Yao Lao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yao Lao (药老)
Alias(es)	Old Yao
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Yan (master and disciple)
Occupation/Role	Alchemist; Xiao Yan’s mentor
Status	Soul form residing within Xiao Yan’s black storage ring
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background

Yao Lao survived in a soul state within Xiao Yan’s storage ring. To nourish that soul, he secretly absorbed Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi for three years, causing Xiao Yan’s long cultivation decline. He initially continued the absorption even after Xiao Yan consumed a rare Soul Fruit, but Xiao Yan concealed that he had discovered the truth 2.

Following Nalan Yanran’s annulment of Xiao Yan’s engagement, Yao Lao revealed himself as a translucent soul. He admitted draining Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi and offered compensation, eventually proposing alchemy instruction in return for accepting him as a master. Xiao Yan completed the disciple ceremony, and Yao Lao withheld his origins while asserting that even the “Pill King” was insignificant to him 5.

Yao Lao later disclosed his personal reason for wanting Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra. The technique’s ability to combine compatible Heavenly Flames might one day forge a body capable of housing Yao Lao’s soul, allowing his rebirth. He made this motive clear before giving Xiao Yan the choice between the dangerous Flame Mantra and a safer Low Earth-tier fire technique 15.

Appearance

Yao Lao manifests as an elderly, translucent figure condensed from the black ring’s soul presence.

• His body and hands are described as illusory or nonexistent in soul form. 5
• He can emerge as a shadow, a wisp of smoke, or a black streak from the ring. 5 14
• He commonly strokes an illusory beard while speaking. 5
• His soul form becomes fatigued after extended alchemy or intensive Dou Qi Whipping. 8

Personality

Yao Lao is proud, sarcastic, and easily exasperated by Xiao Yan’s bargaining, provocative remarks, and enthusiasm for painful training. He frequently mocks Xiao Yan’s impatience, yet consistently provides resources, techniques, and practical instruction when the situation demands it 5 7 8.

His teaching is deliberately harsh. He emphasizes stable foundations over rapid advancement, assigns punishing physical conditioning, and refuses to intervene in danger unless Xiao Yan’s life is at stake. At the same time, he is visibly impressed by Xiao Yan’s extraordinary talent and increasingly invested in his disciple’s future 7 24 31.

Despite initially hiding his past and selfish hopes for rebirth, Yao Lao is capable of direct honesty. He explicitly told Xiao Yan that the Flame Mantra could serve his own eventual resurrection, leaving the choice to his disciple rather than concealing the benefit 15.

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy

Yao Lao is an exceptionally accomplished alchemist who can refine medicine without a cauldron.

• Refined two perfect-quality Qi Gathering Powder pills using his hand as a cauldron and the Bone Chilling Flame. 16 17
• Prepared Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid for Xiao Yan’s cultivation and recovery. 7 8
• Guided Xiao Yan through the extraction, warming, fusion, and completion stages of Blood Coagulation Powder. 17 18
• Used high-quality pills as payment and leverage in dealings with the Mittel Auction House. 16 19
• Publicly posed as the Xiao Clan’s allied alchemist, offering Blood Coagulation Powder on favorable terms to counter the Jia Lie Clan’s commercial pressure. 18

Soul Perception and Soul Form

As a Spirit State soul, Yao Lao can remain intact outside a body and employ powerful spiritual perception.

• Located Liu Xi within the Jia Lie Clan through soul perception. 19
• Examined Xiao Yan’s physical condition after he suddenly collapsed and guarded him until he regained consciousness. 26
• Identified the hidden soul within a flight Dou Technique scroll and inferred that flying magical-beast souls are fused into such techniques. 30
• Requires continued support because he lacks a physical body. 8 15

Possession

Yao Lao can possess Xiao Yan’s body to act with far greater power than Xiao Yan can normally wield.

• Possessed Xiao Yan to infiltrate the Jia Lie Clan and assassinate Liu Xi. 19
• Used possession and the Bone Chilling Flame to destroy Hai Bodong’s ice dragon, temporarily raising Xiao Yan’s displayed strength to the Dou Wang level. 40
• States that his soul power and Heavenly Flame can handle opponents at the Dou Ling or Dou Wang level, though possession is needed to act safely. 19

Bone Chilling Flame

Yao Lao possesses the Bone Chilling Flame, a Heavenly Flame combining extreme cold with devastating heat.

• Burned Liu Xi to ashes before he could call for help. 19
• Froze and pulverized Hai Bodong’s ice dragon. 40
• Can freeze a target before scorching it; a test against a boulder reduced it to dust through alternating cold and heat. 39
• Is essential to Yao Lao’s current strength and continued soul stability, so he refuses to surrender it. 39

Dou Qi Whipping

Yao Lao draws ambient Dou Qi through his soul and shapes it into lashes for Xiao Yan’s body-tempering regimen.

