Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Grandmaster; Master 136 365
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; formerly associated with Notting City Soul Master Academy and Spirit Hall 138 217 261
Occupation/Role	Soul Master theorist and instructor; Tang San's former master 136 366 367
Status	Alive; severely injured following the Spirit Hall ambush 263 264 367
First Appearance	Chapter 136

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang is the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's leader. His family provided him with resources sufficient to reach level 29 Soul Power, but he failed to break through to Soul Venerable and eventually left rather than endure others' judgment of his talent 138 152.

He was connected to Spirit Hall during Bibi Dong's time as Holy Maiden, then traveled with Flander and Liu Erlong as the Golden Iron Triangle. He later became an honorary teacher at Notting City Soul Master Academy, where he accepted Tang San as his disciple 138 365 366.

Yu Xiaogang first approached Tang San by introducing himself as “Master.” His explanation of Blue Silver Grass and herbicide impressed Tang San and won over onlookers during the later live-streamed retelling of their first meeting. He subsequently brought Tang San to the Hunting Soul Forest, where Luo Sanpao's radish-fueled gas repelled Soul Beasts; Yu Xiaogang was poisoned during a four-hundred-year Soul Beast encounter and survived because Tang San used Hidden Weapons 365 366.

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a short-haired, stubbled middle-aged man. Shouzaki describes him as looking less like a researcher than a local ruffian 136.

• Short hair
• Heavy facial stubble
• Middle-aged appearance 136

Personality

Yu Xiaogang is intensely preoccupied with the prestige of the “Grandmaster” title. He seeks accomplished students—especially Tang San, Qian Qiao, Ryotaro, and Shouzaki—as proof of his own teaching ability, while concealing this ambition behind an authoritative manner 136 140 208.

He is dismissive of methods that challenge his authority. He rejected Shouzaki's established training system without examining it, then yielded control of training only after Shouzaki exposed the inadequacy of his stone-carrying regimen 138 139 140.

His loyalty is conditional on personal benefit. As Tang San repeatedly fails to meet his expectations, Yu Xiaogang considers replacing him with more promising students; during the Spirit Hall ambush, he attempts to save himself by exposing Tang San's and Dai Mubai's identities 204 208 261 262.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang possesses broad theoretical knowledge of Martial Souls and uses it to explain opponents, team roles, and training priorities.

• Assessed Shrek Academy's students before formally meeting them and arrived with a prepared training program 136.
• Identified tactical errors in Shrek's formation, particularly Dai Mubai leaving Oscar and Ning Rongrong without a defensive line 144.
• Briefed Shrek on Blazing Academy's roster and recommended a lineup intended to counter its members by role 200 201.
• His theories and claimed “Ten Core Competitiveness Theories” are later questioned by Tang San, while Shouzaki openly challenges his training expertise 138 208.

Training and Command

Yu Xiaogang attempts to direct Shrek's combat preparation through physical conditioning, tactical critiques, and team selection.

• Proposed weighted long-distance running and increased meat consumption as a training system 136 138.
• Used post-match lectures to demand responsibility from Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Tang San 144 145.
• Tried to arrange a lethal team Soul Duel so Tang San could use Hidden Weapons, rebuild confidence, and become Shrek's central figure 162.
• His weighted-running program was undermined when Shouzaki demonstrated that the heaviest assigned stones weighed only thirty pounds and were inadequate for the students' physical capabilities 139.
• His own Soul Power is level 29, limiting his ability to address opponents whose strength exceeds his experience 144 152.

Luo Sanpao

Yu Xiaogang uses Luo Sanpao during Soul Beast hunts.

• Feeds Luo Sanpao radishes to produce gas that repels or incapacitates Soul Beasts 366.
• Was unable to protect himself when a four-hundred-year Soul Beast poisoned him; Tang San resolved the danger with Hidden Weapons 366.

Equipment / Items

• Spirit Hall Elder Token — Used to identify himself to a Spirit Hall Soul Douluo and secure his own survival during the ambush. Its protection initially applied only to him 261.
• Luo Sanpao — His Martial Soul, used with radishes during the Hunting Soul Forest incident 366.

