[1] After leaving the club he moved to Qingdao Etsong before settling within another Sichuan province football team with Chengdu Blades where he stayed for several seasons until he retired from playing.

He would rise to prominence at the end of the 1995 football league season when he played a large part in the fight against relegation for Sichuan Quanxing who survived on goal difference.

After several seasons of improving results Yao would be a vital part of the squad that won promotion to the top tier when the club came runners-up in the 2007 league campaign.

[9] Yao made his comeback in July 2014 after Korean manager Lee Jang-Soo took charge Chengdu Tiancheng who struggled in the bottom of the league.

He would have more success when he was able to help China qualify for the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, however while playing a major part in qualification he was left out of the squad to actually go to the tournament.