• Subjected Xiao Yan to repeated, escalating sessions intended to build physical strength and endurance. 8 14
• A single session reached 150 Qi Refining Whippings; prolonged use also tires Yao Lao’s soul. 8
• Increased the pressure over time until even Dou Wang-level lashes barely marked Xiao Yan’s body. 14

Combat Instruction

Yao Lao teaches Xiao Yan techniques and trains their practical application rather than merely giving scrolls.

• Taught Fire-Blowing Palm after Xiao Yan proposed pairing a pushing technique with Suction Palm. 9
• Provided Eight Extremes Collapse and warned that premature use could rupture Xiao Yan’s muscles. 7
• Demonstrated and transmitted Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler, an Earth Tier ruler technique with four stages: gather qi and draw fire; build power and raise the ruler; swing and strike; erupt and devour. 31
• Trained Xiao Yan in a Wood Stake Formation and waterfall exercises designed to improve evasion, strength, and control. 30 31

Equipment and Items

• Black storage ring — Xiao Yan’s ring serves as Yao Lao’s residence and the point from which he manifests. 2 5
• Bone Chilling Flame — His Heavenly Flame and principal source of offensive power. 19 39
• Heavy Xuan Ruler — A unique Flame Meteoric Iron training weapon Yao Lao found in a secret realm and gave to Xiao Yan. Its five seals increase its weight from 3,000 jin to one million jin. 25
• Foundation-Building Spirit Liquid — Medicinal cultivation bath Yao Lao refines to provide pure Dou Qi, healing, and physical strengthening. 7 8
• Burning Blood — Fourth-grade medicinal treatment used to accelerate Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi absorption during waterfall training. 31

Relationships

• Xiao Yan — Disciple. Yao Lao first harmed Xiao Yan by absorbing his Dou Qi, then became his teacher, alchemy instructor, combat mentor, and emergency protector. Their relationship combines bargaining, teasing, harsh training, and growing trust. 5 15 19
• Xiao Zhan — Allied through Xiao Yan. Yao Lao publicly approached the Xiao Clan as a black-robed alchemist, claiming that he intended to accept Xiao Yan as his disciple while providing the clan with Blood Coagulation Powder. 18
• Ya Fei — Commercial associate. Yao Lao negotiated with her under the black-robed alchemist persona, trading refined pills for equipment, ingredients, and Mittel support for the Xiao Clan. 16 19
• Gu Ni — Fellow alchemist who judged Yao Lao’s Qi Gathering Powder to be of perfect quality and suspected that the cloaked figure was at least a fifth-tier alchemist. 17
• Liu Xi — Enemy alchemist of the Jia Lie Clan. Yao Lao possessed Xiao Yan and killed him with Bone Chilling Flame. 19
• Hai Bodong — Brief opponent. Yao Lao intervened through Xiao Yan’s body when Hai Bodong attacked with an ice dragon. 40

Story Role

Revelation and Apprenticeship

Yao Lao’s reveal explains the source of Xiao Yan’s lost Dou Qi and transforms Xiao Yan’s apparent decline into a path toward renewed cultivation. His acceptance of Xiao Yan as a disciple gives Xiao Yan access to alchemy, advanced techniques, medicinal resources, and the Flame Mantra 5 15.

Support of the Xiao Clan

When the Jia Lie Clan’s Rejuvenation Powder threatens the Xiao Clan’s markets, Yao Lao begins formally teaching Xiao Yan alchemy. He refines Qi Gathering Powder to secure materials, helps produce Blood Coagulation Powder, pressures the Mittel Auction House into restricting the Jia Lie Clan’s supply line, and kills Liu Xi to remove the rival clan’s alchemist 16 18 19.

Magic Beast Mountains Training

Yao Lao directs Xiao Yan’s wilderness preparation and cultivation, supplying the Heavy Xuan Ruler, medicinal baths, stake-formation drills, Burning Blood treatment, and Earth Tier techniques. He urges Xiao Yan to prioritize long-term strength over immediate revenge against the Wolf Head Mercenary Group 23 25 30 31.

Heavenly Flame Pursuit

Yao Lao explains the risks of the Flame Mantra and Heavenly Flame absorption, initially recommending protective items for the Green Lotus Core Flame. After Xiao Yan withstands a controlled test with Bone Chilling Flame, Yao Lao accepts that Xiao Yan’s flame constitution may let him proceed without the Blood Lotus Pill or Ice Spirit Cold Spring 15 39.