Li Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Yan
Alias(es)	Wan Sanhuo; Li Huo; “Murderous Fiend”; “Man-Butcher” 9 16 25 64
Species/Race	Human; a modern man who transmigrated into this world 1
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Shangguan Family ally; leader of the former Three Fiends Ridge group; later fights alongside the Western Great Camp 14 58 59 64
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, martial artist, and wielder of the God of Slaughter Plunder System 2
Status	Active 64
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Body Tempering First Level	2	Reached after killing the Abyssal Mine overseer; the system’s first-kill and above-level-kill bonuses massively increased his attributes. 2
Body Tempering Second Level	4	Broke through after reaching the second layer of the Hundred Beasts Marrow Quenching Scripture during his fight with Stripes, the Tiger with Fiery Eyes. 4
Body Tempering Sixth Level	4	Reached after a month of hunting powerful beasts across the Nine Desolations Mountain Range. 4
Body Tempering Seventh Level	8	Displayed in his status panel before facing Xu Sanqiang; he had also mastered the Hundred Battles Saber. 8
Body Tempering Ninth Level	10	Advanced through accumulated attributes from slaughtering nearly one hundred Fierce Wind Bandits. 10
Qi Condensation First Level	15–16	Learned the first layer of the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art with 1,000 Experience Points, converting Blood Essence into True Qi. 15 16
Qi Condensation Second Level	32	Reached by upgrading the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art to its second layer after destroying Black Cloud Stronghold. 32
Qi Condensation Third Level	32	Forced a second consecutive breakthrough through the cultivation art; the abrupt influx of True Qi nearly killed him. 32
Qi Condensation Fourth Level	45	Broke through after exterminating the Fierce Wind Bandits and upgrading the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art to its fourth layer. 45
Qi Condensation Ninth Level	55–56	Reached after completing the dangerous fifth layer of the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art, the Life and Death Gate. 55 56

Background / History

Li Yan was a modern worker who died after an exhausting “007” work life and transmigrated into the body of a slave in the Abyssal Mine, a place from which no prisoner had escaped alive. 1 The body he inherited belonged to Li Ruohai’s youngest son; the Li family had been executed after Li Ruohai refused Grand Martial Grand Commandant Wu Zongren’s recruitment, while Li Yan was thrown into the mine. 2

After killing an overseer, Li Yan activated the God of Slaughter Plunder System, which rewards him with attributes and Experience Points for killing living beings. 2 He escaped the mine with Yan Qi’s aid, received the Hundred Beasts Marrow Quenching Scripture, and set his long-term objective: personally kill Wu Zongren. 2 3

Personality

Li Yan is pragmatic, reward-driven, and openly contemptuous of martial-world conventions. He agrees to escort Shangguan Xiyun only after securing the Hundred Battles Saber Manual and a promise of further compensation. 6 9 In battle, he treats opponents as sources of attributes and Experience Points, favoring ambushes, feints, poison, and overwhelming lethal force over honorable duels. 6 11 31

Despite his ruthlessness, he remembers debts. He promises to repay Yan Qi for both saving him and kicking him, protects Shangguan Xiyun after accepting her reward, and repeatedly acknowledges the Shangguan Family’s intervention on his behalf. 3 14 23 He is also verbally provocative, using mockery to unnerve enemies such as Wang Dingtian and Huang Lingyan. 13 44 55

Abilities & Skills

God of Slaughter Plunder System

A system dedicated to creating a supreme slaughter-path cultivator. Killing living beings produces collectible attribute orbs, Experience Points, and occasionally martial arts or skills. 2 9 12

• Plunders Strength, Speed, Physique, Spirit, True Qi, Blood Essence, and Experience Points from defeated targets. 2 12 43 45
• Experience Points can instantly learn or upgrade martial arts and cultivation methods. 3 7 11 15
• Killing stronger opponents produces disproportionately valuable rewards; Xu Sanqiang dropped the Falling Star Spear Fragment, while Wang Dingtian dropped two martial arts. 9 45
• After its upgrade, the system store can sell items and Experience Points, while unused martial arts can be recycled for points. 58 59

Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art

The Shangguan Family’s signature cultivation method, granted to Li Yan as payment for rescuing Shangguan Xiyun. It produces exceptionally abundant and pure True Qi but demands immense resources and carries severe breakthrough risks. 14 15

