Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Soul Devourer Venerate 139
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Family; former Jia Nan Academy student; Hall Master of the Soul Devouring Hall 3 71 139
Occupation/Role	Alchemist; cultivator; leader of the Soul Devouring Hall 15 139
Status	Alive; confronts Dragon Domain and its allies at the Earth Core Flame Vein 143
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
One-Star Dou Practitioner	3	Introduced as an eleven- or twelve-year-old Xiao Family genius with a one-star badge.
Three-Stage Dou Qi	7	His cultivation plummets while the soul in his ring absorbs his Dou Qi.
One-Star Dou Practitioner	15	Publicly appears to have regained his talent; this displayed level is maintained through concealment.
Three-Star Dou Master	15	His actual cultivation reaches this level after harsh training with the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler; his foundation is unstable.
One-Star Da Dou Shi	47	Returns to Jia Nan Academy after devouring the Mysterious Yellow Flame, which evolves his Flame Mantra to mid-Xuan rank.
Three-Star Dou Grandmaster	62	Breaks through inside the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower, but his Heavenly Flame nearly destabilizes the new realm.
Four-Star Dou Grandmaster	65	Advances beneath the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower while pursuing the Earth Spirit Pill.
Seven-Star Dou Grandmaster	67	Rapidly advances by refining “Soul Pills” with the Soul Devouring Pill Nurturing Art.
One-Star Dou Wang	70	Forcefully breaks through using four sixth-grade pills; the process damages his body and soul.
Four-Star Dou Saint	138	Advances from One-Star to Four-Star Dou Saint in four days by devouring lightning energy within Thunder Prison.
Late-Stage Eight-Star Dou Saint	142	Reaches this level while devouring enemy power during the Tianming Mountain Range battle.

Appearance

Xiao Yan is first depicted as a clean-cut boy with bright eyes, sharp brows, and a confidence unusual for his age. After surviving the Monster Mountain Range, he commonly wears black robes; his demeanor becomes more subdued, while his complexion is often pale from persistent meridian injuries 3 47 55.

• Initially appears around eleven or twelve years old 3.
• Wears Xiao Family attire and a one-star Dou Practitioner badge at his introduction 3.
• Later favors black robes and carries a grave, isolated presence 47 55.
• Has black patterns on his skin and black flames in his eyes after receiving the Tunling Clan inheritance 137 142.

Personality

As a child, Xiao Yan is proud of his talent and accustomed to being admired by Wutan City’s younger generation. His interest in Gu Xun Er is immediate, and Gu Long’s refusal of his invitation leaves him resentful. After being caught outside Xun Er’s room at night and beaten by Gu Long, he begins avoiding both Gu Long and Xun Er while his resentment deepens 3 4 6.

His humiliation at Nalan Yanran’s dissolution of their engagement turns cultivation into an obsession. He initially shows attachment to his family during Wutan City’s crisis and gratitude toward Xiao Yi Xian for treating him, but he becomes increasingly greedy, suspicious, and ruthless under Han Feng’s influence 13 14 25 29.

By the time he enters the Black Corner Region, Xiao Yan consciously suppresses mercy to seize resources. His use of soul-refining methods, alliance with regional magnates, and later rule over the Soul Devouring Hall reflect his willingness to sacrifice others for power and revenge against Gu Long 60 67 72 139 142.

Abilities & Skills

Flame Mantra

An incomplete, flawed cultivation technique taught by Han Feng. It can evolve by devouring Heavenly Flames, but its defects and Xiao Yan’s rushed cultivation leave his foundation unstable 8 15.

• Evolved to mid-Xuan rank after Xiao Yan devoured the Mysterious Yellow Flame 47.
• Allows him to wield the Mysterious Yellow Flame in combat 55 60.
• The technique and forced flame-devouring leave him with persistent meridian injuries and sluggish Dou Qi circulation 47 62.
• His attempt to stabilize the Mysterious Yellow Flame nearly causes his Three-Star Dou Grandmaster realm to collapse 62.

