Ma Xiaotao

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ma Xiaotao (马小桃)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy
Occupation/Role	Shrek Academy’s strongest tournament participant; Inner Court disciple of Yan Shaozhe 5 10
Status	Deceased
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 70	7	Broke through after willingly embracing her evil fire rather than accept defeat to Lin Yuan; her Phoenix transformed into a Dark Phoenix and gained Ultimate Dark Phoenix Flame. The transformation purged the effects restricting her, but began consuming her reason. 7

Background

Xu Sanshi had previously helped Ma Xiaotao suppress her evil fire. His death during the tournament left her feeling both personally indebted and responsible for defending Shrek’s honor. She therefore volunteered to face Lin Yuan after he defeated Xu Sanshi, and Xuanzi explicitly instructed her not to hold back. 5

She entered the match convinced that Lin Yuan had killed Xu Sanshi through a “dirty trick,” dismissing his argument that Shrek had shown no mercy to Sun Moon Academy casualties, including Lin Xi. 5 6

Appearance

Ma Xiaotao fights in red robes and manifests phoenix wings wreathed in evil fire. Her flames initially carry a faint purple tint before darkening completely during her transformation. 6 7

• Her Dark Phoenix form is ink-black, with deep-purple eyes described as mad and bloodthirsty. 7
• Dark flames erupt from her back to form an additional pair of wings after her breakthrough. 7
• She wields the tiger-headed Tyrant Tiger Hellblade during the duel with Lin Yuan. 7

Personality

Ma Xiaotao is fiercely proud, aggressive, and deeply loyal to Shrek Academy. She regards defeat by the lower-ranked Lin Yuan as unacceptable because she believes Shrek’s glory rests on her victory. 7

Her anger over Xu Sanshi’s death and her belief in Shrek’s righteousness lead her to attack Lin Yuan with lethal intent from the beginning of their match. As the fight turns against her, pride outweighs self-preservation and drives her to embrace the dangerous evil fire within her. 5 6 7

Abilities & Skills

Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul

Ma Xiaotao possesses a Phoenix martial soul infused with evil fire. Her flames are highly destructive and can corrode an opponent’s meridians, hinder movement, and disrupt soul-skill circulation. 6

• Her firepower greatly exceeds Lin Yuan’s in raw soul power, forcing him to rely on elemental restraint and battlefield control. 6
• The evil fire is vulnerable to Lin Yuan’s Gui Water, which freezes soul-power circulation and specifically counters fire-type skills. 6
• Her flames become increasingly unstable as she loses control. 8

Phoenix Howling Heaven Strike

Her fourth soul skill creates a massive pillar of evil phoenix fire that erupts from the ground with wide-reaching shockwaves. 6

• Scorches and corrodes targets caught by its splashing flames. 6
• Was substantially weakened when Lin Yuan trapped her in a Gui Water prison. 6
• She later uses it again while charging Lin Yuan, attempting to break through his earth barriers. 6

Phoenix Meteor Shower

Her sixth soul skill rains explosive fire meteors over a large area. 6

• Creates extensive flame-covered terrain and powerful explosions. 6
• Was blocked by Lin Yuan’s Wu-Ji Yin-Yang Earth Escape before its follow-up charge was converted into a restraining swamp. 6

Dark Phoenix Transformation

At the brink of defeat, Ma Xiaotao voluntarily embraces her evil fire and transforms into a Dark Phoenix. 7

• Raises her cultivation to Rank 70 and grants Ultimate Dark Phoenix Flame. 7
• Burns away Lin Yuan’s restraints and negative effects. 7
• Intensifies her destructive power to the point that Jing Hongchen believes even a Soul Douluo may struggle against her. 7
• Gradually strips away her remaining reason, leaving her driven primarily by violent instinct. 8

Ultimate Dark Phoenix Flame

Her transformed black flame is vastly stronger than her original evil fire and can merge with her weapon attacks. 7 8

• Her flame-infused Tyrant Tiger Hellblade slash reaches the level of a Soul Sage’s full-strength attack. 8
• It cannot remove the Hades Sword’s Withering Force, which continues eroding her life force and soul power. 8

Equipment

• Tyrant Tiger Hellblade — Class 8 close-combat soul tool with a tiger-head motif; its blade light approaches Soul Sage-level power in Ma Xiaotao’s hands. 7

Relationships

• Xu Sanshi — Fellow Shrek student who helped suppress her evil fire; his death motivates her to challenge Lin Yuan. 5
• Lin Yuan — Tournament opponent. Ma Xiaotao seeks to kill him over Xu Sanshi’s death, but is suppressed, darkens during their battle, and is ultimately defeated by his Qilin Step. 5 6 7 9
• Xuanzi — Shrek elder who authorizes her all-out attack and rescues her after her defeat. His decision to seal her soul power prevents her from resisting the Hades Sword’s Withering Force and indirectly causes her death. 5 9 10
• Yan Shaozhe — Her master; her death leaves him devastated and demanding revenge. 10 19
• Huo Yuhao — Her sworn younger brother, who is overwhelmed by grief after her death. 11

Story Role / Major Arcs

Challenge to Lin Yuan

Following Xu Sanshi’s death, Ma Xiaotao steps forward as Shrek’s strongest available fighter. She accuses Lin Yuan of killing Xu Sanshi through underhanded means, while Lin Yuan counters by invoking the deaths of Chen An and Lin Xi. 5 6

Her initial offensive, including Phoenix Howling Heaven Strike and Phoenix Meteor Shower, is repeatedly disrupted by Lin Yuan’s Yin-Yang Water and Earth Escape techniques. As his elemental fusion skills restrain her soul power, weapon, movement, and mental state, she is pushed to the verge of defeat. 6 7

Darkening and Defeat

Refusing to accept defeat to a Soul Ancestor, Ma Xiaotao embraces her evil fire, breaks through to Rank 70, and becomes a Dark Phoenix. The transformation grants immense power but progressively destroys her reason. 7 8

Lin Yuan counters her berserk assault with the Hades Sword’s skeletal summons and Hades Slash, leaving Withering Force within her body. He then defeats her with Qilin Step, whose Chaos Power crushes her Ultimate Dark Phoenix Flame; Xuanzi catches her unconscious body. 8 9

Death

Xuanzi seals Ma Xiaotao’s soul power to stop her from awakening and darkening again. This leaves her unable to resist the residual Withering Force from Lin Yuan’s Hades Sword, which consumes her lifespan and sealed soul power until she dies. 10

Her death, alongside Xu Sanshi’s, contributes directly to Shrek Academy’s surrender and ends its ten-thousand-year tournament dominance. It also becomes a major political and personal loss for Shrek, particularly for Yan Shaozhe. 10 11 18

Notable Quotes

“I won't lose to a Soul Ancestor. Shrek's glory cannot be defiled!” 7

“Evil soul master, die!” 8