Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Little Yanzi; Yan’er 41 42. Flame Emperor is his future title in the original plot known to Chu Zhou, not a title he has earned in the documented events 2.
Gender	Male
Origin	Formerly an Earthling; now lives on the Dou Qi Continent 43.
Residence	Xiao Clan, Wutan City, Jia Ma Empire 3 41.
Affiliation	Xiao Clan; Yao Chen’s disciple; honored guest of the Mittel Auction House 42 45.
Occupation/Role	Xiao Clan’s third young master; cultivator and alchemist apprentice 9 42.
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 2; first appears in person as the disguised medicine seller in Chapter 9 2 9 10.

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Dou Zhe — before regression	11 42	Previously reached Dou Zhe. Although his cultivation later declined, the benefits of tempering his meridians remained.
Third-Stage Dou Qi — after regression	11 43	Historical starting point during his recovery. Yao Lao had absorbed his Dou Qi for three years.
Fourth-Stage Dou Qi	11	Took half a month to advance from the third stage with Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid.
Fifth-Stage Dou Qi	9	His cultivation when he first brings Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid to the auction house, two months after the broken engagement.
Sixth-Stage Dou Qi	44	His latest explicitly stated level. He has not yet returned to Dou Zhe or begun practicing alchemy.

Background / History

Xiao Yan was once a celebrated Xiao Clan genius considered to have the potential to become a Dou Emperor. His cultivation then declined for three years because Yao Lao absorbed his Dou Qi, leaving him subjected to scorn and ridicule. Nalan Yanran broke off their engagement, and Xiao Yan entered a Three-Year Agreement with the Misty Cloud Sect’s young sect master 3 9 43.

Despite discovering Yao Lao’s responsibility for his lost cultivation, Xiao Yan accepted him as his teacher. He judged that the old man’s extraordinary abilities and instruction could compensate for those lost years and offer him a greater future 43.

Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid Sale

Xiao Yan visits the Mittel Auction House in black robes, concealing his identity while Yao Chen supplies his speaking voice. Gu Ni verifies that the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid reaches Grade Two quality. Rather than wait until the next morning’s auction, Xiao Yan negotiates an immediate sale for 20,000 gold coins—double Gu Ni’s initial offer—and receives a VIP Gold Card 9 10.

Ya Fei subsequently gives the medicine to Chu Zhou. Its consumption lets Chu Zhou study Yao Lao’s refining process through his Myriad Medicine Clarity Body, making Xiao Yan’s sale an indirect contribution to Chu Zhou’s early cultivation and alchemy development 10 11.

Auction and Meeting with Chu Zhou

Xiao Zhan invites Xiao Yan to a private auction, hoping the Third-Rank Alchemist behind the auction house’s recent pills can diagnose his son’s cultivation problems. Xiao Yan finally reveals that his cultivation talent has recovered, bringing his father both relief and frustration at having been kept uninformed 41.

After Xiao Zhan wins a bid for an alchemy aptitude test, Xiao Yan meets Chu Zhou. The test confirms his suitability for alchemy, but he declines the proposed apprenticeship because he already has a teacher. Chu Zhou identifies him as the earlier medicine seller and asks about his connection to Venerable Yao 42.

To protect Yao Chen from Han Feng, Xiao Yan invents a cover story: a powerful senior cured him, left medicines and alchemy notes, and might return to formally accept him as a disciple. Chu Zhou withdraws the apprenticeship offer and instead proposes trading for Grade Four pill formulas 43.

Heavenly-Flame Trades

With Yao Lao’s guidance, Xiao Yan exchanges formulas for information about five heavenly flames. The arrangement establishes him as Chu Zhou’s personal friend and an honored guest of the Mittel Auction House, rather than Chu Zhou’s disciple 44 45.

After returning home, Xiao Yan tells Xiao Zhan part of the truth about his alchemy prospects. Encouraged by his father, he resolves to prove himself at the strength assessment before the coming-of-age ceremony and restore his father’s pride 46.

Appearance

• Black-robed disguise: Wears black robes during his medicine-selling visit to conceal his identity 10.
• Youthful hands: His exposed hands undermine the disguise; Ya Fei notices their youthfulness even though Yao Lao supplies his voice 10 42.
• Bright, lively eyes: Described when he visits Xiao Zhan after cultivation 41.

Personality

Three years of humiliation temper Xiao Yan’s composure without extinguishing his ambition. He chooses the potentially evolving Flame Mantra over a safer Low Earth Tier method, accepting a difficult path for the chance to reach the pinnacle of cultivation 41 46.

He is guarded about Yao Lao’s presence and quick enough to improvise a convincing cover story when questioned. In negotiations, he conceals his excitement, bargains over prices, and uses plausible explanations to avoid exposing how urgently he wants heavenly-flame information. His performance is not flawless: Chu Zhou occasionally turns his feigned disinterest against him, prompting teasing from Yao Lao 43 44.

