Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Han Li — identity used while wearing the Ice Silkworm Mask 43 46
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Household; associated with the Desert Iron Mercenary Group 6 39
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; certified Third-Tier Alchemy Master 20
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third Stage Dou Qi	1	His cultivation had fallen from Dou Practitioner to this level over the preceding three years.
Ninth Stage Dou Qi	4	Reached after half a year of secluded cultivation in the Portable Space.
Dou Practitioner	4	Condensed a Dou Qi vortex without Qi Gathering Powder and began cultivating the Flame Mantra.
Six-Star Dou Practitioner	5	Achieved after a further half-year spent on cultivation, alchemy, and Dou techniques.
Nine-Star Dou Practitioner	7	Reached before leaving Wutan City for Qing Shan Town.
Dou Master	11	Broke through following Dual Cultivation with Little Fairy.
Two-Star Dou Master	12	Reached after another Dual Cultivation session with Little Fairy.
Eight-Star Dou Master	16	Gained six stars while healing Yun Yun and absorbing Purple Flame energy; his body also reached the fourth tier.
Nine-Star Dou Master	31	Advanced atop the living Green Lotus Platform in half a day.
One-Star Grand Dou Master	31	Formed a crystallized Dou Qi core after roughly half a month of cultivation; the Portable Space gained Space Authority.
Two-Star Grand Dou Master	36	Reached after activating the Calamity Poison Body and absorbing part of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
Four-Star Grand Dou Master	37	Attained while fully devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame and evolving the Flame Mantra.
Five-Star Grand Dou Master	44	Advanced by converting Nalan Jie’s Brand Poison into poison Dou Qi.
Six-Star Grand Dou Master	45	Advanced after refining more Brand Poison; the increase restored clear memories of his four lives.
Seven-Star Grand Dou Master	50	Reached after further purging Nalan Jie’s poison before the tournament’s final round.
Certified Third-Tier Alchemy Master	20	Passed first-, second-, and third-tier examinations consecutively.
Elite Fourth-Tier Alchemy capability	46	His practical refinement ability reached elite fourth-tier level after intensive practice in the Portable Space.
Fourth-Tier physical body	16	Comparable to a fourth-tier magical beast after healing Yun Yun.
Fifth-Tier physical body	49	Reached a level comparable to a Dou King after assisting Ya Fei’s cultivation.

Background / History

Xiao Yan awakened in the Battle Qi Continent after selecting three “Golden Fingers” on a mysterious website during a previous life on Blue Star. The returning memories revealed that he had inherited the life of the Xiao Household’s former prodigy: he had reached Ninth Stage Dou Qi at ten, become a Dou Practitioner at eleven, and then declined to Third Stage Dou Qi by fifteen 1.

His accumulated memories later clarified that he had lived four lives. These included Yan Yinglong, an overworked Earth employee; Xiao Yan, an author on Blue Star; and Li Hu, an Earth youth from Sichuan, before their memories merged into his present identity 45.

Foreknowledge of Nalan Yanran’s planned annulment led Xiao Yan to act before she reached the Xiao Household. With Medicine Elder’s assistance, he eliminated Ge Ye and Liu Ling, imprisoned Nalan Yanran in his Portable Space, and began strengthening himself in secret to avoid exposing the Xiao Household to the Soul Hall 3 5.

Appearance

Xiao Yan is a handsome youth with a muscular physique, particularly after repeated physical-body advancement. He often conceals himself or minimizes attention while travelling 3 24.

• Usually wears dark clothing and carries the Profound Heavy Ruler across his back 5 6.
• Uses a black cloak for covert operations 3.
• Can alter his appearance into the ordinary-looking “Han Li” with the Ice Silkworm Mask 43.
• Bears a seven-colored hidden line on his lower abdomen after copying the Calamity Poison Body 12.

Personality

Xiao Yan is calculating and intensely cautious. After learning of the Soul Hall’s interest in the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, he prioritizes remaining inconspicuous, gathering resources, and strengthening the Xiao Household without attracting powerful enemies 5 6 7.

