Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Flame Emperor; Third Young Master of the Xiao Clan 3 37
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Clan; founder of the Flame Alliance during his Douluo projection 20 42
Occupation/Role	Cultivator, alchemist, artifact refiner, and interworld projector 2 9 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third Stage of Dou Qi	1–2	His body endured enhanced Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and the Eight Gates despite violent internal damage; Yao Chen’s absorption had previously prevented normal main-world cultivation. 1 2
Eighth Stage of Dou Qi	3	Publicly revealed during the Xiao Clan assessment; he also shattered the testing tablet with a slap, demonstrating abnormal physical strength. 3
Ninth Stage of Dou Qi	5	Reached after refining Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and retracing a cultivation process he had practiced repeatedly through simulation. 5
Peak Nine-Star Dou Zhe (temporary)	7	Opening the Gate of Opening raised his aura to the peak of the realm, half a step into Dou Master, before he withdrew it without strain. 7
Two-Star Dou Zhe	10	Broke through while discussing automated pill production with Yao Chen. 10
Samadhi True Fire awakened	12	His essence, energy, and spirit reached harmony after protecting Ye Fan and Pang Bo during the descent of the bronze coffin. 12
Five-Star Dou Zhe	21	Reached after absorbing the Samadhi True Fire into the Flame Mantra; his dantian became an abnormal flame-filled sea. 21
One-Star Dou Master	32	Formal realm after extensive Beast Mountain Range cultivation; his combat power greatly exceeded ordinary cultivators of the same rank. 32
Flame Dharma Body	32	Transformed flesh, meridians, organs, and Dou Qi into a flame-based body capable of partial or full elementalization and rapid regeneration. 32
Myriad Beast Spirit Flame absorbed	34–35	Refined the Heavenly Flame into his source flame, gaining beast-derived properties and an autonomous flame-beast that cultivates within his dantian. 34 35
Flame Emperor martial soul / near Other Shore	37–38	His martial-soul awakening manifested the Flame Emperor and advanced his Wheel Sea path toward the Other Shore; conventional crystal testing registered only level 10 despite vastly higher effective power. 37 38
Six hundred-thousand-year soul rings	42	By the later stage of his Douluo projection, he possessed six soul rings formed through refined soul-beast origins. 42
Embryonic Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body	49	Returned with a flame-based Dharma Body that could shift between human and flame forms, regenerate from a remaining spark, and merge multiple powers. 49
Near fifth-tier alchemist	50	Reached the threshold of fifth-tier alchemy through intensive research with Yao Chen. 50

Background

Xiao Yan is a transmigrator who used knowledge from his previous life to establish profitable restaurants, achieve financial independence, and fund body refinement, medicine, and artifact forging while his Dou Qi was impaired. 5

For three years, Yao Chen’s remnant soul absorbed the Dou Qi leaking from Xiao Yan’s body, causing others to believe Xiao Yan had fallen from genius to cripple. During that period, Xiao Yan repeatedly entered the Gray Mist Space and projected himself into other worlds, acquiring techniques, physical refinement, and practical experience from The Outcast and Naruto. 2

After Yao Chen began absorbing only leaked Dou Qi rather than obstructing cultivation, Xiao Yan resumed cultivating in the Dou Qi Continent. He rapidly regained his standing in the Xiao Clan while concealing the true extent and origin of his strength. 2 3

Appearance

Xiao Yan’s appearance is altered by several flame-based transformations rather than remaining visually fixed.

• During high-level alchemy and Ghost Possession, he has appeared with white hair, pale-white pupils, and white flames winding around his body. 8
• His Flame Dharma Body allows him to transform limbs or his entire body into condensed flame. 32
• His later Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body can shift between human form, flaming form, and a divine-flame state. 49
• He is frequently associated with a heavy black ruler carried on his back. 27 28

Personality

Xiao Yan is confident, irreverent, and intensely mischievous. He enjoys technically truthful deception, theatrical entrances, taunting enemies, and provoking Yao Chen with fabricated “ancient sayings.” 5 21 43

His confidence is supported by extensive preparation. He analyzes the rules of his projections, uses repeated simulated deaths to test dangerous cultivation paths, and treats unfamiliar systems as problems to be researched rather than feared. 2 17 38

He is protective toward people he considers his own, including the Xiao Clan, Yao Chen, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Xiao Xun’er, and Xiao Yi Xian. Conversely, he is ruthless toward enemies who threaten them; he favors eliminating dangers before they can escalate. 12 19 22 31

Abilities & Skills

Gray Mist Space and Projections

Xiao Yan’s defining ability is a spiritual-world space containing passages to other worlds.

