Long Gu

Biodata

Name	Long Gu (龙姑)
Alias(es)	Hall Master Long Gu; Immortal Long Gu
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Venom Hall; Five Viscera Temple
Occupation/Role	Hall Master of Venom Hall; mentor to registered disciples
Status	Deceased; killed in the Mount Lu Secret Realm 274
First Appearance	Chapter 148

Background & History

Long Gu presided over Venom Hall as a Foundation Establishment Earth Immortal and cultivated the Gu path. After reaching Foundation Establishment, she used her own cultivation experience and regrets to organize a Qi Refinement route centered on the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Way. She believed that following this route herself would have given her a foundation fit to pursue Core Formation, but none of her earlier disciples had cultivated it in full. 253 273

When Fang Shu transferred to Venom Hall, Long Gu tested him with an oppressive aura, accepted his composure, and later inspected his Cordyceps spiritual root. She accepted him as a registered disciple, explained the distinctions among True Qi, Killing Intent, and Astral Qi, and issued him a waist token. 148 149

She initially favored Fang Shu's potential despite his pseudo-spirit root. She permitted his contest with Huai Liangxing for the Yin-Yang Gu Pits, punished Fang Shu with one year of mountain confinement after Huai's death, and subsequently transferred Gu-refining work to Fang Shu's pits. 190 191 193 After Fang Shu completed his Gu-Refined Dao Soldier Method, she awarded him two hundred Dao merits—more than the method's assessed value—to secure his inner-sect qualification. 197

During the temple's war with Withered Bone Abbey, Long Gu was gravely injured while fighting the Earth Immortal Yu Ji. Her eldest disciple acted against her mid-battle, leading to qi deviation and a backlash from Long Gu's own venomous insects. The circumstances of the disciple's actions remained unclear; Long Gu survived with greatly diminished cultivation and became distant toward her disciples. 241

Years later, Long Gu's condition and temperament had deteriorated severely. She sent Fang Shu to seek century-old spirit herbs in Mount Lu Secret Realm, giving him Killing Intent, a Water-Fire Spirit Chamber token, a herb-location jade slip, and a Foundation Establishment Gu insect. The Killing Intent carried a hidden danger that would eventually force Fang Shu to refine it or face its eruption; Fang Shu later found a way to refine it without retaining her controlling influence. 239 242 243 253 Before his departure, she gave him the Gu insect without secretly implanting one in his body, despite Hao Junliang's expectation that she might do so. 253 254

Long Gu personally entered the secret realm while suppressing her cultivation. Seeking medicine to heal herself, she seized the Blood Lotus Saint Child from the Er Family patriarch, but its blood mist infiltrated and gravely injured her. 253 271 272 During the ensuing struggle, the patriarch's soul entered her body and sought to produce a ghost fetus. Long Gu attempted instead to compel Fang Shu to provide his primordial yang for a flesh-and-blood fetus, which she could use to contain the patriarch and the Blood Lotus Seed and repair her cultivation. Fang Shu refused. 273 274

Long Gu called on Hao Junliang, who had become a half-serpent creature, to attack Fang Shu. Hao instead bowed to her and let his body dissolve into the bloodwater. Fang Shu and Er Daiyuan then resisted Long Gu; Fang Shu's Nail-Head Arrow destroyed her organs, after which she died and her body scattered into ash. Her last words were, “They were all good disciples...” 274 Fang Shu subsequently recovered her storage bracelet and studied the Gu cultivation texts she had left behind. Among her legacies was a Five-Poison Gu Formula she had compiled from earlier formulas. 275 281 306

Appearance

Long Gu combined the appearance of an ethereal young maiden with the signs of severe bodily decay.

• Appeared to be around sixteen years old, with a willowy build, ice-pale skin, painted brows, and crimson lips. 148
• Wore a lotus crown, a purple-red Eight Trigrams Daoist robe, and carried a jade ruyi. 148
• Her face was divided between beauty and decay: one half was shriveled, wrinkled, scale-like, and had an empty eye socket. 148
• At times, her damaged face and withered hand temporarily restored to flawless beauty. 192
• Following later injuries, she became gaunt and withered, with a hoarse voice and volatile demeanor. 239 254
• When she appeared in the secret realm, her striking features and restored beauty briefly made Fang Shu wonder whether someone had disguised themselves as her. 271

Personality

Long Gu was stern, intimidating, and highly perceptive. She tested Fang Shu before accepting him, directly questioned omissions in his account, and scrutinized his spiritual root herself. 148 149 As a teacher, she could be practical and thorough: she explained cultivation principles plainly, answered Fang Shu's questions, and recognized the value of his Gu-refined Dao Soldier Method. 149 197 239

