Yun Yao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yun Yao (云瑶)
Alias(es)	Little Princess; Saintess; Devil Race Saintess
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Li Fire Palace (former inner disciple and personal disciple of a Golden Core elder); Mysterious Yin Demonic Sect / Mystic Yin Divine Sect (former Saintess); Devil Race
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; Saintess of the Devil Race; former Saintess of the Mysterious Yin Demonic Sect
Spiritual Root	High-Grade Spiritual Root. 111 127
Spirit Body	Taiyin Star Ruins Body, a type of Void Spirit Body. 402 495
Former Master	Ancestor Huang / Old Ghost Huang of Li Fire Palace. 47 72
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Qi Refining Level 9	11	Remembered as a heroic, spirited ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.
Peak Qi Refining	10	Focused on preparing for Foundation Establishment.
Qi Refining Great Perfection	26	Sought funds and defensive tools for her Foundation Establishment attempt.
Foundation Establishment	30	Successfully established her foundation and became a personal disciple of a Li Fire Palace Golden Core elder.
Foundation Establishment Middle Stage	101	Had reached the middle stage by the time of her farewell from Celestial Mystery City.
Foundation Establishment Late Stage	146	Broke through before age seventy after years of bitter cultivation.
Core Formation / Golden Core	231	Formed a True Core with help from the Three-Turn Core Condensation Art and became a Core Formation True Person.
Core Formation Middle Stage	304	Her cultivation was identified as Core Formation Middle Stage while planning against Li Fire Palace.
Core Formation Late Stage	340	Lin Chang'an supplied Clear Spirit Pills to help her advance from the middle stage to the late stage.
Core Formation Late Stage / Peak	403	After stabilizing the Mystic Yin Divine Fire, her resource-backed cultivation had reached the perfection of Core Formation Late Stage.
Nascent Soul	429 495	Her Soul Lamp indicated a Nascent Soul breakthrough; she later reunited with Lin Chang'an as a Nascent Soul cultivator and Devil Race Saintess.

Background / History

Yun Yao was formerly known as a “Little Princess,” raised within the confines of a royal manor. Her earliest desire upon learning of cultivation was simply to fly freely; she viewed cultivation as an escape from that cage. 101

She became an inner disciple of the Li Fire Palace and presided over Elder Lu’s funeral when she reunited with Lin Chang'an, Li Erniu, and their former companions. Despite her elevated status and cultivation, she invited them to a reunion and remained connected to their old circle. 9 10

Before Foundation Establishment, she supported her cultivation through a Chamber of Commerce managed by Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing. When goods worth seven or eight hundred Spirit Stones were lost, she continued entrusting the business to them rather than harshly blaming them, regarding their survival as fortunate and the business as capable of recovering. 22

Yun Yao devoted herself to Foundation Establishment, gathering support from her friends for defensive resources. She successfully broke through and became the personal disciple of a Golden Core elder, but later learned that Li Fire Palace had cultivated her as a human cauldron rather than granting her freedom. 26 31 101

Her master was Ancestor Huang, also called Old Ghost Huang. The fact that he secretly nurtured Yun Yao as a cauldron was known to only a few members of the Huang Family. During this period, her dangerous cultivation also caused severe internal suffering: she concealed the extent of her injuries while agreeing to arrange the refinement of Lin Chang'an’s Foundation Establishment Pill. 47 72

She faked her death to escape Li Fire Palace, having plundered its True Treasure Pavilion as part of her escape. After recovering in Celestial Mystery City, she gave Lin Chang'an the Condensing Origin Art and continued seeking a path beyond the control of major sects. 109 172 304

While rebuilding her position, Yun Yao proposed a long-term partnership with Lin Chang'an to obtain a late Golden Core cultivator’s hidden legacy in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. She sought priority over its Core Formation Spirit Items and supplied a legitimate Yin-Yang Combined Attack Secret Art to strengthen their cooperation. After roughly twenty years of preparation, they entered the ruins with Old Hu under Dao-heart oaths. 127 158 174

Yun Yao subsequently entered the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, where she became a Saintess Candidate and later secured the position of Saintess. Though the sect offered powerful inheritances and resources, she remained wary of its internal struggle and intended to eventually defect. 207 304 339

