Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Xiao Clan’s Third Young Master; Little Yan
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Clan; Qin Hao’s disciples
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; sixth-tier alchemist
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Zhe	1, 21	Condensed a Dou Qi Cyclone at age eleven after beginning cultivation at four; his early talent made him renowned across the Jia Ma Empire.
Third stage of Dou Qi	21, 36	His cultivation regressed from Dou Zhe after Yao Chen’s semi-dormant soul unconsciously absorbed his Dou Qi through the black ring.
Sixth stage of Dou Qi	51	Recovered rapidly under Qin Hao’s guidance and medicinal baths, rising from the fifth to the sixth stage.
One-star → four-star Dou Shi	71	Refined the Green Lotus Core Flame with Qin Hao’s prepared protections, jumping three stars in a single refinement.
Nine-star Dou Shi	79	Returned to the Xiao Clan having surpassed Xiao Zhan’s cultivation.
One-star → six-star Da Dou Shi	89	Devoured the Sea Heart Flame over a day and night, again overtaking Xiao Yi Xian in cultivation.
Peak nine-star Da Dou Shi	92	Underwent a major transformation: physical strength reached roughly third-tier magical-beast level, energy absorption improved by at least threefold, and soul power entered the Spirit Realm.
Dou Ling	94	Demonstrated combat power beyond his realm by severely injuring the peak sixth-tier Amethyst Winged Lion King with a two-colored fire lotus.
Dou Wang	127, 129	Reached the Dou Wang realm ahead of his Central Plains peers; refining the Fallen Heart Flame later pushed him to its peak.
Dou Emperor	133	Advanced through cultivation in the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool.
Peak three-star Dou Emperor	141	Returned to the Jia Ma Empire confident that he could face Dou Zongs; he was on the verge of four-star Dou Emperor.
Peak nine-star Dou Emperor	146	Devoured the Bone Chilling Flame with Qin Hao’s assistance and obtained the Profound Yin Ice Flame.
Five-star Dou Zong	149, 150	Entered the Dou Zong realm and reached five stars after devouring the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, before turning eighteen.
One-star Dou Zun	153	Refined the Three Thousand Burning Flame; his soul power also reached the peak of the Spirit Realm.
Seven-star Dou Zun	154	Rose six stars over two years while travelling and clashing with major Central Plains factions.
One-star Dou Saint	156	Broke through within the Sky Tomb, crossing Nine-Transformation Dou Zun and Half Saint in a single leap.
Three-star Dou Saint	166	Benefited from a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation and cultivation with Bodhi Seeds and Bodhi Hearts.
Dou Di	172	Broke through alongside Medusa, reviving the Xiao Clan’s Dou Di bloodline.

Background / History

Xiao Yan was once celebrated as the Xiao Clan’s peerless genius. He began cultivating at four, reached the ninth stage of Dou Qi at ten, and became a Dou Zhe at eleven. His talent raised expectations that he could restore the declining Xiao Clan’s standing. A year before Qin Hao’s arrival, however, his cultivation began to regress until he became Wutan City’s laughingstock at the third stage of Dou Qi. 21 36

The cause was the black ring left by his mother. It contained the semi-dormant soul of Yao Chen, who unconsciously absorbed Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi to recover. Qin Hao diagnosed the issue, stopped the loss of Dou Qi, and accepted Xiao Yan as his third disciple and first alchemy disciple. 37

After Qin Hao awakened Yao Chen and arranged his service in exchange for resurrection and revenge against Han Feng, Xiao Yan retained the ring and gained access to Yao Chen’s alchemical guidance whenever Qin Hao was in seclusion. 38 39 94

Qin Hao later offered Xiao Yan a safe, high-grade fire cultivation path or the dangerous Flame Mantra. Xiao Yan deliberately chose the latter for its potential, prompting Qin Hao to secretly replace it with the safer and stronger Heaven-Burning Divine Art. 58

Personality

Xiao Yan remains composed in the face of provocation. He treated Nalan Yanran’s condescending attitude with indifference rather than anger, reflecting the maturity gained from his fall from genius status. 40 51

