Fa Ma

Biodata

Appearance

• Elderly man with cloudy eyes that sharpen when he assesses unusual Soul Strength 216 217.
• Wears a purple alchemist robe at the convention 216.

Personality

Fa Ma places the Alchemist Guild’s reputation above an easy victory over a foreign rival. When Hai Bodong suggests eliminating the suspicious Chu Yun contestant, he refuses because exposure would disgrace the guild. He likewise stops an immediate attack on Yan Li to investigate the backing that makes him so confident 217 220.

His judgment is shaped by the experience normally required for alchemy. He doubts that a seventeen-year-old could genuinely be a fourth-rank alchemist and initially cannot imagine Xiao Bai surpassing the fifth tier. Once Xiao Bai’s achievements become clear, however, he readily reassesses him—and enthusiastically pursues the opportunity to improve his own alchemy 217 223 238.

Abilities & Skills

Fifth-Tier Alchemy

• Holds prestige comparable to Pill King Gu He despite not having reached Gu He’s sixth rank 216.
• Recognizes high-tier pill refinement through its medicinal fragrance and energy fluctuations 223.
• His advancement is constrained by Soul Strength. Without a soul cultivation method, breaking through to Dou Zong is identified as his normal route to further soul growth 238.
• Xiao Bai offers him a chance to glimpse the sixth tier within five years in exchange for dedicated service to the alliance; no completed breakthrough is documented 238.

Soul Perception

• Detects that the gray-robed convention contestant briefly displays Soul Strength greater than Yan Xiao, Yue Er, and Liu Ling 217.
• Judges the contestant to be at least fourth rank despite records identifying him as second rank 217.
• Briefly probes Xiao Bai on their first meeting, then withdraws the probe and conceals his surprise 216.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Seventh Alchemist Convention

Fa Ma welcomes Otto and acknowledges his advancement to fourth rank before greeting Xiao Yan under the alias Yan Xiao. His guarded exchange with Xiao Bai is interrupted by Hai Bodong, who openly challenges his tone and treats Xiao Bai as an honored guest 216.

After opening the convention, Fa Ma investigates a suspicious Chu Yun participant. The contestant’s reported age and rank do not match the Soul Strength Fa Ma observes. He orders Chelsea to retrieve the contestant’s information but rejects covert killing as too great a risk to the guild’s reputation 217.

The contestant is revealed as Yan Li, vice chairman of the Chu Yun Empire’s Alchemist Guild. When Yan Li claims Xiao Bai’s protection, Fa Ma turns from eliminating him to securing a Jia Ma champion. Hai Bodong recommends Yan Xiao and reassures Fa Ma that he is genuinely from the Jia Ma Empire 220.

In the final round, Fa Ma refuses Yan Li’s demand to inspect Xiao Yan’s pill because convention rules do not grant that authority; Xiao Yan voluntarily permits the inspection. Xiao Yan wins with a Three-Stripe Azure Spirit Pill, while Xiao Bai’s separate high-tier refinement reveals his sixth-rank ability and leaves Fa Ma embarrassed by his earlier assumptions 223.

Three-Year Agreement

Fa Ma attends Xiao Yan’s duel with Nalan Yanran alongside Jia Xingtian and Hai Bodong. He initially finds Xiao Yan familiar, then recognizes his purple flame as the one Yan Xiao used at the convention 226 227.

Upon realizing that Xiao Yan is also wanted by the Misty Cloud Sect, Fa Ma proposes pleading for him as the guild’s champion. Jia Xingtian advises him not to interfere 227.

Divine Firmament Alliance

Fa Ma agrees to join Xiao Bai’s alliance, recognizing that refusal would leave the guild struggling to operate within the empire. As an attendee at its founding meeting, he receives a future seat on the Council of Elders 238.

Xiao Bai then offers assistance toward sixth-tier alchemy. After hearing his rapid progression from beginner to sixth-rank alchemist, Fa Ma goes beyond ordinary cooperation: he declares that the Alchemist Guild will become a department under the alliance 238.

Relationships

• Xiao Bai — Initially an unfamiliar expert whom Fa Ma cautiously probes; later his alliance leader and prospective source of help overcoming his alchemy bottleneck 216 223 238.
• Xiao Yan / Yan Xiao — Convention contestant and eventual champion. Fa Ma seeks his help against Yan Li and later offers to plead for him at the Misty Cloud Sect 220 223 227.
• Hai Bodong — Old acquaintance with whom he exchanges barbs. Hai Bodong challenges his treatment of Xiao Bai but also helps resolve his doubts about Yan Xiao 216 220.
• Jia Xingtian — Collaborator in assessing the foreign contestant and an accompanying spectator at the Three-Year Agreement 217 220 226.
• Yan Li — Foreign rival whose participation threatens the guild’s reputation. Fa Ma resents his ties to Chu Yun’s alchemy establishment but avoids killing him once his backing becomes clear 217 220.
• Otto — Fellow guild president whom Fa Ma welcomes warmly and praises for reaching fourth rank 216.

Notable Quotes

“Forget it! If the matter gets exposed, the reputation of my Jia Ma Empire’s Alchemist Guild will be ruined. That price is too great.” 217

“From today onward, the Alchemist Guild will be a department under the alliance!” 238