Xu Tianran

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xu Tianran (徐天然)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Empire; Xu imperial family 1 5
Occupation/Role	Crown prince; rival and assassination mastermind opposing Xu Tianyuan 1 4 6
Cultivation Realm	Soul Douluo, described as nearing a breakthrough to Titled Douluo 1 4
Status	Alive; remains engaged in surveillance and assassination schemes against Xu Tianyuan 16 28
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 1; first appears directly in Chapter 5 1 5

Background / History

Xu Tianran was raised as an imperial successor and studied the Douluo Continent’s history from childhood. Learning that Tang San had attained godhood inspired him to pursue the same goal. He later regarded Yu Dazhi, a descendant of Tang San’s teacher Yu Xiaogang, as a potential means of achieving it 16.

Five years before the opening events, an unidentified attacker blew off his legs just as he became crown prince. He subsequently carried out a ruthless purge of imperial relatives who could threaten his succession, including executing several younger brothers by lingchi. His killings left almost no members of the Xu family alive 1.

Over more than a decade, Xu Tianran plotted against relatives—including an elder brother, younger brothers, and an uncle—while cultivating a reputation for wisdom and magnanimity. By the opening assassination attempt against Xu Tianyuan, his supporters included court officials, senior imperial guard officers, major soul engineer factions, and Titled Douluos. His influence left Emperor Xu Zhengxiao largely unable to act against him 4 5 6 15.

Appearance

• Wheelchair: Uses a wheelchair, which a servant pushes during his palace appearance 5 6.
• Leg injuries: Lost his legs in an attack five years before the story begins 1.
• Gaze: Described as cold and snake-like when surveying the emperor, imperial retainers, and Xu Tianyuan 5.
• Outward bearing: Presents himself with a gentle, refined manner that conceals his hostility 12 25.

Personality

Xu Tianran maintains a courteous public image while privately eliminating rivals. After the assassination attempt against Xu Tianyuan fails, he shows almost no outward reaction and performs the role of a concerned elder brother before the assembled court. His restraint protects the legitimacy of his claim to the throne rather than reflecting affection 5 6.

He is possessive toward Ju Zi, treating her as his private property rather than an equal. Her injuries anger him both because someone has harmed a person he considers his possession and because striking his subordinate challenges his authority 12 14 15.

Xu Tianran strongly values control. Evidence that his supposedly helpless brother can withstand a Level 3 Soul Tool unsettles him, while insults concerning his disability and inability to father children provoke an explosive rage. Nevertheless, he can accept restraint when an adviser explains the political consequences of retaliation 14 15.

His confidence in Yu Dazhi creates a notable blind spot. He readily accepts the theory that a rival faction is directing Xu Tianyuan, and the two reinforce each other’s conclusions through mutual praise. Ju Zi privately doubts their explanation but does not challenge them 16 17.

Abilities & Skills

Soul Douluo Cultivation

• Has long held the Soul Douluo realm and is described as close to reaching Titled Douluo; no completed breakthrough is documented in the supplied chapters 1 4.
• Can probe another person’s cultivation. He repeatedly verified Xu Tianyuan’s rank as twenty-nine and considers a Level 9 concealment Soul Tool a possible explanation for misleading those checks 15.
• His emotional agitation causes nearby furniture and tableware to shake as his soul power slips out of control 15.

Political Influence and Covert Operations

• Commands an extensive network within the palace, court, and military, supported by high-ranking experts 4 5 6.
• Arranges assassination attempts while removing potential witnesses and obstructing intervention. Before the opening attack, guards and attendants are withdrawn and a sound-isolating barrier surrounds Xu Tianyuan’s residence 4.
• Uses Ju Zi to gather intelligence on academy research and prominent students, later ordering her to monitor Xu Tianyuan’s cultivation and movements 14 15 16.
• Preserves a magnanimous public image and avoids leaving evidence connecting him to his relatives’ deaths 5 15.

Operational Limits

• Cannot safely kill Xu Tianyuan openly before witnesses without damaging his reputation and succession prospects 5 6.
• Avoids attacking inside the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy because of its powerful protection and the resulting political fallout 15 16.
• Relies on outside assassins and plausible explanations to separate future killings from his own faction 16.

Relationships

• Xu Tianyuan — Younger half-brother and succession rival. Tianyuan spends years pretending to be incompetent to survive Xu Tianran’s suspicion; both regard their conflict as irreconcilable 1 2 6.
• Xu Zhengxiao — Father and reigning emperor. Xu Tianran’s entrenched supporters reduce his father’s practical authority and prevent meaningful action against him 5 6.
• Ju Zi — Rescued dependent, subordinate, and academy informant. He gave her food, shelter, and hope of avenging her father, but her allegiance rests on that possibility of revenge rather than unconditional devotion 9 11 14.
• Yu Dazhi — Trusted strategist who helped him seize power and contributed to the deaths of several relatives. Xu Tianran also associates Yu’s ancestry with his own ambition to attain godhood 16.
• Luan Feng — Imperial protector whose position complicates opposition to him. She supports Xu Tianyuan but cannot personally kill the crown prince without committing treason and facing retaliation from his supporters 25 26.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Failed Palace Assassination

Xu Tianran sends three Soul Kings to kill Xu Tianyuan in his bedchamber. Tianyuan unexpectedly defeats them using his newly acquired powers, then makes the assassination public while claiming an unknown expert saved him 1 2 3 5.

Appearing before the gathered court, Xu Tianran offers false reassurance and questions his brother about the supposed rescuer. He privately resolves to use a Soul Douluo or even a Titled Douluo for the next attempt. Tianyuan leaves the palace for the academy before another attack can occur 6 7.

Surveillance and the Academy Ambush Plan

Ju Zi reports that Xu Tianyuan beat her and resisted her Level 3 Soul Tool. Xu Tianran begins questioning whether his brother has hidden his strength or acquired an unseen supporter. Tianyuan’s deliberately relayed insults further inflame him 14 15.

Yu Dazhi proposes waiting until Tianyuan leaves the academy to hunt soul beasts, hiring outside mercenaries to ambush him, and presenting his death as a soul-beast attack. Xu Tianran approves and orders Ju Zi to track his movements 16.

The plan depends on a mistaken assumption: Tianyuan discovers that sunlight can condense soul rings, allowing him to advance without leaving the academy. During the following three months, Ju Zi reports Xu Tianran’s continued efforts to have him intercepted 13 17 28.

Notable Quotes

“Don't worry, little brother. I'll make sure the culprit is caught.” 6

“Sir, I still want Xu Tianyuan dead. Unless I kill him, I cannot quell the hatred in my heart!” 16