While still operating within the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, Yun Yao secretly prepared and executed a raid on Li Fire Island with Lin Chang'an. Her years of intelligence gathering on the Li Fire Palace, including its island formations and personnel, made the operation possible; afterward, she continued using the Demonic Sect’s resources to strengthen herself for the coming Secret Realm. 304 307 320

Her relationship with Lin Chang'an became more openly affectionate during their secret reunions. He gave her Clear Spirit Pills and a Clear Spirit Jade hairpin, combed her hair as he had during their earlier journey from the Royal Mansion, and offered her a rare opportunity to rest without guarding against sect obligations. They considered escaping together after the Secret Realm expedition if necessary. 340

During the First Secret Realm of the Monster Sea Abyss, Yun Yao stole the Ice Lotus Cold Flame from Old Devil Profound Yin. Absorbing Clear Spirit Qi from the treasure awakened her Void Spirit Body, allowing her to remain in the Secret Realm after its closure, where she intended to cultivate and seek Nascent Soul resources. Lin Chang'an treated her injuries and stabilized her Mystic Yin Divine Fire before their separation. 402

Before remaining behind, she entrusted Lin Chang'an with her Soul Lamp, the Ice Lotus Cold Flame, an ancient teleportation map, and information and an identity tablet for the Mystic Yin Divine Sect. She used her awakened Spirit Body to activate the Secret Realm’s restrictions and send Lin Chang'an and the Sword Servant outside. Her intelligence and token subsequently enabled their infiltration and looting of the sect while Old Devil Profound Yin was absent. 402 403

Her time in the sealed Secret Realm carried her to the Nascent Soul realm and eventually brought her into contact with the Demon Sealing Abyss, an ancient altar, and a descending consciousness of a Demon World Saint Ancestor. She became the Saintess of the Devil Race and resolved to lead its people back toward the Demon World while leaving behind a route of ascension for the world she would depart. 467 495

Yun Yao intends to ascend ahead of Lin Chang'an, establish a secure location in the Upper Realm, and use ancient two-world teleportation arrays to preserve a path for their reunion. Her Taiyin Star Ruins Body enables her to leave spatial marks on a Great Teleportation Token for this purpose. 495

She later reunited with Lin Chang'an through a spirit-attachment secret art, descending into Fairy Nishang’s body with the aid of an incomplete ancient Demonic Altar. Their reunion under the full moon combined familiar companionship with discussion of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, the weakening Demon Sealing Abyss seal, and the decline of spiritual qi. 561

Later information about the ancient Taiyin Moon Demon caused Lin Chang'an to reassess her safety. He recognized connections between the Moon Demon, Yun Yao’s Spirit Body, and her cultivation techniques, and worried that her Saintess position might involve dangers he did not yet understand. Possession was one possibility he considered, not an established event. 777

Appearance

Yun Yao is consistently portrayed as beautiful, poised, and difficult to approach. Her usual cold exterior softens noticeably around Lin Chang'an and trusted companions. 101 339

• Her Water-Attribute cultivation method preserved a youthful, girl-like appearance even when her early companions were no longer young. 9
• Wore white Heavenly Silkworm Silk clothing with a white jade belt, gold cloud-pattern embroidery, and a white jade crown during her farewell. 101
• Often favors capable, tight-fitting clothing that emphasizes her heroic temperament. 231
• As Saintess, wore a palace gown embroidered with white clouds and carried a cold, solitary presence likened to an ice lotus. 339
• Used black gauze and an ordinary face while concealing her identity after escaping Li Fire Palace. 116 183
• Wore the Clear Spirit Jade hairpin given to her by Lin Chang'an during later reunions. 340 349
• Upon reuniting with Lin Chang'an as a Nascent Soul cultivator, she wore a crown and possessed a nobler, more distant bearing befitting her station as a Devil Race Saintess. 495
• During the conflict surrounding the ascension altar, she appeared in black armor while manifesting a devil sovereign phantom. 692

Personality

Yun Yao is resolute, ambitious, and exceptionally cautious. Even after reaching Foundation Establishment Late Stage, she showed no complacency and remained focused on future dangers and cultivation. 22 147

