Gu Jinzhi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Gu Jinzhi (顧謹㦳)
Alias(es)	Brother Da Zhi; Young Master Gu; Husband Jiang; Emperor Yu
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Gu Family; Investigation Bureau; Great Jing Dynasty (Sky-Gazing Mirror trial); Heavenly Ruins
Occupation/Role	Gu Family’s eldest young master; Martial Artist; Investigation Bureau intern; Emperor of Great Jing during the Sky-Gazing Mirror trial
Status	Alive
First Appearance	20

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Third Order, initial stage	22	Had already reached Third Order three months before Zhang Pengcheng discussed challenging him.
Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber — Great Accomplishment	39	Broke through amid a spar with Li Wei, greatly increasing the technique’s lethality.
Saber Intent	68	Displayed a solid, domineering Martial Way Will that intimidated Third Order investigators.
Third Order, peak	141	Reached the peak of Third Order after receiving power from the giant lotus phenomenon.
Great Perfection foundation	320	His recovering foundation had reached Great Perfection after a prolonged coma.
Fourth Order	360	Had just advanced to Fourth Order; Li Wei inferred that his foundation may have reached a “99+1” state.

Background / History

Gu Jinzhi is the eldest young master of the Gu Family, a Martial Immortal family whose position declined after its ancestor fell into a coma. His grandfather, Gu Litong, and mother, Liang Qiushi, arranged his engagement to Jiang Xue. Gu Jinzhi initially regarded the marriage as an obligation and believed that, while the Zhang Family remained a threat, he was neither able nor qualified to marry. He considered emotional attachment a burden. 22 32

Before his wedding, he tried to find a way to make Jiang Xue reject him, hoping to keep her away from the danger surrounding the Gu–Zhang feud. His friend Zeng Yi recognized that Gu Jinzhi’s apparent indifference masked a willingness to sacrifice himself. 32

His first meeting with Li Wei, who was posing as Jiang Xue, became a tense confrontation that developed into a spar. The battle forced Gu Jinzhi to break through in the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber, while Li Wei’s abilities and Jiang Family inheritance convinced him that her identity was genuine. 37 39 41

During the Huanmao Center Rift crisis, Gu Jinzhi joined the rescue operation rather than retreating. He proceeded into the Ninth Layer to find Jiang Xue, remaining trapped with her after the rest of his squad withdrew. 68 76 78 Their experiences in the Rift, the Sky-Gazing Mirror trial, and later crises gradually changed his attitude toward both marriage and attachment.

Appearance

Gu Jinzhi is a tall, slender, exceptionally handsome young man with a noble but sharp bearing. He commonly dresses in restrained martial or casual clothing and carries himself with deliberate composure. 37 83

• Dark blue training attire with neatly cinched sleeves and trousers during his first on-page meeting with Li Wei. 37
• Smooth, defined musculature beneath his training clothes. 37
• Dark, deep-set eyes and a calm, striking profile. 68 89
• Often wears or carries a saber. 68 175
• Bore bandages and visible injuries after the Rift rescue operation. 83
• His hair later turned silver-white during the period of grief following Li Wei’s apparent death. 346
• Uses a white jade mask and cloud-woven immortal robe within the Heavenly Ruins. 247

Personality

Gu Jinzhi is habitually calm, reserved, and difficult to read. Zeng Yi describes him as the most mature among their peers, someone who rarely reveals his emotions. 32 Even under provocation or danger, he tends to assess the situation before acting, whether bluffing a suspected poisoner, interrogating enemies, or preparing political traps. 103 125 128

He is intensely responsible and often self-sacrificing. He attempted to distance Jiang Xue because he believed the Gu–Zhang conflict would endanger her, entered the Rift to find her, and refused to expose critical information while captured by a Great Dream Cult expert. 32 76 178

Although initially convinced that feelings were a burden, he becomes increasingly open in his care for Li Wei. His concern shows through awkward protectiveness, jealousy, emotional restraint, and eventually mutual trust during their time in the Sky-Gazing Mirror and Heavenly Ruins. 54 78 109 129 247

Abilities & Skills

Great Sun Meditation Method

A Gu Family cultivation method that produces scorching, forceful Vitality.

• Amplifies his combat output with a blazing aura. 38
• Can saturate his saber attacks with intense heat and destructive force. 38
• Supports the explosive fighting style of his saber techniques. 53

Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber

Gu Jinzhi’s primary saber art, refined through combat against Li Wei.

• Reached Great Accomplishment during their spar. 39
• Includes the defensive spinning technique known as Blade Storm. 39
• Includes the forceful Fire Whirlwind, which creates scorching saber light and pressures faster opponents. 38 39
• At Great Accomplishment, its single-strike lethality was stated to surpass Min Zimo’s. 70
• Allowed him to instantly kill an Octopus Monster once he could bring his full power to bear. 70

Saber Intent

A solidified Martial Way Will developed by the Third Order.

• Its pressure frightened other Third Order Martial Artists during the Rift rescue preparations. 68
• Lets him better lock onto highly mobile opponents and force exchanges into direct confrontations. 70
• The pressure of his saber intent was recognizable in a blood bead originating from a powerful Gu Family elder. 157

Tactical Judgment

Gu Jinzhi is a capable strategist in both political and combat situations.

