Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Fourth Brother; Little Yan
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Clan; disciple of Yao Chen; ally of Jia Nan Academy and the Snake-People
Occupation/Role	Xiao Clan's Fourth Young Master; alchemist; flame cultivator
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Practitioner	12	Had reached this realm by age twelve before his cultivation began regressing.
Dou Qi, Third Stage	7	Tested at the clan assessment and publicly ridiculed for his low rank.
First-grade Alchemist	24	Refined medicine to repay Xiao Meng's loan and return Xiao Meng's previously used monthly allowance.
Dou Qi, Eighth Stage	32	Reached this level after Yao Chen began teaching him; he survived Jia Lie Ao's enhanced six-star Dou Practitioner strength despite severe injuries.
Dou Zhe	35	Broke through while recovering from his injuries, though Yao Chen considered his foundation vulnerable.
Second-tier Alchemist	45	His advancement boosts the Xiao Clan marketplace's popularity and earns him leadership over its marketplaces.
Flame-based cultivation awakening	99	After consuming Taiyi True Water, he awakens a mysterious crimson internal flame and receives memories of a separate flame-cultivation system.
One hundred and eight Qi vortexes	100	His original Qi vortex transforms into a world of flames, while 108 vital acupuncture points become independent Qi vortexes, vastly improving his stamina and endurance.
Peak True Flame Realm	147	Reaches the peak of the True Flame Realm after refining the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the Yin-Yang Twin Flames; he believes he can contend with a Dou Emperor.
Dou Zong-level combat power	165	Fights Nalan Yanran in a battle whose destructive power rises to the level of peak six-star Dou Zongs, ultimately defeating her.
Dou Venerable-level combat power	179	After refining the Nine Netherwind Flame and Turtle Spirit Earth Flame, he can contend with three- or four-star Dou Venerable experts.
Mastery of the Heavenly Flame Sea	196	After more than ten years in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling, he gains overwhelming authority over the Divine Flames ranked below the top twenty-two.
Divine soul recovery	199 200	He later self-destructs his physical body to grievously injure Zi You and Xue You, leaving his divine soul dormant in the Netherworld Realm before recovering.

Background

Xiao Yan was born after his twin brother Xiao Meng, making him the Xiao Clan's fourth son despite sharing the same mother. Their father is Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan leader. Xiao Yan was once a celebrated prodigy who became a Dou Practitioner at twelve, but spent the following three years suffering cultivation regression and public humiliation. 1 12

His regression was caused by Yao Chen, a remnant soul residing in the ring left by Xiao Yan's mother, which intercepted the Dou Qi Xiao Yan absorbed. Xiao Meng exposed the cause and gave him Soul-Nourishing Wood to awaken Yao Chen. Although Xiao Yan initially wanted revenge, he accepted Yao Chen as his master after learning of his alchemy knowledge and Heaven-tier Dou Techniques. 17 19

During Nalan Yanran's visit to annul her engagement, Xiao Yan took responsibility for the ambiguous marriage arrangement to spare Xiao Meng. He then repudiated Nalan Yanran himself and set a three-year appointment to challenge her at the Cloudmist Sect. 12

Xiao Meng's later gifts fundamentally alter Xiao Yan's path. After drinking Taiyi True Water, Xiao Yan awakens a mysterious crimson flame and inherited memories of a flame-based cultivation system with realms including Spirit Flame, True Flame, Earth Flame, Sky Flame, and Immortal Flame. His connection to Heavenly Flames grows so profound that Yao Chen's Bone Spirit Cold Flame reacts fearfully and submissively to his new power. 99 100

Appearance

Xiao Yan is a young Xiao Clan descendant usually seen in black robes. When conducting business at the Temir Auction House, he disguises himself with a black cloak. 3 24

• Wears a ring inherited from his mother, which houses Yao Chen's remnant soul. 17 19
• Uses a palm-leaf-fan-sized flame formed after he swallowed a piece of Fire Essence. 37
• After consuming Taiyi True Water, he develops a mysterious crimson internal flame and can manifest a blood-red eye between his brows when employing his strongest techniques. 99 165
• His aura and bearing change drastically as his flame cultivation advances, eventually allowing the Heavenly Flames in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling to gather around him like guards around an emperor. 196

Personality

Xiao Yan remains composed when humiliated, but possesses intense pride and a deep sense of responsibility toward the Xiao Clan. He accepts Nalan Yanran's challenge rather than submit to the Cloudmist Sect's pressure, declaring that he will return the clan's humiliation in three years. 12

