Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang’s original martial soul, Luo Sanpao, is a harmful mutation that left him with only half a rank of innate soul power. Despite persistent effort, he remained unable to reach rank thirty until his martial soul exchanged with Tang San’s 18.

He developed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. The narration identifies this research as an antecedent of martial soul evolution theory, which remained experimental during the Douluo I era 13.

At Nuoding Academy, he occupies a roughly thirty-square-meter room on the dormitory building’s top floor. Its furnishings are simple, but it contains a large bookcase filled with books 17. He also refers to a clan he could return to in search of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, though the provided passages do not name that clan 34.

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a thin, middle-aged man who appears to be around forty or fifty 16.

• Hair: Short and black 16.
• Features: Ordinary-looking 16.
• Voice: Somewhat hoarse 16.
• Bearing: Walks with his hands clasped behind his back and an air of importance, likened to an official conducting an inspection 16.

Personality

Yu Xiaogang places enormous importance on his research and reputation. When Tang San absorbs his first soul ring, the narration states that his research matters more to him than his life. He reacts defensively to competing theories, initially rejecting whale rubber’s body-tempering effects because they threaten his established soul-ring limits 22 24.

He favors promising disciples, particularly Tang San’s twin martial souls. After Su Mo and Xiao Wu reject his offer of apprenticeship, he considers their apparent mutated martial souls less valuable than Tang San’s potential 17. Nevertheless, he shows genuine gratification when Tang San trusts him and volunteers to test his disciple’s unfamiliar soul skill personally 23 24.

His stubbornness does not prevent him from adopting useful knowledge once confronted with results. After seeing Su Mo and Xiao Wu’s thousand-year first rings, he researches whale rubber for himself and Tang San, hoping to understand its principles and develop further body-conditioning theories 30 34.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul Research

Yu Xiaogang’s expertise centers on martial soul classification, soul-ring selection, and the interaction between martial souls and soul beasts 16 17 23.

• Innate full soul power: Identifies top-tier, mutated, and twin martial souls as three categories capable of producing it; subtly signals that he recognizes Tang San’s concealed second martial soul 17.
• Martial soul mimicry theory: Proposes that plant and beast martial souls can absorb each other’s soul rings under suitable conditions 23.
• First-ring limit: Calculates a maximum age of 423 years, which he initially treats as incompatible with whale rubber allowing older first rings 22.
• Soul beast assessment: Estimates a four-meter Mandala Snake as nearly four hundred years old and a Great Strength Gorilla as sixteen hundred years old 23 25.
• Limitations: His predicted toughness and toxicity do not appear in Tang San’s ordinary Blue Silver Grass after absorption. However, Su Mo has secretly removed three hundred years of energy from the chosen ring, compromising the result 23 24.

Luo Sanpao

Luo Sanpao is Yu Xiaogang’s original mutated martial soul. Unlike a beast martial soul that possesses its user, it manifests as a separate creature 17 18.

• Resembles a mixture of dog and pig, with a plump body, short limbs, pale purple fur, drooping ears, deep blue eyes, and a small bump on its head 17.
• Uses fart-based soul skills; Yu Xiaogang considers white radishes useful for increasing gas production 22.
• Becomes Tang San’s second martial soul after the exchange, but initially still approaches Yu Xiaogang as its familiar master 17.

Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill

Luo Sanpao can combine with Flender’s Four-Eyed Cat Owl and Liu Erlong’s Fire Dragon to form the golden sacred dragon 14.

• Luo Sanpao serves as the fusion’s main component 14.
• Su Mo reasons that it therefore contains at least a trace of golden sacred dragon bloodline, making it a potential target for his plans 14.

Clear Sky Hammer

Yu Xiaogang receives the Clear Sky Hammer through the unexplained exchange with Tang San. Although his martial soul changes, its demonstrated soul skills retain Luo Sanpao’s gas-based characteristics 17 25 30.

