Ji Hongchen

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ji Hongchen (季红尘)
Alias(es)	Sword Lord — his Soul Fighting Arena title 26 58
Gender	Male
Age	Twelve when he reaches rank thirty and obtains his third soul ring 18 23
Family	Both parents deceased 17
Affiliation	Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy; Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, later renamed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; Heaven Dou Royal Academy 4 24 36 40 68
Occupation/Role	Sword cultivator, Soul Master, pill refiner, and captain of Heaven Dou Imperial Team One; initially hired as Ning Rongrong’s guard 17 24 68
Martial Soul	Iron Block, progressively recast into swords with distinct attributes and abilities 1 3 37
Innate Soul Power	Half a rank 1 2
Latest Documented Soul Power	Rank forty-six 83
Status	Alive in his latest documented appearance 88
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Innate half-rank soul power	1	Begins with the Iron Block Martial Soul, which Yu Xiaogang dismisses as unsuitable for significant advancement.
Ji Juechen template acquired	1	Receives Basic Swordsmanship, Sword Sect Insights, Sword Immortal Inheritance, and other sword-related knowledge. Sword practice also begins increasing his soul power.
Rank ten	2	Reaches his first bottleneck after a year and a half of cultivation. Develops a Sword Embryo separated from the Iron Block and tempered with sword intent.
Rank twelve; first soul ring	3 4	Absorbs a hundred-year yellow ring and completes Jinghong over three days. Gains Slash; Spirit Hall subsequently verifies his rank and certifies him as a Soul Master.
Jinghong reaches mid-grade quality	6	Feeding it minerals improves its sharpness and handling.
Rank fourteen; Jinghong reaches upper-grade quality	11	Absorbs mithril and other ores through Jinghong, raising both his soul power and the sword’s quality.
Rank twenty	13	Reaches the second bottleneck after another year and a half of cultivation and paid soul fights. Spends approximately twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins upgrading Jinghong to high-grade quality.
Second soul ring; Shadowstep formed	13 14	Absorbs an eighteen-hundred-year Shadow-Killing Saber-Toothed Tiger’s purple ring. Gains partial Sword Dao Avatar Armor, the second sword Shadowstep, and Shadowdash.
Shadowstep reaches upper-grade quality	16	Further nurturing makes the sword lighter and strengthens its attacks against shadows.
Divine Prohibition mastered; soul-core prototype formed	16	Hones the first Nine Sword Form to mastery and gathers sword qi into a dantian vortex that slowly replenishes soul power.
Rank thirty	17 18	Reaches the third bottleneck at twelve. Delays obtaining a ring while preparing his body for a stronger one.
Rank thirty-three; third soul ring and completed soul core	23	Absorbs a Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff’s purple ring, at least five thousand years old. Uses its energy to complete his Sword Dao Soul Core and gains Momentum.
Golden Rainbow and Peerless Domain	24	His third sword grants control immunity, a 50% increase to all attributes, and 30% suppression of enemies within its domain.
Jinghong becomes an ultimate martial soul	26	Mineral consumption develops ultimate sharpness. The transformation slightly slows his cultivation.
Rank thirty-five; Ice and Fire Body Refinement	27	Refines the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Pill through his soul core, strengthening his body and becoming immune to ice and fire.
Rank thirty-nine	28	Refines immortal-herb pills over half a month. Their effects consolidate his foundation and restore the cultivation speed reduced by his ultimate attribute.
Fourth soul ring; Sun-Piercer formed	38	Successfully absorbs a ten-thousand-year black ring over four hours. Becomes a four-ring Soul Ancestor and gains Sun-Piercer and a source-breaking fourth soul skill.
Rank forty-three	49	His breakthrough is recorded after his return to the hotel.
Personal sword intent comprehended	54	Unites his four swords and develops the sword intent described as All Things Are Mine Alone.
Rank forty-four	58	Advances after a month of cultivation and consolidation supported by pills.
Rank forty-five; soul power liquefaction	61	Produces liquid soul power after ninety-one compression attempts. Continued absorption raises his rank and increases his strength to three or four times its previous level.
Rank forty-six	83	Reaches his latest documented rank through cultivation, then turns to the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum for further pill refinement.

