Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Alias(es)	Xiaotao; “Huo Yuhao’s sister”
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; Shrek Supervisory Group
Occupation/Role	Shrek Inner Court student; personal disciple of Yan Shaozhe
Status	Alive; suffers recurring erosion from her evil fire
First Appearance	Chapter 22

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Five-ring Soul Master, Rank 56	36	Her true cultivation is exposed after she drops her maid disguise; her fire-attributed soul power is identified as Rank 56.
Temporary Soul Emperor-level power, Rank 60	38	She abandons suppression of her evil fire, forcing her soul power to Rank 60; she lacks a sixth soul ring and suffers severe backlash.

Background / History

Ma Xiaotao is a Shrek Academy Inner Court student and Yan Shaozhe’s personal disciple. She is assigned with Dai Yueheng to enter the Sun Moon Empire, eliminate evil soul masters, and search for the missing Zhang Lexuan. Ma Xiaotao treats the mission casually, believing Zhang Lexuan is strong enough to return safely on her own; this attitude causes her to argue with Dai Yueheng and split from him in Mingdu. 22

After learning that Dai Yueheng has been captured by Xu Tianming, Ma Xiaotao chooses to rescue him independently rather than create trouble for Shrek Academy. Unable to storm Prince Yan’s Palace directly, she abducts several palace maids, leaves them food in a concealed cave, and plans to impersonate a maid during the palace’s replacement recruitment. 26 30 31

Xu Tianming identifies her despite her disguise and allows her into the palace to observe her intentions. While serving there, Ma Xiaotao mistakes an encounter involving Steward Zhao and Meng Hongchen for abuse. Her conscience overrides her cover and mission: she attacks Zhao, attempts to take Xu Tianming hostage, and exposes herself. 34 36

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is outspoken, confrontational, and intensely confident in her own strength. She openly belittles Dai Yueheng as weaker than herself, considers failure against Xu Tianming impossible despite his lower rank, and reacts angrily when his unconventional techniques defeat her expectations. 22 37

Her impulsiveness is tempered by a genuine desire to protect others. Although she recognizes that intervening in the palace may compromise her rescue mission and place her against powerful Sun Moon Empire figures, she acts when she believes Meng Hongchen is in danger. 36

She is also capable of remorse. After learning that Nana—the girl she believed she had saved—was an evil soul master, Ma Xiaotao is devastated by her misjudgment. She admits to imprisoning the palace maids, apologizes to Xu Tianming after he stabilizes her condition, and promises to repay him. 45 47

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Xiaotao possesses the Evil Fire Phoenix, a top-tier fire-attributed beast martial soul described as close in quality to Ultimate Fire. 32 37

• Her fire attribute is vulnerable to suppression by Xu Tianming’s martial soul. 36
• The evil fire grants explosive strength but progressively erodes her body and can compromise her reason. 38 47
• By fully releasing the evil fire, she temporarily reaches Rank 60 soul power; the resulting backlash leaves her severely injured and unstable. 38 39

Phoenix Bathes in Fire

Her second soul skill enhances her physical and combat attributes. 37

Phoenix Wings Soar

Her third soul skill manifests flaming wings and grants flight. 37

Phoenix Sky-Roaring Strike

Her fourth soul skill is an inherited Evil Fire Phoenix attack whose power and area increase with charging time. 37

• It is presented as capable of crippling or killing an ordinary four-ring Soul Master. 37
• Xu Tianming interrupts the charged attack with Burning Radiance Ring, causing both direct damage and skill backlash. 37

Phoenix Piercing Strike

Her fifth soul skill condenses a small flaming phoenix into a high-damage, defense-piercing single-target attack. 38

• It consumes roughly half of her remaining soul power. 38
• Xu Tianming disperses it with a single swing of the Judgment Sword before it can fully unleash its power. 38

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shrek’s Operation

Ma Xiaotao travels to Mingdu with Dai Yueheng to investigate Zhang Lexuan’s disappearance and hunt evil soul masters. Their disagreement over the urgency of the mission leads them to operate separately. 22

Rescue Infiltration

Following Dai Yueheng’s capture, she kidnaps palace maids and uses the subsequent recruitment drive to enter Prince Yan’s Palace under the identity of a low-level maid named “Xiaotao.” Xu Tianming recognizes her immediately but permits the infiltration to continue. 30 31 34

Battle at Prince Yan’s Palace

Ma Xiaotao breaks cover after deciding to protect Meng Hongchen, attempts to seize Xu Tianming as a hostage, and battles him openly. Despite her Rank 56 cultivation and later her evil-fire-enhanced Rank 60 power, she is defeated; Mu En intervenes before Xu Tianming’s Sinking Sun Slash can kill her. 36 38 39

Reckoning and Stabilization

Temporarily awakened by Xu Tianming’s power, Ma Xiaotao explains her infiltration to Mu En and admits that she imprisoned the maids. Nana’s exposure as an evil soul master shatters Ma Xiaotao’s belief that she had rescued an innocent victim. 44 45

Her evil fire subsequently worsens due to emotional upheaval. Xu Tianming agrees to suppress it for seven days, though he cannot cure it completely; Ma Xiaotao apologizes for her earlier actions and acknowledges the favor she owes him. 47

Relationships

• Dai Yueheng — Shrek Supervisory Group teammate. They argue over their mission and split up; Ma Xiaotao later risks infiltrating Prince Yan’s Palace to rescue him, chiefly to prevent consequences for Shrek Academy. 22 26 30
• Xu Tianming — Opponent and later benefactor. She infiltrates his residence and attacks him, but he defeats her and later suppresses her evil fire temporarily; she apologizes and promises repayment. 34 36 47
• Mu En — Shrek Academy’s dean and protector. He saves her from Xu Tianming’s finishing blow, places her into protective sleep, and presses Xu Tianming to assist with her condition. 39 47
• Yan Shaozhe — Her teacher and Shrek Academy mentor. Ma Xiaotao is identified as his personal disciple and later confesses that she lost to Xu Tianming and would have died without Mu En’s intervention. 34 54
• Nana — The apparent victim Ma Xiaotao tries to save during the palace incident. Nana is later revealed to be an evil soul master, leaving Ma Xiaotao shocked and emotionally devastated. 36 45
• Zhang Lexuan — Senior sister whom Ma Xiaotao is sent to locate. Ma Xiaotao initially assumes Zhang Lexuan’s strength will keep her safe, which contributes to her relaxed approach to the mission. 22