Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Grandmaster
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan (former); Spirit Hall (formerly registered); Nuoding Academy
Occupation/Role	Martial Soul theorist; author; theory teacher
Martial Soul	Luo Sanpao — a malignant mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon lineage 166 187
Soul Power	Level 29 Soul Grandmaster; unable to break through level 30 166 191 263
Status	Alive; working as a teacher at Nuoding Academy 263 305
First Appearance	Chapter 166

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang was born the second son of Yu Yuanzhen, leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. At age six, his inherited martial soul suffered a malignant mutation, regressing into Luo Sanpao, while his Innate Soul Power measured only half a level. The resulting ridicule from his clan, combined with his inability to reach level 30 despite his father's resources, made him a disgraced outcast. 166

Seeking a way to evolve his martial soul, Yu Xiaogang entered Martial Soul City and registered as a Spirit Hall Spirit Master to access its library. He found the first-floor material informative but unable to solve his problem, then attempted to obtain access to higher floors by presenting Huo Yuhao with his Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. 167 169

Huo Yuhao allowed Yu Xiaogang to read on the library's second floor in exchange for organizing and cleaning it. Yu Xiaogang accepted despite his pride, believing the access could either help him overcome his level-29 limit or establish him as a renowned theorist. 170

After Yu Xiaogang showed interest in Bibi Dong and tried to use her connection to Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong came to regard him with intense hostility. Huo Yuhao then flattered Yu Xiaogang into leaving Martial Soul City to pursue recognition independently; Yu Xiaogang immediately regretted the decision but was unable to regain his former access. 170 174

Bibi Dong later had Yu Xiaogang abducted and imprisoned after considering him a threat to her relationship with Huo Yuhao. The ordeal left him physically and mentally broken, fearful of both Bibi Dong and Martial Soul City. 176 178

After leaving the city, Yu Xiaogang was helped by Flender. Together they sought commissions near Soul Hunting Town to finance a large-scale publication of Yu Xiaogang's book, where they met Liu Erlong. Their attempted partnership collapsed when Bibi Dong exposed Yu Xiaogang's theories as repackaged common knowledge from the Spirit Hall library. 185 188 189

With Flender eventually gone and no safe path back to his clan or Martial Soul City, Yu Xiaogang traveled south. Dean Ding Gui recognized him as the younger brother of a man who had once saved him and offered him a theory-teaching position at Nuoding Academy. 263

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a flat-topped young man with an unremarkable, severe appearance. After his imprisonment and flight from Martial Soul City, he appeared markedly older and more worn down than before. 166 167 184

• Square face and large, thick lips; described as ordinary-looking or unattractive. 167
• Extremely short, flat-topped hair that makes him conspicuous among other Spirit Masters. 166 167
• Often maintains a stern expression to project authority as a teacher and theorist. 263 264
• His martial soul, Luo Sanpao, resembles a large pig-dog with light-purple fur. 187

Personality

Yu Xiaogang is driven by humiliation, ambition, and a need to prove that his poor cultivation talent does not define his worth. His low soul power and clan upbringing leave him deeply insecure, but this insecurity frequently manifests as arrogance and self-importance. He believes his theoretical work surpasses the understanding of more powerful Soul Masters. 166 168 169

He is highly susceptible to praise. Huo Yuhao's encouragement quickly convinces him that he is destined to become a celebrated Grandmaster, even when Yu Xiaogang privately recognizes the risks of abandoning Martial Soul City. 174

At Nuoding Academy, he displays a more responsible side: he reprimands students for spreading alarming rumors and investigates their concerns about spirit-ring hunting. However, his tendency to monopolize discussions, assume hidden motives, and disregard explanations frustrates Dean Ding Gui. 263 265

Abilities & Skills

Luo Sanpao

Yu Xiaogang's martial soul is an independently manifested, physically tangible creature rather than a conventional dragon-type beast martial soul. Its unusual existence gives him hope that it could someday evolve. 166 187

• Originated through a malignant mutation of his inherited dragon martial soul. 166 191
• Appears as a pig-dog-like creature more than 1.5 meters long and wide, with light-purple fur. 187
• Can remain independently manifested and follows near Yu Xiaogang. 187
• Its mutation and Yu Xiaogang's half-level Innate Soul Power leave him permanently limited to level 29 after failing to obtain the appropriate soul rings. 166 191

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang reads extensively and can organize basic Soul Master knowledge into accessible summaries. Flender considers his foundational knowledge broader than that of many ordinary Soul Masters, though his conclusions are often overstated. 191