Alchemy

Xiao Yan learns alchemy from Han Feng and begins by refining basic pills for sale in Wutan City 8 15.

• Successfully refines Blood Coagulating Powder after two failures 8.
• Sells first-grade Blood Coagulating Powder and Qi Replenishing Pills to fund cultivation 15.
• Attempts fifth-grade pills repeatedly but struggles to refine them 65.
• Pursues the sixth-grade Earth Spirit Pill as preparation for devouring the Falling Heart Flame 65 66.

Soul Devouring Pill Nurturing Art

A forbidden alchemical method introduced by Han Feng. It uses living souls and Dou Qi as “Medicine Guides” for pill refinement 65 66.

• Xiao Yan captures and kills Luo Bu, a One-Star Dou Ling, for use in refining the Earth Spirit Pill 66.
• He targets lone cultivators and refines their souls and Dou Qi into “Soul Pills” to accelerate cultivation 67.
• The technique causes a violent aura, mental instability, and public condemnation once his crimes are exposed 67 71.
• He uses Soul Pills and other sixth-grade pills to force his breakthrough to Dou Wang, worsening existing damage to his body and soul 70.

Suction Palm

A low-tier Profound-rank Dou Technique learned under Han Feng’s guidance 15.

• Generates suction to pull distant objects toward Xiao Yan and disrupt an opponent’s footing 15.
• Used during Instructor Ruolin’s trial to interfere with her stance 17.
• Becomes more proficient through combat in the Monster Mountain Range 24.

Flame Splitting Wave Ruler

A powerful ruler technique practiced with a Black Heavy Ruler 15.

• Requires the forceful circulation of Dou Qi through specific meridians, causing Xiao Yan severe pain 15.
• Consumes substantial Dou Qi and aggravates his unstable foundation 15 24.
• Used at full strength against Dragon Domain participants during the Flame Energy competition, leaving him with less than a tenth of his Dou Qi 58.

Devouring Power

After Nihility Devouring Flame reshapes his soul with the Tunling Clan inheritance, Xiao Yan gains Devouring Power capable of absorbing energy, life force, matter, souls, and enemy attacks 137 138.

• Drains five Ice Soul Gate Dou Emperors into dried corpses and consumes their soul remnants 138.
• Devours lightning energy accumulated within Thunder Prison to gain three Dou Saint stages in four days 138.
• Absorbs flame, lightning, poison, petrifying shockwaves, and the attacks of Dou Saints during the Tianming Great War 142.
• Is less effective against direct physical attacks, forcing Xiao Yan into close-quarters exchanges against coordinated Dou Saints 142.
• Can devour the energy of the Spirit Sealing Array itself 143.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Black Ring — Originally houses Yao Chen’s soul; Gu Long replaces it with Han Feng’s brainwashed soul, making it Xiao Yan’s link to Han Feng 7.
• Black Heavy Ruler — Used to practice and deploy the Flame Splitting Wave Ruler 15 30.
• Eagle’s Wings — High-tier Profound-rank flying Dou Technique scroll acquired from the hidden cave dwelling 29.
• Soul Crystals — Used to contain devoured souls after Xiao Yan takes control of the Soul Devouring Hall 139 140.

