Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Grandmaster
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Heaven Dou Empire
Occupation/Role	Imperial Preceptor; spirit-master strategist
Status	Imprisoned in Liyue Harbor, as last reported 30
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Above level 50 — Soul King	4	Broke through the level-29 bottleneck after receiving Tang San's Nine-Grade Spirit Mushroom; had reached Soul King level by the Heaven Dou palace coup.
Level 60 — Soul Emperor	4	Reached the Soul Emperor realm by the Battle of Jialing Pass, but had not obtained a corresponding soul ring.
Level 59 — Soul Emperor	4	Lost one level when the Heaven Dou Empire was penalized for Tang Hao's mission failure.

Background

Yu Xiaogang serves as the Heaven Dou Empire's Imperial Preceptor and is widely addressed as the Grandmaster. His advancement beyond level 29 was enabled by the Nine-Grade Spirit Mushroom given by Tang San, whom he later identifies as his student. By the Battle of Jialing Pass, he had reached level 60 soul power, though he lacked the soul ring needed to complete that rank. 4 21

Tang Hao's failure in the first otherworld mission caused a continent-wide penalty for Heaven Dou soul masters. Yu Xiaogang fell from level 60 to 59, reacting with despair at the loss of his hard-won cultivation. 4

Personality

Yu Xiaogang presents his deductions with pronounced certainty and takes pride in the accomplishments of the Shrek Seven Devils. He repeatedly frames their success as proof of his own guidance, including when proposing them for the Gnosis mission. 9 21 22

His confidence is frequently undermined by the unfamiliar rules and threats of Teyvat. He wrongly assessed Mondstadt's defenders, urged Bai He toward the dragon-purification mission, and endorsed Ma Hongjun's attempt to recover the Gnosis. Each failure left him exposed to Emperor Xue Beng's anger or Tang Xiao's hostility. 6 7 10 23

Despite these setbacks, Yu Xiaogang remains opportunistic. Upon learning that Chen Fan had left the Spirit Empire, he immediately considered recruiting the Peerless Douluo—and even taking him as a disciple. 23 26

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Teyvat Missions

Yu Xiaogang advised Xue Beng against accepting the Mondstadt defense mission, estimating a success rate below one percent while Tang San remained unconscious. When Chen Fan entered alone, Yu judged the Hilichurls to be elite forces comparable to Titled Douluo and predicted Chen Fan would die within minutes. 4 5 6

Chen Fan instead completed the mission perfectly with a single use of Impermanence Hell. Yu Xiaogang struggled to explain the outcome, suggesting either an error by the Heavenly Dao or an unknown dark art. 6 7

Purification of the Void-Rending Demon Dragon

For the flight-restricted purification mission, Yu Xiaogang argued that its wording implied a nonlethal operation and recommended the Speed Clan's Bai He for his speed and flight capability. 9

The sight of the enormous corrupted dragon at Stormterror's Lair shattered his confidence. Realizing Bai He might die, Yu Xiaogang became terrified and was confronted by Tang Xiao and the Speed Clan, who held him responsible for putting Bai He in danger. 10

Gnosis Mission and Heaven Dou Penalties

When the mission shifted to seizing the Anemo Gnosis, Yu Xiaogang theorized that the Gnosis was an object connected to Mondstadt's ruling deity. He initially proposed sending a fast soul master, but Tang Xiao's reaction forced him to withdraw the suggestion because of Bai He's prior mission. 19 20

Yu Xiaogang later proposed the Shrek Seven Devils, claiming they were trained to accomplish impossible tasks. Ma Hongjun volunteered, but died during the mission, triggering a severe Heaven Dou penalty. Tang Xiao then condemned Yu Xiaogang for treating his students as expendable adventurers. 21 23

Rite of Descension

After Chen Fan joined the Star Dou Great Forest faction, Yu Xiaogang sought to recruit him for Heaven Dou and considered accepting him as a disciple. He continued advocating Chen Fan's recruitment after the latter's achievements drew the attention of all major factions. 23 26

Yu Xiaogang later entered the Rite of Descension survival mission alongside Flender and Liu Erlong. He materialized directly inside a sealed wooden prison cell in Liyue Harbor. 28 30

Relationships

• Xue Beng — Emperor who repeatedly seeks Yu Xiaogang's counsel; became furious after Chen Fan disproved Yu's Mondstadt assessment. 4 7
• Tang San — Yu Xiaogang's student; Yu cites Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils as evidence of his teaching ability. 4 21
• Liu Erlong — Supports Yu Xiaogang during confrontations and forcibly brings him toward the Teleportation Gate after Tang Xiao's accusations; later enters the Liyue mission with him. 4 23 28
• Flender — Allied with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong; joins them in the Rite of Descension mission. 23 28
• Tang Xiao — Hostile toward Yu Xiaogang after Bai He is endangered and Ma Hongjun is killed; repeatedly challenges Yu's reckless recommendations. 10 19 23
• Bai He — Speed Clan Soul Douluo recommended by Yu Xiaogang for the dragon-purification mission. 9 10
• Ma Hongjun — Shrek student whom Yu Xiaogang proposes for the Gnosis mission; Ma volunteers and dies during the attempt. 21 23
• Chen Fan — Yu Xiaogang seeks to recruit the defected Peerless Douluo to Heaven Dou and considers making him his disciple. 23 26

Notable Quotes

“Based on my deductions, if we force ourselves into this battle, the success rate is less than 1%!” 4

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!” 6

“The Shrek Seven Devils, trained under my guidance, are specifically meant to accomplish impossible missions!” 21