• Establishes True Qi within multiple acupoints, effectively creating multiple dantians. 15
• Its fifth layer, the Life and Death Gate, can cause a dramatic realm leap but threatens fatal backlash if the cultivator cannot withstand the accumulated power. 47
• Li Yan bypasses its normal resource requirement through Experience Points, enabling extraordinarily rapid advancement. 15 32 55
• Consecutive breakthroughs can overload his meridians; his unusually high Physique saved him after his advancement to Qi Condensation’s third level. 32

Hundred Battles Saber Technique

A battlefield-derived saber art built around power, speed, precision, and killing efficiency. Li Yan learned it from Shangguan Xiyun’s manual and raised it from Initial Mastery to the Return to Truth realm through Experience Points. 6 8 11 22

• Peak Mastery — Defeated Qi Condensation cultivator Yuan Feipeng while still in Body Tempering, using the technique’s killing intent to overwhelm his opponent’s senses. 11 12
• Return to Truth — Fully integrated the saber art’s movements into his body and unlocked its secret skill. 22
• War Blade: Bloodbath / Hundred Blades: Bloodbath — Temporarily erupts his speed, strength, True Qi, and other attributes into a single devastating strike; later manifests as a barrage of saber energies. 22 55 56
• The secret skill has heavy True Qi consumption and cannot be used continuously. 22

Thunderous Strike

A high-grade saber art recovered from Black Cloud Stronghold’s hidden treasure. Its nine stances incorporate the overwhelming momentum of heavenly thunder. 32 33

• Ten Thousand Jin Slash — Li Yan’s most powerful strike against Wang Dingtian; it cut through the Golden Armor Silver Soldier Art and killed a Fifth-Level Meridian Opening cultivator. 44 45
• Thunder Vortex Part — Combined with Hundred Blades: Bloodbath to bisect Huang Lingyan, a Half-step Energy Gathering cultivator. 56 57
• Its true power places intense demands on Li Yan’s cultivation and True Qi reserves. 45

Wind Chasing Wave Treading

A movement technique given to Li Yan by Shangguan Liuyun. 20

• Reached Mastered realm before Li Yan returned to Dongjiang City. 40
• Enables extremely fast, near-silent movement, allowing him to scale city walls and infiltrate guarded locations. 40
• Was upgraded to Minor Accomplishment during the Dongjiang City massacre. 22 32

Tearing Wind Claws

A claw art acquired after Li Yan killed Yuan Feipeng. 12

• Upgraded to Minor Accomplishment to support his Li Huo disguise and conceal his identity as Wan Sanhuo. 25
• Used to counter Lu Cheng and Lian Yunhao’s coordinated ambush. 25

Deception and Poisoning

Li Yan repeatedly uses planning and chemical agents to defeat stronger or more numerous enemies.

• Poisoned Black Cloud Stronghold’s leadership with Fragrant Wood Tendon Softening Powder and Ice Heart Qi Condensing Powder before executing them. 31
• Used poisoned gold and gas to stagnate the True Qi of the Three Fiends Ridge bandits. 37
• Poisoned the Fierce Wind Bandits’ water and food supplies, then exploited Wang Dingtian’s impaired movement. 42 44
• Uses aliases, altered clothing, and different martial arts to evade the Martial Kill Order. 9 25

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Waning Moon — Crescent saber carried by Li Yan during his later campaigns. 35 56
• Mining pickaxes — His original weapons after escaping the Abyssal Mine; he used a pair to kill Stripes and later incorporated one into combat feints. 4 11
• Hundred Battles Saber Manual — Given by Shangguan Xiyun as compensation for protecting her. 6
• Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art manual — Granted by Shangguan Liuyun on behalf of the Shangguan Family. 14 15
• Thunderous Strike manual — Recovered from Black Cloud Stronghold’s hidden cache. 32 33
• Fragrant Wood Tendon Softening Powder / Muscle Softening Powder — Poisons used to immobilize or weaken enemies. 31 42 44
• Ice Heart Qi Condensing Powder — Poison used to obstruct targets’ True Qi. 31 42

