Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Grandmaster; Master
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy; formerly an Honorary Elder of Martial Soul Hall; later associated with Shrek Academy 5 14 58
Occupation/Role	Spirit Master theory teacher; Tang San's mentor
Status	Imprisoned in Martial Soul Hall's Heavenly Prison; Bibi Dong ordered Su Yun to dispose of him, with his ultimate fate unconfirmed 66
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang was once an Honorary Elder of Martial Soul Hall. As a Rank 29 Great Soul Master, he received a monthly research grant for theoretical studies and retained a six-pattern Elder Token that gave him authority at local branches. 14

At Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy, he authenticated Tang San's enrollment certificate and sensed that the child possessed twin martial souls. Privately, he regarded Tang San as an ideal test subject through whom he could validate his theories, then accepted him as a disciple. 5

Su Yun quickly challenged Xiaogang's reputation, publicly questioning why the self-proclaimed theoretical authority remained only a Great Soul Master and criticizing his mutated martial soul, Luo Sanpao. Xiaogang nevertheless convinced Tang San that knowledge, perseverance, and his teachings mattered more than Su Yun's wealth. 6

Su Yun later identified Tang San's Blue Silver Grass as the Blue Silver Emperor, exposing that Xiaogang had mistaken a top-tier plant martial soul for an ordinary one. The revelation undermined Xiaogang's intended training plan, including his plan to attach beast-type soul rings to Tang San's martial soul. 13

Following Bibi Dong's investigation, Martial Soul Hall revoked his Honorary Elder status. The Pope's Order charged him with deceiving the world, plagiarizing Martial Soul Hall texts, assembling fraudulent theories, and misleading disciples; he was publicly expelled from the Notting Branch Hall. 14

Despite the loss of his status, Xiaogang remained devoted to training Tang San. He continued to defend his theories after Tang San lost the Human-Faced Demon Spider opportunity, helped him acquire a four-hundred-year Withered Leaf Snake soul ring, and planned to restore his confidence through the Soto Grand Arena. 50 51

At the arena, Xiaogang confidently analyzed the Imperial Dou Battle Team and dismissed Su Yun's team composition as tactically flawed. Dugu Yan's cooperation with Su Yun and the overwhelming defeat of the Imperial Dou Battle Team shattered his expectations, causing him to collapse after Su Yun publicly denounced his theories. 55

Martial Soul Hall later arrested Xiaogang at Shrek's temporary lodging and transported him to Martial Soul City for trial. In the Heavenly Prison, Bibi Dong confronted him over his past abandonment of her; his admission that he had fled to seek strength ended her remaining attachment to him. She then ordered Su Yun to dispose of him. 58 66

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is portrayed as a shabby, stern-looking man who deliberately cultivates the bearing of an aloof master despite his diminished circumstances. 5 6

• Buzz cut and a “zombie-like” or dead-fish expression. 1 5
• Typically wears clean but heavily faded cloth robes. 5
• Walks with his hands behind his back and his chin raised, projecting authority. 5
• By his imprisonment, his robes are torn and filthy; he has lost two front teeth following Salas's actions. 66

Personality

Xiaogang is intensely proud of his image as the “Grandmaster” and repeatedly relies on status, theory, and a composed demeanor to establish authority. Even after his public disgrace, he insists that theory can overcome inferior soul-ring quality and gaps in personal strength. 6 14 51

His faith in his own theoretical system is rigid. When Su Yun's abilities and the Imperial Dou Battle Team's defeat contradict his conclusions, Xiaogang attempts to explain them as cheating or outside interference rather than revise his beliefs. 55 58

He is deeply invested in Tang San's success, but Su Yun characterizes this investment as self-serving: Tang San's twin martial souls offer Xiaogang a means to prove that he is not a failure. Xiaogang's own statements in prison—claiming he left Bibi Dong to become strong enough to protect her—are treated by Bibi Dong and Su Yun as an excuse for cowardice. 13 66

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul and Soul Power

Yu Xiaogang is a Rank 29 Great Soul Master with the mutated martial soul Luo Sanpao. 6 14

• Luo Sanpao is described as capable of releasing explosive fart-like attacks rather than evolving into a Golden Sacred Dragon. 6
• His low cultivation is repeatedly used to challenge his claimed authority as a spirit-master theorist. 6 50
• He contributes limited soul power while treating Tang San's injuries after the Star Dou Forest incident. 50

Spirit Master Theory

Xiaogang is known for the “Ten Core Competencies” of Martial Soul theory and presents himself as “invincible in theory.” 12 50

• He analyzes spirit-master team roles, martial souls, and battle formations, including the Imperial Dou Battle Team's composition. 55
• He advocates training Tang San through theory, perseverance, Hidden Weapons, and tactical combat. 51 54
• Martial Soul Hall officially ruled that his core theories were plagiarized from predecessors' texts and used to fraudulently build his reputation. 14 58
• His misunderstanding of Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor leads him to treat it as ordinary Blue Silver Grass and consider unsuitable beast-type soul rings. 13

Academic Obsession

Xiaogang shows intense interest in knowledge that may restore or validate his reputation.

• He immediately becomes fascinated by Su Yun's unfamiliar forged sword and its soul-tool array. 16
• He is willing to set aside personal dignity for access to new theoretical knowledge, declaring that personal honor is secondary to academia. 16
• After the arena defeat, he obsessively searches for an explanation that would preserve the validity of his theories. 58

Equipment / Items

• Six-pattern Elder Token — A former Martial Soul Hall token used to assert authority and collect his research allowance; it was confiscated after his status was revoked. 14
• Theoretical manuscripts — Draft papers containing his research and battlefield analysis; several were destroyed during his arrest. 58

Relationships

• Tang San — Disciple and principal hope for validating Xiaogang's theories. Tang San remains loyal through repeated humiliations and considers him a teacher of great wisdom. 5 6 51
• Bibi Dong — Former lover and former benefactor. She revokes his Martial Soul Hall status, confronts him over abandoning her, and ultimately severs her emotional ties to him. 14 66
• Su Yun — Bitter adversary who repeatedly exposes Xiaogang's limitations, discredits his theories, engineers his downfall, and visits him in prison. 6 13 55 66
• Tang Hao — Referred to as a close brother by Xiaogang; Su Yun uses Ah Yin's circumstances to condemn both men's treatment of those close to them. 66
• Ma Xiunuo — Bishop of the Notting Branch Hall who delivers the Pope's Order revoking Xiaogang's honorary status and has him expelled. 14
• Salas — Martial Soul Hall official who arrests Xiaogang under Bibi Dong's decree and sends him to Martial Soul City for trial. 58

Notable Quotes

“There are some things that money cannot buy. For instance, knowledge, and dignity.” 6

“For the sake of academia, what does personal honor or disgrace matter?” 16

“Soul power level doesn't represent everything! I am invincible in theory! Knowledge is power!” 50