Xiao Yan

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xiao Yan (萧炎)
Alias(es)	Young Master Xiao; Little Yanzi; Huohuo, a nickname used by Han Chen 6 19 36. Flame Emperor is identified as his future title, not his current rank 6.
Gender	Male 6
Affiliation	Xiao Clan of Wutan City 6
Occupation/Role	Cultivator studying alchemy under Yao Lao; protagonist of the original story whose opportunities Han Chen seeks to influence 8 27 36.
Status	Alive; last shown beginning Heavenly Flame refinement in seclusion 72.
First Appearance	Chapter 6; his arranged engagement is discussed before his introduction 4 6.

Power Progression

The supplied chapters establish Xiao Yan’s recovery and eventual Dou Zhe cultivation, but do not give his exact star level or show the outcome of his Heavenly Flame refinement.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Former genius; three years of cultivation decline	6 7	His Dou Qi dissipates because Yao Lao absorbs it. At his introduction, Xiao Yan does not understand the cause.
Cultivation recovery underway; rank unspecified	19 27	His renewed confidence and rapid recovery help Han Chen infer that a hidden expert is assisting him. Han Chen later judges his cultivation to be progressing faster than in the original story.
Dou Zhe; star level unspecified	48 53	Explicitly identified as a Dou Zhe during Hai Bodong’s test and preparations for a seventh-tier pill. He remains weaker than Han Chen and cannot withstand pill lightning.
Heavenly Flame refinement begun	72	Begins refining Heavenly Flames with Yao Lao’s prepared medicines and remaining Blood-Replenishing Pills previously given to Medusa by Han Chen. No resulting realm or completed refinement is documented.

Background / History

Xiao Yan is Xiao Zhan’s son and a former cultivation genius of the Xiao Clan. After three years of unexplained Dou Qi loss, he becomes withdrawn and faces open disrespect from clan elders. His father and Xiao Xun’er remain among the few people who consistently treat him kindly 6 8.

His decline is attributed to Yao Lao absorbing his Dou Qi. Yao Lao subsequently becomes his teacher and concealed protector, guiding his recovery, cultivation, alchemy, and pursuit of Heavenly Flames 7 13 19 27.

Xiao Yan’s engagement to Nalan Yanran originates in a marriage alliance between the Xiao and Nalan families. Although the alliance benefits the Xiao Clan, neither Xiao Yan nor Yanran has chosen the relationship for themselves 6 7.

Appearance

• Hair: Black 6.
• Build: Described as small and slender by a mercenary in Qingshan Town 32.
• Clothing: Wears black brocade robes while shopping with Xiao Xun’er and a black robe when arriving in Qingshan Town 13 31.
• Recognizable equipment: Carries the large Heavy Xuan Ruler on his back 54 58.

Personality

Xiao Yan combines pride with an ability to accept reasonable arguments. During the engagement dispute, he listens to Han Chen, acknowledges Nalan Yanran’s right to choose her future, and accepts a dignified separation. Nevertheless, he refuses compensation and proposes a three-year contest rather than resign himself to being regarded as a failure 7.

He is protective of people close to him. He confronts Jia Lie Ao over threats to Han Chen, rushes into danger for Xiao Xun’er, and later infiltrates the Snake-People royal city hoping to help his friend despite a prolonged pursuit 14 21 66.

His caution often competes with ambition. He investigates Shang Xinci’s background and suspects her treasure offer may be a trap, yet agrees to accompany her. News of a Heavenly Flame makes him considerably more impulsive, requiring Yao Lao and Han Chen to persuade him to rest rather than confront Medusa unprepared 32 50 57.

His relationship with Yao Lao includes affectionate irreverence: they trade insults and teasing, but Xiao Yan takes his teacher’s serious warnings to heart 20 24 34.

Abilities & Skills

Fire-Attribute Cultivation and Flame Mantra

Xiao Yan practices a fire-attribute cultivation method and seeks Heavenly Flames to evolve the Flame Mantra 50 58.

