Flender

Biodata

Background

Flender founded Shrek Academy to train elite Soul Masters who could contribute to the Douluo Continent. He wanted his students to surpass their teachers, rather than merely reproduce their achievements 109 115 116.

Years of exclusion by Spirit Hall left the academy impoverished. Flender operated a shabby shop to help cover expenses, while Shrek’s facilities deteriorated despite its exceptionally powerful teaching staff. He and the other teachers rejected sponsorship that demanded political allegiance, including an offer from the Balak royal family 25 109.

Flender also belonged to the Golden Iron Triangle. His friendship with Yu Xiaogang had lasted decades, and Liu Erlong addressed him as her elder brother when they reunited 69 120.

Appearance

Flender appears to be around fifty and has a heavily built physique 24.

• Hooked nose: A prominent feature that contributes to his owl-like appearance 24.
• Black-framed glasses: Help explain his “Four-Eyed Cat Owl” epithet 24.
• Brawny build: His weight makes the wooden rocking chair in his shop creak beneath him 24.
• Voice: Distinctively hoarse, with a resonant quality 39.

Personality

Flender is a calculating merchant who habitually inflates prices, bargains over punishments, and looks for ways to increase Shrek’s income. Lu Qian repeatedly calls him an “old fox,” and their exchanges often become contests to see who can exploit the other first 24 39 41 102.

His apparent greed is closely tied to keeping the academy operating. Once adequate funding is secured, the narration explains that he saves money for Shrek rather than simply hoarding it for himself. When Liu Erlong transfers her academy to him, he hands over all his money for its future expenses 109 120.

He is protective of his students and willing to abandon substantial winnings to save them. He arranges teacher escorts after an assassination attempt and rejects dangerous match proposals even when Yu Xiaogang insists on them 81 117 118.

His loyalty to Yu Xiaogang sometimes conflicts with his responsibilities as an educator. He hopes Shrek’s gifted students can help substantiate his friend’s reputation as Grandmaster, but he also accepts limits on Yu’s authority and investigates accusations against him. When Flender accepts responsibility for a later failure, he relinquishes the dean’s position rather than avoiding accountability 69 89 101 144.

Abilities & Skills

Owl Martial Soul

Flender is a level-78 agility-attack Soul Master with a flying-type Owl Martial Soul 119 125 126.

• Recognizes the increased purity of Ma Hongjun’s Fire Phoenix particularly keenly because his own Martial Soul is also a flying type 125.
• Helps escort students through the Star Dou Great Forest as one of three accompanying Soul Saints 126.

Martial Soul Avatar

Flender activates his Martial Soul Avatar while securing Ning Rongrong’s third Soul Ring 126.

• Swiftly and severely injures a 1,700-year-old Nether Spirit Fragrant Beast 126.
• Leaves the killing blow to Ning Rongrong and assigns Lu Qian to prevent its escape 126.

Sound Transmission

Flender can direct speech to a specific listener without others hearing it 94.

• Privately informs Lu Qian that the other students are being taken away from an escalating confrontation 94.
• Remains nearby and offers to rescue him if necessary 94.

Teaching and Team Management

Flender combines physical conditioning, practical combat, and adaptation exercises 41 43 45.

• Requires students to earn at least a Silver Soul Badge before graduation 43.
• Makes students eat Oscar’s sausages to overcome their aversion to using a teammate’s support ability 45.
• Appoints Lu Qian captain and expects the team to follow his orders 103 104.
• Helps plan three months of specialized preparation for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament 145.

Negotiation and Fundraising

Flender uses sales, arena agreements, and betting to support Shrek 25 102 104 118.

