Yuan Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Yuan Yan (元衍)
Alias(es)	Eldest of the Four Yuans; Eldest Brother
Species/Race	Originally a top-tier innate divine transformed from the Primordial Gourd Vine, a Yin-Yang and Five Elements spiritual root; later evolves into a Lower-Tier Chaos God and Demon with a Lower-Grade Chaos Spiritual Root true body. 309 310
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Yingzhou Immortal Island; founder and leader of the Yingzhou Immortal Island Lineage
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, Dao lecturer, earth-vein restorer, lineage leader, commerce organizer, master of Yingzhou Immortal Island, and Heavenly Dao Saint. 308
Master	Dao Ancestor Hongjun
Cultivation Realm	Fourth-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal; Heavenly Dao Saint. 308 320 338
Cultivation Residence	Yingzhou Immortal Island; later cultivates with his true body in the Inner Chaos while maintaining contact through divine-sense incarnations. 309 311
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Early Golden Immortal	2	Awakens as the spiritual consciousness of the Primordial Gourd Vine, possessing a strong Yin-Yang and Five Elements foundation.
Taiyi Immortal Perfection	3	Reaches the limit of his Taiyi Dao Fruit after thirty yuanhui of secluded cultivation; gains the qualification to take form.
Perfected Taiyi Golden Immortal	4	Takes human form by severing the vine section bearing the first primordial gourd; his flawless Dao heart further strengthens his primordial spirit and mana.
Great Luo Dao Fruit	7	Completes and evolves his Great Dao of Yin-Yang after thirty-five epochs, transforming his Taiyi Dao Fruit into a Great Luo Dao Fruit.
Great Luo Golden Immortal	8	Uses Nine Yin-Yang Evolutions to raise both body and primordial spirit to the Da Luo level before undergoing the Great Dao's test.
Mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal	12	Completes three Yin-Yang transformations and further perfects his Yin-Yang Dao after sixty to seventy yuanhui in seclusion.
Late-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal	30	Advances through long-term battlefield restoration and refinement of accumulated source power and merit.
Perfected Great Luo Golden Immortal	42	Breaks through after several kalpas of seclusion, shared Dao comprehension with his Dao bodies, and refinement of innate treasures.
Perfected Great Luo Golden Immortal; seven completed Yin-Yang Evolutions	42 43	Completes four additional evolutions after his earlier three. His physical body and primordial spirit possess mid-grade innate spirit-treasure strength, substantially exceeding those of his three Dao bodies. Before the ninth transformation, each additional transformation doubles their strength.
Early Primordial Golden Immortal	87	Breaks through after his Great Dao and origin fuse with his Innate Imperishable True Spirit, greatly increasing his control over the Great Dao and the power of his Dao arts.
Middle-stage Primordial Golden Immortal	112	Reaches the middle stage alongside Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling while preparing further Three Corpse cultivation and negotiations with the Witch Clan.
Late-stage Primordial Golden Immortal; Eighth Layer	152	Advances from the Seventh to the Eighth Layer after the completion of the Earth Vein Network and the descent of immense Heavenly Dao merit and fortune.
Primordial Golden Immortal Fullness; Tenth Layer	189 190	Reaches the Tenth Layer and perfects his Yin-Yang Dao to Primordial Golden Immortal Fullness through joint cultivation and Dao comprehension with the Three Yuans and their Three Corpse Dao Bodies.
Twelfth-Layer Primordial Golden Immortal	240	Remains at the peak of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, still facing the bottleneck to Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal. His nine Yin-Yang transformations have elevated his innate foundation to the limit of top-tier innate divines.
Half-Step Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal; perfected Dao Fruit	302 303	Perfects his own Dao Fruit and completes the integration needed for attainment, but must repay his karmic debt to heaven and earth before the final restraints can be removed.
Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal	303	The Heavenly Dao accepts his merit repayment and releases its restraints. His Innate Imperishable True Spirit, Primordial Dao Fruit, and Hunyuan Ancestral Qi fuse completely, allowing him to embody the Yin-Yang Dao without relying on Hongmeng Purple Qi.
Late Third-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal	305	A profound Chaos-linked epiphany advances his attainment from the beginning of the Third Layer to its late stage.
Early Fourth-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal; Heavenly Dao Saint	308	Refines his Hongmeng Purple Qi with the Yin-Yang Dao and entrusts his Dao to the Heavenly Dao. Feedback from the resulting Saint Fruit Position advances him from the late Third Layer to the early Fourth Layer.
Lower-Tier Chaos God and Demon foundation	309 310 319	Integration of his Three Corpse Dao Bodies transforms his true body into a Lower-Grade Chaos Spiritual Root. He absorbs Chaos Qi in the Inner Chaos to replenish depleted Origin Power and complete the transformation.
Fourth-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal; further Dao development	320 338	Remains at the Fourth Layer. During the Northern Continent's merit-backed epiphany, he evolves another perfected primordial Great Dao through Yin-Yang, increasing his strength without a major realm breakthrough.

Background / History

Yuan Yan was originally an ordinary human from Earth before crossing into the Primordial World by unknown means. Countless yuanhui before his awakening, he became the consciousness of the Primordial Gourd Vine, fell into slumber due to weakness, and merged with the vine while receiving its primordial inheritance and the name bestowed by heaven and earth: Yuan Yan. 2

His main body was a top-grade primordial spiritual root rooted in Nine Heavens Breath Soil. It possessed Yin-Yang and Five Elements origins and nurtured seven primordial gourds containing numerous Great Daos, including yin-yang, soul, karma, creation, slaughter, chaos, space, water, fire, and destruction. 2

Fearing the original fate in which the gourds would be divided and the vine would wither, Yuan Yan cultivated in secrecy to take form before others could claim him. After reaching Taiyi Immortal perfection, he transferred nearly one-third of the vine's primordial origin into the first gourd-bearing section, severed it from the main body, and transformed into a primordial Daoist. 3 4

