Yi Yan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yi Yan (易衍)
Alias(es)	Master Yi Yan; Grand Commandant
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Yu Emperor Dynasty; later Great Zheng
Occupation/Role	Former Grand Commandant of Great Yu's three armies; Commander of Great Zheng's Third Legion
Status	Active
First Appearance	163

Background

Yi Yan served as a minister entrusted by the previous Great Yu Emperor and became the dynasty's irreplaceable Grand Commandant. During a crisis a century earlier, he turned the tide for Great Yu; his achievements earned respect even from enemy soldiers, while his prestige within Great Yu was second only to Emperor Nalan Piaoxue. 200

Though a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, Yi Yan was afflicted by the poison Soul Dissolving Powder after being sabotaged during a breakthrough attempt. The poison left him frail, coughing blood, and unable to advance further; he believed he had fewer than twenty years to live. 163 208 214 324

At the Fang Mountain Summit, Yi Yan's arrival demonstrated the depth of his influence. General Iron Blood willingly knelt to serve as his stepping stool, Great Yu's soldiers greeted him with unanimous reverence, and Princess Qian You treated him with sincere respect despite representing a rival dynasty. 163

Appearance

Yi Yan initially appeared as an extremely frail, haggard old man whose thin body seemed vulnerable even to a light breeze. His eyes, however, retained a brilliant and penetrating wisdom. 163

• Often required a maid's support when leaving his sedan chair. 163
• Refused assistance while climbing Fang Mountain despite his poor condition. 163
• Wore a simple blue hemp robe while examining the ruins of the Great Deer King's residence. 224
• Appeared noticeably younger after Zhong Shan gave him the Heavenly Essence Divine Pill. 324 372

Cultivation

Yi Yan was a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator when first introduced. His poisoned condition prevented further advancement and severely shortened his expected lifespan. 163 214

Zhong Shan later gave him a Heavenly Essence Divine Pill, which could allow a peak Nascent Soul cultivator to enter the Body Integration Realm and expel the poison. Yi Yan accepted the pill before agreeing to defend Great Yu for ten years. 324

Personality

Yi Yan is a far-sighted strategist whose concern extends beyond individual battles to the survival, expansion, and long-term stability of a dynasty. He studies political conditions, troop morale, terrain, hidden powers, and even the motives of rivals before acting. 214 372 617 1052

His loyalty to Great Yu originated from the kindness of the late emperor. Although he regarded Nalan Piaoxue as politically inferior to his predecessor and held personal grievances against the court, he returned to command Great Yu's armies because he had promised the late emperor to do so. 317

He is also willing to bear blame or risk his reputation for what he considers the greater good. While terminally ill, he planned to remove threats to Great Yu before his death, even if it required defying an imperial decree. 208 219

After losing his bet with Zhong Shan, Yi Yan accepted defeat without breaking his word. He later served Great Zheng faithfully while retaining the ability to challenge Zhong Shan's decisions with candid strategic advice. 324 335 617

Abilities & Skills

Military Strategy and Command

Yi Yan's primary strength is his exceptional command ability. His name alone could halt the momentum of Great Luo's armies and restore Great Yu soldiers' confidence. 316 332

• Planned a possible Great Yu–Great Radiance alliance and coordinated dispersed attacks to prevent enemy commanders from intervening. 323
• Used a commander’s banner to lure the Insect Emperor and prepared an Earth Yang Energy ambush against the Corpse Eating Ghost Insect army. 525
• Directed Great Zheng's rapid campaign to seize the Four Directions Emperor Dynasties and advantageous terrain in the Netherworld. 727
• Received responsibility for the eight surrounding Heavenly Dynasties while Zhong Shan ordered the destruction of four nearby Sacred Lands. 891

Political and Strategic Analysis

Yi Yan evaluates dynastic strength beyond surface appearances, identifying concealed experts, ambitions, and structural weaknesses.

• Used a pond full of scrambling fish as a model for how powerful factions compete once resources appear. 214
• Identified Corpse Mister, the Yin Moon Great Empress, and Golden Light Arhat as the Yin Moon Imperial Dynasty's three hidden powers. 372
• Detected that an apparently normal campaign by Fan Yipin concealed a larger conspiracy, prompting him to seek Zhong Shan's counsel. 617
• Advocated consolidation and popular support rather than overextending Great Zheng through costly conquest. 1087

Schemes and Psychological Manipulation

Yi Yan can arrange indirect outcomes while concealing his true intentions.

