Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Black Robe; Qian Mo; Yan Venerate; Emperor Yan 157 270 424 765
Species/Race	Human 289
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Family (formerly); Soul Hall; Revenge Alliance 424 761
Occupation/Role	Original protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens; former Hall Master of the Soul Hall; leader of the Revenge Alliance 467 758 761
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Fifth Stage of Dou Qi	37	Advanced from the Third Stage of Dou Qi to the Fifth Stage within two months under Yao Chen's training.
Seven-star Dou Practitioner	119	Reached this realm after using the Foundation Establishment Pill with a Vein Protecting Pill supplied by Xiao Han.
Eight-star Dou Master	130	Returned to challenge Xiao Han during the Xiao Family Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
Dou King	246	Manifested fire-attribute Battle Qi wings during his confrontation with Nalan Yanran.
Dou Ancestor	287	Rose from Dou King to Dou Ancestor in roughly three months after gaining the Devouring Divine Ability.
Cultivation stripped below Dou Ancestor	290	Xiao Han extracted his Heavenly Flames, Fighting Skills, cultivation techniques, and Battle Qi.
One-star Dou Huang	292	Recovered enough strength to reach this realm despite his earlier losses.
Dou Venerate	424	Could not resist Xiao Han's Dou Saint-level spatial pressure.
Dou Saint	467	Became Hall Master of the Soul Hall and possessed multiple Heavenly Flames.
Dou God	582 585	Achieved this realm by devouring and refining the Bodhi Ancient Tree's spirit.
Minor Heavenly Sovereign	762	Surpassed the Dou God realm through a peculiar Heavenly Flame and the Mysterious Yellow Inner Scripture.

Background

Xiao Yan grew up in the Xiao Family of Wutan City as Xiao Zhan's son. He was closely associated with Xiao Xun'er and privately acknowledged his feelings for her, but publicly called their relationship that of siblings when Xiao Han forced the issue during Nalan Yanran's engagement dispute 8.

Yao Chen became Xiao Yan's teacher and repeatedly aided his cultivation and survival. Xiao Yan trained obsessively to surpass Xiao Han, seeking harsher physical conditioning so that he could master Eight Extremes Collapse and eventually challenge the Misty Cloud Sect himself 12 37.

His rivalry with Xiao Han became the defining force in his life. After suffering setbacks at the Xiao Family ceremony and against Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yan continued pursuing power through Heavenly Flames, the Fen Jue, and increasingly dangerous opportunities 130 249. His acquisition of the Green Lotus Core Flame's root gave him the ability to devour others' cultivation, but destroyed the natural flame's future growth 251.

Personality

Xiao Yan is proud, tenacious, and intensely unwilling to accept defeat. He repeatedly frames his struggle against Xiao Han as a fight for control over his own fate, even after overwhelming defeats and humiliation 291 424.

His determination gradually becomes obsession. He is capable of careful planning—such as infiltrating Jia Nan Academy as Qian Mo and manipulating the eruption of the Formless Fire Python—but his hatred of Xiao Han repeatedly drives him toward reckless decisions 270.

By the time he leads the Revenge Alliance, Xiao Yan is openly ruthless. He rejects his father's pleas, kills both Xiao Zhan and Xiao Li when they oppose his attack on the Xiao Clan, and destroys his own retreating army for showing fear before Xiao Han 761 762.

Abilities & Skills

Devouring Divine Ability

After refining the root of the Green Lotus Core Flame, Xiao Yan gains a body-based Devouring Divine Ability.

• Absorbs an opponent's Battle Qi and cultivation through physical contact.
• Allowed his cultivation to rise from Dou King to Dou Ancestor in a short period 251 287.
• Initially prevented Xiao Han from extracting his power normally, though Xiao Han later overcame it with his own Extraction ability 290.

Heavenly Flames

Xiao Yan repeatedly gains and cultivates Heavenly Flames, making them central to both his combat style and advancement.

• Possessed the Green Lotus Core Flame after refining its root 251.
• Used two merged flames to create Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus 248.
• Later possessed additional flames, including the Yin Yang Twin Flames and a pink Heavenly Flame found in the Monster Beast Mountain Range 467 762.
• His pink Heavenly Flame affects nearby people by provoking uncontrollable primal urges, though Xiao Han remains immune and can command the flame away from him 762 763.

Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus

A self-created Fighting Skill formed by merging Heavenly Flames.