Her greatest personal value is freedom. Having escaped one “golden cage” only to find herself controlled by Li Fire Palace and later entangled in the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, she repeatedly chooses dangerous, carefully prepared paths over submission. 101 304

Though outwardly cold and aloof, Yun Yao is loyal to the friends who supported her before her rise. She repaid their help with gifts, maintained secret correspondence, visited old acquaintances in the Yue Kingdom, and repeatedly shared rare cultivation resources with Lin Chang'an. 31 101 185 285

Her loyalty also extends to the next generation. She gave a dual-cultivation technique as a wedding gift through Lin Chang'an and contributed Spirit Stones toward another Foundation Establishment opportunity for Wei Yingying, treating her own debts of gratitude as separate from Lin Chang'an’s obligations. 129 172 251

Her caution does not prevent bold action. Yun Yao repeatedly gambles on high-risk opportunities—including faking her death, raiding Li Fire Island, stealing the Ice Lotus Cold Flame, and remaining alone in the sealed Secret Realm—when they offer a path to control her own destiny. 109 304 402 495

Her underlying temperament is heroic and forthright rather than coy. Once relieved of immediate danger, she expresses gratitude directly and becomes more relaxed around Lin Chang'an. Her reunion with him also develops her understanding of freedom from merely escaping institutions toward choosing the person and future she genuinely wants. 109 340

She is pragmatic about Lin Chang'an’s other close relationships rather than narrowly jealous. She accepts the Sword Servant’s place beside him and makes arrangements for Fairy Nishang to assist his cultivation if he encounters a bottleneck. 303 350

After becoming Devil Race Saintess, she retained her desire for freedom while accepting responsibility for the Devil Race’s return to the Demon World and for leaving an ascension path behind. 467 495

Abilities & Skills

Mystic Yin Divine Fire

Yun Yao cultivates the Mystic Yin Divine Fire, a powerful but dangerous sect inheritance tied to the Mysterious Yin Demonic Sect.

• Contains a trace of Profound Yin Spirit Fire that can become difficult to control. 320 374
• Lin Chang'an's mana and dual cultivation secret technique can help her purify and stabilize the fire. 320 349
• Yun Yao seeks to fully refine the spirit fire and seize control of the sect’s strongest divine ability rather than remain its fuel. 304
• She and her senior sisters were raised as “kindling” for Old Devil Profound Yin’s fire. He intended to use her to obtain a Secret Realm treasure and offered assistance with possessing a Spirit Body cultivator in return. 396
• Within the Secret Realm, she used the Gui Water Demonic Art and Lin Chang'an’s Mystic Heaven Mana to stabilize the Divine Fire and absorb other Yin-attribute spirit fires into a ghostly blue flame surrounding her Golden Core. 402
• The Fire Manipulation Secret Technique Lin Chang'an shared with her further aided her control over the increasingly powerful flame. 396
• Its Yin aspect could help remedy a deficiency in Lin Chang'an’s Sun-Piercing Divine Sword. 374

Gui Water Demonic Art

Yun Yao possesses the Gui Water Demonic Art, manifested as ghostly blue flame within her dantian.

• Its dangers were apparent to Lin Chang'an when he examined her dantian. 304
• She intends to master the art despite its risks as part of her plan to gain enough strength to escape sect control. 132 304
• The art possesses potent healing properties and was used to improve Su Miaoyin’s injuries. 155
• It is the foundation required to nurture and ultimately control the Mystic Yin Divine Fire. 304 402
• Its extreme Yin and cold properties are suited to countering the fire-element demon creatures generated by the Blood Sha Red Sun Array. 158
• It can use Primordial Yin to cleanse and improve a Golden Core. During her cultivation union with Lin Chang'an, his Primordial Yang also cleansed her Spirit Body and made her spiritual power more solid, though he did not fully understand the mechanism. 403

Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation and Combined Attack Art

Yun Yao and Lin Chang'an practice a legitimate Yin-Yang dual cultivation secret art that permits them to merge mana in mutual trust.

