He Gui

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	He Gui (赫鬼)
Alias(es)	Old Demon He Gui; True Lord He Gui; Great Elder; former Old Ancestor of the Golden Qi Sect; Corpse Refining Old Ancestor (identity assumed through soul merger)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Demonic Palace; formerly the Golden Qi Sect; later coerced into the Spirit Taming Sect
Occupation/Role	Great Elder and leading demonic cultivator; former Golden Qi Sect Old Ancestor
Status	Deceased; Wan Ze destroys his body and absorbs his Nascent Soul and remnant soul 514
First Appearance	Chapter 194

Cultivation

Realm	Documented status	Notes
Peak Core Formation	Past	Bai Lan previously saved him from demonic cultivators at this realm. 448
Nascent Soul	Confirmed	Reached Nascent Soul after the incident in which Bai Lan saved him. 448
Late Nascent Soul	Confirmed	Considered one of the Demonic Path's strongest cultivators below Spirit Transformation. 312 482 514
Spirit Transformation	Unreached	Prepared to use Lan Ning as a possession vessel if he failed the Nine Deaths One Life Lightning Tribulation. 344 376

Background

He Gui was once the Old Ancestor of the Golden Qi Sect before becoming the Demonic Palace's Great Elder and a prominent figure of the Demonic Path. Bai Lan had saved him when he was still at peak Core Formation; after he later reached Nascent Soul, he remembered the favor and initially treated her amicably. 448

He Gui and the Ghost Spirit Old Mother met as young demonic cultivators and became Dao companions. Their relationship ended after roughly a thousand years, though they had a son, Lan Ning. The Ghost Spirit Old Mother later established herself as the Island Master of North Nether Island in the Boundless Sea Region. 376

Despite redeeming Lan Ning from the Azure Origin Sect at great expense, He Gui regarded his son as replaceable and physically abused him. He later imprisoned Lan Ning, supplied him with resources and a compatible cultivation method, and raised him from Foundation Establishment to early Core Formation as a backup body-snatching vessel. 194 195 344

At some point, the residual soul of the Corpse Refining Old Ancestor merged with He Gui's Spiritual Sense. This left him with conflicting memories, unstable Divine Souls, and increasingly demonic impulses. He Gui believed he remained in control, but the merger became a central vulnerability Bai Lan exploited. 449 453

Personality

He Gui was cautious when dealing with major threats, using puppet bodies containing a wisp of his Divine Soul rather than personally entering dangerous territory. 194 He could also be calculating, attempting to secure alternatives for his cultivation and survival before facing the Spirit Transformation tribulation. 344 376

However, his attachment to Bai Ling repeatedly overrode his judgment. He was possessive, jealous, and willing to sacrifice subordinates, resources, and political stability for her. His fixation became so extreme that he wished to kill everyone who loved her so that she would belong to him alone. 355 416 488

His actions alienated the Demonic Palace's cultivators. He maimed Hong Xiao over her treatment of Bai Ling, killed guards with indiscriminate Nascent Soul pressure, and traded enormous quantities of resources for Bai Ling's safety. 312 355 377 490

Abilities & Skills

Late Nascent Soul Cultivation

He Gui possessed late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation and was regarded as the foremost expert below Spirit Transformation during the Nanyi Mountain conflict. 482 514

• His unleashed pressure could immobilize Core Formation cultivators and kill or severely injure Demonic Palace guards indiscriminately. 355
• He could travel as a wisp of black smoke and deploy a puppet body carrying a portion of his Divine Soul. 194 316
• His strength made ordinary Demonic Palace elders reluctant to openly oppose him despite widespread resentment. 312 356

Ghost and Demonic Arts

He Gui used demonic energy, Yin Ghosts, and other brutal techniques.

• Summoned sixth-tier Yin Ghosts to devour two fleeing Qi Refining cultivators. 317
• Used boneless worms to threaten Bai Ling through True Lord Guangwei. 356
• Could conceal hostile demonic energy within the Demonic Ruler, intending to seize control of anyone who touched it. 490
• Possessed cultivation methods and divine abilities that Bai Ling kept but refused to practice. 468

Body Snatching Preparations

He Gui deliberately cultivated Lan Ning as a replacement body.

• Provided Lan Ning a cultivation method of the same origin as his own. 344
• Used heavenly treasures to improve Lan Ning's cultivation and physical condition. 344
• Intended to possess Lan Ning if his own Spirit Transformation breakthrough failed. 344 376

Divine Soul Instability

The Corpse Refining Old Ancestor's residual soul destabilized He Gui's Divine Soul after their merger.