Rather than abandon the damaged vine, Yuan Yan repeatedly returned to his vine form to nurture the Myriad Dao Primordial Gourd while restoring the Primordial Gourd Vine's lost origin. He remained hidden during the late Dragon-Han Calamity, concentrating on the Great Dao of Yin-Yang and pursuing the ambition to contend for the highest realms of cultivation. 5 6

After establishing the Yingzhou Immortal Island Lineage and continuously repairing the Western and Northern Continents, Yuan Yan accumulated immense Merit, Fortune, and Heavenly Dao favor. These achievements made him the foremost representative of the Western Continent and eventually led Hongjun to accept him as his fourth disciple. 152 194

Yuan Yan eventually perfects his own Dao Fruit and repays his debt to heaven and earth with accumulated merit, supplemented by merit drawn from Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling. The Heavenly Dao removes the restrictions on his cultivation, allowing him to attain the Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal realm. Only afterward does he refine the Hongmeng Purple Qi and become a Heavenly Dao Saint. 302 303 308

The merger of his Three Corpse Dao Bodies fundamentally changes his innate nature. His Primordial Gourd Vine true body evolves into a Lower-Grade Chaos Spiritual Root, and his foundation reaches the level of a Lower-Tier Chaos God and Demon. To avoid accumulating further karmic debt by draining the Primordial World's resources, he moves his true body's cultivation to the Inner Chaos. 309 310 320

Appearance

After taking form, Yuan Yan appears as a tall, handsome young Daoist clad in seven-colored robes. His eyes can display the evolution of the three thousand laws. 4

• Tall and upright in bearing. 4
• Wears distinctive seven-colored Daoist robes. 4
• His innate Dao body originates from a severed section of the Primordial Gourd Vine. 4
• His true form is a vine section bearing the Myriad Dao Primordial Gourd. 5
• As his Yin-Yang Dao deepens, his aura becomes increasingly restrained and Dao-like; at high cultivation, his presence can seem to embody Yin-Yang itself. 161
• Also appears in a Taiji Daoist Robe during his travels. 23
• After attaining Hunyuan, his revealed true form is a vast Chaos Gourd Vine capable of absorbing Chaos Qi directly. 309 310
• During his intervention in the Earth Court–Demon Clan war, he appears as a profound figure resembling the incarnation of the Great Dao, standing atop the Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus. 326

Personality

Yuan Yan is highly self-determined. Although he initially worries that he may be fated to be divided and destroyed alongside the Primordial Gourd Vine, he rejects reliance on a system or external savior and commits himself to changing his own fate through cultivation. 2

He is ambitious but cautious. During the Dragon-Han Calamity, he refuses to leave Mount Buzhou while tribulation and baleful qi are dense outside, choosing concealment, accumulation, and treasure-nurturing over reckless exploration. 5

Yuan Yan is also pragmatic in his dealings with both treasure and karma. He avoids stripping Mount Buzhou bare, leaves recoverable roots behind, and slows the refinement of corrupted battlefields to avoid causing further damage. 16 24 He values alliances and cordial Dao exchanges, but does not place unconditional trust in potential allies. 21 58

Although he recognizes that dominating the Primordial World could yield immense Fortune, Yuan Yan refuses to contend for supremacy. He judges that such a course would invite Hongjun's intervention, produce ruinous bloodshed karma, and endanger his long-term pursuit of Hunyuan and Sagehood. 161 181

As the leader of Yingzhou, he is generous but disciplined. He distributes resources according to contribution and compatibility, provides cultivation resources and methods on credit when appropriate, and respects the autonomy of his high-level subordinates rather than treating them as mere tools. 103 144 165

His emotional restraint is cultivated rather than innate indifference. By enduring Yuan Ling's illusions of many contrasting lives, he tempers his Dao Heart against desire, power, poverty, and moral temptation. He declines a closer relationship with Jiufeng both to protect his developing bond with Nuwa and to avoid becoming bound to the Witch Clan's calamity. 116

After wasting more merit than necessary during his breakthrough preparations, Yuan Yan resolves to stop merit-fueled enlightenment once its intended goal is achieved. He later follows this principle during the Northern Continent's epiphany, ending his expenditure while sixty to seventy percent of the newly bestowed merit remains. 302 338

His preference for nonintervention does not mean unconditional passivity. When threatened by the possibility of a calamity targeting Yingzhou, he considers world competition and seizure of the Boundless Starry Sky as contingencies. He nevertheless prefers negotiated benefits and institutional restructuring to sacrificing his companions' cultivation or openly pursuing conquest. 323 325

Yuan Yan is also a patient and forceful negotiator. He refuses inadequate compensation even from Heavenly Dao Hongjun, relying on his lineage's self-sufficiency, merit, fortune, and the limits imposed by Heavenly Dao laws. On the battlefield, he ignores Zhurong's insult rather than allowing anger to create an unnecessary feud. 322 323 326

Abilities & Skills

Great Dao of Yin-Yang

Yuan Yan's primary Dao uses the balance and transformation of yin and yang to explain all things. He treats Yin-Yang as a foundation capable of encompassing and evolving other laws. 7

• Comprehended the Law of Yin-Yang to perfection before forming his Great Luo Dao Fruit. 7
• Uses Yin-Yang to analyze, transform, create, destroy, heal, and suppress. 7 25
• Has also opened and developed the Dao of Reincarnation, Dao of Worlds, and Great Dao of Mind. 10 14
• At the Primordial Golden Immortal level, his Great Dao and origin fuse with his Innate Imperishable True Spirit, granting exceptional control over Yin-Yang laws and greatly amplifying his combat power. 87
• Perfects the Yin-Yang Dao to Primordial Golden Immortal Fullness through shared enlightenment with Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, Yuan Ling, and their Dao Bodies. 190
• Upon genuine Hunyuan attainment, completely fuses his Innate Imperishable True Spirit, Primordial Dao Fruit, and Hunyuan Ancestral Qi, becoming an embodiment of his Yin-Yang Dao. 303
• Heavenly Dao feedback after sanctification rapidly advances both his Yin-Yang Dao and its derived paths. 308
• During the Northern Continent's later epiphany, evolves another perfected primordial Great Dao through Yin-Yang without undergoing a major cultivation-realm breakthrough. 338

