Xiao Ce

Biodata

Power Progression

Original Body

Historical avatars have separate cultivation histories; their realms do not automatically become Xiao Ce’s own cultivation.

Historical Avatars

Background / History

Transmigration and Broken Engagement

Xiao Ce transmigrated to the Dou Qi Continent as Xiao Yan’s third brother—a family member absent from the original novel he remembered. Despite cultivating until eighteen, he reached only Fifth Stage Dou Qi. He initially considered relying on the future rise of Xiao Yan’s bloodline, though he preferred to reach the summit through his own strength 1.

The Deployment System awakened on his eighteenth birthday, shortly before Nalan Yanran arrived to dissolve their childhood engagement. Angered by the humiliation inflicted on Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ce repudiated her in blood and challenged her to meet him at the Misty Cloud Sect in three years. She accepted and left Qi Gathering Powder as compensation 1 2.

Recovering His Historical Inheritance

His first deployment supplied the Emperor Flame essence and Spirit Refining Art. After reaching Dou Zhe and absorbing the essence, Xiao Ce undertook a second deployment as an abandoned infant adopted by an elderly alchemist. That avatar deliberately left an inheritance in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for his future original body 3 5 6 7.

Xiao Ce selected the avatar’s Ninth Grade Golden Pill and peak fire-control skills, then left home to retrieve the inheritance. Before departing, he exposed the First Elder’s mishandling of clan resources and secured his confinement with Xiao Zhan’s support. In the hidden valley, he recovered the Gilded Ring and an alchemical inheritance extending from first-tier pills to Ninth Grade Golden Pills 10 11 12 13.

He also reunited with the Mysterious Yellow Flame, which had guarded the inheritance for more than a thousand years, and met Xiao Yi Xian. The flame helped him obtain an infant Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, whose absorption carried him into the Dou Shi realm 12 14 15 16.

Return to Wutan City

Following his Dragon Phoenix deployment, Xiao Ce fused its royal bloodline and trained until he could refine third-tier pills. He returned to find the Xiao Clan’s markets threatened by the Jia Lie Family’s medicinal business. His Body-Recovery Pills proved at least fifty percent more effective than their Rejuvenation Powder, restoring the clan’s trade. He also defeated the three elders and forced them to yield authority 26 28 29 32.

Xiao Ce privately confronted Yao Lao and presented his growing collection of abilities as the result of reincarnation. He secured Yao Lao’s agreement to train Xiao Yan without reservation and negotiated a future exchange for the Bone Spirit Cold Flame 31.

After surviving an assassination attempt, Xiao Ce went to the Jia Lie compound that night. The family was subsequently exterminated; he told Xiao Zhan that a secluded master had acted on his behalf. He later declined to accompany Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun’er into academy life, choosing further travel before the Three-Year Agreement 32 33.

Tagor Desert Journey

Xiao Ce recruited Xiao Yi Xian after identifying her Woeful Poison Body and promising to help manage it. When Mr. Yao threatened her departure, Xiao Ce intervened and secretly left a lethal fire thread in him. He subsequently destroyed the Wolf Head Mercenary Group after its members ambushed them 34 35.

In the Tagor Desert, Xiao Ce sought the Green Lotus Core Flame. He defeated Snake-People guards but suffered severe internal injuries fighting Queen Medusa, requiring the Ninth Grade Golden Pill’s intervention. With the Mysterious Yellow Flame’s protection, he later seized the flame seed, Green Lotus Platform, and Earth Fire Lotus Seeds, deliberately leaving the lotus root intact 37 38 40 41.

After absorbing the flame, Xiao Ce reunited with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li at the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and took Qing Lin as his personal maid. His subsequent breakthrough to Da Dou Shi enabled the fourth deployment 42 43 44.

Artifact-Refining Legacy

The fourth deployment left Xiao Ce with artifact-refining talent, a Gathering Qi Futon, and an inheritance concealed in the Falling Star Cauldron. He discovered that the Artifact Refiner Alliance founded by his avatar still existed, but had declined after mysterious experts stole its Soul Contract Stele several hundred years earlier 52.

He planned to visit the alliance’s Stone Desert City branch, purchase special metals, and investigate the attackers. He also considered returning to the Xiao Clan to recover the Nine Nether Wind Flame and Emperor Jade, if those legacies had survived 52 53.

Appearance

• Human appearance: Handsome, with a recognizable family resemblance to Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, and Xiao Li 1 43.
• Dragon Phoenix transformation: Golden eyes, purple-gold dragon horns, and scarlet-golden wings appear after the royal bloodline fusion 26.
• Clothing: Wears black robes when approaching the Jia Lie compound following the assassination attempt 32.

