Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Master; Grandmaster
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy; Shrek Academy; Heaven Dou Royal Academy (exchange program); Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; Golden Iron Triangle
Occupation/Role	Academy honorary Master; Shrek Academy specially appointed teacher; martial soul theorist; Tang San's teacher
First Appearance	10

Power Progression

Period / Milestone	Soul Master Development	Evidence
Notting Academy gate incident	Possesses the martial soul Luo Sanpao and two yellow hundred-year soul rings; his defensive technique fails to block Ao Yin's Coiling Dragon Staff.	11
Hunting Soul Forest expedition	Demonstrates Luo Sanpao's First Soul Skill, clearing out attacking ten-year Pig Luo Grass soul beasts with a large-scale blast.	21 22
Datura Snake incident	Uses his Second Soul Skill, Illusory Sleep Cannon, to distract the pursuing Six-Winged Frost Centipede while escaping with the mentally unstable Tang San; he is injured in the process.	28 29
Shrek Academy special-training period	Applies individualized training plans, physical conditioning, medicinal baths, medicinal meals, practical combat, and internal arena challenges to improve Shrek's students' foundations and combat ability.	88 89 92
Great Soul Arena training	Restricts Ao Yin to fifty percent of his Soul Power in later arena matches so that opponents can better temper him, while raising the other Shrek students' graduation standards and directing their Soul Arena development.	93 96
Confrontation with Poison Douluo	His Soul Power shield begins to fail against Dugu Bo's corrosive poison and requires Flender's reinforcement; despite being the Golden Iron Triangle's weakest fighter, he remains essential to its fusion skill.	164
Golden Iron Triangle reunion in battle	Joins Flender and Liu Erlong in their Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Their sixteen combined soul rings empower Luo Sanpao, transforming it toward the Golden Holy Dragon.	165

Background

Yu Xiaogang comes from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a top-tier sect whose inherited martial soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. His clan background and long study of dragon-type martial souls inform his interest in Ao Yin's Coiling Dragon Staff. 9 11 A mutation prevented him from inheriting the clan's orthodox martial soul legacy. Ostracized by his family, he left home and devoted himself to martial soul theory as a means of proving his worth. 145

Though he recognizes his own shortcomings as a Soul Master, Yu Xiaogang considers his martial soul theory unmatched. He seeks gifted disciples through whom he can test and validate his Ten Core Competitiveness Theories of Martial Spirits. His ambition is fueled by a desire to prove himself to the clan that looked down on him and to the woman who rejected him. 11

During his travels, Yu Xiaogang became Flender's companion. They later met Liu Erlong on a Soul Beast hunting expedition, and the three developed a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill and became known as the Golden Iron Triangle. Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang fell in love, and Flender officiated their wedding. After the ceremony, they learned that Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong were cousins within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Yu Xiaogang fled rather than face their relationship and its consequences; the trio separated for more than twenty years. 145

At Notting Academy, Yu Xiaogang holds the nominal position of honorary Master and maintains a friendship with the dean, allowing him to arrange Tang San's admission despite lacking a formal special-admission privilege. 13

After accompanying Tang San to Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang is invited by Flender to serve as Shrek's specially appointed teacher. He assumes responsibility for devising individualized devilish training programs for the students based on their martial souls, cultivation levels, and combat needs. 88

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a middle-aged man with a restrained, scholarly bearing. He first appears carrying an ancient book and wearing plain clothing. 10

• Simple gray cloth robe.
• Usually carries an ancient book.
• Deep, calm-looking eyes.
• Presents himself as composed and wise. 10

Personality

Yu Xiaogang is proud of his theoretical knowledge and strongly desires recognition for it. His attempt to recruit Ao Yin is driven not only by the boy's rare talent, but by Yu Xiaogang's desire to prove his theories to the clan and woman who once rejected him. 11

He can be patient and instructive with Tang San, explaining soul-ring classifications, absorption requirements, and suitable development paths for Blue Silver Grass. 14 22 Following Tang San's repeated defeats and first soul-ring failure, he continues to encourage the boy, arranges a dormitory transfer, and personally designs six years of harsh training for him. 18 33 34