• Negotiates arena guarantees for students’ travel and emergency intervention during wagered matches 102.
• Secures an additional year of academy sponsorship worth one million Gold Soul Coins from Manager Ao 104.
• Places pooled wagers on behalf of the group when contestants cannot bet directly 118.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shop Encounter and Early Shrek Training

• First encounter with Lu Qian: Lu Qian conceals his interest in the hair crystal by bargaining over ordinary weapons. He then tricks Flender into accepting an offer of 200,000 Gold Soul Coins for a purple stone and leaves him waiting for payment 24 25.
• Compensation: After recognizing Lu Qian among Shrek’s new students, Flender demands 108,000 Gold Soul Coins. He immediately accepts Lu Qian’s counteroffer of 1,800 and produces the worthless stone involved in their earlier deal 39.
• Discipline: Flender punishes Dai Mubai and Lu Qian with laps after overhearing Lu Qian blame Dai Mubai for calling him a greedy profiteer. He refuses Lu Qian’s offer to cancel his punishment for 1,800 Gold Soul Coins and instead tries charging by the lap 41.
• Practical instruction: He introduces the students to the Soto Great Soul Arena and establishes the Silver Soul Badge graduation requirement 43.

Yu Xiaogang’s Disputed Appointment

• Failed teaching appointment: Flender invites Yu Xiaogang to teach, but Lu Qian challenges his qualifications and Shrek’s veteran teachers refuse to accept him as an instructor 68 69.
• Adviser compromise: Flender retains Yu as an academy adviser. Teachers may reject his recommendations if they provide convincing reasons 69.
• Managing hostilities: He sends Lu Qian to earn money at the Great Soul Arena, partly to separate him from Yu Xiaogang and Tang San while tensions cool 76.
• Investigation: After Lu Qian accuses Yu of arranging a match to settle a grudge, Flender questions Zhao Wuji, Tang San, and Dai Mubai. He concludes that he likely misunderstood Yu and later reconciles with him 88 89.
• Training dispute: When Yu collapses during a weighted run, Flender confronts Lu Qian but recognizes the substance of his objections. He ultimately asks Lu Qian not to contradict Grandmaster openly 101 102.

Student Protection and Arena Funding

• Security measures: After learning that Lu Qian and Zhu Zhuqing survived an assassination attempt, Flender orders teachers to escort students traveling between Shrek and Suotuo City 81.
• City confrontation: He stays nearby during Lu Qian’s confrontation with arena staff and the city lord’s forces, signaling his readiness to intervene 94 96.
• Wagered matches: Following Dai Mubai’s withdrawal of sponsorship, Flender adopts Lu Qian’s fundraising suggestion. The academy takes eighty percent of match rewards, while Flender promises that the proceeds will support the students rather than enrich the teachers 102.
• Imperial Fighting Team: He appoints Lu Qian captain for the match and negotiates sponsorship with the arena. When Manager Ao inadvertently exposes a separate reward promised to Lu Qian, Flender agrees to give him the full 200,000 Gold Soul Coins 103 104.
• Financial recovery: Shrek’s victory and successful wagers secure funding for teaching plans that poverty had previously prevented. Flender celebrates with Zhao Wuji and Lu Qian, repeatedly thanking the latter 107 109.
• Ambush and recuperation: Flender and Zhao Wuji lead the teachers on a separate battlefield during an attack on the group. They largely recover after just over a month of treatment at the arena 112 115.

Relocation to Heaven Dou City

• Transfer agreement: Flender announces that Heaven Dou Royal Academy will accept Shrek’s teachers and students and provide a tournament entry. The group unanimously agrees to relocate 115.
• Silves stopover: He agrees to rent carriages in exchange for a planned team Soul Fight. At the Silves arena, he rejects an excessively dangerous proposal and leaves the final decision about competing to the students 116 117.
• Pooled betting: He places more than three million Gold Soul Coins on Shrek’s cross-tier match, while remaining prepared to sacrifice the money to rescue the students 117 118.
• Failed merger: Impressed by Heaven Dou Royal Academy’s facilities and its Education Committee’s sincerity, Flender is willing to dissolve the original Shrek Academy. Prince Xue Xing’s intervention and Dugu Bo’s presence instead force the group to leave 119.
• New Shrek Academy: The group joins Liu Erlong’s Blue Tyrant Academy. She renames it Shrek Academy, transfers the dean’s position to Flender, and receives his savings for the academy’s expenses 120.

