Xiao Yan

Biodata

Power Progression

Dou Qi and Cultivation Method

Alchemy

Background / History

Previous Lives and Return to Youth

Xiao Yan originally came from Huaxia on Earth. In his subsequent life on the Dou Qi Continent, he became the Flame Emperor and an Emperor-Grade Alchemist. After defeating Hun Tiandi, he was ambushed by the remnant soul of a Hun Clan Dou Di; the encounter ended in their mutual destruction. He then awakened in his younger body, shortly after Nalan Yanran had broken off their engagement 1 22 23.

His chief advantage is his knowledge of the future. Rather than following his previous path unchanged, he seeks resources and allies early enough to prevent the disasters that once befell Yao Lao and the Xiao Clan 1 10.

Nalan Family and Early Cultivation

Xiao Yan uses the Mittel Auction House to uncover information about the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva, then subtly directs Yao Lao toward it. At the Nalan residence, Yao Lao cures Nalan Jie’s Brand Poison while Xiao Yan maintains the appearance of a mysterious black-robed healer. Nalan Jie gives them the medicinal plant in gratitude, without recognizing Xiao Yan’s identity 1.

In seclusion, Xiao Yan absorbs the recovered poison-corroded Dou Qi and becomes a Dou Zhe. He subsequently chooses the Flame Mantra and demonstrates that it can evolve through both Heavenly Flames and ordinary Beast Flames 1 2 3 5.

Magical Beast Mountain Range and the Flame Alliance

Seeking stronger flames, Xiao Yan enters the Magical Beast Mountain Range and subdues the Amethyst Winged Lion King with Yao Lao’s borrowed soul power. He obtains the Companion Amethyst Source, then compensates the Lion King by arranging for Yao Lao to refine an Emperor’s Extreme Pill 6 8 9.

This encounter inspires him to build a faction around powerful magical beasts. His real objectives are to protect the Xiao Clan and oppose the Hall of Souls, rather than merely avenge the broken engagement. He wins over the Deadly Mad Bird through force and promised pills, then secures the Nether Snake King’s cooperation through a True Contract and a seventh-tier Dragon Transformation Pill refined by Yao Lao 10 11 12.

The resulting faction is formally named the Flame Alliance. Xiao Yan offers pills in exchange for resources, territorial expansion, and service, while explicitly allowing members to leave. He also persuades the overlords to support him at the Three-Year Agreement by fabricating stories about Yun Shan and the Misty Cloud Sect 27 28.

Xiao Yi Xian and the Hidden Abode

Using his memories, Xiao Yan searches the cliffs for a hidden Dou Wang abode, eventually encountering Xiao Yi Xian. Inside, he retrieves a Demonic Flame Remnant Map fragment, Golden Luminescence Refinement, Eagle Wings, and the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. He gives the poison scripture to Xiao Yi Xian 14 15 16.

After Mu Li and the Wolf Head mercenaries attack, Xiao Yan protects her and helps defeat their group. When Mu Li exposes the tragedy caused by her Woeful Poison Body, Xiao Yan comforts her and destroys the scripture after its description deepens her despair 17 18 19.

Despite Yao Lao’s objections, he refuses to abandon her. He later recruits her into his faction, supplies poisonous ingredients and a Storage Ring, and sends her to the Chu Yun Empire under the Amethyst Winged Lion King’s protection 20 25 26.

Black Rock City and Hai Bodong

After rapidly relearning alchemy under Yao Lao, Xiao Yan travels to Black Rock City for formal certification. His ability to form a cauldron from fire and refine a flawless Power Accumulation Pill astonishes the local alchemists. He passes the third-tier examination and obtains directions to the Ancient Map shop in Desert City 24 30 32 34.

There, he finds Hai Bodong and another Demonic Flame Remnant Map fragment. Following a confrontation, Xiao Yan uses Yao Lao’s power to break Hai Bodong’s Snake Tribe Seal, receiving the map and fragment in return. He then recruits Hai Bodong into the Flame Alliance 37 38 39.

Stone Desert City and the Snake-People Threat

Xiao Yan reunites with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li and brings ten Fifth-Order beasts to protect them. To explain his former cultivation regression, he invents a story that he secretly spent three years sustaining the beasts with his Dou Qi. The account moves the assembled troops and mercenaries, while casting the Xiao clansmen who mistreated him in a shameful light 41.

