Xu Nian'an

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xu Nian'an (徐念安)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Ming Empire; Holy Spirit Sect
Occupation/Role	Emperor of the Great Ming Empire; formerly King of Great Ming
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 4
Martial Soul(s)	Sun; Moon; Dragon Emperor Sword

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Triple Martial Soul user	4	His martial souls awaken autonomously, revealing the Sun, Moon, and Dragon Emperor Sword martial souls.
Level 17	8	Breaks through after absorbing a 200,000-year soul ring.
Level 30	31	Extracts a 500,000-year soul ring and manifests a fifth spirit ring.
Level 58	77	Reaches this level after absorbing an 800,000-year soul ring.
Soul Saint	87 88	Reveals seven soul rings—five red and two gold—while fighting Tang Hao.
Level 80	113	Breaks through during his battle against Dugu Bo; his physical strength is stated to equal that of a Title Douluo.
Level 81	115	Obtains a million-year soul ring from Xu Fu's treasure; a golden dragon pattern appears beside his Soul Core.

Background / History

Xu Nian'an is the legitimate son of King Sky Cloud. After ascending the throne, he renames the Gulei Kingdom as Great Ming and moves immediately to eliminate Wei Kun and the officials involved in rebellion against him 4 7.

His early reign is defined by military expansion. He defeats the Gulei invasion by drowning 200,000 troops, seizes the Gulei Kingdom, and orders Xu Yi to secure it before dawn 7 8. He later rejects the premise that Ming requires foreign recognition of its sovereignty, telling a Heaven Dou delegation to fight again if it is dissatisfied 26.

Xu Nian'an develops Great Ming from a vulnerable kingdom into an empire with nearly a thousand miles of territory. He declares war on the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires alongside several Star Luo vassals, then personally reaches the battlefield with 450,000 troops, Dragon Guards, the Holy Spirit Sect, and the Soul Master Legion 29.

As emperor, he promotes Soul Tools and institutional development. He activates the Soul Spirit Tower, introduces artificial soul rings, founds Mingde Hall, and establishes the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy 54 55. His overseas ambitions later lead him to establish a military base on Xiangri Island while investigating the Great Sun Empire's Soul Tool capabilities 77.

Personality

Xu Nian'an is decisive, domineering, and highly ambitious. He treats rebellion and military resistance as matters to be eliminated rather than negotiated, refusing surrender terms when he sees annihilation as strategically preferable 4 26.

He is also patient when force alone is not advantageous. Rather than launch an immediate attack on the Great Sun Empire, he waits to assess its patrol fleet and Soul Tool development 77. He deliberately sustains conflict among rival states to prevent any single power from growing too strong 82.

His rule is marked by manipulation and coercion as well as strategic calculation. He exploits Xiao Rou's fear for Xiao Wu's safety to secure her submission, and he uses Ah Yin's fate to pressure Xiao Rou into accepting him as her master 89 105.

Abilities & Skills

Triple Martial Souls

Xu Nian'an possesses three martial souls: the Sun, Moon, and Dragon Emperor Sword 4.

• The Dragon Emperor Sword is his principal combat martial soul in major battles.
• His martial souls are compatible with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Blazing Apricot Delicate taken from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well 21.
• He considers cultivating both martial souls simultaneously 15.

Dragon Emperor Sword

Xu Nian'an uses the Dragon Emperor Sword in direct combat against high-level opponents.

• Sword Intent: Infinite — His second soul skill; produces attacks that Tang Hao largely evades 87.
• Myriad Swords Return to the Sect — His sixth soul skill; creates one million golden longswords 87.
• Dragon Emperor Avatar — His Martial Soul Avatar; overwhelms Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Avatar 113.
• His golden dragon manifestation is powerful enough to clash with Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer attack 87.

Soul Ring Absorption

Xu Nian'an repeatedly gains major increases in power through exceptionally old soul rings.

• Absorbed a 200,000-year soul ring and reached Level 17 7 8.
• Extracted a 500,000-year soul ring, reaching Level 30 31.
• Absorbed an 800,000-year soul ring, reaching Level 58 77.
• Possessed five hundred-thousand-year and two million-year soul rings as a Soul Saint 87.
• Reached Level 81 through a million-year soul ring from Xu Fu's treasure 115.

Spiritual Fusion and Fate

Xu Nian'an develops a connection with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, an Auspicious Beast.