Personality

Xiao Ce is ambitious without mistaking hard work for exceptional cultivation talent. He openly recognizes his limitations, maintains strict training routines, and continues cultivating personally even when the Fallen Heart Flame can improve his Dou Qi automatically. He also insists on fighting for himself rather than becoming wholly dependent on his powerful protectors 1 16 28 37.

His affection for his family contrasts sharply with his treatment of opponents. He gives Xiao Yan all his savings, defends Xiao Zhan against the elders, and remains warm with his brothers despite keeping major secrets. Conversely, he uses overwhelming force against obstructive elders and favors eliminating enemies who might retaliate 4 6 11 29 35.

He is calculating in both alliances and explanations. His initial interest in teaching Xiao Yi Xian includes the prospect of gaining a rapidly developing, loyal ally. He also adopts a reincarnation story to explain system rewards and potentially reclaim organizations founded by his avatars 14 31.

Despite this pragmatism, he comforts the Mysterious Yellow Flame rather than blaming her imperfect guidance, protects an exhausted Xiao Yi Xian, and reassures Qing Lin that he does not want her mistreated as he once was 37 41 44.

Abilities & Skills

Deployment System

The system sends an avatar into a randomly selected historical era and grants rewards according to its achievements 1.

• Gains one deployment with each breakthrough to a major cultivation realm 1 5 43.
• Avatars possess Xiao Ce’s memories at the moment of deployment, allowing knowledge studied beforehand to influence their lives 16.
• Historical legacies can survive into the present, including inheritances, companions, organizations, and statues 12 25 52.
• Rewards can transfer objects, bloodlines, aptitude, cultivation methods, or fully developed skills; Xiao Ce does not automatically inherit every avatar achievement 3 10 26 52.

Spirit Refining Art

Created by his first avatar, the Spirit Refining Art has Beyond Heaven Tier potential but begins at Initial Yellow Tier so a Dou Zhe can practice it 3 4.

• Refines spiritual treasures of heaven and earth rather than relying exclusively on Heavenly Flames 16.
• Produces chaotic-black Dou Qi and develops through absorbing additional energy 5 16.
• Reaches high-grade Yellow Tier after the Emperor Flame, low-grade Profound Tier after the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, and Intermediate Profound Tier after the Green Lotus Core Flame 6 16 42.
• Requires substantial energy to evolve because of its broad range of compatible resources 16 42.

Emperor Flame Essence

His first avatar created the essence by combining its Nihility Devouring Flame essence with a wisp seized from Tou She Ancient God 4.

• Suppresses ordinary Heavenly Flames and protects Xiao Ce during absorption 4 15 42.
• Reproduces Heavenly Flame properties, including devouring, purification, medicinal-herb growth, healing, and Dou Qi tempering 4 10.
• Its Fallen Heart Flame imitation can temper his Dou Qi continuously, including while he performs other activities 16.
• Initially far weaker than the original flames it imitates; absorbing other Heavenly Flames restores its essence and strengthens those effects 4 14 16.

Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline

The third deployment’s bloodline reward reconstructs Xiao Ce’s body and raises his physique to Sixth Rank without immediately increasing his Dou Qi realm 26 27.

• Grants physical durability comparable to a sixth-rank Magical Beast 27.
• Allows him to withstand attacks from a Two-Star Great Dou Master and several Dou Shi without injury 32.
• Gives him enough practical combat strength to contend with an ordinary fifth-rank Magical Beast, but does not make him invulnerable to stronger opponents 38.
• Awakens the scarlet-gold Dragon Phoenix Flame, whose strength depends on his own power 28.

Three Thousand Star Body

Obtained through absorbing the Emperor Flame, this constitution provides exceptional recovery 6.

• Heals the internal injuries inflicted by Medusa 38.
• Supports prolonged combat and survival through otherwise dangerous injuries 6 15.
• Does not guarantee survival against an attack that kills him instantly 6.

Fire Control and Alchemy

Xiao Ce directly inherits the peak fire-control skill of his second avatar, a Ninth Grade Golden Pill alchemist 10.

• Precisely separates medicinal essence from unwanted material and enhances flame-based combat 10 28.
• Possesses fire with a trace of wood and unusually strong soul perception, meeting the prerequisites for alchemy 5.
• Holds recipes and alchemical knowledge spanning first-tier pills through Ninth Grade Golden Pills 13.
• Must still learn recipes and practice refining; inherited fire control alone initially leaves him without practical alchemical knowledge 11.
• Demonstrates third-tier alchemy by refining the Bone-Continuation Pill 28.