Background / History

Nuoding Academy

Ji Hongchen begins with half a rank of innate soul power and an Iron Block Martial Soul. When Yu Xiaogang orders him to absorb a ten-year Solitary Bamboo ring, Ji accuses him of treating him as a test subject. He rejects the proposal and escapes by dropping his martial soul onto the ground, knocking Yu Xiaogang back with its shockwave 1.

After receiving the Ji Juechen template, he alternates sword practice with meditation and studies Soul Master theory. His friendship with Xiao Chenyu provides meals and access to a Soul Hunting Permit. His first successful recasting transforms part of the Iron Block into Jinghong, an achievement he publicly describes as an acquired second awakening 1 2 3 4 5.

Yu Xiaogang repeatedly tries to obtain the recasting method by demanding that Ji become his disciple. Tang San’s support for Yu turns the dispute into a personal rivalry. Ji defeats Tang San, demands payment of his wager, and places Xiao Wu under an IOU whose balance doubles monthly after the first year 5 8 10.

Arena Career and Sect Backing

Ji funds his cultivation through soul fights, but the expense of nurturing his swords repeatedly exhausts his earnings. After obtaining his second ring, he travels toward Heaven Dou City with an academy recommendation letter, seeking both further education and protection from powerful enemies 13 15.

Ning Rongrong, already his admirer, hires him as her guard for one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins per month, together with soul-ring assistance and other support. Her sect token gives him protection while he approaches Dugu Bo about the poison threatening Dugu Yan’s life. Ji offers poison-management methods, including cultivating a Poison Dao Soul Core 17 18 20.

Ning Fengzhi accepts him as Rongrong’s prospective husband and promises sect resources. With Chen Xin’s assistance, Ji obtains his third ring and completes his soul core. His engagement banquet subsequently introduces him to Heaven Dou’s nobility and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, whom he recognizes as Qian Renxue in disguise 22 23 24.

Shrek Conflict and Heaven Dou Royal Academy

After Ji injures Ma Hongjun, Flender leads Zhao Wuji, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin in an ambush. With Rongrong’s amplification, Ji unleashes his three swords, kills Lu Qibin, and severs Zhao Wuji’s arm. The attack nearly empties his soul power; Chen Xin and Dugu Bo arrive before Flender can kill him 35 36.

Following his fourth ring, Ji reports to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He defeats Yu Tianheng’s entire seven-person team with one sword strike, then challenges the rank-sixty-three Qin Ming and wounds him. He later becomes captain and principal combatant of Heaven Dou Imperial Team One, which records twelve consecutive victories 38 40 41 68.

Political Alliances

Ji develops a close relationship with Qian Renxue and supports her claim to the Heaven Dou throne. When Bibi Dong orders his assassination, Qian Renxue assigns Snake Lance to protect him. Ji later uses refined pills to win the goodwill of Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who acknowledge owing him a favor 55 64 70 87.

He also agrees to Qian Renxue’s plan to substitute for Xue Qinghe in Liu Erlong’s bridal chamber. During the scheme, Yu Xiaogang is restrained outside the window; Ji imitates Xue Qinghe’s voice and threatens Liu Erlong after she refuses him 70 88.

Appearance

Ji is exceptionally handsome, with a naturally aloof expression. Completing Jinghong further sharpens his features and gives him an imposing bearing 1 3.

• Face: Sword-like brows and star-bright eyes 3 30.
• Build: Tall, straight posture and graceful movements 20 30.
• Hair: Long hair that streams behind him while training 20.
• Clothing: Frequently wears flowing white robes; uses a featureless mask during arena appearances 15 20.
• Bearing: His swordsmanship is described through flowing, dragon-like steps and movements resembling a startled swan 20.

Personality

Ji is disciplined and persistent. He replaces rest with meditation, studies theory alongside practical training, and continues dangerous soul-power experiments despite repeated failures. Even after securing abundant resources, he maintains a daily commitment to sword cultivation 2 5 20 61 65.

