Xu Tianyao

Biodata

Feature	Detail
Name	Xu Tianyao 1 2
Alias	Prince Ming 3
Gender	Male
Martial Soul	Twin Martial Souls: Blazing Sun (Sunlight) and Bright Moon 2 5
Innate Soul Power	Level 15 3 5
Soul Rank	Soul King (Rank 50+) 136 137
Affiliation	Sun Moon Empire Imperial Family, Mingde Hall, Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, Shrek Academy exchange program, Plain Alliance 1 3 17 44 127
Status	Active 27 144
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1
Title	First Prince, Prince Ming, Regent (de facto) 3 14 16
Mentor	Kong Deming (grandfather, cultivation), Xuan Ziwen (soul engineering), Elder Chen/Thousand Machines Douluo (advanced soul engineering) 7 17 55
Betrothed	Meng Hongchen 3

Physical Description

Xu Tianyao, the Prince Ming of the Sun Moon Empire, presents an appearance of youthful nobility and extraordinary power. He is a young man of slight build, a testament to his age, but carries himself with a bearing that commands attention. His most striking feature is his eyes, which, after successfully fusing a wisp of his twin Martial Souls, have become permanently heterochromatic: his left eye burns a brilliant gold, while his right eye is a cold, clear silver, reflecting the sun and moon within him 9. After receiving the Cold Moon Snow Falcon's Right Eye Pupil Bone, his right eye additionally possesses icy-blue soul-bone radiance and extraordinary visual perception 30 37. He is typically attired in the elaborate ceremonial robes of a prince, complete with the Sun Moon Crown—a soul tool crafted by Mingde Hall—which shimmers under sunlight and prominently displays an intertwined sun-and-moon emblem at its center, alongside the Prince Ming Golden Seal hanging at his waist 16 17. Despite his regal appearance, the intense cultivation process has left visible marks: his skin can take on a mottled crimson and pale white during the strain of balancing opposing soul powers, and periods of arduous training leave his face pale and his steps unsteady 9 10. When venturing into harsh environments, he wears a silver-white, high-level soul tool suit designed for extreme cold 21. During Moon Martial Soul possession, his hair becomes silver and he takes on an imposing, moonlit appearance 41.

• Hair and Face: Not explicitly described in the provided context, but he is depicted as a youthful prince with a fair complexion that shows signs of strain after cultivation. Under Bright Moon Martial Soul possession, his hair becomes silver 41.
• Eyes: Heterochromatic; left eye is brilliant gold, right eye is cold silver, a permanent result of merging his Sunlight and Bright Moon soul powers 9. His right eye has fused with a Hundred-Thousand-Year External Soul Bone 30.
• Build: Of slight, youthful stature, but robust from top-tier physical training since childhood, enabling him to bear a thousand-year first soul ring 11. He appears "vigorous and high-spirited" after his year of seclusion 14.
• Attire: Wears princely ceremonial robes with the Sun Moon Crown and Prince Ming Golden Seal. The crown is a custom soul tool that can trigger an absolute defense five times 16 17. For arctic expeditions, he wears a Level 7 silver-white High-Cold Suit 21. He has also been seen in a black dragon robe alongside his brother 13. His Sunlight Battle Body manifests as golden-red battle armor 61.

Abilities

Sun Martial Soul

Xu Tianyao’s Sun Martial Soul is the Blazing Sun, also called the Sunlight Martial Soul, a top-tier inherited martial soul possessing the attribute of Ultimate Fire 12 51. It produces Solar Soul Power, a scorching and tyrannical energy that requires careful handling 10 11. Through his first soul ring obtained from a thousand-year Red Sun Golden Crow, he acquired the soul skill Sunlight Scorching Light 12. This skill manifests as a high-temperature energy beam with immense destructive power, penetration, and a burning effect 12. His second Sun Martial Soul skill, Sunlight Battle Body, covers him in golden-red battle armor and greatly enhances his combat ability 61. After absorbing a ten-thousand-year Blazing Lion King ring, he gained a third black Sun ring, though its specific soul skill has not yet been stated 31 52. His fourth Sun skill, Explosive Flame Titan's Power, provides a major simultaneous enhancement to his strength, physique, and flame intensity 92 93.

