Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Alias(es)	Phoenix Saintess; Black Fire Phoenix
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy applicant; formerly the Holy Spirit Cult; later allied with Xu Lanqing
Occupation/Role	Soul Master; former Holy Spirit Cult Saintess and prospective sect-leader candidate
Status	Active
First Appearance	28

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul Elder, Level 31	28	At age eleven, she tested at level 31 while applying to Shrek Academy with the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
Six-ring Soul Emperor	159	Manifested six black Soul Rings and the Black Fire Phoenix after the Holy Spirit Cult's corruption.
Temporary Ultimate Fire	170	Used the Holy Spirit Cult's Ring Fusion secret technique to merge her six rings and briefly raise her fire to Ultimate Fire.
Post-purification breakthrough	172	Xu Lanqing removed her Evil Fire; after consuming Blazing Glue, her Phoenix Martial Soul re-emerged as golden-red Ultimate Fire. Her exact new rank is unstated.

Background / History

Ma Xiaotao lost her parents while young. Her Evil Fire caused relatives to shun her, leading her to seek a means of suppressing it through Shrek Academy 169. At eleven, she applied to Shrek with the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul and displayed level 31 soul power, enough to bypass the academy's ordinary entrance requirements 28.

At some point after her application, she fell into the Holy Spirit Cult's hands. The cult made her its Phoenix Saintess and groomed her as a future sect leader, while Ye Xishui planted controlling mental power within her Sea of Consciousness 168 177. Under this influence, her Phoenix Martial Soul became the Black Fire Phoenix, and she acted as an Evil Soul Master with little visible emotion or regard for her allies' deaths 124.

After a confrontation with Ye Guyi left her unconscious, Ma Xiaotao was returned to the Holy Spirit Cult's secret base in Mingdu 125. She later fought Xu Lanqing as a six-ring Soul Emperor, but he and Shangguan Wei'er captured her alive rather than kill her 159 163.

Xu Lanqing and Electrolux removed Ye Xishui's mental control. Freed from it, Ma Xiaotao was overwhelmed by guilt over the innocent people she had killed and initially withdrew into her Sea of Consciousness 168 169. Following a battle and conversation with Xu Lanqing, she chose to confront her past and pursue redemption 171.

Xu Lanqing subsequently cleansed the Evil Fire from her body and Sea of Consciousness, then used Blazing Glue from the Infernal Delicate Apricot to restore and elevate her Phoenix Martial Soul into Ultimate Fire 172. She became an ally in his campaign against the Holy Spirit Cult and provided intelligence on its hierarchy and Mingdu strongholds 173.

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao is a striking woman with a mature, fiery presence. Her appearance changes sharply according to the condition of her Martial Soul.

• Long, wine-red wavy hair and pale pink eyes at her Shrek Academy entrance examination 28.
• A pointed chin, pale complexion, and a red dress in her youth 28.
• During her time as an Evil Soul Master, her eyes became deep crimson—nearly black—and notably vacant 124 160.
• Her Black Fire Phoenix form manifested pitch-black flame armor and black phoenix wings 160 170.
• After purification, her hair regained a ruby-like luster and she manifested massive golden-red phoenix wings 172.

Personality

Before her corruption, Ma Xiaotao was composed and confident, responding coolly to the astonishment surrounding her level 31 soul power 28. As the Holy Spirit Cult's Saintess, she became detached, ruthless, and openly contemptuous of weak subordinates, considering their deaths proof that they had outlived their usefulness 124.

Her liberation reveals that this cruelty was not her entire nature. She is deeply remorseful over her victims, acknowledges that she was manipulated and broken by the Evil Fire, and seeks to become someone better 169 171. After recovering, she is candid, informal, and willing to tease Xu Lanqing, but remains fiercely determined when confronting the Holy Spirit Cult 172 173.

She can act impulsively when vengeance is at stake, yet recognizes when an opponent is beyond her ability and follows the Ice Emperor's orders rather than recklessly intervening 178.

Abilities & Skills

Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Xiaotao possesses the Phoenix Martial Soul, originally afflicted by Evil Fire. Under the Holy Spirit Cult, it manifested as the Black Fire Phoenix; after treatment, it was purified into an Ultimate Fire Phoenix 28 172.

