Li Yan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Li Yan (黎烟)
Alias(es)	Yan’er — affectionate name used by Zhou Qing and the Li Family Head 100 101.
Species/Race	Human cultivator 100 101.
Gender	Female 100.
Affiliation	Raised by the Li Family; later associated with the Azure Origin Trade Association through Zhou Qing 100 122.
Occupation/Role	Zhou Qing’s maid, disciple, and cultivation companion; Music Dao practitioner 100 121 130.
Innate Constitution	Primordial Yin Treasure Body, also translated as Primordial Yin Treasure Physique 100 104.
Highest Explicitly Documented Realm	Nascent Soul middle stage, attained in multiple simulations 211 252.
Status	Alive in reality and at the beginning of the later simulation; remembers a previous simulated life ending in a failed Spirit Transformation breakthrough 273 278.
First Appearance	Chapter 99 in the provided material; her meeting with Zhou Qing is recounted in Chapter 100 99 100.

Power Progression

Li Yan’s cultivation restarts between simulations; achievements in one timeline do not automatically carry into another 126 156 273.

Initial Cultivation and Fourth Simulation

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Early Qi Refining	100	Initial realm when Zhou Qing examines her at the Purple Bamboo Grove.
Qi Refining, fifth-layer peak	104	Reached through Zhou Qing’s guidance and her treasure body, despite not concentrating heavily on cultivation.
Qi Refining, seventh layer	104	Enters late-stage Qi Refining.
Qi Refining, ninth layer → perfection	107	Zhou Qing waits for her cultivation to consolidate before taking her to an association outpost for Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Establishment	108	Newly established when her first strand of primordial yin qi is taken for Zhou Qing’s Core Formation attempt.
Foundation Establishment, third layer	113	Reached five years after entering Foundation Establishment.
Late Foundation Establishment	116	Her constitution continues developing, though her physical endurance remains limited relative to Zhou Qing’s.
Foundation Establishment, eighth layer	121	Her cultivation speed nearly rivals that of a heavenly-spiritual-root cultivator, aided by mutually beneficial dual cultivation.
Foundation Establishment, ninth layer	121	Zhou Qing prepares resources for her Core Formation breakthrough.
Core Formation — superior/high-grade golden core	121 122	Succeeds six months after preparations begin; becomes Zhou Qing’s first Golden Core-level companion.
Core Formation, middle stage	141	Advances from the early-stage peak with Zhou Qing’s help; third-tier music weakens the mental bottleneck.
Core Formation, late stage	153	Confirmed retrospectively when Zhou Qing compares her simulated development with her immature real-world constitution.

Fifth Simulation

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Early Qi Refining	156	Starting realm; receives cultivation guidance and a Music Dao inheritance.
Middle Qi Refining, peak	160	Reached after one year of following Zhou Qing’s instructions.
Foundation Establishment, perfection	163	Becomes ready for Core Formation with treasures already prepared by Zhou Qing.
Core Formation	163	Breakthrough proceeds smoothly; Zhou Qing preserves her first primordial yin strand until this realm.
Core Formation, middle stage	185	Confirmed while she performs fourth-tier music despite her lower cultivation realm.
Core Formation, perfection	189	Prepares for Nascent Soul; divination identifies physical weakness as her main remaining deficiency.
Nascent Soul, early stage	193	Survives nine heavenly lightning bolts and the heart-demon tribulation.
Nascent Soul, middle stage	211	Succeeds on a renewed attempt after recovering and receiving fourth-tier upper-grade spirit pills.

Sixth Simulation

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Core Formation — flawless golden core; middle-stage peak	232	Zhou Qing’s resources and her own insights from the fifth simulation improve both her core quality and cultivation speed.
Nascent Soul, early stage	236	Passes the tribulations smoothly after Zhou Qing personally verifies her foundations and flawless core.
Nascent Soul, middle stage	252	Advances from the early-stage peak with extensive resource support; her first primordial yin strand remains untouched for centuries.

Music Dao

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Second tier — fourth simulation	130	Her zither playing soothes Zhou Qing’s state of mind.
Second-tier peak — fourth simulation	137	Achieved after roughly thirty to forty years of musical study.
Third tier — fourth simulation	140 141	Produces mental clarity and calm; also helps weaken her own Core Formation bottlenecks.
Third tier — fifth simulation	163	Reached while comprehending the musical insights Zhou Qing left for her.
Fourth tier — fifth simulation	185	Can perform Orchid in the Valley Tune while still at middle Core Formation.
Fourth-tier lower-grade limit — fifth simulation	189	Further musical progress is constrained by her cultivation realm.
Fourth-tier offensive performance — fifth simulation	195 197	Nascent Soul cultivation unlocks combat compositions and allows her musical skill to advance rapidly.
Near the fifth tier — recalled previous life	278	Reports that her former musical attainment was one step short of the fifth tier; the restored memories do not directly restore that skill level.

