Yan Shaozhe

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yan Shaozhe (言少哲)
Alias(es)	Dean Yan 6 17
Gender	Male 17 18
Affiliation	Shrek Academy; Sea God’s Pavilion 18 29
Occupation/Role	Martial Soul Department Dean; Mu En’s personal disciple 18 22
Martial Soul	Bright Phoenix 25 36
Cultivation	Super Douluo; nine soul rings 24 25
Status	Alive; reinstated as Martial Soul Department Dean after dismissal. His eligibility to inherit the Sea God’s Pavilion was revoked 29 42 48
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 6; appears directly in Chapter 17 6 17

Background / History

Mu En’s disciple and Shrek dean

Yan Shaozhe was once Mu En’s favored personal disciple and a prospective successor to the Sea God’s Pavilion. Mu En later acknowledged that his own injuries and declining health had left him little opportunity to discipline Yan. During his decades as dean, Yan developed the Martial Soul Department aggressively while suppressing the Soul Tool Department 18 48.

His personal relationships also complicated Shrek’s leadership. Mu En described his entanglements with Xian Lin’er, Qian Duoduo, and Cai Mei’er, as well as an Evil Phoenix outside the academy. Ye Yulin later identified a past relationship with Feng Ling when discussing possible explanations for Yan’s conduct 18 31.

Conflict over Ling Luochen

Yan’s sole personal disciple, Ma Xiaotao, benefited from Ling Luochen’s repeated suppression of her uncontrolled evil fire. The burden cost Ling cultivation time and contributed to her decision to leave Shrek after graduation 6 8.

When Ling developed close ties with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, Yan deliberately kept Zhang Lexuan from intervening in a confrontation between Ling and Xiaotao. He admitted that he wanted Xiaotao to teach Ling a lesson, treating outside recruitment of Shrek’s promising students as an affront to the academy 17.

Challenged by Zhang, Yan openly acknowledged that Shrek’s treatment of Ling was unfair. He nevertheless defended favoritism toward Xiaotao because she would remain at the academy and inherit his position. He regarded students’ service—including thirty dangerous Inspection Corps missions—as repayment for their training and prestige, then warned Zhang that he would deny these admissions before outsiders 18.

Death Canyon pursuit

Yan accompanied Shi Xing, Mo Yun, and Bi Yangde to Death Canyon while Bi sought his seventh soul ring. Initially, he stayed behind the hunters and warned them not to enter the forbidden core 22 23.

The graduates encountered Yu Tianjun and Yu Xiaoying after Tianjun absorbed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger’s soul ring. They demanded access to his martial soul, soul skills, and external soul bone, but withdrew after Tianjun presented tokens from the Heaven Dou and Star Luo royal families. Yan then appeared and authorized pursuit, portraying Tianjun’s talent and refusal to submit to Shrek as evidence of a future threat 24.

Yan encouraged Bi Yangde’s plan to devour Tianjun and permitted the graduates to claim his external soul bone. To overcome Shi Xing’s hesitation, he suggested that Shi could become Shrek City’s next lord. He also promised to block the fugitives’ escape routes 24.

The ensuing battle forced Yan to confront Tianjun’s ultimate darkness. Although he defeated Xiaoying’s Shadow Dragon in their Martial Soul Avatar clash, he nearly lost a wing. His regret over failing to recruit Tianjun hardened into a determination to kill him before the newly created feud could threaten Shrek 25.

During the pursuit, Yan interrupted his attack to rescue Shi Xing, whose wound he could not heal. Tianjun subsequently devoured Bi Yangde to recover his strength, while the uncle and nephew fled into the canyon’s core 25.

There, the Cold Ash Black Flood Dragon Emperor poisoned Yan’s injured wing. Yan used Phoenix Nirvana to purge the poison and briefly regain full strength, then unleashed Phoenix Descent, his ninth soul skill. He believed the attack killed both fugitives; they actually survived through Red Dust Protection, Darkness Escape, and a staged death involving Xiaoying’s sacrificed right leg 26.

The Dark Prison Lion Emperor seized the discarded soul bones and forced Yan to retreat with Shi Xing and Mo Yun. A Blood Bat ambush on their return journey inflicted further injuries, costing Shi Xing an arm and disfiguring Mo Yun 26 29.

Dismissal and political fallout

At the Sea God’s Pavilion, Yan reported the apparent deaths and offered to resign. Several elders initially defended him or favored concealing the incident. Mu En rejected Yan’s display of remorse, accepted the resignation, barred him from inheriting the Pavilion, and ordered him to kneel publicly for seven days before entering seclusion. Zhuang Yusheng became acting Martial Soul Department Dean 29.

Yan’s attack drove the surviving Tianjun to seek protection at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and pursue revenge against Shrek. Ling Luochen also left Shrek, citing both the attack and Yan’s favoritism. Heaven Dou’s investigation attributed the attempted assassination to Yan, but its emperor admitted that the empire lacked the strength to retaliate 30 36 45.

Long Xiaoyao suspected Yan of being a Holy Spirit Cult infiltrator; Kong Deming independently considered the same possibility. These suspicions remain unconfirmed in the provided events, and Mu En explicitly denied that Yan could be an Evil Soul Master 27 31 32.

Reinstatement and student complaints

While Ma Xiaotao’s evil fire remained uncontrolled, she attacked Chen San—the reborn Tang San—and Ning Tian, whose mind housed Ning Rongrong’s divine consciousness. Yan ordered treatment and compensation, but also demanded that the victims forget the incident or face expulsion 35 41.

