Xuan Zi

Biodata

Background / History

Xuan Zi notices Gu Mingyuan during the freshman final and identifies his Golden Jade Body as a possible Ultimate Defense martial soul. Fearing that news of its potential could draw the Body Sect to Shrek, he orders the details concealed. His later examination reveals Gu’s second martial soul, the Demon’s Contract; finding darkness and judgment but no signs of an evil martial soul, Xuan Zi reassures Gu and reports his findings to Mu En. He grants Gu a Black-Level Sea God Token to support further study and training 21 23 29 30 31.

Xuan Zi oversees selection for a new Shrek Seven Devils reserve team, naming Gu its captain. During a subsequent mission in the Mingduo Mountains, he leaves his post and fails to prevent two student deaths and severe injuries to others. He reports his failure without concealment and asks to resign, but Mu En keeps him as an elder and teacher while removing his Supervisory Group duties 49 52 56.

The Mingduo Mountains disaster is not his first failure to protect students. He recalls an earlier tragedy in the Star Dou Great Forest, where his appetite distracted him from his responsibilities. The recurrence intensifies his remorse after the deaths of Chen Zifeng and Yao Haoxuan and the loss of Wang Yan’s arm 56 77.

During the tournament final, Xuan Zi intervenes when Ma Xiaotao’s power becomes uncontrollable, forcibly sealing her power and knocking her unconscious. After her dark power erupts again, he orders her returned to Shrek for treatment 75 76.

After the tournament, Xuan Zi personally escorts Gu and Huo Yuhao away from the main Shrek group to protect them from the Body Sect. Du Busi and two other Body Sect experts intercept them. Under pressure, and after Yu Xiaogang appears and insists on Huo Yuhao’s importance, Xuan Zi pulls Huo closest to him and leaves Gu behind a separate barrier. A third party then takes Gu through a spatial passage, leaving an exploding body in his place. Xuan Zi reports Gu missing and later helps Mu En investigate what happened 77 78 79 80 81 83 89 90.

Tang Ya’s Attempted Retrieval and the One-Year Pact

After Shrek receives reports that Huo Yuhao has encountered Tang Ya in Ming Capital, Xuan Zi goes to investigate. He finds her and urges her to return, explaining that Bei Bei has been desperately searching for her. He discovers that the Holy Spirit Cult’s Brand has grown into her Heart Meridian and says that removing it requires a safe location. Tang Ya asks to remain after its removal and admits that her rapid cultivation comes from devouring the life force of plants and Soul Beasts; Xuan Zi condemns the method and orders her to stop 104 109 112.

When Tang Ya continues refusing to return, Xuan Zi knocks her unconscious, suppresses the Brand, and carries her out of Ming Capital. Zhongli Wu and Zhang Peng intercept him outside the city. During their confrontation, Xuan Zi also demands answers about Gu Mingyuan’s disappearance, but Zhongli Wu mocks his earlier decision to prioritize Huo Yuhao 114.

The ensuing battle leaves Xuan Zi unable to escape while protecting Tang Ya. Zhang Peng repeatedly attacks her barrier, forcing him to divide his strength, while Zhongli Wu presses him with the Bone Dragon King. Xuan Zi eventually sets Tang Ya down and admits defeat, but Zhongli Wu seizes her and threatens to erase her memories of Shrek and Bei Bei. To preserve her mind, Xuan Zi promises that, for one year, the Supervisory Group will not actively assign missions against the Holy Spirit Cult so long as the cult does not go too far in front of Shrek’s people. He leaves Tang Ya with the cult and returns to Shrek 115 116.

Xuan Zi reports the agreement to the Sea God Pavilion. Concerned about the consequences of allowing Evil Soul Masters freedom to act, he proposes withdrawing conspicuous operations and younger students while allowing experienced Inner Court disciples to discreetly eliminate isolated enemies without leaving evidence. Other elders warn that this risks Tang Ya’s mind. Mu En orders the withdrawal of large-scale, public operations against the Holy Spirit Cult 121 122.

Seven Great Sects Assembly

Xuan Zi suspects that the Sun Moon Empire’s new Seven Great Sects selection is intended to give the Holy Spirit Cult a legitimate public position. He angrily volunteers to investigate in person, though Mu En initially tells him to leave the arrangements to Yan Shaozhe and attend to the inspection lists 123.

He later accompanies Shrek’s delegation to Ming Capital and permits Bei Bei to join on the condition that he obey the group’s orders. At the assembly, the One-Year Pact prevents Xuan Zi from openly confronting Zhongli Wu while the latter observes the event’s rules. Xuan Zi also warns Yan Shaozhe to watch the newly emerged Myriad Manifestations Sect closely after its roster reveals a Titled Douluo and a Level Seven Soul Engineer 126 130.