• Produces destructive green-and-yellow flame lotuses 248.
• Its early version travels in a fixed direction and may detonate prematurely when struck with sufficient force 248.
• Xiao Yan's control over the technique is inferior to Xiao Han's flame-fusion methods 240.

Flame Splitting Wave Ruler

An Earth-tier Fighting Skill associated with Yao Chen.

• Used against Nalan Yanran during their decisive clash 249.
• Remained one of Xiao Yan's strongest known techniques before his later power growth 287.

Mysterious Yellow Inner Scripture

A late-stage cultivation technique that Xiao Yan claims can level up.

• Increases Spiritual Energy through intercourse.
• Its level can rise further through intercourse with different species 762.

Equipment

• Black Heavy Ruler — Xiao Yan's signature heavy weapon during his earlier battles 178 247.
• Storage Ring — Formerly contained treasures including the Six Harmonies Roaming Body Ruler and a dried Magical Beast corpse; Xiao Han seized it after defeating him 424.

Relationships

• Xiao Han — Primary rival and fellow transmigrator. Xiao Han repeatedly takes Xiao Yan's opportunities, extracts his powers, and treats him as a source of future Heavenly Flames 209 290 291.
• Yao Chen — Teacher and protector. Yao Chen possessed Xiao Yan's body to confront Xiao Han and trained Xiao Yan to improve his physique and techniques 12 37.
• Xiao Xun'er — Childhood companion and unspoken love interest. Xiao Yan publicly described them as siblings when challenged over their relationship, disappointing her 8.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and opponent. Xiao Yan sought to erase the humiliation of their broken engagement but was defeated by her at the Misty Cloud Sect 247 249.
• Xiao Zhan — Father. Xiao Zhan pleaded with Xiao Yan to spare the Xiao Clan and Huaxia Empire; Xiao Yan killed him when he refused to stand aside 760 761.
• Xiao Li — Second brother. Xiao Li attempted to stop Xiao Yan from attacking their family and was killed by him 761.
• Han Feng — Fellow disciple under Yao Chen and hostile senior brother. Han Feng feared Xiao Yan's rapid growth and urged Xiao Han to kill him before he could become stronger 287.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Xiao Family Rivalry

Xiao Yan's early conflict with Xiao Han begins over Xiao Xun'er, Nalan Yanran's engagement, and the two men's competing ambitions. At the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Xiao Yan challenges Xiao Han as an Eight-star Dou Master, but Xiao Han lures him into close range with Palm Absorption 130 131.

Misty Cloud Sect Defeat

Xiao Yan confronts Nalan Yanran with Heavenly Flames, Battle Qi wings, Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus, and Flame Splitting Wave Ruler. Nalan Yanran's superior cultivation and Xiao Han's prior guidance allow her to defeat him; Xiao Han intervenes only to prevent her final strike from killing Xiao Yan 247 249.

Devouring and the One-Year Pact

By refining the root of the Green Lotus Core Flame, Xiao Yan gains the ability to devour cultivation and challenges Xiao Han to a duel in one year. His rapid rise to Dou Ancestor alarms Han Feng, who warns that allowing Xiao Yan to grow unchecked is dangerous 251 287.

Harvested by Xiao Han

Xiao Han immobilizes Xiao Yan with Space Lock and extracts his Heavenly Flames, techniques, Fighting Skills, and Battle Qi. Xiao Yan survives because Xiao Han intends to use his unusual fortune to locate more Heavenly Flames in the future 290 291.

Soul Hall and Resurrection

Xiao Yan later becomes the Hall Master of the Soul Hall and continues to obtain Heavenly Flames despite repeated defeats. After he self-destructs following his battle over the Bodhi Ancient Tree, Xiao Han preserves his Soul Imprint; Xiao Yan subsequently returns as the leader of the Revenge Alliance 467 589 758.

Revenge Alliance War

Xiao Yan returns to attack the Huaxia Empire and Xiao Clan with the remnants of the Soul Hall and Soul Clan. He kills Xiao Zhan and Xiao Li, annihilates the billions-strong Revenge Alliance army when its members submit to Xiao Han, and challenges Xiao Han with power beyond the Dou God realm 760 761 762.

Notable Quotes

“My fate is mine to control, not Heaven's!” 424

“If I kill you, who will find Heavenly Flames for me!” — Xiao Han to Xiao Yan 291