He takes control of Stone Desert City and compensates its former city lord with ten third-grade Bone-Growing Pills. While helping Qing Lin, he recognizes her latent Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and deliberately awakens them through an emotionally charged account of his own mistreatment 42 44 45.

During a desert search, Xiao Yan overhears plans to unleash a beast tide against Stone Desert City. He captures a female Snake-Person for Qing Lin to control and question, then returns to warn his brothers. Although he rejects the mercenaries’ attempt to pressure him into fighting, he chooses to protect them as companions and orders preparations for battle 47 49 50.

Appearance

• Youthful build: His red outfit reveals faint abdominal definition; his age surprises the Amethyst Winged Lion King, who initially assumes he may descend from an ancient race 8.
• Black eyes: Traces of white flame appear in them when Yao Lao’s power envelops him 39.
• Black-robed disguise: Conceals his identity during his dealings with the Nalan Family and the imperial capital’s traders 1 4 5.
• Alchemist attire: Later wears an official robe embroidered with three flame patterns 36.

Personality

Xiao Yan is calculating and adept at managing what others know. He disguises his previous-life expertise as extraordinary talent, acts like a novice before Yao Lao, and uses carefully constructed stories to recruit allies or explain suspicious circumstances. His fabricated account of sacrificing his cultivation shows how effectively he can turn an audience’s sympathy to his advantage 3 9 23 27 41.

He is also protective and emotionally attached to people he knew before his rebirth. Memories of Yao Lao’s capture drive his urgency to build the Flame Alliance, while his affection for Xiao Yi Xian leads him to support her despite the danger of her constitution. He identifies with Qing Lin’s exclusion and mistreatment 10 20 25 45.

His confidence often becomes boastfulness, particularly when provoking Yao Lao into teaching him stronger techniques. Nevertheless, he can recognize his own insensitivity: after upsetting Xiao Yi Xian by displaying his alchemist status, he reflects on his earlier arrogance and apologizes 16 20 22.

Abilities & Skills

Previous-Life Knowledge

Retains the memories and practical experience of the Flame Emperor 1 23.

• Locates valuable resources and recognizes medicinal ingredients before others understand their significance 1 9 15.
• Relearns familiar Dou Techniques almost immediately 21 22.
• Uses extensive combat experience to remain composed against the Wolf Head mercenaries 18.
• His recollection is not perfect: he must search numerous cliffs to rediscover the hidden abode 14.

Flame Mantra and Seven-Colored Flame

An evolving cultivation method that strengthens itself by devouring and fusing flames 2 3 5.

• Flame absorption: Both Heavenly Flames and Beast Flames can improve his cultivation and method, although Beast Flames provide smaller gains 2 5.
• Little Bone Spirit Cold Flame: Absorbs the flame supplied by Yao Lao, whose Bone Spirit Cold Flame ranks eleventh among Heavenly Flames 3.
• Flame shaping: Forms dragons, threads, and a nine-dragon-headed medicinal cauldron from his seven-colored flame 18 23 32.
• Recovery: Draws in surrounding Fire Attribute Dou Qi to replenish his reserves 33.
• Assessment: Frank and Otto identify his seven-colored flame as a powerful mutated Beast Flame rather than a Heavenly Flame 32.

Eight Extremes Collapse

A High-grade Profound Tier technique, also rendered as Eight Levels Collapse, taught by Yao Lao 21 32.

• Produces eight streams of hidden force.
• At great accomplishment, the overlapping forces yield destructive power comparable to Low Earth Tier.
• Xiao Yan reaches great accomplishment after only a few minutes because he already knows the technique from his previous life 21.

Flame Splitting Wave Ruler

A Low Earth Tier technique used with the Heavy Xuan Ruler 22.

• Channels accumulated Dou Qi and flames into a sweeping wave of fire.
• Its destructive power increases with the strength of the flames used.
• Xiao Yan’s first demonstrated execution approaches Mid Earth Tier power despite his Peak Six-Star Dou Zhe cultivation.
• Its heavy Dou Qi requirements leave little room for repeated attempts at his current realm 22.

Alchemy

Combines Emperor-Grade experience with the reserves of his younger body 23 34.

