Flanders

Biodata

Appearance

Flanders is a middle-aged man recognizable by his crystal glasses and distinctive hooked nose. 45

• Usually wears crystal glasses. 45 48
• Has a hooked nose. 45
• His Cat Owl Martial Soul manifests as a phantom behind him. 47

Personality

Flanders is fiercely protective of Shrek Academy and its students. Even after acknowledging that Ma Hongjun initiated the Lantern Festival dispute, he regarded Gu Ling's retaliation as excessive and chose to seek redress personally. 40 41

His loyalty is tempered by pride and a strong concern for Shrek's reputation. He initially avoids bringing students to confront Gu Ling because he considers ganging up on a twelve-year-old dishonorable, but his ten-move challenge becomes increasingly personal after Gu Ling repeatedly outmaneuvers him. 45 47

Flanders is also pragmatic when confronted by a potentially overwhelming threat. After Gu Ling implies a connection to Bone Douluo Gu Rong, Flanders immediately withdraws his pressure and reframes the confrontation as a test of talent. He later conceals the outcome from his students to preserve face. 48 49

Despite his attachment to Shrek, Flanders puts its students' prospects ahead of his own pride when Qin Ming proposes a move to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He rebukes Yu Xiaogang for demanding Gu Ling's expulsion as a condition, arguing that Shrek otherwise lacks the qualifications to enter the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. He also intervenes when Yu Xiaogang's anger threatens to escalate confrontations. 58 60 106

Abilities & Skills

Soul Saint Cultivation

Flanders is a rank 78 Agility-Attack Battle Soul Saint with extensive combat experience, reflexes, physical conditioning, and battle instincts accumulated over decades. 46

• Can release Soul Saint-level pressure strong enough to scatter dust and leaves and crack the ground. 46 48
• Suppressed his soul power to approximately rank 37 during his challenge against Gu Ling. 46 47
• Retained superior physical ability and combat experience despite the suppression, making the challenge inherently uneven. 46
• Failed to touch Gu Ling within the agreed ten moves, even after breaking his own restrictions by raising his soul power, summoning his Martial Soul, and attempting a soul skill. 47 48
• Was unable to resist the pressure Dugu Bo exerted on the Shrek group at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. 71

Cat Owl Martial Soul

Flanders possesses the Cat Owl Martial Soul. 47

• Activation produces a Cat Owl phantom and reveals his Soul Rings. 47
• He intended to use the Martial Soul and a soul skill to prevent Gu Ling from evading with Void Dragon Assault. 47 48
• His attempted soul skill was interrupted when Gu Ling's Bone Prison Dragon's Roar disrupted his soul-power circulation. 48

Power Progression

Relationships

• Gu Ling — Adversary. Flanders pursued him over the injuries to Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, challenged him to a ten-move fight, then withdrew after Gu Ling implied a connection to Bone Douluo. 40 45 49
• Tang San — Student and ally in Shrek's response to Gu Ling. Tang San helped identify and search for Gu Ling, then informed Flanders after Xiao Wu's defeat. 41 44
• Dai Mubai — Student. Flanders brought the injured Dai back to Shrek Academy and sought an explanation from Gu Ling over his beating. 40 41
• Ma Hongjun — Student. Flanders reprimanded him for causing a scene and acknowledged that he started the dispute, but still sought to defend Shrek's dignity after his injuries. 40 45
• Oscar — Student who provided Recovery Sausages to the injured Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun; he also corrected Ma Hongjun's misleading account of the incident. 40
• Yu Xiaogang — Associate at Shrek Academy. Yu Xiaogang identified the Bone Dragon user as possibly being Gu Ling and shared his past grievances against him. Flanders later challenged Yu's demand that Gu Ling be expelled from Heaven Dou Royal Academy for Shrek's sake and restrained him after a tournament dispute. 40 44 60 106
• Ye Lingling — Witness to Flanders's confrontation with Gu Ling. She objected to the unfairness of his suppressed-rank challenge and called out his later violation of its conditions. 46 48
• Qin Ming — Former Shrek student and later instructor of the Imperial Dou Team. Flanders reunites warmly with him and considers his proposal to bring Shrek's teachers and students to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. 58 60
• Zhao Wuji — Shrek colleague who joins Flanders in welcoming their former student Qin Ming. Both are later unable to resist Dugu Bo's pressure at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. 58 71
• Liu Erlong — Associate whose attack on Gu Ling in Sunset Forest Flanders tries to stop, warning her of Gu Ling's possible connection to Bone Douluo and the danger to Ye Lingling. 81 84
• Dugu Bo — Titled Douluo whose pressure helps force Flanders and the Shrek group from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He later intervenes when Liu Erlong attacks Gu Ling near his Medicine Garden. 71 84
• Gu Rong — Bone Douluo, whom Flanders fears may retaliate if he harms Gu Ling. Gu Rong is later identified as Gu Ling's mentor and intervenes to defend him at the tournament. 48 106