• The instability impaired his judgment and made him vulnerable to Bai Lan's Soul Severing attacks. 453
• He struggled to reconcile the memories and instincts of He Gui with those of the Corpse Refining Old Ancestor. 450 453
• Bai Lan used this weakness to repeatedly strike, exhaust, and trap him at Flowing Wave Mountain. 453 454

Equipment

• Demonic spear — A dark-purple spear believed to be a Spirit Treasure; He Gui could not fully unleash its power at Nascent Soul. 488
• Demonic Ruler — Contained a concealed divine ability that released controlling demonic energy on contact. 490
• Horsetail whisk — Used to release wind blades against Bai Lan. 453 454
• Sound Transmission Talismans — Used to issue orders and receive reports from the Demonic Palace. 317 488
• Spirit Dao Flower — A valuable possession whose theft provoked his fury. 488

Relationships

• Bai Ling — His beloved and greatest weakness. He became obsessively possessive of her, repeatedly compromising his interests and threatening anyone connected to her. 239 355 416 488
• Lan Ning — Biological son. He redeemed Lan Ning but later imprisoned and cultivated him as a body-snatching vessel. 194 344
• Ghost Spirit Old Mother — Former Dao companion and Lan Ning's mother. She confronted He Gui over his treatment of their son and used Bai Ling to extort resources from him. 376 377
• Bai Lan — Former beneficiary of his goodwill, later his enemy and captor. Bai Lan exposed his Corpse Refining connection, defeated him through repeated traps, and coerced him into the Spirit Taming Sect. 448 453 458 460
• Gongsun Lian — Demonic Palace commander. She reported to He Gui and handled Bai Ling's capture, but later operated independently of his interests. 354 493
• True Lord Jin Heng — His Senior Sister. She expressed regret over his actions but ultimately assisted in defeating him after Bai Lan impersonated Qing Xuan. 454 455
• Corpse Refining Old Ancestor — A residual soul merged into He Gui's Divine Soul, causing his unstable dual identity and demonic corruption. 449 453

Story Role

Bai Ling and Lan Ning

He Gui exchanged intelligence about a ruin to redeem Lan Ning, then offered two spirit stone mines to secure Bai Ling's release from Hanxu Zi. His apparent concern for Lan Ning proved transactional; he soon made clear that Lan Ning was not irreplaceable. 194 195 196

After Bai Ling entered the Demonic Path, He Gui became infatuated with her almost immediately. His relationship with her became the basis for Bai Lan's long-term plan to manipulate him through his “reverse scale.” 239

Tyranny within the Demonic Palace

He Gui severed Hong Xiao's arm for mistreating Bai Ling, prompting Hong Xiao's defection. While pursuing her, he casually had Yin Ghosts devour two fleeing Qi Refining cultivators. 312 317

When Bai Ling returned alongside True Lord Guangwei, He Gui's jealousy erupted. His pressure killed many palace guards, and he dismembered Guangwei for touching Bai Ling. 355

Exposure and Defeat

Bai Lan discovered that the He Gui she knew was compromised by the Corpse Refining Old Ancestor's residual soul. She lured him to Flowing Wave Mountain, exploited his conflicted Divine Soul, and repeatedly struck him with Soul Severing while using the Void Stone to evade retaliation. 449 453 454

After being trapped, He Gui learned of the Spirit Taming Sect's Spirit Transformation-level support and accepted Bai Lan's terms, surrendering a wisp of his Divine Soul and copying the Golden Qi Sect's Library Pavilion. 459 460

Final Conflict

During the righteous–demonic conflict, Bai Lan captured Bai Ling and forced He Gui to turn on two trusted Nascent Soul confidants. He also surrendered thirty million Spirit Stones, the Demonic Ruler, and a ten-year nonaggression oath toward the Four Sects for Bai Ling's safety. 488 490

He Gui later attacked the Spirit Taming Sect intending to annihilate it. Provoked by Bai Lan's threats against Bai Ling, he attacked her and was confronted by Wan Ze, who easily destroyed his physical body and absorbed both his Nascent Soul and remnant soul. 513 514

Notable Quotes

“Ling'er, I truly wish I could kill everyone in this world who likes you. That way, you'd be mine and mine alone.” 416

“Loving someone doesn’t need a reason. Bai Ling is this seat’s beloved wife, and that’s all there is to it.” 492

Trivia

• Bai Lan identifies Bai Ling as He Gui's absolute weakness and intentionally uses that attachment to destabilize the Demonic Path. 222
• He Gui's fixation on Bai Ling causes many Demonic Path Nascent Soul cultivators to view him as unfit to achieve Spirit Transformation. 487
• Although he attempted to present himself as Bai Ling's protector, Bai Ling repeatedly rejected him and feared his possessiveness. 315 416