He treats money as essential to advancement rather than a luxury. The cost of nurturing multiple swords drives him toward arena earnings, wagers, wealthy patrons, and resource exchanges. He is also conscious of debts of gratitude: Xiao Chenyu’s early help leads him to prepare a valuable cultivation pill in repayment 11 12 13 17 30.

His relationships combine affection with calculation. He comforts Rongrong and Qian Renxue, but explicitly considers the resources and protection available through Rongrong and Dugu Yan. Toward enemies, he is contemptuous and willing to use crippling violence, coercion, or psychological manipulation; his treatment of Ah Yin includes deception and direct control of her spiritual sea 35 43 48 49 58.

He is confident to the point of boasting about his swordsmanship. His desire to surpass inherited techniques eventually drives him to develop a sword intent of his own rather than remain dependent on a predecessor’s insights 14 54.

Abilities & Skills

Sword-Recasting Martial Soul

Ji separates Sword Embryos from his original Iron Block Martial Soul and tempers them with sword intent. Each completed sword functions as a martial soul with its own properties 2 3 37.

• New soul-ring breakthroughs produce additional swords; he anticipates eventually possessing nine 2 37 38.
• Special metals and minerals improve a sword’s quality through absorption 3 11 26.
• Jinghong reaches ultimate sharpness, but maintaining and upgrading several swords requires considerable resources 6 13 26.
• Divine Artifact and Super Divine Artifact quality are possibilities he considers, not achieved stages 3 13.

Soul Skills

Soul Skill	Effects	Applications / Limits
First: Slash	Increases all attributes and penetration by 50%; the described attack reduces enemy defense by 50%. With Jinghong, it applies Weakness Deepening 3.	Releases destructive sword qi. Repeated engagement exposes weak points and increases the damage inflicted through them 3.
Second: Shadowdash	Places his body in a partially intangible state for thirty minutes. Reduces physical damage received by 50%, increases damage to shadows by 150%, and increases damage to actual bodies by 50% 14.	Supports evasive combat and attacks involving Shadowstep 14.
Third: Momentum	Immediately grants five stacks of sword momentum for a 50% increase to all attributes. Each attack adds a stack, up to ten 23.	Has no cooldown or soul-power cost and can continue indefinitely while he keeps attacking 23.
Fourth: Unnamed source-breaking skill	Breaks soul skills, domains, and enhancements by attacking their source. Ji states that differences in strength do not prevent it from working, even against a god’s domain 38.	Used to shatter Qin Ming’s wolf-shaped attack 41.

Sword Dao Avatar Armor

His second ring grants metallic Sword Dao Avatar Armor, also called True Body Armor 13 36.

• Initially manifests only partially around his lower abdomen and hands because his strength is insufficient 13.
• Even a small portion covering half an arm raises his overall strength by at least 10% 13.
• Ji identifies a possible later evolution into Bone Armor Avatar, associated with greater power, divine power, and a complete set of soul bones; this remains unrealized 13.

Peerless Domain

Golden Rainbow produces a domain that amplifies Ji while suppressing opponents 24.

• Grants immunity to all control skills 24.
• Raises all his attributes by 50% and suppresses enemies by 30% 24.
• Can be combined with his armor, soul core, soul skills, and Rongrong’s support 24 36.

Nine Sword Forms

The Nine Sword Forms are inherited through Sword Sect Insights. Four are documented as comprehended by Ji 14 54.

Form	Function	Documented Limits
First: Divine Prohibition	Suppresses an opponent through a sword strike 14.	Initially only understood superficially; later mastered through several months of practice 14 16.
Second: Ten Thousand Weapons	Sends his swords into the air and multiplies them into a formation of phantom blades 16 36.	Initially drains his soul power before release. During the Shrek ambush, Rongrong’s support allows three strikes before exhaustion 16 36.
Third: Battle	Each sword swing increases attributes by 10%, stacking up to forty times at his current stage 61.	Places escalating strain on muscles and bones and consumes substantial soul power. Ji expects fifty stacks after reaching Soul King 61.
Fourth: Rebirth	Uses life-bearing sword qi to heal injuries and draw in ambient soul power 61.	Functions as an endurance and recovery technique rather than a killing strike 61.