• Applications:
  • Sunlight Scorching Light can melt rock and level small hills, making it effective for long-range assault and area denial 12.
  • The burning effect adds a lingering damage component to attacks.
  • Sunlight Battle Body provides combat armor and an all-round increase in physical fighting power 61.
  • Explosive Flame Titan's Power further solidifies the Sunlight Battle Body into heavier armor, produces enormous golden-red flame fists, and dramatically boosts Xu Tianyao’s close-combat power 92.
  • The fourth skill's amplification allowed Xu Tianyao to overwhelm Wang Yan, a Rank 53 Soul King with the Explosive Flame Dragon Martial Soul, in direct combat 93.
  • The Sun Martial Soul’s Ultimate Fire attribute allows absorption of high-quality fire-attribute soul rings, enhancing its offensive potential 12 31.
  • Its unique ultimate talent, Sunlight Flame Tempering, uses Solar True Flame to refine impurities, evil properties, and unstable fire-attribute power from a target’s martial soul and soul power 51.
  • Sunlight Flame Tempering can suppress and refine Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire and can be used to temper allies’ physiques, meridians, and soul power quality 54 70.
• Limitations:
  • Due to his former soul power reserves, Sunlight Scorching Light could initially only be used a maximum of five times per day 12.
  • The tyrannical nature of Solar Soul Power makes it difficult to control without balance provided by the Moon Martial Soul 11.
  • All soul rings had to be absorbed first by the Sun Martial Soul to build a foundation before the Moon Martial Soul could be developed 11.
  • Using Sunlight Flame Tempering to cleanse others consumes substantial soul power and provides Xu Tianyao no direct benefit; after tempering Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen, he required approximately a day to recover 71.

Moon Martial Soul

The Moon Martial Soul is the Bright Moon, a gentle top-tier martial soul that produces cold Lunar Soul Power 9 10. It complements the Sun Martial Soul’s aggression but is inherently incompatible with it when cultivated simultaneously without external aid 6 10. Its first soul ring is a Hundred-Thousand-Year ring received from the sacrifice of the Cold Moon Snow Falcon, granting Xu Tianyao two powerful ice-attribute soul skills: Frost Moon-Chasing Slash and Bright Moon Storm Domain 30 40. The Bright Moon Martial Soul possesses the Ultimate Ice attribute and is highly compatible with the Ice Empress's origin power 133.

• Applications:
  • The gentle attribute of Lunar Soul Power makes it ideal for balancing and stabilizing the violent energy of the Sun Martial Soul 11.
  • Frost Moon-Chasing Slash condenses Bright Moon radiance into a massive icy moon blade. Upon impact, it shatters into widespread ice fragments that inflict frost damage and place a Moon Freeze Mark on affected enemies 30.
  • A Moon Freeze Mark reduces the target's soul power circulation speed by thirty-five percent and erodes their movements with cold; beneath moonlight, Frost Moon-Chasing Slash gains fifty percent additional power while consuming one-third less soul power 30.
  • Bright Moon Storm Domain creates a frigid storm centered on the Bright Moon Martial Soul, trapping opponents in freezing wind and snow while draining their soul power as they resist it 40.
  • Within the domain, Ultimate Ice crystals become constant blades, while the Cold Moon Snow Falcon's cries interfere with and suppress enemies' spiritual power 30.
  • The domain enhances ice-type soul skills and reduces their soul power consumption; its effects can double at night, especially beneath a full moon 30.
  • Once a soul core is formed, the Moon Martial Soul contributes to the unified Sun-Moon Soul Power, amplifying overall strength 10.
• Limitations:
  • Lunar Soul Power and Solar Soul Power are repulsive; attempting to cultivate both simultaneously without a special device causes explosive conflict within the body 6 9.
  • The Moon Martial Soul’s development was initially secondary to the Sun Martial Soul in the cultivation plan 10.
  • Its strongest domain effects depend on favorable night and lunar conditions 30.

Ice Empress Soul Spirit

Xu Tianyao successfully fused with the Ice Empress as the continent's first true Soul Spirit, rather than merely receiving a conventional soul-beast sacrifice 137. The Ice Empress retains her consciousness within Xu Tianyao's Sea of Consciousness and can communicate with him, while her immense Ultimate Ice origin has become a major source of his further advancement 132 137. The fusion granted Xu Tianyao three additional powerful soul rings, enabling his breakthrough from the Soul Ancestor bottleneck to the Soul King realm 136 137.

• Applications:
  • The Ice Empress can provide the power and experience of a nearly four-hundred-thousand-year soul beast without losing her independent consciousness 132 137.
  • Her Ultimate Ice origin is highly compatible with Xu Tianyao's Bright Moon Martial Soul 133.
  • The fusion generated three powerful soul rings and supplied sufficient accumulated soul power for Xu Tianyao to enter the Soul King realm 136 137.
  • Ice Empress can manifest her soul body outside Xu Tianyao's Sea of Consciousness for communication and observation 142 144.
• Limitations:
  • The specific abilities of the three soul rings produced through the Soul Spirit fusion have not yet been stated 137.
  • The fusion and associated power were guided by Electrolux and required the Ice Empress to abandon her physical body, making it an irreversible choice for her 132 136.

