Yao Lao

Biodata

Name	Yao Lao (Yao Chen; 药老)
Alias(es)	Venerable Yao; Old Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Starfall Pavilion — co-founder and former Pavilion Master; formerly the Yao Clan
Occupation/Role	Ninth-tier alchemist; soul-power expert; mentor
Status	Alive; resurrected in a Dou Sheng body
First Appearance	Chapter 5

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Venerate	756	His peak strength before death was that of a Dou Venerate; he was also a peak eighth-tier alchemist.
High-star Dou Saint combat capability (temporary)	756	A boost from the Void Heavenly Emperor allowed his soul body to contend with high-star Dou Saints.
One-star Dou Sheng	788	Following his merger with a Dou Sheng body, he awakened amid a massive Dou Qi vortex and broke through.
Two-star Dou Sheng	913	His current realm upon the Yao Clan delegation's visit; his perfected Heavenly State Soul lets him contend with four-star Dou Shengs through soul power.
Peak Heavenly State Soul	921	Briefly experienced the Imperial State Soul with the Void Heavenly Emperor's aid, then stabilized at the peak of the Heavenly State Soul.

Background / History

Yao Chen was born into the Yao Clan but was treated as an abandoned child and later expelled. Yao Wangui falsely accused him of theft after Yao Chen competed with one of the elder's descendants; the accusation became a major cause of his expulsion. He left the clan for the Central Plains, where he met Venerable Wind and co-founded the original Starfall Pavilion. 913 1083 1104

As a young alchemist, Yao Chen won the Pill Convention and became publicly recognized as the continent's foremost alchemist. Upon reaching the seventh tier, he gave his sixth-tier alchemy notes to Pill Tower attendant Su Zhang, unintentionally setting him on the path to becoming a master alchemist. 14 290 1112

His greatest personal failure was trusting Han Feng as a disciple. Han Feng colluded with the Soul Hall to kill him, leaving Yao Chen as a severely injured soul body. While recovering inside Xiao Yan's ring, Yao Lao absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi; after revealing the reason, he became Xiao Yan's teacher and introduced him to alchemy. 14 551

Di Nian later warned that Yao Lao's continued presence beside Xiao Yan would harm his disciple's pure soul. He remained with the Void Heavenly Emperor's remnant consciousness in the Ten Thousand Beasts Space, awaiting Xiao Yan's growth and eventual resurrection. 128 290

Yao Lao returned as a soul body when the Ancient Clan threatened Xiao Yan and the Xiao Clan. He had delayed intervening to strengthen himself through the Void Heavenly Emperor's assistance, arriving with enough temporary power to face high-star Dou Saints. 750 756

His resurrection was ultimately performed using a Dou Sheng corpse, high-grade medicinal resources, and Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames. After his remnant soul merged with the body, he awakened as a one-star Dou Sheng. 784 786 788

Appearance

Yao Lao is first seen as a soul form emerging from Xiao Yan's ring. After resurrection, he possesses a reconstructed physical body and is commonly depicted in plain robes with an unhurried, composed bearing. 14 919 1057

• Soul body capable of emerging from and residing within Xiao Yan's ring. 14 128
• Pale-white Bone Chilling Flame manifests around him during combat and resurrection. 788 1044
• His Soul Avatar can create a second Yao Lao nearly indistinguishable from his true body. 920

Personality

Yao Lao is direct, observant, and deeply protective of those he accepts as family. He allows Xiao Yan to make dangerous choices after clearly explaining their consequences, then supports him wholeheartedly; Xiao Yan describes this as Yao Lao always having his back. 551

He is humble regarding his influence on others, dismissing Su Zhang's gratitude by emphasizing that Su Zhang's accomplishments came from his own effort. Yet Han Feng's betrayal remains a lasting wound and the source of considerable regret. 14

Despite being a legendary alchemist, Yao Lao is selfless with Xiao Yan. He declined a ninth-tier Mystic Pill in favor of his disciple's needs and later continued helping Xiao Yan select techniques and manage alliance affairs. 1058 1115

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy

A former continent-wide alchemy champion, Yao Lao is a ninth-tier alchemist whose methods and legacy remain influential across the Central Plains. 290 913 1112

• Diagnoses refinement flaws with exceptional precision, as shown when he identified Su Zhang's insufficient Dou Qi during pill coalescence. 14
• Created the Spirit-Raising Method, which Xiao Yan later used to increase a pill's spirituality and produce five-colored pill lightning. 592
• Developed an improved ninth-tier application of the method: fusing pills so that one ninth-tier pill's spirituality can raise another's. 1112
• Possesses the Myriad Beast Cauldron, ranked thirteenth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. 1106

Soul Power

Yao Lao's perfected Heavenly State Soul is his defining combat advantage. His soul power can take tangible form and rival opponents above his Dou Qi realm. 751 921 1079