Her favor was inseparable from calculation. She supported Fang Shu's advancement and valued his talent, yet used the Six Desires Baleful Method and the Killing Intent she bestowed to place him under pressure and retain leverage over him. 197 239 242 243 She also felt both admiration and jealousy on realizing that Fang Shu had achieved results with a cultivation route she herself could no longer follow. 253 Her desperation to heal herself eventually overrode the master-disciple bond, leading her to demand Fang Shu's primordial essence by force. 274

Abilities & Skills

Foundation Establishment Cultivation

Long Gu was a Foundation Establishment Earth Immortal, though she entered Mount Lu Secret Realm under suppressed cultivation and while seriously injured. 253 273

• Could exert overwhelming pressure through her aura and divine sense. 148 161
• Possessed extensive knowledge of Qi Refinement, including True Qi, Killing Intent, Astral Qi, and the three tribulations of the realm. 149
• Could inspect spiritual roots and assess a disciple's potential. 149

Gu Arts

Long Gu commanded large numbers of powerful Gu insects and was the master of Venom Hall.

• Released swarms of varied Gu insects, each close to Foundation Establishment in quality; together, they posed a major threat even while she was wounded. 273
• Maintained a giant human-headed serpent within Gu Palace, which aided her recovery and fought under her command. The creature was Hao Junliang in a transformed state. 239 240 253 274
• Her Gu insects remained effective in Mount Lu Secret Realm despite her suppressed cultivation. 273
• Compiled a Five-Poison Gu Formula from her predecessors' formulas and left it within the temple. 306

Six Desires Baleful Method

Long Gu developed a modified Killing Intent method for Fang Shu's Yin-Yang True Qi, based on her own understanding and past regrets. It formed part of the Qi Refinement route she devised using the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Way. 200 253

• Guided cultivators through the refinement of Killing Intent and the stabilization of Baleful Intents. 149 239
• Her version required a specific sequence of tempering the six viscera. 200
• The Killing Intent she gave Fang Shu contained a hidden erosive danger; once it spread through his body, he would have to refine it or risk death. Refining it as given would also have left her aura in his foundation, giving her leverage over him. 242 243

Equipment / Items

• Jade ruyi — carried while receiving Fang Shu at Venom Hall. 148
• Water-Fire Spirit Chamber token — granted to Fang Shu to assist his Qi Refinement. 239
• Killing Intent — bestowed on Fang Shu as cultivation aid, though it concealed a dangerous controlling influence. 239 242 243
• Herb-location jade slip and Mount Lu Secret Realm map — provided to Fang Shu for his secret-realm mission. 253
• Foundation Establishment Gu insect — given to Fang Shu as protection before Mount Lu Secret Realm opened. Fang Shu later gave it to Fang Lu; it was identified as a Three-Winged Golden Cicada. 253 267 276
• Storage bracelet — recovered by Fang Shu from her ashes after her death. 275

Relationships

• Fang Shu — Her registered disciple. She recognized his talent, gave him cultivation guidance and resources, and awarded him Dao merits; their relationship collapsed when she attempted to use his primordial essence to save herself. She expressed regret during their final fight that she had not treated him better. 149 197 239 274
• Hao Junliang — Her Second Senior Brother-ranked disciple under Venom Hall. He helped Fang Shu meet Long Gu and later feared that Long Gu intended to turn Fang Shu into medicine, as she had done to him. Transformed into a half-serpent creature, he ultimately refused to fight Fang Shu for her and allowed himself to die. 161 197 240 274
• Huai Liangxing — Her Fifth registered disciple and former controller of the Yin-Yang Gu Pits. Long Gu allowed his Dao contest with Fang Shu, then punished Fang Shu lightly after Huai's death. 190 191
• Eldest disciple — Acted against Long Gu during her battle with Yu Ji, contributing to her severe injuries. The disciple was confined rather than expelled, and the circumstances of the incident remained disputed. 241
• Er Family Patriarch — A Foundation Establishment adversary in Mount Lu Secret Realm. He used the Blood Lotus Saint Child and a blood-lock formation to target Long Gu as superior spiritual medicine; his soul subsequently entered her body. 271 272 273
• Human-headed serpent — Hao Junliang's transformed form within Venom Hall. He assisted Long Gu's recovery and showed concern over Fang Shu's departure and Long Gu's secret-realm decision. 239 240 253 274

Notable Quotes

“Not bad. Your temperament is passable.”
— Long Gu after testing Fang Shu 148

“Since you will not obey your master's command, do not blame your master for being heartless.”
— Long Gu to Fang Shu 274

“They were all good disciples...”
— Long Gu's last words 274