Nine Yin-Yang Evolutions

A cultivation method created by Yuan Yan to alternately transform his physical body and primordial spirit through yin-yang imbalance and restoration. 7 8

• Raises both body and primordial spirit beyond their normal limits. 8
• At the Da Luo level, his body and primordial spirit became no weaker than low-grade innate spirit treasures. 8
• Five completed transformations bring both to the level of mid-grade innate spirit treasures. 43
• Each transformation before the ninth further doubles their strength; nine transformations are intended to reach high-grade innate spirit-treasure strength. 43
• After the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, the method increasingly transforms and sublimates its practitioner's fundamental origin rather than simply strengthening body and soul. 240
• Yuan Yan, Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling's nine transformations have raised their innate foundations to the limit of top-tier innate divines, with faint signs of evolving toward Chaos God and Demon foundations. 240
• Yuan Yan later concludes that the method's shared Yin-Yang foundation is useful for future Dao Body reunification, but must be supplemented by individualized body-and-primordial-spirit techniques based on each cultivator's own Great Dao. 241
• Subsequently analyzes the internal Dao structure of his fleshly body and primordial spirit, then begins improving that structure directly through his own Great Dao. 242
• After integrating his Three Corpse Dao Bodies and attaining Hunyuan, his foundation genuinely evolves into that of a Lower-Tier Chaos God and Demon. 309 319

Yin-Yang Divine Arts

Yuan Yan created numerous divine abilities based on his Yin-Yang Dao. 7

• Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram — defensive and suppressive technique modeled after the heaven-opening Taiji Diagram; its power is limited by Yuan Yan's cultivation realm. 7
• Yinyang Divine Light — combines destruction, capture, creation, healing, and defense; can divide into vast numbers of controlled rays. 7 25
• Reversing Yin-Yang — reverses acquired circulation and disrupts the order of an area, causing opponents' Dao arts to become chaotic or fail. Yuan Yan used it with precise control to prevent Xuan Mo's self-destruction without disrupting Nuwa and Fuxi's attacks. 7 56
• Yin-Yang Furnace — refines corrupted qi, resentment, residual Dao power, and other hostile forces into usable yin-yang energy. 23 24
• Yin-Yang Myriad Transformation Divine Light — created specifically to purify blood-baleful resentment from damaged earth veins and convert it into gentle Yin-Yang origin power. It can also transform Grievance Fiendish Qi Origin entangled with earth-vein origin. 25 164
• Whip Mountains and Move Stones — reassembles collapsed divine mountains and reconnects damaged earth veins. 25
• Yin-Yang Escape Art — movement technique created alongside his other Yin-Yang divine arts. 7
• Three-Lives Body — creates Past, Present, and Future Bodies. Early in his cultivation, his insufficient Time Dao mastery leaves him unable to withstand the River of Time's backlash safely, making the technique impractical against equally powerful opponents. 8
• Nine Breaths Absorbing Qi — rapidly absorbs and refines Innate Spiritual Qi and Dao Rhyme Spiritual Essence to replenish and strengthen his body and primordial spirit. 8

Three-Selves Severing Method

Yuan Yan deduced this method from his simplified understanding of the Three Corpse Severing Technique. It creates independent Dao bodies from the Departed Self, True Self, and Dao Self. 13 14

• Split the Primordial Gourd Vine into three sections to house the three selves. 14
• Created the Dao bodies Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling, each with two innate gourds and the foundation of a top innate sacred being. 14
• Retains absolute control over the three Dao bodies; their thoughts are linked, and their experiences and Dao comprehension can be shared. 14 28
• The method does not conflict with Yuan Yan's future pursuit of the Hunyuan Dao. 34
• The Four Yuans' Innate Imperishable True Spirits, Hunyuan Ancestral Qi, and Flawed Hunyuan Dao Fruits can resonate and gradually merge, assisting the evolution of their Dao Fruits toward perfection. 161
• Keeps the true nature of Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling secret from outsiders, including Nuwa during their earlier close association. Their public identity remains that of his younger brothers. 62 85 185 187
• This shared-origin relationship remains central to his later plans for institutionally separating the lineage without truly dissolving its underlying unity. 325

Three Corpses Reliance Method

Yuan Yan improved Hongjun's Three Corpses Severing Method by combining it with the reliquary-vessel approach, creating the Three Corpses Reliance Method. 133

• Uses a reliquary vessel as a Dao Embryo while nurturing an independent sacred Dao Body from the practitioner's benevolent, evil, or obsessive thoughts. 133
• The resulting Dao Body begins at Taiyi Golden Immortal Perfection and develops more slowly than a conventional corpse body, but possesses limitless potential. 133
• Once it reaches the true body's realm, a Dao Body created by this method can match the true body's combat power. 133 135
• Yuan Yan's Obsession Corpse Dao Body follows the Alchemy Dao, while the corresponding bodies of Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling follow the Formation, Artifact Refinement, and Talisman Daos. 111
• Yuan Yan sold the method to qualified Purple Firmament Palace Guests for a high-grade innate spiritual treasure or root and a Dao Heart oath prohibiting further transmission. 135 136
• He later made the method available to eligible Yingzhou lineage cultivators on a contribution-credit basis, while enforcing its secrecy through Dao Heart oaths and hidden safeguards. 144
• Fully merging his Three Corpse Dao Bodies supports his Hunyuan attainment and produces a qualitative transformation of his true body, origin, foundation, and comprehension. 302 303 309
• After attaining Hunyuan, can sever Three Corpse Dao Bodies again. Innate Supreme Treasures cannot house these bodies, so he must seek suitable lower-ranked vessels and accept their more limited initial foundations. 310
• Intends to cultivate new Corpse Dao Bodies for supplementary Dao comprehension, lineage management, and possible future gains through origin transformation and reintegration, while prioritizing investment in his true body. 310

Formation, Alchemy, and Deduction Arts

Yuan Yan possesses substantial ability in formations, heavenly-secret deduction, alchemy, and adapting existing methods to his needs.

