Gu Yu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gu Yu (顾余)
Alias(es)	“The most outstanding Zhuangyuan in fifty years”; Jiangbei Province’s top scholar 16
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Disciple of Grandmaster Yao Jianyue; intern at Lingshan No. 1 High School 17 27
Occupation/Role	Martial artist; intern teacher under Li Yuan 27
Status	Active 158
First Appearance	16

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Fifth Grade Martial Artist	18	Revealed to be at Fifth Grade while sparring Yin Yi; his realm was later suppressed to Fourth Grade for his first match against Li Yuan.
Fifth Grade Great Completion	75	Fully unleashed perfected Fifth Grade strength, speed, and his strongest movement-art coordination against Li Yuan, but was still unable to gain the advantage.

History

Provincial Zhuangyuan

Gu Yu became Jiangbei Province’s top scholar and earned the public title of the most outstanding Zhuangyuan in fifty years. Initial skepticism over the title was answered by his repeated victories over those who challenged or tried to embarrass him. His achievements led to his acceptance as a disciple of Grandmaster Yao Jianyue. 16 17

He is Jin Fan’s junior martial brother. Though he openly describes himself as only about seventy percent as strong as Jin Fan, Gu Yu possesses considerable confidence in his own ability and reputation. 17

Youth Martial Tournament Qualification Match

Gu Yu arrived at Lingshan No. 1 High School as Jin Fan’s replacement in the dispute over the Youth Martial Tournament qualification. Before facing Li Yuan, he accepted challenges from any interested teacher and defeated Fifth Grade martial artist Yin Yi in roughly ten exchanges. He then praised Yin Yi’s skill, allowing his opponent to concede without further embarrassment. 17 18

Against Li Yuan, Gu Yu initially suppressed his realm to Fourth Grade and underestimated his opponent. Li Yuan’s adaptive Collapse Extreme Fist and complete mastery of Cloud Extreme Fist forced Gu Yu to abandon his casual approach and use his true strength. Gu Yu ultimately lost, costing Jin Fan the disputed qualification. 19 20 21

Internship and Second Defeat

Following his defeat, Gu Yu entered Lingshan No. 1 High School as an intern under Li Yuan. He stated that Yao Jianyue had expelled him until he could defeat Li Yuan, and he set a one-month deadline for a rematch. 27

Gu Yu treated the internship chiefly as an opportunity to study Cloud Extreme Fist rather than a teaching position, declining to guide the classes assigned to Li Yuan. He believed that analyzing the technique’s variations would let him overcome Li Yuan. 33

Before Li Yuan departed for the Youth Martial Tournament, Gu Yu gave him protective inner armor and expressed concern for his safety. He nevertheless remained convinced that he would defeat Li Yuan after the tournament. 47

Gu Yu studied analyses of Cloud Extreme Fist written by several Grandmasters and entered their second match believing he had found a countermeasure. Li Yuan’s Flaw Insight repeatedly forced him to abandon favorable positions, while Li Yuan’s perfected Fifth Grade physique prevented Gu Yu from winning through speed or raw force. Gu Yu lost again within ten minutes and concluded that he could no longer see a path to defeating Li Yuan. 75 76

Later Conflict with Jin Fan

Yao Jianyue later reprimanded Gu Yu and Jin Fan over their conduct. Despite Gu Yu’s failure to defeat Li Yuan, he was eventually allowed to return to Lingshan No. 1 High School. 81 108

After sparring Jin Fan, Gu Yu realized that fighting Li Yuan felt more oppressive despite Jin Fan’s superior realm and techniques. He began to suspect that Li Yuan’s future potential might exceed Jin Fan’s. 108

Gu Yu’s relationship with Jin Fan deteriorated as Jin Fan blamed him for past failures and dismissed his warnings about Li Yuan. Gu Yu came to resent Jin Fan’s treatment of him and privately welcomed the possibility that Li Yuan might teach his senior brother a severe lesson. 158

Personality

Gu Yu is composed and self-assured in public. As a celebrated Zhuangyuan and Grandmaster’s disciple, he is accustomed to admiration and shows no stage fright when confronting school leaders or large crowds. 17

His confidence can become arrogance, particularly when assessing Li Yuan. After the first defeat, he attributed the result largely to Cloud Extreme Fist exploiting his blind spot rather than accepting a broader gap in understanding. He remained certain that concentrated study would solve the problem. 27 75

Despite this pride, Gu Yu can be courteous in victory and direct in acknowledging genuine skill. He gave Yin Yi face after defeating him, and later recognized the uniquely suffocating difficulty of facing Li Yuan. 18 108

Abilities & Skills

Martial Arts Fundamentals

Gu Yu has exceptionally solid fundamentals as a Grandmaster’s disciple. His attacks combine controlled force, speed, and technique rather than relying on physical strength alone. 18

• His fist force can generate a compressed, crushing pull that drags targets toward the strike. 18
• He can alter his footwork and fighting rhythm abruptly to overwhelm an opponent. 18
• He possesses a defensive palm technique capable of blocking and warding off incoming qi, though Li Yuan identified a flaw in its coverage. 74

Movement Art Coordination

Gu Yu’s greatest talent lies in coordinating Movement Arts with martial techniques. Yao Jianyue repeatedly praised this aptitude. 75

• His movement allows him to attack from difficult angles and transition quickly between offense and defense. 20 75
• When fully synchronized with his attacks, his style can elevate his combat effectiveness by an entire level. 75
• This strength becomes unreliable against opponents who can predict the positions his movement technique will create, as Li Yuan did. 75

Cloud Extreme Fist Analysis

After his first loss, Gu Yu devoted himself to studying Cloud Extreme Fist and read analyses by multiple Grandmasters. 33 75

• He sought to identify the technique’s core principles and develop countermeasures. 27 75
• His theoretical understanding did not match Li Yuan’s practical command of the technique. 75 76
• His inability to account for Li Yuan’s Flaw Insight left him vulnerable even when he appeared to have an opening. 75

Equipment / Items

• Protective inner armor — Given to Li Yuan before the Youth Martial Tournament out of concern for his safety. 47

Relationships

• Li Yuan — Rival and internship supervisor. Gu Yu challenged him twice and lost both matches; later recognized Li Yuan as a more difficult opponent than Jin Fan. 21 27 76 108
• Jin Fan — Senior martial brother. Gu Yu initially represented him in the Youth Martial Tournament qualification dispute, but their relationship later became strained by Jin Fan’s resentment and condescension. 17 158
• Yao Jianyue — Master. Gu Yu is one of Yao Jianyue’s disciples and was ordered to defeat Li Yuan before returning. 27 81
• Yin Yi — Opponent in the qualification dispute. Gu Yu defeated him in a brief spar and praised his ability afterward. 18
• Chen Yong — Li Yuan’s friend. Gu Yu dismissed Chen Yong’s objections to his participation and invited any teacher to challenge him first. 17

Notable Quotes

“I got lucky that year and took the top scholar title. As a student, I still have a lot to learn from my mentor.” 16

“My mentor said I can only return when I’ve beaten Teacher Li Yuan.” 27

“I only let you win once because you knew the Cloud Extreme Fist.” 74