Yu Xiaogang

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Yu Xiaogang was born the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s patriarch and raised with substantial material advantages. Although Luo Sanpao’s mutation severely limited his innate talent, he retained access to resources that helped him cultivate to rank 29. His account to Tang San stresses his wisdom and perseverance while omitting this privileged background 9.

He previously traveled with Flender and Liu Erlong, obtaining a valuable storage soul tool from ruins during their journeys. He was also a member of the Golden Iron Triangle, identifying himself as its core, the “Horn of Wisdom” 8 9 12.

By his first appearance, he holds a nominal guest-elder position at Nuoding Academy through his friendship with its dean. According to Wang Sheng, he neither supervises a class nor teaches the academy’s students. Tang San, however, has become his personal disciple 3 4 5.

Appearance

Yu Xiaogang has a crew cut, a full beard, and a habitually stiff expression 3 12.

• Affected scholarly bearing: Frequently clasps his hands behind his back and adopts the posture of a lofty expert 3 4.
• Limited expressiveness: Often has to force a smile, including when reassuring Tang San 3 5.
• Injured appearance: Returns from the Soul Hunting Forest pale, weakened, and walking unsteadily 11 15.

Personality

Yu Xiaogang places enormous importance on reputation and recognition. He imagines successful disciples vindicating his theories, winning the continent’s respect, and prompting his clan to welcome him back with ceremony. Initially, he views recruiting several exceptionally talented children as providing multiple opportunities to verify his ideas—even if his teaching ruins one of them 3.

He responds warmly to Tang San’s obedience and praise, bringing him better food and promising to make him an outstanding Soul Master. His investment also has a self-serving dimension: Tang San’s twin martial souls make him Yu Xiaogang’s principal means of proving his theories and restoring his name 3 5 12 26.

His pride readily becomes resentment. After Li Jin and Xiao Wu reject him, he repeatedly predicts their failure and anticipates their eventual humiliation. He also treats social standing as a measure of worth, calling beggars inferior and presenting Soul Master status as grounds for superiority 5 12 16 17.

Yu Xiaogang is protective of his own life but capable of yielding to threats against Tang San. He initially favors an easily killed ten-year Lone Bamboo to avoid danger, yet later submits to Brother Scar’s coercion when the mercenaries threaten his disciple during soul-ring absorption 9 12.

Abilities & Skills

Luo Sanpao

Luo Sanpao manifests as a purple-skinned pig rather than possessing Yu Xiaogang’s body 9.

• Independent manifestation: Can be directed to investigate nearby disturbances 10.
• Food supplementation: Eating carrots reduces its Soul Power consumption and strengthens its soul skills 9.
• Damage feedback: The Mandala Snake’s venom passes from Luo Sanpao to Yu Xiaogang after the martial soul is bitten 10.
• Combat limitations: Yu Xiaogang considers himself and Luo Sanpao unable to defeat a Mandala Snake over four hundred years old without outside help 10.

First Soul Skill: Farting Like Thunder

“Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao” releases a thunderous blast of yellow gas 10.

• Luo Sanpao inflates its belly before firing the attack 10.
• Against the Mandala Snake, the blast inflicts little damage and provokes it into attacking Luo Sanpao 10.
• Yu Xiaogang later describes the skill as excessively powerful, despite its poor showing in that encounter 11.

Second Soul Skill: Farting Like Mist

“Hypnotic Slumber, Luo Sanpao” produces hypnotic yellow gas 11.

• Slows the Mangy Snake enough for Tang San to approach and kill it 11.
• Remains usable after Yu Xiaogang’s poisoning once his Soul Power has largely recovered, despite his continuing physical weakness 11.

Martial Soul Theory

Yu Xiaogang authored the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. He promotes it as a rare, highly valuable manual and claims that its theories received the Supreme Pontiff’s praise 4.

• Cross-category soul rings: Proposes that plant martial souls can absorb animal soul rings and vice versa. Tang San successfully absorbs a Mangy Snake ring into Blue Silver Grass 10 11 12.
• Control-system instruction: Recommends developing Blue Silver Grass through toughness, venom, and entanglement; describes control-type Soul Masters as the center of a team 9 12.
• Incorrect twin-soul diagnosis: Assumes that Li Jin and Xiao Wu must possess twin martial souls because he considers their recorded martial souls incapable of producing innate full Soul Power 4.
• Incomplete risk assessment: Knows the Mangy Snake develops poisonous, itching lumps but assumes its flaw will not transfer through a plant martial soul. He fails to account for Tang San’s half–Blue Silver bloodline 11 29.
• Resistance to correction: Insists his theory cannot be wrong when Tang San develops a poisonous sore 29.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Spirit Hall Elder Token — Given to him by Bibi Dong. Grants entry to the Soul Hunting Forest and earns him deferential treatment from Ma Xiunuo; possessing it does not establish that he holds an actual Spirit Hall elder position 9 16.
• Silver-white storage soul tool ring — Found in ruins while traveling with Flender and Liu Erlong. Lost during a donkey-cart journey; Li Jin subsequently acquires it 7 9 15.
  • Contained ancient books, clothing, personal belongings, and his entire savings of 5,000 Gold Soul Coins 7.
• Carrots — Purchased for Luo Sanpao’s consumption before the soul-hunting expedition 7 9.
• Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul — His theoretical work and a central incentive in his attempts to recruit disciples 3 4.

