Xiao Li

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Li (小狸) 86
Alias(es)	Cat Girl 86
Species/Race	Half-beast cat girl; her mutated martial soul caused her half-beast form 86 87
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Lan Tian's fief and household 90 143
Occupation/Role	Shadow assassin in training; fief guardian and herbal-work assistant 87 100 117
Status	Active 144
First Appearance	Chapter 86

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 10 Soul Power	87	Her previously untested Soul Power is discovered through a testing orb, qualifying her for her first Soul Ring.
One-Ring Soul Master, Level 15	88	Absorbs a roughly 500-year Shadow Panther Soul Ring with exceptional compatibility; gains Shadow Stealth and rises five levels.
Level 18	95	Reaches this level after half a year of disciplined cultivation, stealth drills, combat practice, medicinal baths, and pills.
Level 20 Soul Grandmaster	113–114	A drop of Blue Silver Divine Liquid raises her firmly to level 20, while remaining medicinal power continues to strengthen her.
Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, Level 25	115	Personally kills and absorbs a 900-year Shadow-Binding Cat Soul Ring; gains Shadow Binding.

Background

Xiao Li was an orphan whose village name was forgotten after she was sold. Her mutated martial soul left her in a feline half-beast form, and she grew up without having her Soul Power tested or receiving formal cultivation guidance 86 87.

Lan Tian purchased her at a Heaven Dou City auction. Initially fearful and distrustful, Xiao Li gradually opened up after he promised her food, shelter, wages, and personal autonomy at his fief 86 87. A Soul Power test then revealed that she possessed level ten Soul Power, which Lan Tian believed had accumulated over years despite her lack of awakening and training 87.

Recognizing her affinity for feline Soul Beasts and stealth, Lan Tian offered to train her as a shadow assassin. Xiao Li accepted, declaring that she wished to become his “sharpest blade” 87. She thereafter followed an intensive regimen of meditation, stealth missions, dagger work, hand-to-hand combat, medicinal treatment, and foundation-building exercises 90 95.

Appearance

Xiao Li has a distinctly feline half-beast appearance that expresses her emotions and supports her stealth-oriented fighting style.

• Pale-gray tail, often used for balance and visibly responsive to her mood 87 95
• Cat ears with soft fur at the tips 87 112
• Slit-like vertical pupils that sharpen when alert or determined 87 88
• Light, nearly soundless movements; she is repeatedly likened to a shadow 89 95
• Her appearance becomes healthier and more refined after consuming Blue Silver Divine Liquid 113 114

Personality

Xiao Li begins as guarded, anxious, and accustomed to lowering her gaze after years of being treated as property. Lan Tian’s protection and training gradually restore her curiosity, confidence, and vitality 86 89.

She is intensely diligent and loyal. She follows every part of her training plan, reviews her failures after sparring, and consistently seeks to become useful rather than remain someone who must be protected 90 95 115. Her devotion to Lan Tian eventually develops into an open confession of love and a desire to stand beside him 114.

She is also observant and responsible around the fief, helping process Soul Beast materials, dry medicinal herbs, prepare meals, and guard the household during Lan Tian’s absences 100 117 122.

Abilities & Skills

Mutated Half-Beast Martial Soul

Xiao Li’s martial soul and physical form are closely intertwined, granting her strong compatibility with feline Soul Rings.

• Her first and second Soul Rings fuse unusually smoothly due to this affinity 88 115
• Possesses natural feline mobility, stamina, balance, nocturnal awareness, and acute hearing 87 115
• Her cat-like instincts help her notice distant disturbances around the fief 114

Shadow Stealth

Her first Soul Skill, gained from a Shadow Panther Soul Ring, allows Xiao Li to merge into surrounding darkness 88.