Sun-Moon Twin Coexistence Device and Soul Core

The Sun-Moon Dual Coexistence Device is a massive soul guidance apparatus created by Kong Deming that enables the simultaneous cultivation of both martial souls by forcibly merging Solar and Lunar Soul Power into a new, unified energy called Sun-Moon Soul Power 8 9. This device was a temporary solution; the long-term goal was to create an artificial soul core within Xu Tianyao’s body that would permanently convert and store the combined power 9 10. Xu Tianyao later successfully condensed a Sun-Moon Soul Core, allowing his twin martial souls to circulate and reinforce one another 13 20.

• Applications:
  • Allows both martial souls to be cultivated at once, with a cultivation speed two to three times that of a single martial soul 9.
  • Produces high-quality Sun-Moon Soul Power that shows no repulsive properties, enabling condensation of a soul core 9 10.
  • The device’s energy-guidance mechanism pacifies the clashing soul powers, forcing them into a stable grand circulation 9.
  • The completed Soul Core causes the twin martial souls to complement one another with an effect greater than simple addition, supporting Xu Tianyao’s exceptional cultivation rate and combat strength 20 41.
• Limitations:
  • The balance achieved by the device is temporary and completely dependent on the device; removal from the apparatus for extended periods can cause the repulsion to return 9.
  • Condensation speed of Sun-Moon Soul Power is extremely slow without the foundation provided by soul rings—less than five wisps per night initially 10.
  • The activation process inflicts severe pain, alternating between extreme heat and cold that can damage the body 9.
  • The device is immobile and unique; its use is confined to Kong Deming’s laboratory 8.

Soul Bones and Spiritual Abilities

Xu Tianyao received two Hundred-Thousand-Year soul bones from the Cold Moon Snow Falcon’s sacrifice: the Storm Extreme Cold Right Leg Bone and an External Right Eye Pupil Bone 30. The pupil bone opened and strengthened his Sea of Spirit, dramatically enhanced his mental-power growth, and granted the eye skill Spatial Analysis 37. Following his fusion with the Ice Empress, the residual origin power additionally condensed into an Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Torso Bone that fused with his spine, chest, and abdomen 136.

• Storm Extreme Cold Right Leg Bone: A Hundred-Thousand-Year right leg bone that merged into Xu Tianyao’s right leg following the Cold Moon Snow Falcon’s sacrifice 30.
• Right Eye Pupil Bone: An extraordinarily rare Hundred-Thousand-Year External Soul Bone that fused with his right pupil 30.
• Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Torso Bone: A torso bone formed from the vast residual power left after the Ice Empress's Soul Spirit fusion. It covers and integrates with Xu Tianyao's spine, ribs, sternum, chest, and abdomen 136.
• Spatial Analysis: Allows Xu Tianyao to perceive fine spatial lines, soul power flows, soul-tool core-array trajectories, and minute structural changes in metals, greatly accelerating his soul engineering studies 37.
• Sea of Consciousness: Xu Tianyao’s expanded spiritual sea contains Electrolux, the Ice Empress Soul Spirit, the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, the Blue Ice Talisman, the Mountains Rivers Sun Moon Map, and the Eternal Tree 64 137 143 144.

Soul Guidance Devices

Xu Tianyao has become a talented soul engineer through training at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and instruction from Xuan Ziwen, Kong Deming, and Elder Chen 17 37 55. He was initially assessed as at least a Level 2 Soul Engineer, then independently crafted a Level 3 Soul Guidance Ray Gun before departing for Shrek Academy, becoming the youngest Level 3 Soul Engineer in history 17 37. He has also demonstrated proficiency with soul guidance tools, using a Level 4 Soul Guidance Ray Gun to kill a thousand-year soul beast 12. He carries top-tier instant-activation protective soul tools provided by Kong Deming for emergencies 27. He later completed a second Level 4 soul tool in the form of a shield 130.

• Applications:
  • The Level 4 Soul Guidance Ray Gun delivers a concentrated energy beam capable of piercing a thousand-year soul beast’s skull in one shot 12.
  • He independently produced a Level 3 Soul Guidance Ray Gun, demonstrating advanced practical skill for his age 37.
  • His Level 4 shield provides a personally crafted defensive soul tool for dangerous expeditions 130.
  • The instant-activation protective soul tools can be deployed rapidly to create barriers or defenses when danger arises 27.
  • Spatial Analysis enables him to inspect core arrays and materials with exceptional precision 37.
  • He has proposed future soul-tool concepts including super-large high-temperature fusion strategic shells and unmanned soul flight vehicles 57.
• Limitations:
  • Soul tools consume soul power; frequent use of powerful devices can strain Xu Tianyao’s reserves.
  • High-level soul tools require extensive expertise and resources beyond his present engineering rank.
  • Protective tools are consumables; each activation reduces the stock, and they cannot be replenished easily.