• The art increases their cultivation speed without apparent side effects and enabled Yun Yao to assess the depth of Lin Chang'an’s Evergreen mana. 127 128
• In battle, it can combine their mana into a coordinated attack whose power surpasses ordinary spells; two late-stage Foundation Establishment practitioners can unleash an attack comparable to a False Core cultivator’s strike. 127
• The technique also improves their mana recovery and was instrumental in their battle against the quasi-third-tier Green-Scaled Giant Python. 151
• They prepared paired Water-Attribute Spirit Tools for their exploration of the Blood Sha Red Sun Array. 158 174
• Lin Chang'an later continued using the art to purify her Mystic Yin Divine Fire and restore her mana after long separations. 349 692
• Their intimate cultivation union in the Secret Realm purified and consolidated Yun Yao’s spiritual power while also benefiting Lin Chang'an’s Golden Core cultivation. 402 403

Void Spirit Body

Her Void Spirit Body awakened after she stole the Ice Lotus Cold Flame and absorbed Clear Spirit Qi from the treasure. She also suffered serious injuries during her escape. 402

• Identified as the Taiyin Star Ruins Body, a type of Void Spirit Body. 402 495
• Its nature is important to the study and establishment of spatial nodes for ancient teleportation arrays. 508
• The awakening gave her an exceptional opportunity to cultivate within the sealed Secret Realm. 402
• It conceals the “Otherworldly Aura” that would otherwise cause the Secret Realm’s restrictions to eject her when the realm closes. 402
• She used it to activate the Secret Realm’s restrictions and teleport Lin Chang'an and the Sword Servant outside. 403
• The body is highly sensitive to spatial coordinates, allowing Yun Yao to leave a mark on a Great Teleportation Token and assist with the locking of ancient two-world teleportation arrays. 495
• Lin Chang'an later recognized a connection between her Spirit Body, her cultivation techniques, and the ancient Taiyin Moon Demon. The precise implications remained unknown to him. 777

Devil Race Techniques

As the Devil Race Saintess, Yun Yao can wield Demonic Qi and invoke powers connected to the ancient Demon Sealing Abyss.

• She can summon a true demon’s true body to activate the ascension altar. 692
• She manifested and condensed a towering devil sovereign phantom, using the surrounding Demonic Qi to increase her own aura and power. 692
• She plans to guide the Devil Race’s ascent back to the Demon World while preserving an ascension route for those left behind. 467
• Through a spirit-attachment secret art and Fairy Nishang’s incomplete ancient Demonic Altar, she can descend into Nishang’s body for a temporary reunion. During the hundred-year peak of moonlight, this manifestation can last a full month. 561

Formation Knowledge and Secret-Realm Intelligence

Yun Yao possesses knowledge and intelligence derived from her sect background and long-term preparation.

• Provided Lin Chang'an with insights into Nascent Soul cultivators, sect schemes, and the Nether Soul Sect Secret Realm. 327
• Gathered years of intelligence on Li Fire Palace, including its cultivators’ techniques, magic treasures, habits, and formation layout. 304
• Used a Dharma Disk to test for abnormalities while exploring dangerous ruins. 176
• Made rubbings of ancient texts and sect records whenever possible, often sharing the resulting knowledge with Lin Chang'an. 327
• Identified the Blood Sha Red Sun Array protecting the Golden Core cave ruins and coordinated long-term preparations to counter its fire-element manifestations. 158
• Supplied formation-probing tools and spiritual artifacts to Lin Chang'an for their ruins expedition. 171 172
• Warned Lin Chang'an when Old Devil Profound Yin arrived ahead of the Secret Realm’s opening. 311
• Supplied the Mystic Yin Divine Sect’s Holy Island formation details, mechanisms, and an identity tablet that enabled Lin Chang'an’s infiltration. 403
• Discussed the Demon Sealing Abyss seal’s expected weakening within one or two centuries, the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm’s suppression of demonic beasts, and the danger that declining spiritual qi could end Spirit Transformation cultivation. 561

Spell Expertise and Concealment

Yun Yao was already proficient in spell cultivation during her Qi Refining years, guiding her friends’ discussions and supplying rare techniques suited to their individual strengths. 26 27

• Gave Lin Chang'an the Wood Spirit Thorn spell, including detailed cultivation notes and instructions for combining it with a concealed-weapon magical tool. 27
• Possessed a spiritual artifact capable of changing both appearance and aura. 130
• Used disguises, soundproofing techniques, concealed meetings, and coded communications to protect her identity and her connection to Lin Chang'an. 116 183 207 395

