Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Alias(es)	Evil Fire Phoenix; one of the Inner Court’s “living volcanoes”; “flame maniac” 13 27
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy Inner Court; Shrek Seven Devils reserve team 13 28
Occupation/Role	Inner Court student; Soul Fighting Arena competitor
Martial Soul	Evil Fire Phoenix
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 12

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul King; soul power above rank 50	13	Already considered one of the Inner Court’s most outstanding students, though her Evil Fire prevents her from consistently using her full strength.
Soul power bottleneck broken	25	Yang Jian channels part of her Evil Fire out of her body, purging part of the martial soul’s impurities and allowing her to break through. Her remaining Evil Fire becomes dormant for months.

Background / History

Yan Shaozhe brought Ma Xiaotao to Shrek Academy when she was very young and raised her as his direct disciple. Their relationship is described as paternal and filial: Yan Shaozhe has spent years seeking a solution to her condition, while Ma Xiaotao regards him as a father figure 24.

Her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul has tormented her since awakening. The Evil Fire periodically invades her body, causing extreme pain and restricting both her cultivation and combat performance. As ordinary water- and ice-attribute soul masters ceased to be effective, she sought Yang Jian after learning that he possessed Ultimate Water 13.

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao is a striking Inner Court student with a passionate, alluring presence. During Evil Fire episodes, her complexion flushes and a faint red radiance rises from her body 12 13.

• Wears Shrek Inner Court’s blood-red uniform 12.
• Has delicate features and a visibly fiery aura 12 26.
• Her expression and demeanor become noticeably gentler after her Evil Fire is brought under control 26 27.

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is forthright, impatient, and fiercely competitive. Her reputation as a “living volcano” reflects both her fire-based martial soul and her explosive temperament; she openly silences onlookers when they stare at her negotiations with Yang Jian 14.

Despite this intensity, she is practical and sincere when dealing with her condition. She immediately accepts Yang Jian’s demand to locate an Ultimate Fire soul beast, reports the arrangement to Yan Shaozhe, and later insists that she owes Yang Jian an additional favor because he did more than their original agreement required 14 21 26.

After Yang Jian alleviates her Evil Fire, Ma Xiaotao becomes more relaxed, playful, and openly flirtatious toward him. Her restored condition also rekindles her enthusiasm for challenging stronger opponents in the Soul Fighting Arena 26 29.

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Xiaotao possesses the Evil Fire Phoenix, a powerful phoenix-type beast martial soul inherited through the descendants of Ma Hongjun. Its Evil Fire grants formidable fire power but is also an impurity that threatens to invade her body and can become fatal if left unchecked 13 25.

• Her fire aura makes nearby people uncomfortable even when she remains rational 13.
• The Evil Fire restricts her ability to cultivate and fight at full strength 22 27.
• Ordinary water- and ice-attribute soul masters can no longer effectively suppress the condition at her current cultivation 13.
• Yang Jian’s Ultimate Water can suppress the Evil Fire, while his Ultimate Chaos can absorb and refine a portion of it 24 25.

Soul King Cultivation

Ma Xiaotao is a Soul King with soul power above rank 50 and is regarded as one of the strongest students of her generation 13 29.

• Her cultivation had approached the Soul Emperor level before Yang Jian’s treatment 22.
• Removing part of the Evil Fire loosens her long-standing bottleneck and improves her cultivation 25.
• With her condition stabilized, she expects to rise above her ninth-place Inner Court Soul Fighting ranking 27.

Soul Fighting

Ma Xiaotao is an experienced Inner Court combatant who retains a top-ten Soul Fighting ranking despite her health issues 27.

• Ranked ninth in the Inner Court Soul Fighting Arena 27.
• Her lower ranking is attributed partly to participating in fewer matches while managing the Evil Fire 27.
• She prefers challenging opponents ranked above her rather than facing weaker opponents 29.
• Dai Yueheng repeatedly sought matches with her during her absence from the arena 28.

Relationships

• Yan Shaozhe — Direct teacher and adoptive father figure. He brought her to Shrek as a child and has spent years searching for a cure to her Evil Fire 13 24.
• Yang Jian — Her benefactor and associate. She recruits him to suppress her Evil Fire, fulfills his request to involve Yan Shaozhe in locating an Ultimate Fire soul beast, and later owes him an additional favor after he extracts part of her Evil Fire 13 14 25 26.
• Zhang Lexuan — Senior Inner Court student whom Ma Xiaotao sincerely respects; Zhang holds first place in the Soul Fighting rankings 27.
• Dai Yueheng — Competitive peer. He has repeatedly wanted to duel her, while she recognizes his recent improvement and is eager to test herself against stronger opponents 28 29.
• Ling Luochen — Fellow Inner Court student. They have some friction because Ling Luochen once refused to help suppress Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire 28.
• Jin Ming — Fellow Inner Court student and one of the other “living volcanoes.” They have a decent relationship and have undertaken Shrek Inspectorate missions together 27.
• Ye Qingyuan — Initially wary of Ma Xiaotao’s approach to Yang Jian, but becomes sympathetic after learning of the suffering caused by the Evil Fire 13.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Seeking Yang Jian’s Help

After Yang Jian defeats Zhou Yi and exposes his Ultimate Water, Ma Xiaotao goes to the Outer Court cafeteria to find him. She asks him to suppress her Evil Fire and offers Xuanqing Pills, spirit rings, spirit bones, or other compensation, but ultimately agrees to use all of her connections to locate an Ultimate Fire soul beast for him 12 13 14.

Inner Court Negotiation

Ma Xiaotao brings Yang Jian to the Inner Court and introduces him to Yan Shaozhe. After Yan Shaozhe agrees to mobilize Shrek Academy’s intelligence network and the Shrek Inspectorate to search for a suitable soul beast, Yang Jian agrees to treat her 21 22 23.

Evil Fire Removal

Within the Sea God Pavilion, Yang Jian uses Ultimate Water to suppress Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire, then channels part of it into himself. This partially purges the impurity in her martial soul, breaks her bottleneck, and leaves her remaining Evil Fire dormant for an extended period 24 25.

Return to the Soul Fighting Arena

Following her treatment, Ma Xiaotao offers Yang Jian support within Shrek Academy and guides him through the Inner Court Soul Fighting Arena. She expresses confidence that her ninth-place ranking will rise now that the Evil Fire no longer limits her and prepares to challenge a higher-ranked senior herself 26 27 29.

Notable Quotes

“What payment do you want? Just name it. As long as I can do it, I will satisfy you.” 13

“In Shrek Academy, I’ve got you covered!” 26

Trivia

• Ma Xiaotao’s original offer of Xuanqing Pills embarrasses her when Ye Qingyuan reveals that she possesses more pills than Ma Xiaotao does 13.
• Although she is known for her fiery disposition, Inner Court students are shocked to see her acting gently around Yang Jian after her treatment 26 27.
• Her ninth-place ranking was achieved despite her Evil Fire preventing her from entering many Soul Fighting Arena matches 27.