Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy, Inner Court
Occupation/Role	Inner-court student; disciple of Yan Shaozhe
Martial Soul	Phoenix Martial Soul
Cultivation	Six-ring Soul Emperor
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Background

Ma Xiaotao is an exceptionally talented Shrek Academy inner-court student whose Phoenix Martial Soul is afflicted by an uncontrollable Evil Fire. The condition progressively impairs her judgment, causes violent eruptions of heat, and can threaten people nearby; she eventually admits that she cannot always tell when she has left Sea God Island during an episode 7 29.

Before encountering Ling Feng, Ling Luocheng repeatedly helped suppress Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire with her ice attribute. The process damaged Ling Luocheng's cultivation and injured her on two occasions, including one injury that required a week of recuperation 9. During one outburst at Sea God Lake, Ma Xiaotao nearly loses control completely, scorching vegetation across dozens of meters and seeking Ling Feng's Ultimate Ice instinctively 7.

Ling Feng's Ultimate Ice, transmitted through Ling Luocheng, suppresses Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire so thoroughly that Yan Shaozhe estimates she can cultivate without backlash for three months; a later report extends the estimate to at least half a year 9 15. Ling Luocheng's Ice Radiance Ring also leaves a chill in Ma Xiaotao which she believes may advance her cultivation if she endures and absorbs it herself 29.

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao is a slender, well-proportioned woman distinguished by a fierce, beastlike presence when her Evil Fire is active 7.

• Long blood-red hair.
• Light-red pupils that turn blood-red as her rationality fades.
• Typically wears red clothing.
• Her breath becomes scorching white vapor during an Evil Fire episode, even in summer 7.
• While recovering from Ling Luocheng's Ultimate Ice, she wears thick fur-lined clothing and appears pale, with her eyes faded to pale pink 29.

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is aggressive, impulsive, and highly battle-minded. When Ling Luocheng challenges her, she readily accepts despite knowing the fight may cost her future assistance with the Evil Fire; she even enjoys the pain and cooling sensation of Ling Luocheng's ice-based attacks 7 8.

Her behavior during Evil Fire episodes is dangerous and invasive, but she retains intermittent awareness and attempts to protect others. She warns Ling Feng to run before her fire fully consumes her reason, and later acknowledges that Ling Luocheng could have killed her while she was defenseless but chose restraint instead 7 29.

After Ling Feng and Ling Luocheng help her, Ma Xiaotao shows guilt and growing sincerity. She accepts responsibility for the Sea God Lake incident, assists Ling Feng through the side effects of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, and recognizes their cultivation together as mutually beneficial 29 31.

Abilities & Skills

Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Xiaotao possesses a fire-attributed Phoenix Martial Soul and six soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and two black 8 32.

• Produces overwhelming heat capable of distorting the air and pressuring ordinary three-ring Soul Masters.
• Grants powerful mobility; she crosses Sea God Lake by lightly tapping the water and moving forward like a cannonball.
• Her fire attribute clashes sharply with Ling Feng's Ultimate Ice, making him a natural suppressor of her martial-soul flaw 7 32.

Evil Fire

The Evil Fire is the central defect of Ma Xiaotao's martial soul. It can overwhelm her mind, erupt uncontrollably, and endanger nearby people 7 29.

• Causes extreme body heat and destructive fire eruptions.
• Weakens her ability to regulate her own behavior and movements.
• Can be suppressed by powerful ice attributes, especially Ultimate Ice.
• Ling Feng's Ultimate Ice is considered capable of fully resolving the negative effects if the two unite after his cultivation rises sufficiently 29.
• Ling Luocheng's ordinary ice suppression came at the cost of damaged soul power and personal injury 9.

Bathing Fire Phoenix

Ma Xiaotao's second soul skill covers her body in flames and can be used defensively to mitigate incoming damage 8.

• Allows her to endure Ling Luocheng's Ice Prison and Ice Mist Chill with limited injury.
• Is used alongside her third and fourth soul skills when confronting Ling Feng in their spar 32.

Combat Ability

Ma Xiaotao is a Soul Emperor-level combatant with formidable offensive power, but her close-quarters combat is less suited to Ling Feng's Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul 7 32.

• Can withstand Ling Feng's early full-power Ice Empress's Claw without summoning her martial soul, though she receives light wounds 7.
• Initially underestimates Ling Luocheng and is frozen by an Ultimate Ice-enhanced Ice Radiance Ring 8.
• Avoids directly receiving Ling Feng's strengthened Ice Empress's Claw during their later spar, despite having released her martial soul 32.
• Uses Ling Feng as a benchmark for her own strength and challenges him to a spar after their joint cultivation 31 32.

Relationships

• Ling Feng — Initially mistakes his Ultimate Ice for relief from her Evil Fire and forcibly embraces him during an episode. Later cultivates with him to help refine the effects of whale glue; she develops an interest in potentially uniting with him to resolve her martial-soul defect 7 29 31.
• Ling Luocheng — Fellow inner-court student and adversarial acquaintance. Ling Luocheng previously suppressed Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire at personal cost, then freezes her after Ma Xiaotao endangers Ling Feng 8 9.
• Yan Shaozhe — Her teacher and the dean of Shrek's Martial Soul Department. He oversees her treatment and urges her to seek a union with Ling Feng as a solution to the Evil Fire 9 29.
• Ling Feng and Ling Luocheng — Ma Xiaotao feels guilt toward both after recognizing that Ling Luocheng's lingering chill was intended to help rather than simply punish her 29.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sea God Lake Evil Fire Outburst

Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire erupts near Sea God Lake, where she encounters Ling Feng. Drawn to his ice armor, she attempts to use physical contact to suppress her condition, provoking Ling Feng and Ling Luocheng 7.

Fight with Ling Luocheng

After Ling Luocheng intervenes, Ma Xiaotao agrees to fight her. She withstands Ling Luocheng's initial control skills but is ultimately trapped and frozen after Ling Feng channels Ultimate Ice into Ling Luocheng's body 8.

Suppression and Recovery

Yan Shaozhe takes Ma Xiaotao for examination after the fight. The Ultimate Ice suppression gives her a prolonged period free from Evil Fire backlash, though Ling Luocheng's chill leaves her bedridden and in pain while potentially offering further cultivation gains 9 29.

Pursuit of Ling Feng

With Yan Shaozhe encouraging her to pursue Ling Feng, Ma Xiaotao infiltrates Ling Luocheng's residence while Ling Feng is alone. Although her initial motives are questionable, she channels her fire-attributed soul power to help Ling Feng refine whale glue and improve his physical endurance 29 31.

Three Rings vs. Six Rings

Ma Xiaotao challenges Ling Feng to a spar, recognizing that his true strength exceeds his apparent cultivation. She releases all six soul rings, but Ling Feng's three ten-thousand-year rings and Ultimate Ice force her to treat his attacks seriously 32.

Trivia

• Ma Xiaotao is considered one of Shrek Academy's most talented students; Ling Luocheng believes she might have reached Rank 70 before age twenty without the Evil Fire holding her back 9.
• She enjoys the sensation of ice-based attacks because the cold temporarily relieves her Evil Fire, to the point of pressing herself against Ling Luocheng's Ice Prison 8.
• Despite being a six-ring Soul Emperor, she acknowledges that Ling Feng's soul power and combat strength are far beyond what a two-ring Soul Master should possess 32.