Relationships

• Tang San — Yu Xiaogang's disciple and initially his primary hope for fame. Their relationship deteriorates after Tang San's competition failures; Yu Xiaogang later betrays him to Spirit Hall, while Tang San and Dai Mubai retaliate by severely injuring him 136 197 204 262 263.
• Flander — Longtime friend and fellow member of the Golden Iron Triangle. Flander welcomes him to Shrek Academy, later rescues him after the ambush, and continues to defend him despite his conduct 136 138 263 264.
• Shouzaki — Training-method rival. Yu Xiaogang dismisses him as an unqualified student, but is forced to defer to Shouzaki after his own program is challenged 138 139 140.
• Dai Mubai — Student whom Yu Xiaogang criticizes for abandoning Shrek's support Soul Masters. Yu Xiaogang later reveals Dai Mubai's identity as Star Luo's Second Prince to Spirit Hall 144 145 262.
• Qian Qiao and Ryotaro — Students Yu Xiaogang views as valuable prospects who could enhance his reputation; he uses Qian Qiao's partnership with Zhu Zhuqing to secure his participation in a battle 136 153 204.
• Bibi Dong — Yu Xiaogang was connected to her when she was Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden; his past association is known within Spirit Hall 138 365.
• Liu Erlong — Former Golden Iron Triangle companion. Yu Xiaogang continues to think of her when encountering Fire Dragon Martial Souls 138 200.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival at Shrek Academy

Yu Xiaogang arrives at Shrek Academy as Flander's old friend and quickly attempts to establish authority over the students. He plans to use their achievements to make his name famous and proposes merging Shrek into another academy so that any competition success can be credited to him 136.

Conflict with Shouzaki

Yu Xiaogang imposes a stone-carrying exercise program and rejects Oscar's suggestion that Shouzaki's scientific training methods already suit the team. Shouzaki challenges the program, demonstrates superior physical-training knowledge through the Weighted Bracelet, and leaves Yu Xiaogang unable to defend his methods. Yu Xiaogang temporarily entrusts training to Shouzaki while intending to reclaim control later 138 139 140.

Shrek's Soul Master Competition Campaign

Yu Xiaogang serves as a tactical lecturer and team organizer, repeatedly scolding Shrek after losses. His choices are shaped by his desire for Tang San to become a continent-famous champion whose success will validate Yu Xiaogang's reputation 145 162 197.

Tang San's defeats erode Yu Xiaogang's confidence in him. By the Blazing Academy match, Yu Xiaogang is willing to let Tang San face Huo Wu's attack because success would benefit his reputation, while failure would make Tang San expendable; he begins considering Shouzaki, Qian Qiao, and Ryotaro as superior alternatives 204 208.

Spirit Hall Ambush and Betrayal

After fleeing with Tang San and Dai Mubai, Yu Xiaogang uses his Spirit Hall Elder Token to save himself from a Soul Douluo. Rather than leave, he returns to provide the Soul Douluo with Dai Mubai's royal identity and information tying Tang San's second Martial Soul to Tang Hao, hoping to earn Spirit Hall's favor 260 261 262.

Tang San and Dai Mubai attack Yu Xiaogang after realizing his betrayal, leaving him severely injured and unable to move. Flander finds him afterward; Yu Xiaogang blames Tang San while omitting his own role in the confrontation 263 264.

Decline and Live-Streamed Past

Following the ambush, Yu Xiaogang's authority at Shrek is diminished and he is treated as a burden by the remaining group 266. He later watches the competition resentfully, convinced that famous students and teachers are beneath him despite his inability to gain comparable recognition 280.

The live stream of Tang San's past initially restores attention to Yu Xiaogang's teaching and his “Master” identity. It then reveals that Tang San once intended to murder the unconscious Yu Xiaogang to conceal his Hidden Weapons, confirming that their master-disciple bond had been dangerously unstable from the beginning 366 367.

Notable Quotes

“My name is Yu Xiaogang, everyone calls me Master!” 365

“You need to know that I, Yu Xiaogang, am a Grandmaster in the theoretical world of Douluo Continent.” 138

Trivia

• Yu Xiaogang's “Master” title was originally promoted through Spirit Hall's efforts to build his reputation, though the organization later recognized his limited ability 365.
• Despite his public image as a theorist, his Soul Power remains at level 29 144 152.
• He formed the Golden Iron Triangle with Flander and Liu Erlong in his youth 138.