• Conceals her body, aura, Soul Power fluctuations, breathing, and movement sounds 88
• Doubles her movement speed in darkness and increases attack power by 50% 88
• Initially lasts about the time needed for an incense stick to burn 88
• Is difficult to detect even for Lan Tian; his eye technique is required to barely trace her 88
• After half a year of training, activation becomes nearly instantaneous, her stealth speed nearly doubles from its initial state, and its duration increases substantially 95
• Suited for infiltration, surveillance, escape, ambushes, and vital-point assassination rather than frontal combat 88

Shadow Binding

Her second Soul Skill, obtained from a 900-year Shadow-Binding Cat, animates and controls her own shadow 115.

• Extends her shadow to wrap around and immobilize a target 115
• Can restrain opponents whose Soul Power is not substantially higher than her own 115
• Complements Shadow Stealth by creating an opening for close-range attacks or escape 116
• Requires control rather than direct offensive force; Xiao Li practices it repeatedly to improve precision 116

Assassin Training

Lan Tian trains Xiao Li beyond reliance on Soul Skills alone.

• Hand-to-hand combat and short-dagger techniques 90 95
• Stealth missions and concealment drills 90
• Sparring against Lan Tian, who uses his perception to expose weaknesses in her movement and technique 95
• Medicinal baths and pills to repair her previously neglected physical foundation 90

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Short dagger — Lan Tian’s spare weapon, first given to her for self-defense; used to kill the Shadow Panther and Shadow-Binding Cat 88 115
• Training plans — Written by Lan Tian, covering cultivation, stealth, physical conditioning, and combat practice 90 100
• Blue Silver Divine Liquid — A life-energy essence given by Lan Tian that pushes her to level 20 and leaves residual medicinal benefits 113 115

Relationships

• Lan Tian — Rescuer, mentor, household head, and later romantic partner. He discovers her Soul Power, trains her as a shadow assassin, and entrusts her with fief duties; Xiao Li seeks to stand at his side rather than merely receive protection 87 100 114 117.
• Louise — Fellow member of Lan Tian’s household. Louise treats Xiao Li kindly from their first meeting, and the two share domestic and fief-related responsibilities 90 114 144.
• Ah Yin — Household companion introduced by Lan Tian. Xiao Li welcomes her without hostility, while Ah Yin feels an instinctive affection toward Xiao Li because of her Soul Beast bloodline 143 144.
• Old Ke — Senior steward of the fief. Xiao Li assists with work under the household’s routine management and follows the protection arrangements established around the estate 112 117.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Auction Rescue and Awakening

Lan Tian buys Xiao Li at auction, learns her history, and discovers that she has level ten Soul Power despite never having been tested. She agrees to become his shadow assassin 86 87.

First Soul Ring

Xiao Li assists in hunting a Shadow Panther, lands the killing strike with a dagger, and absorbs its Soul Ring. Her flawless affinity grants her Shadow Stealth and raises her directly to level 15 88.

Fief Training

At Lan Tian’s fief, Xiao Li follows a strict cultivation and assassin-training plan. Over half a year, she makes Shadow Stealth nearly instinctive and advances to level 18 90 95.

Divine Liquid Breakthrough

Lan Tian allows Xiao Li to witness the Blue Silver God Domain’s mass cultivation of medicinal herbs, inspiring her to grow stronger. He later gives her Blue Silver Divine Liquid, raising her to level 20 112 113.

Second Soul Ring

Xiao Li stealthily kills a 900-year Shadow-Binding Cat and absorbs its Soul Ring. She reaches level 25 and gains Shadow Binding, completing a more effective stealth-and-restraint assassination sequence 115 116.

Household Guardian

While Lan Tian travels for cultivation and imperial missions, Xiao Li helps maintain the fief, follows emergency instructions for its defensive array, and anxiously but capably receives him upon his return 100 117 122.

Trivia

• Xiao Li did not know she possessed Soul Power until she was eighteen years old 87.
• Her first Soul Ring raised her from level 10 to level 15 because of her flawless Soul Beast compatibility and previously accumulated potential 88.
• She is one of the few people Lan Tian deliberately permits to witness secrets of his Blue Silver God abilities at the fief 112.
• Her preferred combat pattern combines concealment through Shadow Stealth with immobilization through Shadow Binding 115 116.