• During the Shrek ambush, Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect gathers phantom blades into a devastating attack 36.
• Rongrong’s later Threefold Soul more than doubles his available soul power; Ji estimates this would let him reach a tenth strike with Ten Thousand Weapons 44.

Sword Intent and Movement

Ji’s template provides a foundation in cuts, thrusts, and more advanced sword principles. He eventually unites four swords to comprehend his own intent, described as All Things Are Mine Alone and later as Myriad Dao Only-Me Sword Intent 1 11 54 71.

• Sword flight: Rides Jinghong by linking himself to it through sword intent; can carry passengers 15 30 32.
• Killing Intent Perception: Detects danger during his fight with the Shadow-Killing Saber-Toothed Tiger 13.
• Jinghong movement technique: Circulates soul power through the waist, hips, legs, and soles while harmonizing with the user’s martial soul. Ji demonstrates movement over ten meters in an instant and teaches it to Zhu Zhuqing 85.

Soul Core and Liquefied Soul Power

His Sword Dao Soul Core develops from a sword-qi vortex in the dantian and is completed during absorption of his third ring 16 23.

• The prototype slowly draws in and releases soul power, replenishing his reserves 16.
• The completed core helps refine the violent energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Pill 27.
• Compressing and purifying soul power produces a liquid drop near the core after ninety-one attempts 61.
• The experiments repeatedly cause internal explosions and require Ah Yin’s healing; success increases his strength three- to fourfold 61.

Pill Refinement and Body Tempering

Pill refinement is another art unlocked through Sword Sect Insights. Ji combines it with the Ye Family’s Herbal Compendium to process ordinary medicines and immortal herbs 24 27.

• Early on, he can refine ordinary pills, while high-grade batches succeed only two or three times out of ten 24.
• Refining herbs purifies their medicinal power and makes it gentler to absorb 27 28 87.
• His pills support cultivation, foundation consolidation, and resistance to the spiritual shock of ten-thousand-year soul rings 28 30 39.
• Ice and Fire Body Refinement grants immunity to ice and fire; Yue Guan later recognizes an indestructible diamond body and opened meridians associated with Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum 27 87.
• He teaches pill refinement to Ye Lingling and Ye Qingxian 39 77.

Knowledge of the Original Story

Ji knows characters, identities, and developments from the original Douluo Continent story 1 24 77.

• Recognizes Qian Renxue beneath the Xue Qinghe identity before her confession 24 77.
• Uses knowledge of later-series concepts—including soul cores, battle armor, soul tools, and soul spirits—to consider ways of improving his strength 61.
• Conceals this knowledge by giving Qian Renxue a fabricated explanation involving aura detection 77.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Jinghong Sword — His first martial-soul sword. A slender, cold blade with blue-green coloring reminiscent of an ink-wash landscape; specializes in sharpness and defense-breaking and later develops ultimate sharpness 3 26 38.
• Shadowstep — His second sword. Compact, willow-leaf-shaped, and black-jade in color; silently merges into shadows and can harm the actual body through its shadow 13 14 16.
• Golden Rainbow — His third sword. A slender golden longsword with a simple, elegant hilt; grants Peerless Domain 24.
• Sun-Piercer — His fourth sword. A finely crafted, three-foot golden blade that passes through defenses to attack life essence or the soul directly 38.
• Fine iron practice sword — Personally forged for his initial sword-casting plan and used immediately after receiving the template 1.
• Compound Bow — Has its parts commissioned from different blacksmiths to prevent the complete design from leaking. Uses it to ambush the Shadow-Killing Saber-Toothed Tiger 2 13.
• Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect token — Given by Rongrong; its authority is second only to Ning Fengzhi’s 18.
• Pill furnace and Herbal Compendium — Commissions a furnace from high-quality materials and borrows the Ye Family’s herb reference for refining practice 24.
• Whale glue/rubber — Consumes it to strengthen his physique and improve soul-ring tolerance. Thousand-year material eventually stops benefiting him 6 13 17.
• Sect cultivation resources — Ning Fengzhi provides fifty million Gold Soul Coins and the sect’s collected metals and minerals 39.
• Poison-attributed external soul bone — Finds it on a Man Faced Demon Spider and stores it; the supplied account does not establish that he absorbs it 45.
• Life gold — Discovers it hidden inside a purchased piece of sinking silver 58.
• Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud — Asks Qian Renxue to obtain it from the imperial treasury; she agrees, but delivery is not documented here 70.