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Quasi-Fourth-Order Escape Jade Talisman — grants temporary escape speed second only to a Nascent Soul cultivator. 304
• Ice Lotus Cold Flame — stolen from Old Devil Profound Yin in the Secret Realm and sealed within an Ice Crystal lotus seed; Clear Spirit Qi from the treasure helped awaken Yun Yao’s Void Spirit Body. She later gave the flame to Lin Chang'an because she lacked time to refine it herself. 402 403
• Four Symbols Dragon Scale Armor — a damaged Ancient Treasure Yun Yao entrusted to Lin Chang'an for repair; once restored with modern materials, it provides powerful protection against wind, fire, water, and dust. 340 348
• Thunder Flood Dragon reverse-scale inner armor — defensive inner armor Lin Chang'an refined for Yun Yao using Thunder Flood Dragon materials. 349
• Green-Scaled Armor — defensive armor refined from Green-Scaled Giant Python materials; its spiritual power shield can block an ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage attack. 158
• Clear Spirit Jade hairpin — a gift from Lin Chang'an that calms the mind and assists cultivation; he personally placed it in her hair. 340 349
• Hidden Spirit Veil — a concealment treasure obtained from Li Fire Palace’s True Treasure Pavilion and used during exploration of the Golden Core cave ruins. Its limited size required Yun Yao and Lin Chang'an to remain close together beneath it. 172
• Appearance- and aura-changing spiritual artifact — used to support her concealed activities after escaping Li Fire Palace. 130
• Paired Water-Attribute Spirit Tools — specially prepared with Lin Chang'an for their combined attacks within the Blood Sha Red Sun Array. 174
• Soul Lamp — entrusted to Lin Chang'an before she remained in the sealed Secret Realm; it allowed him to monitor her safety and later indicated her Nascent Soul breakthrough. 402 409 429
• Ancient Teleportation Array Map — given to Lin Chang'an before their Secret Realm separation to aid his departure and future movements. 403
• Mystic Yin Divine Sect identity Jade Tablet — given to Lin Chang'an with the sect’s formation and mechanism information, enabling him to enter Old Devil Profound Yin’s cave dwelling. 403
• Ice Flood Dragon — Yun Yao’s spirit pet, raised with resources from Li Fire Palace’s True Treasure Pavilion and friendly with Lin Chang'an’s Green-Horned Ox. 304 340
• Second-Rank Explosion Talisman inheritance — includes a method for inscribing an Explosion Talisman directly onto a cultivator’s body. 116
• Condensing Origin Art — secret technique gifted to Lin Chang'an after her escape from Li Fire Palace. 109
• Three-Turn Core Condensation Secret Technique — shared with Lin Chang'an before her own Core Formation. 207
• Ancient cultivation methods — shared the complete Refining, Body Refining, and Spirit Refining methods with Lin Chang'an. 207
• Third-Rank Talisman inheritance — given to Lin Chang'an before the migration to the Monster Sea Abyss. 185
• Talisman Treasure Crafting Inheritance — identified as the sole Third-Rank talisman inheritance Lin Chang'an possessed when he first began preparing to craft Talisman Treasures. 204
• Wood Spirit Thorn inheritance — given to Lin Chang'an in return for his assistance with her Foundation Establishment preparations. 27
• Original sword art manual — supplied the missing meridian-protecting cultivation method in Lin Chang'an’s previously incomplete manual. 127

