Xiao Yan

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Xiao Yan came from another world and began his life on the Dou Qi Continent as an infant. In his previous life, he had remained single into his thirties. His otherworldly origins left a faint trace within his soul that Xiao Xuan could detect with his Emperor Realm soul power 3 14.

Although he became a Dou Zhe in his early teens, Xiao Yan later endured three years of stagnation. Gu Xun'er remained beside him throughout this period. Nalan Yanran broke off their engagement on the same day that Xiao Xuan awakened from the Tou She Ancient God Jade 1 3 5.

Xiao Xuan valued Xiao Yan chiefly for his soul’s foreign Origin Qi, believing it might help substitute for the missing Emperor’s Origin. For that possibility to become useful, Xiao Yan would first need to reach Peak Dou Sheng. Xiao Xuan promised to protect his secret and support him, while requiring him to cultivate independently and eventually protect the Xiao Clan 3.

To provide him with a teacher, Xiao Xuan arranged his apprenticeship under Yao Chen and created a new body for the alchemist. Xiao Yan formally acknowledged Yao Chen as his master, setting aside their earlier grievances. He then chose the Flame Mantra on Xiao Xuan’s recommendation, accepting its painful cultivation in exchange for a path that could grow through devouring Heavenly Flames 4 5.

Personality

Xiao Yan believes strength should be earned through struggle rather than inherited advantages alone. Yao Chen particularly values his resilience, considering it more important than talent. His years of stagnation tempered him without extinguishing his pride or competitive spirit 2 27.

He is willing to oppose even Xiao Xuan when he considers a demand wrong. Despite the benefits promised by an immediate marriage to Xun'er, he refuses to force her into it. Later, he respects her wish to preserve her bloodline’s potential rather than obtain an advantage at her expense 15 48.

His growing strength and powerful backing also make him boastful. He taunts Medusa to provoke a dangerous battle, confidently recruits senior experts for his sect challenge, and openly disputes Yao Chen’s distinction between fourth-grade fundamentals and fifth-grade pill production. In combat, that boldness is paired with deception: he conceals additional flames within his Fire Lotus and hides a soul attack behind an apparent willingness to concede 42 44 45.

Abilities & Skills

Flame Mantra

An evolving cultivation method that increases its grade by devouring Heavenly Flames. Xiao Yan adopts it after Xiao Xuan explains its connection to Tou She Ancient God 4 5.

• Initial grade: Yellow Tier Low Grade before absorbing flames 5.
• Documented development: Reaches the high profound tier after the incorporation of the Green Lotus Core Flame and multiple Beast Flames 42.
• Limitations: Its early cultivation speed is slow without a Heavenly Flame, and absorbing flames entails considerable pain and danger 5 16.

Flame Control

Xiao Yan uses flames for alchemy, ranged attacks, close combat, and fusion techniques 42 44 50.

• Green Lotus Core Flame: His principal Heavenly Flame, ranked nineteenth. Xiao Xuan obtains it for him, and Yao Chen oversees the preparations and refinement 16 27.
• Purple flame and other Beast Flames: Supplement his main flame and contribute to the Flame Mantra’s development 42.
• Bone Spirit Cold Flame: Borrows wisps from Yao Chen for combat; the supplied chapters do not establish that he owns the flame 42 44.
• Combat applications: Coats his limbs in the Green Lotus Core Flame during close combat and uses it against Xiao Yi Xian’s poison techniques 42 44.

Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus

A destructive flame-fusion technique Xiao Yan develops. Xiao Xuan considers its construction rough but recognizes his talent for combining flames that are not entirely under his control 44.

• Concealed double attack: Against Medusa, hides a Bone Spirit Cold Flame–Green Lotus combination within an attack also using purple flame and Green Lotus Core Flame 42 43.
• Three-flame fusion: Combines Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Green Lotus Core Flame, and a trace of purple flame against Xiao Yi Xian. The resulting attack possesses High-Rank Dou Zong-level power 44.
• Limits: His Dou Wang cultivation cannot sustain repeated use. Remaining near the center of an explosion against Medusa leaves him badly injured and requiring Yao Chen’s rescue 43 44.

Combat Techniques

Soul Power

Xiao Yan’s otherworldly origins give his soul greater stability than that of others at the same level. At Dou Wang, he can already give soul power tangible form 44.

• Spirit Manifestation Spike: A concealed soul technique learned from Yao Chen, used to interrupt Xiao Yi Xian and create an opening for another attack 44 45.
• Foreign Origin Qi: Xiao Xuan regards the residue associated with his origins as a possible aid to a future Dou Di breakthrough, but only after Xiao Yan reaches Peak Dou Sheng 3.

Flight

• Purple King Azure Wings: An exclusive Flying Dou Technique Yao Chen creates from an old shed skin of the Amethyst Winged Lion King and a Heavenly Flame. Its speed lets Xiao Yan contend with a Dou Zong, though it is insufficient to escape Medusa’s pressure 42.
• Dou Qi wings: Gains natural wing formation upon reaching Dou Wang 43.

Alchemy

Yao Chen trains Xiao Yan in pill refinement. Although his underlying skill is fourth-grade, his Heavenly Flames allow him to reliably refine fifth-grade pills 4 45 48.