He is also pragmatic and often ruthless toward direct threats. He preemptively imprisoned Nalan Yanran, used the Green Fire Life-Death Talisman to force Luo Bu’s submission, and leveraged Hai Bodong’s sealed condition into three years of service 3 23 40.

Despite this, he is protective of those he considers his own. He supplies Xiao Zhan with pills to preserve the family marketplace, supports his brothers’ mercenary group, protects Little Fairy, and lures Gu He’s party away from the Snake People to reduce their losses 7 17 36 41.

Abilities & Skills

Past-Life Wisdom and Future Knowledge

Xiao Yan possesses merged memories from multiple lives and claims to see fragments of the future. He used this knowledge to anticipate Nalan Yanran’s arrival, identify Medicine Elder’s former confidantes, and shape his plans around future events 1 8.

• His four-life memories provide unusually broad knowledge and eventually become fully clear after his Sixth-Star Grand Dou Master breakthrough 45.
• His foreknowledge is incomplete; he initially remembers only the broad outline of events surrounding the Green Lotus Core Flame 23.
• He uses knowledge of future dangers, particularly the Soul Hall, to avoid the original three-year agreement scenario 5 41.

Portable Space

Xiao Yan commands a growing internal space in which he can manipulate the environment with thought. It functions as a sanctuary, cultivation ground, prison, storage site, and tactical retreat 2 3.

• Can create and control ordinary fire, water, lightning, terrain, buildings, and barriers within the space 2 3.
• Allows instantaneous entry and exit, concealment, storage, and the imprisonment of opponents such as Nalan Yanran 3 33.
• Its energy density and size increase with his cultivation; after reaching Two-Star Grand Dou Master, it spans ninety-five li in every direction 7 31 37.
• The Green Lotus Platform inside the space can replenish his Dou Qi during prolonged movement or combat 33.
• Space Authority can be granted to one person, allowing that person to teleport, create objects, form barriers, and use spatial techniques inside the space 31 32.
• A sufficiently strong enemy can follow him inside during entry and potentially break the space’s restraints; Xiao Yan cannot rely on it carelessly against Dou Spirit-level opponents or stronger 2.

Myriad Flame Emperor Physique

Xiao Yan’s fire-attributed constitution grants extraordinary resistance to flames and exceptional control over them. It is the foundation of his flame cultivation and alchemy 2 5.

• Lets him handle ordinary flames without injury and cultivate near Medicine Elder’s Bone Chilling Flame 2 4.
• Allows him to absorb and convert beast flames, Purple Flame, and the Green Lotus Core Flame into usable power 16 17 37.
• Suppresses the Green Lotus Core Flame through the internal Fire God Domain, forcing the Heavenly Flame to submit 37.
• Enables flame-based counters against ice attacks, contributing to his victory over Hai Bodong 22.

Vajra Saint Body and Dual Cultivation

The Vajra Saint Body strengthens Xiao Yan’s physical body through Dual Cultivation and permits him to copy another person’s constitution 7 12.

• Copied Little Fairy’s Calamity Poison Body after Dual Cultivation 12.
• Greatly strengthened his body through cultivation with Yun Yun, eventually raising it to fifth-tier magical-beast level 16 49.
• Allows Xiao Yan’s soul perception to assist a partner’s cultivation directly, as shown when he helped Little Fairy condense her Dou Qi cyclone 11.
• Further Dual Cultivation with the same person offers him reduced physical-body benefits after the first major improvement 17.

Calamity Poison Body

After copying Little Fairy’s constitution, Xiao Yan gained the Calamity Poison Body and its ability to convert toxins into poison Dou Qi 12 44.

• Converted Nalan Jie’s Brand Poison into cultivation energy, advancing from Four-Star to Five-Star Grand Dou Master 44.
• Temporarily isolated accumulated poison in his right middle finger, creating the Black Finger 44.
• Uses a Flame Seal to suppress the Black Finger’s poison 44.
• Avoids indiscriminately consuming poison because uncontrolled toxin accumulation can cause severe backlash 11 12.

Flame Mantra

The Flame Mantra is Xiao Yan’s evolving fire-attributed cultivation technique. Its Spirit Rune can absorb Heavenly Flames and improve the technique’s grade 4.