Soul Ring Expeditions and Resignation

• Soul Ring hunt: Flender accompanies Zhao Wuji, Liu Erlong, and the students into the Star Dou Great Forest. He brings Lu Qian as an active helper because of his survival skills and adaptability 126.
• Ning Rongrong’s third ring: He insists on finding a beast whose age and characteristics suit Soul Power amplification, eventually selecting the Nether Spirit Fragrant Beast after a search lasting more than ten days 126.
• Tang San’s fourth ring: Flender and Zhao Wuji later escort Tang San to obtain his fourth Soul Ring, postponing an inquiry into Zhu Zhuqing’s whereabouts 137.
• Accountability: Following criticism of the teachers’ rash decisions surrounding the forest incident, Flender volunteers to resign and publicly criticize his conduct. Liu Erlong resumes the dean’s position; Flender is subsequently identified as vice dean 144 153.

Tournament and Spirit Hall Revelations

• Tournament preparation: Flender explains the tournament rules, names Lu Qian captain, and helps devise the students’ growth plans. He is confident that Lu Qian can make Shrek famous 145.
• Revealed identity: Learning that Lu Qian is Spirit Hall’s Holy Son leaves him torn between his principles and his affection for the student. He defers the decision to Liu Erlong, who allows Lu Qian to remain 153.
• Rejected recruitment: Flender refuses Lu Qian’s invitation to join the Inspection Hall, regarding it as no different from Spirit Hall despite Lu Qian’s stated reforming purpose 153 154.
• Xiao Wu’s departure: He agrees to explain matters to Tang San when Lu Qian takes Xiao Wu away to avoid the Worship Hall’s forces, acknowledging that the crisis exceeds his abilities 159.
• Spirit City journey: Initially uneasy about traveling to Spirit Hall’s headquarters, Flender and Zhao Wuji agree to lead the team after Lu Qian reassures them 165.

Relationships

• Lu Qian — Student, team captain, and frequent bargaining rival. Flender values his intelligence and strength, protects him from outside threats, and credits him with transforming Shrek’s prospects. His Spirit Hall identity creates a serious ideological divide without ending their association 81 109 116 153.
• Zhao Wuji — Fellow academy leader and close colleague. They share responsibility for student safety, argue freely, drink together, and later agree to escort the tournament team to Spirit City 81 109 110 165.
• Yu Xiaogang — Friend and sworn brother of decades. Flender repeatedly protects his dignity and tries to establish his standing as a teacher, but their friendship is tested by disputes over qualifications, impartiality, and student safety 69 89 101 117.
• Liu Erlong — Golden Iron Triangle companion who calls him “big brother.” She gives him control of Blue Tyrant Academy before later resuming the dean’s position at his insistence 120 144.
• Ma Hongjun — Disciple. Flender frequently scolds him and is concerned that the immortal herb behind his sudden improvement might be harmful 68 103 125.
• Qin Ming — Former student who arranges Shrek’s proposed transfer to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Flender is moved but regretful when Qin Ming abandons that institution to remain with Shrek 115 119 120.
• Manager Ao — Arena contact and negotiating partner. Their agreements provide Shrek with sponsorship, rewards, and travel arrangements 102 104 111.

Notable Quotes

“As he should! That's the real reason you and I founded Shrek Academy. What, should we be teaching students who turn out worse than us?” 116

“Xiao Gang, say no more. I won't gamble with these children's lives.” 117

“Trust your teachers. We'll rescue you at the most dangerous moment. All you need to do is give it everything you have.” 118

Trivia

• Lu Qian leaves a drunken Flender and Zhao Wuji in the same bed. Their embarrassed reactions the next morning convince them that he deliberately pranked them 109 110.
• Flender tries to report the Silves betting odds as eight to one, then twelve to one. Lu Qian tricks him into admitting the actual odds were 16.8 to one 118.
• He considers keeping Lu Qian on Shrek’s staff after graduation—even without requiring attendance—to preserve the arena sponsorship associated with him 107.