Shen Hong

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Shen Hong (沈鸿)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sacred Family; collaborator with the Dark Guild 1 5
Occupation/Role	Patriarch of the Sacred Family, succeeded by Shen Fei 1 123
Cultivation	Peak Black Gold Rank 5-Star; remained at this level for more than a decade 114 123
Demon Spirit	Sacred Fire Roc Eagle, also called the Sacred Flame Peng Eagle and Sacred Flame Roc Eagle in the supplied passages 113 114 117
Family	Father of Shen Fei and Shen Yue 1 8
Status	Deceased; killed by Shen Fei 117
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “The Patriarch's Logic” 1

Background / History

Rebuilding the Sacred Family

According to Shen Hong, his father’s refusal to cooperate with the Dark Guild cost the Sacred Family a third of its people and nearly removed it from the Three Great Peak Families. Shen Hong spent the following twenty years rebuilding its position. He regarded cooperation with the Guild as a necessary compromise rather than a betrayal 1.

Under his leadership, the family exchanged secret correspondence containing weaknesses in Glory City’s defenses, Demon Beast activity patterns, and Dark Guild contact phrases. Its covert support also appeared in procurement records and payments disguised as business losses 1 5.

Conflict with Shen Fei

When Shen Fei confronted him with the secret letters, Shen Hong refused to reconsider or explain his decisions. He dismissed his son’s understanding of the Dark Guild’s strength and ordered him to remain at the institute and keep out of family affairs 1.

Shen Fei later gained limited access to procurement accounts and correspondence by presenting himself as an obedient son interested in administrative work. Shen Hong gradually relaxed his scrutiny and entrusted him with minor tasks, but family meetings and core decisions initially remained closed to him. This access allowed Shen Fei to investigate the Dark Guild without revealing his intentions 5 24.

Shen Hong consistently favored Shen Yue, giving him the best cultivation resources and treating him as the prospective successor. His indifference toward Shen Fei extended to dangerous training trips: when his eldest son announced plans to leave Glory City, he merely warned him to know his limits and said the family would collect his remains if he died 8 10 100.

Marriage and Family Influence

Shen Hong arranged Shen Fei’s engagement to Xiao Ning’er to secure access to the Winged Dragon Family’s inscription expertise. The agreement accompanied Sacred Family financial assistance during the Winged Dragon Family’s crisis. Shen Fei understood that his father would not willingly dissolve a marriage that continued to serve the clan’s interests 23.

He also proposed the Genius Tournament, publicly framed as an exchange of cultivation insights. Shen Fei regarded its actual purpose as promoting Shen Yue and displaying the Sacred Family’s strength 21.

Beast Tide and Withdrawal Plans

As the beast tide approached, Shen Hong ordered the Sacred Family to appear to support the North Gate’s defense while prioritizing its own survival. He prepared ships for evacuation and assigned Shen Yue to move the women, accounting staff, valuables, account books, and core texts to the dock 76.

During the fighting, he kept the Sacred Family’s forces behind the other major families and repeatedly silenced elders who tried to speak. Afterward, he punished Shen Fei for helping Huyan Lie defeat a Black Gold Rank Demon Beast without permission. Concerned that such independent participation could antagonize the Dark Guild, he confined Shen Fei to his courtyard for half a month and barred him from academy classes 87 92.

Following Ye Han’s assassination attempt on Ye Zong, Shen Hong ordered the family to join the search only for appearances. If they actually found Ye Han, they were to let him escape rather than fight him 94.

Victory Banquet

Before the victory banquet, Shen Hong authorized Shen Fei to select a Black Gold Rank Demon Spirit from the family storeroom. His stated concern was that the eldest legitimate son’s lack of such a spirit would reflect badly on the Sacred Family. He also warned Shen Fei to behave carefully under the Wind Snow Family’s scrutiny 102.

At the banquet, Shen Hong studied Ye Zong’s injuries and calculated whether he could kill him. He ordered Shen Fei to sound out Duan Jian and expected contact from the Dark Guild to coordinate an attack. Ye Zong’s guards and allies denied him a safe opening, while Huyan Lie’s conspicuous toast interrupted his surveillance 107 108 110.

A servant then reported that the known Dark Guild bases had been cleared and the Sacred Family’s hidden sentries had disappeared. Shen Hong concluded that Ye Zong’s apparent vulnerability had concealed a trap. As he prepared to leave, Shen Fei stopped him and publicly declared, “Father, you’ve grown old” 111.

Duel and Death

Shen Hong attempted to suppress Shen Fei with peak Black Gold Rank spiritual pressure, but his son remained composed and activated the Shadow Mantis. Shen Fei then attacked. Shen Kun prevented the First Elder from intervening, while Duan Jian intercepted the Third Elder, leaving Shen Hong to confront his son directly 112 113.

Their duel exposed their opposing loyalties: Shen Hong called Shen Fei a traitor to the family, while Shen Fei accused him of betraying Glory City. Shen Hong argued that future beast tides could bring Legend Rank beasts and make the city’s defense futile 114.

His superior power and experience initially overwhelmed Shen Fei, inflicting heavy impacts and burns. However, repeated attacks and corrosive black mist depleted his stamina. Shen Fei exploited his slowing movements with attacks from the sides and rear 115 116.

