Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Grandmaster; Theory Teacher 1 71
Gender	Male 119
Affiliation	Shrek Academy 76
Occupation/Role	Martial soul theorist; Tang San's teacher 71 125
Status	Alive; last documented attempting the Myriad Tides Ravine trial 244
First Appearance	Chapter 70 70

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 29 Soul Master	140	Had been trapped at this bottleneck for over half his life; Tang San's rapid gains through draining Titan make him suspect a forbidden cultivation method. 140
Rank 30 Soul Elder	153	Tang San transfers life force, blood essence, and Soul Power drained from Titan into Yu Xiaogang and Luo Sanpao, shattering his long-standing bottleneck. 153
Third soul ring / Soul-Bewitching Backflow Luo Sanpao	159	Obtains a third ring from a 1,200-year Rotting Marsh Blood Leech; Luo Sanpao gains a poisonous gas technique with a concealed devouring effect. 159
Regressed to Rank 29	244	While facing the Myriad Tides Ravine test, he reflects on the despair of having fallen back to Rank 29. 244

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang spent much of his life constrained by the defective mutation of his martial soul, Luo Sanpao, and a Rank 29 bottleneck. His martial soul research, including his so-called core-competitiveness theories, was driven primarily by a need to prove that he was not useless or inferior to the powerful figures who had looked down on him. 127 140

He became Tang San's teacher and designed what he considered the ideal evolution route for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. When Tang San absorbed a 6,700-year fourth soul ring with an evil attribute, Yu Xiaogang initially condemned the decision as a violation of his theory; Tang San's praise quickly redirected him into treating the event as proof that his own research had raised the fourth-ring limit. 125 126

Following Tang San's attempted covert attack at the Soto Great Soul Arena, Fu Lanya selected Yu Xiaogang for punishment. He was left severely maimed, including damage to his lower body and leg, and later relied on a wheelchair while recovering. 70 72 83 88 119

Appearance

After the Soto incident, Yu Xiaogang is depicted as gaunt and pale, with deeply sunken eyes and a body weakened by his injuries. He commonly sits under a thick blanket in a wheelchair, though he can later stand and walk after regaining Soul Power. 119 153 180

• Sharp intelligence remains visible in his sunken eyes despite his frail condition. 119
• His expression is frequently stiff, controlled, or grim. 71 170
• Luo Sanpao becomes larger after his breakthrough and develops a dark-red, baleful bloodline along its back. 159

Personality

Yu Xiaogang presents himself as a principled, strict, and protective teacher. He invokes responsibility for Tang San's safety, speaks in the language of justice and proper cultivation, and publicly treats dangerous power as something that must be studied cautiously. 125 152 153

Behind this posture, he is intensely insecure, proud, and opportunistic. His desire for recognition leads him to view Tang San's exceptional talent as evidence for his theories and as a means to secure his own glory. He sees relationships—including those with Tang San, Liu Erlong, and Bibi Dong—as sources of status, power, or cultivation opportunities. 127 140 184

His crippling and decades of stagnation deepen his obsession with strength. Once he discovers Tang San's devouring method, he knowingly embraces a path associated with fallen Soul Masters rather than reject it. 140 180 184

Abilities & Skills

Luo Sanpao

Yu Xiaogang's mutated martial soul is Luo Sanpao. Its defects were central to his inability to advance beyond Rank 29 through normal cultivation. 153 170

• Luo Sanpao receives transferred energy alongside Yu Xiaogang during his Rank 30 breakthrough. 153
• By Chapter 159, Yu Xiaogang possesses three soul rings: two yellow and one purple. 159
• Its unconventional combat style makes it difficult for Yu Xiaogang to be taken seriously as a fighter. 230

Soul-Bewitching Backflow Luo Sanpao

His third soul skill is derived from a Rotting Marsh Blood Leech, a soul beast chosen for its devouring attribute rather than draconic bloodline. 159

• Releases a dark-purple cloud of poisonous gas. 159
• The gas drains life force from nearby plants. 159
• Luo Sanpao can inhale the released gas again, forming a powerful reverse airflow. 159
• Yu Xiaogang conceals the skill's devouring nature to avoid being branded a fallen Soul Master. 159

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang is an experienced researcher and theorist whose knowledge lets him analyze martial souls, soul-ring limits, and cultivation routes. 125 201

• He formulated a planned poison-and-resilience evolution path for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. 125
• He intended to publish Tang San's third- and fourth-ring achievements as proof of an improved theory. 126
• He had researched the backgrounds and martial souls of Claes Team members, allowing him to identify Zhu Muhei immediately. 119
• His conclusions are vulnerable to bias: Tang San successfully deceives him into treating fabricated circumstances as support for his new theory. 126 127

Devouring and Forced Power Transfer

Yu Xiaogang adopts Tang San's forbidden devouring path after realizing it can circumvent his innate limitations. 140 152