He is fiercely protective of his family. Jia Lie Ao's attack on him and Xiao Zhan fuels his desire for revenge, though Yao Chen warns him not to let hatred dictate his path. Xiao Yan accepts that he must become strong enough to avenge his family himself rather than depend entirely on his master. 32 35

Xiao Yan can also be shrewd and opportunistic. He bargains aggressively with Yao Chen for teachings, borrows money from Xiao Meng to accelerate his cultivation, and works through the Mittel Auction House to cut the Gale Clan off from medicinal ingredients. 19 20 37

Despite his ambition, Xiao Yan is deeply loyal to Yao Chen. When Yao Chen offers his Natal Flame for Xiao Yan's advancement, Xiao Yan refuses to take it from his teacher, prioritizing Yao Chen's well-being over his own cultivation. 100

His eventual victory over Nalan Yanran demonstrates greater maturity. Rather than celebrating or humiliating her, he demands only a formal recognition of the result. He remains equally steadfast when Jia Lie Ao attempts to convince him that Xiao Meng has used him as a pawn, rejecting the provocation and defending his brother. 165 197

Abilities & Skills

Dou Qi Cultivation

Xiao Yan cultivates Dou Qi after Yao Chen stops intercepting his absorbed energy.

• His prior cultivation regression was not caused by lost talent, but by Yao Chen's absorption of his Dou Qi. 17
• He reaches the Dou Zhe realm after beginning formal training under Yao Chen. 35
• He aspires to become a Dou Di and views hardship as part of the path to strength. 35
• His later cultivation diverges from ordinary Dou Qi practice after Taiyi True Water awakens a flame-based system within him. 99
• His 108 independent Qi vortexes grant him extraordinary endurance and allow him to sustain high-intensity combat for far longer than ordinary cultivators. 100
• At the peak of the True Flame Realm, he is capable of contending with a Dou Emperor; after refining further Heavenly Flames, he can fight several-star Dou Venerables. 147 179

Flame Cultivation

Xiao Yan's mysterious internal flame gives him an exceptional affinity with Heavenly Flames and eventually leads him toward the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling.

• His crimson internal flame recognizes other Heavenly Flames as familiar, urging him to absorb them while causing them to fear and submit to its authority. 99 100
• He refines the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and Yin-Yang Twin Flames, reaching the peak of the True Flame Realm. 147
• He later refines the tenth-ranked Nine Netherwind Flame and the Turtle Spirit Earth Flame. 177 179
• His flame can resist the unnatural power wielded by the purple-robed pursuer, a force that even ordinary Heavenly Flames could not restrain. 147
• Within the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling, he commands the Divine Flames of the Heavenly Flame Sea, including the flames ranked below the top twenty-two on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. 196 197
• His spirit is connected to the Azure Heaven Emperor Flame, one of the universe's three Origin Flames; the Heavenly Flames gathered in the cave-dwelling are fragments or weakened manifestations related to greater Divine Flames. 199

Combat Techniques and Formations

Xiao Yan combines powerful inherited techniques, flame arts, and modified formations in combat.

• Uses the Great Buddha Pagoda Art to manifest a massive flaming pagoda for attack and defense. 159 165
• Possesses an earth-tier combat technique whose origin remains unknown to Yao Chen. 31 36
• Can employ the Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, a crimson blood eye, blazing suns, and a modified Four Symbols Star Lodge Formation. 165
• Uses his Heavenly Flames alongside the Great Buddha Pagoda Art to form a flaming pagoda containing a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, forcing the black-robed Demon King to retreat. 159
• Developed enough strength to defeat Nalan Yanran after an unrestricted battle that shook the Misty Cloud Sect's plaza. 165

Alchemy

Under Yao Chen's guidance, Xiao Yan becomes an alchemist and uses alchemy to support both himself and the Xiao Clan.

• Became a first-grade alchemist before repaying Xiao Meng's loan. 24
• Advanced to second-tier alchemist, increasing the Xiao Clan marketplace's standing. 45
• Uses a flame created from swallowed Fire Essence to refine first-grade pills despite having relied on it while still at the Dou Qi stage. 37
• Plans to use medicinal pills to strengthen Xiao Zhan and the Xiao Clan elders against the Gale Clan. 37
• Pills supplied by Xiao Yan substantially strengthen the Xiao Clan's younger generation, helping nearly two hundred members reach the Dou Zhe realm by the later coming-of-age ceremony. 116

Yao Chen's Teachings

Yao Chen agrees to teach Xiao Yan alchemy and powerful Dou Techniques after becoming his master.