However, he is also manipulative: he attempts to use Ao Yin to confront a Datura Snake so Tang San can claim its soul ring, offers Ao Yin ten thousand copper soul coins to surrender the Ten-Year Lone Bamboo, and regards an obedient disciple as essential to testing his theories. 15 23 24

As Shrek's specially appointed teacher, Yu Xiaogang is strict, pragmatic, and highly demanding. He treats physical conditioning as foundational to Soul Master growth, orders students to complete punishing exercises without Soul Power, and uses internal sparring and Soul Arena restrictions to force students beyond their comfort zones. 88 89 93 96

His composure fails when he encounters Liu Erlong again. Ashamed of abandoning her, he hides from her gaze and is unable to explain himself when she attacks. Later, his scrutiny of Liu Erlong reveals a suspicion that Ao Yin might be her child, prompting her to denounce him. 145 146 152

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul: Luo Sanpao

Yu Xiaogang's martial soul is Luo Sanpao. It is accompanied by two yellow hundred-year soul rings. 21 It is a mutation of the martial soul inherited by his clan and is considered weak in ordinary combat. 145 165

• Can be summoned for combat and intimidation.
• Used to clear a path through the Hunting Soul Forest. 21 22
• Its displayed attack is associated with an explosive fart-based technique. 11 22
• Can confront hostile soul beasts despite its ordinarily plump and harmless appearance. 22

Soul Skills

Yu Xiaogang uses named techniques through Luo Sanpao during confrontations.

• “A fart like thunder, Luo Sanpao shakes heaven and earth” — used defensively against Ao Yin's Coiling Dragon Staff, but fails to stop the attack. 11
• “Heaven-Shaking, Earth-Rending Luo Sanpao” — Luo Sanpao's First Soul Skill, which clears a path in the Hunting Soul Forest with a powerful blast and kills several ten-year Pig Luo Grass soul beasts. 22
• Illusory Sleep Cannon — Luo Sanpao's Second Soul Skill; releases foul-smelling smoke around Ao Yin to distract him and the Six-Winged Frost Centipede while Yu Xiaogang retreats with Tang San. 28

Golden Iron Triangle Fusion

Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong can jointly perform a Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill developed during their travels. When they use it against Dugu Bo, their sixteen combined soul rings gather around Luo Sanpao, empowering and transforming it toward the Golden Holy Dragon. Yu Xiaogang, although much weaker than his two companions individually, is essential to the technique. 145 151 164 165

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang possesses extensive theoretical knowledge concerning martial souls, soul rings, evolution paths, and Soul Beast classifications.

• Identifies the Coiling Dragon Staff as a rare dragon-type mutated martial soul and recognizes the significance of its dragon patterns. 10 11
• States that activating the Coiling Dragon Staff's dragon patterns requires an exceptionally deep understanding of dragon-type martial souls. 11
• Explains the five stated soul-ring age tiers: ten-year white, hundred-year yellow, thousand-year purple, ten-thousand-year black, and hundred-thousand-year crimson. 22
• States that a level-ten Soul Master's first soul ring has a maximum endurance limit of 423 years. 22
• Teaches that a Soul Master must personally deliver the final blow to absorb a soul beast's soul ring. 22
• Recommends Blue Silver Grass develop in the control direction, prioritizing toughness and paralysis traits. 14 22
• Determines that the 422-year Datura Snake is suitable for Tang San due to its toughness and venom. 23 24
• Notes that true dragon-type soul beasts are nearly extinct and that even draconic soul beasts are difficult to find. 23
• Creates tailored training plans around students' individual martial souls, physical condition, cultivation, and combat roles. 88 89
• Explains that the Evil Eye Tyrant is an ultimate spiritual-type Soul Beast associated with the laws of spirit and spacetime, possessing exceptional spiritual cultivation among land Soul Beasts. 127