Other Treasures

Xu Tianyao possesses the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, an ominous carving knife made from the Gold of Life and afflicted by a curse. He intends to use Sunlight Flame Tempering to purify it and restore its true value rather than allow it to fall into Huo Yuhao’s hands 56. The knife’s immense Gold of Life aura awakened the severely weakened Electrolux, whose gray divine sense had entered Xu Tianyao’s Sea of Consciousness after saving him from Scarlet King 63 64.

During his journey through an underwater ruin, Xu Tianyao also received the Mountains Rivers Sun Moon Map and the Eternal Tree sapling, mysterious gifts apparently connected to the will of Douluo Planet 142 143. After he recognized their ownership, the Eternal Tree rooted itself within his Sea of Consciousness and stabilized it, while the map revealed the location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well 143 144.

• Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife: A cursed carving knife forged from an exceptionally large piece of Gold of Life. Its life force is valuable for restoring Electrolux and is intended for eventual purification 56 64.
• Blue Ice Talisman: A mysterious azure talisman within Xu Tianyao’s Sea of Consciousness. It later reacted to divine guidance and led him toward the Heaven Dou Empire and Sunset Forest 63 137 138.
• Mountains Rivers Sun Moon Map: An ancient scroll recognized by Xu Tianyao that displays the terrain of Douluo Planet and can identify the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well’s location 143.
• Eternal Tree: A silver-green sapling that took root in Xu Tianyao’s Sea of Consciousness after ownership recognition, nourishing and stabilizing his spiritual sea without plundering his origin 143 144.
• Ice God Rune: An icy-blue rune obtained in the underwater ruin. Its guidance led Xu Tianyao toward the mysterious space where he received the map and Eternal Tree 137 142.

Power Progression

Level	Soul Ring/Skill	Chapter	Notes
Pre-Ring (Innate Level 15)	None	Ch. 5	Twin Martial Souls awakened (Blazing Sun & Bright Moon); unprecedented level 15 innate soul power; phenomenon of Sun and Moon shining together.
Great Soul Master (Level 24)	1st: Thousand-Year Red Sun Golden Crow → Sunlight Scorching Light	Ch. 12, 13	First soul ring obtained after a month of physical refinement by Kong Deming; soul skill is a high-temperature energy beam with burning effect and penetration; allowed condensation of Sun-Moon Soul Core and breakthrough to Rank 24.
Soul Elder (Rank 30+)	2nd: Five-Thousand-Year Blazing Lion King → Sunlight Battle Body	Ch. 20, 61	Second soul ring from a fire-attribute soul beast kept in the Imperial Forest; allowed Xu Tianyao to become a Soul Elder. Its soul skill manifests golden-red battle armor and enhances his combat ability.
Soul Elder (Rank 36–38)	Bright Moon Martial Soul 1st: Hundred-Thousand-Year Cold Moon Snow Falcon → Frost Moon-Chasing Slash; Bright Moon Storm Domain	Ch. 30, 37, 41	The Bright Moon Martial Soul’s first ring was gained through the Cold Moon Snow Falcon’s sacrifice. Xu Tianyao received two powerful ice skills as well as two Hundred-Thousand-Year soul bones; his soul power later reached Rank 36 and approached Rank 38.
Soul Elder (Rank 36+)	Sun Martial Soul 3rd: Ten-Thousand-Year Blazing Lion King	Ch. 31, 52	Xu Tianyao killed and absorbed a ten-thousand-year Blazing Lion King ring in Star Dou Forest. The resulting third Sun ring is black; its specific soul skill has not yet been stated.
Soul Ancestor (Rank 40+)	Sun Martial Soul 4th: Sixty-Thousand-Year Explosive Flame Titan → Explosive Flame Titan's Power	Ch. 51, 56, 65, 92, 93	Xu Tianyao broke through to Soul Ancestor and obtained a sixty-thousand-year fourth Sun ring from the Explosive Flame Titan in Star Dou Forest. Its skill greatly increases his strength, physique, and flame intensity while further reinforcing his Sunlight Battle Body.
Soul King (Rank 50+)	Ice Empress Soul Spirit fusion → Three powerful soul rings; Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Torso Bone	Ch. 136, 137	Xu Tianyao fused with the Ice Empress as the first true Soul Spirit. Her accumulated power granted three additional soul rings and a torso bone, carrying him beyond the Soul Ancestor limit and into the Soul King realm. The individual new soul skills have not yet been stated.