• Began as a low Yellow-tier technique and replaced his ordinary Dou Qi vortex with a more efficient technique vortex 4.
• Reached mid Yellow-tier after absorbing Companion Purple Crystal Source and Purple Flame 17.
• Evolved to mid Xuan-tier after he devoured the Green Lotus Core Flame 37.
• Improves Dou Qi quality, storage, conversion efficiency, and release speed 4.

Alchemy

Xiao Yan is an exceptionally gifted Alchemy Master trained by Medicine Elder. His powerful soul perception and flame control allow him to refine far beyond his certified rank 5 19 46.

• Learned basic alchemy shortly after becoming a Dou Practitioner and rapidly developed near-perfect temperature control 5.
• Refined second-grade pills before leaving Wutan City 7.
• Passed three alchemy certification examinations in succession at Black Rock City 19 20.
• Refined the fourth-tier Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill with two Heavenly Flames to win the Alchemy Master Tournament 50.
• Achieved 90% effectiveness in the first tournament round’s Bone-Recovery Pill test and extracted ingredients at ten different purity levels 47.

Combat Techniques

Xiao Yan combines his enhanced body, flame control, weapon training, and spatial abilities in battle.

• Profound Heavy Ruler — an extremely heavy meteoric-iron weapon that suppresses his Dou Qi while tempering his body; he uses it for techniques such as Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler 5 26.
• Rock-Splitting Palm — close-range palm technique 5.
• Absorption Palm — draws opponents or objects toward him; used in his escape from Mu Li’s mercenaries and against Hai Bodong 5 10 22.
• Flame-Blowing Palm — produces a forceful fire-enhanced gust 5 22.
• Eight Extremes Collapse — one of his early mastered Dou techniques 5.
• Flame Spitting and Flame Blade — flame techniques used to counter Hai Bodong’s ice attacks 22.
• Purple Cloud Wings — flight-capable Dou Qi wings that let him escape Yue Mei and convince observers that he is a Dou King 26 32.
• Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus — condensed from multiple flames; Xiao Yan successfully formed three-colored versions while travelling to the imperial capital 41.
• Green Fire Life-Death Talisman — flaming talisman placed within another person to compel obedience, used on Luo Bu 39 40.

Medicine Elder’s Possession

Medicine Elder can possess Xiao Yan’s body, allowing Xiao Yan to temporarily access vastly greater battle power and refined flame techniques 3 36 39.

• Medicine Elder killed Ge Ye and Liu Ling while acting through Xiao Yan’s body 3.
• At Xiao Yan’s Two-Star Grand Dou Master stage, Medicine Elder’s possession could reach Two-Star Dou Emperor strength 36.
• After Medicine Elder’s recovery improved, Xiao Yan states that possession could wield Four-Star Dou Emperor strength 39.
• This power depends on Medicine Elder’s recovering soul strength rather than Xiao Yan’s own cultivation 44.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Profound Heavy Ruler — meteoric-iron ruler that suppresses Dou Qi and serves as Xiao Yan’s principal weapon and training weight 5.
• Ice Silkworm Mask — disguise artifact used to become “Han Li” 43.
• Storage Rings — used to carry pills, ingredients, magic cores, and other resources 7 30.
• Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade — Xiao Household clan-head token that Xiao Yan took with him to protect it from the Soul Hall 6.
• Green Lotus Core Flame — Heavenly Flame absorbed into the Flame Mantra 35 37.
• Green Lotus Platform — living cultivation treasure transplanted into the Portable Space; converts supplied energy into pure fire-element energy and nourishes the soul 30 31.
• Green Fire Life-Death Talisman — control talisman created from Xiao Yan’s flame insights 39 40.