Equipment / Items

• Third-class Spirit Hall token — bears six martial soul totems and grants lifetime access to the Hunting Soul Forest. 21
• Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan token — a clan token bearing sword, hammer, and dragon-beast totems. Yu Xiaogang offers to use it to bring Ao Yin into the Hunting Soul Forest in exchange for discipleship. 20
• Ancient book — carried when he first intervenes at Notting Academy's gate. 10
• Medicinal pills — distributes restorative medicinal pills to exhausted Shrek students after their internal arena challenge. 92

Relationships

• Tang San — Disciple. Yu Xiaogang recognizes Tang San's twin martial souls, accepts him as a student, guides his Blue Silver Grass development, and prepares to help him obtain his first soul ring. 12 13 14 After Tang San's failures against Ao Yin and the Datura Snake incident, Yu Xiaogang arranges for him to move to Eighth Dormitory and begins personally supervising six years of devilish training. Tang San ultimately reaches level 29 and gains a yellow soul ring exceeding six hundred years under his guidance. 18 33 34 At Shrek, Tang San remains one of the students trained under Yu Xiaogang's special program. 88 89 Tang San later places himself between Yu Xiaogang and the attacking Liu Erlong, but is severely injured when she breaks through his defenses. 146
• Ao Yin — Prospective disciple whom Yu Xiaogang repeatedly attempts to recruit because of his innate full soul power and Coiling Dragon Staff. Ao Yin publicly rejects and humiliates him. 10 11 20 Yu Xiaogang continues seeking to bring him under his instruction during the Hunting Soul Forest expedition, even briefly weighing him against Tang San, but Ao Yin refuses outright. 20 21 Years later, Yu Xiaogang is repeatedly astonished by Ao Yin's growth, including his level-42 cultivation, twin martial souls, and spiritual Soul Beast-derived abilities. 88 123 127 He uses Ao Yin as Shrek's arena champion and later limits him to half of his Soul Power in Soul Arena battles to improve his tempering. 89 96 Following Ao Yin's removal by Dugu Bo, Yu Xiaogang and the other Golden Iron Triangle members pursue the Poison Douluo in hopes of rescuing him. 151 164
• Tang Hao — Old acquaintance. Yu Xiaogang recognizes Tang Hao as the Clear Sky Douluo and accepts Tang San after receiving Tang Hao's letter of recommendation, though he avoids becoming involved in Tang Hao's affairs. 12
• Flender — Former partner and Shrek Academy's dean. Flender appoints Yu Xiaogang as a specially appointed teacher, entrusting him with Shrek's devilish special training. 88 The two later disagree when Yu Xiaogang advocates merging Shrek into Heaven Dou Royal Academy, though Yu Xiaogang helps persuade Flender to consider an exchange-student arrangement for the students' future. 109 110 They were traveling companions and members of the Golden Iron Triangle; Flender suppressed his own feelings for Liu Erlong and officiated her wedding to Yu Xiaogang. When the trio later confront Dugu Bo, Flender protects Yu Xiaogang and urges him to cooperate in their fusion skill. 145 164
• Liu Erlong — His cousin, former lover, and Golden Iron Triangle companion. They learned of their blood relationship just after their wedding, whereupon Yu Xiaogang disappeared for more than twenty years. At their reunion at Blue Tyrant Academy, she attacks him over his abandonment; despite her anger, she subsequently saves him from Dugu Bo's poison attack and joins him and Flender in their fusion skill. His later suspicion about her relationship to Ao Yin further wounds her. 145 146 152 164 165
• Dugu Bo — Poison Douluo. After Dugu Bo takes Ao Yin away, Yu Xiaogang joins Flender and Liu Erlong in pursuing him. Dugu Bo's poison overwhelms Yu Xiaogang's defenses, and he later seizes Yu Xiaogang by the neck. 151 164 170
• Qin Ming — Former Shrek disciple and Heaven Dou Royal Academy's dean of academic affairs. Yu Xiaogang supports Qin Ming's proposal to bring Shrek students to Heaven Dou as exchange students, believing the academy's resources and tournament qualification are necessary for their continued development. 109 110
• Yu Tianheng — Nephew and captain of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Imperial Battle Team. Yu Xiaogang anticipates Yu Tianheng's pride and believes he will not accept Shrek's superiority without personally confronting Ao Yin. 109
• Shrek Seven Monsters — Instructor. Yu Xiaogang assesses their widely varying cultivation levels, develops tailored devilish training, oversees their internal arena challenges, and raises their Great Soul Arena graduation requirements. 88 89 93
• Pomegranate — Head of Notting Academy's infirmary and a healing-type Soul Master with whom Yu Xiaogang has an academic friendship. He obtains healing noodles from her to treat Tang San. 18
• Old Jack — Meets him while resolving Ao Yin's conflict with the academy gate guards and verifies Ao Yin's enrollment credentials. 10