• Sun-Moon Soul Core Condensation: After obtaining his first soul ring and using the Sun-Moon Dual Coexistence Device, Xu Tianyao successfully condensed a Sun-Moon Soul Core, unifying the repulsive Solar and Lunar soul powers into a new type of energy. This allowed simultaneous cultivation of both martial souls and boosted his cultivation speed to two or three times that of a single martial soul. 9 10 13
• Soul Elder Breakthrough: Within a few months of condensing his core, Xu Tianyao broke through to the Soul Elder rank. The core's aid made his cultivation progress "one plus one greater than two." 20
• Hundred-Thousand-Year Moon Ring: The Cold Moon Snow Falcon’s sacrifice gave the Bright Moon Martial Soul its first ring, two soul skills, and two soul bones. Though Xu Tianyao’s Sun Martial Soul still lacked its third ring at the time, the immense surplus soul power was compressed within his body until his later advancement. 30
• Third Sun Ring Acquisition: Xu Tianyao later killed and absorbed a ten-thousand-year Blazing Lion King in Star Dou Forest, adding a black third ring to his Sun Martial Soul. 31 52
• Soul Ancestor Breakthrough: By the time of his dealings with Mu En and Ma Xiaotao, Xu Tianyao had crossed the Rank 40 threshold and was preparing to obtain his fourth soul ring. 51 56
• Fourth Soul Ring Acquisition: Xu Tianyao absorbed the sixty-thousand-year soul ring of an Explosive Flame Titan during the Star Dou Forest expedition. Its resulting skill, Explosive Flame Titan's Power, provides a threefold enhancement of his strength, physique, and flame power. 65 92 93
• Soul King Breakthrough: The Ice Empress’s Soul Spirit fusion generated three additional soul rings and an Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Torso Bone, allowing Xu Tianyao to pass the Rank 50 threshold. 136 137

Relationships

Xu Tianran

Xu Tianran is Xu Tianyao’s elder half-brother, raised together after their mother’s death, and the dominant figure in Xu Tianyao’s life from childhood onward. The vast age gap and Xu Tianran’s absorption of the Empress’s faction left Xu Tianyao with no path to the throne, a reality Xu Tianyao fully accepted, framing his loyalty as both pragmatic and sincere 1. Xu Tianran’s role oscillates between stern patriarch and affectionate guardian: he publicly reprimands Xu Tianyao for forcibly kissing Meng Hongchen, rebuking him as “increasingly lawless” and threatening the Red Dust Family alliance, yet almost immediately softens, laughing at his brother’s creative excuse that the act was meant to “win over” the family on his behalf 1. Behind closed doors, Xu Tianran reveals genuine care—ruffling his hair, promising to petition for a marriage decree if Xu Tianyao awakens an excellent Martial Soul, and musing on the warmth that only familial love provides him 1. Xu Tianyao, in turn, plays the fawning younger brother, kneeling to knead his brother’s shoulders with practiced sycophancy, but he is acutely aware that his fate lies in Xu Tianran’s hands 1. Their bond deepens politically when Xu Tianran proposes the marriage to Meng Hongchen to bind Mingde Hall to their cause, and Xu Tianyao openly endorses him for the throne before the old emperor, a gesture that solidifies their alliance 3 5. During the palace coup, Xu Tianran ascends with Xu Tianyao’s support; Xu Tianyao’s marriage to Meng Hongchen forces Jing Hongchen onto the same war chariot, a move Xu Tianran acknowledges as crucial 13. After the coronation, Xu Tianran grants Xu Tianyao immense authority—placing him in charge of diplomatic banquets, approving the exchange student program, and gifting him a custom soul-tool crown—while the two brothers consistently project unity, seated side by side and handling state affairs with mutual trust 14 16 17.

This apparent unity deteriorates after the Evil Soul Master assassination during the exchange mission. Xu Tianyao realizes that Xu Tianran has concealed his military plans, court intrigues, and relationship with the Holy Spirit Cult, leading him to question whether he has only ever been a useful pawn 42. Xu Tianran had in fact permitted the Holy Spirit Cult’s operation against Xu Tianyao, intending to use his brother’s death as a pretext for continental war and eventual unification 43. Though Xu Tianran later continues to praise Xu Tianyao publicly and expresses pride in his talent, the brothers’ relationship is fundamentally shadowed by Xu Tianyao’s suspicion and Xu Tianran’s willingness to sacrifice him for imperial ambition 34 43.

After returning from Shrek Academy, Xu Tianyao refuses to enter the palace immediately, instead reporting his arrival through Ma Rulong and seeking to assess Ming Capital’s situation through Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen first 113. He has begun considering a future challenge to Xu Tianran’s rule, although he also recognizes that the Empire still requires Xu Tianran’s administrative ability and stability at its current stage of development 117 124. Xu Tianran, meanwhile, increasingly views Xu Tianyao’s talent, prestige, and support from Kong Deming as a direct threat to his throne 111.