Relationships

• Lin Chang'an — Longtime friend, trusted ally, cultivation companion, and beloved partner. They support one another with resources, intelligence, healing, and cultivation insights; their affection, once unspoken, becomes openly acknowledged through their reunions and shared plans for ascension. 72 191 231 285 340 495 692
  • Yun Yao arranged access to Foundation Establishment Pill refinement for him despite concealing serious injuries of her own. 72
  • She tried to divert an investigation away from his Phoenix Cry Bird and later sent a disguised letter warning that its aura had attracted Nascent Soul attention. 264 268
  • She entrusted him with her Soul Lamp and the Ice Lotus Cold Flame before remaining in the Secret Realm, where their relationship became physically intimate through dual cultivation. 402 403
  • Their bond persisted through her temporary descent into Fairy Nishang’s body. Yun Yao also featured in Lin Chang'an’s Heart Demon Tribulation during his Spirit Transformation breakthrough. 561 677
  • His later discovery of a possible Moon Demon connection renewed his concern for her safety and his determination to become stronger. 777
• Li Erniu — Former companion from their early cultivation years; Yun Yao remained included in the group’s reunions and exchanges. 9 10 31
• Shen Lie — Old friend from Clearwater Bay; Yun Yao once intended to introduce him to Lu Qingqing. He also managed her Chamber of Commerce, and she acknowledged that this work had delayed his cultivation. 10 22 31 101
• Lu Qingqing — Old friend and recipient of Yun Yao’s farewell gifts through Lin Chang'an. She helped manage Yun Yao’s Chamber of Commerce and later recognized clues that Yun Yao had survived her supposed death. 10 22 101 251
• Wei Yiyi — Former companion included among the friends Yun Yao remembered and provided for before departing. 101 285
• Wei Yingying — A junior Yun Yao regarded fondly. She contributed resources toward another chance at Foundation Establishment for Yingying and supplied a wedding gift through Lin Chang'an. 129 172 251
• Hu Jin / Old Hu — Fellow cultivator and expedition partner. He joined Yun Yao and Lin Chang'an’s Golden Core cave-ruins expedition under Dao-heart oaths; the three later exchanged intelligence and discussed their migration to the Monster Sea Abyss. 174 183 191
• He Yan — Former subordinate and confidant whose loyalty Yun Yao tested through the delivery of her letters, gifts, and cultivation materials. He was later refined into a corpse puppet by Old Devil Profound Yin. 191 207 343
• Qiu Ling'er / Sword Servant — Lin Chang'an’s trusted servant, who addresses Yun Yao as “Mistress.” Yun Yao accepts her place in his inner circle, entrusts her with arrangements concerning Fairy Nishang, and reacts angrily when she learns that the Sword Servant has encountered trouble. 303 350 403 466
• Su Miaoyin / Fairy Nishang — A complicated acquaintance, occasional ally, and rival connected to Yun Yao through Lin Chang'an. They have exchanged intelligence, negotiated over Secret Realm matters, and retained a degree of mutual understanding despite their competing interests. 132 373 467 495
  • Yun Yao arranged for Nishang to be suggested as a cultivation partner if Lin Chang'an encountered a bottleneck. 350
  • Nishang later used an incomplete ancient Demonic Altar to receive Yun Yao’s temporary spirit-attached descent, enabling a full-moon reunion with Lin Chang'an. 561
• Ice Flood Dragon — Yun Yao’s spirit pet and the longtime companion of the Green-Horned Ox. 304 340
• Ancestor Huang / Old Ghost Huang — Her former Golden Core master in Li Fire Palace, who secretly cultivated her as a cauldron. Yun Yao’s resentment toward him continued to motivate her intelligence gathering and retaliation against the sect. 47 72 304
• Li Fire Palace — Former sect and captor; Yun Yao fled after discovering that its disciples were raised as cultivation cauldrons, then later plotted against and raided its Li Fire Island stronghold. 101 109 304 307
• Mysterious Yin Demonic Sect — Her former sect and the source of her Saintess status, resources, and continuing confinement. Its cultivation of Saintesses as fuel for the Mystic Yin Divine Fire drove Yun Yao to seize the inheritance for herself and ultimately escape its control. 207 304 339 402
• Old Devil Profound Yin — Former sect ancestor and enemy who sought to use Yun Yao as fuel for the Mystic Yin Divine Fire; she defied him by stealing the Ice Lotus Cold Flame and remaining in the Secret Realm. 304 402
• Huang Tianxiao — Old Devil Profound Yin’s personal disciple and Yun Yao’s rival for sect resources. She explained that the old devil intended to groom him into a puppet avatar. 349
• Devil Race — The people Yun Yao became Saintess of after entering the Demon Sealing Abyss. She intends to lead them toward ascension to the Demon World. 467 495

