Cao Xiaochun

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Cao Xiaochun (曹小纯)
Alias(es)	Xiaochun; “Master” to the Binuoxiu sisters 12
Species/Race	Human 1
Gender	Male
Affiliation	H City Third Middle School; Li Hanyi's dungeon team 2 35
Occupation/Role	Unique hidden-class Gu Master; owner and landlord of a twelve-story residential building 2 3
Status	Alive; exploring the Bao Boyang strange dungeon with Li Hanyi 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Black Iron, Level 0	3	Awakened as the unique Gu Master. His initial Spirit was 100, already beyond a Bronze-rank mage's usual maximum.
Black Iron, Level 4	14	Reached Level 4 through Dark Forest hunting and Experience Potions; attributes were Strength 20, Speed 27, and Spirit 136.
Black Iron, Level 5	21	Advanced after his team cleared a Frost Tiger clan; attributes rose to Strength 30, Speed 37, and Spirit 146.
Black Iron, Level 6	25	Reached Level 6 while riding Xiao Qiang through the snowfield, with monsters dying to the Abyss Toad's Five Poisons aura.
Black Iron, Level 8	35	Reached Level 8 during the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain trial after the team adopted a zone-clearing strategy; this broke the school's previous trial record.
Black Iron, Level 9	38	Reached Level 9 after half a month of dungeon training and comprehended the Gu Master's first innate skill, the nine-character mantra.

Background

Cao Xiaochun is a transmigrator who inherited the life of an orphaned student. After his parents died in an accident three years before his class awakening, he sold the family company's shares and retained a twelve-story apartment building as his principal source of income. He initially hoped to awaken a powerful combat class so that he could preserve his engagement to Shui Yunji, an Asura-class student already studying at Imperial Capital University. 1 3 39

During H City Third Middle School's awakening ceremony, Cao triggered dark clouds and blood-red lightning before receiving the world's sole Gu Master class for the era. The revelation initially disappointed him: Gu Masters were publicly considered weaker than life-class professionals, with the costly Pinch-Pinch Worm their only known Gu. 2 3

His prospects changed when the Divine Gu Master System activated. It granted him 5,000 Souls, access to Gu stores and a lottery system, and later the Myriad Worlds Gu Refining Formula. Cao began treating Gu cultivation as a resource-intensive craft, using his money, dungeon materials, and monster corpses to rapidly build an arsenal. 3 4 5

Appearance

Cao is described as a delicate-looking young man with a refined face. 36 46

• Usually wears student or field-combat clothing while entering dungeons. 6 47
• Uses a hand-carved bone flute in combat. 15 41

Personality

Cao is pragmatic, ambitious, and highly protective of his own advantages. He plans around resources, information, and escape routes, refuses to reveal the full scope of his Gu refinement knowledge, and treats money as indispensable to his class's growth. 4 15 44 47

He is also notably ruthless toward threats and strangers. In the Dark Forest, he allowed Li Hanyi's guards to occupy the Binuoxiu sisters before intervening, reasoning that their distraction made his ambush safer. At Dragon Nest, he prioritized securing the opportunity over rescuing unrelated captives and killed Zhang Heng and Zhang Xiaohua for materials needed to refine Love's Parting. 10 26 29 30

Despite this, Cao values companions who accept his methods. He supports Xu Laoba and his teammates, shares rewards and protection during expeditions, and considers their ability to understand his choices a condition for walking the same path. 20 30 35

Abilities & Skills

Gu Master Class

Cao is the sole Gu Master of his era. The class specializes in refining and commanding Gu, though its practitioners are publicly believed to be physically weak and incapable of conventional magic. 2 3

• Possesses exceptionally high Spirit growth; it was 100 immediately after awakening and 272 at Level 9. 3 38
• Defines Gu broadly as lifeforms created by recombining materials; in his words, “anything can become Gu” if the proper method is known. 44
• Cannot casually control dungeon lords; the Binuoxiu sisters' subjugation required unusually favorable conditions. 44

Divine Gu Master System and Refinement

The Divine Gu Master System supplies Cao with Souls, Gu insect stores, and formulas. Its beginner package gave him the Myriad Worlds Gu Refining Formula, allowing him to refine Gu from suitable materials rather than relying entirely on purchases. 3 4