Kong Deming

Kong Deming is revealed to be Xu Tianyao’s maternal grandfather, a revelation that shocks Xu Tianyao to his core, as he had idolized the legendary Level 10 Soul Engineer as a “figure akin to a god” 7. Their relationship begins as a master-disciple bond when Kong Deming, alarmed by the uncontrolled fluctuations of Xu Tianyao’s twin Sun and Moon Martial Souls, approaches him to solve the impossible problem of cultivating both simultaneously—a failure Kong Deming himself suffers from 5 6. Xu Tianyao, recognizing the opportunity, kneels and kowtows to become his apprentice, and Kong Deming accepts, though with a wry acknowledgment that the boy has “quite a few little schemes” 7. The true familial connection emerges when Kong Deming produces a photograph of Xu Tianyao’s mother, and Xu Tianyao, stunned and conflicted, still chooses to embrace this grandfather figure, calling him “Grandfather” with reverence 7. Kong Deming’s past neglect—his lifelong devotion to soul guidance research at the expense of family—weighs on him, and he admits his regret, but his dedication to Xu Tianyao becomes immediate and total 8. He personally refines Xu Tianyao’s body for a thousand-year first soul ring, guides him through the activation of the Sun-Moon Dual Coexistence Device, and takes him to the Southern Marsh Volcano Group and later across the Ice Sea to the Far North, all while demonstrating deep concern for Xu Tianyao’s safety and potential 8 11 21. Their relationship is marked by mutual respect and intellectual collaboration: Kong Deming values Xu Tianyao’s understanding of the Sun Moon problem, and Xu Tianyao relies on his grandfather’s unparalleled expertise 6 7.

Kong Deming’s protectiveness intensifies after Xu Tianyao’s encounter with the Snow Empress. He equips his grandson with life-saving soul tools, later accepts the Snow Empress’s human reincarnation under their protection, and arranges for Elder Chen to secretly guard and tutor Xu Tianyao at Shrek Academy 27 30 55. He and Xuan Ziwen ultimately urge Xu Tianyao to concentrate on cultivation rather than become consumed by imperial affairs, demonstrating that Kong Deming prioritizes his grandson’s future over court politics 56.

Kong Deming later supports Xu Tianyao’s growth while cautioning him not to challenge Xu Tianran before he possesses sufficient strength and political experience 117. He arranges for Xu Tianyao to gain future front-line experience with the Evil Lord Soul Engineer Legion once he reaches Rank 50, believing military command experience is necessary for the prince’s future ambitions 131. He also accompanies Xu Tianyao and Snow Maiden on their second journey to the Far North, the Ice Empress negotiations, and the expedition into the Sunset Forest and underwater ruins 130 137 144.

Meng Hongchen

Meng Hongchen is the granddaughter of Jing Hongchen and the object of Xu Tianyao’s determined affection, their relationship evolving from childhood fondness to a formal betrothal. Xu Tianyao’s impulsive forced kiss—an act that triggers a confrontation with Jing Hongchen and a rebuke from Xu Tianran—reveals both his genuine infatuation and his political calculation: marrying into the Red Dust Family would secure his future regardless of his Martial Soul talent 1. After Xu Tianyao awakens twin Martial Souls, Xu Tianran proposes the marriage in court, and Meng Hongchen is summoned to the palace, where she meets Xu Tianyao’s gaze and smiles—a moment that calms his nerves and solidifies her consent 3 4. The old emperor decrees their wedding after they come of age, and both openly accept, with Meng Hongchen showing “maturity and firmness” and Xu Tianyao vowing never to fail her 4. Their public persona is playful and flirtatious: she displays tsundere behavior toward him, and he remains cheerfully oblivious to the despair of her brother Xiao Hongchen, who resents his powerlessness against his future brother-in-law 18. Behind her grandfather’s back, Meng Hongchen shows tactical loyalty—she “insisted he come to protect her husband-to-be” during the palace coup, pressuring Jing Hongchen to support Xu Tianran’s side 13. Xu Tianyao includes her at state functions, such as hosting the diplomatic banquet for the three kingdoms’ envoys, where she appears by his side 14.

Their relationship faces a misunderstanding after Meng Hongchen discovers the Snow Empress, then known in human form as the Heavenly Snow Woman, in Xu Tianyao’s residence. She is initially jealous but accepts Xu Tianyao’s explanation after he patiently clarifies Snow Maiden’s identity and circumstances 34. Meng Hongchen subsequently develops a close friendship with Snow Maiden, sometimes spending more time with her than with Xu Tianyao 37. She remains emotionally devoted to Xu Tianyao, comforting him after the assassination attempt and supporting him as he comes to understand Xu Tianran’s betrayal 43. She also trusts him enough to undergo Sunlight Flame Tempering, which improves her physical foundation and soul power quality 70.

