Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	“Master”; Teacher Yu
Gender	Male
Occupation/Role	Martial soul theorist; instructor at Shrek Academy; Tang San’s master
Affiliation	Nuoding Academy; Shrek Academy
Cultivation	Rank 29 Great Soul Master at age 47 4
Martial Soul	Luo San Pao
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Power Progression

Cultivation	Period	Notes
Rank 29 Great Soul Master	Age 47	Yu Xiaogang had remained below Rank 30 despite decades of cultivation when he sought a position at Nuoding Academy. 4

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang came to Nuoding Academy seeking a place to continue his martial soul research. He told Principal Li that he required no pay; he wanted to refine his theories and hoped to encounter a talented student he could accept as a disciple. The academy could not hire him as a guest instructor because of limited funds. 4

Upon meeting Lin Chen and Tang San during their enrollment, Yu Xiaogang offered them guidance based on his theoretical knowledge. Lin Chen publicly challenged his qualifications, citing Yu Xiaogang’s age, Rank 29 cultivation, lack of published accomplishments, and absence of disciples. Unable to answer Lin Chen’s questions about his achievements or students, Yu Xiaogang left the Academic Affairs Office in humiliation. 4

Later, Yu Xiaogang encountered Tang San alone after class. He recognized that Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass possessed innate full soul power and argued that it was therefore an unusual, beneficial mutation rather than ordinary Blue Silver Grass. He offered Tang San daily instruction in martial soul theory and cultivation, admitting that he wanted a successful disciple to prove his theories were valid. Tang San accepted him as his master. 10

Yu Xiaogang took Tang San to Spirit Hunting Forest intending to secure a Mandala Snake spirit ring, which he considered suited to Blue Silver Grass. His plan failed when Tang San was forced to absorb a ten-year Lone Bamboo spirit ring after being attacked by the plant-type soul beast. Yu Xiaogang blamed himself for failing to protect his disciple and returned to the academy determined to help Tang San make use of the resulting skill. 11 12

By the time Tang San studied at Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang had become involved in the academy’s training and instruction. He imposed demanding weighted running drills on Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, while Shrek’s training regimen also included medicinal baths. 54

When Tang San and Oscar reached Rank 30, Yu Xiaogang prepared individualized soul-beast recommendations for their third soul rings. He advised Tang San to seek a thousand-year venom-type soul beast, preferably a Man Faced Demon Spider, while recommending a similarly aged flying-type soul beast for Oscar. 58

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a thin middle-aged man in his forties, described as being as lean as a bamboo pole. He wears a faded gray robe and has high cheekbones, a sparse goatee, and a stern expression. 4 10

• Faded gray robe, repeatedly described as worn pale from washing. 4 10
• High cheekbones and several sparse strands of goatee. 4
• Carries himself with an initially self-important, scholarly air. 4

Personality

Yu Xiaogang is proud of his theoretical knowledge and initially presents himself as an authority on martial souls. When Lin Chen challenges his cultivation and record, however, he is left deeply humiliated and unable to defend his claims with concrete achievements. 4

Despite this insecurity, he is sincere in his pursuit of martial soul theory. He openly tells Tang San that he wants to cultivate an outstanding disciple to demonstrate that his lifelong research is not merely empty writing. His conviction in the principle that “there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters” is portrayed as stubborn and deeply held. 10

As Tang San’s master, Yu Xiaogang is attentive and remorseful. After Tang San obtains the unsuitable Lone Bamboo ring, he is visibly devastated, accepts responsibility for the failure, and tries to encourage Tang San by focusing on the soul skill’s practical uses. 11 12

Yu Xiaogang is also strict in training. At Shrek Academy, he directs students through physically punishing weighted endurance exercises, reflecting his belief that rigorous discipline is necessary for cultivation. 54

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang has spent most of his life studying martial souls, including their traits, soul-ring combinations, and cultivation paths. He particularly claims expertise regarding Blue Silver Grass. 10