• Comprehended and controlled the Primordial Yin-Yang Great Evolution Formation around the Primordial Gourd Vine, though he could not initially unleash its full Primordial Golden Immortal-level power. 5
• Helps operate the Four Symbols Return-to-Origin Formation with his three Dao bodies; the formation was used to refine the Netherworld Serpent Ancestor. 33 34
• Deduced a simplified Three Corpse Severing Technique in fewer than ten epochs and used it as the basis for three Dao-body methods. 13 14
• Jointly deduces the locations of corrupted battlefields with his Dao bodies through their connected Dao auras. 29
• Co-created and operates the Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation, which converts Chaos Qi and Heaven-Earth Origin Force to nourish restored earth veins and allows vast-scale land exchange and earth-vein manipulation. 49 150
• Developed scalable Northern Continent restoration formations that use lotus platforms or formation flags to convert Grievance Fiendish Qi Origin into pure earth-vein origin. 165
• His Obsession Corpse Dao Body jointly developed the Yin-Yang Great Dao Furnace, which combines pill refinement, formations, and artifact refinement. 168
• Can deduce and manipulate heavenly secrets at a high level, though he remains cautious of karmic backlash and deliberately concealed variables. 100 181
• Coordinated a covert plan using Yuan Jie's Evil Corpse's Space-Time Dao to create a false reflection of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram and steal the authentic diagram amid battlefield chaos. 282
• Uses the River of Time to investigate historical events, identifying that an apparently resurrected Crimson Flame Lini had actually been occupied by an outsider after its original true spirit dissipated. 95
• Deduced an unorthodox Primordial Golden Immortal breakthrough route for the Witch Clan, based on merging spirit and qi into a Hunyuan Body, uniting that body with the Great Dao, evolving Hunyuan Ancestral Qi, and finally integrating these with the Innate Imperishable True Spirit. 112
• Reworked his birthplace's protective formation to absorb Chaos Qi and condense Yin-Yang Five Elements Origin Power. He also erased the residual Gourd Vine Dao aura that could expose the Four Yuans' origins. 187
• Yin-Yang Hollow Formation — deployed around his Chaos Gourd Vine true body in the Inner Chaos to draw in and refine Chaos Qi, restore Origin Power, and fuel bodily transformation. Its operation creates a dangerous Chaos vortex. 310
• The later Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation uses Half-Step Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure formation flags. Their advancement and the recovering earth-vein network increase both formation power and Chaos Qi conversion efficiency by more than fifty percent. 338

Hunyuan Attainment and Chaos Dao

Yuan Yan's genuine Hunyuan attainment is distinct from Heavenly Dao sanctification. He first perfects his own Dao Fruit and repays the karmic debt that binds him to the Primordial World, rather than using Hongmeng Purple Qi as the basis of his initial breakthrough. 302 303

• His attainment occurs without calamity or tribulation, giving Fuxi and the Queen Mother of the West confidence that they may eventually follow a similar path. 304
• Learns that a Hunyuan cultivator must imprint his Dao upon the Chaos Dao. This connection allows the Dao to become part of Chaos and provides a route to return even after apparent destruction. 304
• The Chaos Dao connection also provides powerful feedback for cultivation and further Dao development, creating a reciprocal relationship between the cultivator's Dao and Chaos. 304 305
• Can absorb Chaos Qi directly through his evolved spiritual-root true body, reducing dependence on the Primordial World's resources. 309 310
• His rapid advancement temporarily leaves his Origin Power severely depleted. Although he can still unleash full combat strength, he cannot sustain it for long until his reserves recover. 309

Heavenly Dao Saint Position

After attaining Hunyuan independently, Yuan Yan concludes that sanctification offers more benefits than drawbacks for his established cultivation path. He refines the Hongmeng Purple Qi with his Yin-Yang Dao and entrusts his Dao to the Heavenly Dao, receiving a Heavenly Dao Saint Fruit Position. 308

• Gains Heavenly Dao authority, enhanced combat power, accelerated comprehension, and extensive replenishment while within the Primordial World. These benefits weaken with distance from the Heavenly Dao's reach. 308
• His sanctification spreads a sage aura and auspicious signs throughout the entire Primordial World, making his new status known through Heavenly Secrets without a personal proclamation. 308
• At the Fourth Layer, Heavenly Dao support can raise his combat strength by a minor level. With the Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus, even a Sixth-Layer or ordinary Seventh-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal would struggle to injure him while he fights at full strength. 320
• Can remain in the Inner Chaos while retaining his Saint Position and the ability to return instantly to the Primordial World. 309
• Sainthood brings duties to help establish the world's rules, teach the Great Dao, and open a dojo in the Inner Chaos. He temporarily postpones these duties while restoring his origin and completing his transformation. 311

Avatars and Remote Guidance

Yuan Yan can send divine-sense incarnations to communicate with his companions while his true body remains in the Inner Chaos. After reaching Hunyuan, he can also divide his Imperishable Primordial Spirit to create independently cultivating avatars. 309 310 311

• Dividing the Imperishable Primordial Spirit weakens his own cultivation and comprehension and creates additional vulnerability to Dao-injuring damage. He therefore weighs such avatars against the benefits of cultivating his true body directly. 310
• Uses incarnations to explain the differences between Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortals and Saints and to guide his companions' breakthrough preparations. 309 311
• Advises Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling to fully integrate their Three Corpse Dao Bodies, preserve enough merit to repay their debt to heaven and earth, and only afterward use remaining merit to develop their Daos. 311

