Jiang Yao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Jiang Yao (姜曜) 1
Alias(es)	Aeon of Voracity; “Master,” as addressed by Stelle 1 18
Species/Race	Aeon; his true form is an enormous galaxy 1 18
Gender	Male 28
Affiliation	Astral Express; the Nameless 17 20
Occupation/Role	Head chef and designated master of the Astral Express’s dining car 17 48
Status	Alive; developing functional foods and pursuing plans for an “Astral Dining Car” 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1, “I, the Aeon of Voracity, Snuck Inside the Wall” 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Aeon of Voracity — established state	1	Replaced Oroboros before the opening events. Already possesses Aeon-level power and has fought Qlipoth; the circumstances of his ascension are not given.
First breakthrough in developing his own Path — “zero to one”	49 50	Entwined Fate slightly alleviates Jing Yuan’s mara-struck condition, producing beneficial feedback that returns to Jiang Yao. His understanding of ingredients advances, allowing ordinary ingredients to achieve effects previously dependent on special ones. Chapter 50 explains the breakthrough first felt in Chapter 49.

Background / History

Jiang Yao transmigrated into the world of Honkai: Star Rail and replaced Oroboros as the Aeon of Voracity. By the time he awakens on Herta Space Station, he no longer knows how many amber eras have passed. He rejects his predecessor’s indiscriminate consumption, likening it to draining a pond to catch every fish 1.

His culinary memories extend into the distant past. He ate the ancestors of Shirou before Tayzzyronth’s birth, and encountered Firefly during the Swarm Disaster, when her actions left True Sting roasted on scorched earth. Although cooking was not her intention, he remembers the resulting meal as a kindness worth repaying 17 30.

Jiang Yao also recalls eating the Astral Express after Aha blew it up. Because the train was Akivili’s creation, this experience informs his later interest in consuming the power of the Trailblaze 48.

Qlipoth’s wall eventually restricted his access to varied food. After fighting Qlipoth and getting past the barrier, Jiang Yao eagerly seeks new ingredients rather than immediately involving himself in cosmic affairs. He later describes this deprivation to the Express crew without revealing its divine scale 1 2 16.

Appearance

Jiang Yao presents himself as a handsome, refined young man. His appearance earns favorable comments from Tingyun’s impersonator, Yan Cui, and Fu Xuan, while giving little indication of his actual nature 28 29 48.

• True form: An enormous galaxy, far beyond the scale of his traveling appearance 18.
• Dining manner: Eats extraordinarily quickly while remaining elegant enough to attract other diners’ attention 29.
• Accommodations: Chooses a plainly furnished room near the Express kitchen rather than demanding luxurious quarters 17.

Personality

Jiang Yao’s appetite is immense, but he treats eating as a craft rather than simple consumption. He values freshness, careful preparation, and the natural qualities of ingredients. While cooking, he concentrates so completely that he finishes his work before greeting arriving guests 5 29 34.

He remains courteous despite being an Aeon, thanks his rescuers, and enjoys sharing meals with companions. This generosity competes with a possessive streak: he repeatedly invents excuses to keep rare pupae, reserves limited desserts for friends, and claims skewers are sold out while visibly holding several 3 5 17 39 49.

His curiosity often overrides warnings. He insists on tasting both Himeko’s notorious coffee and a publicly criticized Qiongshi Bird Skewer. His confidence can become comic stubbornness; after discovering how awful the coffee is, he finishes it to preserve his dignity as Voracity 19 21 22 32.

Money matters less to him than ingredients and freedom of movement. He declines Asta’s attempt to retain him with a lavish salary, but accepts an ingredient-for-cooking arrangement. He also welcomes helpers whose abilities can make food preparation easier 8 9 15 46 48.

Abilities & Skills

Voracity and Supernatural Consumption

Jiang Yao can consume substances far beyond ordinary food, including Stellarons and the Astral Express itself 17 22 48.

• Has historically eaten True Stings and rare creatures unfamiliar or unappealing to ordinary diners 17 30.
• Consumes two days’ worth of Delicious Supreme’s prepared ingredients in one visit 30.
• Regards Paths as potential food and plans to draw nourishment from overflowing Trailblaze power 48.
• Claims he would swallow Nanook if provoked; this is a statement of confidence, not a demonstrated feat 32.
• Divine appetite does not make unpleasant flavors enjoyable: Himeko’s coffee still causes intense nausea 22.

Extraordinary Sensory Perception

His senses reveal ingredient qualities and culinary flaws that other people cannot readily detect 4 29 31.

• Explains the background of eggs through tasting them, leaving Asta unable to understand how she could reproduce the skill 4.
• Determines whether cooked dishes are fresh by smell 29.
• Notices minute faults in seasoning and ingredient handling, even in food he otherwise enjoys 29 30 31.
• Perceives Jing Yuan’s condition and recognizes the feedback produced by Entwined Fate 50.