• Yao Chen possesses knowledge of Heaven-tier Dou Techniques. 19
• Xiao Yan possesses an earth-tier combat technique whose origin remains unknown to Yao Chen. 31 36
• His master repeatedly stresses that he must personally overcome opponents of his own generation. 35
• Yao Chen later reconstructs a physical body and regains Dou Venerable cultivation, though he remains willing to risk himself repeatedly to protect Xiao Yan. 147
• When Yao Chen and Skyfire Venerable are injured during the conflict at the Misty Cloud Sect, Xiao Yan anxiously seeks Xiao Meng's help to treat his teacher. 174

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mother's ring — Xiao Yan's inherited ring; Yao Chen's remnant soul resides inside it. 17 19
• Fire Essence flame — A flame created when Xiao Yan swallowed a fiery-red crystal found in the Xiao Clan's back mountain. 37
• Soul-Nourishing Wood — Given to him by Xiao Meng to restore Yao Chen's soul; Yao Chen later retains it for continued recovery. 17 19
• Black cloak — Used to conceal his identity while entering the Temir Auction House. 24
• Taiyi True Water — Given to him by Xiao Meng; it awakens his internal flame and transforms his Qi vortexes. 99 100
• Bone Spirit Cold Flame — Yao Chen's former Natal Flame, later refined by Xiao Yan alongside the Yin-Yang Twin Flames. 100 147
• Nine Netherwind Flame and Turtle Spirit Earth Flame — Heavenly Flames Xiao Yan refines to strengthen his flame cultivation. 177 179
• Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling — His long-term cultivation site and the location of the Heavenly Flame Sea under his control. 196 197

Relationships

• Xiao Meng — Elder twin brother. Their relationship mixes rivalry, bickering, financial disputes, and genuine support; Xiao Meng reveals the cause of Xiao Yan's regression, helps him obtain Yao Chen as a master, and provides resources for the Xiao Clan. Xiao Yan admires Xiao Meng's overwhelming strength and remains loyal to him even when Jia Lie Ao claims Xiao Meng used him as a pawn. 17 20 37 166 197
• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan leader. Xiao Yan defends his family's dignity during the annulment dispute and is enraged when Jia Lie Bi injures Xiao Zhan. 12 35
• Xiao Xun'er — Romantic partner and close companion. She remains determined to wait for Xiao Yan despite the obstacles posed by her Ancient Clan background, openly recognizes his strength, and later accompanies him before being taken away by the Ancient Clan for safety. 1 18 116 164
• Yao Chen / Yao Lao — Master and former source of Xiao Yan's cultivation regression. Xiao Yan initially hates him, but accepts discipleship to gain alchemy instruction and powerful techniques. Their bond deepens as Xiao Yan refuses to take Yao Chen's Natal Flame by force and repeatedly risks himself to protect and avenge him. 17 19 100 137 147
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and three-year rival. Xiao Yan repudiates her after she seeks to annul their marriage arrangement, then defeats her at the Cloudmist Sect after their destructive three-year duel. Nalan Yanran later becomes entangled with the consciousness known as Xue You, turning her into a dangerous and unstable enemy. 12 165 174 184
• Jia Lie Ao — Rival from the Gale Clan. Jia Lie Ao gravely injures Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan insists on settling the score personally; he later cripples and kills him by snapping his neck. The original Jia Lie Ao subsequently dies, while another soul occupies his body and resumes pursuing Xiao Yan. 32 45 197
• Jia Lie Bi — Gale Clan leader and enemy who injures Xiao Zhan, intensifying Xiao Yan's determination to protect and avenge his family. 35
• Han Feng — Yao Chen's traitorous former disciple. After learning that Han Feng caused Yao Chen's downfall, Xiao Yan vows to purge Yao Chen's sect himself. 38
• Xiao Yi Xian — A companion from Qingshan Town and the Beast Mountain Range. After Xiao Yan is left near death by the magical-beast assault and the purple-robed man, she remains with him for more than a month and nurses him back to consciousness. 137
• Queen Medusa — Snake-People ruler and later ally. Xiao Yan risks his life to protect her against the mysterious enemy, while Medusa's power of the Nine Nether Sea helps Yao Chen and Xiao Yan seriously injure their pursuer. 156 159
• The purple-robed man / Jia Lie Ao's possessor — Xiao Yan's relentless pursuer, initially an unidentified enemy whose unnatural power repeatedly drives Xiao Yan into desperate flight. He is ultimately revealed to be the soul possessing Jia Lie Ao's body. 137 147 197
• Xue You — The entity associated with Nalan Yanran's body. She enters the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling as Xiao Yan's enemy and later becomes one of the threats facing Endless City. 196 197 199