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Myriad Dao Primordial Gourd — Yuan Yan's accompanying gourd treasure, formed from the first primordial gourd. It evolved into a supreme-grade innate spirit treasure capable of reversing Yin-Yang qi into a small chaos realm, evolving Five Elements and myriad Dao transformations, and storing, nurturing, or refining all things. After Yuan Yan used it to sever his Obsession Corpse, its rank fell to high-grade and it was entrusted to that Dao Body for nourishment. Following his later integration and advancement, it grows into a Half-Step Innate Supreme Treasure. 4 8 111 310
• Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus — Yuan Yan's primary defensive treasure and cultivation seat. It protects him from outside disturbances, conceals heavenly secrets, nourishes his cultivation, and was sustained with Three Lights Divine Water. An Innate Supreme Treasure retained by Yuan Yan during the group's redistribution, it also seals his restless Hongmeng Purple Qi before sanctification and neutralizes the Pangu True Body's Heaven-Splitting Axe Light during his later intervention. 84 87 181 209 302 326
• Nine Heavens Breath Soil — top-tier innate spiritual treasure originally associated with Yuan Yan's main body. He merged his portion with Nuwa's superior soil and placed the strengthened treasure under Nuwa's control so that her future human-creation destiny would remain undiminished. 4 87
• Yinyang Mirror — high-grade innate spirit treasure with thirty-six innate divine restrictions. Its Yin side annihilates primordial spirits and true spirits, while its Yang side heals Dao wounds and can revive the dead; both sides together form Life-and-Death Reincarnation Tribulation Light. 17
• Yinyang Cauldron — a Yin-Yang-aligned high-grade innate treasure obtained by Yuan Jie. It was used by the Four Yuans to form the Yin-Yang Furnace and provide origin power for repairing earth veins. 19 24 25
• Yinyang Twin-Bloom Lotus — supreme-grade innate spiritual root that assists comprehension of Yin-Yang and is suited to Yuan Yan's Dao. 18 19
• Jade Disc of Creation fragment — a fragment bearing the Three Thousand Great Daos that greatly enhances Dao comprehension. 40
• Four Symbols Formation Flags — formation treasures used by Yuan Yan and his Dao bodies to establish the Four Symbols Return-to-Origin Formation. 19 33
• World-Sealing Stele — core treasure of the Yinyang Grotto-Heaven; refining it gave Yuan Yan control of the realm and its protective formation. 18 19
• Yingzhou Immortal Island boundary stele — after refining it over three thousand years, Yuan Yan became master of Yingzhou Immortal Island. 38
• Hongmeng Purple Qi — the Foundation of Enlightenment bestowed by Hongjun after accepting Yuan Yan as his fourth disciple. Yuan Yan later seals it inside the Creation Azure Lotus to prevent interference with his independent Hunyuan cultivation, then releases and refines it to attain Heavenly Dao sanctification. 194 302 308
• Origin Dao Furnace — a Half-Step Innate Merit Supreme Treasure created through the fusion of the two Yin-Yang Great Dao Furnaces and Treasure-Dropping Money. It can refine powerful Origin Dao Pills, convert hostile origin energies, sever the connection between treasures and their masters using Merit and Fortune, and support a formation approaching Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal power when operated by sufficient experts. Yuan Ling controls it in the Changbai Mountain Range. 240
• Innate Five Elements Pearls — completed when Hongjun bestows the Water and Fire Spirit Pearls, producing a top-tier innate spiritual treasure suitable for nurturing Yuan Yan's Benevolent Corpse Dao Body. By his later Hunyuan cultivation, the combined treasure has grown into a Half-Step Innate Supreme Treasure. 135 310
• Twelfth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus — one of Yuan Yan's former Three Corpse Dao Body treasures; later grows into a Half-Step Innate Supreme Treasure alongside the Innate Five Elements Pearls and Myriad Dao Primordial Gourd. He considers fusing all three into an offensive Innate Supreme Treasure but postpones the attempt until his origin and body recover. 310
• Merit Golden Wheel — stores his accumulated Heavenly Dao merit within his Sea of Consciousness, protects the clarity of his Dao Heart, suppresses inner demons and stray thoughts, and assists Dao comprehension. It later receives the additional merit needed to repay his debt to heaven and earth. 153 302 303
• Jade Disc of Creation — Hongjun's Dao-comprehension treasure, distinct from Yuan Yan's earlier fragment. Hongjun agrees to lend it to Yuan Yan for one thousand Epochs in exchange for ending the Earth Court–Demon Clan war and securing a three-thousand-Epoch truce. Yuan Yan subsequently directs its blessing toward Nuwa's breakthrough. 323 339
• Mountain-Driving Whip — used with the Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation to activate Mount Sumeru's damaged earth veins during preparations for relocation. 149
• Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation Flags — formation foundations that later advance to Half-Step Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure rank through merit infusion, strengthening the associated restoration formation and its Chaos Qi conversion capacity. 338