• Uses Amethyst Flame when preparing to fight Hai Bodong and to melt his ice attacks 47 48.
• Can endure the heat of the underground passage better than Han Chen, but cannot safely traverse the lava without assistance 58.
• Begins Heavenly Flame refinement under Yao Lao’s guidance; completion is not shown in the supplied material 72.

Dou Techniques

Xiao Yan obtains the iron fragment containing Suction Palm, a Mystic Tier technique, through Han Chen 19.

• The technique generates suction through the palm to draw an opponent toward its user 19.
• Its stated advanced application is extracting blood from a distance; Xiao Yan is not shown achieving this mastery 19.
• He asks about practicing it before Yao Lao abruptly ends their visit to Han Chen 20.

Alchemy Studies

Xiao Yan studies alchemy under Yao Lao, though the supplied chapters do not establish an official alchemist tier 27.

• Han Chen considers his alchemy insufficiently developed for immediate travel earlier in his recovery 27.
• Helps collect ingredients for Yao Lao’s seventh-tier pill and stands guard during its refinement; Yao Lao performs the actual refining 53 54.
• Receives a pill formula from Han Chen in exchange for promising future access to the Green Lotus Core Flame 57.

Yao Lao’s Possession and Protection

Yao Lao can possess Xiao Yan’s body to provide temporary combat strength and flight. These are borrowed capabilities, not Xiao Yan’s independent cultivation level 38 55.

• Possession enables escape from the Amethyst Winged Lion King and flight during encounters with Medusa 38 55 60.
• The state cannot be maintained indefinitely; exhaustion forces Han Chen to take over their escape using the Divine Wind Boat 55 56.
• Yao Lao’s Bone Spirit Cold Flame shields Xiao Yan during the descent through underground lava 58.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heavy Xuan Ruler — Large weapon used defensively against Hai Bodong and carried into the underground flame cave 48 54 58.
• Bone Flame Ring / Storage Ring — Houses Yao Lao, who communicates with Xiao Yan and emerges from it when necessary 19 55.
• Suction Palm iron fragment — Given by Han Chen without immediate payment, with a request to share a complementary outward-pushing technique if one is found 19.
• Foundation Establishment Pill — Purchased at the Mittel Auction House for 1,200,001 gold coins. Its consumption and effect on Xiao Yan are not shown 17 19.
• Qi Gathering Powder — Returned to him by Nalan Yanran when she accepts the Three-Year Agreement 8.
• Demonic Flame Remnant Maps — Receives an initial fragment through Han Chen’s arrangements, another piece from Hai Bodong, and a further fragment through Han Chen’s bargain with Yao Lao 36 49 53.
• Pill-refinement supplies — Uses Yao Lao’s prepared medicines and remaining Blood-Replenishing Pills during Heavenly Flame refinement 72.

Relationships

• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan chief. Protects Xiao Yan’s dignity and leaves the engagement decision to him 6 7.
• Yao Lao — Teacher, strategist, and concealed protector. Previously caused his cultivation decline by absorbing Dou Qi; later guides his recovery and repeatedly rescues him through possession 7 19 38 55.
• Xiao Xun’er — Younger cousin and romantic interest. Supports him during his decline; Xiao Yan carries her to safety after her destructive confrontation with the Jia Lie Family 6 7 13 21.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and opponent in the Three-Year Agreement. Their engagement ends amicably, with a contest scheduled at Misty Cloud Mountain 7 8.
• Han Chen / Xiao Cha — Friend, trading partner, and unreliable ally. Helps preserve Xiao Yan’s dignity and supports his flame hunt, but also redirects danger toward him and manipulates his opportunities 6 38 50 59.
• Xiao Ding — Elder brother. Supports the desert search and supplies information about the suspected Heavenly Flame site 51 57.
• Xiao Li — Second brother and Desert Iron Mercenary Group deputy commander. Welcomes Xiao Yan warmly and helps defuse the group’s fear of Xiao Cha 51.
• Hai Bodong — Senior expert who tests Xiao Yan and Han Chen, defeats them, and rewards Xiao Yan with a map fragment 48 49.
• Jia Lie Ao — Hostile rival who mocks his ended engagement and harasses Xun’er. Xiao Yan drives him away by summoning Xiao Clan reinforcements 13 14.
• Queen Medusa — Powerful obstacle in his Heavenly Flame pursuit. Her pursuit repeatedly forces him to rely on Yao Lao and Han Chen to escape 55 57 60.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Engagement Cancellation and Three-Year Agreement