Relationships

• Gu Long — Rival and primary object of Xiao Yan’s hatred. Gu Long blocks his access to Xun Er, replaces the soul in his ring with Han Feng, monitors his crimes, and later confronts him directly 3 7 47 142 143.
• Han Feng — Teacher residing in Xiao Yan’s ring. Han Feng teaches him alchemy and the flawed Flame Mantra while demanding portions of Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi and steering him toward forbidden methods 7 8 65 67.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée whose dissolution of their engagement leads Xiao Yan to establish the Three-Year Pact 13.
• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Family patriarch. Xiao Yan is distressed by the crisis threatening his family and seeks Han Feng’s aid to resolve it 3 14.
• Gu Xun Er — Xiao Yan is drawn to her when they first meet and later resents Gu Long for remaining close to her 3 8 47.
• Xiao Yi Xian — Treats Xiao Yan after his flight to Qingshan Town. Their initial bond of gratitude deteriorates when Xiao Yan selfishly claims the cave dwelling’s most valuable treasure 25 26 29.
• Xiao Yu — His cousin, who warmly welcomes him back to Jia Nan Academy after his year-long disappearance 47.
• Ya Ya — Witnesses Xiao Yan murder her grandfather for his Storage Pouch; Xiao Yan leaves her alive despite her pleas 60 61.
• Nihility Devouring Flame — Rescues and reshapes Xiao Yan’s remnant soul, grants him Tunling Clan inheritance, and later operates alongside him 137 138.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wutan City

• Meets Gu Long and Gu Xun Er after their arrival at the Xiao Family estate, then unsuccessfully invites them to the training grounds 3.
• Attempts to enter Xun Er’s room at night; Gu Long catches and severely beats him without leaving visible injuries 4.
• Loses cultivation as his ring’s soul drains his Dou Qi, falling to Three-Stage Dou Qi 6 7.
• Accepts Han Feng as his teacher after Gu Long secretly replaces Yao Chen with Han Feng 7.
• Forms the Three-Year Pact with Nalan Yanran after she dissolves their engagement 13.

Monster Mountain Range and Qingshan Town

• Enters the Monster Mountain Range for external training, where his rushed cultivation and damaged meridians become increasingly severe 18 24.
• Is hunted by magical beasts acting on Gu Long’s orders and escapes to Qingshan Town 24 25.
• Receives treatment from Xiao Yi Xian at Myriad Medicine Pavilion 25 26.
• Enters a hidden cave dwelling with Xiao Yi Xian, takes the Eagle’s Wings for himself, and treats the Poison Scripture and Roaring Lion Chant as unwanted leftovers 29.
• Is overwhelmed by Mu She and escapes only after Han Feng takes control of his body; he subsequently falls into an abyss 30 31.

Jia Nan Academy and the Pill Demon Path

• Returns to Jia Nan Academy a year later as a One-Star Da Dou Shi after devouring the Mysterious Yellow Flame 47.
• Participates in the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, where his fire-attributed Dou Qi and unstable aura attract attention 55.
• Begins using the Soul Devouring Pill Nurturing Art to murder cultivators and refine Soul Pills 65 67.
• Forcefully reaches Dou Wang through soul-refined sixth-grade pills 70.
• Is stripped of his Jia Nan Academy student status after detailed evidence of his killings and soul-pills is publicly released 71.
• Fleeing the academy, he allies with Black Corner Region magnates to attack Jia Nan Academy and seize the Falling Heart Flame 72 75.

Remnant Soul and Soul Devouring Hall

• Has his physical body destroyed; the Soul Clan acquires his remnant soul 137.
• Nihility Devouring Flame preserves and reshapes his soul with the Tunling Clan’s devouring inheritance 137.
• Becomes the Hall Master of the Soul Devouring Hall after devouring its former Three-Star Dou Saint leader 139.
• Expands the hall through massacres and soul-devouring, becoming known as Soul Devourer Venerate 139.

War Against the Ancient Clans

• Battles the five ancient clans at Tianming Mountain Range, devouring enemy power to reach late-stage Eight-Star Dou Saint 142.
• Kills Flame Clan leader Yan Jin during the battle and vows to continue his revenge against Gu Long and the Ancient Clan 142.
• Confronts Gu Long and nine Dou Saints within the Spirit Sealing Array, relying on physical strength and Devouring Power to resist their trap 143.

Notable Quotes

“Plenty of people hate me. One more makes no difference.” 60

“Not enough! Still not enough!” 143