His father’s support matters deeply to him. Xiao Yan’s resolve to excel at the coming assessment is explicitly tied to restoring Xiao Zhan’s pride after years of ridicule 46.

Abilities & Skills

Alchemy Aptitude

Xiao Yan possesses the attributes and soul potential required to become an alchemist, although he has not begun actual alchemy practice by Chapter 44 42 44.

• Fire attribute with a faint wood component: Confirmed by Chu Zhou’s examination 42.
• Strong soul potential: Chu Zhou judges his soul suitable for alchemy 42.
• Attribute limitations: Yao Lao describes his fire-and-wood balance as barely qualifying, in contrast to Chu Zhou’s ideal proportions 22.
• Mentorship: Yao Lao expects him to surpass Sixth-Rank Alchemist Gu He rather than treat that rank as his ultimate goal 22.

Flame Mantra

An evolving cultivation method selected for its potentially limitless future. Xiao Yan chooses it after Yao Lao explains the alternative of cultivating a Low Earth Tier method 41.

• Strengthens its practitioner through devouring heavenly flames 6.
• Makes heavenly-flame information especially valuable to Xiao Yan’s future cultivation 44.
• Current limitation: He has chosen the method but explicitly states that he has not yet practiced a cultivation method while still below Dou Zhe 44.

Fire-Blowing Palm

• A Dou Technique Xiao Yan practiced during the Dou Qi stage, suited to his Dou Qi attribute 5.

Understanding of Otherworlders

His former life as an Earthling lets him understand Otherworlders through the analogy of players entering a game world 43 44.

• Recognizes their tendency to explore, build connections, and seek “quests” 43.
• Understands how shared chat channels provide an exceptional information-gathering advantage 44.
• Treats Chu Zhou’s intelligence network as a useful resource for locating heavenly flames 44.

Equipment / Items

• Storage Ring housing Yao Lao — Yao Chen survives as a soul residing in a ring; he also prepares formula scrolls inside the ring during negotiations 43 44.
• Mittel Auction House VIP Gold Card — Received during the Spirit Liquid sale; grants privileges and can be redeemed for 20,000 gold coins at trade associations in the Jia Ma Empire 10.
• Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid — Yao Lao’s medicine supports his recovery during the Dou Qi stages. Xiao Yan sells a bottle while disguised; he is not its refiner 10 11.
• Grade Four pill-formula scrolls — Supplied by Yao Lao for exchanges with Chu Zhou 44 45.

Heavenly-Flame Information Acquired

These are leads purchased from Chu Zhou, not flames Xiao Yan has obtained 44 45.

Heavenly Flame	Information received	Payment
Three Thousand Burning Flame	Held by the Pill Tower. The top three contestants at the Pill Gathering in ten years will receive a chance to subdue it; Yao Lao believes he can prepare Xiao Yan to compete 44.	Six Grade Four formulas: Qi Gathering Powder, Burning Blood Pill, Blood-Suppressing Pill, Beast Spirit Pill, Extreme Fire Pill, and False Realm Pill 44.
Wind Fury Dragon Flame	Ranked eighteenth. Appears during the hottest season deep in the Tagor Desert, between the Jia Ma and Luo Yan empires, outside Snake-People territory. Xiao Yan considers it a promising first heavenly flame 45.	Seven Grade Four formulas, including the Fire Cloud Pill formula 45.
Fallen Heart Flame	Beneath Jia Nan Academy’s Burning Heaven Qi Refining Tower; reportedly becoming unstable and liable to escape 45.	Part of a three-lead exchange for the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill formula 45.
Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire	Inherited by Burning Flame Valley, which reportedly recently cultivated a young flame 45.	Same three-lead exchange 45.
Sea Heart Flame	Possessed by Han Feng, lord of Maple City in the Black-Corner Region 45.	Same three-lead exchange 45.

Relationships

• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan head. Defends Xiao Yan against rival clan leaders, seeks opportunities for him, and offers support for his renewed cultivation 41 42 46.
• Yao Chen / Yao Lao — Secret teacher. Guides his recovery, cultivation choices, and negotiations. Xiao Yan conceals his presence because exposure could endanger both him and the Xiao Clan 41 43 44.
• Chu Zhou — Trading partner and publicly acknowledged personal friend. Supplies heavenly-flame intelligence in exchange for Yao Lao’s pill formulas; Yao Lao encourages Xiao Yan to cultivate the connection 43 44 45.
• Ya Fei — Auction-house contact. Handles his medicine sale, respects his concealed identity, guarantees Chu Zhou’s information, and announces his honored-guest status 10 44 45.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée who broke off their engagement. Their dispute is associated with the Three-Year Agreement involving the Misty Cloud Sect 3 43.
• Han Feng — Yao Lao’s former disciple and betrayer. His potential discovery of Yao Lao’s whereabouts is a threat to Xiao Yan and his clan 43.

Notable Quotes

“An alchemist who doesn't want a heavenly flame isn't a good alchemist.” 44

“Don't worry, Father. I won't disappoint you.” 46