Background / History

Li Yan’s birth parents were early Qi Refining cultivation partners. Pursued by enemies shortly after her birth, they hid her near the Purple Bamboo Grove and drew their pursuers away. Both were killed; their killers later died at other cultivators’ hands. Zhou Qing learns this through divination but does not disclose the full story to her 101.

The Li Family Head found her as a baby, adopted her into the family, and named her Li Yan. She grew up near the grove with an unexplained condition: traveling too far caused unconsciousness and weakened breathing. Medicine cultivators could not diagnose it 100.

When Zhou Qing purchases the grove, the Li Family Head asks him to keep Li Yan as a maid because she may not survive relocation. Zhou Qing discovers that her apparent illness is the awakening of a Primordial Yin Treasure Body, sustained by a hidden third-tier spirit vein. Improving the vein’s energy supply eases her condition and accelerates her development 100 101.

Appearance

Li Yan initially appears frail and delicate. As her treasure body awakens, her appearance and bearing change so dramatically that Zhou Qing believes even her adoptive guardian might not recognize her. Core Formation further enhances her beauty and elegance 100 101 122.

• Clothing: Wears a neat palace gown during the beginning of the fourth simulation 102.
• Eyes: Described as shining like moonlight after Core Formation 122.
• Fragrance: Associated with osmanthus, orchids, and later a cool, subtle fragrance 101 195.
• Bearing: Develops an elegant, aloof public appearance while remaining openly affectionate toward Zhou Qing 122.

Personality

Li Yan is initially timid, apprehensive, and conscious of her dependence on whoever controls the grove. Her first attempt to offer herself to Zhou Qing is motivated by insecurity and a wish to secure his protection. She interprets his refusal as evidence of moral restraint and becomes increasingly trusting 99 100 101.

Her attachment eventually becomes intense: she regards Zhou Qing as her closest family, follows his instructions readily, and chooses to leave her longtime home because being with him matters more. Spiritual communion contributes to this emotional dependence even outside simulations, where he has not used the Demon-Seeding Formula on her 101 155.

She worries about disappointing him but responds strongly to encouragement. Later, memories she believes are evidence of rebirth give her a more determined cultivation goal: overcoming the Spirit Transformation failure of her previous life 156 278.

Abilities & Skills

Primordial Yin Treasure Body

Her rare constitution accelerates cultivation and nurtures primordial yin qi that can benefit a male cultivation partner 100 102.

• Awakening requirement: Needs spiritual energy of at least third-tier quality; quantity alone is insufficient. Losing access during awakening can cause collapse and eventually threaten her life 100.
• Cultivation aptitude: Supports rapid progress and gives her an innate advantage in Core Formation 104 122.
• Spiritual sensitivity: Instinctively detects changes in spirit-vein energy, including the fourth-tier origin of Profound King Island’s apparently third-tier supply 100 130.
• Concealment: Partially obscures heavenly secrets, complicating direct divination. After Nascent Soul formation, even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators cannot detect the constitution 100 195.
• Natural allure: Its awakening transforms her appearance and gives her an exceptional affinity for enchantment and dual cultivation 101 258.

Primordial Yin Qi

The first strand has exceptional bottleneck-breaking properties; later strands chiefly support ordinary cultivation 108 109.

• Consent requirement: Obtaining the energy requires her wholehearted willingness 100.
• Partner restriction: Its benefit depends on harmonizing yin and yang; another female cultivator cannot use it in the same way 108.
• Foundation Establishment contribution: Her first strand is instrumental in Zhou Qing forming a flawless golden core 108 109.
• Core Formation contribution: In the fifth simulation, her first strand serves as an aid comparable to a Nascent Soul-condensation treasure 163 165.
• Nascent Soul contribution: A strand preserved for roughly five centuries is taken before Zhou Qing’s Spirit Transformation attempt 252 253.
• Time limit after extraction: Approximately six months for the Foundation Establishment strand; six months to a year for the Core Formation strand 108 165.
• Realm-gap limitation: Her ordinary primordial yin qi provides negligible immediate benefit once Zhou Qing reaches Spirit Transformation 258.

Music Dao

Li Yan develops an interest in music after Core Formation and proves especially talented in the discipline 130 137.

• Mental support: Her playing soothes the mind, promotes clarity, and weakens cultivation bottlenecks 130 140 141.
• Heart-demon resistance: Fourth-tier music strengthens her mental state enough to give her better heart-demon-tribulation prospects than ordinary flawless-core Nascent Soul candidates 173 189 193.
• Orchid in the Valley Tune: Improves Zhou Qing’s state of mind and may help him overcome Nascent Soul bottlenecks 185.
• Musical illusions: Can guide Zhou Qing into musical experiences, but his exceptionally strong mind limits such sessions to once every few years 243.
• Combat compositions: After reaching Nascent Soul, her guqin music can distract powerful opponents. These attacks are not purely divine-soul attacks, making them difficult to defend against 195.
• Performance limits: At middle Core Formation, demanding fourth-tier music should be played only once every six months to avoid harm 185.