• Identified Tang San’s innate full soul power as evidence that his Blue Silver Grass was not ordinary. 10
• Planned to obtain a Mandala Snake ring for Tang San, believing its venom and Entanglement skill would complement a control-type Blue Silver Grass martial soul. 12
• Recognized that Lone Bamboo’s hardening attribute was theoretically unsuitable for Blue Silver Grass because it would compromise flexibility. 11
• Recommended a thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider as Tang San’s third soul ring because of its venomous traits, while proposing a flying soul beast for Oscar’s third ring. 58
• His theories lack documented successful disciples before Tang San. 4

Training and Instruction

Yu Xiaogang provides Tang San with daily theoretical and cultivation instruction and later participates in Shrek Academy’s training of Tang San and his fellow students. 10 54

• Designed Tang San’s early cultivation path around the acquisition of an appropriate first soul ring. 10 12
• Ordered Shrek students to carry forty jin of weight while running twenty-five laps around the village. 54
• Prepared personalized soul-beast selection plans for Tang San and Oscar upon their advancement to Rank 30. 58

Luo San Pao

Yu Xiaogang’s martial soul is Luo San Pao. During the Lone Bamboo incident, he summoned it and used a yellow beam attack to strike the attacking plant, freeing Tang San. 11

• Possesses at least one yellow soul ring. 11
• Its demonstrated attack was not enough to prevent Tang San from beginning the spirit-ring absorption process. 11

Relationships

• Tang San — Master and disciple. Yu Xiaogang sees Tang San as the opportunity to validate his theories, while Tang San seeks his guidance to become stronger. Yu Xiaogang continues to plan Tang San’s soul-ring path and train him at Shrek Academy. 10 54 58
• Lin Chen — Publicly humiliated Yu Xiaogang at Nuoding Academy, dismissing him as an unqualified theorist with no practical achievements. 4
• Principal Li — Refused Yu Xiaogang’s request to serve as a guest instructor because Nuoding Academy had limited funds. 4
• Flender — Fellow Shrek Academy staff member. Yu Xiaogang discusses Shrek affairs and the academy’s former student Ning Rongrong with him. 58
• Oscar — A Shrek student whom Yu Xiaogang advises on selecting a flight-capable third soul-ring skill. 58
• Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun — Shrek students subjected to Yu Xiaogang’s weighted running training alongside Tang San and Oscar. 54

Story Role / Major Arcs

Nuoding Academy Enrollment

Yu Xiaogang first appears while attempting to secure a place at Nuoding Academy. His attempt to recruit Lin Chen and Tang San is interrupted when Lin Chen challenges his cultivation, theory, and lack of accomplishments, driving him away in disgrace. 4

Taking Tang San as a Disciple

After seeing Tang San’s isolation and dissatisfaction, Yu Xiaogang approaches him privately and offers specialized guidance for Blue Silver Grass. Tang San becomes his first documented disciple. 10

Spirit Hunting Forest

Yu Xiaogang leads Tang San into Spirit Hunting Forest to seek a Mandala Snake ring. Instead, Tang San absorbs a ten-year Lone Bamboo ring and gains Blue Silver Pole Vault, leaving Yu Xiaogang regretful over the damaged start to his disciple’s cultivation path. 11 12

Shrek Academy Training

At Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang oversees harsh physical training for Tang San and several other students, ordering them to complete weighted endurance runs. 54

Third Soul-Ring Expedition

After Tang San and Oscar attain Rank 30, Yu Xiaogang develops their third soul-ring plans. He recommends a thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider for Tang San and a flying soul beast for Oscar before Zhao Wuji leads the group to the Star Dou Great Forest. 58

Notable Quotes

“There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters.” 10

“I have written theories my whole life, and no one has acknowledged them. But if I can raise an outstanding soul master, then my theories will no longer be empty words on paper.” 10