Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Ma Xiaotao (马小桃) |
| Gender | Female |
| Affiliation | Shrek Academy; Inner Court; disciple of Yan Shaozhe 26 30 |
| Occupation/Role | Inner Court soul master |
| Status | Alive; placed under a three-month confinement following Zhou Yi's death and later expected to be released soon, though her evil fire has begun showing signs of recurrence. 30 85 |
| First Appearance | Mentioned in Chapter 19; physically appears in Chapter 26 19 26 |
| Martial Soul | Evil Fire Phoenix 26 29 |
Power Progression
| Stage / Realm / Level | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soul Power Level 64 | 29 | Reached Level 64 after cultivating beside Ling Tianchen on the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Bed; her Evil Fire Phoenix bloodline also became slightly purer. 29 |
Appearance
Ma Xiaotao is a red-haired woman whose appearance is described as both refined and heroic. During her stay in Sea God's Pavilion, she wears a fitted black dress. 27
- Long red hair flowing down her back. 27
- Exquisite features with a valiant, spirited bearing. 27
- Slender yet voluptuous build. 27
- Her Evil Fire Phoenix manifests as a red, heat-radiating presence when she loses control. 26
Personality
Ma Xiaotao is proud, active, and difficult to restrain; she finds prolonged seclusion intolerable despite knowing that it is necessary to contain her evil fire. 26 Her martial soul's instability has made her volatile and dangerous, but she is not indifferent to the harm she causes. After accidentally killing Zhou Yi, she is confused, frightened, and deeply guilty. 26 27
Ling Tianchen's rebuke forces her to confront that guilt directly. She admits that her previous attempts to handle the evil fire were inadequate and becomes determined to change, even offering protection and service in exchange for help controlling it. 27 28 After their confinement, she remains uncertain of her standing with Ling Tianchen but wants to remain close to him. 30
Her attachment to Ling Tianchen is also shaped by practicality: the temporary suppression he provides gives her a reason to seek further contact with him. When Yan Shaozhe later reports that her evil fire is beginning to recur, she again becomes dependent on Ling Tianchen's assistance. 30 85
Abilities & Skills
Evil Fire Phoenix
Ma Xiaotao possesses the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul, a powerful fire-attributed phoenix martial soul whose evil fire periodically overwhelms her consciousness. 26 29
- Can generate a terrifying wave of heat and fly while her martial soul is active. 26
- Her uncontrolled evil fire seeks out cold auras instinctively. 26
- During one loss of control, she embraced the ice-encased Zhou Yi and incinerated her, leaving only ashes. 26
- The instability prevents her from cultivating normally and can render her unconscious. 19 26
- Her evil fire is only temporarily suppressed by cold energy; it has not been permanently resolved and later shows signs of recurring. 29 30 85
Fire Suppression and Cultivation
The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Bed in Sea God's Pavilion helps restrain Ma Xiaotao's evil fire and supports her cultivation. 27
- The bed's constant chill can suppress the leakage of her evil fire. 27
- Cultivating near Ling Tianchen's gathered ice elements further suppresses the evil fire. 29
- Her week of cultivation beside Ling Tianchen increased her soul power by one level and slightly purified her bloodline. 29
- Suppression is temporary, leaving her dependent on continued control and secluded cultivation. 30
- Yan Shaozhe later arranges for Ling Tianchen to suppress her evil fire once per month after signs of recurrence emerge. 85
Relationships
- Ling Tianchen — Initially shares a room with him during confinement in Sea God's Pavilion. His Ultimate Ice and Ice Phoenix aura suppress her evil fire, while his criticism drives her to acknowledge responsibility for her actions. Their relationship becomes intimate, though Ma Xiaotao remains unsure whether he truly cares for her. As her evil fire begins recurring, Yan Shaozhe arranges for Ling Tianchen to assist her monthly. 27 28 29 30 85
- Yan Shaozhe — Her teacher and a Shrek Academy dean. He arranges for her to share confinement with Ling Tianchen and encourages her to continue developing their connection. He later offers Ling Tianchen a Fifty-Thousand-Year Ice Bear Right Arm Bone in exchange for helping suppress Ma Xiaotao's evil fire once a month. 27 29 30 85
- Ling Luochan — Ling Tianchen's older sister and Ma Xiaotao's former teammate. Ma Xiaotao had repeatedly sought her help to suppress the evil fire despite Ling Luochan's refusals. 19 27 During later episodes of instability, Ma Xiaotao is noted to have sought either Ling Luochan or Xu Sanshi for suppression. 36
- Zhou Yi — Her former teacher. Ma Xiaotao accidentally kills Zhou Yi after losing consciousness to her rampaging evil fire. 26
- Xu Sanshi — A person Ma Xiaotao has sought out during evil-fire episodes, alongside Ling Luochan. 36
Story Role / Major Arcs
Evil Fire Incident
Ma Xiaotao's evil fire worsens to the point that she can no longer cultivate reliably, endangering her participation in the upcoming Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament. 19 While leaving seclusion to clear her head, she loses consciousness and is drawn toward Zhou Yi's extreme-cold ice prison. Mistaking the frozen Zhou Yi for a source of relief, she releases her evil fire and accidentally kills her. 26
Sea God's Pavilion Confinement
Following Zhou Yi's death, Ma Xiaotao is placed in Sea God's Pavilion, where Yan Shaozhe arranges for Ling Tianchen to share her room. 27 She warns him that her evil fire may harm him, then breaks down when he challenges her failure to take meaningful responsibility for its consequences. 27
Desperate to atone and gain control over her condition, she offers Ling Tianchen anything she can provide, including protection and service. 28 Their subsequent cultivation together raises her to Level 64, slightly purifies her Evil Fire Phoenix bloodline, and temporarily suppresses her evil fire. 29
Continued Punishment
Ling Tianchen's month of confinement ends, but Ma Xiaotao receives a three-month confinement due to the severity of her offense. She returns to cultivating on the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Bed, frustrated that she cannot immediately seek him out. 30
As her release approaches, Yan Shaozhe finds that the temporary suppression of her evil fire is fading. To maintain her condition, he privately secures Ling Tianchen's agreement to suppress it once each month, compensating him with a Fifty-Thousand-Year Ice Bear Right Arm Bone. 85
Notable Quotes
“Ling Tianchen, please give me a chance to atone to those I've hurt. As long as it's something I can do, I'm willing to... do anything...” 28
“I really know I was wrong... I never meant to hurt anyone...” 28