Culinary Mastery

Jiang Yao attributes his skill to extensive eating, cooking, and practice. His techniques can transform basic supplies into food that impresses experienced travelers and professional chefs 6 10 16 36.

• Makes exceptional egg fried rice from ordinary protein rice and basic chicken eggs 6.
• Diagnoses Auntie Gao’s recipe problem as a change in the fruit itself, rather than necessarily a lost technique 33 34.
• Uses blanching, a light starch coating, and two-stage frying to preserve Qiongshi Bird Fruit’s fragrance 34.
• Controls water-and-oil sugar boiling precisely enough to produce a clear coating and delicate pulled-sugar threads 36 37.
• Teaches cooking and coffee preparation, though observers cannot necessarily reproduce his results 16 27 35.
• Incorporates March 7th’s ice and Stelle’s Flame Lance into dessert preparation 46 48.

Path-Powered Ingredient Handling

Jiang Yao uses divine power for practical culinary tasks, often without drawing attention to it 10 34.

• Conceals his aura while entering the Seclusion Zone 10.
• Harvests meat from Ruan Mei’s artificially cultivated Starcrusher Swarm King and alters its culture fluid to improve its future meat quality 10.
• Reverse-decomposes Basic Ingredients to obtain a small quantity of high-quality wheat 10.
• Removes moisture from blanched Qiongshi Bird Fruit using Path Power, unnoticed by the watching cooks 34.
• Seals cooked food inside Light Cones to preserve its peak flavor 17.

Functional Food and Path Feedback

His cooking can provide benefits beyond taste. Initially, these effects depend on the properties of special ingredients; his first Path breakthrough changes that limitation 49 50.

• Entwined Fate strengthens pleasant memories and softens painful ones, slightly alleviating Jing Yuan’s mara-struck condition 50.
• Beneficial effects experienced by diners can feed back into Jiang Yao’s Path power 50.
• After the breakthrough, he believes ordinary ingredients can achieve effects formerly requiring special ingredients, while special ingredients can produce stronger results 49.
• He has not yet determined why earlier meals shared with Asta and the Express crew did not produce the same feedback 50.
• Foods addressing entropy loss syndrome, amnesia, and other conditions remain proposed projects, not demonstrated cures 50.

Resistance to Divination

Fu Xuan cannot directly divine Jiang Yao because he is an Aeon. The reading that appears to identify him as crucial to the Luofu’s predicament actually concerns nearby Phantylia 47.

Equipment / Items

• Interstellar phone — Supplied by Asta; used to coordinate ingredient searches, deliveries, purchases, and messages with the Express crew 16 31 39.
• The Origin of Life — Light Cone containing a roasted True Sting Pupa. Jiang Yao gives it to Asta to deliver to Ruan Mei as a surprise 17.
• The Meaning of Life — Second Light Cone used to seal another roasted pupa. Intact seals preserve the pupae’s peak flavor for at least a century 17.
• Food-storing Light Cone for Firefly — Arranged through contact with Kafka and later sent to Welt for delivery 26 32.
• Credits — Displays a balance of 99,999,999 Credits to Yan Cui, demonstrating that he can afford his enormous order 29.

Culinary Creations

Dish	Ingredients / Technique	Significance
Fried eggs	Melodi-Dove and Teyvat Bird eggs fried separately in Snowfield Bear oil; finished with ketchup and barbecue sauce	His first celebratory meal after crossing Qlipoth’s wall; attracts Peppy and Asta 2 3.
Egg Fried Rice	Ordinary protein rice and chicken eggs	Establishes that his skill—not merely rare ingredients—is responsible for the extraordinary flavor 6.
True Sting Xiaolongbao	True Sting meat and flavorful fat, with wheat obtained from Basic Ingredients	Draws Asta, Himeko, Welt, and Peppy into a shared meal; Jiang Yao sips the broth before adding chili vinegar 10 12.
Roasted True Sting Pupae	Three rare pupae roasted with precise heat control	Eats one and preserves two for gifts, despite struggling to part with them 17.
Pulled-Sugar Qiongshi Bird Skewers	Prepared and double-fried Qiongshi Bird Fruit coated in fine sugar threads	Restores a familiar childhood fragrance for Auntie Gao and wins over skeptical observers 34 36 37.
Iced Floating Mutton Milk	Rebalanced with Soda Bean Juice and tea, then chilled with March 7th’s assistance	Reworks a drink normally considered bitter and unpleasant when cold 40 43 46 49.
Entwined Fate / Entwined Fates	Reinvented Dream Tapir Rolls inspired by Snow Skin Mochi, with carefully fitted pink wrapping	Slightly relieves Jing Yuan’s mara-struck condition and triggers Jiang Yao’s first Path-development breakthrough 43 48 49 50.