• Bluffed Fu Man into abandoning a poisoned-medicine attempt. 103
• Advocated arresting conspirators together rather than eliminating them piecemeal. 104
• Directed Li Wei to conceal her true strength after the Mirror World’s Third Order ceiling was broken. 109 110
• Reorganized Yujing’s military forces and used Min Zimo’s arrival to test his loyalties and intentions. 125 127 129
• Deduced that the Great Dream Cult had parasitized Min Zimo and linked the cult’s growing influence to faith power. 133 135

Jade Emperor Divine Seat

Within the Heavenly Ruins, Gu Jinzhi inherited the Divine Seat of the Jade Emperor.

• Received inherited knowledge directly into his mind. 297
• The inheritance allowed him to notice contradictions in Blue Star mythology and break free of a Thought Imprint. 297
• Gained control over the Heavenly Palace, though he was initially unfamiliar with all of its functions. 391

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Saber — his primary weapon, used with the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber. 38 68
• Training saber — used during his spar with Li Wei; made of a material that softens when strikes exceed a First Order Martial Artist’s baseline defense. 38
• Stable team formation bracelet — issued for the Huanmao Center Rift rescue operation to prevent squad members from becoming separated. 68
• White jade mask — conceals his identity in the Heavenly Ruins. 247
• Plain Heaven Crown and Black-and-Yellow Emperor Robe — symbols connected to the Jade Emperor Divine Seat. 297

Relationships

• Li Wei / Jiang Xue — His fiancée and later wife. He initially tried to push her away for her safety, but their rivalry, shared ordeals, and political partnership developed into mutual trust and affection. 32 78 129 171
• Gu Shiheng — His father. Gu Shiheng expects him to act responsibly as a member of the Gu Family and trusts his battlefield capability. 22 41
• Liang Qiushi — His mother. She helped arrange his marriage and is acutely aware of his emotional struggles. 22 44
• Gu Litong — His grandfather and a Gu Family Grandmaster. He arranged the engagement, advises Gu Jinzhi on rebuilding his foundation, and openly teases him over Jiang Xue. 83 151 170
• Zeng Yi — His closest friend and confidant. Zeng Yi repeatedly offers to support him despite the risks of the Gu–Zhang feud, while Gu Jinzhi relies on his loyalty and family connections. 32 54 125
• Min Zimo — Fellow Sky-Gazing Mirror participant and later Heavenly Ruins contact. They develop professional respect through military planning and shared crises. 127 247 248
• Gu Jinwen and Gu Jinyi — His younger siblings. They witnessed his spar with Li Wei and later showed concern during his hospitalization. 38 186
• Yun Xi — A woman whose feelings for Gu Jinzhi become obsessive. Her actions contribute to the danger surrounding him. 168 175
• Li Cheng — Li Wei’s son. Following Li Wei’s apparent death, Gu Jinzhi promises to help the traumatized, mute child recover. 346

Story Role / Major Arcs

Engagement and Gu Family Arc

Gu Jinzhi’s arranged marriage to Jiang Xue is entangled with the Gu–Zhang feud. Fearing that she may be used as a scapegoat or drawn into danger, he tries to make her reject him instead of confronting his growing interest directly. 22 32

Spar with Jiang Xue

His first encounter with Li Wei posing as Jiang Xue ends in a saber-versus-sword spar. He initially underestimates her speed and unusual techniques, then achieves Great Accomplishment in the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber as the battle forces him beyond his limits. 37 38 39

Huanmao Center Rift Rescue

Gu Jinzhi joins a rescue squad despite the danger and confronts criticism that the mission is being diverted to save his wife. He demonstrates Saber Intent, enters the Rift, and remains behind to search for Jiang Xue. 68 76 In the Ninth Layer, he learns more about the Gu Family’s resource limitations and begins to speak more candidly with her. 78 79

Sky-Gazing Mirror: Emperor of Great Jing

Assigned the role of the emperor, Gu Jinzhi awakens physically weak and poisoned but quickly identifies court threats. He and Li Wei share the mission of saving Great Jing, with Gu Jinzhi providing political strategy while she supplies overwhelming martial force. 100 102 109

He directs court reforms, military reorganization, and the response to the Central Plains rebellion. He also recognizes anomalies in the Mirror World’s power system and investigates Min Zimo’s inexplicable circumstances. 113 125 127

Great Dream Cult Crisis

Gu Jinzhi identifies the Great Dream Cult’s parasitic involvement in the Mirror World and deduces that destroying its followers and purple-black mist will weaken the Great Dream Bodhisattva. 133 135 He is later captured alongside Min Zimo by the Bodhisattva, remaining composed even when facing death. 147

Recovery and Heavenly Ruins

After suffering severe injuries and falling into a coma, Gu Jinzhi’s consciousness enters the Heavenly Ruins through Min Zimo’s invitation. There, he seeks a path to awaken, learns of divine seats and inheritances, and eventually obtains the Jade Emperor Divine Seat. 247 248 297

Grief and Li Cheng

Following Li Wei’s apparent death, Gu Jinzhi waits for her in the Moon Palace while repeatedly reading her note. His hair turns white, and he continues to hope for her return. He also takes responsibility for Li Cheng, protecting him and promising to help him recover from trauma. 346

Trivia

• Gu Jinzhi’s Blood Nourishing foundation was originally only 89 points, which placed him in the Minor Perfection range rather than Great Perfection. 22 70
• He is visibly prone to blushing around Li Wei despite his normally cold demeanor. 38 55 92
• He is an accomplished fisherman; Gu Litong’s fish basket was empty while Gu Jinzhi had already caught several crucian carp. 83
• He signs his name in strong, elegant handwriting. 91
• Zeng Yi often calls him “Brother Da Zhi.” 32