Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Flame Emperor; “Brother Yan” and “second brother” to Lin Dong 2 25
Gender	Male 3
Affiliation	Xiao Clan, Wutan City 2 3
Occupation/Role	Cultivator; Child of Destiny of the Battle Through the Heavens secret realm 2 35
Status	Alive; his present self remains at Third Stage dou qi when a mysterious mentor approaches him 35
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 1; appears directly in Chapter 2 1 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third Stage dou qi	2	His cultivation test confirms another year without improvement. Clan members ridicule him as a former “genius” who has become a burden.
Stamina enhancement; no new cultivation stage confirmed	3	Begins undergoing stamina enhancement after receiving strengthening potions from Lin Dong.
Future flame manifestation — realm unspecified	24 25	Appears with time-stopping, teleportation, and a three-Heavenly-Flame Fire Lotus. The Heavenly Dao identifies the intervention as borrowing against the future, not an advancement by his present self.

Background / History

Clan Humiliation and the Six-Month Pact

Despite being Xiao Zhan’s son, Xiao Yan endures repeated insults over his stalled cultivation. At the clan’s testing ceremony, he initially suppresses his anger rather than retaliate against Xiao Ning and the other mockers 2.

Lin Dong intervenes as his sworn older brother, attacking Xiao Ning before the Second Elder severely injures him. Even while coughing blood, Lin Dong checks that the two strengthening potions he brought for Xiao Yan are intact. Xiao Yan breaks down in tears at this concern, and his favorability reaches 100% 2 3.

Xiao Yan then vows to defeat Xiao Ning and make him kowtow to Lin Dong within six months. If he fails, he promises to sever his ties with the Xiao Clan and never use its resources again. Xiao Ning accepts the challenge 3.

Intervention in the *Train to Busan* Instance

When Lin Dong faces Blue Tang San’s Buddha’s Fury Tang Lotus, a flame-formed Xiao Yan appears and stops time. He explains that he sensed his older brother needed help, then destroys the weapon with his three-colored Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus 24.

Xiao Yan disperses the incomplete Tang San manifestation with a single punch. After reassuring Lin Dong, he says his time is limited and vanishes. His voice subsequently breaks through the mental influence of Er Lu’s silver coin, allowing Lin Dong to regain control and contain the relic 25.

The Heavenly Dao declares that Lin Dong has borrowed against the future, imposing a 10% decrease in the future protagonist’s affinity. Lin Dong receives three days to restore the lost favorability before the reduction becomes permanent 25 26.

Broken Engagement and Renewed Resolve

Xun’er brings Xiao Yan outside Wutan City to witness Lin Dong intercept Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye. Xiao Yan realizes that a public cancellation of his engagement would humiliate his father and turn the Xiao Clan into a laughingstock. Watching Lin Dong oppose the Misty Cloud Sect to prevent this deepens his gratitude; he rushes forward when Lin Dong collapses from his injuries 31.

Lin Dong gives him the returned marriage agreement and the Qi Gathering Powder provided as compensation. Xiao Yan initially refuses the medicine, believing Lin Dong deserves it, but accepts after being reminded that he must become strong enough to support his brother. He promises to attend Lin Dong’s three-year confrontation with Nalan Yanran and personally back him up 32.

After informing his father about the broken engagement, Xiao Yan returns to his courtyard, frustrated that he repeatedly depends on Lin Dong. Still stuck at Third Stage dou qi, he begins physical training, inspired by Lin Dong’s ability to fight a Da Dou Shi without dou qi. At his first punch, space distorts and a mysterious old voice asks whether he wants to become stronger 35.

Appearance

• Future manifestation: His entire body is formed from flames, while his familiar face retains a sunny smile 24.
• Fire Lotus: His signature attack appears as an intricately formed lotus with blue, white, and purple flames 24.

Personality

Xiao Yan initially bears humiliation with clenched fists and bitter self-mockery. Lin Dong’s willingness to defend him at personal risk brings out his openly emotional and fiercely loyal side: he cries over his brother’s injuries, stakes his clan membership on obtaining an apology, and later promises to support him against the Misty Cloud Sect 2 3 32.

