Hu Xiaocao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Hu Xiaocao (胡小草) 82
Alias(es)	Xiao Cao; Tian Shu; Perfected Person Tian Shu 44 277 558
Gender	Female 44
Affiliation	Longyuan Village; Longyuan Celestial Sect 167 246
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; Sect Master of the Longyuan Celestial Sect 167 246 277
Status	Alive 558
First Appearance	Chapter 42: Midnight Mountain Herb Hunt 42

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Violet Qi recipient	128	Receives more Violet Qi than other villagers due to her close karmic connection with Ye Qin and her devotion to the Dao; her senses, memory, comprehension, appearance, and temperament are transformed.
Cultivation threshold	166	Violet Qi surges instinctively when kidnappers corner her; she forms a hand seal and releases force without understanding how to control it.
First modern human cultivator	167	Ye Qin guides the circulation of Violet Qi within her, allowing her to control it and formally enter cultivation.
Supernatural combatant	193	Uses spiritual-energy attacks, rapid movement, and wide-area force to eliminate armed mercenary guards abroad.
Tian Shu Sect Master	246 277	Establishes and leads the Longyuan Celestial Sect, representing its cultivators in negotiations with the state.
Perfected Person Tian Shu	558	Commands Earth cultivators during the Blood Sea crisis and resurrects the Terracotta Army as Ghost Generals.

Background / History

Hu Xiaocao grew up poor in Longyuan Village. Her father died when she was young, leaving her and her chronically ill mother dependent on one another. While other children played, Xiaocao handled household work, prepared meals, gathered pig feed and firewood, and cared for her mother. Her family home was sparsely furnished but kept clean and orderly. 44 65 82

When her mother needed Moonpetal Grass, Xiaocao entered the mountain alone at night to search for it. There she encountered Ye Qin in his snake form and became convinced that he was Longyuan Mountain’s Mountain God. Though she believed she had failed, Wu Yuan later found the Moonpetal Grass on her person; Xiaocao credited the Mountain God for guiding her. 43 44

Her faith intensified after she was abducted by human traffickers while bringing an egg to the Mountain God’s temple as an offering. Xiaocao resisted her captors, called for help, and invoked the Mountain God’s wrath. Ye Qin intervened indirectly, and she was eventually found alive near the traffickers’ bodies. 46 47 54

Xiaocao’s mother later recovered from a terminal condition after visiting the mountain, an event villagers attributed to the Mountain God. When her mother relapsed and eventually entered a vegetative state, Xiaocao chose not to demand further divine intervention, accepting her mother’s teaching that blessings should not be sought greedily. 68 70 101

Ye Qin later gave her ancient books and scriptures. She studied them alongside her regular education, developed a remarkable understanding of history and classical texts, and began sensing the Violet Qi within her. After repelling Yang Wen’s kidnapping group with an uncontrolled burst of power, she returned to Longyuan Mountain and received Ye Qin’s direct guidance, formally becoming a cultivator. 102 115 165 166 167

As she matured, Xiaocao became one of Longyuan Village’s foremost figures. She independently investigated the overseas organization targeting Longyuan Mountain, fought alongside the villagers abroad, and helped recover cultural relics. After graduating university, she declined lucrative employment offers and returned to Longyuan Village to establish the Longyuan Celestial Sect with the Mountain God as its Dao Ancestor. 191 193 245 246

Appearance

Xiaocao was initially described as a thin, undernourished village girl with a gaunt face and dry, straw-like hair. Violet Qi and spiritual energy gradually transformed her, refining both her complexion and bearing into an increasingly ethereal, composed beauty. 44 82 128

• Fair, delicate skin compared to fine porcelain after her transformation. 128 176
• Clear dark eyes that others describe as mature, calm, and full of stories. 131 165
• Long black hair, later commonly worn in a high ponytail. 201
• Delicate features and faint dimples that retain some of her childhood innocence. 124
• A cool, detached demeanor that becomes more pronounced as her cultivation advances. 201 245 277

Personality

Xiaocao is compassionate, filial, and extraordinarily responsible. Her mother’s illness forced her into adult responsibilities early, but hardship did not diminish her kindness. She risks the mountain at night for Moonpetal Grass, gives an egg meant for her own meal to the Mountain God, and stays beside her mother through critical illness. 42 46 68

She possesses unusual resolve. Xiaocao can be frightened, saddened, or overwhelmed, but she repeatedly acts despite those feelings: confronting traffickers, traveling alone to the city to fulfill a dream-delivered mission, and later going abroad to confront the organization threatening Longyuan Mountain. 47 87 191

Her intelligence is paired with discretion. She reads ancient books, develops interpretations of literature that impress adults, and intentionally avoids revealing the truth of Longyuan Mountain or her powers to outsiders. During the police investigation into Yang Wen’s death, she omits her own role because she knows the authorities would not believe it. 115 165 166