Dual Cultivation

Li Yan practices methods that nourish both partners rather than the demonic harvesting techniques that cause lasting damage 121.

• Reciprocal growth: Dual cultivation with Zhou Qing helps her progress at a speed approaching that of a heavenly-spiritual-root cultivator 121.
• Fourth-tier art: Studies the Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Scripture, which requires both partners to be Nascent Soul cultivators 195.
• Measured benefit: Ten years of accumulated primordial yin qi, combined with that scripture, gives Zhou Qing roughly two years’ worth of cultivation 195.
• Limits: Practicing at intervals is more effective than continuous use; it cannot fully replace ordinary cultivation. A large physical-power gap can leave Li Yan severely exhausted 122 195.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Guqin / zither — Used for cultivation-supporting music and, after Nascent Soul formation, offensive compositions 130 195.
• Music Dao inheritances — Collected by Zhou Qing, including Wondrous Sound Pavilion legacies and a fourth-tier memory legacy 130 176.
• Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Scripture — Fourth-tier dual-cultivation secret art 195.
• Body-tempering treasures — Supplied before her Nascent Soul attempt to address the physical weakness identified through divination 189.
• Book Mountain musical inheritances — Given to broaden her studies after reaching Nascent Soul middle stage in the sixth simulation 252.
• Supreme-Grade Primordial Spirit Pill — Selected by Zhou Qing as a potential aid to her future Spirit Transformation breakthrough; its use is not shown in the supplied material 277.

Relationships

• Zhou Qing / Azure Origin — Master, protector, mentor, and romantic cultivation companion. He supports her growth and protects her constitution from outsiders, but also manipulates her attachment and treats her primordial yin qi as a cultivation resource 99 102 122 155 195.
• Li Family Head — Adoptive guardian who raises her with genuine affection. Transfers her care to Zhou Qing because she cannot leave the grove, while advising her to secure the new owner’s protection through service and intimacy 100.
• Birth parents — Unnamed early Qi Refining partners who sacrifice their lives while drawing pursuers away from her hiding place 101.
• True Lord Beiheng — Zhou Qing’s ally; congratulates him after Li Yan’s Nascent Soul breakthrough and asks about a ceremony for his new True Lord-level subordinate 195.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Fourth Simulation: Controlled Companion

• Zhou Qing plants a demonic seed in Li Yan, reveals her treasure body to her, and provides methods to accelerate its awakening 102.
• Her first primordial yin strand enables his flawless golden core; he subsequently supports her own Core Formation 108 109 121.
• Her Core Formation celebration establishes her publicly as the Azure Origin Trade Association’s second Golden Core True Person, while Zhou Qing presides to keep her identity protected 122.
• She develops Music Dao alongside cultivation, adding mental support to the benefits of her constitution 130 140.

Fifth Simulation: Gentler Control and Nascent Soul

• Zhou Qing abandons immediate demon-seeding because of its limitations and supplies her with cultivation and musical insights from the previous simulation 153 156.
• He preserves her first primordial yin strand until Core Formation to aid his Nascent Soul attempt 163 165.
• Following her own Nascent Soul success, she can appear publicly without exposing her constitution and becomes a concealed musical combat asset 193 195.
• After she reaches Nascent Soul middle stage, Zhou Qing judges late-stage advancement unlikely and advises her to prioritize music 211.

Sixth Simulation: Preserving the First Strand

• Her own earlier insights are organized into a complete cultivation guide, effectively allowing her to learn from her simulated future self 220.
• Better support produces a flawless golden core and an earlier Nascent Soul breakthrough 232 236.
• Zhou Qing preserves her first primordial yin strand for centuries rather than taking it at a lower realm, then uses it in preparation for Spirit Transformation 237 252 253.
• After his success, her ordinary cultivation benefits diminish because their realms are too far apart. He instead encourages her to accumulate experience for another simulation 258.

Later Simulation: Apparent Rebirth

• Zhou Qing implants Li Yan’s own previous-life memories into her Qi Refining self, allowing her to believe she has been reborn. Some memories become accessible only as her cultivation rises 273 278.
• She remembers failing to reach Spirit Transformation and resolves to change that outcome, planning to regain Foundation Establishment and rebuild her musical attainment 278.
• The memories provide experience, not inherited cultivation or automatic mastery of the musical arts 278.

Notable Quotes

“Wherever you go, Master, Yan’er will go too...” 155

“Master, in my previous life, I was useless and couldn’t enter the Spirit Transformation period. But this time, I’ll definitely change my fate and overcome that failed breakthrough...” 278