A-Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhao A-Yan (阿言)
Alias(es)	A-Yan; Little A-Yan
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Zhao Linchuan's household; Tianyang Ancient City
Occupation/Role	Zhao Linchuan and Jing Ni's daughter; designated first successor
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 156
Age	Six at the time of her martial soul awakening 183 184

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Soul Power Level 100	183 184	Awakens four top-tier martial souls. The Heart of Thick Earth stabilizes and fuses their conflicting attributes into a five-element Soul Core.

Background / History

A-Yan is born to Jing Ni, with Zhao Linchuan naming her as his daughter and successor. Her birth is attended by Bibi Dong, Zi Nü, Nong Yu, and Yue Shen, while Yue Shen takes responsibility for ensuring Jing Ni and the newborn are safe 156 157.

By age three, A-Yan is already unusually disciplined in her studies. She trains in swordsmanship, Yin-Yang Arts, and Daoist arts under several members of the household, while Jing Ni is proud of her aptitude but worries that she is becoming too sensible too early 158 159.

Zhao Linchuan later promises to publicly establish A-Yan as his first successor after her martial soul awakening. Rather than accepting the position quietly, she announces that she intends to defeat him and become the world's number one 161.

On the eve of her sixth birthday and awakening ceremony, Zhao Linchuan gives A-Yan a million-year God-Level Soul Bone set. Her awakening reveals four martial souls, whose violent collision nearly injures her before the Heart of Thick Earth allows them to fuse into a five-element Soul Core 183. Her Innate Soul Power is then measured at a full 100 levels 184.

Appearance

A-Yan is a small girl with large dark eyes and soft, fine hair. Her clothing varies between simple childlike dresses, including pale pink, pomegranate-red, and pale yellow outfits 161 170 183.

• Often carries a wooden replica of Zhao Linchuan's Supreme Ease Golden Edge while training 158.
• Wears her hair in two small buns during one search for Yue'er 170.
• Her cheeks flush after receiving praise for her efforts and training 159 182.

Personality

A-Yan is exceptionally precocious, diligent, and attentive to the people around her. She remembers Yue Shen's lessons word for word, offers water to her exhausted teacher, and insists on serving Yan Fei tea before beginning her sword dance 158.

Despite her obedience and manners, she is ambitious and spirited. She wants to challenge every powerful adult in her household, beginning with her father, and refuses to view herself as merely a successor waiting in reserve 161 184.

She is deeply affectionate toward Zhao Linchuan and protective of Ah Yin. After noticing Zhao Linchuan's unsettling smile, she directly asks him not to mistreat Ah Yin 162.

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

A-Yan trains with a wooden Supreme Ease Golden Edge and demonstrates strong natural comprehension of sword techniques.

• Her sword dance already shows graceful footwork; bamboo leaves beneath her feet remain undisturbed as she moves 158.
• By age three, her movement and sword intent have begun to show genuine form and artistic conception 159.
• At six, she can perform a complete swordsmanship set well enough to earn Zhao Linchuan's praise 181 182.

Yin-Yang Arts

Yue Shen personally teaches A-Yan the principles and circulation methods of Yin-Yang Arts.

• A-Yan can repeat Yue Shen's instruction without omitting a word 158.
• She studies the art for hours at a time and does not slack off in her cultivation routine 159.
• She can condense deep-blue Soul Power into a rotating lotus through hand seals 181.

Daoist Arts

A-Yan studies Daoist arts under Xiaomeng.

• She practices Daoist arts for two hours as part of her regular training schedule 159.
• During her demonstration, she meditates cross-legged and manifests a faint golden halo around her body 181.

Four Martial Souls

At age six, A-Yan awakens four top-tier martial souls inherited or bestowed through her family.

• Primordial Spirit Beast — inherited from Zhao Linchuan; associated with wood 183.
• Supreme Ease Golden Edge — inherited from Zhao Linchuan; associated with metal 183.
• Northern Abyss Black Tortoise — inherited from Jing Ni; associated with water 183.
• Mystic Bird Vermilion Bird — bestowed through Yan Lingji; associated with fire 183.

The simultaneous awakening initially causes the four powers to clash violently within her body. Zhao Linchuan uses the Heart of Thick Earth, representing earth, to settle them and form a five-element Soul Core 183.

Five-Element Soul Core

A-Yan's Soul Core combines wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

• Provides her with an inexhaustible supply of five-element energy in the future 183.
• Gives her the potential to develop an independent small world within her body 183.
• Required the Heart of Thick Earth to prevent the awakened martial souls from destroying her body through mutual rejection 183.

Innate Soul Power

A-Yan's Innate Soul Power is measured at the maximum documented value of 100 levels.

• The test causes intense golden radiance to fill the City Lord Mansion 183.
• Zhao Linchuan states that she has reached a path at age six that others may never reach in their lives 184.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Wooden Supreme Ease Golden Edge — a training sword carved by Zhao Linchuan, used for sword dances and practice 158.
• Million-year God-Level Soul Bone set — an eight-piece set bestowed before her awakening: skull, torso, both arm bones, both leg bones, wing external soul bone, and breastplate bone 183.
• Heart of Thick Earth — implanted by Zhao Linchuan to mediate her four martial souls and form her five-element Soul Core 183.

Relationships

• Zhao Linchuan — Father. He dotes on A-Yan, evaluates her training, and intends to name her his first successor; she aims to one day defeat him 157 161 182.
• Jing Ni — Birth mother. Jing Ni teaches her household skills, monitors her studies, and worries that A-Yan pushes herself too hard 156 159 161.
• Yue Shen — Teacher and aunt-like guardian. Yue Shen patiently teaches her Yin-Yang Arts and is moved by A-Yan's thoughtfulness 158.
• Yan Fei / Consort Yan — Auntie. Yan Fei encourages A-Yan's sword practice, checks her lessons, and treats her affectionately 158 159.
• Yan Lingji — Auntie and source of A-Yan's Mystic Bird Vermilion Bird martial soul 157 183.
• Ah Yin — A-Yan is protective of her and asks Zhao Linchuan not to bully her 162.
• Nong Yu — Doting aunt-like figure whose concern for A-Yan is so intense that she follows the girl's wishes almost unquestioningly 164.
• Xiaomeng — Teacher of A-Yan's Daoist arts 159 181.
• Ling Yuan — Cares about A-Yan's well-being and helps bring her meals during Jing Ni's seclusion 181.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Childhood Training

A-Yan receives a broad education from the adults around her, studying swordsmanship, Yin-Yang Arts, Daoist arts, cooking, and household etiquette. Her rapid understanding makes her the focus of both praise and concern within the family 158 159 161.

Household Favorite

A-Yan becomes beloved throughout Zhao Linchuan's household. Ah Yin, Zi Nü, Nong Yu, and others treat her like their own daughter, while even the reserved Shao Siming is amused by her 164.

Martial Soul Awakening

Her awakening at six reveals unprecedented talent: four top-tier martial souls, a five-element Soul Core, a complete million-year soul bone set, and 100 levels of Innate Soul Power 183 184.

Trivia

• Zhao Linchuan had already decided that A-Yan would bear the Zhao surname before she was born 150.
• A-Yan learns quickly after watching something once, including cooking, swordsmanship, and Yin-Yang Arts 161.
• She is fond of First Snow Hibiscus and eagerly offers to demonstrate her training in exchange for a meal prepared by Zhao Linchuan 181.
• She is close enough to Yue'er's generation to search for Yue'er personally when the younger child hides from her 170.