Contents
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Xuan Zi 24 25 |
| Alias(es) | Elder Xuan; Xuanzi; Old Xuan 1 13 |
| Gender | Male 1 |
| Affiliation | Shrek Academy; Sea God's Pavilion; Martial Soul Department 13 |
| Occupation/Role | Academy elder; Ling Mo's guardian and mentor 2 13 |
| Cultivation | Rank 98 Soul Master 19 26 27 |
| Marital Status | Never married 13 |
| First Appearance | Prologue 1 |
Background / History
Raising Ling Mo
While resting with a group in the Star Dou Great Forest, Elder Xuan was approached by a girl carrying an infant boy. He examined the child's faint, dark-red back markings and considered whether he might be a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Unable to sense any Soul Beast aura, he decided to take the child back rather than leave him in the forest 1.
The infant grew up as Ling Mo. Xuan Zi raised and taught him, treating him as his own grandson despite having no blood relationship. He accompanied Ling Mo on his first Soul Ring hunt, finding a three-hundred-year Mirror Beast that Ling Mo chose for his Divine Key Martial Soul. He later encouraged Ling Mo to enroll at Shrek Academy when the boy reached Level 15, but stopped pressing when Ling Mo showed no urgency 2 3 13.
Supporting Ling Mo at Shrek
When Ling Mo returned late from a Soul Ring expedition, he sought Xuan Zi's help to avoid expulsion. Xuan Zi rejected the explanation given to the class teachers, remembering how cautious Ling Mo had been during their earlier hunt. Ling Mo then showed him an unusual blue Soul Ring and fabricated an account of a super Soul Beast's sacrifice. With no reliable precedent to disprove it, Xuan Zi reluctantly accepted the story 12.
At the Sea God's Pavilion conference, Xuan Zi reported Ling Mo's four ultimate attributes—wind, thunder, ice, and space—and two Domain Skills. His advocacy secured Mu En's promise of academy assistance with future Soul Rings and preferential resources 13.
Xuan Zi also required Ling Mo to participate in the Shrek Seven Devils selection despite the boy's reluctance. Ling Mo ultimately became an exceptional eighth member without displacing Xiao Xiao. Before the continental tournament, Xuan Zi instructed him to travel directly to Star Luo City after obtaining his fourth Soul Ring 15 16.
Ling Mo's Disappearance
After the tournament, Ling Mo proposed obtaining another Soul Ring to resolve Ma Xiaotao's uncontrolled flames. Xuan Zi agreed, believing Ling Mo's Ultimate Ice might make the plan possible. When Ling Mo failed to return, Xuan Zi searched the Star Dou Great Forest himself, returning alone three days later 24.
Ling Mo's disappearance left him anxious and emotionally unstable. When Body Sect master Du Busi challenged Shrek Academy, Xuan Zi confronted him and accused the sect of previously attacking academy students in Star Luo City. Their argument escalated into a battle that Mu En interrupted 24.
Chi Yuan's Visit
During Chi Yuan's visit, Xuan Zi dismissed her demand for the Ksitigarbha Soul as an attempt to seize a student's possession. He eventually explained that both the weapon and its owner had disappeared, with the academy finding no clues 25.
When the dispute over treating Ma Xiaotao escalated into a battle between Fu Hua and Mu En, Xuan Zi evacuated Huo Yuhao and the others from Sea God Island. Afterward, he led the academy's senior figures back to the damaged pavilion, where Mu En instructed him to find Ling Mo and bring him home 26 27.
Appearance
- Elderly and disheveled: Ling Mo consistently recognizes him as an untidy but familiar old man 1 12.
- Habitual food and drink: He is introduced gnawing on a chicken leg and later receives Ling Mo with oily hands, a chicken leg, and a wine pot 1 12.
- Martial Soul-related appetite: Ling Mo attributes his hearty eating and drinking to his Martial Soul 12.
Personality
Xuan Zi's affection for Ling Mo is openly grandfatherly. He complains about the boy's infrequent visits, takes pride in presenting his achievements to the pavilion elders, and becomes deeply distressed when he disappears. His care also includes firm expectations: he demands honest explanations and pushes Ling Mo into academy assessments rather than allowing him to avoid them 12 13 15 24.
He is blunt and confrontational toward outsiders. He mocks Jing Hongchen's predictions about Soul Tools, treats him without courtesy inside the pavilion, and reacts aggressively to Du Busi's provocation. His skepticism also makes him dismissive of Fu Hua's warnings about Divine Keys, although he recognizes that her strength requires caution 24 25 26.
Abilities & Skills
Rank 98 Cultivation
Xuan Zi possesses formidable Soul Master cultivation, but the story establishes clear limits to his strength 19 27.
- Fights Du Busi, whose cultivation is comparable to his own 24.
- Possesses one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, compared with Du Busi's three; the comparison places him at a likely disadvantage in a lethal confrontation 24.
- Can be threatened by several cooperating Rank 9 Soul Engineers, according to Wang Yan 19.
- Cannot meaningfully assist in Fu Hua and Mu En's battle; the gap between Rank 98 and Rank 99 is described as immense 27.
Perception and Soul Beast Knowledge
- Detects Ling Mo standing outside his residence before the boy enters 12.
- Examines the infant Ling Mo for a Soul Beast aura and recognizes transformation as a possible explanation for his presence in the forest 1.
- Identifies exotic-colored Soul Rings as historically associated with godhood, drawing on Shrek's records of Tang San 12.
Protection and Mentorship
- Guides Ling Mo's early Soul Ring hunting and encourages his academy enrollment 2 3.
- Uses his academy authority to place Ling Mo in Class One and advocate for cultivation resources 13 21.
- Restrains Huo Yuhao from rushing toward Ma Xiaotao and removes younger students from the battlefield when Fu Hua and Mu En clash 26 27.
Relationships
- Ling Mo — Foster-grandson figure and pupil. Ling Mo regards him as a grandfather and seeks independence partly to prove that the child Xuan Zi raised can support himself. Xuan Zi also repeatedly praises his cooking 2 5 13.
- Mu En — Senior academy colleague whose instructions he follows. Mu En comforts him during Ling Mo's disappearance and later entrusts him with finding the boy 24 26 27.
- Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao — Younger academy students under his protection; he evacuates them during the pavilion battle 26 27.
- Du Busi — Hostile Body Sect leader and combat opponent 24.
- Fu Hua / Chi Yuan — Powerful visitor with whom he clashes over the Ksitigarbha Soul and Ma Xiaotao's treatment 25 26.
- Jing Hongchen — Visitor he treats with suspicion, particularly when escorting him deeper into Sea God's Pavilion 25 26.
Notable Quotes
“Do you think I would joke about the prosperity and future of Shrek?” 13
“I'm practically your grandpa, you should at least visit me every few days.” 12