Duan Hong Chen

* Novel
* Manhua
* Manhua (Swindler)

**Duan Hong Chen**, known as the **Bustling World Great Emperor**, is one of the Star Boundary Great Emperors. He is also the master of Wen Zi Shan of Azure Sun Temple. Though unknown to the latter at the time, Duan Hong Chen is actually the first Great Emperor Yang Kai encounters in Star Boundary.

## Appearance

Befitting the name Hong Chen, Duan Hong Chen originally appears as a disheveled old man with a dishonest look.

## Personality

Duan Hong Chen has a playful and aloof personality quite similar to his apprentice Wen Zhi Shan. This personality shows through in both his swindler and Great Emperor forms.

## Background

As the Bustling World Great Emperor, Duan Hong Chen likes to disguise himself and live among mortals in their worldly affairs. In this way, many people have met the Bustling World Great Emperor without even realizing it.

Because of this, the Bustling World Great Emperor eventually understood the mysterious **power of Hong Chen (Bustling World)**, which allowed him to motivate a power similar to **World Force** without having fully restored his cultivation. This, likewise, is what allowed him to achieve seemingly impossible feats for his lower cultivation levels while disguised. However, this power was/is inferior to the actual World Force displayed by a fully cultivated Great Emperor.

## Past

### War of the Emperors

The Bustling World Great Emperor was one of the participants in the war against the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor around 30,000 years before Yang Kai came to Star Boundary, and likewise lost some friends in this battle.

## History

### Maplewood City

Duan Hong Chen is first met by Yang Kai in Maplewood City, where he is acting like a simple swindler in the Black Market district. He tries his shenanigans on both Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi, the latter of which subsequently dubs him “Old Swindler.” Despite his harmless and weak appearance, Yang Kai can not put off the feeling that this man is not nearly as simple as he appears, and is likely to be hiding a great deal. However, whenever the old man appears, he just as mysteriously disappears.

Later, when Ancient Demon Qi is invading Maplewood City, Yang Kai shockingly sees this supposedly Origin King Realm martial artist nonchalantly running straight through the Ancient Demon Qi while under constant attack. Somehow, he ran from a nearby fallen city completely unharmed. This is a feat Yang Kai seriously doubts he, at the 1st Order Dao Source Realm, could possibly do. However, the man again eventually disappears before Yang Kai can question him.

### Azure Sun Temple Projection

Later, Yang Kai seeks a World Tribulation Fruit for Qin Yu, and heads to Azure Sun Temple with her father, Qin Zhao Yang. Upon reaching the outskirts of the Temple, Qin Zhao Yang takes out a Token he received in the past in order to try and gain entry after a Deacon blocks their path. However, the Deacon actually destroys the Token to the great horror of Qin Zhao Yang. Suddenly, a massive and terrifying pressure fills the entire Azure Sun Temple, and the projection of a man with a bamboo hat and male cheongsam appears. The projection speaks briefly with Qin Zhao Yang before surprisingly recognizing a shocked Yang Kai.

### Shattered Star Sea

Yang Kai and Mo Xiao Qi again see this Old Swindler in Shattered Star Sea after they, along with a group of newly promoted 1st Order Emperors and other participants, find a Black Hole that reveals a skeleton with a highly attractive Space Ring on its hand. Mo Xiao Qi is simply shocked to see the Old Swindler, whereas Yang Kai is shocked to see that he is actually already a 3rd Order Dao Source Realm cultivator after such a short period of time. Shortly after this, the Old Swindler ends up using Zhang Ruo Xi's mysterious Blood Essence to help save Mo Xiao Qi, who activates a dangerous Butterfly Divine Spirit Seal out of unnecessary fear for Yang Kai’s life, and Yang Kai becomes even more certain that the Old Swindler is not so simple.

The Old Swindler then tries to convince everyone present to leave the skeleton alone, but many people choose to ignore him, with the exceptions being Lan Xun and Yao Si, the daughter and son of the Bright Moon and Serene Soul Great Emperors respectively, and those loyal to them. Duan Hong Chen then pretends to reach across the Void of the Black Hole, collect the Space Ring, and throw it far into the Shattered Star Sea in order to draw everyone away. He then finally enters the Black Hole while Yang Kai inadvertently follows him due to a Jade Slip the latter acquired from a now deceased descendant of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor.

Duan Hong Chen then begins fighting with the skeleton, which suddenly comes to life while Yang Kai is in the distance. It is revealed that the Skeleton, which is devouring some surrounding blood in order to restore its flesh, is actually the still living Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, Wu Kuang. Duan Hong Chen, suspicious he was still alive, had actually re-cultivated himself several times over thousands of years in order to enter the Shattered Star Sea to look for Wu Kuang‘s presence, and finally found him this time. Duan Hong Chen then reveals a 1st Order Emperor Realm cultivation level as he continues to battle with Wu Kuang. Yang Kai then watches this extraordinary battle until he can no longer contain his need to breakthrough, and his subsequent breakthrough is so powerful that it attracts the attention of both Wu Kuang and Duan Hong Chen, who both see great potential in the boy if he is allowed to grow.

