Li Hongzhao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Hongzhao (李红昭)
Alias(es)	Ninth Princess of Great Meng; former Emperor of Great Meng
Species/Race	Human; bearer of the Phoenix Bloodline
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Great Meng Dynasty; Phoenix Sword Sect; Heavenly Sword Sect
Occupation/Role	Former princess and emperor of Great Meng; inner disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect
Status	Ascended to Biyuan Heaven; active as a Heavenly Sword Sect inner disciple
First Appearance	Chapter 128

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Grandmaster	128	Already a Grandmaster when she meets Xiao Ruoling and Huang Shirong; she attributes the breakthrough to a fortuitous encounter rather than solely her own skill.
Third Heaven of the Master realm	141	Breaks through shortly before her planned rematch with Chu Zhiyuan, creating additional pressure for him.
Fifth Heaven	292	Returns from seclusion having advanced another realm.
Grandmaster Perfection	448	Her cultivation surges after witnessing Chu Zhiyuan’s breakthrough phenomenon; she credits him for the stimulation.
Emperor’s Sword mastery	588	Masters Great Meng’s Emperor’s Sword, consolidating her political position and nearing ascension.
Ascension	1076	Uses the Emperor’s Sword to ascend from Great Meng to Biyuan Heaven and enters the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Ninth Turn of Qi Transformation	1104	The Phoenix Divine Statue within the Scripture Repository directly raises her cultivation to the ninth turn.
Venerable realm	1104	Reaches the Venerable realm shortly before her wager with Chu Zhiyuan; he wins by proving his cultivation is deeper.
Third Turn	1142	Advances to the Third Turn, continuing her unusually rapid progression through the Phoenix Bloodline and divine-statue cultivation.

Appearance

Li Hongzhao is a striking beauty most often associated with fiery red or peach-red palace attire. Her composed bearing and brilliant charm can conceal a forceful, highly competitive nature. 144 267 292

• Fair, jade-like skin and sharply defined features. 144
• Bright, expressive phoenix eyes that often reveal her calculation or anger. 132 541
• Usually wears red robes or palace dresses, giving her the impression of being surrounded by flames. 144 267
• Her sword aura manifests as purple flame and the shadow of a fire phoenix. 380
• The Phoenix Bloodline grants her true eternal youth once her cultivation reaches a sufficient level. 1232

Personality

Li Hongzhao is proud, confident, and intensely competitive. She approaches talented opponents as challenges to be overcome, initially pursuing Chu Zhiyuan because he defeated Cheng Tianfeng and later treating repeated defeats as motivation to become stronger. 130 371 560

Her charm and apparent gentleness are often deliberate tools. Though she can be frank, generous, and heroic in social settings, she is also shrewd, manipulative, and alert to political advantage. Chu Zhiyuan considers her actions deceptive and treats her as an expert performer rather than taking her soft demeanor at face value. 128 133 137

She is resilient under pressure. As Great Meng’s emperor, she admits to being surrounded by opposition, yet immediately turns to strategies that divide her enemies and preserve her authority. 541 Her ambition eventually shifts from securing the throne to pursuing the limits of cultivation. 1234

Abilities & Skills

Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique

Li Hongzhao’s core cultivation technique embodies phoenix nirvana: injuries can be rapidly repaired, and hostile force absorbed during recovery can be converted into further strength.

• Rapidly heals after being injured and grows stronger through damage received. 145
• Her advancement accelerates through setbacks and frustration rather than an easy path. 371 560
• Makes her especially difficult to assassinate. 235
• Enables unusually fast advancement toward and beyond the Grandmaster realm. 306 357
• Its effectiveness is tied to her Phoenix Bloodline. 452

Phoenix Bloodline

An ancient royal bloodline unique to Great Meng’s imperial lineage in Biyuan Heaven.

• Strengthens her body and spirit, improves her meridians, and accelerates True Essence circulation. 1151
• Allows her to activate phoenix power beneath the Phoenix Divine Statue. 1193
• Is the principal reason she could inherit Great Meng’s Emperor’s Sword and eventually take the throne. 1232
• Grants eternal youth once supported by sufficient cultivation. 1232
• Cannot be directly perceived by Li Hongzhao herself, though Chu Zhiyuan can sense a phoenix phantom associated with it. 1151

Phoenix Sword Art

A fierce, domineering sword art of the Phoenix Sword Sect.

• Produces flame-like sword light capable of obscuring an opponent’s perception, as though trapped in a furnace beneath a descending phoenix. 137
• Can manifest purple flames and the image of a fire phoenix around her blade. 380
• Lets her contend with opponents of higher cultivation, though it cannot indefinitely erase a major realm gap. 380
• Her swordsmanship improves most quickly when pushed into adversity. 251 371

Emperor’s Sword

As Great Meng’s emperor, Li Hongzhao wielded the Phoenix Meng Sword, one of the dynasty’s true Emperor’s Swords.

• The sword’s recognition established her legitimacy as Great Meng’s ruler. 553
• Its power assisted her realm advancement and enabled her ascension. 589 1076
• She can still command it after abdicating because of her exceptionally high Merit and lasting popular support. 1261
• A full-power strike gathers vast force from heaven and earth; Chu Zhiyuan later blocks one using the Human Yuan Art. 1073
• She explains that wielding such a sword requires embracing its power rather than attempting to control it outright. 1191

Flying Spirit Divine Method

A soul-cultivation secret technique taught to her by Chu Zhiyuan as an alternative to the grueling spiritual method proposed by her master.

