Xiong Ao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiong Ao (熊骜)
Alias(es)	General Xiong Ao; Old General Xiong Ao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Star Luo Empire; Dai Yunzhao's border forces and private army
Occupation/Role	Border general; commander of the Blood Character Battalion; battlefield commander
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul Emperor	9	Commands Dai Yunzhao's eight hundred border soldiers and is identified as a Soul Emperor.
Level 65 Soul Emperor	26	Breaks through to level 65 after having been stalled at level 61 for years.

Background / History

Xiong Ao was rescued by Dai Yunzhao from a pile of corpses years before the succession conflict. He considers his life to belong to Dai Yunzhao and later raises the prince's private army at the border. 18

He commands eight hundred soldiers whom Dai Yunzhao had led through repeated border campaigns. The men were born at the frontier, have families there, and remain fiercely loyal to their commander and Dai Yunzhao. 9

Appearance

A burly, battle-hardened general who is usually seen mounted or in armor.

• Wears armor stained with blood during the Heaven Dou campaign. 39
• Carries a golden blade. 27
• Commands troops under the Blood Character Battalion's banner. 26

Personality

Xiong Ao is fiercely loyal, blunt, and willing to die for Dai Yunzhao's cause. He treats battle and assassination as practical necessities shaped by years of fighting on the border. 17 18

He is also deeply protective of ordinary Star Luo soldiers. During the war against Heaven Dou, he accepts public disgrace and corporal punishment as part of a joint ruse, but worries that dying needlessly inside White Tiger Pass would be an unworthy end. 39 41

Abilities & Skills

Martial Power

Xiong Ao is a level 65 Soul Emperor and an experienced frontline combatant. 26

• Suppresses Zhu Zhuyun's soul power while she is held prisoner. 10
• His strength and battlefield reputation allow him to command the respect of veteran border troops. 9 39
• Personally executes a Zhu family elder who insults Dai Yunzhao. 27

Blue Panther Beast Martial Soul

Dai Yunzhao grants Xiong Ao a Blue Panther Beast martial soul alongside the eight hundred vanguard soldiers. 18

• The bestowed Black Panther Beast line combines beast-spirit agility with weapon-spirit ferocity. 18
• Xiong Ao receives the Blue Panther Beast, a higher-grade form than the standard Black Panther Beast bestowed to most soldiers. 18

Military Command

Xiong Ao is an accomplished border commander and one of Dai Yunzhao's principal military lieutenants.

• Organizes and leads Dai Yunzhao's eight hundred-man force. 9 17
• Coordinates the Three Gorges Pass ambush, igniting lamp oil and triggering the canyon fire trap. 19
• Commands the left flank during the war with Heaven Dou and achieves repeated victories. 36
• Is assigned to hold the northwestern gateway with Generals Cheng and Xue during Dai Yunzhao's three-front deployment. 34

Relationships

• Dai Yunzhao — His lord and rescuer. Xiong Ao raises Dai Yunzhao's private army, commands his border forces, and considers his own life to belong to him. 10 18
• Zhu Zhuyun — Initially guards her as Dai Yunzhao's prisoner; later explains Dai Yunzhao's political restraint and releases her restraints after she asks to witness the coming battle. 9 18
• Shadow — Fellow subordinate of Dai Yunzhao. Xiong Ao fights alongside Shadow during the confrontation with Dugu Bo and relies on Shadow's infiltration work during the Heaven Dou war. 22 34
• Generals Cheng and Xue — Fellow Star Luo commanders assigned with Xiong Ao to defend the northwestern gateway; later take command of the western army during the false disciplinary ruse. 34 40

Story Role / Major Arcs

Dai Yunzhao's Border Force

Xiong Ao assembles the eight hundred border soldiers who form Dai Yunzhao's initial private force after his departure from Star Luo. He keeps Zhu Zhuyun under guard while Dai Yunzhao and Shadow enter the Star Dou Forest. 9 10

After Dai Yunzhao returns, Xiong Ao provides intelligence on Dai Mubai's route, oversees the gathering of the eight hundred men, and receives the Blue Panther Beast martial soul. 17 18

Three Gorges Pass Ambush

Xiong Ao leads the opening of the ambush at Three Gorges Pass by ordering the ignition of lamp oil and initiating a rain of flaming arrows. 19

Following Dai Mubai's death, he affirms that the court and border generals will support Dai Yunzhao, while warning of Dugu Bo's approach. 22

Return to Star Luo

Xiong Ao returns to the border with Dai Mubai's corpse and deceives the waiting officials into believing he has rescued the Third Prince. He then reveals the truth and declares that the border troops have answered Dai Yunzhao's call. 26

He enforces Dai Yunzhao's authority at the border, executing a Zhu family elder for disrespect and delivering an ultimatum to the nobles of Star Luo City. 27

Heaven Dou War

As a senior commander, Xiong Ao leads Star Luo's left flank to continuing victories while the other fronts appear stalled. 36

He and Dai Yunzhao stage a public dispute at White Tiger Pass: Xiong Ao challenges the commander’s strategy, accepts one hundred military lashes, and appears to defect through a forged offer to serve Heaven Dou as an informant. The deception convinces Qian Renxue's forces to attempt an infiltration of White Tiger Pass. 39 40 41

Trivia

• Xiong Ao's troops are known as the Blood Character Battalion. 26
• He was selected to lead the vanguard among Dai Yunzhao's eight hundred men. 18
• Despite accepting a hundred lashes for the White Tiger Pass ruse, he loses consciousness after the fiftieth strike. 40