Xiao Yao

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Xiao Yao began as the Tree of Life Martial Soul that Richard awakened in the Douluo World. Unlike most Martial Souls, she could exist independently and possessed rudimentary intelligence from the beginning. Richard repeatedly cultivated and evolved her, gradually developing her intelligence to that of a human child 134 155 161.

Richard named her Mu Yao, explaining the name through the imagery of a divine tree becoming jade and a fairy embryo of vegetation. Originally genderless, she chose a feminine identity and liked her new name. She addresses Richard as “Father,” while he treats her as a daughter as well as his Martial Soul 134.

Before developing traveling incarnations, Xiao Yao spent centuries stationed within Richard's Small World. Richard discouraged her from transforming so that she could remain integrated with the world and evolve into a World Tree. Absorbing the Dao Tree's origin eventually let her travel without abandoning that role 142 143.

Appearance

Xiao Yao usually appears as a little girl in light-green or jade-green clothing. Her incarnation has a lively presence and a pure, vitality-filled aura. She deliberately keeps this childlike form rather than adopting an adult appearance 142 144 155 173.

• True body: An enormous golden tree, accompanied by eighteen gleaming golden God Rings after becoming a true World Tree 121 148.
• Scale: Regards the Dao Tree, itself several hundred li tall, and the Moon Laurel Tree as tiny compared with her true body 142 165.
• Spiritual presence: Emits wood spiritual energy denser than the Jianmu Yang Chan had encountered and the Moon Laurel Tree known to Chang'e 155 165.
• Roots: Extend into the void and connect her true body to Richard's Origin World 148.

Personality

Xiao Yao is affectionate toward Richard, eager to play, and fond of praise. After centuries confined to the Small World, she enthusiastically explores new places and seeks suitable playmates. Her continued childishness is deliberate: she believes that remaining a child means fewer worries and more freedom to enjoy herself 143 155 162 174.

Her apparent innocence does not make her easy to deceive. She immediately recognizes that Su Yu's attempt to hide his secrets from Richard is futile, refuses resources that would not benefit her true body, and confidently dismisses his threat to attack her. Her appetite is selective rather than indiscriminate: she desires rare things capable of helping her grow 145.

She can also be mischievous and forceful. She restrains those who threaten or annoy her, insists that Ice Empress leave half an attacking army for her to handle, and demands compensation rather than undoing hostile soldiers' restraints for nothing 163 198 207. Nevertheless, she listens when Richard asks her to release someone, as shown with Cang Mao and Howling Celestial Dog 134 163.

Abilities & Skills

World Tree and World Support

Xiao Yao's growth is closely linked to Richard's worlds, which she nourishes and helps stabilize 121 138 148.

• Absorbs and refines void power to support both herself and the Origin World 148.
• Helps relocate an existing Small World into the Origin World while preserving its contents 138.
• Receives nourishment from the World Origin and access to corresponding Great Dao authority 138.
• Strengthens Richard through feedback from his Martial Soul 121.

Incarnations and Plant Puppets

Life Origin: Ten Thousand Woods Return to One, acquired from the Dao Tree, enables rapid cultivation of an army of plant puppets 142.

• Combined with transformation, provides a foundation for producing countless clones and traveling beyond the Origin World 142.
• Can separate additional incarnations when needed, including one summoned to the East Sea Dragon Palace 161.
• Her traveling incarnation already outclasses the Heavenly Tomb's Emperor projections 143.
• Damage to an incarnation does not endanger her true body 163.

Branch Binding

Xiao Yao controls branches capable of restraining individuals or large groups 134 198.

• Lifts and swings Cang Mao until it loses consciousness 134.
• Binds Su Yu, leaving the gathered Human Race experts unable to free him 145.
• Uses a true-body branch, called Xi Zhi, to restrain Howling Celestial Dog despite his attempts to change size or return to his original form. Richard states that even a Coiling Dragon High-level God could not break free from such a binding 163.
• Simultaneously captures roughly half of an army of several thousand soldiers, then binds its commanding general 198.
• Her restraints withstand Emperor Yuanjing's full power 206.

Space-Time Sealing

A basic ability gained through her evolution into a World Tree, Space-Time Sealing suppresses both space and time within its area 176.

• Her incarnation freezes the Land of Illusion across a thousand-li area, stopping movement and thought 176.
• Immobilizes Fairy Jinghuan before she can comprehend what has happened 176.
• Her true body could seal Richard's entire Origin World 176.
• During the Land of Illusion sealing, Richard protects the companions beside him from its effects 176.

Dao Tree Defensive Abilities

Absorbing the Dao Tree's origin grants Xiao Yao several abilities suited to defending the Origin World 142.

• Dao Rule Entanglement Seal
• Wood Origin Erosion
• Spatial Rooting Domain Lock

Spatial Travel and Spell Removal

Xiao Yao can open precise spatial passages and remove magical restraints remotely 208.

• Locates the Great Feng imperial family's most valuable hidden treasury without visiting the palace 208.
• Opens passages allowing herself and Ice Empress to retrieve treasures from the vault 208.
• Dispels both her branch bindings and Ice Empress's freezing spells from a distance 208.

