First Prince

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xuanyuan Xiong Ba (轩辕雄霸)
Alias(es)	First Prince; General Who Pacifies the West
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xuanyuan Imperial Clan; Heavenly Firmament Academy; First Prince's faction
Occupation/Role	Eldest son of Emperor Xuanyuan; contender in the imperial succession; Vice Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy; later commander of the Western Regions
Status	Deceased 129
First Appearance	Chapter 24
Realm	Peak Divine Emperor Realm 25

Background

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was Emperor Xuanyuan's eldest son, born to a maidservant rather than a member of a noble or super-faction family. His mother's low status and early death left him with little support within the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan or the imperial palace. 24 90

Despite this background, he gathered followers through his own ability and charisma. Twenty years before his first meeting with Qin Anlan, he became the disciple of the Left Prime Minister, whose influence in the court and position as Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy gave the First Prince a major political foundation. 24

The Left Prime Minister installed him as Vice Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy. Together, master and disciple gained control over much of the academy and recruited numerous talented cultivators of humble origins into the First Prince's faction. 26 90

Appearance

The First Prince appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. He wore full robes and carried himself with the bearing of a wealthy and noble figure. 24

• Resilient-looking face with a dignified, righteous aura. 24
• Described as more charming than conventionally delicate in appearance. 24
• Possessed a Charm Value of 92. 25

Personality

Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was regarded as exceptionally talented, deeply cunning, and politically capable. He could remain composed under pressure, recognized the danger posed by spies within his own ranks, and considered how to turn enemy infiltrators into sources of false information. 24 105

He supported scholars of humble background and sought to curb the influence of the great aristocratic families. His political goal was to strengthen the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan into the undisputed ruler of the Northern Underworld Continent, an ambition that won him support among common-born cultivators but made him an enemy of many great clans. 104 105 107

Though he cared about loyal subordinates, he could act ruthlessly when survival required it. Faced with the arrest of Liu Wen and Jiang Sheng, he accepted Song Lingxiao's recommendation to sacrifice them rather than expose his faction's secrets; he likewise chose to personally eliminate a concubine after learning she was an Eighth Prince spy. 106 107

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation

The First Prince reached the Peak Divine Emperor Realm through his own efforts despite possessing no special physique. He was described as only one step away from the Divine Venerable Realm and as a prodigy for achieving this level within roughly a century. 24 25

• Cultivation methods: Xuanyuan Emperor Scripture, Fourth Layer; Heavenly Flame Secret Art. 25
• Physique: None. 25
• Destiny: Identified by Qin Anlan as a Child of Destiny with 5,500 Destiny Points. 25

Political Strategy

He built a formidable faction despite lacking maternal-clan backing and having little influence inside the imperial palace. 24 90

• Recruited dozens of external factions to his banner, including the Heavenly Mystery Tower. 104
• Relied on Heavenly Firmament Academy as a source of trusted aides and talented followers. 90 104
• Maintained surveillance over suspected infiltrators instead of immediately purging them, intending to exploit them against hostile factions. 105
• Ordered investigations into the loyalty of even long-serving confidants after his organization was infiltrated. 107

Military Command

After withdrawing from the succession struggle, he requested deployment to the Western Regions. Emperor Xuanyuan granted him the title General Who Pacifies the West and command over troops in three Western Region prefectures. 124

• Mobilized his army against rebellious Western Region tribes. 127
• Intended to gain military merit, stabilize his position in the Western Regions, and possibly regain imperial favor. 127
• Declared war on the Thirty-Six Western Regions Nations before being ambushed. 129

Relationships

• Emperor Xuanyuan — Father. The Emperor initially valued the First Prince's ability and ambitions, but lost confidence after his confidential letters were stolen and his inner circle proved vulnerable. He later appointed him General Who Pacifies the West. 115 124
• Unnamed mother — A maidservant who bore the First Prince; her ordinary background and early death left him without significant palace support. 24 90
• Left Prime Minister — Master, chief political supporter, and Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy. Their shared goal was to weaken the great clans and elevate poor scholars. His assassination left the First Prince without his greatest protector. 24 124
• Qin Anlan — Cousin and political opponent. Qin Anlan identified him as a Child of Destiny and secretly orchestrated the schemes that dismantled his faction, forced his departure from the capital, and ultimately led to his death. 25 125 129
• The Empress — Paternal aunt and principal rival in the succession struggle. She sought to secure the throne for the Second Prince and directed repeated attacks against the First Prince's forces. 27 103 110
• Song Lingxiao — Trusted strategist and confidant. Song advised him to sacrifice Liu Wen and Jiang Sheng, investigated the loyalty of his followers, and assisted with counterintelligence measures. 90 106 107
• Liu Wen and Jiang Sheng — Confidants arrested on accusations of colluding with Demonic Cultivators. The First Prince ultimately allowed them to be sacrificed to protect his faction. 105 106

Story Role / Major Arcs

Succession Contender

The First Prince emerged as one of the strongest candidates in the struggle among Emperor Xuanyuan's sons. Backed by the Left Prime Minister and Heavenly Firmament Academy, he possessed greater influence than many princes with superior family support. 24

His attempt to draw Qin Anlan and the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate into his camp failed. Qin Anlan instead aligned tactically with the Empress, viewing the First Prince's faction as a future threat. 25 26 27

Collapse of His Faction

Rumors tying Ye Qingyun and Heavenly Firmament Academy to Demonic Cultivators were used to undermine the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister. 90 102

The Empress's forces annihilated the Heavenly Mystery Tower, the First Prince's most important intelligence network, leaving him largely blind to political developments. Several of his subordinate factions and court supporters were subsequently eliminated. 103 104 105

As pressure mounted, he investigated spies in his household and faction, sacrificed endangered confidants, and moved against an Eighth Prince spy posing as his concubine. 106 107

Impeachment and Withdrawal

The stolen correspondence from his residence was used to launch a major impeachment campaign. The Empress, the Fourth Prince's and Eighth Prince's factions, numerous great clans, and twenty-seven state governors joined the offensive. 110 111 112

The Left Prime Minister publicly impeached his own disciple as part of a deeper strategy, but the First Prince's political position continued to collapse. 112 114

After the Left Prime Minister was assassinated, the First Prince acknowledged that he had lost the succession struggle. He withdrew from the capital and accepted appointment to the Western Regions in order to preserve his life. 124

Death in the Western Regions

Qin Anlan secretly leaked the First Prince's identity, movements, and military intelligence to the Western Region tribes, intending to use his death to provoke wider conflict. 125 127

The First Prince declared war on the Thirty-Six Western Regions Nations but was ambushed. He died alongside the annihilation of his army. The subsequent imperial investigation determined that Ganzhou Governor Fang Bumie had leaked his whereabouts to the enemy. 129

Trivia

• Qin Anlan considered the First Prince a more difficult Child of Destiny to handle than Ye Qingyun. 25
• Qin Anlan nevertheless judged that the First Prince's talent, temperament, and devotion to the people could have made him a good emperor. 101
• His ambition to suppress aristocratic families closely resembled Emperor Xuanyuan's own governing philosophy. 105 110