Procuring a Body and Tang San’s Return

When Huo Yuhao requests a talented body for Yu Xiaogang’s resurrection, Xuan Zi initially denounces the proposal as the evil practice of stealing another person’s vessel. His opposition collapses when Tang San takes control of Huo Yuhao and issues the same demand. Recognizing the Sea God’s divine signs and fearing his authority, Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe agree to obey 136 137.

Xuan Zi volunteers to carry out the abduction himself and accept the blame if it becomes public. He cites his accumulated failures—the Star Dou tragedy, the Death God Envoy disaster, Gu Mingyuan’s disappearance, Tang Ya’s failed retrieval, and the One-Year Pact—as stains that can no longer be washed away. He argues that Yan Shaozhe, as Shrek’s future public representative, should not be implicated 137.

Seeking a victim whose disappearance will be difficult to trace to Shrek, Xuan Zi travels to the overseas Sea God Island. He rationalizes taking someone from the island as a contribution to the Sea God, then returns with an unconscious boy of about eight years old who possesses a Sea Dragon martial soul. Although the body was requested for Yu Xiaogang, Tang San ultimately takes possession of it 139 140 144.

Xuan Zi welcomes Tang San back to the mortal world and agrees to escort him to Shrek to obtain a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone. Before they leave, an explosion at Mingde Hall draws Tang San’s attention to the sealed Soul Beast embryo, and he orders Xuan Zi to take him there. Tang San also instructs him and Yan Shaozhe to keep his descent secret because it lacks the Divine Realm Committee’s approval 144.

Mingde Hall Conflict and Return to Shrek

At Mingde Hall, Xuan Zi initially hesitates to help Jing Hongchen fight Du Busi, reasoning that risking himself for Sun Moon assets is not in Shrek’s interest. Under Tang San’s orders, however, he enters the battle and forcibly separates the combatants. The God-Sealing Platform is subsequently found missing, and Jing Hongchen threatens to prevent Shrek’s group from leaving 146 147.

The Imperial Family Soul Engineer Corps’ concentrated firepower puts both Xuan Zi and Du Busi at a disadvantage. While Xuan Zi attempts to relieve pressure on Yan Shaozhe, Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling attack him together. Feng Ling’s evil fire enters his meridians, and the Bone Dragon King tears a large piece of flesh from his left forearm. He drives them back with an ocher shock wave, applies medicinal powder, and suppresses the invading fire with Soul Power 153.

After Kong Deming halts the bombardment and threatens retaliation against the original three empires, Xuan Zi promises that Shrek will investigate, convene a Sea God Pavilion meeting, and provide compensation and an accounting. He warns that attacks on civilians will void his promises, then orders Yan Shaozhe to withdraw with Tang San and Huo Yuhao 153 154.

Returning to Shrek with his arm still bleeding, Xuan Zi immediately rings the pavilion’s council bell. He initially tries to discuss Mingde Hall without explaining the unfamiliar child beside him, but Tang San’s impatience forces him to announce the Sea God’s return. He admits to obtaining a suitable body overseas; the assembled elders understand that the original owner is gone, but do not pursue the matter further 157 158.

Confrontation at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

After Tang San obtains his second Soul Ring, Mu En assigns Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe to accompany him to Sunset Forest to retrieve medicinal herbs. Xuan Zi’s left arm still contains residual evil fire poison, which had earlier prevented him from accompanying Tang San on the soul-ring hunt 162.

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Xuan Zi recognizes the living Gu Mingyuan and angrily demands to know why he did not return to Shrek after escaping. Gu refuses to return and states that he is now in the Sun Moon Empire. Xuan Zi brings his rank 98 pressure to bear before Yan Shaozhe intervenes to speak more gently 167 171.

When Gu accuses Shrek of deliberately abandoning him and threatens to publicize Tang San’s return, Xuan Zi threatens to teach him a lesson. On Tang San’s command, he and Yan Shaozhe attempt to seize Gu, only to be intercepted by the Snow Empress possessing White Demon. Xuan Zi tries to reach past her after she repels Yan Shaozhe, then redirects his attack into a forceful palm strike against her 173.

White Demon’s Ultimate Cold and Soul Power-eroding demonic energy disrupt his attack, allowing her close-range counterstrike to drive him back two steps. His injured left arm hampers his balance, though he shatters the frost spreading over his right hand with his own Soul Power. Unable to identify his opponent, he demands to know whether she is an Evil Soul Master or a Soul Beast. The confrontation remains unresolved as Tang San proposes a Spiritual Power wager to Gu 174.