After Shrek mistakenly concluded that Zhang Lexuan and Wu Ming had died during a soul hunt, Yan accepted departmental responsibility and proposed safeguards. Mu En reinstated him as Martial Soul Department Dean while ordering stronger protection for future expeditions 42.

When Chen San and Ning Tian later challenged the inadequate compensation for Xiaotao’s attack, Yan refused to apologize. He declared that Outer Court students were not entitled to equal standing with Inner Court disciples and told them to become strong enough to challenge Xiaotao and himself. Privately, he presented this treatment as a way to teach Chen San diligent cultivation 48.

Appearance

• Human form: An elderly man in white robes, described with a cold, pale face during the Death Canyon confrontation 17 24.
• Martial Soul Avatar: A radiant Bright Phoenix surrounded by nine soul rings 25.
• Battle injuries: During the pursuit of Tianjun and Xiaoying, only his right wing remained fully luminous; his phoenix eyes became scarlet and chilling 25.

Personality

Yan places Shrek’s institutional power above impartial education. He distinguishes between students who will strengthen the academy permanently and those who will eventually leave, openly defending unequal treatment on that basis. He also views Shrek as a powerful Soul Master organization first and an academy second 17 18.

He is calculating, authoritarian, and protective of his favored disciple. He uses advancement prospects to secure obedience, invokes public safety to justify violence, and refuses redress to weaker students. His claim that he “only recognize[s] strength” extends even to heirs of prestigious sects 24 41 48.

His ruthlessness coexists with fear of consequences. In Death Canyon, he regrets losing the chance to recruit Tianjun, worries about Mu En’s reaction, and ultimately abandons the soul bones rather than risk death against the Dark Prison Lion Emperor. Mu En also recognizes his attempted resignation as a self-serving performance rather than adequate accountability 25 26 29.

Abilities & Skills

Bright Phoenix Martial Soul

• Grants flight and a radiant phoenix form through Martial Soul Avatar 22 25.
• Produces flames of light approaching ultimate fire 25.
• Overpowers Yu Xiaoying’s Shadow Dragon in their Avatar clash, though at substantial cost 25.
• Its light attribute is suppressed by Tianjun’s ultimate darkness, contributing to Yan’s severe wing injury 25.

Light-Based Concealment and Perception

• Spreads light soul power to block outside sight and sound during his private conversation with Zhang Lexuan 18.
• Sees through Tianjun’s Level 6 Mortal Dust Hundred Forms disguise and identifies him as a four-ring Soul Ancestor 24.

Phoenix Nirvana

• Burns away poison introduced into his injured wing by the Cold Ash Black Flood Dragon Emperor 26.
• Briefly restores him to full strength, allowing him to renew the pursuit 26.

Ninth Soul Skill: Phoenix Descent

• Enlarges his Phoenix True Body to a wingspan of nearly one thousand meters 26.
• Delivers the strike he believes killed Tianjun and Xiaoying; their defensive soul tool and escape technique allow them to survive 26.

Cultivation and Healing Limits

• Cannot heal the wound Tianjun inflicts on Shi Xing with Qilin Soul-Severing Thrust 25.
• Retreats from the Dark Prison Lion Emperor after judging that he cannot defeat it in his exhausted state 26.
• Mu En believes Yan’s narrow-minded disposition prevents him from comprehending the Bright Phoenix’s true essence and reaching Limit Douluo. This is an assessment of his potential, not a documented advancement 18.

Relationships

• Mu En — Teacher and former patron. Mu En condemns Yan’s radical views, removes him after the Death Canyon disaster, and later reinstates him as dean 18 29 42.
• Ma Xiaotao — Sole personal disciple and intended successor as Martial Soul Department Dean. Yan favors her and shields her from demands for accountability 6 18 41 48.
• Zhang Lexuan — Prospective Pavilion successor whom Yan treats as part of Shrek’s trusted inner circle. She challenges his favoritism and is disturbed by his reasoning 17 18.
• Ling Luochen — Inner Court student whose independence he attempts to curb. His policies and attack on Tianjun contribute to her withdrawal 17 18 45.
• Yu Tianjun — Intended recruit turned mortal enemy. Yan’s pursuit drives Tianjun into Sun Moon protection and a campaign of revenge against Shrek 25 30 47.
• Yu Xiaoying — Opponent in Death Canyon; severely injured while protecting Tianjun from Yan’s pursuit 25 26 30.
• Shi Xing, Mo Yun, and Bi Yangde — Inner Court graduates whom Yan directs against Tianjun. Bi dies, while Shi and Mo return with lasting injuries 24 29.
• Qian Duoduo — Longtime institutional rival who criticizes Yan’s conduct at the Pavilion hearing 18 29.
• Feng Ling — Past romantic connection cited by Ye Yulin while discussing suspicions surrounding Yan 31.
• Long Xiaoyao — Critic who suspects Yan of cult infiltration and protects the Heavenly Dragon Sect from the consequences of his actions 27 28 32.
• Chen San and Ning Tian — Outer Court students whose complaint he rejects after Xiaotao attacks them; both leave the meeting resentful 41 48.

Notable Quotes

“Lexuan, Shrek Academy is first and foremost the world's strongest soul master power, and only then its foremost academy.” 18

“As for now, you're not qualified to negotiate with me. I only recognize strength.” 48