Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Alias(es)	Evil Fire Phoenix; Sister Xiaotao
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy Inner Academy; Shrek Seven Devils Main Team 153 221
Occupation/Role	Inner Academy student; Main Team captain 153 156
Martial Soul	Fire Phoenix with Ultimate Fire; formerly the Evil Fire Phoenix 276 277
Status	Active; her Evil Fire has been purified into Ultimate Fire 276
First Appearance	Chapter 121 121

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 67 Soul Emperor	122	An Inner Academy powerhouse with six Soul Rings and the Evil Fire Phoenix. Her Evil Fire backlash prevents her from safely using her full strength.
Level 69 Soul Emperor	236	Advances after absorbing a fire-attribute soul bone, placing her one step from Soul Sage.
Level 64 Soul Emperor	276	Her rank compresses from 69 to 64 when Blazing Gel evolves her Evil Fire Phoenix into a pure Ultimate Fire Fire Phoenix. The loss in quantity is offset by a major gain in fire quality and control.

Background

Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Martial Soul awakened with a corrupting Evil Fire that tormented her for years. As her cultivation or combat intensity rose, the Evil Fire could backlash through her meridians, destabilize her Soul Power, impair her judgment, and potentially burn her to death. The condition ultimately restricted both her cultivation and eligibility for official competition. 127 149 276

Yan Shaozhe identifies the arrival of three Ultimate Ice users at Shrek as a possible solution to her condition. Desperate for relief, Ma Xiaotao disregards his warning and confronts Xue Qingyao; after Xue Qingyao refuses to help, Ma Xiaotao attacks her and is decisively frozen. 121 122 124

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao is a tall, striking woman whose presence noticeably raises the surrounding temperature when her Martial Soul is active. She commonly dresses in fitted red or dark-red clothing and initially conceals part of her face behind a red veil. 121 127 151

• Long fiery-red hair, often worn loose or tied high for training. 121 130
• Red or pale-pink eyes; after her evolution, her gaze carries a reddish-gold light. 121 236
• Sharp, heroic facial features and a bold, athletic bearing. 127
• Crimson phoenix wings manifest during Martial Soul Possession. 130 285

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is blunt, impatient, and fiercely prideful. Her initial desperation to control the Evil Fire makes her dismiss Xue Qingyao's refusal and challenge her outright; even after losing, she struggles with the humiliation of needing help from a younger Outer Academy student. 122 127 129

She is highly competitive and often uses sparring as an emotional outlet, including a decisive match against Dai Yueheng after her first defeat by Xue Qingyao. Despite this aggressive streak, she accepts responsibility when pressed, offers Dai Huabin a favor for assistance, and later approaches both him and Xue Qingyao more sincerely. 127 130 131 152

Her courage becomes most apparent in the tournament final, where she intercepts the Sword of Judgment to protect her allies despite the danger to herself. After Dai Huabin saves her, she becomes far more open about her affection and gratitude toward him. 223 227 236

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix

Before its evolution, Ma Xiaotao possessed the Evil Fire Phoenix, an exceptionally destructive fire Martial Soul burdened by a dangerous impurity. Its flames greatly exceed ordinary fire attributes, but extended cultivation or battle could provoke an uncontrollable backlash. 126 131

• Phoenix Fire Line — Fires a concentrated beam of flame from range. 122 130
• Bathing Fire Phoenix — Amplifies her flames and Soul Power; after evolution, it can also recover frostbite and melt restraining ice. 131 286
• Phoenix Wing Soars Through the Sky — Grants high-speed aerial mobility and a flame-assisted charge. 131 285
• Phoenix Howl Sky Strike — A delayed aerial strike that erupts into a massive pillar of fire at the target point. 221 287
• Phoenix Cloud-Piercing Strike — A highly condensed, single-target phoenix attack. 131 286
• Phoenix Meteor Shower — Creates dozens of compressed fire meteors for wide-area bombardment. 286

Ultimate Fire Fire Phoenix

Blazing Gel purifies Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul, removing the Evil Fire's violent and corrupting nature. Her evolved Fire Phoenix manifests as pure golden-red Ultimate Fire, with greater destructive power and far smoother Soul Power circulation. 276 277

• Her Ultimate Fire is substantially stronger than her prior Evil Fire, though she initially lacks complete precision over its increased power. 286 288
• The evolution allows her to fight without the previous fear of an Evil Fire backlash. 276
• The transformation initially compresses her Soul Power by five ranks, from level 69 to 64. 276

Evil Fire Suppression

Before her Martial Soul evolution, Ma Xiaotao could only obtain temporary relief through Ultimate Ice.