• Refined the Abyss Toad Gu, Mother Locust Gu, and Killer Bee Mother Gu from the Five Poisons, locusts, and killer bees. 5
• Created Bookworm Gu to preserve and transfer Moonlight Gu knowledge to the Binuoxiu sisters. 13
• Successfully fused Copper Skin Gu traits into his Locust and Killer Bee Gu, improving the durability of their offspring. 13
• Gu refinement consumes substantial money, materials, and mental power; one Bronze-grade formation preparation cost him over 32 million. 5 47

Nine-Character Mantra

At Level 9, Cao comprehended the Gu Master's first innate skill: “Spirit, Dart, Command, Harmony, Release, Heart, Rend, Unity, Zen.” 38

• Spirit Art — transforms Gu into weapons; stronger cultivation produces stronger weapons. 38
• Dart Art — grants Gu their master's fighting will and improves them according to his combat experience. 38
• Command Art — restores a Gu to full strength; can affect Gu up to one tier above Cao's own tier and is limited to three uses daily. 38
• Harmony Art — may multiply a Gu's combat power tenfold, with up to nine stacks; activation is luck-based. 38
• Release Art — removes abnormal status effects from Gu. 38
• Heart Art — strengthens Gu formations by up to threefold in theory. 38
• Rend Art — tears off part of Cao's soul to establish additional control over Gu with special abilities. 38
• Unity Art / Zen Art — unavailable at his current level. 38

Eye of Truth

A detection ability supplied by the system that sees through falsehoods, concealment, and restrictions. 4

• Identified the mutated Ogre Hand Bone containing Dragon Aura. 11
• Revealed the Binuoxiu sisters' attributes, histories, and upgrade potential. 8
• Lets Cao inspect enemies and materials that ordinary appraisal methods may not fully reveal. 4 25

Gu Formations

Cao purchased two Bronze-grade Gu formations after obtaining the Heart Art. 47

• Four Pests Five Plagues Gu Formation — described as an evil formation. 47
• Profound Yin Thirteen Swords Gu Formation — a pure killing formation and one of his strongest trump cards besides the Binuoxiu sisters. 47

Gu and Controlled Creatures

• Abyss Toad Gu (“Xiao Qiang”) — An upgradeable Gu combining the traits of the Five Poisons. It emits poisonous mist, serves as Cao's mount, and can kill enemies while traveling. 5 20 25
• Flying Head Gu ×9 — Rank Two, Bronze-tier Gu formed from Gu Masters' heads. They are fast, strong, carry other Gu, and use corpse poison; Cao used them to ambush the Binuoxiu sisters and kill He Taining. 4 8 28
• Mother Locust Gu — Produces endlessly regenerating locust offspring that devour creatures and vegetation alike. 5 6
• Killer Bee Mother Gu — Produces swarms that automatically attack living targets. 6
• Moonlight Gu — Can form Moon Blades. Cao implanted them into the Binuoxiu sisters' staffs and taught them through Bookworm Gu. 4 12 13
• Vitality Grass — Used to stabilize serious injuries; its healing was compared to Bronze-grade Holy Light. 4 10
• Binuoxiu and Herak — Former human mage sisters and Bronze-grade, Level 18 dungeon lords specializing in fire and frost magic. Cao subdued them with poison and Slave Gu, making them his principal combat attendants. 8 12 43
• Biao cubs — Cao retained six snow-white cubs for future use in refining Love's Parting. 22

Equipment and Items

• Heaven-Earth Black-Yellow White Jade Gourd — Gu-path divine artifact connected to Cao's will. It stores Gu, accelerates their growth, healing, and evolution, and enables rapid deployment in battle. 4
• Bone flute / Gu flute — Carved from a mutated Ogre Hand Bone containing Dragon Aura; used to direct Gu and activate his mantra techniques in battle. 15 41
• Black Bone Ring — Storage equipment acquired after defeating Keno in the Dark Forest. 8
• Spatial ring — Obtained from the Dragon Nest treasure division; holds nearly twenty square meters of storage. 35
• Concealment stone — Given by Li Hanyi to conceal Cao's information before the Imperial Capital University examination. 38