He is exceptionally determined when pursuing strength. He chose the hazardous Flame Mantra despite having a high Di-tier alternative, endured repeated Heavenly Flame refinements, and resolved to become a Dou Saint and tier-nine alchemist after Gu Xun’er departed for her clan. 58 71 145

Although he generally acts with restraint and diplomacy, he is ruthless toward direct threats. He killed Hong Chen after being threatened and joined his companions in destroying the Hong Clan after its retaliation. 132 133

Among Qin Hao’s disciples, Xiao Yan often assumes responsibility in critical situations. He chose to aid Yun Yun against the Amethyst Winged Lion King and was consistently the group member who made final decisions. 93

Abilities & Skills

Heaven-Burning Divine Art

A low Heaven-rank fire-attribute cultivation art secretly substituted for the Flame Mantra by Qin Hao. It retains the latter’s potential for growth through Heavenly Flames while being optimized for greater power and safety. 58 153

• Chosen by Xiao Yan after rejecting the Scarlet Sun Profound Flame Art and its high Di-tier advanced form. 58
• Strengthened after he refined the Three Thousand Burning Flame, though it remained at the low Heaven rank. 153
• Its compatibility with Heavenly Flames supports Xiao Yan’s rapid cultivation growth. 132 149

Heavenly Flame Refinement

Xiao Yan repeatedly refines Heavenly Flames to enhance both his cultivation and combat power.

• Green Lotus Core Flame — his first refined Heavenly Flame; raised him from one-star to four-star Dou Shi. 71
• Sea Heart Flame — raised him from one-star to six-star Da Dou Shi. 89
• Fallen Heart Flame — advanced him to the peak of the Dou Wang realm. 129
• Bone Chilling Flame — enabled him to obtain the Profound Yin Ice Flame and reach peak nine-star Dou Emperor. 146
• Wind Fury Dragon Flame — helped bring him to five-star Dou Zong. 149
• Three Thousand Burning Flame — carried him into the Dou Zun realm and improved his soul power. 153
• Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame — received from Qin Hao after the flame’s suppression. 161

Fire Lotus Techniques

Xiao Yan can combine Heavenly Flames into destructive fire-lotus attacks.

• Used a two-colored fire lotus to severely injure the Amethyst Winged Lion King. 93
• Displayed a three-colored fire lotus while fighting in Tianbei City and during the destruction of the Hong Clan. 133
• Such attacks can exhaust his Dou Qi heavily; after striking the Amethyst Winged Lion King, he could barely sustain flight. 93

Alchemy

Qin Hao personally began teaching Xiao Yan alchemy, assigning him two hours of study each day. 59

• Became a sixth-tier alchemist while still only a few years older than Cao Ying and Dan Chen. 127
• His soul power, alchemical training, and repeated Soul Infant Fruit rewards elevated him to the peak of the Spirit Realm. 131 153
• By the time he reached Saint Pill City, he was widely regarded as a future eighth-tier alchemist and possibly someone capable of surpassing Qin Hao. 146

Bloodline and Physical Transformation

Xiao Yan’s body possesses unusually broad, resilient meridians, a trait Qin Hao considered central to his ability to survive Heavenly Flame refinement. 36

• His physical body reached approximately third-tier magical-beast strength after his transformation at peak Da Dou Shi. 92
• He fused with the Xiao Clan’s Emperor-clan bloodline in the Sky Tomb, received the clan inheritance, and condensed a clan mark. 156
• His awakened bloodline later contributed to the revival of the Xiao Clan’s Dou Di bloodline after his own breakthrough. 161 172

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Bone Flame Ring — black ring inherited from his mother; originally housed Yao Chen’s soul and remains Xiao Yan’s means of carrying him. 37 94
• Tou She Ancient God Jade — Xiao Clan inheritance artifact retained by Xiao Yan despite Qin Hao’s lack of interest in it. 145 146
• Ancient Heavenly Peng Wings — flying Dou Technique that grants short-burst speed comparable to a Dou Wang. 93
• Heavenly Demon Puppet — a puppet of roughly seven-star Dou Zong strength given to Xiao Yan to leave as the Xiao Clan’s final safeguard. 94
• Great Sun Glazed Body — Heaven-rank body-refining inheritance bestowed by Qin Hao. 129 157