• Her black flames carry a corrosive evil aura that clings to targets and erodes soul power and defenses 160.
• She can form black flame armor strong enough to catch and resist Xu Lanqing's Dragon Slaying Blade 160.
• Within Shangguan Wei'er's Weak Water domain, her fire was immediately extinguished and her combat power dropped drastically 163.
• After purification, she gained golden-red phoenix wings and no longer bore the black corruption of the Evil Fire 172.

Phoenix Fire Line

Ma Xiaotao fires a concentrated stream of black flame with the force of a high-pressure blast. The heat distorts the air and incinerates what lies in its path 160.

Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike and Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike

She combines these attacks to create a massive pillar of black fire and a spiraling Black Fire Phoenix eruption 160.

• The combined strike burst through both floor and ceiling in an enclosed room 160.
• The delayed black flames remained attached to Xu Lanqing even after the initial explosion 160.
• She later used Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike to interrupt Xu Tianran's command to activate the High-Energy Compression Array Soul Tool 187.

Phoenix Meteor Shower

Her sixth Soul Skill summons a barrage of meteor-like fire projectiles from gathering fire clouds 170.

• She used it while airborne against Xu Lanqing in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's valley 170.
• Exhaustion after unleashing it at full power left her unable to maintain sustained flight or fully control its aftermath 171.

Ring Fusion

A secret technique learned in the Holy Spirit Cult, Ring Fusion interweaves Ma Xiaotao's six Soul Rings to vastly raise her flames' temperature 170.

• It temporarily elevated her Black Fire Phoenix to Ultimate Fire 170.
• The technique produced a massive black phoenix capable of blotting out the valley 170.
• It heavily depleted her soul power after use 170.

Items

• Blazing Glue — Ten-thousand-year fire essence from the Infernal Delicate Apricot. Xu Lanqing used it after cleansing Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire, restoring her strength and supporting her evolution into Ultimate Fire 172 173.

Relationships

• Xu Lanqing — Initially her opponent and captor; he later frees her from Ye Xishui's mental control, purifies her Martial Soul, and recruits her for his future ambitions 163 168 172.
• Ye Xishui — Holy Spirit Cult leader who planted mental control in Ma Xiaotao and oversaw the cult that turned her into an Evil Soul Master 168 173.
• Ye Guyi — Angel Martial Soul wielder and enemy during Ma Xiaotao's Evil Soul Master period. Their hostility continues after Ma Xiaotao's recovery, though Ye Guyi learns she is no longer corrupted 124 175.
• Ice Emperor — Partner during the assault on Holy Spirit Cult strongholds in Mingdu. Ma Xiaotao follows her lead when faced with threats she cannot defeat herself 177 180.
• Nangong Wan — A former Holy Spirit Cult associate forced into an uneasy alliance with Ma Xiaotao during her attempt to infiltrate Xu Tianran's bedchamber 190.
• Infernal Delicate Apricot — Provided the Blazing Glue that enabled Ma Xiaotao's recovery; Ma Xiaotao thanks her and seeks her cultivation guidance afterward 172 173.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shrek Academy Entrance

Ma Xiaotao enters the story as an extraordinary eleven-year-old applicant to Shrek Academy, whose Evil Fire Phoenix and level 31 soul power immediately attract attention 28.

Holy Spirit Cult Saintess

She later appears as the Holy Spirit Cult's Phoenix Saintess and a Black Fire Phoenix Evil Soul Master. Her confrontation with Ye Guyi establishes both her overwhelming strength and the emotional emptiness caused by her corruption 124.

Capture and Reform

Xu Lanqing defeats and captures Ma Xiaotao rather than executing her. Electrolux helps remove the mental control imposed by Ye Xishui, allowing Ma Xiaotao to regain her will and acknowledge her crimes 163 168 171.

Purification and Redemption

Xu Lanqing purifies Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire and helps her attain Ultimate Fire. She then supplies intelligence on the Holy Spirit Cult and commits herself to helping destroy its Mingdu network 172 173 177.

Mingdu Operations

Ma Xiaotao joins the raids on Holy Spirit Cult strongholds, escorts the restrained Nangong Wan, disrupts Xu Tianran's attempt to activate the High-Energy Compression Array Soul Tool, and later leads an infiltration attempt toward the Emperor's bedchamber 180 187 190.

Notable Quotes

“They were nothing but trash. Dying only proves that their value ended there.” 124

“I am not the Saintess anymore!” 190