Guo Hongjian

Guo Hongjian is a direct descendant of Crimson Reef Immortal Island who uses Merging Fire in repeated conflicts with the Li Family and Profound Peak Gate. His practical battle experience is undermined by greed, wounded pride, and a tendency to underestimate the significance of his enemies’ support. (Chapters 854–855, 924–925, 1157–1162)

Biography

Merging Fire against a growing rival

Hongjian meets Li Qinghong in the northern and southern conflict, expecting the island’s excellent equipment to secure an advantage over a family cultivator. Her ancient thunder tokens and powerful techniques surprise him, and an internal injury leaves him unable to finish the battle. When Yu Jiang appears, Hongjian offers to divide Qinghong’s treasures if they kill her together. Yu refuses and explains that her suspiciously powerful inheritance may expose an attacker to consequences far beyond the duel. Qinghong escapes while Hongjian is distracted; forced to recognize the warning’s force, he swallows his insults and thanks Yu despite his injured pride. (Chapters 854–855)

Later, Hongjian abandons the escort of the Radiant Sky Stone to chase a rare Dawn Rayfish, returning exhausted and empty-handed. Recognizing the aftermath of his companions’ disaster, he pursues Li Xijun in anger over Guo Hongkang’s death, initially unable to believe that his sister Guo Hongyao has also been killed. Xijun’s painted screen captures his flying ring, so Hongjian spends an emergency escape talisman to resume the chase. His Merging Fire nearly wins, but greed for the screen makes him press for immediate victory. Xijun escapes using Hongyao’s talisman and the very incantation Hongjian has just spoken. The revelation finally brings grief for his sister, while leaving him baffled by how her protected resources reached the enemy so quickly. (Chapters 920, 924–925)

His hostility continues on the mainland, where he demands land to gather qi and threatens Kong Guxi with the island’s overwhelming power. Cui Jueyin refuses to concede territory, prompting Hongjian to seek the Capital Immortal Dao’s support. He later attacks the Kong Family’s formation amid the invasion of the Wilderness, exploiting Guxi’s inexperience until reinforcements and Cui restrain him. Subsequent Li investigations identify his provocations as an attempt to sow discord and scheme for the northern shore; even the Capital Immortal Dao resents the danger his conduct creates on another front. His personal enmity therefore feeds a broader territorial struggle rather than securing a decisive victory over the Lis. (Chapters 1156–1157, 1161–1162, 1330–1331)

Appearance and personality

Hongjian is a middle-aged man in red robes whose expression changes quickly with anger, greed, embarrassment, and grief. He can assess an enemy’s depleted mana and exploit a feint, but is slow to understand political warning signs. His concern for Hongkang, a useful adviser outside his blood family, and his belated grief for Hongyao coexist with a readiness to seek profit from an opponent’s death. (Chapters 855, 924–925, 1162)

Abilities and cultivation

Heart-Flame Aspiration and Merging Fire

His Heart-Flame Aspiration foundation supports powerful Merging Fire but does not provide unusually large mana reserves or a fast innate escape art. The gray fire clings to an enemy’s mana, burns increasingly strongly, harms vitality, and damages equipment; ordinary suppression does not quickly cleanse it. He uses it to pressure Qinghong, bind an opponent’s resources, bombard a formation, and produce a whip aimed at Guxi’s artifact. Qinghong counters by separating the fire from her robe with ancient thunder tokens sturdy enough to deny it fuel, while her Profound Thunder also injures Hongjian internally. (Chapters 854–855, 924, 1161–1162)

Flight tools and battle tactics

The Cloudlight Profound Ring compensates for his slow movement art, but Xijun’s Heavy Abyssal Gale disrupts its supporting dharma light and captures it outright. A Blazing Merging Fire Talisman, drawn by Guo Shentong’s sandalwood cloud rat, produces scorching wind for emergency escape; Hongjian instead uses it aggressively to pursue. He also deploys red gauze to entangle sword essence. Experience lets him threaten weaker foes, but reliance on borrowed tools and greed for a swift finish can turn a winning position into an escape opportunity for his enemy. (Chapters 924–925, 1162)

Relationships

• Guo Hongyao: Younger sister whose death he realizes during the pursuit of Xijun. (Chapters 924–925)
• Li Qinghong: Thunder cultivator whose arts injure him and whose possible backing Yu Jiang warns him to respect. (Chapters 854–855)
• Yu Jiang: Talisman supplier who refuses to help kill Qinghong and rebukes his recklessness. (Chapter 855)
• Li Xijun: Pursued enemy who takes his flight ring and escapes with a copied incantation. (Chapters 924–925)
• Cui Jueyin: Refuses his territorial demand and later holds him back in the Wilderness. (Chapters 1157, 1162)

Items

He uses an island-granted Merging Fire Command Token, a black round shield, and red gauze that entangles sword light. His Cloudlight Profound Ring is captured by Xijun’s painted screen, after which he expends a Blazing Merging Fire Talisman to restore his pursuit speed. He is assigned to lead the Radiant Sky Stone escort but leaves his companions with it while chasing the Dawn Rayfish. (Chapters 854, 920, 924–925)