• A projection generally lasts from roughly six months to one year, while time nearly stops in the main world. 2
• If a projection survives its time limit, its cultivation, bodily improvements, and integrations return to Xiao Yan’s original body. 2
• If a projection dies, only its memories return. 2
• Cooldowns between projections vary from roughly half a year to a year and may depend on cultivation or spiritual power. 2
• Reaching the Dou Zhe realm unlocked a gray-mist safe capable of storing one item and returning it to the Dou Qi Continent even if the projection dies. 11
• Connections formed in a projected world can shorten future return intervals and extend his stay there. 17

Flame Mantra and Heavenly Flames

The Flame Mantra is Xiao Yan’s primary Dou Qi method and the foundation of his flame-based evolution.

• It suppresses and absorbs violent energy more effectively than Xiao Yan’s simulated methods alone. 2
• It evolved after incorporating Samadhi True Fire, making the latter his source and life flame. 21
• It enabled the near-effortless refinement of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame through Xiao Yan’s unusual flame body. 34
• Xiao Yan considers the technique extremely dangerous for ordinary humans; his survival depends on his modified body and cross-system cultivation. 35
• His source flame later incorporated the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, gaining autonomous cultivation, beast-derived traits, bloodline purification, and temporary combat enhancement. 35

Samadhi True Fire

A soul-targeting life flame awakened when Xiao Yan’s essence, energy, and spirit reached harmony.

• Burns souls and sources directly, allowing him to kill magical beasts while leaving physical remains intact for harvesting. 17 18
• Purifies trapped and resentful souls rather than merely destroying them. 25
• Can be condensed into Samadhi Pills for recovery, traps, and explosive attacks. 25 29
• Can be transferred in a reversed form to strengthen allies; Xiao Yan used it to support Xiao Yi Xian and counteract damage to her body. 29
• Provides exceptional advantage against soul-specialist opponents. 18

Flame Dharma Body and Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body

Xiao Yan’s body evolved beyond ordinary flesh after combining the Flame Mantra, Wheel Sea cultivation, Samadhi True Fire, and later inheritance gains.

• He can transform portions or all of his body into flame, removing conventional vital weaknesses. 32
• Flame-formed limbs regenerate nearly instantly after being severed. 32
• His later Dharma Body can move through places containing flame, recover by absorbing flame energy, and re-form from a tiny surviving spark. 49
• His flame domain can teleport him and drag enemies into a separate flame space, though its range and duration remain limited by his cultivation. 49

Physical and Cross-System Cultivation

Xiao Yan combines Dou Qi with methods and resources acquired across worlds.

• Eight Gates — A body-tempering technique that unlocks successive restraints to amplify physical ability and combat strength; it carries severe strain and can worsen internal damage. 1 7
• Wheel Sea cultivation — Uses life essence and source energy to develop the Sea of Bitterness, Life Spring, Divine Bridge, and eventual Other Shore. 17 32 38
• Essence, energy, and spirit integration — Allows his physical strength, spiritual power, and soul power to reinforce or convert into one another. 12 38
• Fire Release — An incomplete movement technique that transforms his body into streaming flame for short-range flight. 30

Alchemy and Artifact Refining

Xiao Yan combines Yao Chen’s traditional alchemy with artifact-refining theory from Ma Xianhong.

• Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements — Used to refine artifacts, dismantle mechanisms, restore damaged testing equipment, and support pill production. 3 10 30
• Pill affixes — Xiao Yan developed methods for imprinting additional functions into pills, including healing hidden injuries, clearing meridians, assisting breakthroughs, and explosive detonation. 9
• Eight Extremes Pill — Gradually accumulates medicinal power before erupting when it encounters an obstruction. 9
• Automated pill furnace — Designed a semi-automated furnace for low-grade medicine and proposed an alchemical production line using standardized herbal extracts. 10
• Buddha’s Fury pills — A series that preserves violent medicinal properties rather than neutralizing them; the Myriad Beast Blood-Coagulation Pill can refine and stimulate magical-beast bloodlines but may explosively injure ordinary users. 50

Martial Soul and Soul-Ring Techniques

During his Douluo projection, Xiao Yan’s Natal Flame and Dharma Body manifested as the Flame Emperor martial soul.

• The Flame Emperor creates a flame-dominating presence in which surrounding fires submit. 37
• His martial soul serves as a tangible vessel for his path of fire and strengthens it through the Douluo world’s laws. 38
• Endless Flame Domain — His sixth soul skill; turns an area into a flame world and completely erased the Death God Envoy. 42
• His soul rings were refined through soul-beast origins rather than conventional acquisition alone. 41 42

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Ancient Ring — Yao Chen’s residence and a storage space for resources, scroll fragments, and spiritual recovery. 21 30
• Heavy Xuan Ruler — Heavy black ruler carried during his Beast Mountain Range training and later used by Yao Chen during Ghost Possession. 27 49
• Storage Rings — Used to store resources, equipment, and prepared items. 4 25
• Artifact bracelets — Protected Ye Fan and Pang Bo with fiery defensive shields during the Mount Tai disaster. 12
• Samadhi Pills — Fire-based pills used as traps, recovery resources, and explosive weapons. 25 29
• Buddhist artifacts — Their extracted essence strengthened Xiao Yan; he also sealed portions into artifacts for Ye Fan and Pang Bo. 17