Seeing opportunity, Wu Kuang allows his reforming flesh body to be destroyed in a massive explosion before attempting to take over Yang Kai’s newly promoted body. Wu Kuang’s Soul Avatar is then shocked to see the Soul Warming Lotus in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea before Duan Hong Chen also appears there in order to kill him. Duan Hong Chen then orders Yang Kai to attack them both while he holds Wu Kuang, and Yang Kai obliges with an extraordinarily powerful Divine Soul attack combined with the Soul Splitting Saber of the Insect Emperor. This attack simultaneously devastates the Divine Souls of both Duan Hong Chen and a terrified Wu Kuang. The two severely injured and foreign Divine Souls then flee Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. As the vitality of Duan Hong Chen’s physical body then rapidly begins to fade, Yang Kai proceeds to use a leaf of the Immortal Tree in an attempt to save the dying Great Emperor. However, in the process, Duan Hong Chen and Wu Kuang’s Divine Souls are somehow forced to share Duan Hong Chen’s body.(Chapter 2495 - 2506)

### Dominant Soul

With Duan Hong Chen as the more dominant Soul, Duan Hong Chen/Wu Kuang separate from Yang Kai shortly after their arrival in the Eastern Territory of Star Boundary. Duan Hong Chen then quickly looks for a way to get rid of Wu Kuang. Likewise, they subsequently pay a visit to the Serene Soul Great Emperor, who specializes in the Divine Soul, for assistance. During this time, Wu Kuang/Duan Hong Chen are surprised to find that the Serene Soul Great Emperor is also occupied with Yang Kai through the Soul Descent he left on his daughter. Unfortunately, even the Serene Soul Great Emperor proves unable to rectify the issue of the coexisting Divine Souls.

Later, Duan Hong Chen/Wu Kuang go to Azure Sun Temple, where they enter its Divine Ascension Mirror World in order to seek the aid of the Divine Soul Great Emperor-like existence, Tian Yan. However, this plan goes awry for Duan Hong Chen, and Wu Kuang ends up becoming the more dominant personality. After helping to release more Demon Spirits into the Southern Territory in the face of Yang Kai and several Southern Territory Emperor Realm powerhouses who were looking to prevent this, Wu Kuang joyfully departs from Azure Sun Temple.

### Wu Chen

On Dragon Island, Yang Kai meets a strange character named Wu Chen among the cultivators of Half-Dragon City who are enlisted to construct a Palace for the Dragon Clansman, Fu Chi. Later, after Yang Kai kills the previous overseer, the 3rd Order Emperor Realm Wu Chen takes command of the group of workers instead. Though Yang Kai then briefly notices that many Emperors have disappeared since the promotion of Wu Chen, he remains primarily focused on preventing the upcoming wedding between his lover, Zhu Qing, and Fu Chi. Later, as Fu Chi is engaged in a desperate life-or-death struggle with Li Jiao over the kidnapping and repeated raping of the latters’s former fiancé, Wu Chen suddenly arrives on the scene. Using the mighty Heaven Devouring Battle Law, Wu Chen then brutally kills Fu Chi, alarming the entirety of Dragon Island to the death of a Dragon Clansman.

Wu Chen, now revealed to be "Wu" Kuang and Duan Hong "Chen," then successfully tricks and escapes from the numerous powerhouses present on Dragon Island, including the Dragon Island Great Elders, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun, and the Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang, by diverting their attention to the Dragon Grave as he makes his way into the Dragon Island's Dragon Temple. Here, Wu Kuang uses the power of the Dragon Temple to forcefully open up a Void Corridor to the lower Star Fields, to where he successfully escapes.

### New Plan

Later, in the Ancestral Domain, Yang Kai finds that Wu Kuang/Duan Hong Chen are peacefully sitting with a strange checkerboard. They then take the time to casually inform Yang Kai on both how to become a Star Field Master and how to find his Star Field. To Yang Kai's surprise, Duan Hong Chen makes the additional requests that Yang Kai not reveal their location.

Later, during the start of the Demon War, Yang Kai returns angrily to the Ancestral Domain when he finds out that the Heng Luo Star Field is being swallowed. Using the strange checkerboard, which actually seems to contain the merged Star Fields, Wu Kuang/Duan Hong Chen explain that this process is actually good for the Star Fields and will not affect any life. The only effect is that there will be no more Star Field Masters. Yang Kai, though still skeptical, has no choice but to relent upon Duan Hong Chen's urging.

### Final Battle of Star Boundary

While Yang Kai is locked in a desperate struggle with Mo Sheng at High Heaven Palace, Wu Kuang/Duan Hong Chen free all the Great Emperors from the captivity of the Demon Saints. Mo Sheng desperately takes all the Demon Qi and Demon Race into himself to form a giant physical body to display the power of the Low Rank Open Heaven Realm. Wu Kuang draws upon the power of the strange chessboard and displays power similar to Open Heaven to greatly assist in the battle against Mo Sheng. When Yang Kai returns from death, Mo Sheng is finally overwhelmed. Wu Kuang then finally splits from Duan Hong Chen and invades the body of Mo Sheng, destroys his remaining Divine Soul, and gains a new vessel.