As a leader, Xiaocao is calm, decisive, and difficult to dissuade once she has chosen a course. The villagers respect her despite her youth, and she treats the establishment of the Longyuan Celestial Sect as a responsibility to preserve and pass on Longyuan Mountain’s knowledge. 246 277

Abilities & Skills

Violet Qi Cultivation

Xiaocao carries an unusually large amount of Violet Qi, a blessing linked to Ye Qin’s Golden Core breakthrough and her particularly deep karmic connection to him. 128 165

• Enhanced hearing, vision, memory, reading speed, and comprehension. 128
• Can perceive spiritual changes and the aura of Longyuan Mountain more clearly than ordinary villagers. 165 167
• Learned to circulate and control Violet Qi after Ye Qin personally guided her. 167
• Her early power surges were involuntary and unstable before receiving guidance. 166 167

Spiritual-Energy Combat

Xiaocao can turn Violet Qi into invisible, forceful attacks. Her first confirmed use occurred when Yang Wen’s group tried to abduct her near Nanchuan University. 166

• Dodges attackers with heightened agility and anticipation. 166
• Uses a hand seal and the incantation “Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe! All form the array and advance!” to release a violent burst of force. 166
• Can strike opponents from a distance without physical contact; Yang Wen’s group collapsed and later died from internal damage. 166
• Projects broad spiritual-energy shockwaves capable of throwing armed guards through the air and breaking bones. 193
• Demonstrates rapid movement or short-range displacement, appearing behind an armed guard before he can react. 193

Life and Spirit Manipulation

As Tian Shu Sect Master, Xiaocao demonstrates techniques beyond direct combat. 278 558

• Revives dried tea leaves and grows them into a living tea tree with a touch. 278
• Resurrects the Terracotta Army within the Blood Sea, transforming them into powerful Ghost Generals. 558
• Helps direct Earth cultivators in containing and utilizing the Blood Sea’s dangerous power. 558

Scholarship and Historical Insight

Xiaocao studies history, literature, ancient texts, and cultivation scriptures with exceptional aptitude. 115 165

• Offers a distinctive interpretation of “Carving the Boat to Seek the Sword,” arguing that the sought object may be one’s past self rather than the literal sword. 115
• Attends public lectures at Nanchuan University from a young age and can understand nearly all of the material. 165
• Graduates university with outstanding academic results, scholarships, and enough part-time income to cover her own tuition. 245

Equipment / Items

• Ancient books and scriptures — Given to Xiaocao by Ye Qin after he reveals himself to her; they deepen her understanding of cultivation and allow her to recognize the Violet Qi in her body. 102 165
• Mountain God temple — A site of worship, reflection, and communication with Ye Qin that Xiaocao regularly cleans and tends. 124 246

Relationships

• Ye Qin / the Mountain God — Xiaocao first encounters Ye Qin as a divine-looking snake and worships him as “Grandpa Mountain God.” He protects her, gives her scriptures, and becomes her cultivation guide. 43 102 167
• Xiaocao’s mother — Her sole remaining parent and the center of Xiaocao’s early life. Their relationship is defined by mutual care, sacrifice, and gratitude. 42 68 101
• Wu Yuan — Village healer who treats Xiaocao’s mother and finds the Moonpetal Grass Xiaocao unknowingly carried. 44 101
• Village Chief — A protective elder who supports Xiaocao’s schooling, recognizes her capabilities, and later serves as Grand Elder of her sect. 102 246
• Xie Yixuan — Police officer who helps Xiaocao reach Shangqing Temple and safely return from the city. 87 88
• Qi Xueqing — History student and witness to Xiaocao’s encounter with Yang Wen’s group; later becomes a friend with whom she discusses history. 166 201
• Professor Fan Ming — University professor impressed by Xiaocao’s insight into literature and history; invites her to seek his guidance. 165
• Daoist Qingwei — Daoist associated with Longyuan Village and the Longyuan Celestial Sect. 175 276
• Longyuan villagers — Her community and later sect members. They consistently protect Xiaocao and support her decisions, including traveling abroad to assist her. 54 191 246

Notable Quotes

“Mom won't die. Grandpa Mountain God saved her and breathed on her. Mom will come back to life.” 68

“The moral of this story could also be: what one seeks with ‘Carving the Boat to Seek the Sword’ might not be the sword itself, but one’s past self.” 115

“Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe! All form the array and advance!” 166

Trivia

• Xiaocao was the first person in Longyuan Village to publicly identify the Mountain God, making her central to the origin of the village’s faith in Ye Qin. 43 131
• She was the first modern human formally stated to have stepped onto the path of cultivation. 167
• Xiaocao keeps her connection to the Mountain God secret outside Longyuan Village, even from close school friends. 165
• Although she is much younger than most village leaders, she is included in every major village discussion before founding the Longyuan Celestial Sect. 191 246