Relationships

• Medicine Elder — Master and teacher. He trains Xiao Yan in alchemy, cultivation, combat, and flame control; Xiao Yan in turn intends to help him obtain a new body 2 4 30.
• Xiao Zhan — Father. Xiao Yan entrusts him with the Xiao Clan’s history, gives him the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade’s context, and provides pills to sustain the family marketplace 6 7.
• Xiao Ding — Eldest brother and founder of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Xiao Yan supports his advancement and gives him high-tier Profound-class techniques 26 30 41.
• Xiao Li — Second elder brother. Xiao Yan spars with him, provides cultivation resources, and strengthens the Desert Iron Mercenary Group alongside him 26 30 39.
• Xiao Xun'er — Childhood companion and mutual romantic interest. Xiao Yan cares for her but keeps distance because of her Gu Clan background and the broader conflict involving the ancient clans 6 7 48.
• Nalan Yanran — Fiancée and former captive. Xiao Yan imprisoned her before she could annul their engagement; over time, her hostility fades and she asks him to check on her family 3 4 30.
• Little Fairy — Close companion and Dual Cultivation partner. Xiao Yan copies her Calamity Poison Body, protects her from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, and grants her Space Authority 11 12 18 32.
• Qing Lin — Sworn younger sister. Xiao Yan protects her, supports her growth, and places her in command during the absorption of the Sand Mercenary Group 25 26 39.
• Yun Yun — Initially encountered as the disguised “Yun Zhi.” Xiao Yan treats her injuries, cooperates with her to obtain Purple Spirit Crystal, and later saves her from Purple Flame through Dual Cultivation 13 14 16.
• Hai Bodong — Former Ice Emperor bound to serve Xiao Yan for three years in exchange for a pill that can break his Serpent Sealing Curse 23.
• Queen Medusa / Xiao Cai — Xiao Yan regards Queen Medusa as his wife and protects her claim to the Green Lotus Core Flame. After her evolution, he subdues the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python’s docile new soul, Xiao Cai 33 35.
• Ya Fei — Mittel Auction House auctioneer and romantic partner. She assists his purchases and disguise, later confesses her feelings, and receives his help in cultivation 5 42 43 49.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wutan City

After awakening his past-life memories, Xiao Yan prevents Nalan Yanran’s planned annulment by having Medicine Elder eliminate her escorts and imprison her in the Portable Space. He then cultivates discreetly, learns alchemy, conceals his true level with the Profound Heavy Ruler, and leaves Wutan City after preparing resources for his father and the Xiao Household 3 5 7.

Qing Shan Town and the Magic Beast Mountain Range

Xiao Yan seeks out Little Fairy, forms a close partnership with her, and enters the Magic Beast Mountain Range. He copies her Calamity Poison Body through Dual Cultivation, trains against magical beasts, treats Yun Yun’s injuries, and steals the Purple Spirit Crystal and Companion Purple Crystal Source from the Amethyst Winged Lion King’s cave 8 12 13 14 16.

Tagor Desert

After defeating Mu She and resolving the Wolf Head Mercenary Group’s threat, Xiao Yan travels to the Tagor Desert. He reunites with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, accepts Qing Lin as his sworn sister, subdues the Fire Spirit Snake, and searches for the Green Lotus Core Flame 18 24 26 29 30.

Green Lotus Core Flame

Xiao Yan infiltrates the Snake People territory during Gu He’s attempt to acquire the Heavenly Flame. He subdues the evolved Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python, retrieves the Green Lotus Core Flame, escapes Gu He’s pursuit, and ultimately devours the flame to evolve the Flame Mantra 33 35 36 37.

Desert Iron Mercenary Group

Xiao Yan helps integrate the Sand Mercenary Group into Desert Iron, supports Qing Lin’s acceptance within the group, recruits a first-tier Alchemy Master, and equips his brothers with high-tier Profound-class techniques before departing for the imperial capital 39 40 41.

Imperial Capital and the Alchemy Master Tournament

Using the Han Li disguise, Xiao Yan treats Nalan Jie’s Brand Poison while converting portions of it into his own cultivation. He enters the Alchemy Master Tournament, demonstrates superior formula analysis and extraction, and wins its final round by refining the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill with two Heavenly Flames 43 44 47 50.

Notable Quotes

“I am Xiao Yan? I really did time-travel?” 1

“Strength brings dignity.” 7

“Within the Portable Space, Xiao Yan was a god.” 2