Appearance

Xuan Zi is an elderly man whose disheveled appearance contrasts with his standing at Shrek 29.

• Scruffy, bird’s-nest hair 29.
• Frequently carries a wine gourd and eats chicken 23 29 109.
• Suffers a severe left-forearm wound during the Mingde Hall conflict; residual evil fire and the injury continue affecting him during the later Sunset Forest expedition 153 157 162 174.

Personality

Xuan Zi is direct with students and willing to back talent with academy resources, but he makes the expectations attached to those privileges clear. He judges Gu’s dark second martial soul by its traits and potential use rather than its appearance 29 30 44.

His failures as a protector weigh heavily on him. After the Mingduo Mountains mission, he accepts responsibility and offers to resign; after Gu’s disappearance, he openly admits that he shifted his protection toward Huo Yuhao 56 83.

He strongly condemns cultivation through devouring life force and initially rejects stealing a body for Yu Xiaogang as an Evil Soul Master’s practice. Nevertheless, his reverence for Tang San and determination to protect Shrek’s reputation override those objections. He knowingly abducts an innocent prodigy and offers to bear the public condemnation himself, describing the deed as another stain among his accumulated failures 112 136 137 139 140.

His concern for Tang Ya is intertwined with Bei Bei’s devotion to her and Mu En’s declining health. Although he is personally frustrated with her, he hopes that bringing her back will relieve their distress. Zhongli Wu exploits this attachment to force the One-Year Pact, leaving Xuan Zi torn between preserving her mind and preventing further harm by Evil Soul Masters 115 116 121 122.

His guilt does not prevent him from reacting angrily when Gu challenges Shrek’s treatment of him. At their reunion, he demands Gu’s return, threatens punishment for his defiance, and obeys Tang San’s order to seize him 171 173.

Abilities & Skills

Godly Taotie Bull and Soul Power

• Possesses rank 98 power and can exert pressure strong enough to stop Body Sect experts in their tracks 70.
• Uses Soul Power to carry Gu Mingyuan and Huo Yuhao through the air and to shield them during Du Busi’s ambush 78.
• Can manifest a massive earth-yellow bull through his Godly Taotie Bull Martial Soul Avatar 79.
• Produces thick protective barriers, walls, and powerful palm strikes with earth-yellow Soul Power. His clash with Zhongli Wu uproots surrounding trees 114 115.
• While using his Martial Soul True Body, releases an ocher shock wave powerful enough to repel Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling simultaneously 153.
• Can forcibly seal Ma Xiaotao’s unstable power and render her unconscious 75 76.

Martial Soul Assessment

• Identifies the possibility that Gu’s Golden Jade Body has Ultimate Defense before a true Body Martial Soul second awakening 23 30.
• Examines Gu’s concealed Demon’s Contract and distinguishes its dark aura from the traits he associates with an evil martial soul 29.
• Revises Gu’s academy file after finding no evidence of a completed second awakening 30.
• Personally tests Gu’s full-strength Golden Jade Strength Transformation punch, stopping it without moving and recognizing that its force exceeds the normal capabilities of a three-ring Soul Elder 43.

Brand Suppression and Internal Control

• Detects the Holy Spirit Cult’s Brand within Tang Ya’s Heart Meridian and states that he can remove it in a safe location. He suppresses it before carrying her away, but the attempted retrieval ends before removal occurs 112 114.
• Uses circulating Soul Power to suppress Feng Ling’s evil fire after it invades his wounded arm. This does not immediately eliminate the poison, which persists after his return to Shrek 153 162.

Combat Limitations

• Protecting weaker companions divides his strength and limits his options. Against Zhongli Wu and Zhang Peng, guarding Tang Ya prevents him from freely assuming his Godly Taotie Bull form 114 115.
• Concentrated fire from the Sun Moon Imperial Family Soul Engineer Corps, supported by Level 9 Soul Engineers and a Linked Array, repeatedly prevents him from breaking out of the Mingde Hall battlefield 153.
• White Demon’s demonic power can locally erode and loosen his protective Soul Power without fully breaching his rank 98 defenses. Combined with Ultimate Cold and his existing arm injury, this allows her to repel his attempt to seize Gu 174.