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return to Clearwater Bay

Yun Yao appears at Elder Lu’s funeral as a mature Li Fire Palace inner disciple. She reunites with her former peers, leads the proceedings, and invites them to the Gathering Immortal Pavilion. 9

Foundation Establishment

She prepares for Foundation Establishment with financial and defensive support from her friends, then succeeds and gains status as a Golden Core elder’s personal disciple. 26 30 31

Her preparations require a Second-Tier Water-Attribute Monster Core and a suitable defensive magical artifact. Lin Chang'an contributes Spirit Stones and two fine Mid-Grade Golden Light Talismans, while Yun Yao reciprocates with the Wood Spirit Thorn inheritance. After her breakthrough, she refuses to distance herself from her old friends through seniority and thanks them for their wholehearted help. 26 27 31

Supporting Lin Chang'an’s Foundation Establishment

Yun Yao uses her sect connections to help Lin Chang'an access resources unavailable to ordinary rogue cultivators. When he gathers the materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill, she agrees to arrange the refinement despite her own serious injuries. She privately estimates that a successful refinement yielding three pills could give him a seventy-to-eighty percent chance of Foundation Establishment. 65 66 72

Escape from Li Fire Palace

Yun Yao discovers that her status within Li Fire Palace is a form of imprisonment. She leaves gifts for her old friends, fakes her death, escapes the sect, and eventually reveals its practice of treating disciples as human cauldrons. 101 109

Celestial Mystery City and the Black Market

After returning in secret, Yun Yao warns Lin Chang'an about the coming war, works with him on the Explosion Talisman, and later aids him and Old Hu in the Black Market. Her rapid rise to Foundation Establishment Late Stage changes the group’s balance of power. 116 146 147

Golden Core Cave-Ruins Expedition

Yun Yao discloses the hidden legacy of a late Golden Core cultivator in a poisonous region of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range and recruits Lin Chang'an as her partner. They prepare their combined attack technique, Water-Attribute tools, and countermeasures against the Blood Sha Red Sun Array over roughly twenty years. Old Hu later joins by offering ancestral Core Formation insights and a secret technique, with Yun Yao retaining first choice of Core Formation items under their Dao-heart agreement. 127 158 174

Mystic Yin Divine Sect Saintess

Yun Yao joins the Mystic Yin Divine Sect, becomes a Saintess Candidate, and uses the sect’s resources while quietly preparing an eventual escape. She shares high-level cultivation techniques with Lin Chang'an and seeks his aid as an outside ally. 207 304 339

Core Formation and the Monster Sea Abyss

After forming a True Core, Yun Yao keeps her promise to help Lin Chang'an pursue Core Formation. She later provides warnings, intelligence, and resources as both navigate the factional conflicts of the Monster Sea Abyss. 231 304 320

When an investigation threatens to expose Lin Chang'an’s Phoenix Cry Bird, Yun Yao attempts to steer her senior sister away from him. She subsequently sends a covert warning explaining that the bird is implicated in a treasure hunt that has attracted the attention of a Mystic Yin Divine Sect Nascent Soul cultivator. 264 268

Raid on Li Fire Island

Having secretly amassed detailed intelligence on the Li Fire Palace for years, Yun Yao recruits Lin Chang'an to raid its weakened Li Fire Island stronghold. The operation targets the sect’s accumulated resources and serves as both retaliation against her former captors and preparation for greater dangers ahead. 304 307

A Promise of Love

During a secret reunion at Heavenly Spring Peak, Lin Chang'an gives Yun Yao Clear Spirit Pills and a Clear Spirit Jade hairpin. His gesture of combing her hair recalls their youth, while her peaceful rest in his arms reveals the trust normally hidden beneath her cold exterior. They exchange treasures and intelligence for the coming Secret Realm and begin envisioning a future together beyond sect control. 340

Secret Realm and Nascent Soul Opportunity

Yun Yao steals the Ice Lotus Cold Flame, awakens her Void Spirit Body, and remains inside the sealed Secret Realm to pursue Nascent Soul resources. Her Soul Lamp later confirms her successful advance to Nascent Soul. 402 429 495