Spiritual Perception and Life-Energy Treasures

Xiao Yao can identify unusual spiritual existences and create objects with life- and plant-related effects 145 174.

• Detects Su Yu's concealed Little Booklet and recognizes Furball as a Rule Fragment Incarnation 145.
• Condenses the Primordial Jade Orb, which gathers plant spiritual energy, accelerates plant growth, and produces spiritual liquid that heals injuries, cures illness, and extends lifespan 174.
• Provides a Life Crystal for Chang'e's Moon Laurel Tree 165.

Items

• Moon Laurel branch — Richard obtains it from Chang'e in exchange for utmost-yin spiritual jade, intending it as nourishment for Xiao Yao's further growth 165.
• Life River water — Gives some to Second Cat, which eagerly drinks its concentrated life energy 143.
• Primordial Jade Orb — Creates and gifts it to Lin Daiyu to support spirit-plant cultivation and provide healing spiritual liquid 174.
• Space Ring — Stores the three treasures she selects from the Great Feng imperial treasury 208.
• Three imperial treasures — Chooses the vault's three most valuable items as compensation. They are rare objects likely connected to Transcendent Rank beings, though of little practical use to her 208.

Relationships

• Richard — Her awakener, cultivator, and father figure. She accompanies him through incarnations and guards him when he enters sudden enlightenment 134 142 155.
• Cang Mao — Tries to obtain her life juice and is punished with branch restraints. Afterward, it fears provoking her 134.
• Second Cat — Initially mistakes it for Cang Mao, then pets it, shares Life River water, and goes off to play with it 143.
• Yang Chan — A close playmate who enjoys her company and envies Richard for having a Martial Soul who can be both friend and daughter 155 161.
• Ao Tingxin — Hosts her at the East Sea Dragon Palace and accompanies her on a month-long tour. Xiao Yao promises to visit again 161 162.
• Chang'e — Welcomes her at the Moon Palace, receives her Life Crystal, and permits Richard to obtain a Moon Laurel branch for her 165.
• Lin Daiyu — Receives Xiao Yao's Primordial Jade Orb and help against Fairy Jinghuan; readily gives her the praise she seeks 174 176.
• Qinglin and the other sword spirits — Cultivate and play with her beneath the World Tree before joining her outside 173.
• Mu Nanzhi — Shares a natural affinity with Xiao Yao because of her origins as the Undying Divine Tree. Richard assures Luo Yuheng that Xiao Yao will not harm her 191.
• Ice Empress — Cooperates with her against the Great Feng army and in negotiations over compensation; acknowledges that she cannot defeat Xiao Yao 198 207 208.
• Princess Huaiqing — Negotiates the soldiers' release and becomes deeply wary after witnessing Xiao Yao's remote spell removal and access to the imperial treasury 207 208.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Heavenly Tomb and Su Yu's Era

Richard brings Xiao Yao into the Heavenly Tomb after feeding her the Dao Tree's origin. While he discusses recruitment with Zhan Heavenly Emperor, she befriends Second Cat and explores the tomb. Before entering the River of Time, Richard sends her back into the Origin World as a precaution, bringing her out again after reaching Su Yu's era 142 143 144.

When Su Yu tries to gather information from her, Xiao Yao instead exposes his hidden Little Booklet and Furball. His attempts to bribe or intimidate her fail, and she binds him with a branch 145. She later accompanies Richard to the Iron-Eating Beast race and enjoys spending time with the beasts brought into his world 147.

Lotus Lantern World

Xiao Yao guards Richard while he receives Nuwa's Creation Manipulation inheritance through the Lotus Lantern. During the vigil, she befriends Yang Chan and explains her unusual nature as an intelligent Martial Soul 155.

She subsequently visits the East Sea Dragon Palace, tours the East Sea with Yang Chan and Ao Tingxin, and restrains Howling Celestial Dog after he blocks her way and tries to bite her. At the Moon Palace, she introduces herself as a World Tree and receives an opportunity for further growth through the Moon Laurel branch Richard obtains 161 162 163 165.

Land of Illusion

While visiting Lin Daiyu, Xiao Yao creates the Primordial Jade Orb as a gift. She then asks to participate in confronting Daiyu's enemies, and Richard promises her the fight against Fairy Jinghuan 174 175.

After briefly exchanging moves with Jinghuan, Xiao Yao freezes the Land of Illusion with Space-Time Sealing, seals Jinghuan's power, and binds her with branches. Richard leaves the captives' fate to Lin Daiyu 176.

Great Feng Imperial Confrontation

When Emperor Yuanjing sends thousands of soldiers against the visiting group, Xiao Yao and Ice Empress divide the attackers between them. Their restraints prove impossible for the imperial side to remove, forcing Yuanjing to seek negotiations through Princess Huaiqing 198 206.

The settlement allows each visitor to choose three rare treasures. Xiao Yao releases the soldiers before collecting payment, then bypasses the palace's defenses to select treasures directly from its most secret vault. The demonstration convinces Huaiqing that Xiao Yao's abilities lie far beyond the ordinary experts she knows 208.