Xu Tianran

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xu Tianran (徐天然)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Empire Imperial Family; covert collaborator of the Holy Spirit Cult 6 23
Occupation/Role	Third Prince of the Sun Moon Empire; claimant to the throne and leader of a failed rebellion 6 186
Status	Defeated following his rebellion; Xu Lanqing was subsequently confirmed as Crown Prince 192
First Appearance	Chapter 3 (mentioned); Chapter 6 (first on-page appearance) 3 6

Background / History

Xu Tianran awakened the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon, a top-tier True Dragon Martial Soul mutated from the Sun Martial Soul. It is the same Martial Soul later awakened by Xu Lanqing. 3

After being maimed and losing his legs, Xu Tianran remained within the Imperial Palace and spent years secretly building influence for a bid against the First Prince. He became known for patience, caution, and deep suspicion rather than open action. 181

Xu Lanqing’s acceptance of Kong Deming as his teacher made Tianran view him as a direct threat to the succession. Tianran responded by leaking the location of a Star Luo Empire stronghold to provoke chaos in Mingdu and agreeing to cooperate with an unnamed shadowy faction, later identified as the Holy Spirit Cult. 6 23

Appearance

Xu Tianran is a handsome, youthful-looking man with a sickly pale complexion. Though described as middle-aged, he appears closer to a man in his twenties; his pallor and gloomy demeanor give him an unhealthy, unsettling presence. 6 50

• Uses a wheelchair after having both legs amputated. 50 181
• Often remains in darkened rooms lit only by candlelight. 6 25
• Maintains a gentle smile and calm manner even when concealing hostile intentions. 50 152

Personality

Xu Tianran is calculating, restrained, and intensely ambitious. He plans around uncertainty, compartmentalizes information even from his allies, and prefers covert pressure to direct confrontation. 6 179 181

He can present himself as considerate and courteous when useful, such as feigning concern for Xu Lanqing after arranging for assassins to target him. Beneath that composure, he is deeply jealous of Xu Lanqing’s talent, support, and powerful allies. 50 187

When his position collapses, Tianran becomes openly desperate. He is willing to destroy the Imperial Palace, kill himself, and sacrifice others rather than accept losing the throne. 186 187

Abilities & Resources

Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon

Xu Tianran possesses the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul, a mutation of the Sun Martial Soul.

• Classified as a top-tier True Dragon Martial Soul. 3
• Associated with a destructive aura and violent impulses when manifested. 3
• No documented Soul Ring configuration or named soul skills are provided.

Political and Military Influence

Xu Tianran secretly cultivated forces within and outside Mingdu to secure the throne.

• Recruited the Rank Nine Shadow Douluo, Xue Chen, as a personal retainer. 152
• Sent the Evil Monarch Soul Engineer Legion to suppress Xu Pingzhong’s northern rebellion. 152
• Secretly mobilized one hundred thousand elite troops outside Mingdu for his coup. 186
• Maintained ties to Holy Spirit Cult personnel while withholding his full plans from them. 165 179

Soul Tool Assets

Xu Tianran relied on powerful Soul Tools to offset the strength of his opponents.

• Possessed a custom-made Golden Bowl Soul Tool that temporarily blocked Kong Deming’s assassination attempt. 187
• Seized control of four High-Energy Compression Array Soul Tools stationed in Mingdu. 186
• Planned to use the arrays’ decades of stored soul power to erase the Imperial Palace. 186 187

Relationships

• Sun Moon Emperor — His father. Xu Tianran openly revealed his rebellion to him, believing the Emperor’s guards could not stop his forces or Soul Tool array. 186
• Xu Lanqing — His Fourth Brother and principal rival for succession. Tianran arranged assassination attempts against him, then later confronted him directly during the rebellion. 6 51 186 187
• Xue Chen — The Shadow Douluo and Tianran’s secret Rank Nine Soul Master retainer; acted as his attendant and confidant. 152 165
• Long Xiaoyao — A black-robed elder who protected Tianran and served at his side before departing for the Holy Spirit Cult. 121 152
• Holy Spirit Cult — Tianran collaborated with the cult despite his stated disgust toward its members; he later blamed them for repeated failures. 6 165
• Kong Deming — Xu Lanqing’s teacher and an enemy of Tianran’s rebellion; attempted to assassinate Tianran during the final standoff. 6 187
• Nangong Wan — An associate connected to Tianran’s faction, though Tianran kept him uninformed about the full scope of his plans. 179

Story Role / Major Arcs

Threat to Xu Lanqing

Learning that Xu Lanqing had become Kong Deming’s disciple, Tianran concluded that the younger prince’s claim to the Crown Prince position was becoming secure. He leaked intelligence to create unrest and authorized cooperation with shadowy forces, leading to an assassination attempt on Xu Lanqing. 6 9

Negotiation over the Assassin

When confronted with evidence that an assassin had been his subordinate, Tianran chose negotiation rather than denial. He granted Xu Lanqing management positions at an underground storage warehouse and supplied rare metals in exchange for silence. 51

Northern Rebellion and Covert Preparation

After Xu Pingzhong captured several northern cities, Tianran ordered the Evil Monarch Soul Engineer Legion to suppress the uprising. At the same time, he prepared an undisclosed operation connected to his larger struggle for power. 152 165

Rebellion in Mingdu

With Xu Lanqing’s power and Far North allies threatening his position, Tianran initiated a coup. He mobilized one hundred thousand troops, took control of Mingdu’s High-Energy Compression Array Soul Tools, and threatened to destroy the Imperial Palace unless he secured the throne. 181 186

Xu Lanqing stalled Tianran while awaiting reinforcements, and Kong Deming attempted to assassinate him. Tianran nevertheless tried to order the array’s firing until Ma Xiaotao interrupted him with Phoenix Cloud Piercing Strike. 187

Tianran’s downfall led to a redistribution of his faction’s influence, while Xu Lanqing was officially named Crown Prince. 192

Notable Quotes

“I am indeed jealous. This world is very real and very unfair; it is a place where the strong prey on the weak.” 187

“With just a light touch, boom, the entire Imperial Palace will be reduced to nothingness in an instant.” 186

Trivia

• Xu Tianran habitually uses dim candlelight in his chambers instead of soul-guided lamps. 25
• He keeps crucial plans concealed even from allies such as Nangong Wan and Long Xiaoyao. 179