Both committed their remaining strength to a final collision and were left badly injured. Shen Fei recovered enough to approach; Shen Hong could no longer resist. After acknowledging his son’s strength, Shen Hong was killed by a single strike to the neck 117.

Legacy

Shen Fei subsequently claimed the patriarch’s seat and formally severed the Sacred Family’s ties with the Dark Guild. He argued that Shen Hong’s policies would eventually have brought the entire clan to account 122 123.

The effects of Shen Hong’s administration persisted. Shen Fei later identified entrenched status abuse and lax management as problems requiring reform. His father’s desk, chair, robe, and unfinished papers also remained unchanged in the study, prompting memories of their earlier confrontation 133 134 174.

Personality

Shen Hong judges decisions primarily by their value to the Sacred Family. His cooperation with the Dark Guild rests on remembered losses and a conviction that Glory City cannot survive indefinitely. He considers preserving the clan more important than defending the city, even when that means feigning cooperation or abandoning its inhabitants 1 76 92 114.

He is emotionally distant and authoritarian toward Shen Fei, treating disagreement as an uninformed junior’s intrusion. Obedient administrative work earns limited trust, while independent action provokes punishment. Family reputation still matters to him: he supplies a better Demon Spirit when neglecting his eldest son might become publicly embarrassing 5 92 102.

His composure conceals impatience and hostile intent. At the banquet, he maintains courteous conversation while calculating an attack on Ye Zong; tightening fingers and a trembling wine cup betray the strain. His final acknowledgment of Shen Fei contrasts with his earlier dismissals, suggesting reluctant respect in defeat 108 111 117.

Abilities & Skills

Peak Black Gold Cultivation

• Rank: Peak Black Gold Rank 5-Star, maintained for more than a decade 114 123.
• Standing: Described as having virtually no rivals in Glory City apart from Ye Mo and Ye Zong 155.
• Spiritual pressure: Releases an oppressive aura to intimidate and subdue opponents, though it fails to visibly affect Shen Fei during the public challenge 112.
• Experience and control: Possesses exceptional spiritual reserves, combat experience, and Demon Spirit control for his level 115 123.
• Limits: His stamina deteriorates under prolonged combat and corrosive mist; his sword flames weaken as exhaustion accumulates 115 116.

Sacred Fire Roc Eagle

• Manifestation: An enormous bird with dark-red feathers, golden pupils, a wingspan exceeding twenty feet, and flames along its wings 113.
• Flame reinforcement: Surrounds his body and fists with searing fire for close-range attacks 114 116.
• Fireballs: Launches condensed dark-red fireballs, including attacks intended to restrict an opponent’s escape route 114 115.
• Mist removal: Releases an outward surge of flames capable of burning away Shen Fei’s black mist 114 117.

Flame Swordsmanship

• Conjured weapon: Forms a longsword entirely from dark-red flames, edged with golden light 114.
• Heavy strikes: Uses direct, forceful cleaves that drive Shen Fei backward and damage the courtyard 114 115.
• Ranged attacks: Projects curved, flame-wreathed sword energy 115.
• Attack combinations: Uses fireballs to force evasive movement before following with a sword strike 115.

Administration and Political Calculation

• Clan management: Reviews accounts, correspondence, and family documents, and receives managers in his study 5.
• Covert cooperation: Oversees a family administration whose coded correspondence and disguised transactions support the Dark Guild 1 5.
• Crisis planning: Organizes evacuation routes and prioritizes the preservation of valuables, records, and core texts 76.
• Threat assessment: Studies injuries, distances, guard positions, and blocked exits before deciding whether to attack or retreat 108 111.

Relationships

• Shen Fei — Eldest legitimate son, initially excluded from meaningful authority. Their disagreement over the Dark Guild culminates in a fatal duel; Shen Fei succeeds him as patriarch 1 100 117 123.
• Shen Yue — Favored younger son and intended successor, receiving the best resources. Shen Hong entrusts him with transporting the family’s people and important possessions during evacuation preparations 8 76 100.
• Shen Hong’s father — His refusal to cooperate with the Dark Guild becomes Shen Hong’s principal example of the cost of resistance 1.
• Shen Kun — Second Elder whose doubts about the clan’s direction make him receptive to Shen Fei. His eventual support prevents the First Elder from aiding Shen Hong during the duel 100 101 113.
• First Elder — Strong supporter of Shen Hong’s authority; attempts to suppress Shen Fei’s challenge and later condemns him for killing his father 101 112 123.
• Xiao Ning’er — Chosen fiancée for Shen Fei as part of an arrangement intended to bind the Winged Dragon Family’s inscription expertise to the Sacred Family 23.
• Ye Zong — Political enemy and intended assassination target at the victory banquet. Shen Hong recognizes that Ye Zong’s operation has dismantled his covert support network 108 111.
• Nie Li — Adversary whom Shen Hong watches at the banquet. He acknowledges Nie Li’s accomplishments but dismisses the idea that they can overcome the Demon Lord 109 115.
• Dark Guild — Strategic partner whose power Shen Hong regards as essential to the Sacred Family’s survival 1 92 114.

Notable Quotes

“I am the patriarch of the Sacred Family. I don't need to explain my decisions to you.” 1

“Go if you want. Know your limits. If you die out there, the family will send someone to collect your remains.” 10

“Shen Fei, do you know what you're doing? You're a traitor to the family.” 114