• Tang San uses Blue Silver Grass as a conduit to transfer power drained from Titan into Yu Xiaogang and Luo Sanpao. 153
• Yu Xiaogang frames the experiment as a test for Tang San's safety, but seeks the breakthrough for himself. 152 153
• He later admits that he needs evil attributes and the cultivation of other Soul Masters to continue advancing. 184
• The method risks labeling him a fallen Soul Master and inviting execution by Spirit Hall or other Soul Masters. 180 184

Interrogation and Strategic Manipulation

Yu Xiaogang is capable of exploiting information and people for long-term advantage. 119 204 205

• He recognizes Zhu Muhei as a potentially useful asset for gaining Star Luo connections and learning Kelaishi Academy's methods. 119
• He deliberately allows Tang San's false story about Zhu Muhei's escape to stand while privately planning to uncover Tang San's secret. 127
• He helps interrogate Ning Dagang for intelligence on Haotian Hall, the Six-Edged Clear Sky Hammer, and its internal power struggle. 204 205

Combat Limitations

Yu Xiaogang's practical combat ability remains poor despite his theoretical confidence. 230

• Ao Shushun easily outmaneuvers him with a flying sausage soul skill. 230
• Yu Xiaogang loses track of his opponent and is struck from behind before he can respond. 230

Relationships

• Tang San — His disciple and the centerpiece of his theories; Yu Xiaogang publicly mentors and protects him while privately intending to exploit his cultivation secret. 125 127 153
• Liu Erlong — Devoted companion who follows his wishes and vows revenge for his crippling; Yu Xiaogang exploits her affection and admiration. 89 119 127
• Flender — Longtime associate and Shrek Academy ally. Flender tries to shield Yu Xiaogang from punishment, later condemns his devouring path, and is ignored. 71 180
• Bibi Dong — A figure from Yu Xiaogang's past whom he approaches for help with Tang San's Twin Martial Souls; she reacts with anger to his demands for power. 183 184
• Titan — Source of the life force and Soul Power used in Yu Xiaogang's breakthrough; Titan is drained through Tang San's transfer method. 153 156
• Ning Dagang — His parallel-world counterpart, whose resemblance and superior variant of Luo Sanpao provoke Yu Xiaogang's envy and curiosity. 201 203 207
• Zhu Muhei — A captured Claes Team member whom Yu Xiaogang initially views as a “useful chess piece” for Shrek Academy. 119

Story Role / Major Arcs

Soto Great Soul Arena Incident

When Tang San's covert attack leads to Shrek Academy's confrontation with Fu Lanya and Zhao Youji, Yu Xiaogang attempts to justify his disciple's actions. Fu Lanya instead makes him the target of punishment, leaving him gravely injured and humiliating Shrek Academy. 70 71 72

Zhu Muhei and Tang San's Secret

Yu Xiaogang prevents Liu Erlong from killing Zhu Muhei, interrogates the captive himself, and identifies the political value of controlling him. After Zhu Muhei disappears, he sees through Tang San's fabricated rescue story but chooses not to expose his disciple, expecting Tang San's hidden method to mature into something he can claim. 119 126 127

Breaking the Rank 29 Bottleneck

Observing Titan emerge depleted while Tang San rapidly rises in rank convinces Yu Xiaogang that Tang San possesses a forbidden technique. He pressures Tang San into testing the method on him, then reaches Rank 30 by accepting power extracted from Titan. 140 152 153

Embracing Devouring

Yu Xiaogang gains his third soul ring and begins concealing its devouring properties. He grows frustrated when Titan's death deprives him of Tang San's supply of refined Soul Power, and eventually discloses the devouring practice to Flender. 159 170 180

Appeal to Bibi Dong

As a Rank 30 Soul Elder, Yu Xiaogang visits Pope Palace to seek assistance for Tang San's Twin Martial Souls. He subsequently reveals his own need to devour evil attributes and other Soul Masters' cultivation, prompting Bibi Dong to denounce him as a fallen Soul Master. 183 184

Haotian Hall Investigation

After entering the parallel world, Yu Xiaogang identifies Ning Dagang as his counterpart and argues that finding him is the key to understanding Haotian Hall. He assists Tang San in extracting intelligence about the Six-Edged Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Hao's former position, and Haotian Hall's internal factional conflict. 200 201 204 205

Myriad Tides Ravine Trial

Yu Xiaogang approaches the Tide-Call Platform convinced that his theoretical knowledge and mental strength will secure a favorable result. He is unable even to step onto the water's surface, suffering another public humiliation. 244

Notable Quotes

“What do I have left that I can't gamble?” 180

“As long as I can obtain this secret... I, Yu Xiaogang, will no longer be trash!” 140

Trivia

• Ning Dagang, Yu Xiaogang's counterpart in the parallel world, resembles him by “eighty or ninety percent.” 203
• Yu Xiaogang initially believes his theoretical mastery should give him an advantage in the Myriad Tides Ravine trial, but fails before entering the pool. 244