### Star Boundary in Sir Void’s Hands

In the aftermath of the War, Star Boundary is devastated and the Giant Spiritual God Ah Da stands outside waiting for it to die. Zhan Wu Hen and the other Great Emperors are greatly damaged after the Battle for Star Boundary and will need at least a century to close up. They decide to ensure everything to Yang Kai before closing up. Yang Kai departs 50 years later for the Outer Universe to find a World Tree.

Numerous years later, Yang Kai returns to Star Boundary, and everyone feels the return of the Void Great Emperor. Yang Kai notices that the Great Emperors’ conditions have actually gotten worse since he left due to the deterioration of Star Boundary. Yang Kai then plants the World Tree Subtree in Star Boundary, and the Great Emperors bring several Source Crystals and Spiritual Veins to feed the Subtree. Eventually, it begins to rapidly heal Star Boundary and A Da departs.

Yang Kai then wants to take the Great Emperors to Void Land so that they can experience a higher Martial Dao and promote to Open Heaven Realm. Zhan Wuhen and Duan Hong Chen initially volunteer to stay behind and guard Star Boundary, but are then assured by Yang Kai that he will leave a 5th Rank Open Heaven Realm cultivator, named Hei He, behind to protect it. Satisfied, they then follow Yang Kai to Void Land.

### Void Land

Duan Hong Chen is the second Great Emperor that promotes straight to 6th Rank Open Heaven Realm in Void Land along with Hua Ling Long, Ice Feather, Mo Huang, Yao Jun and Zhan Wu Hen. When Zuo Quan Hui moves to attack Star Boundary after learning of the World Tree Subtree from Lan Xun’s memories, Yang Kai takes the Great Emperors along with him in an attempt to reach it first. Thanks to Yang Kai’s extremely profound proficiency in Space Principles, Void Land’s forces arrive near Star Boundary first. The Great Emperors then note that Star Boundary has undergone tremendous changes due to the Subtree. Zhan Wu Hen further notes that they will not be able to keep this secret for long, as the two Yin-Yang Heaven disciples, Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui, are present to assist Yang Kai. However, Yang Kai informs the Great Emperors that he has a plan. During the ensuing final war against Zuo Quan Hui, Yang Kai and the Great Emperors also discover the existence of a new Great Territory in this area. Eventually, the Great Emperors help Yang Kai to kill Zuo Quan Hui in a Universe World named Blue Clouds Continent within this new Great Territory.

Seizing the initiative, Yang Kai later manages to make a more than acceptable deal with the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises in regard to Star Boundary and the World Tree Subtree. The Great Emperors then spend a lot of time guarding and managing the new and improved Star Boundary along with the new Great Territory while Yang Kai handles his own matters. Duan Hong Chen in particular is given the honor to serve as the City Master of the newly established High Heaven Star City within the newly named High Heaven Territory. The Great Emperors overall benefit greatly from remaining near Star Boundary due to the fact that they can draw from its background in order to rapidly improve their own Small Universes. This can be done without damaging Star Boundary's foundation due to the miraculous effects of the World Tree Subtree. When Yang Kai leaves for Ink Battlefield, the Great Emperors continue to support both Star Boundary and his Sects.

### 3,000 Worlds War

During the 1,000 years that Yang Kai is away on Ink Battlefield, all the Great Emperors of Star Boundary would breakthrough to 7th Rank Open Heaven Realm due to the wondrous effects of the World Tree Subtree. In fact, many Great Emperors, such as Zhan Wu Hen, would even be rapidly approaching 8th Rank Open Heaven Realm. As all the Great Emperors are otherworldly talents, they would become famous for their many contributions on the battlefield against the Ink Clan.

When Yang Kai returns to Star Boundary for the first time in over 1,000 years, he learns that it has not only gained a new Great Emperor in Shi Da Zhuang, but the bottleneck of the world has also expanded. About 1,700 years later, Yang Kai would note that of the now 12 extremely famous Great Emperors of Star Boundary, the majority of them have promoted to 8th Rank Open Heaven Realm.

## Gallery

ProjectionManhuaWu Kuang/Duan Hong Chen New Look (Manhua Only)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 5614
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 1984
3. ↑ Chapter 2496
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 2499
5. ↑ Chapter 2084
6. ↑ Chapter 2491
7. ↑ Chapter 2084)
8. ↑ Chapter 2123
9. ↑ Chapter 2493
10. ↑ Chapter 2494
11. ↑ Chapter 2495
12. ↑ Chapter 2498
13. ↑ Chapter 2505
14. ↑ Chapter 3075
15. ↑ Chapter 3106
16. ↑ Chapter 4195
17. ↑ Chapter 4912