Story Role / Major Arcs

Notting Academy Gate Incident

Yu Xiaogang intervenes when Ao Yin attacks the academy's gate guards. After reviewing Ao Yin's Spirit Hall certificate and recognizing the Coiling Dragon Staff's dragon patterns, he confirms the boy's enrollment qualification and expels the guards from the dispute. 10

He immediately offers to accept Ao Yin as a disciple, but Ao Yin declares that Yu Xiaogang is “not worthy.” 10

Public Humiliation and Tang San's Recruitment

After Ao Yin demands proof of his strength, Yu Xiaogang summons Luo Sanpao before a crowd and is publicly embarrassed when his skill fails to stop Ao Yin's staff. 11

Shortly afterward, Tang San arrives with Tang Hao's letter. Yu Xiaogang deduces Tang San's twin martial souls from his level-nine innate soul power and Blue Silver Grass, then accepts him as his disciple. 12 13

Tang San's Mentor

Yu Xiaogang advises Tang San to avoid underestimating Ao Yin, but ultimately permits Tang San to challenge him as a lesson in humility. After Tang San is badly injured, Yu Xiaogang treats him and reinforces the importance of appropriate soul rings and following his teacher's guidance. 15 18

Hunting Soul Forest

Yu Xiaogang enters the Hunting Soul Forest with Tang San to seek the latter's first soul ring. He continues trying to recruit Ao Yin, offering access and assistance in exchange for discipleship. 20 21

While pursuing a suitable ring for Tang San, he identifies the Datura Snake as an ideal target and attempts to maneuver Ao Yin into confronting it first. 23

Yu Xiaogang later instructs Tang San to follow behind Ao Yin and deliver the final blow after Ao Yin weakens the Datura Snake. The plan collapses when the Datura Snake and Six-Winged Frost Centipede clash, Tang San's attempt to absorb the Datura Snake's soul ring fails, and Yu Xiaogang must flee while carrying him to safety. 24 25 28

After Yu Xiaogang is injured by the Six-Winged Frost Centipede, he accepts Tang San's eventual absorption of a Ten-Year Lone Bamboo soul ring and leads him out of the forest. 29

Six-Year Training

After Tang San seeks to leave Seventh Dormitory following his humiliation by Ao Yin, Yu Xiaogang transfers him to Eighth Dormitory and promises him six years of personally tailored devilish training, intended to prepare him for an Intermediate Soul Master Academy. 33

Over the subsequent six years, Tang San reaches level 29 as a Soul Grandmaster and obtains a yellow soul ring exceeding six hundred years with Yu Xiaogang's help. Despite this progress, Yu Xiaogang recognizes that Tang San is eclipsed by Ao Yin's far greater advancement. 33 34

Shrek Academy Special Training

Following the Star Dou Great Forest expedition, Flender appoints Yu Xiaogang as Shrek Academy's specially appointed teacher. Yu Xiaogang surveys the students' martial souls and cultivation levels before declaring that only those who endure his devilish training deserve the title of Shrek's monsters. 88

His program emphasizes physical foundations and individualized growth. It includes long-distance running without Soul Power, regulated meals, medicinal baths, medicinal meals, massages, targeted practical-combat instruction, and internal sparring. 89