• Xue Qingyao's Ultimate Ice suppresses the Evil Fire after freezing Ma Xiaotao, though the cold energy itself initially leaves her weakened. 126 128
• Dai Huabin uses his Ultimate Ice and hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion Tail External Soul Bone to inject cold energy into her meridians and draw out stray Evil Fire. 165
• The suppression can calm her condition for roughly an hour, but does not remove the root problem. 166 232

Equipment / Items

• Two leg soul bones — Used alongside Phoenix Wing Soars Through the Sky to propel her through the air. 285
• Fire-attribute soul bone — Raises her Soul Power from level 67 to level 69 before her Martial Soul evolution. 236

Relationships

• Dai Huabin — Initially her younger helper in suppressing the Evil Fire; their reliance develops into mutual affection after he repeatedly treats her condition and saves her following the Sword of Judgment attack. 152 165 227 236 277
• Xue Qingyao / Snow Empress — Ma Xiaotao initially attacks her after being denied help, suffers a one-sided defeat, and later approaches her with greater respect and gratitude. 122 128 151
• Yan Shaozhe — Her teacher and advocate within Shrek. He seeks Ultimate Ice users to save her condition and attempts to arrange a bond between her and Dai Huabin. 121 127 149
• Dai Yueheng — Fellow Main Team member and familiar sparring partner. Ma Xiaotao defeats him while venting her frustration, but treats his injury afterward. 130 131
• Ling Luochen — A fellow ice-attribute teammate who had often borne the brunt of Ma Xiaotao's earlier Evil Fire-fueled sparring. Their relationship becomes more candid after Dai Huabin begins handling Ma Xiaotao's condition. 169
• Zhu Lu — Dai Huabin's fiancée. Ma Xiaotao worries that her relationship with Dai Huabin may hurt Zhu Lu, while Zhu Lu ultimately accepts Dai Huabin's feelings for her. 237 228
• Wu Ming — Fellow fire-attribute Inner Academy powerhouse. Wu Ming verifies Ma Xiaotao's Ultimate Fire evolution, while Ma Xiaotao encourages her to seek Dai Huabin's help with her own Martial Soul. 280 289

Story Role / Major Arcs

Search for Ultimate Ice

After learning that Ultimate Ice users have entered Shrek, Ma Xiaotao seeks Xue Qingyao's help with her Evil Fire. Her impatience leads to a confrontation and defeat, forcing her to confront the severity of her condition and her own pride. 122 125

Joining the Shrek Seven Devils Team

With Dai Huabin's promise to suppress her Evil Fire, Ma Xiaotao regains hope of competing. She guides the Reserve Team through the Inner Academy and leads the Main Team in training and tournament battles. 152 153 215

Continental Tournament

Ma Xiaotao serves as Shrek's primary aerial firepower during the tournament. In the final against Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, she assaults the enemy formation with her Phoenix skills before sacrificing herself to block the Sword of Judgment. 221 223

Evil Fire Crisis and Recovery

The Sword of Judgment detonates Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire and fuses dark power into her meridians. Xue Qingyao seals her in an ice cocoon, then Dai Huabin, Snow Empress, Ice Empress, and Electrolux remove the dark power and restore her consciousness. 225 227

Martial Soul Evolution

Dai Huabin fulfills his promise to resolve the Evil Fire by giving Ma Xiaotao half of a Blazing Gel. After enduring a two-hour transformation, she evolves from the Evil Fire Phoenix into a true Ultimate Fire Fire Phoenix. 275 276

Ultimate Ice vs. Ultimate Fire

Eager to test her evolved power, Ma Xiaotao challenges Dai Huabin in the Inner Academy Soul Fighting Arena. Their clash devastates the arena, but she ultimately concedes defeat after Dai Huabin counters her final strike with Defy Heaven and Slay Gods, Only I Am Supreme. 284 286 287

Notable Quotes

“I lost.” — Ma Xiaotao, conceding her spar with Dai Huabin 287

“If it weren't for you, I might already be dead, or turned into a monster who only knows slaughter.” 236