This man was indeed one of the Celestria, and a Prince of Empyria at that, but in essence, he wasn't entirely one of them.
He was Ian Valerius, the second Prince of Empyria, born of the same mother as the Crown Prince. But initially, his mother had only been pregnant with one child: the Crown Prince, Elara Valerius. The extra child, Ian, was originally formed from the lingering sinister and wicked thoughts within Empyria's Purification Pool.
The Purification Pool was located in a place of extreme yin energy within Empyria. When members of the Celestria developed stray or evil thoughts during their Cultivation, they would undergo a baptism there to expel these notions and prevent the growth of a Heart Demon. Over time, Ian Valerius was born from this accumulation.
