Zi Yan

Biodata

Background

Zi Yan spent her childhood fighting magical beasts for food. After accidentally consuming Transformation Grass, she assumed human form and was taken in at Jia Nan Academy by Grand Elder Su Qian. Though Su Qian treated her as family, his responsibilities left him little time to care for her directly. Other academy members largely avoided her, called her the “Brute Force King,” or treated her as an untrustworthy child. 174

She initially did not know her own species or family, identifying Su Qian as her only family. Xiao Yan recognized her as the young princess of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's royal bloodline when they met at the academy. 164 174

Appearance

Zi Yan appears to be a small girl of roughly twelve or thirteen, standing only to Xiao Yan's waist. Her innocent appearance contrasts with the cool indifference in her eyes. 164

• Long purple hair.
• Fair, tender cheeks with a faint rosy color.
• Large, bright black eyes.
• Small, slight build and delicately cute features.
• Often visibly drools or puffs out her cheeks when tempted by beast-derived pills. 164 167

Personality

Zi Yan is blunt, willful, and food-motivated, especially when magical-beast-based pills are involved. She is prone to tantrums and threats of force, but she understands boundaries in serious situations: despite overwhelming temptation, she returned Xiao Yan's Tier 7 Myriad Beast Pill without consuming it. 167

Her directness conceals loneliness and a strong desire for trust. Xiao Yan's willingness to give her the Myriad Beast Pill before receiving payment deeply affects her because few people at Jia Nan Academy had treated her normally. 173 174

Once she accepts Xiao Yan as her older brother, she becomes openly affectionate and dependent on him for his specially refined pills. She also displays protectiveness and responsibility after taking the Snow Demon Sky Ape as her little brother. 182 199 230

Abilities & Skills

Ancient Void Dragon Physiology

Zi Yan is an Ancient Void Dragon in her growth stage, possessing a royal magical-beast bloodline and a human transformation caused by Transformation Grass. 164 174

• Her aura is comparable to that of a Dou Wang, though she is unable to contend with a Dou Zong such as Xiao Yan. 164
• She grew up fighting magical beasts and feeding on them. 174
• Magical-beast corpses and beast-derived medicinal pills exert an extreme instinctive attraction on her. 164
• Her heart blood essence is valuable because of her royal bloodline; extracting it temporarily weakens her and requires a lengthy recovery. 174

Spatial Travel

Zi Yan can pass through space despite being in her growth stage, a trait Xiao Yan considers evidence of her exceptional bloodline. 164

Physical Strength

Her reputation as Jia Nan Academy's “Brute Force King” reflects her physical power and combative nature. She challenged the Snow Demon Sky Ape directly and sought Xiao Yan's help after its punches hurt her. 174 229

Treasure Hunting

Zi Yan possesses a talent for finding treasures. This ability helped uncover resources later used by Xiao Yan to refine pills for her. 267

Pill Consumption

Zi Yan can consume medicinal pills containing energy too violent for ordinary humans to digest, especially when Xiao Yan refines her ingredients into beast-compatible pills. 181

• She strongly prefers Xiao Yan's pills over ordinary medicinal ingredients or pills made by other alchemists. 181 282
• Her appetite is a liability: she once consumed too many pills at once, absorbed more energy than she could digest, and fell unconscious. 267
• Xiao Yan supplies her with large quantities of pills, including a Storage Ring intended to last several months at her usual rate of consumption. 243

Relationships

• Xiao Yan — Her acknowledged older brother. Their relationship begins with negotiations over Myriad Beast Pills and her heart blood essence, then becomes familial after Xiao Yan reveals his face and they pinky swear. She trusts him, calls him “Brother,” and repeatedly seeks out his pills. 173 174 182 199
• Su Qian — Grand Elder of Jia Nan Academy and her longtime guardian. He took her in after her transformation and treats her as a daughter or granddaughter, though his duties limit the time he can spend with her. 167 174
• Snow Demon Sky Ape — Her self-appointed little brother. After Xiao Yan gives the ape an Ice Marrow Fruit, Zi Yan decides to take responsibility for him. 230
• Qing Lin — A close companion who later plays and roughhouses with Zi Yan; the two are described as getting along like real sisters. 270
• Xiao Yi Xian — Travels with Zi Yan and Xiao Yan on several occasions. Xiao Yi Xian addresses her as “Little Sister Zi Yan.” 225

Story Role

• Meeting Xiao Yan: Drawn by the scent of Tier 6 Myriad Beast Blood Pills, Zi Yan confronts the newly appointed Jia Nan Academy elder and demands to eat them. Xiao Yan identifies her as a transformed magical beast and reveals his Dou Zong cultivation, forcing her to abandon any idea of taking them by force. 164
• Myriad Beast Pill incident: She intercepts Xiao Yan's newly refined Tier 7 Myriad Beast Pill but suppresses her craving and returns it to him, establishing that she can be trusted in serious matters. 167
• Heart blood exchange: Zi Yan agrees to exchange her heart blood essence for a Tier 6 Myriad Beast Pill. Xiao Yan's immediate trust and care after the extraction lead her to open up about her isolation at Jia Nan Academy. 173 174
• Becoming Xiao Yan's sister: After Xiao Yan repeatedly refines customized pills for her and removes his mask at her request, Zi Yan accepts him as her big brother through a pinky swear. 181 182
• Snow Demon Sky Ape arc: She asks Xiao Yan to help defeat the Snow Demon Sky Ape, then adopts the defeated magical beast as her little brother after receiving the diluted Earth Core Tempering Milk. 228 230
• Life in Yan City: Zi Yan remains within Xiao Yan's circle, accompanies him and Xiao Yi Xian to Jia Nan Academy, and continues receiving large batches of specially refined pills. 225 243