Relationships

• Li Hanyi — Deskmate, dungeon teammate, and Demon Contractor. Cao rescued her and her guards in the Dark Forest; her family paid him five million Nine Provinces currency in gratitude. They later trained in musical instruments together, fought alongside each other, and explored a strange dungeon as a pair. 10 15 35 37 45
• Xu Laoba — Cao's longtime friend and a Cursed Mage. Xu's family helped Cao sell his shares after his parents' deaths; despite Xu's reckless behavior, Cao continues to treat him as a trusted companion. 14 30 46
• Binuoxiu and Herak — Subdued dungeon lords who call Cao “Master.” He equips, trains, and considers them long-term fighters, while they serve as his most dangerous direct combat force. 12 13 43
• Shui Yunji — Cao's nominal fiancée and a powerful Asura at Imperial Capital University. Their engagement motivates Cao's initial desire for a strong class, while her admirers later target him because of it. 1 39
• Wang Gang — Seraph-class material shop owner and later an Imperial Capital University substitute proctor. She gave Cao the mutated Ogre Hand Bone and warned him that Zhao Hao intended to target him. 11 12 39
• Hong Jianjun — Chef-class teammate who bought a place on Cao's exam team. Cao advised him to develop buffing food, helping Hong create healing, mana-restoring, and vitality-granting dishes. 18 23 35
• Zhou Yuanlong — Holy Knight and Li Hanyi's childhood acquaintance. He publicly belittled Cao's class and unsuccessfully attempted to separate Cao from Li Hanyi's exam team. 17 37
• Zhao Hao — Silver-rank Sword Immortal examiner and Shui Yunji admirer. He attempted to eliminate Cao during the Imperial Capital University entrance examination but was defeated and seriously injured. 39 43

Story Role / Major Arcs

Awakening and Dark Forest

Cao awakens the unique Gu Master class, receives the Divine Gu Master System, and begins refining his first Gu. He then enters the Dark Forest, clears enormous areas with locusts, bees, Flying Head Gu, and Xiao Qiang, and subdues the Level 18 Binuoxiu sisters after using Li Hanyi's endangered guards as an opening. 2 4 6 8 10

Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain Trial

After auctioning positions on Li Hanyi's exam team, Cao takes command during the blizzard-stricken school trial. He leads the group through Frost Tiger territory, discovers Biao cubs, investigates Dragon Nest, and orchestrates an ambush on three Silver-rank professionals after they weaken an ice dragon soul. 17 20 22 27 28

Cao kills Zhang Heng and Zhang Xiaohua to obtain the “Heart of True Love” materials required for Love's Parting, then buries Dragon Nest and its corpses under an avalanche. His team reaches Level 8, breaks the school record, and returns with extraordinary results. 29 30 35 36

Imperial Capital University Entrance Examination

Cao reaches Level 9 and gains the nine-character mantra before entering the Imperial Capital University assessment. Targeted by Silver-rank examiner Zhao Hao because of Cao's engagement to Shui Yunji, he uses the Gu flute, Xiao Qiang, Flying Head Gu, and the Binuoxiu sisters to defeat Zhao Hao head-on. 38 39 41 43

Strange Dungeon: Bao Residence

After the examination, Cao agrees to accompany Li Hanyi into a strange dungeon purchased by her family. Inside a historical memory, he investigates Peace Town, identifies the injured Bao Boyang as the future General Bao Boyang, and concludes that the dungeon's obsession centers on the destruction of the entire Bao family. 45 49 50

Notable Quotes

“Everyone says Gu Masters are the weakest profession in this world. Starting today, that history will be rewritten. Watch how I climb to the peak of this world step by step!” 4

“Functions only exist once you develop them.” 32

“You could say that as long as one finds the method, anything can become Gu!” 44

Trivia

• Cao's first refined Gu was unexpectedly an Abyss Toad rather than the seven ordinary Gu he expected from his materials. 5
• He named the Abyss Toad “Xiao Qiang” and can safely touch it because Gu poison does not affect him. 5
• His Gu cultivation is extremely expensive; he spent millions on initial refinement materials and more than 32 million preparing two Bronze-grade formations. 5 47
• Cao's apartment building is close to his school and is rented largely by students who do not live in dormitories. 3