Relationships

• Yuan Jie, Yuan Lun, and Yuan Ling — Yuan Yan's three-selves Dao bodies, created from the Departed Self, True Self, and Dao Self. They are completely loyal, share connected minds with him, and publicly present themselves as his three younger brothers. Their linked cultivation, Dao Bodies, and Dao Fruits are central to Yuan Yan's rapid advancement. They reach Half-Step Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal while Yuan Yan completes his own attainment; he draws on their merit for his karmic repayment and later provides instructions for their corresponding breakthroughs. 14 62 64 161 302 303 311
• Nuwa — fellow Yin-Yang-aligned top-tier innate divine, sworn sibling, close Dao companion, and Yuan Yan's developing romantic interest. Their relationship grows from mutual affinity and Dao exchanges into profound trust; Yuan Yan openly shows affection while Nuwa gradually accepts his closeness, though they have not formally become Dao companions. His feelings develop beyond strategic interest into genuine attachment, and he respects her emotional boundaries. Later, he supports her chosen breakthrough strategy by concentrating the Jade Disc of Creation's blessing on her. 21 85 179 181 339
• Fuxi — Nuwa's brother, Yuan Yan's sworn younger brother, and a close Dao companion. Fuxi feels an innate affinity toward Yuan Yan due to their connected Yin-Yang origins and participates in Yingzhou's governance, cultivation, and restoration efforts. Yuan Yan's tribulation-free Hunyuan attainment strengthens Fuxi's confidence in his own future path; Yuan Yan later includes him in plans for shared Jade Disc cultivation and a prospective Human Race Sacred Hall. 21 85 93 304 323 325
• Yingzhou Immortal Island Lineage — Yuan Yan's growing faction of cultivators, which includes numerous Primordial Golden Immortals, Quasi-Sages, Great Luo Golden Immortals, and hundreds of thousands of lower-realm members. Its members restore the Western and Northern Continents, operate formations and commerce branches, and receive resources according to contribution. His Hunyuan attainment makes him its foremost protector, while its overwhelming collective strength later prompts him to consider dividing it into separate teachings to reduce Heavenly Dao suppression. 103 152 208 304 325
• Twenty-six Great Luo Golden Immortals — early core subordinates who swore Heavenly Dao oaths to Yuan Yan and the other Three Yuans. They helped repair the Western Continent's leylines and formed the foundation of the larger Yingzhou lineage. 60 62
• Dao Ancestor Hongjun — Yuan Yan's master. Hongjun recognized Yuan Yan's restoration of the Western Continent as Major Merit, accepted him as his fourth disciple, and bestowed Hongmeng Purple Qi along with valuable innate treasures. Hongjun regards Yuan Yan as his most satisfactory successor to the Daoist orthodoxy, but after Dao Unification cannot favor him against Heavenly Dao laws. Their relationship later includes hard bargaining over intervention in the Earth Court–Demon Clan war, resulting in the temporary loan of the Jade Disc of Creation. 135 194 319 320 322 323
• Three Pure Ones — prominent cultivators with whom Yuan Yan discusses the Dao at Jade Void Peak. They later purchase his improved Three Corpses Severing Method and regard his cultivation and lineage with considerable caution. His Hunyuan attainment drives them to intensify cultivation in pursuit of sainthood rather than confront him directly. 58 136 304
• Queen Mother of the West — Dao-exchange partner and later ally who seeks the protection and mutual benefit of joining the Yingzhou Immortal Island Lineage with the female immortals under her command. Yuan Yan and his five close companions personally receive her submission. His later Hunyuan breakthrough gives her hope of eventually attaining the same realm without tribulation. 58 236 237 304
• Houtu and Jiufeng — senior figures of the Witch Clan who negotiate with Yuan Yan for a Primordial Golden Immortal breakthrough method and high-level treasures. Yuan Yan treats them with calculated diplomacy while refusing to let their conflict with Di Jun and Taiyi entangle Yingzhou. He identifies Jiufeng as a fellow transmigrator but does not pursue a romantic or marriage alliance with her. During his later intervention, he selectively reveals the Heavenly Dao's pressure to redirect the Witches' resentment away from himself. 107 112 181 100 116 326
• Netherworld Serpent Ancestor — a perfected Great Luo Golden Immortal defeated and permanently refined by Yuan Yan and the Three Yuans. His extracted memories reveal information about the Hunyuan Golden Immortal path. 34
• Jieyin and Zhunti — Western Continent cultivators with whom Yuan Yan has a strained relationship. Although he avoids directly seizing Mount Sumeru or killing them, he relocates the mountain and harvests part of its earth veins after determining that further repairs were not his obligation. Jieyin later reacts to Yuan Yan's Hunyuan attainment by retreating to cultivate toward sainthood. 148 150 304
• Di Jun and Taiyi — leaders of the future Demon Clan whom Yuan Yan deliberately keeps politically contained. He limits trade with them and refuses to destroy them prematurely, believing their continued rivalry with the Witch Clan is strategically safer for Yingzhou. Later, acting under a Heavenly Dao Edict after negotiating compensation, he saves them from the Pangu True Body's final strike and imposes a truce dividing heavenly and earthly governance. 181 208 323 326
• Heavenly Dao — source of the merit, favor, and later Saint Position that support Yuan Yan's advancement. It accepts his karmic repayment and permits his independent Hunyuan attainment, but also seeks to preserve the world's balance against Yingzhou's overwhelming strength. Yuan Yan treats its authority as powerful yet constrained by laws, negotiating through Hongjun rather than accepting every demand unconditionally. 303 308 322 324 325
• Zhurong — Ancestral Witch who insults and threatens Yuan Yan after his intervention saves the Demon Clan. Yuan Yan deliberately ignores the provocation to avoid unnecessary enmity with the Witch Clan and Houtu. 326

Story Role / Major Arcs

Taking Form from the Primordial Gourd Vine

Yuan Yan awakens as the vine's consciousness, recognizes the danger of his destined fate, and cultivates to Taiyi Immortal perfection. He self-dismembers by severing a gourd-bearing vine section, becoming a primordial divine being while preserving the remaining vine and six immature gourds. 2 3 4

Mount Buzhou Expedition

After creating his three Dao bodies, Yuan Yan leaves his birthplace to climb Mount Buzhou. He acquires the Yinyang Mirror, discovers and secures the Yinyang Grotto-Heaven, and redistributes gathered treasures among the Four Yuans according to their respective Daos. 16 17 18 19

Three Clans Battlefield Restoration

Yuan Yan purifies a Three Clans Battlefield with the Yin-Yang Furnace, creates a new purification art to repair its earth veins, and receives Heavenly Dao merit for stabilizing the land. He later reunites with his three Dao bodies to cleanse and restore battlefields across the Primordial World over thirty-six epochs. 23 25 26 28 29