She reunites with Lin Chang'an in a protected chamber after escaping pursuit by Nascent Soul cultivators. He heals her and purifies her fire, while she offers the Cold Flame for his Life-Bound Dharma Treasure. Their intimate dual cultivation strengthens both of them before she entrusts him with her Soul Lamp and commits to seeking resources for his Nascent Soul breakthrough as well as her own. 402 403

Enabling the Mystic Yin Divine Sect Raid

Before sending Lin Chang'an and the Sword Servant out of the Secret Realm, Yun Yao provides an identity tablet and detailed information on the Mystic Yin Divine Sect’s Holy Island defenses. Lin Chang'an exploits Old Devil Profound Yin’s absence to infiltrate his cave dwelling and loot the sect’s treasures. Yun Yao remains in the Secret Realm rather than participating directly in the raid. 403

Devil Race Saintess and Ascension Plan

After her Secret Realm opportunity leads her to the Demon Sealing Abyss, Yun Yao becomes the Devil Race Saintess. She plans to guide the Devil Race back to the Demon World, establish an ascension route, and leave spatial coordinates that will permit Lin Chang'an to follow her in the future. 467 495

Reunion Under the Full Moon

Fairy Nishang uses an incomplete ancient Demonic Altar to receive Yun Yao through a spirit-attachment technique during the hundred-year peak of moonlight. With the descent able to last a full month, Yun Yao and Lin Chang'an share a familiar meal and discuss both personal memories and the approaching upheaval of the cultivation world. Their exchange covers the Ye Family’s search, the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, weakening abyss seals, and dwindling spiritual qi. 561

Devil Palace Mountain Range Reunion

Yun Yao reunites with Lin Chang'an after centuries apart in the Devil Palace Mountain Range. She summons a true demon body to activate the ascension altar, receives Lin Chang'an’s aid in restoring her mana, and saves him after he is struck by the Dragon-Transforming Seal amid the struggle between Spirit Transformation cultivators. 692

Taiyin Moon Demon Mystery

While asking the Peacock Princess about the Moon Demon, Lin Chang'an recognizes that Yun Yao’s Spirit Body and techniques are connected to this ancient mighty figure of the Devil Race. The limited information leaves him uncertain about the true nature of her situation and concerned that her Saintess status may conceal a serious threat. His speculation about possible possession remains unresolved. 777

Notable Quotes

“To be as free as a bird.” 101

“In the end, after coming full circle, I realized I had only flown from one golden cage into a larger one...” 101

“If I am fortunate enough to reach the Core Formation stage, I will definitely return to help you reach it as well!” 191

“With Big Brother Lin's help, why shouldn't I be able to completely refine this spirit fire?” 304

“All of you are Yun Yao's old friends. My achievement of Foundation Establishment today was also due to your wholehearted help. Yun Yao is endlessly grateful. How would I dare put on airs? We should address one another as fellow Daoists.” 31

“Who knows which day we might meet the same end? I only hope that when that time comes, we, too, might encounter someone to collect our bones.” 349

Trivia

• Yun Yao’s desire for freedom predates her cultivation career and began while she was confined in a royal manor. 101
• She was already a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator before the age of seventy. 146
• She maintains contact with Lin Chang'an through coded jade slips, letters, disguised meetings, and prearranged trading signals. 207 395
• A Black Water Turtle Shell served as the prearranged signal for her covert contact with Lin Chang'an at the Sea Abyss City Trading Fair. 395
• The Green-Horned Ox is fond of her because she frequently fed it high-grade spirit fruits and spirit herbs. 109
• Yun Yao keeps spirit fruits in reserve for both the Green-Horned Ox and the Phoenix Cry Bird. 340
• Her Taiyin Star Ruins Body is a top-tier spirit body even by Upper Realm standards, though its potential only emerged after her Secret Realm opportunity. 495
• Lin Chang'an compares her succession of extraordinary opportunities to those of a legendary “Child of Luck.” 495
• Her full-moon spirit-attached reunion with Lin Chang'an lasts longer than an ordinary brief manifestation, but still depends on the hundred-year peak of moonlight and the incomplete ancient altar. 561
• Her connection to the Taiyin Moon Demon is a later source of concern for Lin Chang'an; neither actual possession nor its precise relationship to her Saintess role is confirmed by the information he obtains. 777