Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yu Xiaogang (玉小刚)
Alias(es)	Master
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Notting Junior Soul Master Academy; Tang San’s teacher
Occupation/Role	Soul Master theorist, martial-soul researcher, and instructor
First Appearance	11

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang is a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who built his reputation around researching martial souls and their mutations. He presents himself as the creator of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls and claims specialized insight into damaged, mutated, and unusual martial souls. 12

At Notting Junior Soul Master Academy, Yu reviews Gu Hengzhi’s enrollment record and initially finds his incomplete Stone Statue Martial Soul amusing. His attitude changes immediately after seeing Gu’s Innate Level-Five Soul Power; Yu becomes convinced that the martial soul may be an extraordinary mutation capable of validating his theories. 11 12

Yu offers to take Gu as a disciple while warning that the Stone Statue Martial Soul may cause cultivation deviation. Gu rejects the offer, accusing Yu of wanting a research subject whose success or failure could be used to advance Yu’s reputation. After being publicly humiliated over his own weak innate soul power and stalled cultivation, Yu abuses his authority to assign Gu to the dilapidated Seven House dormitory. 12

After Tang San becomes his disciple, Yu grows visibly warmer and more refined, no longer showing the same contempt toward people of low status. He devotes himself to Tang San’s cultivation, instructing him on soul rings, self-created soul skills, and the long-term development of Twin Martial Souls. 21 22 35

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang is a lean, middle-aged man with sharp eyes, neatly tied hair, and a habitual air of arrogance. He wears dark-green robes and maintains a composed, scholarly presentation even when concealing personal ambition. 11

• Lean build and sharp-eyed gaze. 11
• Dark-green robe and tied-back hair. 11
• His brows are described as carrying a lofty, arrogant expression. 11

Personality

Yu is highly conscious of his reputation as a martial-soul theorist. His interest in Gu Hengzhi’s Stone Statue Martial Soul quickly becomes possessive: internally, he sees Gu as a potential test subject and spokesperson for his theories. 12

He reacts poorly when his authority or achievements are challenged. After Gu refuses his mentorship and exposes his motives, Yu retaliates through academy authority rather than accepting the rejection. He later continues pressing Gu for private information about his martial soul, soul ring, and soul skills under the guise of research. 12 31

His treatment of Tang San reveals a more protective side. Yu comforts Tang after his defeat, encourages him to learn from failure, and strongly restrains him from prematurely adding soul rings to his second martial soul. 35

Power & Cultivation

Attribute	Details
Martial Soul	Luo Sanpao, a mutated martial soul described as pig-like. 22 28
Innate Soul Power	Half a level. 12 22
Soul Power	Rank 29. 22
Soul Rings	Possesses two hundred-year soul rings. 29
Cultivation limitation	Has not broken through to Soul Elder despite decades of cultivation. 12

Abilities & Skills

Martial Soul Theory

Yu has extensive theoretical knowledge of martial souls, mutations, soul-beast compatibility, and soul-ring absorption.

• Identifies Gu Hengzhi’s Stone Statue Martial Soul as an incomplete, potentially mutated martial soul. 12
• Correctly judges the 423-year Mandala Snake as highly compatible with Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass. 28
• Recognizes the possibility that Tang San’s first soul beast was mutating into a Golden Python and that its bloodline could alter Blue Silver Grass. 32
• Explains self-created soul skills as techniques developed through personal comprehension rather than granted by soul rings. 35
• Warns Tang San that adding soul rings to his second martial soul too early could ruin the potential to attach Myriad-Year or Hundred-Thousand-Year rings later. 35

Luo Sanpao

Luo Sanpao is Yu’s mutated martial soul and can detect nearby dangers.

• Detects the presence of a wounded snake-type soul beast in Spirit Hunting Forest. 29
• Its pig-like cries alert Yu and Tang San to danger. 28 29
• Yu’s low cultivation limits the practical power he can personally bring to dangerous soul-beast hunts. 22 29

Relationships

• Gu Hengzhi — Former prospective disciple turned adversary. Yu wants to study Gu’s Stone Statue Martial Soul, while Gu repeatedly rejects and mocks him. 12 28 31
• Tang San — Disciple. Yu accepts Tang after persuading him to kneel and treats his growth, soul rings, and future cultivation as personal priorities. 21 35
• Principal Wu — Friend and colleague at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. Wu reluctantly allows Yu to question Gu about his martial soul. 31
• Luo Sanpao — Yu’s mutated martial soul and companion in soul-beast hunting. 28 29
• Bibi Dong — Yu is described as having once been close to the Spirit Hall Pope, a connection Tang Hao considers while investigating the anonymous letters. 22

Story Role / Major Arcs

Gu Hengzhi’s Enrollment

Yu first meets Gu as an academy official reviewing his records. Gu’s incomplete Stone Statue Martial Soul and Innate Level-Five Soul Power ignite Yu’s ambition to research and guide him. 11 12

Failed Recruitment and Seven House Assignment

After Gu exposes Yu’s self-serving motives and challenges his belief that no martial soul is useless, Yu angrily assigns him to Seven House—the academy’s oldest and worst-maintained dormitory. 12 13

Tang San’s Master

Yu accepts Tang San as his disciple and uses the declaration that “a teacher for a day” is “a father for life” to secure Tang’s loyalty. His demeanor improves significantly after gaining a disciple with full innate soul power and Twin Martial Souls. 21 22

Spirit Hunting Forest Conflict

Yu and Tang San encounter Gu while pursuing the Mandala Snake. Yu requests the soul beast for Tang San, expecting his reputation to be enough, but Gu kills it instead and openly ridicules Yu’s martial soul and theories. 28

Herb-Garden Dispute and Soul Duel

Yu attempts to investigate Gu’s martial soul and defends Tang after Gu accuses him of stealing from the back-mountain herb garden. He accepts Gu’s duel proposal on Tang’s behalf, underestimates Gu’s capabilities, and watches Tang lose decisively. 31 32 34

Guidance After Defeat

Following Tang’s loss, Yu identifies Gu’s many techniques as self-created soul skills. He redirects Tang’s frustration into training while forbidding him from rashly cultivating his second martial soul. 35

Notable Quotes

“There are no useless martial souls, only useless Soul Masters.” 12

“A teacher for a day, a father for life.” 21