Relationships

• Himeko — Welcomes him to the Express as a person, not merely a cook, and later learns coffee preparation from him. The crew mistakes his willingness to finish her coffee for romantic devotion; the narration identifies respect for food as his actual motive 15 20 21 22 27.
• Welt — Helps rescue him, praises his cooking, and checks on him when he fails to return from Aurum Alley. Also tries unsuccessfully to imitate his dishes 5 6 31 35.
• March 7th — Eagerly persuades him to cook aboard the Express and later helps chill his mutton milk with her ice powers 16 18 46.
• Stelle — Requests an apprenticeship and calls him “Master.” Jiang Yao initially asks her to observe, wary of what she might consider an ingredient; later employs her Flame Lance for steaming 16 18 48.
• Dan Heng — Helps Welt bring him aboard after the rescue and supports his joining the crew. Jiang Yao’s food and coffee provide respite from his troubled sleep 5 15 26.
• Pom-Pom — Hosts his welcoming ceremony and later attempts to protect him from Himeko’s coffee 17 20.
• Asta — Ingredient supplier and cooking partner. Their arrangement preserves Jiang Yao’s mobility while giving her access to meals and storable snacks; she later organizes exploration teams and shipments for him 9 16 31 35.
• Peppy — Early admirer of his cooking. Jiang Yao teases the dog before eventually providing its own portions 2 3 6.
• Qlipoth — Long-standing source of resentment after the wall restricts his diet. Jiang Yao associates the Corporation with Qlipoth, but does not hold that connection against Asta personally 1 9 26.
• Firefly — Once unintentionally fed him roasted True Sting during the Swarm Disaster. He seeks to repay the meal with a preserved pupa 17 26 32.
• Ruan Mei — Creator of the artificially cultivated swarm ingredients he harvests. He prepares a pupa gift as compensation and thanks 10 17.
• Phantylia / “Tingyun” — Assigned to accompany him on the Luofu. Jiang Yao recognizes her disguise from the outset but prioritizes food unless she provokes him; his extended eating tour repeatedly delays her plans 28 29 30 32.
• Yan Cui — Chef of Delicious Supreme and supplier of rare ingredients. His enthusiastic patronage encourages her, despite his exacting criticism of her ingredient handling 29 30 40.
• Auntie Gao and Gao Tang — Local cooks whose doubts turn to admiration after watching him reinvent Qiongshi Bird Skewers. Auntie Gao subsequently lends him her stall in exchange for a serving 33 34 36 39.
• Bailu — Seeks him out after hearing Stelle’s praise. He teases her over the first skewer, then shares food and invites her to a later meal 35 36 37 39.
• Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan — Investigate the activity surrounding him after Fu Xuan’s misleading divination. Jing Yuan subsequently discovers that Entwined Fate can ease his mara-struck condition 47 49 50.
• Aha — Referred to as an old pal; Aha’s destruction of the Express gave Jiang Yao an opportunity to eat it 48.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rescue and Recruitment

• His arrival disrupts communications throughout the star system, preventing Kafka’s message from reaching the Express and delaying its intended journey 5 27.
• Welt and Dan Heng recover him unconscious in space and take him to Herta Space Station. Upon waking, he identifies the setting and immediately seeks food 1 5.
• His meals impress Asta, Himeko, and Welt enough to inspire competing efforts to retain him 3 6 8.
• He negotiates an ingredient exchange with Asta, accepts Himeko’s invitation, and officially boards the Express as master of its dining car 9 15 17.

Life Aboard the Express

• Discovers that the pantry has far less variety than expected, briefly regretting his decision to leave Asta’s station 17.
• Finishes Himeko’s terrible coffee and inadvertently becomes the subject of romantic gossip 19 20 21 22.
• Supports visiting the Luofu partly to restock ingredients, while acknowledging that Kafka is likely telling the truth without revealing everything 26.

Aurum Alley and the Marshal Rumor

• Goes directly to Aurum Alley with Phantylia, eats through its restaurants and stalls, and commissions rare ingredients from Yan Cui 28 29 30 31.
• Reinvents local snacks at Auntie Gao’s stall, attracting Bailu, spectators, and Guinaifen’s livestream 33 34 35 37 43.
• Exaggerated reports transform his cooking demonstrations into a rumor that Marshal Hua is visiting. His joking “I… could be” response prolongs the misunderstanding 40 41 42 45.
• Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan arrive because of a divination mistakenly attributed to Jiang Yao, not because they believe he is the marshal 47.

The Astral Dining Car Project

• Asta’s discovery of a planet rich in unusual ingredients strengthens his ambition to make the Express a traveling source of flavorful, beneficial meals 31.
• He privately envisions feeding the crew, upgrading the train, and consuming the resulting overflow of Trailblaze power while stockpiling strength for a coming Aeon War 48.
• Entwined Fate’s effect on Jing Yuan supplies the first confirmed feedback into his Path, turning functional cooking into a concrete route for further growth 49 50.

Notable Quotes

“I've always had plenty of patience when it comes to food.” 20

“Trailblazers have to choose their own paths and goals!” 26

“Hello, General. I'm Jiang Yao, head chef of the Astral Diner... pfft, the Astral Express.” 48