Power Progression

Equipment / Items

• Wine gourd — habitually carried at his waist; later described as purplish-red 29 43 56 123.
• Black-Level Sea God Token — issued to Gu Mingyuan; provides academy discounts and restricted research access 30.
• Red-Level Treasure Pavilion VIP Card — given to Gu with a warning that the academy will monitor its use 44.
• Storage Soul Tool — used to store items, including the Red-Level VIP Card before he gives it to Gu 44.
• Medicinal powder — applied to his mangled left forearm during the Mingde Hall conflict 153.
• Storage Soul Tool prepared for Tang San — holds the ordinary iron trident Tang San uses to demonstrate the Golden Thirteen Halberds before the Sea God Pavilion 158.

Relationships

• Mu En — Sea God Pavilion leader to whom Xuan Zi reports Gu’s abilities and his own mission failures; Mu En holds him accountable rather than accepting his resignation. Xuan Zi also hopes that retrieving Tang Ya will ease the concerns of the ailing Mu En, and later accompanies Tang San to seek herbs that might help him 31 56 89 115 162.
• Gu Mingyuan — student whose potential Xuan Zi supports and protects. Gu’s disappearance while under his escort becomes a source of guilt. Their reunion turns hostile when Gu accuses Shrek of deliberate abandonment, refuses to return, and threatens to reveal Tang San’s presence; Xuan Zi subsequently attempts to seize him 23 30 44 78 82 171 173 174.
• Huo Yuhao — student Xuan Zi protects during the Body Sect ambush; he later seeks Huo’s account of Tang Ya’s appearance in Ming Capital. Tang San uses Huo’s body to intimidate Xuan Zi into procuring a vessel, after Xuan Zi initially condemns the request as an evil practice 78 79 109 136 137.
• Du Busi — Body Sect leader who tries to take Gu and Huo from Xuan Zi, leading to a fight between the two rank 98 Titled Douluo. Xuan Zi later interrupts Du Busi’s attack at Mingde Hall on Tang San’s orders; both men subsequently face the Sun Moon Empire’s overwhelming artillery 78 147 153.
• Yu Xiaogang — remnant soul whose claim to be Tang San’s teacher initially influences Xuan Zi’s judgment; Xuan Zi later becomes disillusioned with his behavior. Although he recognizes body theft on Yu Xiaogang’s behalf as an evil method, he agrees to perform it after Tang San intervenes. The procured body is ultimately occupied by Tang San instead 79 86 136 137 140 144.
• Wang Yan — injured team teacher whose resolve to remain with the tournament team Xuan Zi reluctantly accepts 56.
• Tang Ya — missing Shrek student whom Xuan Zi tries to bring back from Ming Capital. He condemns her life-devouring cultivation but agrees to a one-year halt in active anti-cult assignments to prevent Zhongli Wu from destroying her memories 112 114 115 116.
• Bei Bei — Xuan Zi recognizes that Tang Ya’s disappearance prevents Bei Bei from settling his mind. His concern for Bei Bei helps motivate the retrieval attempt, and he later allows Bei Bei to accompany Shrek’s delegation under strict orders 112 115 126.
• Zhongli Wu and Zhang Peng — Holy Spirit Cult enemies who overwhelm him while he protects Tang Ya and force the One-Year Pact upon him. Zhongli Wu later participates in the attack that wounds him at Mingde Hall 114 115 153.
• Feng Ling — Holy Spirit Cult expert whose coordinated attack with Zhongli Wu causes his severe left-arm injury and leaves lingering evil fire in his meridians 153 162.
• Yan Shaozhe — fellow Shrek leader who shares his encounters with Tang San. Xuan Zi takes personal responsibility for procuring a body partly to protect Yan Shaozhe’s standing as the academy’s future public face. They later escort Tang San and jointly attempt to seize Gu at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well 137 140 144 162 173.
• Tang San — revered Shrek ancestor whose apparent divine authority overrides Xuan Zi’s objections to body theft. Xuan Zi abducts a talented child, escorts the reincarnated Tang San, announces his return to the pavilion, and obeys his command to seize Gu Mingyuan 137 139 140 144 158 173.
• Snow Empress / White Demon — intercepts Xuan Zi while possessing Gu’s summoned White Demon body. Her counterattack forces him back, but he does not identify her true nature and questions whether she is an Evil Soul Master or a Soul Beast 173 174.

Notable Quotes

“Darkness doesn't mean evil, and unfamiliarity doesn't mean danger.” 29

“He's not for trade.” 78

“I promised to be there if you needed me... but I wasn't where I should have been.” 56

“A body with outstanding potential so he can return to the world of the living? That is clearly the evil cult practice of stealing another person's vessel!” 136

“The stains on me can no longer be washed away. One more will make little difference.” 137

“This is indeed a method of the Holy Spirit Cult, but Shrek, as it stands now, has no choice but to do it.” 137

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