When Nalan Yanran’s party visits the Xiao Clan, the elders deliberately leave Xiao Yan without a chair. Han Chen discreetly supplies one, then mediates the engagement discussion to prevent a humiliating confrontation 6.

Xiao Yan accepts the separation after hearing Han Chen’s arguments and Yanran’s insistence on personal autonomy. He refuses compensation, vows to recover his talent, and proposes meeting her at Misty Cloud Mountain in three years for a contest. Yanran accepts 7 8.

Wutan City: Purchases, Secrets, and Cooperation

Xiao Yan protects Han Chen from Jia Lie Ao, then seeks the mysterious iron fragment Han Chen purchased. After buying the Foundation Establishment Pill at auction, he enters Han Chen’s courtyard without permission and is restrained by the Blood Jade Spiders 14 17 18.

The resulting discussion exposes Yao Lao’s presence to Han Chen and secures Suction Palm for Xiao Yan. Their cooperation continues when Xiao Yan pays with an Earth-Tier technique to have Han Chen cover his escape while he carries the unconscious Xun’er away from the Jia Lie compound 19 21.

Qingshan Town and the Magical Beast Mountain Range

Han Chen replaces the absent Xiao Yi Xian as Xiao Yan’s intended guide by disguising himself as the physician Shang Xinci. Xiao Yan notices something familiar about her but does not identify the disguise. Despite suspicions, he agrees to help search a cliffside cave for a fifty-fifty treasure split 31 32 33.

Han Chen later prevents Xiao Yan from rescuing the wounded Yun Yun by kicking him into a lake. At the Lion King’s cave, Han Chen hands him the cub and companion amethyst source before escaping, leaving Xiao Yan to face the returning beast’s pursuit. Yao Lao possesses him to flee 34 38.

Tagor Desert Partnership

Xiao Yan recognizes Han Chen beneath his Xiao Cha identity through the distinctive purple Storage Ring. After Hai Bodong’s test, he joins Han Chen’s search: Xiao Yan wants the Green Lotus Core Flame, while Han Chen wants the Earthfire Lotus Seat and seeds 47 49 50 51.

Their map-fragment bargain requires Yao Lao to refine a seventh-tier pill for Han Chen. The pill lightning attracts Medusa, forcing a cooperative escape. Xiao Yan subsequently agrees to let Han Chen borrow the Green Lotus Core Flame in return for a pill formula 53 54 55 57.

Snake-People Royal City and Flame Refinement

After finding evidence that Medusa has taken the flame, Xiao Yan continues toward the royal city. He suffers a three-day pursuit and eventually infiltrates the city disguised as a snake woman to reach Han Chen 58 60 66.

He and Han Chen locate the Holy Water Altar and move in after Medusa’s evolution tribulation. Yao Lao later possesses Xiao Yan for their departure. Xiao Yan subsequently finds a secluded location and begins refining Heavenly Flames 68 69 72.

Han Chen’s Use of Xiao Yan’s Original Destiny

• Checking in with Xiao Yan during the engagement-cancellation event gives Han Chen major system rewards, including the Heaven-Palm Bottle 8.
• Han Chen deliberately preserves parts of Xiao Yan’s original route while taking selected opportunities for himself 31 36.
• He wants Xiao Yan to remain strong enough to draw Soul Hall’s attention away from him and serve as a future fighting force 36 59.

Notable Quotes

“Rest assured, Brother Xiao Cha. I only want the Heavenly Flame. As for the Earthfire Lotus Seat, I'll definitely help you get it!” 51

“My brother! I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Don't worry—if you ever run into trouble, just come to me. I'll never turn you down.” 59