Relationships

• Yao Chen / Yao Lao — Mentor, teacher, soul-bound companion, and eventual combat partner. Xiao Yan shares his knowledge openly, seeks to restore Yao Chen’s strength, and vows to help avenge his grievances against the Soul Hall and Yao Clan. 10 26 49
• Xiao Xun’er — Childhood companion and romantic partner. She trusted that Xiao Yan’s decline was abnormal, fought beside him against the Jia Lie Clan, and protects the Xiao Clan while he travels. 3 22 27
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée, rival, and romantic interest. They jointly dissolved their arranged engagement while agreeing to meet atop Misty Cloud Mountain in three years to determine who is stronger. 6 7
• Xiao Yi Xian — Close companion and romantic interest. Xiao Yan investigates her Woeful Poison Body, helps her accept its power, and provides life-flame pills to suppress and condense her poison. 28 31
• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan leader. Xiao Yan protects his reputation during the engagement dissolution and later leaves him the foundations for the clan’s commercial and cultivation growth. 4 10 20
• Xiao Ning — Childhood friend and brother-like clan member who never fully believed Xiao Yan had become powerless. 3
• Pain — Xiao Yan’s longtime personal guard and trusted subordinate; entrusted with practical Dou Techniques and a role in supervising large-scale alchemy. 20
• Ye Fan — Childhood friend in Xiao Yan’s Shrouding the Heavens projection. Xiao Yan protected him at Mount Tai and left him artifacts and cultivation information before departing. 11 12 17
• Pang Bo — Ye Fan’s friend and Xiao Yan’s sworn brother in practice; Xiao Yan saved him at Mount Tai and left him a strengthened Buddhist artifact. 12 17
• Ma Xiaotao — Companion and partner during the Douluo projection. She awakened his martial soul and traveled with him after his presence stabilized her Evil Phoenix Flame. 37 38
• Scarlet Emperor — The transformed Scarlet Golden Flat Peach Tree, which followed Xiao Yan as a bonsai after he helped it survive its tribulation and evolve into an Ultimate Fire wielder. 41 42

Story Role / Major Arcs

Return of the Xiao Clan Genius

Xiao Yan publicly recovers from his three-year decline, advances through the Dou Qi stages at extraordinary speed, and restores his authority within the Xiao Clan. He helps establish pill production and uses decisive force to destroy the Jia Lie and Oba Clans after they threaten Xiao Xun’er and Xiao Yu. 3 10 19 25

Three-Year Agreement

Rather than becoming enemies after dissolving their arranged engagement, Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran become rivals with mutual attraction. Their agreement to compete on Misty Cloud Mountain gives Xiao Yan a clear long-term cultivation goal. 6 7

Shrouding the Heavens Projection

Xiao Yan enters the world connected to Ye Fan, prevents wider casualties at Mount Tai, awakens Samadhi True Fire, and acquires source energy, Buddhist-artifact essence, and a stronger cultivation foundation. 11 12 17

Beast Mountain Range Cultivation

Seeking rapid growth, Xiao Yan hunts magical beasts for life essence, energy crystals, and soul resources. He aids Xiao Yi Xian’s acceptance of the Woeful Poison Body, discovers the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, and helps her destroy Mu She’s mercenaries. 27 32

Beast Mound and Heavenly Flame

Xiao Yan enters the Beast Mound, learns of the Ancient Eight Clans and Yao Chen’s history with the Yao Clan, then absorbs the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. The event prepares him for another projection and deepens his resolve to settle Yao Chen’s old grievances. 34 35

Douluo Projection

After arriving in the Douluo world and meeting Ma Xiaotao, Xiao Yan awakens the Flame Emperor martial soul, refines powerful soul rings, establishes the Flame Alliance, and systematically exterminates Holy Spirit Cult branches. He ultimately defeats the cult’s leading figures, confronts Tang San’s incarnation, and returns with major Dharma Body gains. 35 37 49

Yao Clan Retribution and Alchemy Training

Upon returning, Xiao Yan and Yao Chen use enhanced Ghost Possession and a flame domain to kill Yao Yun. Yao Chen then directs Xiao Yan toward intensive alchemy, where he approaches fifth-tier mastery and develops the Buddha’s Fury pill series. 49 50

Trivia

• Xiao Yan owns Five Cauldrons Tower and used dishes from his previous life to make it a major business success. 5
• He regards his cross-world techniques as “perfectly legal and proper” rather than cheats. 2
• He deliberately returned to the ruins of the Jia Lie Clan after defeating the Soul Envoy because he had forgotten to loot the battlefield. 25
• He often views monster hunting as a direct source of experience, life essence, energy, and soul resources. 27 30