Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Master; Grandmaster
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy; Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan
Occupation/Role	Academy honorary Master; 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 an unnamed second soul skill to distract the pursuing Six-Winged Frost Centipede while escaping with the mentally unstable Tang San; he is injured in the process.	28 29

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

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

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

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

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

• 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
• Unnamed Second Soul Skill — used to distract Ao Yin and the Six-Winged Frost Centipede while Yu Xiaogang retreats with Tang San. 28

Martial Soul Theory

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

• 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

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

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 first soul ring exceeding six hundred years under his guidance. 18 33 34
• 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
• 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
• 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

Notable Quotes

“Because you're not worthy.” 10

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

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