Xu Tianran

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xu Tianran (徐天然)
Alias(es)	Sun Moon Emperor
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Imperial Family; Sun Moon Empire; allied with the Holy Spirit Cult
Occupation/Role	Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire; wartime commander and architect of the continental invasion
Status	Deceased 96
First Appearance	Chapter 61

Background / History

Xu Tianran ascended the Sun Moon throne after the old emperor became gravely ill. He used the border conflict, Soul Engineer legions, and remnants of the Holy Spirit Cult to purge the imperial clan and court officials who attempted to restrain him, presenting his takeover as necessary wartime leadership 61.

His first major act as emperor was to elevate Ju Zi to empress, grant her command of the border armies, and name her the War Goddess Empress. The appointment was designed as a political trap: Xu Tianran would claim credit for victory while making Ju Zi responsible for defeat 61 62 67.

Rather than lead from the front, Xu Tianran directed the war from Ming Du. His campaign sought to divide Star Luo, Heaven Soul, and Dou Ling through artillery strikes, supply-route attacks, disrupted communications, and mutually suspicious intelligence 61 62. He later armed and deployed the Silver-Armored Legion and Imperial Guard Army as forces directly answerable to himself 72 73.

Xu Tianran knowingly cooperated with the Holy Spirit Cult, allowing warfare and artillery bombardment to generate the casualties needed to feed the Myriad Souls Banner. The alliance used captured soldiers, battlefield dead, and even civilians as resources for evil soul formations 77 89 90.

Personality

Xu Tianran is calculating, authoritarian, and intensely controlling. He treats titles, military authority, marriage, and even pregnancy as instruments for securing obedience. His elevation of Ju Zi, later attempts to revoke her authority, and surveillance through the Pregnancy-Test Soul Guidance Ring all reflect his need to possess every part of her life 61 70 72.

He is deeply insecure about Huo Yuhao, whom he views as both a military threat and a rival for Ju Zi’s loyalty. This insecurity repeatedly drives his decisions: he questions Ju Zi’s contact with Huo Yuhao, uses her as bait to draw Huo Yuhao away from the front, and attempts to turn her child into a permanent shackle 63 81 88.

His ambition ultimately becomes self-destructive. Rather than accept defeat at Ming Du, he embraces evil power and attempts to destroy the capital, the allied army, and potentially the continent alongside himself 94 95.

Abilities & Resources

Political Manipulation

Xu Tianran maintains control by making subordinates bear the risks of his policies.

• Installed Ju Zi as frontline commander while retaining the ability to claim credit or assign blame 61 67.
• Used imperial decrees and military titles to remove Ju Zi from the front after setbacks 70 72.
• Exploited the Empress’s Military Tally and a Pulling Formation to force Ju Zi’s return from the Tang Sect without openly attacking it 88.
• Used truthful but outdated intelligence to expose Ju Zi’s covert contact with Shrek and lure Huo Yuhao away from Star Luo’s defenses 81.

Strategic Warfare

Xu Tianran favors indirect warfare over conventional conquest.

• Directed simultaneous pressure against Ming Dou Mountain Pass, Heaven Soul supply routes, and Dou Ling cavalry grounds to split the three nations 61 62.
• Used artillery, logistics disruption, communication sabotage, hostage operations, and mobile Soul Engineer formations to weaken enemy cohesion 67 73 87.
• Deployed the Imperial Guard Army to target officers, granaries, scouts, and communications rather than seize territory 73.
• Ordered the war prolonged so battlefield casualties could strengthen the Holy Spirit Cult’s Myriad Souls Banner 89 90.

Evil Soul Power and Soul Tools

In the final battle, Xu Tianran abandons conventional imperial authority for destructive evil power.

• Implanted a black Evil Core into his chest, using it to force his crippled body upright and transform himself into an evil soul master 94.
• Activated a Ninth-Grade Humanoid Soul Tool Bomb connected to the Imperial City Underground Hub and detonation runes beneath the throne 95.
• Used the imperial throne’s hidden mechanism to spread his planned self-destruction beyond his own body and into Ming Du’s energy network 95.

Equipment and Infrastructure

• Wheelchair — Used before he forcibly stood through the power of the Evil Core 94.
• Ninth-Grade Humanoid Soul Tool Bomb — His final weapon, embedded near his chest and spine 95.
• Imperial City Underground Hub — Energy network linked to his self-destruction plan 95.
• Imperial throne detonation mechanism — Controlled the external chain connecting his bomb to Ming Du’s underground energy well 95.
• Imperial Guard Army and Silver-Armored Legion — Elite forces under his personal command 72 73.

Relationships

• Ju Zi — His empress in name and chief military commander. Xu Tianran repeatedly treats her as political property, a scapegoat, and a vessel for an imperial heir; Ju Zi ultimately turns against him and orders the cannon strike that destroys his throne’s detonation mechanism 61 72 88 95.
• Huo Yuhao — Primary military and personal adversary. Xu Tianran sees Huo Yuhao as the greatest obstacle to continental unification and as a rival for Ju Zi’s loyalty 77 81.
• Tang Wutong — Enemy commander and Huo Yuhao’s partner. She destroys Xu Tianran’s command token during Ju Zi’s rescue and helps sever his final detonation plan 81 95.
• Holy Spirit Cult — Allied force used to harvest souls from the war, corrupt captives, and construct the Myriad Souls Banner 77 89 90.
• Dai Hao — Star Luo commander whose forces repeatedly oppose Xu Tianran’s invasions at Ming Dou Mountain Pass and within Star Luo territory 64 73.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Accession and War Declaration

Xu Tianran seizes the Sun Moon throne, installs Ju Zi as empress and border commander, and issues an ultimatum demanding that the three nations submit to Sun Moon Soul Tool oversight or face war 61.

Three-Nation War

He attempts to defeat Star Luo, Heaven Soul, and Dou Ling separately through coordinated artillery, supply-line attacks, elite Soul Engineer raids, and political distrust. Although Ju Zi commands the campaign publicly, Xu Tianran keeps her exposed to blame while remaining in Ming Du 62 67 70.

Control of Ju Zi

Following Ju Zi’s military setbacks and covert assistance to Huo Yuhao, Xu Tianran strips away her independence through recall orders, reproductive surveillance, confinement, and the Empress’s Military Tally 72 78 88 89.

Alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult

Xu Tianran authorizes the Sun Moon military’s cooperation with the Holy Spirit Cult. Their combined strategy turns the continental battlefield into a source of souls for the Myriad Souls Banner and other evil formations 77 89 90.

Fall of Ming Du

As the Three-Nation Allied Army surrounds Ming Du, Xu Tianran uses an Evil Core to stand and personally embraces evil soul power. After the Holy Spirit Cult’s destruction, he activates the Ninth-Grade Humanoid Soul Tool Bomb in an attempt to destroy Ming Du and everyone opposing him 94 95.

Ju Zi destroys the throne mechanism controlling his detonation chain, while Huo Yuhao freezes the underground energy well and Tang Wutong destroys the remaining control runes. Xu Tianran’s final scheme fails, and his death marks the effective end of the war 95 96.

Notable Quotes

“I can stand! I don't need anyone's pity!” 94