Defeat of the Netherworld Serpent Ancestor

When Yuan Jie is ambushed by the Netherworld Serpent Ancestor, Yuan Yan and the other Dao bodies coordinate the Four Symbols Return-to-Origin Formation. They shatter, suppress, and refine the ancestor's body, primordial spirit, true spirit, and contingencies, then extract his memories for knowledge of the Hunyuan realm. 30 33 34

Discovery of Yingzhou Immortal Island

Following an elusive opportunity to the East Sea, Yuan Yan forces a passage through the void and enters Yingzhou Immortal Island. He refines its boundary stele, becomes its master, and claims the Twelfth-Rank World-Purifying White Lotus while sharing the island's remaining opportunities with his Dao bodies. 36 37 38 39

Building a Western Base

After reaching Great Luo Golden Immortal perfection, Yuan Yan directs the Four Yuans and their followers toward restoring the Western Continent. Yingzhou Immortal Island is relocated to the Supreme Awakening Range as their headquarters, where Yuan Yan lectures on the Dao and strengthens his growing faction. 43 60

Dao Exchanges and Purple Firmament Palace

Yuan Yan travels through the Primordial World to discuss the Dao with figures including Nuwa, Fuxi, the Three Pure Ones, and the Queen Mother of the West. He later travels to Purple Firmament Palace, secures a cushion seat, and attends Hongjun's lectures alongside his companions. 56 58 62 64 66

During his Kunlun travels, he secretly prevents Xuan Mo from self-destructing against Nuwa and Fuxi. After revealing himself, he cooperates with the siblings to destroy Xuan Mo's remaining safeguards, strengthening their friendship and trust. 52 56

Primordial Golden Immortal Breakthrough and Yingzhou Alliance

Following extensive restoration work and shared cultivation, Yuan Yan becomes a Primordial Golden Immortal. He, the Three Yuans, Nuwa, and Fuxi consolidate their resources on Yingzhou, establish shared ownership of key cultivation assets, and become increasingly bound by common Fortune and long-term plans. 87

The alliance follows Yuan Yan's acquisition of the Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus against competition from the Three Pure Ones. After the contest, he returns more than Nuwa's destined share of Three Lights Divine Water, invites her and Fuxi to join Yingzhou, and formally establishes a sibling relationship among the six. 82 84 85

Improved Three Corpses Severing Method

During Hongjun's Second Lecture, Yuan Yan improves the Three Corpses Severing Method into the Three Corpses Reliance Method. Hongjun publicly recognizes the technique, rewards Yuan Yan with major treasures, and allows the Purple Firmament Palace Guests to negotiate for it; Yuan Yan subsequently trades the method under strict oath-bound conditions. 133 135 136

Western Earth Vein Network and Mount Sumeru Relocation

Yuan Yan and the Three Yuans complete the Western Continent's Earth Vein Network and Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation, gaining immense Merit and Fortune. They later relocate Mount Sumeru away from the continent's core, repair more than half of its damaged earth veins, and transfer a section to the Heaven-Origin Range. 150 152

The network's activation increases the earth veins' conversion of Chaos Qi into Innate Spiritual Qi and Dao Rhyme Spiritual Essence by over fifty percent. The completed formation initially covers nearly forty percent of the Western Continent and manifests Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal-level power, alarming other major factions. 146

Hongjun's Fourth Disciple

Because Yuan Yan has rendered Major Merit by governing and restoring the Western Continent, Hongjun accepts him as his fourth disciple. Yuan Yan receives Hongmeng Purple Qi, the Qiankun Cauldron, the Twelfth-Rank Meritorious Golden Lotus, and the components needed to complete the Primordial Five Directional Banners. 194 195

Northern Continent Governance and Yingzhou Commerce

Yuan Yan expands Yingzhou's restoration efforts to the Northern Continent, devising reusable purification formations and supporting the work through postnatal spiritual roots, formation flags, Dao pills, and the Yingzhou Commerce Association. He uses these institutions to generate resources and Fortune without seeking direct dominion over the Primordial World. 162 165 168 174

His long-term Western governance plan prioritizes strengthening existing restored earth veins rather than recreating destroyed veins from nothing. He directs most converted energy into Heaven-Earth Origin Force to nourish the network, aiming eventually to restore the whole continent and elevate the Heaven-Origin Range's earth veins into an Ancestral Vein. 162

The Commerce Association's founding and associated currency system bring considerable cultivation gains through merit and fortune. Later, the six pool and redistribute their extensive treasure holdings according to Dao compatibility: Yuan Yan retains the Creation Azure Lotus while allocating the Qiankun Cauldron to Yuan Jie and the Primordial Five Directional Banners to Yuan Lun. 176 208 209

Origin Dao Furnace and Comprehensive Cultivation

Yuan Yan oversees the fusion of the Yin-Yang Great Dao Furnaces and Treasure-Dropping Money into the Origin Dao Furnace. As his cultivation approaches the Hunyuan bottleneck, he reassesses the limitations of the Nine Yin-Yang Evolutions and begins developing individualized methods to strengthen body and primordial spirit alongside his Great Dao. 240 241

Hidden Hand in the East Sea

When Dongwang Gong's relics become the object of contention between the Three Pure Ones and the Ancestral Witches, Yuan Yan senses an affinity with the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Diagram. Though unwilling to openly challenge the Earth Court, he coordinates a covert scheme with the Three Yuans to seize the diagram through space-time deception and battlefield misdirection. 282

Repaying Karma and Attaining Hunyuan

After further merit-backed cultivation and Three Corpse integration, Yuan Yan perfects his Dao Fruit but discovers that his remaining merit is insufficient to repay his debt to heaven and earth. He draws approximately one-tenth of the accumulated merit from each of his three-selves Dao bodies, supplements his Merit Golden Wheel, and appeals to the world for repayment. The Eye of the Heavenly Dao descends to examine him. 301 302 303