Story Role / Major Arcs

Cultivation Regression and Clan Assessment

Xiao Yan endures mockery after testing at only the third stage of Dou Qi. His situation mirrors Xiao Meng's own status as an apparent failure within the Xiao Clan. 7

Three-Year Agreement

When Nalan Yanran comes to annul the Xiao Clan marriage agreement, Xiao Yan voluntarily assumes responsibility for it. He repudiates Nalan Yanran and establishes a three-year challenge at the Cloudmist Sect, transforming the family's humiliation into a personal goal. 11 12

Three years later, Xiao Yan fulfills the agreement at Misty Cloud Mountain. He matches Nalan Yanran's Dou Zong-level power, withstands her Nine-Phoenix Ice-Sealing Art, and defeats her without humiliating her after the battle. 164 165

Awakening Yao Chen

Xiao Meng reveals that Yao Chen has been absorbing Xiao Yan's Dou Qi. With Soul-Nourishing Wood restoring the remnant soul, Xiao Yan gains Yao Chen as a master and begins rebuilding his cultivation through alchemy and Dou Techniques. 17 19

Alchemy and the Gale Clan Conflict

Xiao Yan becomes an alchemist, uses the Temir Auction House to earn resources, and helps the Xiao Clan contend with the Gale Clan's alchemist-backed expansion. After Jia Lie Ao injures him, he survives, recovers, and refuses to let others take his personal revenge. 24 32 35 37

Marketplace Leadership

After becoming a second-tier alchemist, Xiao Yan's reputation helps revive the Xiao Clan's marketplace. The elders entrust the marketplaces to the younger generation with Xiao Yan as their leader. 45

Flame Transformation

Xiao Meng's gifts of Taiyi True Water and Heavenly Flames lead to Xiao Yan's awakening of a mysterious flame-based cultivation path. His body develops 108 Qi vortexes, and his internal flame displays an abnormal authority over other Heavenly Flames. 99 100

Beast Mountain Range Disaster

While training in the Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yan survives an assault led by the Purple Crystal Lion King and tens of thousands of magical beasts. Yao Chen is gravely injured while protecting him, and Xiao Yan is subsequently defeated by the purple-robed pursuer before Xiao Yi Xian saves his life. 137

Pursuit of Heavenly Flames

After recovering and refining the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and Yin-Yang Twin Flames, Xiao Yan continues seeking Heavenly Flames to strengthen his unique flame. He later refines the Nine Netherwind Flame and Turtle Spirit Earth Flame, raising his combat strength to the level of several-star Dou Venerables. 147 177 179

Misty Cloud Sect Conflict

The Three-Year Agreement exposes Yun Shan as Pojun, a fellow transmigrator and the murderer responsible for massacres across multiple empires. Xiao Yan is ordered to withdraw after his duel, witnessing Xiao Meng's broader confrontation with Yun Shan and the terrifying power hidden around the Xiao Clan. 166 167

Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling

Xiao Yan enters the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Cave-Dwelling and cultivates for more than a decade within the Heavenly Flame Sea. When Xue You and Jia Lie Ao's possessor enter using the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade and a Causal Thread, Xiao Yan overwhelms them with the Divine Flames but cannot prevent their eventual escape through Qiong Leng's intervention. 196 197

Later Cataclysm

Following Xiao Meng's prolonged absences, Xiao Yan continues defending the Dou Qi Continent and Endless City. He later sacrifices his physical body to severely injure Zi You and Xue You, but falls into a long sleep in the Netherworld Realm; after recovering, he discovers that the Causal Thread connecting him to Xue You has been severed. 199 200

Notable Quotes

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Do not bully the poor youth!” 11

“Three years from now, I will reclaim double the humiliation your Cloudmist Sect has inflicted upon my Xiao Clan.” 12

“No matter how high his cultivation is or how strong his alchemy is, one day, I will personally purge the sect for Master.” 38

“Now then, am I qualified enough?” 165

“If you dare slander my third brother again, I'll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death today.” 197