• Produces exceptionally pure Blood Coagulation Powder and rapidly masters second- and third-grade prescriptions 23 24.
• Refines a Power Accumulation Pill in fifteen minutes using a cauldron made from fire 32.
• Applies precise internal heating to extract medicinal essence while temporarily leaving an ingredient’s outer shell intact 33.
• Must carefully conserve Dou Qi when refining third-tier medicine; losing the energy sustaining his fire cauldron could ruin the batch 34.
• His public claims to seventh-tier alchemy exceed his independently demonstrated current-life output: Yao Lao refines the Dragon Transformation Pill while controlling his body 12.

Borrowed Soul Power

Yao Lao merges soul power into Xiao Yan’s body, temporarily granting strength comparable to a Four-Star Dou Zong 10 20 27 39.

• Enables aerial movement, overwhelming soul-power attacks, and the forcible destruction of Hai Bodong’s seal 6 20 39.
• Is not a permanent advancement in Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi cultivation 10.
• Repeated use strains his body and causes internal injuries, requiring treatment with a Bone-Growing Pill 40.
• Yao Lao repeatedly warns that dependence on borrowed strength undermines his training 9 10.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heavy Xuan Ruler — Forged from Heavenly Vein Meteoric Iron; weighs a thousand jun and continuously suppresses Dou Qi. Yao Lao describes it as resistant even to complete destruction by Dou Zun or Dou Sheng experts 22.
• Black ring / Bone Flame Ring — Houses Yao Lao’s soul and serves as a storage space for techniques, ingredients, and equipment 1 9 22 23.
• Demonic Flame Remnant Map fragments — Obtains one from the hidden abode’s skeleton and another from Hai Bodong; Yao Lao links them to the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame 15 37 39.
• Companion Amethyst Source — Received from the Amethyst Winged Lion King, who explains that refining it will grant her Beast Flame 8.
• Golden Luminescence Refinement — High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique recovered from the hidden abode; its effects initially puzzle both him and Yao Lao 15 20.
• Eagle Wings — Flying Dou Technique recovered from the same abode 15 16.
• Third-Tier Alchemist robe — Official attire bearing three embroidered flame patterns 36.

Relationships

• Yao Lao / Yao Chen — Teacher, protector, and source of borrowed soul power. Xiao Yan conceals his rebirth while teasing his teacher and working to prevent his future capture by the Hall of Souls 3 10 22.
• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li — Elder brothers and leaders of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. He reunites with them emotionally and brings magical beasts to protect them 28 41.
• Xiao Yi Xian — Previous-life confidante and current romantic interest. She initially rejects his confession, later joins his faction, and privately develops feelings for him 15 17 25 26.
• Xun’er — A deeply important person to him; he describes her and Xiao Yi Xian as different “wings” in his heart 24.
• Qing Lin — Companion whom he shelters and helps awaken the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. She confesses her affection and chooses to follow him 44 45.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and opponent in the Three-Year Agreement. Although he anticipates their battle, his larger plans focus on future threats rather than revenge against her 1 2 10.
• Amethyst Winged Lion King — Subdued beast ally who provides resources, cares for Xiao Yi Xian, and escorts her to the Chu Yun Empire 8 21 26.
• Deadly Mad Bird and Nether Snake King — Powerful beast allies recruited through strength, contractual obligations, and promised medicinal rewards 11 12 27 28.
• Hai Bodong — Recruited into the Flame Alliance after Xiao Yan restores his Dou Huang cultivation by breaking the Snake Tribe Seal 39.
• Frank and Otto — Alchemists who oversee his qualification and try to encourage matches between him and their disciples, Xue Mei and Lin Fei 30 34 36.
• Hun Tiandi and the Hall of Souls — Central future threats shaping his preparations. He defeated Hun Tiandi in his previous life and builds the Flame Alliance partly to oppose the Hall of Souls 1 10.

Notable Quotes

“Teacher, if I have a choice, of course I'll pick the cultivation technique with the highest upper limit. Isn't that only human nature?” 2

“At last, we can fight side by side again, old friend!” — On taking up the Heavy Xuan Ruler again 22

“Besides that, you'll still be free. You can take your people and leave the Flame Alliance at any time. I won't force you to stay.” 28