Yu Xiaogang appoints Ao Yin as the arena champion for internal challenges, prohibits him from using Soul Bone skills, and orders the other students to test themselves against him. Though Ao Yin defeats the challengers, Yu Xiaogang acknowledges the result and provides restorative pills to the exhausted students. 89 92

Great Soul Arena Training

Yu Xiaogang and Flender raise Shrek's Soul Arena graduation requirement from a Silver Soul Badge to a Gold Soul Badge, while setting Ao Yin's requirement at the sixth-rank Sapphire Soul Badge and suggesting that he pursue the Eternal Diamond Badge. 93

Recognizing that ordinary opponents do not sufficiently challenge Ao Yin, Yu Xiaogang orders him to restrict himself to fifty percent of his Soul Power in subsequent matches. 96

When the Shrek Seven Monsters accept a seven-versus-ten battle against the Ironblood Team, Yu Xiaogang initially worries about the numerical disparity but ultimately supports their decision and offers tactical guidance. 103

Heaven Dou Royal Academy Exchange

After Qin Ming invites Shrek to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Yu Xiaogang argues that Shrek's limited resources and lack of official tournament registration will restrict the students' future. His proposal that Shrek merge into Heaven Dou provokes Flender's anger, but Yu Xiaogang appeals to Flender's original purpose in founding Shrek: nurturing exceptional talent. 109 110

Yu Xiaogang supports Qin Ming's alternative plan for Shrek's students to attend Heaven Dou as exchange students while retaining their Shrek identity. 110

At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Yu Xiaogang is stunned when Ao Yin openly manifests both the Dark Sacred Dragon and Coiling Dragon Staff, revealing that he possesses twin martial souls. 123 During Ao Yin's subsequent clash with Qin Ming, Yu Xiaogang identifies and explains the exceptional nature of the Evil Eye Tyrant behind Ao Yin's Spirit Eyes skill. 127

Blue Tyrant Academy Reunion

After the Shrek group arrives at Blue Tyrant Academy, Yu Xiaogang encounters Liu Erlong for the first time in over twenty years. He hides at the back of the group, unable to meet the eyes of the woman he abandoned after learning they were cousins. Liu Erlong recognizes him, first weeps and then attacks in fury. 145

Yu Xiaogang freezes under her killing intent. Tang San attempts to defend him with Ghost Vine, but Liu Erlong burns through the vines and severely injures Tang San; Flender then intervenes to protect Yu Xiaogang and calm her. 146

Confrontation with Poison Douluo

After Dugu Bo takes Ao Yin away, Flender calls on Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong to set aside their grievances and use the Golden Iron Triangle's Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Skill to pursue a rescue. Yu Xiaogang's suspicious scrutiny of Liu Erlong during the ensuing dispute leads her to accuse him of believing that Ao Yin is her child by another man. 151 152

When the trio confront Dugu Bo, Liu Erlong kicks Yu Xiaogang out of the path of a toxic attack. Flender reinforces Yu Xiaogang's failing Soul Power shield, then directs him to cooperate in their fusion skill. Their sixteen combined soul rings empower Luo Sanpao within a golden formation, beginning its transformation toward the Golden Holy Dragon. 164 165

Dugu Bo later closes in on Yu Xiaogang and lifts him by the neck, demonstrating the danger the Poison Douluo still poses to him. 170

Notable Quotes

“Because you're not worthy.” 10

“There are no useless martial souls, only useless Soul Masters.” 18

“Sun and Moon Shine, Golden Transformation!” 165

Trivia

• Yu Xiaogang's public attempt to demonstrate his strength is turned into a paid spectacle by Ao Yin, who collects tips from the crowd. 11
• Despite claiming special admission privileges for Tang San, Yu Xiaogang privately admits that he is acting first and reporting later. 13
• Although Yu Xiaogang initially threatens that Ao Yin cannot enter the Hunting Soul Forest without his token, Ao Yin produces a Spirit Hall Academy token and is admitted before him. 21
• Yu Xiaogang's proposed Level-Ten Martial Soul Theory Exam is treated by the Shrek students as a far less desirable alternative to meeting their Soul Arena graduation requirements. 93