During Shrek Academy’s individual assessment, Meng Hongchen attempts to defend Xu Tianyao when Wang Yan provokes him, but Xu Tianyao prevents her from escalating the confrontation 91. She later returns with him to the Sun Moon Empire and remains among the close companions who accompany his increasingly dangerous political and cultivation path 113 117.

Jing Hongchen

Jing Hongchen, the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, interacts with Xu Tianyao primarily through the lens of political necessity and family loyalty, their relationship fraught with initial conflict but ultimately cemented by marriage. Xu Tianyao’s forced kiss outrages Jing Hongchen, who storms into the Prince’s Mansion demanding justice and threatens to report the matter to the emperor, showing his fierce protection of his granddaughter and the Red Dust Family’s honor 1. Xu Tianran’s humble apology and promise to discipline his brother partially mollify him, but Jing Hongchen’s lingering anger is evident 1. The dynamic shifts dramatically after Xu Tianyao’s Martial Soul awakening: Xu Tianran proposes the marriage, and despite Jing Hongchen’s initial opposition—his heart sinking with foreboding—he is forced to concede under the political pressure of the court, protecting his granddaughter’s interests while recognizing the strategic value 3. When Meng Hongchen openly accepts the betrothal, Jing Hongchen struggles with a mix of emotions, his winking at her and her consideration for his feelings revealing their close relationship 4. During the palace coup, Jing Hongchen is drawn into the conflict—“forced to board the war chariot of Xu Tianran and Xu Tianyao” because his granddaughter insisted he protect her fiancé—and he fights on the imperial side, albeit reluctantly 13. Xu Tianran acknowledges that the marriage was a masterstroke, binding Jing Hongchen to their cause 13. Over time, Jing Hongchen must defer to Xu Tianyao’s authority in political matters, and Xu Tianyao, when handling the exchange student proposal, acknowledges the sensitivity of Mingde Hall and the need to respect Jing Hongchen’s and Kong Deming’s opinions 15. The relationship remains one of practical alliance rather than warmth, but mutual interest and family ties ensure their cooperation.

Snow Empress

The Snow Empress initially encounters Xu Tianyao as an overwhelmingly powerful and hostile ruler of the Far North. Xu Tianyao identifies the failure of her transformation and offers knowledge of a path that could allow her to escape her fate and potentially reach godhood, gaining her interest despite his far inferior cultivation 26 27. A mysterious summons associated with the Ice God then leads the two into the Ice God Great Rift Valley 27 28. Their negotiations culminate in a cooperative agreement: the Snow Empress promises to help Xu Tianyao obtain a suitable Hundred-Thousand-Year soul-beast sacrifice and accompany him to the Sun Moon Empire for cultivation 29.

After the Cold Moon Snow Falcon sacrifices itself to Xu Tianyao, the Snow Empress successfully sheds her original life imprints and reincarnates into a human girl roughly twelve to thirteen years old 30. Under the identity of Snow Maiden or the Heavenly Snow Woman, she enrolls at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. Her extraordinary beauty, detached demeanor, and rapid cultivation make her a sensation, though she primarily associates with Xu Tianyao and Meng Hongchen 37. Xu Tianyao treats her as a trusted ally and honors his promise to support her human cultivation, while the Snow Empress’s presence creates occasional strain in his relationship with Meng Hongchen 34 37.

During Xu Tianyao’s second expedition to the Far North, Snow Maiden acts as the vital intermediary who helps persuade the Ice Empress to consider becoming Xu Tianyao’s Soul Spirit 132. In the underwater ruins, she receives an icy-blue rune from the Ice God that merges with her origin and creates an unseverable connection to Xu Tianyao 143 144. Though the two are briefly separated by divine radiance, they later awaken together, both marked by their respective icy-blue runes 142 143.

Ice Empress

The Ice Empress is a nearly four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion and one of the Far North’s great soul-beast rulers. Initially hostile and distrustful toward Xu Tianyao, she regards his proposal that she abandon her body and become a Soul Spirit with cold skepticism 132. Snow Maiden’s spiritual discussion with her gradually changes this hostility into scrutiny and curiosity, while Xu Tianyao’s willingness to wait rather than force the issue earns him greater consideration 132.

Xu Tianyao explains that his Ultimate Ice Bright Moon Martial Soul is exceptionally compatible with her origin power and promises a route toward a future divine path rather than a conventional, consciousness-ending sacrifice 133. The Ice Empress ultimately accepts the fusion, becoming the first true Soul Spirit in continental history and preserving her consciousness within Xu Tianyao’s Sea of Consciousness 137. She now acts as one of his closest spiritual companions, worrying for his safety during the underwater-ruin incident and participating in his examination of the gifts received from the world’s will 142 143.

