Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang previously traveled the soul master world in a trio that included Liu Erlong. Although his soul power remained low, he regarded that experience as sufficient grounds to dismiss a one-ring opponent such as Xiao Chenyu 9.

His reputation is contested from his introduction. Ye Fan’s transmitted thoughts accuse him of plagiarizing Spirit Hall’s knowledge and, in the previous storyline, resenting Tang San for leaving without him. Ye Fan also describes Tang San supplying an Immortal Herb to compensate for Yu Xiaogang’s congenital deficiencies. These are Ye Fan’s accounts of another storyline, not documented advancements in the current timeline 3 4.

Appearance

• Hair: Initially described as flat-topped; his bare scalp is later conspicuous during the forest expedition 3 17.
• Clothing: Wears a long robe 3 17.
• Expression and bearing: Has a stiff face and frequently adopts an authoritative posture, including standing with his hands behind his back 3 9.
• Physical condition: Becomes exhausted after a prolonged run, having gone years without exercise 16.

Personality

Yu Xiaogang is intensely invested in proving his martial soul theories through Tang San. He treats Tang San’s twin martial souls—especially the Clear Sky Hammer—as assurance that his disciple will succeed even if Blue Silver Grass remains weak. His desire for talented disciples also leads him to court Ye Fan and Xiao Wu after learning of their innate full soul power 4 13 17 18.

He is sensitive to challenges to his strength and authority. Ye Fan’s request to know his rank immediately turns a recruitment attempt into an angry rejection. He enjoys praise, dismisses unfavorable comments, and treats apologies made on his behalf as mere formalities rather than admissions of fault 4 9 19.

His fear of failure eventually outweighs his professed concern for others. He keeps the injured Luo Sanpao manifested to avoid receiving its wounds and attempts to interrupt Ye Fan’s soul-ring absorption to protect his theories. Nevertheless, he can offer practical caution: he advises against entering dangerous forest terrain at night and accepts Tang San’s refusal of the Mandala Snake, partly because Ye Fan’s nightmare has made him fear his disciple’s future resentment 20 21 23 26 28.

Abilities & Skills

Luo Sanpao

• Independent manifestation: Summons a plump purple beast that exists outside his body rather than taking the form of conventional beast possession 9.
• Mobility: Can ride Luo Sanpao, using it to escape pursuit even while injured 22.
• Damage transfer: When Luo Sanpao dissipates, its injuries and poison transfer to Yu Xiaogang. The damage is reduced by more than half, but severe wounds remain dangerous to him 17 23 29.
• Sustained manifestation: Can replenish Luo Sanpao’s soul power to prevent it from disappearing, even after it loses consciousness 24.
• Usage limit: Its soul skills have limited uses; Yu Xiaogang has only one use remaining when the groups join forces during the forest hunt 16 19.

First Soul Skill: Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao

• Activation: Luo Sanpao inflates and releases a thunderous fart 9.
• Area effect: Fills the cafeteria with ochre fog, obstructing vision and causing eye irritation, coughing, nausea, and widespread panic 10.
• Collateral effects: Affects bystanders and allies as well as opponents; Tang San must use his own techniques to escape the cafeteria 10.
• Vulnerability: Luo Sanpao slows while inflating, allowing the pursuing Mandala Snake to bite it before the attack is completed 22.

Second Soul Skill: Hypnotic Mist

• Function: Releases gas intended to hypnotize enemies into sleep 15 16.
• Application: Used against a pack of ten-year Gale Demon Wolves during Tang San’s first soul-ring expedition 16.

Martial Soul Theory

Experimental Flaming Gas Attack

• Discovery: Ye Fan’s intervention ignites Luo Sanpao’s gas, producing a chain reaction in which burning prompts further gas release and stronger flames 16.
• Potential development: Yu Xiaogang considers adapting the effect into a self-created soul skill 18.
• Unresolved limitation: The flames burn Luo Sanpao, and those burns transfer to Yu Xiaogang. He recognizes that he needs a safer method; no completed version is documented 17 18.

Equipment / Items

• Golden Wound Medicine and gauze — Stored in the soul tool Tang San carries and used under Yu Xiaogang’s instructions to treat his burns and bleeding 17.
• White radishes — Supplies intended to feed Luo Sanpao and increase the power of its gas attacks 20.
• Wooden crutch — Provided by Tang San after Yu Xiaogang’s injuries; later used to attack Ye Fan and broken against Xiao Wu’s leg 23 26 27.