• Authored Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, covering inheritance, mutation, Innate Soul Power, martial-soul classifications, development paths, and related fundamentals. 169
• Later added proposed soul-ring age limits after accessing higher-level library material. 173
• His work is useful as introductory material for children or people without a Soul Master background, helping them learn foundational knowledge early. 304
• The book largely compiles common knowledge already taught in Soul Master academies and contains omissions and overly broad claims outside Yu Xiaogang's expertise. 169 304
• He lacks the practical strength and higher-level knowledge necessary to reliably instruct advanced Soul Masters on cultivation. 304

Teaching

At Nuoding Academy, Yu Xiaogang serves as a theory teacher under Dean Ding Gui. His book is recommended to students as required reading, and he takes personal interest in matters affecting their spirit-ring access. 263

• Uses a stern manner to control and admonish students. 263
• Treats the academy's stability and students' welfare as personal responsibilities. 263 264
• Spends much of his time away from classes claiming to conduct Martial Soul research. 263

Relationships

• Yu Yuanzhen — Father and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan leader; provided Yu Xiaogang resources and travel money, but could not resolve his son's cultivation limit. 166 168
• Huo Yuhao — Initially the Holy Son Yu Xiaogang sought to impress for library access and advancement. Huo Yuhao allowed him limited access, then deliberately encouraged him to leave and build a public “Grandmaster” reputation for Huo Yuhao's own purposes. 169 170 174 304
• Bibi Dong — Met through Huo Yuhao and immediately rejected Yu Xiaogang. She later arranged his abduction and imprisonment, leaving him terrified of encountering her again. 170 176 264
• Flender — Friend, protector, and believer in Yu Xiaogang's theoretical ability. Flender helped finance and promote the book, remained loyal after its exposure, but eventually abandoned Yu Xiaogang. 184 185 188 263
• Liu Erlong — Initially agreed to travel with Yu Xiaogang and Flender, but rejected Yu Xiaogang after learning that his theories had been copied from Spirit Hall materials. 185 188 189
• Ding Gui — Dean of Nuoding Academy who employed Yu Xiaogang to repay a favor owed to Yu Xiaogang's elder brother and to maintain ties with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. 263
• Luo Sanpao — Yu Xiaogang's mutated martial soul and the central source of both his lifelong shame and his hope for evolution. 166 187

Major Arcs

Search for Martial Soul Evolution

Yu Xiaogang arrives in Martial Soul City hoping Spirit Hall's library can reveal a path to evolve Luo Sanpao and overcome his level-29 ceiling. He joins Spirit Hall, studies its library, and attempts to leverage Huo Yuhao's status for deeper access. 166 167 168

*Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul*

Yu Xiaogang presents his manuscript as revolutionary Soul Master theory. Although Huo Yuhao and Bibi Dong regard it as basic common knowledge, Yu Xiaogang gains limited access to the second floor of the library and refines the work into a publishable text. 169 170 173

Expulsion from Martial Soul City

Huo Yuhao manipulates Yu Xiaogang into leaving the city by appealing to his ambition. Yu Xiaogang subsequently suffers punishment at Bibi Dong's hands and leaves traumatized, unable to return. 174 176 180

Failed Golden Iron Triangle

Flender helps Yu Xiaogang seek funds for his book, and Liu Erlong briefly joins them. Bibi Dong exposes Yu Xiaogang's work and deception, prompting Liu Erlong to sever ties and preventing the trio from truly forming the Golden Iron Triangle. 185 188 189

Nuoding Academy

Yu Xiaogang becomes a theory teacher at Nuoding Academy, where Dean Ding Gui validates his “Grandmaster” title and recommends his book to students. He becomes suspicious of Spirit Hall's Symbiosis Pavilion, fearing it is intended to control Spirit Masters, despite Ding Gui's attempts to explain its benefits. 263 264 265

Notable Quotes

“There are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters.” 169

“My understanding of Martial Souls far exceeds that of most Spirit Masters!” 185

Trivia

• Yu Xiaogang greatly enjoys being called “Grandmaster”; at Nuoding Academy, Dean Ding Gui is the only person noted as regularly using the title for him. 263
• Huo Yuhao states that Luo Sanpao might have evolved into a Golden Sacred Dragon if Yu Xiaogang's martial soul had been handled correctly. 167
• Despite the book's flaws, Huo Yuhao considers it potentially useful as early introductory reading for children from non–Soul Master families. 304