. 6 10 20

After the final sermon, he selected the Three Pure Ones as direct disciples, accepted Nuwa as his final disciple, and accepted Jieyin and Zhunti as nominal disciples. He bestowed Hongmeng Purple Qi upon each of them, then released a final strand that chose Hongyun. 20 21

Hongjun subsequently merged with the Heavenly Dao. While this initially removed his direct presence from the Primordial World, he continued to intervene at decisive moments through incarnations or later manifestations. 21 34 86

Personality

Hongjun is consistently portrayed as calm, expressionless, and decisive when exercising authority. He makes appointments, distributes treasures, and issues decrees without inviting meaningful opposition. 7 18 87

His words can be deliberately ambiguous. When Houtu asks how the Witch Clan may attain the Dao, he only answers that its opportunity will become known in time. 7 His teachings are regarded by Minghe as containing traps and incomplete truths, while Houtu recognizes that the first sermon is of little use to a Witch who does not cultivate a Primordial Spirit. 4 6

After his merger with the Heavenly Dao, even the Saints become uncertain whether they are facing Hongjun himself or the Heavenly Dao acting through his body. 86 87 151

Abilities & Authority

Heavenly Dao Sainthood

Hongjun’s attainment of Dao places him above the great powers of the early Primordial World.

• His ascension causes world-spanning auspicious phenomena and an aura that makes the sun and moon lose their light. 4
• He suppresses Pangu’s True Body and sends the Twelve Ancestral Witches flying with a flick of his sleeve. 18
• His presence causes Dijun and Taiyi to revert from their true forms and kneel after East Prince Gong’s death. 8

Dao Preaching

Hongjun’s sermons at Zixiao Palace shape the cultivation system followed by much of the Primordial World.

• Preaches the Dao of Great Luo for three thousand years. 6
• Introduces the Quasi-Saint realm and the method of Severing the Three Corpses. 6 10
• Explains three paths to Sagehood: Dao Proving Through Strength, Severing the Three Corpses, and Dao Proving Through Merit. 20
• Grants questions after his final sermon, answering Laozi’s question on the Dao with: “That which is sought but cannot be obtained is the Dao.” 20

Heavenly Dao Authority

After merging with the Dao, Hongjun can act with the authority of the Heavenly Dao.

• His voice acknowledges Jieyin and Zhunti’s Forty-Eight Great Vows, allowing them to borrow merit and attain Sagehood. 34
• He summons the Saints to Zixiao Palace after the Witch-Demon Calamity and directs them to support the Human Race’s coming prosperity. 86 87
• He appoints Haotian and Yaochi as the Heavenly Emperor and Empress. 87
• He intervenes to halt Tongtian’s battle against Jieyin and Zhunti, ordering them to Zixiao Palace. 150
• During the Investiture of the Gods era, the Heavenly Dao manifests through his body to reunite the divided Primordial land. 154

Equipment / Treasures

• Jade Disc of Creation — A Heavenly Dao sacred artifact reforged from fragments of a Chaos Supreme Treasure; Hongjun relies on it in merging with the Heavenly Dao. 14
• Taiji Diagram — Bestowed upon Laozi. 20
• Pangu Banner — Bestowed upon Yuanshi. 20
• Four Swords of Zhu Xian and Zhu Xian Formation Diagram — Bestowed upon Tongtian; the resulting formation cannot be broken without four Sages. 20 21
• Mountain and River Diagram — Bestowed upon Nuwa. 21
• Red Embroidered Ball — Bestowed upon Nuwa. 21
• Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus — Bestowed upon Jieyin and Zhunti. 21
• Eastern Green Lotus Treasure Color Banner — Bestowed upon Jieyin and Zhunti. 21
• Dragon Head Crutch — Bestowed upon East Prince Gong as a Leader of the Immortals. 7
• Pure Water Alms Bowl — Bestowed upon Queen Mother of the West as a Leader of the Immortals. 7

Relationships

• Laozi — Direct disciple; Hongjun gives him Hongmeng Purple Qi and the Taiji Diagram. Hongjun later sends East Prince Gong’s remnant soul to Laozi due to their affinity. 8 20
• Yuanshi — Direct disciple; receives Hongmeng Purple Qi and the Pangu Banner. 20
• Tongtian — Direct disciple; receives Hongmeng Purple Qi and the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. Hongjun later stops Tongtian from continuing his battle with the Western Sages. 20 150
• Nuwa — Final disciple; receives Hongmeng Purple Qi, the Mountain and River Diagram, and the Red Embroidered Ball. 21
• Jieyin and Zhunti — Nominal disciples; receive Hongmeng Purple Qi and Western treasures. Hongjun later rules that the splitting of their Merit Golden Lotus is karmic retribution. 21 151
• Houtu — Her question about the Witch Clan’s path to the Dao receives only an ambiguous response. 7
• East Prince Gong — Appointed Leader of the Immortals; after his defeat, Hongjun’s incarnation protects and transfers his remnant soul to Laozi. 7 8
• Queen Mother of the West — Appointed Leader of the Immortals alongside East Prince Gong. 7
• Haotian and Yaochi — Hongjun’s attendants, appointed by him as the new Heavenly Emperor and Empress. 87
• Minghe — A wary future adversary. Minghe avoids Hongjun’s sermons to avoid karmic debt, later judges Hongjun too dangerous to confront within the Primordial World, and anticipates an eventual conflict. 4 52 86
• Heavenly Dao — Hongjun merges with it, but later loses to it; the Heavenly Dao becomes a sentient force and manifests through Hongjun’s body. 21 154 157

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Attainment and First Sermon — Hongjun becomes a Heavenly Dao Saint, establishes Zixiao Palace, and begins preaching to the Primordial World. 4 6
• Leadership of the Immortals — He appoints East Prince Gong and Queen Mother of the West as Leaders of the Immortals, indirectly triggering widespread discontent and later conflict. 7
• Witch–Demon War Intervention — He defeats Pangu’s True Body, suppresses the Ancestral Witches, and imposes a ten-thousand-year truce between the Witch and Demon races. 18
• Final Sermon and Treasure Distribution — He names his disciples, grants Hongmeng Purple Qi, distributes major treasures, and announces his merger with the Dao. 20 21
• Post-Merger Governance — He appears to direct the Saints, determines the Human Race’s central role in the new era, and appoints Haotian and Yaochi to rule the Heavenly Court. 86 87
• Investiture of the Gods — He halts the conflict between Tongtian and the Western Sages, convenes the Saints, and oversees decisions concerning the Investiture of the Gods and the Shang Dynasty’s continued mandate. 150 151
• Defeat by the Heavenly Dao — Following the Investiture of the Gods, the Heavenly Dao is revealed to have defeated Hongjun and to be acting through his body. 154 157