He dislikes accepting help without reciprocating it. He tries to return the stamina potion to the injured Lin Dong and later refuses the engagement compensation before being persuaded to keep it. His frustration at remaining dependent ultimately drives him to seek another route to strength through physical training 3 32 35.

The future manifestation is warm toward Lin Dong but ruthless toward his attacker. He treats the Tang Lotus as a minor threat, then confronts Blue Tang San with icy anger for attempting to kill his older brother 24 25.

Abilities & Skills

The following combat feats belong to Xiao Yan’s future flame manifestation, not his present Third Stage cultivation 24 25.

Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus

Combines three Heavenly Flames into a three-colored lotus 24.

• Burns through the Tang Lotus’s needles, poison, and mechanisms, melting its refined-steel body.
• Devours the weapon’s explosive energy and becomes more ferocious rather than losing strength.
• Xiao Yan withdraws the remaining flames after destroying the weapon 24.

Time and Spatial Movement

• Time suspension: Stops the surrounding space and the already-fired Tang Lotus; Lin Dong remains able to move during the suspension.
• Aerial movement: Steps upward through the air as though climbing invisible stairs.
• Teleportation: Instantly closes the distance to Blue Tang San before striking 24.

Face-Breaking Punch

• Knocks the incomplete Blue Tang San manifestation’s head off with one punch.
• Causes the rest of its smoke-formed body to fade and disperse.
• This victory is against a manifestation lacking even its lower body, not the fully embodied Tang San 24 25.

Protective Voice

• His furious shout reaches deep into Lin Dong’s soul during the silver coin’s mental assault.
• The interruption restores Lin Dong’s awareness long enough for him to seal away the relic 25.

Manifestation Limits

• Xiao Yan explicitly states that he cannot remain for long.
• His intervention incurs the Heavenly Dao’s future-affinity penalty.
• Lin Dong has not mastered the summoning method afterward 25 26.

Equipment / Items

• Grayish-white Bone Ring — Worn on his hand; Lin Dong looks at it while encouraging him to resume cultivation. Its function is not established in the provided passages 32.
• Stamina and Strength Enhancers — Purchased by Lin Dong to strengthen Xiao Yan’s body and potentially assist his cultivation 1 2 3.
• Qi Gathering Powder — Engagement-cancellation compensation secured by Lin Dong and given to Xiao Yan to help him regain his cultivation 30 32.
• Marriage agreement — Returned through Lin Dong; Xiao Yan delivers news of the broken engagement to his father 32 35.

Relationships

• Lin Dong — Sworn older brother. His repeated protection earns Xiao Yan’s absolute trust and motivates him to become stronger in return 2 3 31 32 35.
• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan leader. His duty to balance clan factions limits his public intervention, though he privately rewards Lin Dong for helping Xiao Yan 3 5.
• Xiao Xun’er — Childhood sweetheart. She thanks and rewards Lin Dong for protecting him, and brings Xiao Yan to witness the engagement confrontation 4 31 32.
• Xiao Ning — Clan rival and bully. Xiao Yan challenges him to a fight within six months to avenge Lin Dong’s humiliation 2 3.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée. Her attempt to cancel their engagement is intercepted by Lin Dong, who becomes the opponent in her three-year challenge 29 30 31 35.
• Mysterious old mentor — An unidentified elderly voice that approaches him as he begins physical training; no completed mentorship or cultivation breakthrough is shown 35.

Favorability Milestones

Milestone	Effect
100% favorability	Establishes the bond “friends unto death, entrusted with wife and children”; Lin Dong gains exclusive Awakener access to the realm and a 24-hour stay 3.
10% decrease	Heavenly Dao penalty for borrowing against the future; must be repaired within three days to avoid becoming permanent 25 26.
+10; surpasses 101	Witnessing Lin Dong protect his dignity earns a friendship that will endure until death 31 32.
Affinity exceeds its limit	Time begins accelerating inside the secret realm, creating the prospect of faster growth but making future interactions harder to coordinate 35.

Notable Quotes

“I sensed that you needed help, big brother, so of course I came!” 24

“You'll always be my big brother!” 25

“I'll find a way to resume cultivating as soon as possible. When the Three-Year Agreement comes due, I'll be there personally to back you up!” 32