Relationships

• Tang San — Personal disciple and intended successor. Yu Xiaogang values his respect and twin martial souls; Tang San remains outwardly devoted despite privately doubting his teacher’s combat ability and judgment 3 10 11 26.
• Li Jin — Rejected recruitment target and recurring antagonist. Yu Xiaogang’s hostility exposes him to the Nine-Colored Koi’s fortune-devouring effects, though he remains unaware of their cause 4 5 17 20.
• Xiao Wu — Refuses his instruction and mocks his mistaken twin-martial-soul diagnosis. He repeatedly expects her and Li Jin to regret rejecting him 4 5 12.
• Tang Hao — Longstanding idol whom he initially insults without recognizing. After learning his identity, Yu Xiaogang undertakes his care and blames Spirit Hall for his condition 16 22 23.
• Bibi Dong — Gave him the Spirit Hall Elder Token. He also uses her alleged praise of his theories to bolster his authority 4 9.
• Flender and Liu Erlong — Former traveling companions associated with his Golden Iron Triangle background 8 9 12.
• Nuoding Academy’s dean — Close friend responsible for his nominal academy position. Later lends him thirty Gold Soul Coins, which Yu Xiaogang resentfully considers insufficient 4 19 26.
• Brother Scar — Mercenary who sexually assaults him under threats against Tang San, then later uses threats of public exposure to coerce him again 12 19.
• Wang Sheng and Xiao Chenyu — Students who resent his condescending conduct. Xiao Chenyu organizes the spread of rumors about his assault 5 20.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Failed Recruitment and Loss of Fortune

After accepting Tang San, Yu Xiaogang attempts to recruit Li Jin and Xiao Wu as additional twin-martial-soul disciples. Both reject his diagnosis and his offer of soul-ring guidance. He retaliates with predictions that they will waste their talent on inferior rings 3 4 5.

His hostility toward Li Jin coincides with the onset of escalating misfortune. He steps in dog excrement, is drenched by a burst pipe, and then loses his storage ring and savings while traveling with Tang San. Li Jin later explicitly attributes the pair’s bad luck to his Nine-Colored Koi consuming their fortune 5 7 20.

Soul Hunting Forest Expedition

Yu Xiaogang promises Tang San a hundred-year first soul ring but initially recommends a ten-year Lone Bamboo because it presents little danger. Tang San’s objections force him to continue searching 5 9.

A Mandala Snake overwhelms Luo Sanpao, poisons Yu Xiaogang, and swallows him. He survives after the snake expels him and dies; Tang San drains his poisoned blood. The resulting ring resonates with Yu Xiaogang rather than Tang San, making it unavailable to his disciple 10 11.

Yu Xiaogang next helps Tang San kill a hundred-year Mangy Snake. During its ring’s absorption, Brother Scar and two accomplices threaten Tang San and sexually assault Yu Xiaogang. Afterward, Yu Xiaogang confirms that Tang San has gained Blue Silver Entanglement and leaves the forest with him 11 12.

Spirit Hall Registration and Further Injury

At Spirit Hall, Yu Xiaogang mocks Li Jin’s white soul ring and credits his own teaching for Tang San’s hundred-year ring. Testing then reveals Tang San at rank 11 and Li Jin at rank 13. Yu Xiaogang tests the crystal himself, confirming its accuracy when it displays his own rank 29 17 18.

A falling chandelier injures his head. Unable to pay the clinic’s five-Silver-Soul-Coin fee, he sends Tang San to seek help from the dean. Brother Scar instead pays the fee and takes him away through renewed blackmail 18 19.

Public Humiliation and Withdrawal

Tang San brings Yu Xiaogang and the disabled Tang Hao back to the academy. Students notice Yu Xiaogang’s condition, and Xiao Chenyu urges them to publicize the assault. Yu Xiaogang subsequently becomes withdrawn and distressed by others’ reactions 20 22 26.

After identifying Tang Hao, he promises to care for him and vows revenge against Spirit Hall, whom he assumes responsible without evidence. He borrows thirty Gold Soul Coins from the dean but refuses to go outside again until Tang San becomes accomplished enough to restore his reputation 22 23 26.

Mangy Snake Complications and Burns

When Tang San develops a poisonous sore, Yu Xiaogang recognizes the Mangy Snake’s inherited flaw but refuses to concede that his theory is wrong 29.

He is later carried away alongside Tang San and Tang Hao, all three suffering severe burns after an explosion 30.

Notable Quotes

“I once said that there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters.” 9

“Impossible! There is absolutely nothing wrong with my theory!” 29