• Explosive attack: Activates a yellow soul ring and throws the hammer, producing a thunderous explosion and spreading a pale yellow cloud 25.
• Ally hazard: Director Su must dodge the attack; he already regards Yu Xiaogang’s skills as difficult to fight alongside because of their indiscriminate effects 25.
• Third-ring defense: Creates a fart-mist shield that obstructs vision and detection-type skills while the hammer spins inside it to block attacks from every direction 29.
• Drawback: The defensive mist has an unpleasant smell that drives his companions away 29 30.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night — A black storage belt with twenty-four white jade inlays, given to Tang San. Yu Xiaogang expects each jade to contain one cubic meter of space, but inspection reveals only one cubic centimeter. He accepts possible age-related spatial collapse as an explanation and promises a replacement 22 23.
• Sword — Lent to Tang San to deliver the fatal blow to the wounded Mandala Snake 23.
• Forest-entry token — Presented to gain the group access to the Soul Hunting Forest 23.
• Jet-black token from Tang Hao — Given during Tang Hao’s visit; it lands on Yu Xiaogang’s injured lower leg and damages the bone further 34.

Relationships

• Tang San — Disciple. Initially admires his knowledge, but repeatedly regrets the apprenticeship after the martial soul exchange and disappointing first soul skill. Despite this, he visits Yu Xiaogang in hospital and vows to avenge him without knowing Tang Hao caused the injuries 17 18 24 30 35.
• Su Mo — Prospective disciple who declines his offer. Secretly manipulates Yu Xiaogang’s emotions, drains energy from his third soul ring, and observes his humiliations through Spiritual Detection 17 29 30.
• Xiao Wu — Declines apprenticeship to follow Su Mo. Her thousand-year first ring helps disprove Yu Xiaogang’s objections to exceeding conventional first-ring limits 17 30.
• Tian Meng — Rival theorist whose Ten Laws of Martial Souls threaten Yu Xiaogang’s reputation. Yu Xiaogang resents the challenge, while Tian Meng enjoys watching his setbacks 21 34.
• Director Su — Fellow escort on the soul-hunting trip. Challenges his rejection of whale rubber and his choice of the Mandala Snake, but leaves Tang San’s final decision to teacher and disciple 22 23.
• Tang Hao — An old acquaintance and idol whom Yu Xiaogang has not seen for twenty years. Beats him over Tang San’s first-ring choice and martial soul exchange, then demands that he find a way to restore the hammer 34.
• Flender and Liu Erlong — Their martial souls combine with Luo Sanpao through the Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill 14.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Nuoding Academy and Apprenticeship

• Intervenes in the confrontation at the academy gates, checks the children’s certificates, apologizes to Old Jack, and tells the gatekeeper not to return to work 16.
• Accepts Tang San after three kowtows. Under Su Mo’s emotional manipulation, he accidentally calls Tang San “my dear son” before correcting himself 17.
• Discovers the martial soul exchange in his room. Initially mistakes the resonance for a possible fusion skill, then suggests—without confirmation—that the exchange may be a divine trial 17 18.

Soul Hunting Forest

• Selects the Mandala Snake for Tang San’s first ring, prioritizing toughness, poison, and combat utility over Director Su’s concerns about martial soul evolution 23.
• Tests Tang San’s Blue Silver Whip, which makes him cry out in pleasure. He subsequently describes its effect as a useful neurotoxin capable of disrupting opponents 24.
• Joins the fight against a Great Strength Gorilla, revealing his Clear Sky Hammer to Director Su and the secretly observing Tang Hao. Er Ming’s arrival overwhelms the group, and Tang Hao intervenes 25 26.
• Acquires his third ring from an armored beetle. Su Mo manipulates his shame and desire to show off, prompting a public demonstration of the foul-smelling defensive skill; renewed shame then causes him to faint 29 30.
• Opposes returning deeper into the sealed forest, only to learn that Su Mo and Xiao Wu have already obtained thousand-year first rings 30.

Tang Hao’s Visit and Recovery

• Begins investigating whale rubber after its benefits become undeniable 34.
• Admits to Tang Hao that his hammer belongs to Tang San. Tang Hao’s assault leaves him with ruptured meridians, broken bones, and severe bruising 34.
• Promises to help reverse the exchange. Tang Hao arranges a doctor and caregiver, and Yu Xiaogang remains hospitalized while Tang San visits frequently 34 35.