Relationships

• Qin Hao — master and principal benefactor. Qin Hao diagnosed Xiao Yan’s cultivation loss, accepted him as a disciple, supplied his techniques and Heavenly Flames, and guided his rapid advancement. 37 58 71
• Xiao Zhan — father. Xiao Zhan desperately sought help during Xiao Yan’s decline and later took immense pride in his son’s growth. 36 37 79 141
• Gu Xun’er — childhood companion and mutual love interest. She defended him against Nalan Yanran, travelled and fought beside him, and her departure motivated him to pursue Dou Saint strength and elite alchemy. 51 145 155
• Yao Chen — soul residing in Xiao Yan’s ring and an additional alchemy mentor. Though bound to serve Qin Hao, Yao Chen guides Xiao Yan when Qin Hao is unavailable. 38 39 94
• Nalan Yanran — former fiancée. Their engagement was annulled when Yun Shan admitted defeat on her behalf at the Three-Year Agreement. 51 142
• Qinglin and Xiao Yi Xian — fellow disciples and frequent travelling companions. They support Xiao Yan in battle, while he often serves as the group’s decision-maker. 79 93 133
• Xiao Chen — Xiao Clan ancestor. Xiao Yan recognized their shared clan mark and learned of the clan’s historic decline through him. 161

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recovery in Wutan City

After Qin Hao exposed the external cause of his cultivation loss, Xiao Yan became Qin Hao’s disciple, regained the ability to retain Dou Qi, and returned to the Xiao Clan with restored status. 37 39 40

Magic Beast Forest Training

Qin Hao sent Xiao Yan and his fellow disciples into the Magic Beast Forest for genuine combat experience. There, Xiao Yan refined further Heavenly Flames, led the group through conflicts with the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and helped Yun Yun confront the Amethyst Winged Lion King. 79 88 89 93

Protection of the Xiao Clan

Recognizing the dangers surrounding his family, Xiao Yan returned powerful resources to the Xiao Clan, arranged for the Amethyst Winged Lion King to become its guardian, and left behind a Heavenly Demon Puppet as a final defensive measure. 79 94

Three-Year Agreement and Jia Ma Empire War

By the time of the Three-Year Agreement, Xiao Yan’s Dou Emperor cultivation made a duel with Nalan Yanran unnecessary; Yun Shan annulled the engagement by conceding defeat. He then helped turn the tide against the three invading empires and Hall of Souls Protectors. 142 143 144

Central Plains Rise

In the Central Plains, Xiao Yan killed Hong Chen, helped eradicate the Hong Clan, secured a place in the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, and advanced into the Dou Emperor realm. He and his companions later destroyed Ice River Valley and earned notoriety through conflicts with the Wind Lightning Pavilion, Sky Serene Sect, Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, and Hall of Souls. 132 133 149 153

Sky Tomb and Xiao Clan Inheritance

Within the Sky Tomb, Xiao Yan defeated numerous Ancient Clan prodigies, encountered Xiao Xuan, fused with the Emperor-clan bloodline, gained the Xiao Clan inheritance, and broke through to Dou Saint before the age of twenty-one. 156

Revival of the Xiao Clan

After reawakening the Xiao Clan bloodline and obtaining the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, Xiao Yan eventually advanced to Dou Di. His breakthrough triggered a dramatic resurgence in the cultivation of Xiao Clan members. 161 172

Notable Quotes

“Father, I... I think I’m really better. The Dou Qi in my body is no longer disappearing!” 37

“All of this is thanks to Master’s help. Without Master, there would be no Xiao Yan today!” 153

Trivia

• Xiao Yan is a transmigrator who has lived two lives. 36 50
• He was thirteen and at the third stage of Dou Qi when Qin Hao first examined him in Wutan City. 36
• He reached five-star Dou Zong before his eighteenth birthday and became a Dou Zun shortly after turning eighteen. 150 153
• He arrived in Tianbei City roughly ten years earlier than his counterpart in the original timeline. 132