• Touching the unconscious beast triggers the “Power of Destiny” 193.
• He spiritually merges with it, absorbs spiritual power, and causes a golden dragon to appear in the sky 194.
• The fusion grants the Three-Eyed Golden Lion a third eye through soul resonance 194.
• He severs the beast's memories of his past after the fusion 194.

Soul Tool Engineering

Xu Nian'an is a Level 5 High-Grade Soul Engineer 78.

• Favors Soul Tools over conventional weapons, regarding them as the future of warfare 48.
• Presents Soul Tool badges to outstanding International Class students 78.
• Uses the Soul Spirit Tower to advance artificial soul-ring distribution across the continent 55.

Equipment / Items

• Halo Mask — Used to conceal his identity; he removes it before Dugu Bo upon returning to Great Ming 114.
• Dragon Emperor Sword — Martial-soul weapon used in battle 87 113.
• Myriad Worlds Summoning Card — System reward used to strengthen his forces 7 8.
• Soul Spirit Tower — Super-artifact activated with the Douluo World Fragment; includes nine sub-towers 54 55.
• Douluo World Fragment I: Heart of the World — Used to activate the Soul Spirit Tower 54 55.
• Holy sword and triangular gemstone — Retrieved from the Great Ming imperial treasury while seeking to protect his child 228.

Relationships

• Long Xiaoyao — Loyal protector and leading Holy Spirit Sect figure; guides Xu Nian'an's cultivation and enforces his authority with Peerless Douluo-level power 5 16 48.
• Xu Yi — Imperial Guard Commander and trusted military subordinate; carries out conquests and receives command of the northern border 7 29 141.
• Xu Fu — Chief eunuch and longtime servant; initially fears Xu Nian'an's transformation, later receives permission to seek immortality 4 5 115.
• Qian Renxue / Xue Qinghe — Politically fraught relationship involving deception, mutual maneuvering, and later parenthood 12 13 105 228 229.
• Xiao Rou — Subordinate who accepts Xu Nian'an as her master to protect Xiao Wu; he becomes Xiao Wu's godfather 89.
• Xiao Wu — His goddaughter through his agreement with Xiao Rou 89.
• Ah Yin — Xu Nian'an destroys evidence of her former existence, later engineers her resurrection and accepts her service after her rebirth 89 102 103.
• Tang Hao — Enemy combatant; Xu Nian'an battles him as a Soul Saint and orders subordinates to track him after his escape 87 88.
• Dugu Bo — Opponent whom Xu Nian'an defeats with the Dragon Emperor Avatar; Dugu Bo refuses recruitment into Great Ming 113 114.
• Zhu Zhuqing — Saved from the Titan Giant Ape; later reunites with Xu Nian'an during the Beast Tide 190 201.
• Three-Eyed Golden Lion — Auspicious Beast spiritually fused with Xu Nian'an; later held under conditions set by him 194 225.
• Xu Weiguo — Xu Nian'an's child; Xu Nian'an vows to ensure he excels after Qian Renxue agrees to let him live 228 229.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Founding of Great Ming

• Ascends the throne, renames Gulei as Ming, and purges rebel officials 4.
• Defeats the Gulei invasion and expands into its territory 7 8.
• Rejects Heaven Dou's demands for recognition and asserts Ming's independent sovereignty 26.

Wars of Expansion

• Declares war on Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and multiple vassal states 29.
• Uses the Great Snow Dragon Riders and Xu Yi to destroy a trapped Heaven Dou force rather than accept surrender 26.
• Leads a large expedition against Star Luo territory while assigning Xu Yi to guard the northern border 29.

Imperial Modernization

• Completes the “First Empire” quest and gains the Soul Spirit Tower, adaptive million-year soul ring, soul bone, and Heart of the World 54.
• Establishes Mingde Hall and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy 55.
• Expands Great Ming's military and Soul Tool capabilities after returning from the sea 78.

Star Dou Forest Conflict

• Fights Tang Hao with seven soul rings and high-level Dragon Emperor Sword techniques 87 88.
• Manipulates Xiao Rou into serving him and becomes Xiao Wu's godfather 89.
• Intimidates the Titan Giant Ape, later plans to hunt it after merging with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion 190 194.
• Uses the Beast Tide and his forces to respond to threats in the Star Dou Forest 201.

Notable Quotes

“Since when does the Ming need anyone else's permission or recognition to do as it pleases?” 26

“If you aren't satisfied, then come and fight again. I, Xu Nian'an, will accompany you to the very end!” 26

“War upon the Heaven Dou Empire! War upon the Star Luo Empire!” 29