Relationships

• Wu Zongren — Primary enemy. His actions led to the Li family’s execution and Li Yan’s enslavement; Li Yan vows to personally take his head. 2
• Yan Qi — Rescued Li Yan from the mine, provided clothing and the Hundred Beasts Marrow Quenching Scripture, and remains someone Li Yan considers himself indebted to. 3
• Shangguan Xiyun — Initially a client and protected escort; their bond grows through repeated rescues and shared danger. Xiyun quietly develops feelings for him. 6 14 49 59
• Shangguan Liuyun — Eldest Shangguan brother and valued ally. He rescues Li Yan from Wang Dingtian, gives him the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art, and repeatedly protects his departure from Dongjiang City. 14 15 23
• Shangguan Feiyun — Martial ally and sparring partner who recognizes Li Yan’s talent. They cooperate to defeat Huang Lingyan, with Feiyun creating the opening for Li Yan’s final strike. 12 16 56 57
• Li Fucai — Treasure Official coerced into cooperating through Li Yan’s possession of a ledger documenting Wu Zongren’s corruption. 33 34
• Zhao Xincheng and the Three Fiends Ridge group — Former targets and temporary poisoned servants who later voluntarily become Li Yan’s subordinates. 37 46 58
• Mo Cheng — Military contact who invites Li Yan to the Western Great Camp during a border crisis. 59 61
• Huang Lingyan — Dongjiang City Lord and enemy killed by Li Yan and Shangguan Feiyun; later revealed to have Great Yu royal lineage. 56 57
• Wang Dingtian — Fierce Wind Bandits’ chief killed by Li Yan with Thunderous Strike: Ten Thousand Jin Slash. 45

Story Role / Major Arcs

Abyssal Mine and Nine Desolations Mountain Range

Li Yan begins as a mining slave, activates the God of Slaughter Plunder System through his first kill, escapes with Yan Qi’s assistance, and rapidly rises from Body Tempering First to Sixth Level by hunting fierce beasts. 1 4

Fierce Wind Bandits and the Shangguan Family

After rescuing Shangguan Xiyun, Li Yan accepts the Wan Sanhuo identity and annihilates pursuing Fierce Wind Bandits, including Xu Sanqiang and Yuan Feipeng. His actions draw Wang Dingtian’s vengeance and bring him into the Shangguan Family’s protection. 6 15

Dongjiang City Conflict

Branded the “Murderous Fiend,” Li Yan becomes the focal point of Dongjiang City’s martial artists. He fights through the city gates, advances the Hundred Battles Saber to Return to Truth, unlocks War Blade: Bloodbath, and escapes under Shangguan Liuyun’s protection. 16 23

Duobao Town and the Bandit Purges

Using the Li Huo disguise, Li Yan investigates the Duobao Magistrate’s disappearance, manipulates Li Fucai through Wu Zongren’s corruption ledger, and systematically destroys Black Cloud Stronghold and Three Fiends Ridge through infiltration and poison. 25 38

Return to Dongjiang City

Li Yan returns to eliminate the rebuilt Fierce Wind Bandits, kills Wang Dingtian, advances his cultivation, and forces the Three Fiends Ridge survivors into service before later accepting their voluntary loyalty. 40 46 58

Huang Lingyan’s Fall

After completing the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art’s fifth layer, Li Yan returns to Dongjiang City amid Huang Lingyan’s takeover attempt. He and Shangguan Feiyun kill Huang with a combined Hundred Blades: Bloodbath and Thunderous Strike attack, then learn Huang was connected to the Great Yu royal family. 55 57

Western Great Camp

Li Yan joins the border war effort, kills Western Wilderness general Huyan Jue in a single saber strike, burns the enemy camp, and earns the “Man-Butcher” name for his battlefield methods. 59 64

Notable Quotes

“I will personally chop off that old dog's head!” 2

“Let's get this straight, I'll do the killing, but I won't be burying anyone~” 21

“If I were a good person, I would have died eight hundred times over by now.” 57

Trivia

• Li Yan’s first system kill received both an above-level-kill multiplier and a first-kill multiplier, immediately raising him to Body Tempering First Level. 2
• He initially called the Hundred Battles Saber Manual “trash” before accepting it as payment from Shangguan Xiyun. 6
• His earliest weapons were two mining pickaxes carried out of the Nine Desolations Mountain Range. 4
• Li Yan’s rapid cultivation is so abnormal that Shangguan Liuyun notes no previous cultivator, including the technique’s creator, had initiated the Flower Cultivation and Leaf Nurturing Art as quickly. 16