• Hosted a banquet designed to turn Wisdom Light Arhat and the Great Deer King against one another, circumventing his inability to openly oppose an imperial decree. 219 220
• Guided Wisdom Light Arhat into choosing a dragon claw dish based on his known attachment to claw techniques. 220
• Recognized Zhong Shan's hidden involvement in several schemes, including the Matchless City Lord election and the breaking of the Mist Lake death trap. 214

Cultivation Knowledge

While not chiefly known as a combatant, Yi Yan possesses broad knowledge of cultivation, formations, curses, and military arrays.

• Explained that Ying Lan's curse could not be solved merely by killing its caster; the caster's curse arts had to be forced into backlash. 380
• Assessed the Arhat Battle Array and noted that one hundred and eight true Arhats could trap a Bodhisattva. 372
• Consulted with the Male Heavenly Old about methods to break the Eight Threads Net Heaven Great Array. 741

Equipment / Items

• Grand Commandant's banner — Used to direct troops and lure the Insect Emperor toward Yi Yan's ambush. 525
• Heavenly Essence Divine Pill — Given by Zhong Shan to cure Yi Yan's poison and restore his ability to advance. 324

Relationships

• Zhong Shan — Began as a political opponent, but Yi Yan recognized Zhong Shan as one of only two people he admired. After losing their ten-year wager, he joined Great Zheng and became a trusted senior commander. 214 324 335 337
• General Iron Blood — Devoted subordinate and longtime supporter. Iron Blood repeatedly follows Yi Yan's orders without hesitation and seeks greater authority for him after their move to Great Zheng. 163 219 337
• Nalan Zhengde — The former Great Yu emperor whom Yi Yan admired and to whom he owed his foundational loyalty. 214 317
• Nalan Piaoxue — Great Yu emperor whom Yi Yan served despite criticizing his political judgment and pursuit of personal cultivation over dynastic security. 218 317
• Princess Qian You — A respected political rival during Yi Yan's Great Yu service; they later became fellow officials under Zhong Shan. 163 200 372
• Mister Shui Jing — A strategist Yi Yan wished to meet and regarded as a notable talent, though he recognized Shui Jing's attachment to Great Luo. 200 214
• Zhong Zheng — Zhong Shan's son, who informed Yi Yan of the wager's outcome and escorted him toward Great Pool City after Great Yu's fall. 335

Story Role / Major Arcs

Grand Commandant of Great Yu

Yi Yan attends the Fang Mountain Summit as Great Yu's Grand Commandant, where his personal prestige astonishes Zhong Shan and Great Luo's delegation. 163

He receives Princess Qian You's party in the City in the Sky and later attempts to recruit Zhong Shan as Great Yu's next Grand Commandant. Zhong Shan refuses out of loyalty to Qian You. 200 214

Facing his worsening health and Great Yu's strategic danger, Yi Yan arranges a banquet death trap to eliminate or divide external threats without openly violating the emperor's orders. 208 219 220

Return to Great Yu and the Heavenfall Bet

Following Great Yu's military decline, Yi Yan returns as Grand Commandant to fulfill his promise to the late emperor. His return immediately raises Great Yu's morale. 316 317

Zhong Shan challenges Yi Yan to a ten-year bet: if Great Yu falls, Yi Yan will serve Zhong Shan for the rest of his life; if it survives, Zhong Shan will serve Yi Yan. Zhong Shan provides the Heavenly Essence Divine Pill so the contest will not be decided by Yi Yan's illness. 324

Yi Yan ultimately acknowledges Zhong Shan's superior strategy and accepts the loss after Great Yu's collapse. 335

Service to Great Zheng

Zhong Shan welcomes Yi Yan to Great Zheng and appoints him Commander of the Third Legion. Yi Yan initially observes the new dynasty cautiously while Iron Blood tests its military commanders. 337 480

He becomes one of Zhong Shan's principal advisers, providing intelligence on rival dynasties, formations, hidden experts, and Great Zheng's future expansion. 372 617 727

During Great Zheng's later wars, Yi Yan continues coordinating defensive plans, troop deployments, and signals for operations against the Eternal Life Realm and surrounding powers. 741 806 814

Trivia

• Yi Yan stated that he had admired only two people in his life: Nalan Zhengde and Zhong Shan. 214
• His prestige was so overwhelming that Great Yu soldiers and enemy forces alike treated his name as a symbol of military certainty. 163 332
• Zhong Shan considers Yi Yan's modesty to be a form of pride. 909