Ma Xiaotao

Ma Xiaotao is a Shrek Academy Soul King afflicted by accumulated Evil Fire. Xu Tianyao approaches her condition as a transaction with Mu En, recognizing that her unusually pure fire-attribute power can both benefit his Sun Martial Soul and be purified through Sunlight Flame Tempering 51. Using his Ultimate Fire, Xu Tianyao refines the Evil Fire lodged in her meridians over half a day and night, substantially relieving her long-standing pain and refining most of the accumulated malignant energy 54 55.

The procedure requires Ma Xiaotao’s trust because of its intensity and the close control Xu Tianyao must exert over her soul power. Although Yan Shaozhe initially misunderstands the circumstances, Ma Xiaotao confirms that Xu Tianyao did not overstep and that the treatment was effective 54 55. Xu Tianyao initially states that the Evil Fire cannot yet be eradicated at its root in a short period; continued treatment is required 54.

By the conclusion of Xu Tianyao’s year at Shrek Academy, the repeated treatments have basically removed Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire. He advises her to avoid extreme emotional fluctuations and excessive martial-soul use so that the old condition does not recur 109.

Elder Chen

Elder Chen, also known as Thousand Machines Douluo, is a Rank 92 Titled Douluo, Rank 9 Soul Engineer, and Worship Hall elder with the Qianji Umbrella Martial Soul 55. Acting on Kong Deming’s orders, he secretly protects Xu Tianyao during his time at Shrek Academy while also teaching him advanced soul-tool knowledge 55. He accompanies Xu Tianyao on the search for a fourth soul ring in Star Dou Forest, where they exchange ideas on future soul-tool technology and cooperate in crises involving Xiao Xiao and powerful soul beasts 57 65.

Elder Chen also assists Xu Tianyao’s experimental Sunlight Flame Tempering training by precisely controlling the required soul guidance devices, helping safely refine Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen’s bodies and soul power 70.

Xiao Xiao

Xiao Xiao first becomes involved with Xu Tianyao during the Star Dou Forest expedition. When she becomes lost and is threatened by the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, Xu Tianyao secretly follows, shields her from danger, and attempts to distract the beast with a toy soul tool despite being injured in the attempt 61. Later, he agrees to help save her injured father, Xiao Ding, on the condition that the Xiao family grant him a future request after Xiao Ding’s recovery 65. Xiao Xiao is grateful for his protection and aid, while Xu Tianyao regards their connection as both a responsibility and a potentially valuable arrangement 61 65.

Zhang Lexuan

Zhang Lexuan is Shrek Academy’s inner-court senior sister and a descendant of the Sun Moon imperial family through her Silver Moon Martial Soul bloodline 31 44. Xu Tianyao first observes her while she is critically injured during a battle with the Hundred-Thousand-Year Silver Moon Divine Wolf in Star Dou Forest. Kong Deming intervenes to save her because he recognizes the connection to the Sun Moon royal bloodline, while Xu Tianyao follows without objection 31 32.

The two later recognize one another when Xu Tianyao arrives at Shrek Academy as an exchange student. Zhang Lexuan is surprised to learn that the youth accompanying Kong Deming during the Star Dou incident was Prince Ming of the Sun Moon Empire 44.

Ye Guyi

Ye Guyi is the lone survivor of a family destroyed by Evil Soul Masters and the bearer of the legendary Angel Martial Soul, a god-level martial soul of holy light 125. Xu Tianyao seeks her out through the Plain Alliance because he recognizes both her value against Evil Soul Masters and her potential importance to his longer-term plans 125 126.

Their initial interaction is formal and respectful. Xu Tianyao gives Ye Guyi a token that grants her priority standing within the Plain Alliance and direct access to Shangguan Weier’s support, while tasking her with increasing her strength in preparation for the continent’s coming upheaval 127. He intends to use the Plain Alliance’s intelligence and operational network to provide her with combat experience against Evil Soul Masters, allowing her Angel Martial Soul to develop through practical battle 126.

Wang Qiangu

Wang Qiangu, the Blazing Flame Douluo and patriarch of the Heaven Dou Empire’s Wang Family, first becomes entangled with Xu Tianyao after his descendant Wang Yan is defeated and crippled during Shrek Academy’s assessment 93 98. Rather than escalating the confrontation immediately, Wang Qiangu displays restraint in negotiations, leading Xu Tianyao to judge him as either exceptionally calculating or deeply dangerous 103.

Xu Tianyao later hosts Wang Qiangu at a private banquet and openly invites him to join his faction, offering the Wang Family support against the resource and political constraints it faces within the Heaven Dou Empire 104 105. Wang Qiangu has not yet accepted the proposal, but Xu Tianyao considers his temperament and ability worthy of recruitment 105.