• Strengthens Spiritual Power and cultivates the soul. 1233
• Allows her to manifest a phoenix phantom behind her body after initial practice. 1233
• Is better suited to her than the secret techniques of Myriad Forms Cliff. 1233

Equipment / Items

• Phoenix Undying Pills — Precious Phoenix Sword Sect elixirs she offers Cheng Tianfeng in exchange for a Wind-Riding Pill. 168 171
• Phoenix Meng Sword — Great Meng’s Emperor’s Sword, which still responds to her Merit after she abdicates. 589 1261
• Jade pendant — Given to Chu Zhiyuan during their farewell; it allows him to sense her location. 468

History

Li Hongzhao joined the Phoenix Sword Sect at a young age, became a true disciple, and entered the Grandmaster realm early. Before Huang Shirong’s breakthrough, she was regarded as the youngest Grandmaster in the world. 142

While in Great Jing’s Imperial Capital as Great Meng’s Ninth Princess, she sought information about Chu Zhiyuan through Huang Shirong and Xiao Ruoling. Fascinated by his decisive victory over Cheng Tianfeng, she arranged to meet him and openly expressed her desire to witness his abilities. 128 130 132 Their first formal duel ends in her defeat, though Chu Zhiyuan discovers that the Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Technique allows her to recover and strengthen herself through injury. 145

Refusing to accept the loss, Li Hongzhao persuades Cheng Tianfeng to secure a Wind-Riding Pill that would improve her speed and help her defeat Chu Zhiyuan. Her scheme fails to escape Chu Zhiyuan’s notice. 168 171 Their rivalry continues through repeated clashes, negotiations, and political maneuvering, gradually developing into mutual respect. 184 235 371

She later asks Chu Zhiyuan to help confront Xu Guijian of the Fearless Sect, who murdered one of her junior sisters. Li Hongzhao attacks first with the Phoenix Sword Art, while Chu Zhiyuan kills Xu Guijian after identifying a way around his Fearless True Body. 238

Li Hongzhao’s ambition to take Great Meng’s throne is closely tied to the Emperor’s Sword, which can aid its master’s path beyond the Grandmaster realm. 384 After becoming emperor, she faces united resistance from the court and military. Her answer is the proposed Divine Dragon Camp: a nominal imperial guard force designed to make rival military factions compete against one another instead of joining forces against her. 540 541

Having secured the Emperor’s Sword and built sufficient prestige, Li Hongzhao abdicates in favor of Li Biyang and ascends to Biyuan Heaven. 1075 1076 There, she becomes an inner disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, where her former imperial status carries little weight but her Phoenix Bloodline and talent continue to drive exceptional progress. 1077 1078 1104

Relationships

• Chu Zhiyuan — Initial rival and recurring political adversary who becomes her trusted cultivation partner and confidant; his defeats repeatedly stimulate her Phoenix Bloodline, while she provides him insight into the Emperor’s Sword. 145 560 1191
• Xiao Ruoling — Acquaintance in Great Jing whom Li Hongzhao initially approaches to learn more about Chu Zhiyuan. 128 130
• Cheng Tianfeng — Former opponent whom she defeats; later manipulates him into helping her acquire the Wind-Riding Pill. 130 168
• Huang Shirong — White Cloud Sword Palace Hall Master whose praise of Chu Zhiyuan draws Li Hongzhao’s interest. 128
• Su Qiuyan — Ally who guards Li Hongzhao during her breakthrough to Grandmaster Perfection and fights beside her during an assassination attempt. 448 380
• Song Chaoge — Her master in Biyuan Heaven; worries about the toll that harsh spiritual secret techniques could take on Li Hongzhao. 1233
• Li Biyang — Her chosen successor to the Great Meng throne after her ascension. 1075 1077
• Dong Muyu — Senior sister in the Heavenly Sword Sect and a friend who welcomes Li Hongzhao after her ascension. 1078 1239

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Imperial Capital rivalry — Arrives as Great Meng’s Ninth Princess, investigates Chu Zhiyuan, defeats Cheng Tianfeng, and challenges Chu Zhiyuan in a duel. 128 130 145
• Political intrigue and revenge — Pursues a rematch with Chu Zhiyuan, navigates Great Meng’s espionage and diplomatic objectives, and avenges her junior sister through the confrontation with Xu Guijian. 168 185 238
• Great Meng succession — Uses her cultivation, Phoenix Bloodline, and the Emperor’s Sword to become Great Meng’s emperor despite entrenched opposition from the court and military. 475 541 553
• Ascension and sect life — Abdicates to Li Biyang, ascends through the Phoenix Meng Sword, and adapts from imperial ruler to a Heavenly Sword Sect inner disciple. 1075 1076 1077
• Biyuan Heaven cultivation — Leverages the Phoenix Divine Statue, Phoenix Blazing Heaven Scripture, and Flying Spirit Divine Method to advance rapidly while pursuing greater authority within the Heavenly Sword Sect. 1104 1233

Notable Quotes

“Surrounded on all sides, an enemy to the world.” 541

“Achieving great things is ultimately for the sake of cultivation, isn't it?” 1234