Story Role / Major Arcs

Lantern Festival Fallout

Flanders arrives after Gu Ling defeats Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, takes the injured students back to Shrek Academy, and learns that Ma Hongjun initiated the dispute by trying to lift Ye Lingling's veil. Despite recognizing his student's fault, Flanders decides that Shrek's older generation must intervene. 40

He searches Soto City with Tang San but fails to find Gu Ling amid the Lantern Festival crowds. 41

Conflict at Soto Great Soul Arena

After Tang San reports Gu Ling's defeat of Xiao Wu, Flanders waits for Gu Ling to leave the Great Soul Arena rather than violate its rules. He follows Gu Ling and Ye Lingling into a secluded street and confronts him over the earlier injuries. 44 45

Flanders proposes a challenge: he will suppress himself to rank 37, refrain from using his Martial Soul and soul skills, and leave if Gu Ling lasts ten moves. Gu Ling accepts despite Ye Lingling's objection that Flanders's experience and physical abilities remain far beyond those of a Soul Elder. 46

Gu Ling evades and counters every exchange with spatial movement, bone spikes, and Bone Dragon-enhanced strength. Humiliated, Flanders abandons his restrictions during the final move, but Gu Ling disrupts his attempted soul skill and completes the ten-move condition. 47 48

When Gu Ling invokes his Gu surname and Bone Dragon Martial Soul, leading Flanders to suspect a connection to Bone Douluo Gu Rong, Flanders abandons the confrontation and lets Gu Ling leave. He later falsely tells the Shrek students that he merely gave Gu Ling a light lesson. 48 49

Imperial Dou Team Match and Shrek's Future

Flanders watches Shrek's team battle against the Imperial Dou Team alongside Yu Xiaogang. Noticing Yu Tianheng among their opponents, he raises Yu's estrangement from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; as the match continues, he becomes concerned that Yu is projecting his old humiliation onto Tang San's performance. When Tang San is left facing the entire Imperial Dou Team, Flanders concedes the match on Shrek's behalf. 52 53 57

After Yu Xiaogang protests the result and Tang San attempts to attack Gu Ling following the match, Flanders orders Tang San to put away his Eight Spider Lances. He then reunites with former Shrek student Qin Ming, now a Soul Emperor and the Imperial Dou Team's instructor. When Qin Ming proposes that Shrek join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Flanders rebukes Yu for demanding Gu Ling's expulsion, emphasizing the resources and tournament eligibility Shrek's students stand to gain. 58 60

Departure from Heaven Dou Royal Academy

Shrek's planned move to Heaven Dou Royal Academy fails after Dai Mubai clashes with Prince Xue Beng. Prince Xue Xing brings Dugu Bo before the Education Committee, and Dugu Bo's Titled Douluo pressure leaves Flanders, Zhao Wuji, and the others unable to resist. Despite the committee's efforts to retain them, Flanders departs with the Shrek group. 71

Sunset Forest and Tournament Confrontations

When a dispute over medicinal herbs brings Gu Ling into conflict with Tang San and Yu Xiaogang in Sunset Forest, Flanders steps between Gu Ling and Yu Xiaogang during their argument. As Liu Erlong moves against Gu Ling, Flanders warns her that Gu Ling may be connected to Bone Douluo and urges her not to harm Ye Lingling. Dugu Bo arrives and accuses the Shrek group of trespassing in his Medicine Garden and attacking one of his people. 81 84

At the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, Shrek is drawn against Gu Ling's Imperial Fighting Team. After all seven Shrek fighters are eliminated and Yu Xiaogang's complaint against the victors is rejected, Flanders restrains Yu when he rushes at Gu Ling. Gu Rong intervenes to defend his disciple, and Flanders takes Yu back toward the injured Shrek team. 102 105 106

Notable Quotes

“At Shrek Academy, when the young are beaten, the old will naturally step forward!” 40