Dou Techniques

• Rock-Splitting Palm: High-grade Yellow Tier technique known at minor accomplishment before his first deployment 1.
• Blazing Flame Sky-Splitting Palm: High-grade Profound Tier attack that compresses flame into a thin layer. Extreme compression can rival an Earth Tier technique; powerful fire control is essential to fully exploit it 16.
• Heavenly Flame application: Substitutes the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame for ordinary Dou Qi flame to strengthen his palm strikes 16.
• Flowing Wind Shadow-Stealing Step: High-grade Profound Tier movement technique specializing in short bursts, abrupt direction changes, and deceptive afterimages. The afterimages themselves have no destructive power 16.

Concealment and Artifact Refining

• Breath-Concealing Technique: Obtained after the third deployment; conceals his presence and cultivation during his approach to the Snake-People guards 26 37.
• Artifact Refining Talent: Granted after the fourth deployment and supplemented by the extensive inheritance released from the Falling Star Cauldron 52.
• Early limitation: Despite his powerful physique and manifested bloodline wings, he still lacks usable flight during the Heavenly Flame expedition and considers learning Purple Cloud Wings 40.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Gilded Ring — Storage ring recovered from his avatar’s hidden inheritance; used to carry his belongings and collected resources 13 28 41.
• Falling Star Cauldron — Medicinal cauldron associated with his second avatar’s master; later reveals an ancient artifact-refining inheritance 7 52.
• Silver-white shield-shaped ring — Gift from Xiao Xun’er that can store Dou Sheng-level power and create a protective barrier 32.
• Green Lotus Platform / Green Lotus Seat — Increases cultivation speed and helps temper Dou Qi 41.
• Gathering Qi Futon — Ninth-Grade Treasure Artifact obtained after the fourth deployment. Its energy-gathering effect stacks with the Green Lotus Seat 52.
• Earth Fire Lotus Seeds — Highly concentrated cultivation resources used for several breakthroughs, including his advance to Da Dou Shi 41 43.
• Ice Spirit Cold Spring — Holds more than one hundred bottles among the resources he considers using for further growth 41.
• Absorbed Heavenly Flames — Emperor Flame essence, infant Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, and Green Lotus Core Flame 6 16 42.

Relationships

• Xiao Zhan — Father. Xiao Ce defends his authority, exposes the elders’ misconduct, and supplies pills that restore the clan’s business 11 29 32.
• Xiao Yan — Younger brother. They support one another through ridicule and cultivation setbacks. Xiao Ce finances his early medicinal ingredients and later arranges more complete instruction from Yao Lao 1 4 6 31.
• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li — Older brothers. They established the Desert Iron Mercenary Group partly to provide Xiao Ce a comfortable future if his talent remained poor; he later offers to refine pills for them 43.
• Xiao Xun’er — Close childhood companion and romantic interest. They exchange jewelry, hold hands, and share affectionate private moments; she gives him a valuable defensive ring 14 32 33.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and opponent in the Three-Year Agreement. Her demand to dissolve their engagement prompts his repudiation and challenge 1 2.
• Ninth Grade Golden Pill — Sentient pill created by his second avatar, possessing Eight-Star Dou Sheng cultivation. Calls him “Father” and acts as his protector and spatial transporter. Revealing her full strength risks detection by Hun Tiandi 10 11.
• Mysterious Yellow Flame — Loyal Heavenly Flame companion inherited from his second avatar. Guards his legacy, guides his flame searches, and protects him in magma. Xiao Ce postpones absorbing her because digesting her energy would take too long 12 14 28 40.
• Xiao Yi Xian — Alchemy student and traveling companion. He recruits her, promises to help manage her Woeful Poison Body, and protects her from hostile employers and mercenaries 16 34 35.
• Qing Lin — Personal maid, recruited after he recognizes her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. He reassures her that he does not intend to mistreat her 43 44.
• Yao Lao / Yao Chen — Negotiating partner and Xiao Yan’s teacher. Xiao Ce promises a future body in exchange for wholehearted instruction, and a Soul Origin repair technique for the Bone Spirit Cold Flame after the Three-Year Agreement 31.
• One-Brow Old Man — Adoptive father and alchemy teacher of the second avatar. Xiao Ce retains affection for him and asks about his fate after the deployment 7 11.
• Huang Di — Recognizes the Dragon Phoenix avatar as an elder brother. The Huang Clan preserves a statue of that avatar into Xiao Ce’s present 25.
• Queen Medusa — Opponent during the Green Lotus Core Flame expedition. Her attacks severely injure Xiao Ce before the Ninth Grade Golden Pill intervenes 38.

Notable Quotes

“To reach the summit, effort is indispensable, but talent is even more crucial.” 1

“Being stronger than me now doesn't mean you'll be stronger than me for life.” 2

“Having secrets is normal. They can't change the bond between us brothers anyway.” 6