Relationships

• Xiao Chenyu — Early friend and benefactor who pays for meals and lends him a Soul Hunting Permit. Ji later repays him with a pill intended to make Soul King attainable through diligent cultivation 2 30.
• Ning Rongrong — Initially his fan and employer, then his fiancée. Provides financial backing, sect protection, and combat amplification; their arena partnership is named Nine Swords Unmatched 17 18 24 35.
• Ning Fengzhi — Future father-in-law and principal resource patron. Regards Ji as family and a foundation for the sect’s next generation 22 23 39.
• Chen Xin / Sword Douluo — Supporter and fellow sword cultivator. Helps him obtain his third ring, protects him from Flender, and learns sword flight from him 23 26 36.
• Gu Rong / Bone Douluo — Initially protective and suspicious over Rongrong’s attachment, but increasingly accepts Ji’s talent and suitability 19 21 23.
• Dugu Bo — Protector and prospective grandfather-in-law. Ji offers solutions to his family’s poison problem and promises to marry Dugu Yan 20 36 39.
• Dugu Yan — Romantic partner and control specialist on his team. Ji supports her cultivation with pills and checks the evolution of her martial soul 39 40 64 68.
• Ye Lingling — Pill-refining student, romantic partner, and team healer. Ji invites her to cultivate at his home and helps her develop refining skills 39 68 77.
• Ye Qingxian — Herbal supplier and pill-refining collaborator. Lends him the Ye Family’s Herbal Compendium and receives further instruction from him 24 62 77.
• Qian Renxue / Xue Qinghe — Romantic partner and political ally. He comforts her over her childhood, supports her succession, and promises that they will become gods together; she arranges protection against assassination 43 55 70 77.
• Xiao Wu — Begins as a debtor after their wager and later becomes a close companion and his team’s secondary combatant. Their arena partnership is Sword Dance in the Mortal World 10 31 35 68.
• Ah Yin — Ji treats her as a spoil of war, manipulates her beliefs about Tang Hao and Tang San, and controls her spiritual sea. She later provides healing during his soul-power liquefaction experiments 49 61.
• Yu Xiaogang — Persistent enemy who tries to appropriate Ji’s second-awakening method and force him into discipleship. Ji repeatedly rejects and publicly humiliates him 1 5 31.
• Tang San — Former classmate and rival. Their conflict develops through Tang San’s defense of Yu Xiaogang, defeats, and disputed wagers 7 10 31 45.
• Qin Ming — Heaven Dou Royal Academy instructor and sparring opponent. Ji challenges him to test his strength against a Soul Emperor 41.
• Zhu Zhuqing — Initially dismissed by Ji, but later allowed to seek a formal assessment for Heaven Dou Academy’s Second Team. He subsequently teaches her his Jinghong movement technique 48 69 79 85.
• Yue Guan and Gui Mei — Titled Douluos whose goodwill he gains through valuable refined pills 87.
• Liu Erlong — Target of the bridal-chamber substitution arranged with Qian Renxue. Ji impersonates Xue Qinghe and threatens her when she refuses him 70 88.

Notable Quotes

“Had heaven not brought forth me, Ji Hongchen, the way of the sword would have been an endless night through the ages.” 14

“Four Swords as One. Every path of swordsmanship lies within my heart. One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques!” 54

“All swordsmanship beneath heaven shall bow before me! This is my swordsmanship!” 54