• Soul Avatar — Divides fundamental soul power into a combat-capable duplicate rather than a simple decoy. 920
• Soul-Shaking Mind Seal — A Heaven-tier soul skill that deprives a target of their senses and severs their connection with the outside world. 1030
• Created Soul-Sealing Consciousness Suppression for Xiao Yan, a technique that can instantly seal and suppress an opponent's soul power once the user fully controls the Heavenly State Soul. 921
• Can perceive movements throughout Starfall Pavilion through his soul senses. 919

Bone Chilling Flame

Yao Lao's original Heavenly Flame combines extreme cold with destructive force. It was intended to pass to Xiao Yan after Yao Lao's resurrection. 20

• Destroys and freezes the connecting points of Hun Mang's soul-web technique. 1044
• Burns away soul-attack constructs while Yao Lao defends himself through his Heavenly State Soul. 1044
• Blazed at the center of Yao Lao's awakening vortex during his resurrection. 788

Possession and Combat Guidance

Before Xiao Yan surpassed his need for protection, Yao Lao could take control of his disciple's body and elevate his combat ability. 5 919

• Possessed Xiao Yan to confront a Soul Hall Dou Zong when Xiao Yan lacked experience with the Soul Hall's techniques. 5
• Used his restored soul strength to defeat threats and teach Xiao Yan how to respond to future Soul Hall encounters. 5
• Personally blocked Gu Yu's massive attack with a tangible pillar of soul power. 751

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Myriad Beast Cauldron — Yao Lao's treasured alchemy cauldron; thirteenth on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking. 1106
• Bone Chilling Flame — His Heavenly Flame and a central component of his combat strength. 20 1044
• Storage Ring — His refuge while he existed as a soul body and the place from which he first emerged to Xiao Yan. 14 128

Relationships

• Xiao Yan — His sole most legitimate disciple and the person Yao Lao treats as a son; Xiao Yan devoted years to securing Yao Lao's resurrection. 15 551 921 1057
• Yao Qingyu — His biological daughter. He regrets what he owes her, later guides her alongside Xiao Yan, and supports her future choices. 508 764 919
• Venerable Wind — Sworn friend and co-founder of Starfall Pavilion; Venerable Wind searched for Yao Lao throughout his disappearance. 247 290 1083
• Xuan Yi — Old friend who retained deep affection for Yao Lao through his disappearance and witnessed his resurrection. 417 764 786
• Fairy Qing — A close companion with whom he shares a loving, teasing dynamic; Yao Lao introduces her to Xiao Yan as “Mistress Qing Yao.” 933 1057
• Han Feng — Former disciple whom Yao Lao once regarded as a son; Han Feng betrayed him alongside the Soul Hall. 6 14 759
• Su Zhang — Former Pill Tower attendant whose career began with Yao Lao's gifted alchemy notes; later accepted Yao Lao as teacher. 14 15
• Xiao Qingqing — Xiao Yan's daughter and Yao Lao's prospective pupil; he agrees to teach her cultivation. 788 1084
• Yao Wangui — Yao Clan Great Elder responsible for falsely framing Yao Lao and contributing to his expulsion. 1104
• Yao Dan — Yao Clan patriarch who later apologizes to Yao Lao for the clan's past wrongs; Yao Lao accepts with maturity. 1115

Story Role / Major Arcs

Mentor of Xiao Yan

Yao Lao restores Xiao Yan's path after years of declining Dou Qi, trains him for the three-year agreement, introduces him to alchemy, and protects him against early Soul Hall threats. 5 551

Separation in the Ten Thousand Beasts Space

Di Nian's warning forces Yao Lao to separate from Xiao Yan and remain in the Ten Thousand Beasts Space, making Xiao Yan's future strength and Yao Lao's resurrection a central long-term goal. 128 551

Return Against the Ancient Clan

Yao Lao returns during the Ancient Clan's attack on Xiao Yan and the Xiao Clan, declaring his protection of both master and disciple's family. 750 756

Resurrection and Return to Starfall Pavilion

With Xiao Yan, Wei Jiangyuan, Shennong Old Man, and others preparing the necessary materials, Yao Lao merges with a Dou Sheng body and returns to life as a one-star Dou Sheng. 784 786 788

Yao Clan Medicine Ceremony

Yao Lao returns to the Yao Clan to settle old grievances and seek recognition for his late parents. At the ceremony, his alchemy surpasses even Patriarch Yao Dan's expectations and earns the acclaim he once sought as a youth. 1084 1103 1114

Notable Quotes

“Kid, your teacher has returned. With me here, the sky will not fall today!” 750

“Soul power is the foundation of our existence, a part of how we sense heaven and earth.” 920

Trivia

• Yao Lao's original resurrection plan only required three Heavenly Flames and a Dou Zong body, but Xiao Yan's later resources made a Dou Sheng body possible. 20 784
• He briefly reached the Imperial State Soul with the Void Heavenly Emperor's help, though he ultimately stabilized at the peak of the Heavenly State Soul. 921
• Yao Lao considers Han Feng the only person whose character he disastrously misjudged. 759