Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Yan Shaozhe (言少哲) |
| Alias(es) | Dean Yan; Teacher |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Shrek Academy |
| Occupation/Role | Dean of Shrek Academy; Super Douluo; mentor to Lu Heqiu and Ma Xiaotao |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1 |
Background / History
Yan Shaozhe was already Shrek Academy's dean when Ma Xiaotao and Cai Meier brought the infant Lu Heqiu back from the Star Dou Great Forest. He repeatedly examined the child with spiritual power, finding no indication that Lu was a transformed soul beast despite sensing immense energy in his body. Yan accepted Cai Meier's proposal for the academy to take in Lu; he had adopted many children before, including Ma Xiaotao. 1
When Ma Xiaotao discovered that Lu's overflowing sealing power could suppress her Evil Fire Phoenix's evil fire, Yan insisted on retesting the effect rather than accepting the first result. After witnessing the evil fire surge once Ma moved roughly ten meters away from Lu and immediately subside upon her return, he summoned Xuan Zi to investigate. 5 6
Yan helped determine that Lu's suppression affected Soul Masters below Soul Sage, reducing combat ability and delaying soul-skill activation, while Soul Sages with Martial Soul True Bodies were unaffected. Though initially excited by Lu's potential, he became concerned that the same seal might prevent Lu from awakening a Martial Soul. 6 7
Following Mu En's intervention and Lu's Martial Soul awakening, Yan accompanied Mu En, Xuan Zi, and Ma Xiaotao to the Star Dou Great Forest to secure Lu's first soul ring. He initially sought safer ten-thousand-year choices, but ultimately joined Xuan Zi in fighting the 120,000-year Azure Blood Dragon Beast after it demanded Lu as a blood sacrifice. 10 12 13 14
After Lu successfully absorbed both the Azure Blood Dragon Beast's torso bone and hundred-thousand-year soul ring, Yan recognized the danger of Lu needing similarly powerful rings in the future, including the risk of provoking the forest's Fierce Beasts. He supported Shrek giving Lu preferential cultivation resources and personally arranged his education. 16 18 19
Personality
Yan is methodical and cautious. He makes Ma Xiaotao repeat the evil-fire test before accepting her conclusion, evaluates soul beasts by suitability rather than simply age, and considers the wider consequences of Lu's hundred-thousand-year first ring. 5 12 16
He is deeply protective of his students and academy. Yan immediately turns hostile when the Azure Blood Dragon Beast demands Lu as a sacrifice, treats Lu's abilities as an academy secret after the Soul Dueling Arena incident, and plans Lu's education around both his potential and safety. 13 14 24
As an educator, Yan values focus and long-term progress. Although he acknowledges Lu's exceptional aptitude for Soul Tools, he asks Lu to limit that field to countermeasures and basic knowledge so that his primary effort remains on Martial Soul cultivation. 20 26
Abilities & Skills
Bright Phoenix Martial Soul
Yan possesses the Bright Phoenix Martial Soul and is identified as a Super Douluo. 11 14
- Fought beside Xuan Zi against the defensive Azure Blood Dragon Beast for two days and three nights. 14
- Used the Bright Phoenix's burning power to help wear down the beast's defenses. 14
- Can travel at high speed through flight while retaining enough Soul Power for combat. 11
Spiritual Power and Assessment
Yan uses spiritual power to investigate unusual martial souls and bodily conditions.
- Repeatedly scanned Lu Heqiu upon his arrival, confirming that he showed no signs of being a transformed soul beast while detecting vast stored energy. 1
- Helped establish that Lu's suppression was not ordinary soul power and likely related to the distinction created by a Martial Soul True Body. 6
- Coordinated Xuan Zi, Dai Yueheng, and a Soul Sage to test the limits of Lu's suppression effect. 6
Combat Judgment
Yan is knowledgeable about soul beasts, soul-ring suitability, and the dangers of absorption.
- Identified multiple soul beasts by species, age, likely soul-skill type, and appropriate Soul Master role during Lu's first-ring hunt. 12
- Warned Lu that a hundred-thousand-year soul ring's spiritual pressure could not be safely managed through physique alone. 12
- Anticipated that Lu's future need for high-level soul rings could bring retaliation from the Star Dou Great Forest's strongest inhabitants. 16
Mentorship and Academy Administration
Yan oversees both academy affairs and Lu Heqiu's tailored training.
- Selected Gong Changlong, Fan Yu, and Su Qingzhu as Lu's teachers for soul beasts, Soul Tools, and foundational Soul Master knowledge respectively. 19 20 24
- Restricted Lu from crowded places after his duel with Dai Yueheng, treating the child's red soul ring and capabilities as academy secrets. 23 24
- Promised that he and Xuan Zi would personally escort Lu to the next Soul Master Competition if Lu reached three rings in time. 24
Relationships
- Mu En — His teacher and the Sea God Pavilion Master. Yan defers to Mu En's judgment on Lu Heqiu's seal, awakening, education, and protection. 7 9 18
- Ma Xiaotao — His favored disciple. Yan regularly corrects her impulsiveness but remains attentive to the danger posed by her Evil Fire Phoenix. 5 23 24
- Lu Heqiu — His disciple. Yan supports Lu's cultivation, protects the secrecy of his abilities, organizes his teachers, and directs him toward Martial Soul cultivation over Soul Tool study. 20 24 26
- Xuan Zi — Fellow Shrek powerhouse and frequent partner in evaluating and protecting Lu. They jointly investigated Lu's seal and fought the Azure Blood Dragon Beast. 6 13 14
- Dai Yueheng — An Inner Academy student whose suppressed martial soul helped Yan identify the scope of Lu's sealing power. Yan later questioned Ma Xiaotao after Lu defeated Dai in the Soul Dueling Arena. 6 23 24
- Qian Duoduo — Rival in the dispute over Lu's future. Yan resists the Soul Tool Department's attempts to recruit Lu away from Martial Soul-focused cultivation. 20 26
Trivia
- Yan initially suspected that Lu Heqiu might be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form before his spiritual scans found no evidence. 1
- He did not indiscriminately kill the Five-Colored Immortal Deer Beast during Lu's hunt, intending to preserve its location for a more suitable Shrek student if Lu rejected it. 12
- Yan rejected Du Weilun's recommendation of Zhou Yi as Lu's foundational teacher, judging her volatile temperament unsuitable for a student as powerful as Lu. 19