The Heavenly Dao accepts his repayment and releases the laws restraining his final advancement. His true spirit, Dao Fruit, and Hunyuan Ancestral Qi fuse completely, and he announces his attainment as a Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal. His aura spreads across more than half the Primordial World, shocking the Purple Firmament Palace guests and alarming factions concerned that his three brothers may soon follow. 303 304

After briefly addressing the celebrating Yingzhou cultivators, Yuan Yan enters the Inner Chaos to investigate the realm's deeper implications. He learns the importance of imprinting his Dao upon the Chaos Dao and receives a profound epiphany that advances his attainment to the late Third Layer. 304 305

Heavenly Dao Sanctification and Chaos Transformation

Having first secured independent Hunyuan attainment, Yuan Yan releases his previously sealed Hongmeng Purple Qi and refines it with the Yin-Yang Dao. Entrusting his Dao to the Heavenly Dao produces a Saint Fruit Position, and the resulting feedback advances him to the early Fourth Layer. His sage aura spreads throughout the whole Primordial World, correcting observers' earlier assumption that his less extensive Hunyuan manifestation indicated inferior strength. 302 308

His integrated Three Corpse Dao Bodies have also elevated his foundation to that of a Lower-Tier Chaos God and Demon and transformed his true body into a Lower-Grade Chaos Spiritual Root. Because his Origin Power is depleted and the transformation still requires nourishment, he reveals his Chaos Gourd Vine form in the Inner Chaos and establishes the Yin-Yang Hollow Formation to absorb Chaos Qi. 309 310

He maintains ties with Yingzhou through incarnations, shares the distinction between Hunyuan cultivation and sainthood, and teaches his companions how to preserve sufficient merit for karmic repayment. He temporarily defers the duties of establishing a saintly dojo, teaching the Great Dao, and helping set the world's rules until his origin and transformation are stabilized. 309 311

Negotiating with Hongjun and Ending the Earth Court–Demon Clan War

Heavenly Dao Hongjun seeks Yuan Yan's intervention in the war between the Earth Court and Demon Clan. Yuan Yan resists inadequate compensation, rejecting three Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasures and demanding rewards proportionate to the political and karmic risks. After several hundred years of negotiations in a special spacetime dimension, they agree that Hongjun will lend him the Jade Disc of Creation for one thousand Epochs. In return, Yuan Yan must stop the war and impose a three-thousand-Epoch truce, with the Demon Clan governing the heavens and the Earth Court governing the earth. 320 322 323

Yuan Yan intervenes immediately before the Pangu True Body's final Heaven-Splitting Strike can destroy Di Jun and Taiyi. The Twenty-Fourth-Rank Creation Azure Lotus neutralizes the axe light, and he separates the two armies with a wave of his hand. The demons accept the Heavenly Dao Edict, but the Witches initially resist, with Zhurong openly threatening him. 325 326

Rather than retaliate, Yuan Yan secretly shows Jiufeng and the Pangu True Body images of the Heavenly Dao's pressure on him, omitting his subsequent bargaining for compensation. He warns that continued resistance would allow him to shatter their formation, aid the demons, and profit from both sides' destruction. The Witches accept the safer course, redirecting their anger toward Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao. 326

Proposed Division of the Yingzhou Lineage

Recognizing that the lineage's overwhelming combined strength has drawn Heavenly Dao suppression, Yuan Yan considers dividing its institutions after his companions attain the Dao. The proposed arrangement is intended to ease concerns over balance without limiting anyone's cultivation or truly severing their shared-origin unity. 324 325

• A Western teaching led by Yuan Yan together with Nuwa. 325
• A Northern teaching led by Yuan Jie. 325
• A starry-sky teaching led by Yuan Lun. 325
• A Human Race Sacred Hall led by Fuxi. 325
• Yuan Ling traveling into the Outer Chaos. 325

The division remains a plan rather than an accomplished reorganization in the supplied developments. Yuan Yan acknowledges that their shared origin may still make the combined group too powerful for the Heavenly Dao's comfort and considers other options if the arrangement proves insufficient. 325

Northern Continent Epiphany and Supporting Nuwa

Further recovery of the Northern Continent's earth-vein network and advancement of the Heaven-Earth Origin-Returning Formation Flags bring new merit and fortune to Yuan Yan and his companions. They enter a collective epiphany linked to the continent's true essence. Yuan Yan evolves another perfected primordial Great Dao through Yin-Yang, strengthening himself without a major realm breakthrough, then deliberately stops burning merit before the majority is consumed. 338

Nuwa chooses to reach Half-Step Hunyuan, pursue sagehood first, and use Heavenly Dao authority to remove the restrictions on further advancement. To maximize her benefit from the thousand-Epoch Jade Disc loan, she expends her accumulated merit on accelerated cultivation. Yuan Yan, aware of her plan, concentrates the Jade Disc's blessing on her as she fully merges her Three Corpse Dao Bodies, perfects her Creation Dao, and advances its realm to peak First-Layer Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal. Her actual cultivation reaches Half-Step Hunyuan in this development; her planned sanctification has not yet been completed. 339

Notable Quotes

“My fate is mine, not heaven's!”
— Yuan Yan 2

“What would I have to fear?”
— Yuan Yan, accepting Nuwa and Fuxi's invitation into their formation 21

“I am Yuan Yan, and today I attain the Dao as a Hunyuan Great Firmament Golden Immortal!”
— Yuan Yan, announcing his independent Hunyuan attainment 303

“From now on, the Demon Clan shall govern the heavens, and the Earth Court shall govern the earth. Within three thousand epochs, no party shall arbitrarily initiate war, and violators will face Heavenly Retribution!”
— Yuan Yan, enforcing the Heavenly Dao ceasefire 326