Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Yan (蕭炎)
Alias(es)	Yan Xiao; Yan Zun
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Clan; formerly Yao Chen's disciple
Status	Deceased; body destroyed and soul later refined into the puppet Yan Zun
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third stage of Dou Qi	187	His cultivation fell to this level after being crippled for three years.
Dou Zhe	187	Began cultivating at age four and first reached Dou Zhe at age eleven; regained this peak within half a year after his decline.
Great Dou Shi	29	Reached Great Dou Shi within three years after recovering; revealed this cultivation during the Three-Year Agreement.
Puppet, Yan Zun	59	Huo Xuan refined Xiao Yan into a puppet after breaking him through torture and manipulation.

Background / History

Xiao Yan was a prodigy of the declining Xiao Clan. Despite possessing no Dou Di Bloodline, he began cultivating Dou Qi at four, became a Dou Zhe at eleven, and later recovered from a three-year period of crippling that had reduced him to the third stage of Dou Qi. 187

His conflict with Huo Xuan began around Nalan Yanran's attempt to revoke their engagement. Huo Xuan exposed Xiao Yan's alleged past misconduct, defeated both Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan, and imposed a three-year arrangement centered on Xiao Yan's eventual challenge at the Yun Lan Sect. 4

During his recovery, Xiao Yan became Yao Chen's disciple and pursued cultivation resources, fighting skills, and opportunities. Huo Xuan repeatedly interfered with these pursuits, including preventing him from obtaining Absorption Palm and taking a jade fragment that had caught Xiao Yan's attention. 7 26

Personality

Xiao Yan is determined and resilient. He continued cultivating after his crippling, recovered his lost strength, and entered the Three-Year Agreement despite Huo Xuan's hostility and the destruction of his clan. 29 30 187

His hatred of Huo Xuan drives much of his later conduct. He challenged Huo Xuan to a duel after their earlier encounters and remained defiant even while injured during their life-and-death battle. 9 30

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy

Xiao Yan participated in the Alchemist Convention under the alias Yan Xiao and won the competition against Yan Li. 27 28

• Uses flames in alchemical competition.
• His Wind Fury Dragon Flame caused other displayed flames to submit. 27

Heavenly Flames

Xiao Yan wielded two Heavenly Flames during the Three-Year Agreement. 29

• Wind Fury Dragon Flame — a Heavenly Flame revealed during the Alchemist Convention. 27
• Bone Chilling Flame — used alongside the Wind Fury Dragon Flame. 29
• His two flames were merged to form Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus. 29

Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus

A powerful flame-merging attack created by combining the Wind Fury Dragon Flame and Bone Chilling Flame. 29

• Used against Nalan Yanran during the Three-Year Agreement.
• Its collision with Nalan Yanran's technique devastated the Yun Lan Sect square. 29
• Later clashed with Huo Xuan's own Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus in their life-and-death duel. 30

Mystic Heavy Ruler

Xiao Yan wielded a Mystic Heavy Ruler during his duel with Nalan Yanran. 29

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mystic Heavy Ruler — weapon used during the Three-Year Agreement. 29
• Ring containing Yao Chen — housed Yao Chen's spirit before Huo Xuan forced an arrangement with him. 5

Relationships

• Huo Xuan — principal enemy. Huo Xuan repeatedly obstructed Xiao Yan, engineered the destruction of the Xiao Family, defeated him, captured his soul, and ultimately refined him into Yan Zun. 4 20 31 59
• Yao Chen — master and spirit residing in Xiao Yan's ring. Yao Chen accepted Xiao Yan as a disciple, but later chose not to intervene when Huo Xuan sought to kill him. 7 30
• Gu Xun'er — childhood companion and devoted rescuer. She repeatedly negotiated with Huo Xuan and supplied resources in attempts to secure Xiao Yan's release. 32 36 65 151
• Nalan Yanran — former fiancée and opponent in the Three-Year Agreement. Their duel ended after both displayed powerful techniques and mutual recognition of the other's strength. 29
• Xiao Zhan — father and Xiao Clan leader; Huo Xuan defeated him during the engagement-revocation conflict. 4
• Little Fairy Doctor — regarded Xiao Yan as her first and only truly acknowledged friend. 80

Story Role / Major Arcs

Engagement Revocation and Three-Year Agreement

Xiao Yan attempted to dissolve his engagement with Nalan Yanran, but Huo Xuan turned the encounter against him. The resulting humiliation and defeat established the three-year challenge that later culminated at the Yun Lan Sect. 4 9

Recovery and Rivalry with Huo Xuan

After Yao Chen became his master, Xiao Yan sought resources to rebuild his strength. Huo Xuan actively targeted his opportunities and warned Yao Chen against becoming too involved with him. 5 7 8

Three-Year Agreement

Xiao Yan arrived at the Yun Lan Sect as a Great Dou Shi and fought Nalan Yanran using his ruler and merged Heavenly Flames. He subsequently faced Huo Xuan in a life-and-death duel. 29 30

Capture and Transformation into Yan Zun

Huo Xuan captured Xiao Yan after Ling Ying's rescue attempt failed, destroyed his body, and imprisoned his soul. Xiao Yan was later tortured, manipulated with revelations about Gu Xun'er, and refined into the puppet Yan Zun. 31 59

Legacy

Xiao Yan's talent remained significant enough for Huo Xuan to present him to Xiao Xuan as a potential hope for the Xiao Clan's future, though Huo Xuan concealed that Xiao Yan had already been turned into a puppet. 187

Trivia

• Xiao Yan competed in the Alchemist Convention under the alias Yan Xiao. 27
• Huo Xuan considers Xiao Yan a “Favored of Fate” and deliberately sought to disrupt the opportunities that would otherwise strengthen him. 8
• Xiao Yan's death prevented the later events Huo Xuan expected to follow the original Three-Year Agreement, including a prospective Yun Lan Sect conflict. 110