Relationships

• Tang San — Disciple. Tang San initially kneels eagerly to accept him as teacher, but quickly regrets it. He continues to value Yu Xiaogang’s theoretical knowledge, carries and treats him during the forest expedition, and seeks emergency medical care for him 3 4 19 29.
• Ye Fan — Failed prospective disciple and adversary. Ye Fan rejects his guidance, manipulates his dreams, exposes his motives through forced truth-telling, and ultimately disperses Luo Sanpao to trigger injury transfer 4 12 28 29.
• Xiao Wu — Rejects his attempt to recruit her and openly distrusts him. She protects Ye Fan’s soul-ring absorption and is injured while stopping Yu Xiaogang’s attack 18 26 27.
• Luo Sanpao — His independently manifested martial soul. Luo Sanpao initially resists dissipating to protect him, but Yu Xiaogang prolongs its suffering rather than accept its injuries 23 24.
• Liu Erlong — Former traveling companion in a three-person group 9.
• Xiao Chenyu — Academy student whom he threatens with disciplinary action. After Yu Xiaogang refuses his attempted bribe, Xiao Chenyu attacks him in the cafeteria 8 9.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Taking Tang San as a Disciple

Yu Xiaogang approaches Tang San and Ye Fan near Nuoding Academy’s gates and asks to inspect their martial soul certificates. His identification of Tang San’s twin martial souls wins Tang San’s immediate allegiance, although Ye Fan privately characterizes the deduction as a lucky guess 3.

He then attempts to draw Ye Fan into becoming another disciple without directly asking. When Ye Fan questions his cultivation rank, Yu Xiaogang angrily withdraws the offer and tells Tang San to spend less time with him. Ye Fan’s transmitted criticisms leave Tang San regretting his new teacher almost immediately 4.

Cafeteria Intervention

Yu Xiaogang intervenes in a confrontation involving Tang San and Xiao Chenyu, intending both to protect his disciple and establish his authority. After refusing Xiao Chenyu’s money and threatening to report him, he is attacked and summons Luo Sanpao 8 9.

His first soul skill overwhelms the cafeteria with foul, vision-obscuring gas. Tang San escapes using Purple Demon Eye and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, while Ye Fan and Xiao Wu have already fled 9 10.

Nightmare and First Soul-Ring Hunt

Before the expedition, Ye Fan combines inner-voice transmission with Word Spirit to alter Yu Xiaogang’s dream. The fabricated future shows Tang San blaming his theories for unsuitable soul rings and attacking him with a hammer. Yu Xiaogang awakens frightened but insists that his theories cannot be wrong 12 13.

During the hunt, the ignition of Luo Sanpao’s gas leaves Yu Xiaogang badly burned and bleeding when he dismisses his martial soul. Tang San treats him and later carries him as their group continues searching 16 17 19.

Yu Xiaogang recommends a four-hundred-plus-year Mandala Snake, but Tang San requests a plant-type soul beast instead. Remembering the nightmare, he accepts that choice. The snake subsequently bites Luo Sanpao, leaving Yu Xiaogang dependent on keeping his martial soul manifested to postpone the transferred injuries 21 22 23.

He later recommends the Demon Vine Tree and supervises Tang San’s absorption. Although satisfied with the resulting changes to Blue Silver Grass, he still considers the Mandala Snake’s ring superior 23 25 26.

Attempt to Sabotage Ye Fan

Seeing Ye Fan absorb a purple thousand-year first ring threatens Yu Xiaogang’s stated age limit. Claiming that intervention is necessary to save him, Yu Xiaogang orders Tang San to restrain Xiao Wu and raises his crutch to strike Ye Fan 26.

Xiao Wu intercepts the blow and suffers a bleeding leg injury. Ye Fan completes his absorption, blasts Yu Xiaogang away, and uses Prohibition to forbid lying and compel answers. Yu Xiaogang then admits that protecting his theories—not saving Ye Fan—motivated his actions 27 28.

Ye Fan subsequently disperses Luo Sanpao through Word Spirit. The transferred burns, bite wounds, and venom cause Yu Xiaogang to collapse, forcing Tang San to carry him out of the forest and seek emergency treatment in Nuoding City 29.

Six-Year Time Skip

Yu Xiaogang survives and remains committed to Tang San. Ye Fan’s repeated nightmares fail to break that attachment: Yu Xiaogang fears losing his last opportunity to prove himself more than he fears being killed by his disciple. His suggestion, together with Tang San’s urging, brings Ye Fan and Xiao Wu to Suotuo City to enroll in Shrek 32.

His later guidance continues emphasizing Blue Silver Grass’s toughness. After its first ring has already altered it substantially, he selects a mutant lone bamboo whose properties complement Tang San’s existing skill 36.

Notable Quotes

“Until you're strong enough to be absolutely certain, don't gamble with your life.” 20

“Yes, I interrupted you to protect my theories. I did nothing wrong!” 28