• Purification: Finishes first in the Alchemist Grand Meeting’s opening round, purifying Thousand-Tempered Ironwood to upper ninth grade—a purification result, not an alchemist rank 50.
• Formula analysis: Notices the apparently contradictory water-attribute ingredient in the fourth-grade Fire Spirit Pill formula during the second round 50.
• Advanced instruction: Observes Yao Chen and Mo Xuan’s pill-refining exchange, but cannot meaningfully follow their later discussion because of his limited cultivation and alchemical understanding 46 47 48.

Equipment / Items

• Cloud Ridge Cauldron — Acquired by Yao Chen during their training travels. Valuable enough to remain useful even to sixth- or seventh-grade alchemists; Xiao Yan summons it for the competition’s second round 50.
• Storage Ring — Holds his equipment, including the Cloud Ridge Cauldron 50.
• Dou Qi Seed — Obtained through Xiao Zhan secretly separating a third of his own seed. Xiao Xuan knew of the transfer and restored both seeds. Xiao Yan activates his seed to heal after fighting Medusa 43.
• Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map fragment — Discovered during the preparations for refining his first Heavenly Flame. He searches the Mittel Family’s auction house for another fragment 27.
• Eighth-Tier Tranquil Heart Pill / Mind-Calming Pill — A three-colored pill Mo Xuan gives him as a meeting gift. It assumes a rabbit-like form; Xiao Yan subsequently gives it to Xun'er 48.

Relationships

• Xiao Zhan — Father and Xiao Clan patriarch. Supports his cultivation, secretly supplies him with part of a Dou Qi Seed, and repeatedly encourages his marriage to Xun'er 1 43 48.
• Xiao Xuan — Ancestor, protector, and demanding cultivation patron. Keeps Xiao Yan’s origins secret, arranges his apprenticeship, supplies his first Heavenly Flame, and sets trials for him. Their disagreements chiefly concern forced marriage and how much help Xiao Yan should receive 3 4 15 17.
• Yao Chen — Master and principal instructor in cultivation and alchemy. Helps him refine the Green Lotus Core Flame, lends him flame wisps, and rescues him after the Medusa battle 4 27 42 43.
• Gu Xun'er — Childhood companion and romantic partner. Remains loyal during his decline. Xiao Yan initially calls her a younger sister, but their affection becomes explicit; the supplied chapters do not establish a completed wedding 5 15 48.
• Nalan Yanran — Former fiancée and opponent under the Three-Year Agreement. Her broken engagement motivates him to restore his father’s dignity, though he rejects Xiao Xuan’s suggestion of treating her as a reward 17 27.
• Xiao Yi Xian — Friend and sparring rival, whom he addresses as senior sister. Their battle ends in a draw declared by Xiao Xuan 28 44 45.
• Queen Medusa — Adversarial combat opponent. Her pressure helps him approach Dou Wang, but she defeats him in their clash despite sustaining injuries 42 43.
• Hai Bodong and Fa Ma — Senior allies he asks to accompany him to the Misty Cloud Sect 45.
• Mo Xuan — Xiao Xuan’s acquaintance and an alchemical senior who gives Xiao Yan an eighth-tier pill as a meeting gift 46 48.

Story Role / Major Arcs

The Arranged-Marriage Dispute

• Xiao Xuan first betroths Xun'er to Xiao Yan, briefly threatens to choose another Xiao Clan youth, and obtains Xiao Yan’s reluctant acceptance 5 6.
• When Xiao Xuan later demands an immediate wedding, Xiao Yan refuses to force Xun'er. Xiao Xuan withdraws his promise to negotiate the match with Gu Yuan, leaving Xiao Yan to pursue their future himself 14 15.

The Misty Cloud Sect Trial

• Xiao Xuan orders Xiao Yan to confront the sect’s Dou Zong after refining a Heavenly Flame. Xiao Yan accepts while planning to rely on Yao Chen’s support 17.
• Xiao Yan reaches the imperial capital before the Three-Year Agreement expires. Beyond confronting Nalan Yanran, he intends to help the Xiao Clan take control of the sect 27.
• Unknown to him, Xiao Xuan has already secured the empire’s submission. Yun Shan prepares the confrontation as a controlled training exercise, while Xiao Xuan also orders an alchemist competition to test his progress 27 45 49.

Battles in the Imperial Capital

• Challenges Medusa over her plan to attack the Misty Cloud Sect, using the battle to pressure his Peak Dou Ling bottleneck 41 42.
• Survives his Fire Lotus explosion through Yao Chen’s intervention, then breaks through to Dou Wang after Xiao Xuan confines him to cultivate 43.
• Immediately accepts Xiao Yi Xian’s challenge. Their exchange escalates through three-flame fusion, poison-body techniques, and a concealed soul attack before Xiao Xuan stops it and declares a draw 43 44 45.

Alchemist Grand Meeting

• Enters after Yao Chen insists that anything short of the championship would disgrace his teaching 48.
• Leads the first round with an upper ninth-grade Ironwood purification result 50.
• Begins the second round by examining the fourth-grade Fire Spirit Pill formula and its suspicious water-attribute ingredient. His result remains unresolved in the supplied chapters 50.

Notable Quotes

“Ancestor, isn't that wrong? Strength is earned through struggle. Talent doesn't mean everything.” 2

“Ancestor, I won't agree to it. Please reconsider. In any case, I won't force Xun'er.” 15

“Ancestor, I believe in myself, and I believe I can make Xun'er happy in the future.” 15