Nalan Yanran

Biodata

Appearance

Nalan Yanran is a delicately featured young woman whose beauty is compared to summer lotus blossoms. She is noted for her expressive, beautiful eyes and a demeanor that can shift from proud and sharp to shy and flustered. 8 56

• Often wears pink; at the ancient ruin, she wears a flowing pink dress. 51
• Her blush and bashfulness become conspicuous whenever Gu Xia is mentioned or recalled. 56
• During the ruins trial, she rides a docile white fox as her magical-beast mount. 62

Personality

Nalan Yanran is initially proud and easily provoked. Having been pampered throughout her life, she reacts angrily when Xiao Yan rebukes her during their engagement dispute, dismissing his fallen cultivation and demanding that he prove himself within three years. 8

She is deeply attached to and respectful of Yun Yun. When the ruin's pressure exhausts her teacher, Nalan immediately supports her; when her own Dou Qi is sealed, she seeks Yun Yun's reassurance rather than facing the fear alone. 51 52 She follows Yun Yun's decisions during the trials, yet remains curious and observant, repeatedly asking questions about other participants and piecing together details from Yun Yun's explanations. 56 57 59

Her competitive streak surfaces during the magical-beast race, where she becomes anxious after an arrogant contestant overtakes her and Yun Yun. 63 Despite her apprehension in unfamiliar danger, she remains composed enough to proceed cautiously through the ruin's increasingly hazardous trials. 55 66

Story Role / Major Arcs

Break with the Xiao Clan

Nalan Yanran comes to the Xiao Clan to dissolve her engagement to Xiao Yan. Angered by his warning not to look down on a poor youth, she agrees to wait three years at the Misty Cloud Sect for him to prove how far he can rise. Xiao Yan instead presents her with a letter of divorce, severing their connection to the Xiao Clan. 8

During the confrontation, she first notices Gu Xia after seeing him ride through the city on an enormous azure tiger. When Gu Xia later arrives at the Xiao Clan and casually sends Elder Ge flying, Nalan's fear turns into flustered attraction as he corners her against a pillar—only for him to ask to borrow money because he is starving. She throws him a purse and flees after calling him a pervert. 8 9

Rejected Proposal

After returning from the Xiao Clan, Nalan Yanran rejects a marriage proposal from Shen Qingyun, eldest young master of the Sky Blue Merchant Association, despite his prepared betrothal gifts. Yun Yun later teases her over how distracted and absent-minded she became after the Xiao Clan visit. 56

Ancient Ruin Trials

Nalan Yanran accompanies Yun Yun and the Misty Cloud Sect to an ancient ruin believed to hold Dou Emperor-level secrets. She arrives as a six-star Dou Zhe and is visibly concerned when the gate's pressure burdens Yun Yun. 51

Inside the ruins, her Dou Qi is sealed along with the other selected participants'. Frightened by the sudden helplessness, she stays close to Yun Yun and follows her teacher through the right-hand flaming door, successfully passing the first choice trial. 52 53

• She and Yun Yun endure the volcanic escape and trapped-road trials without rushing into the hazards that eliminate other contestants. 53 55
• She discusses Shen Qingyun and the independent cultivator Wu Chu with Yun Yun and Yao Ye, showing a desire to understand their abilities and backgrounds. 56 57 59
• A white fox chooses her during the magical-beast recognition trial; she rides it alongside Yun Yun, who is chosen by a white rabbit. 62
• She becomes anxious when another participant's faster mount overtakes them, but Yun Yun explains that the mount cannot turn at such speed; the rider soon crashes. 63
• Alongside Yun Yun, she reaches the final inheritance trial. The pair recognize that safe stone tiles appear to follow them, discreetly separate from the other contestants, and cross the stage without triggering a trap. 64 66

Relationships

• Yun Yun — Her teacher and sect master. Nalan Yanran consistently defers to Yun Yun's judgment, worries for her safety, and follows her through the ancient-ruin trials. 51 52 53 66
• Xiao Yan — Former fiancé. Their engagement ends after their confrontation at the Xiao Clan, where Xiao Yan formally divorces her and expels her from the Xiao Clan. 8
• Gu Xia — A powerful young man who catches her attention in Wutan City. His overwhelming display against Elder Ge leaves her flustered, and she lends him money after he approaches her at the Xiao Clan. 8 9 She later blushes while recalling the encounter. 56
• Shen Qingyun — Eldest young master of the Sky Blue Merchant Association. He proposed to Nalan Yanran after seeing her return from the Xiao Clan, but she rejected him outright. 56
• Yao Ye — Companion during the ancient-ruin trials. Nalan Yanran patiently explains the Sky Blue Merchant Association to her and travels alongside her and Yun Yun through several stages. 56 57 62

Trivia

• Nalan Yanran's purse contains more money than Jia Lie'ao's; Gu Xia notes that Jia's pouch holds less than half as much as hers. 9
• She is one of the final five contestants to reach the snowy-mountain inheritance trial. 64