Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy Inner Court; Shrek Inspector Group; Shrek Academy’s tournament team
Occupation/Role	Yan Shaozhe’s direct disciple; Inner Court genius; Soul Emperor
Martial Soul	Evil Fire Phoenix
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 8, initially seen as an unidentified red-haired woman during Lin Yan’s enrollment 8

Background / History

Ma Xiaotao was already an Inner Court genius and Yan Shaozhe’s direct disciple when Lin Yan entered Shrek Academy. She first noticed him during enrollment, but initially regarded him as merely an attractive freshman. Her attitude changed after witnessing his Ultimate Fire and realizing that his martial soul naturally suppressed her own phoenix flames. The difference between them, combined with Yan Shaozhe’s hints that she should approach Lin Yan, aggravated her jealousy and drove her to cultivate recklessly. 13 21

Her Evil Fire erupted prematurely at Sea God Lake, leaving her irrational and violent. She nearly killed Wang Dong’er before Lin Yan intervened. After attacking Lin Yan repeatedly, she was restrained with Flame Spirits, freezing soul tools, the Fire-Suppressing Spirit-Sealing Cauldron, and a Crimson Flame Chain. Lin Yan then planted an Emperor Flame Seed in her body and refined the accumulated Evil Fire, restoring her clarity. 21 22

When confronted over the attack, Ma Xiaotao showed little remorse for endangering Wang Dong’er, insisting that no one had died. Her hostility toward Lin Yan continued after being brought before Yan Shaozhe, though her depleted soul power and the Emperor Flame Seed prevented her from acting against him. 22 25

Yan Shaozhe later negotiated with Lin Yan to have him suppress Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire for three years. Ma Xiaotao accepted the arrangement and accompanied Lin Yan to Yan Shaozhe’s office, remaining outwardly cooperative despite her resentment. 30 31

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao is a red-haired woman with alluring pink eyes, a straight posture, long slender legs, and a slim but curvaceous figure. 8

• Long red hair.
• Pink, peach-blossom-like eyes.
• Fire wings manifest during Evil Fire Phoenix possession. 90
• Her berserk Evil Fire appears as crimson flames mixed with pitch-black fire. 22

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is proud, competitive, and highly sensitive to being surpassed. Lin Yan’s emergence as an Ultimate Fire wielder provoked jealousy and frustration, contributing to her reckless cultivation and premature Evil Fire eruption. 21

She is initially impulsive and dismissive of the danger her instability poses to others. After losing control at Sea God Lake, she minimizes the harm done to Wang Dong’er rather than expressing regret. 22

Her pride remains strong even after Lin Yan defeats her decisively. She challenges him again during the Inner Court selection process, determined to prove that their earlier encounter was unfair; the resulting defeat leaves her humiliated and afraid of his strength. 90 92 Lin Yan’s final strike also leaves a lasting seed of fear that worsens as long as she cannot confront her own inner flaws. 93

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix

Ma Xiaotao possesses the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, a powerful fire-attribute beast martial soul. As a Soul Emperor, she has six soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and two black. 90

• Releases high-temperature Phoenix Evil Fire capable of scorching vegetation to ash. 22
• Grants her phoenix claws and fire wings during martial soul possession. 22 90
• Her fire is naturally suppressed by Lin Yan’s Ultimate Fire and later by his Ultimate Ice. 13 21 92

Phoenix Evil Fire

Her Evil Fire provides destructive offensive power but periodically accumulates within her body. When it erupts, it can overwhelm her reason and cause indiscriminate attacks.

• Phoenix Fire Line — Fires a concentrated ray of crimson flame. 91
• Bathing Fire Phoenix — An enhancement skill used alongside aerial movement. 92
• Phoenix Wings Soar to the Heavens — Enables aerial mobility through manifested phoenix wings. 92
• Phoenix Roaring Sky Strike — Launches a gigantic pillar of fire. 92
• Phoenix Piercing Cloud Strike — Her strongest single-target killing move during her spar with Lin Yan. 92
• Limit: Accumulated Evil Fire can trigger a berserk state, impairing her judgment and placing nearby people at risk. 21 22
• Suppression: Lin Yan can refine her accumulated Evil Fire with an Emperor Flame sub-flame, but he states that he cannot completely eradicate the problem. 25 26

Close-Quarters Combat

Ma Xiaotao is an aggressive combatant who combines fire-based attacks with direct physical pressure.

• In her berserk state, she rapidly closes distance and attacks with phoenix claws aimed at vital points. 22
• Her Soul Emperor-level physical strength forced Lin Yan to retreat even though his Ultimate Fire nullified the fire damage of her initial strike. 21
• During their later spar, she continuously pressured Lin Yan with fire skills and aerial mobility, but was overwhelmed by his Ice-Fire War Halberd and Twelve-Form Halberd Technique. 92

Relationships

• Yan Shaozhe — Her master and adoptive guardian figure. He repeatedly negotiates with Lin Yan for treatment of her Evil Fire and prioritizes her well-being. 25 26 30 31
• Lin Yan — Initially hostile toward him due to jealousy, Ultimate Fire suppression, and the humiliation of being restrained during her berserk episode. He becomes the person responsible for suppressing her Evil Fire, then defeats her overwhelmingly in a formal spar. 21 22 30 31 90 92
• Wang Dong’er — Victim of Ma Xiaotao’s Sea God Lake rampage. Ma Xiaotao drains her soul power and nearly kills her before Lin Yan intervenes. 21 23 26
• Dai Yueheng — Fellow Inner Court Soul Emperor and teammate. They later operate together within the Shrek tournament and Inspector Group teams. 90 94 95
• Yao Haoxuan — Fellow Inspector Group member who becomes closer to Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng after his conflict with Chen Zifeng. 94
• Xuan Zi — Senior leader of the Shrek Inspector Group. He leads the team during the Hand of Death mission in which Ma Xiaotao is injured by the Messenger of Death’s corpse explosion. 93 95

Story Role / Major Arcs

Evil Fire Eruption

Ma Xiaotao’s early loss of control at Sea God Lake becomes Lin Yan’s first direct encounter with her. She attacks Wang Dong’er and then Lin Yan, but is subdued and has her accumulated Evil Fire refined away. The incident exposes both the danger of her condition and her lack of restraint. 21 26

Evil Fire Suppression Agreement

Yan Shaozhe reaches an agreement with Lin Yan: in return for resources, protection for Jiang Nannan’s soul-hunting expedition, and access to Shrek’s knowledge, Lin Yan will suppress Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire for three years. Ma Xiaotao remains quiet and cooperative during the negotiation. 30 31

Inner Court Challenge

During selection for Shrek’s tournament team, Ma Xiaotao challenges Lin Yan for a fair rematch. Despite using her full Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul and six-ring cultivation, she is swiftly defeated by Lin Yan’s superior ice-fire power, halberd technique, and Emperor Reigns Over the World. 90 92

Shrek Inspector Group Mission

Ma Xiaotao joins the mission against the Hand of Death bandits in the Mingdou Mountain Range. She is among the members closest to the blast when the Messenger of Death detonates a corpse explosion, suffering injuries but recovering after treatment. 93 95

Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament

After recovering from her injuries, Ma Xiaotao returns to Shrek’s lineup for the round of sixteen. She takes the stage with Lin Yan, Dai Yueheng, and the other Shrek representatives against the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. 117