Gu Jianlin

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gu Jianlin (顾见临)
Alias(es)	Kirin Venerable — identity assumed within the Kirin Immortal Palace 3 5; Qilin — codename adopted after joining Dusk 272
Species/Race	Human-origin lifeform shaped by the Third Law; a Qilin Supreme of the Ancient God Race while retaining human consciousness and Ascender inheritances 299 442 514
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Ether Association, 13th District; Lu Zicheng's squad; Second Echelon of the Omega Sequence; Dusk 41 140 272
Occupation/Role	High-school student; B-rank Investigator; Omega Sequence group leader; Saint-realm Divine Priest and Ghost Slayer 140 193 253 514
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1: “Profiling”

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Divine Priest, Zero Rank	15	Chose the Divine Priest inheritance path under the Black Kirin's guidance and awakened Life Perception.
Dual-Core Drive manifested	19	His Divine Priest and Black Kirin aspects absorb spirituality together, doubling the output of his abilities while forcing him to share advancement resources with the Kirin.
Ancient God Transformation: Kirin	28	Awakened his Kirin form by using Divine Sacrifice Fire on Joker; gained overwhelming physical power, scales, horns, fangs, and golden vertical pupils.
First Rank: Life Controller	40	Completed his first formal Ascender advancement in the real world and unlocked Ghost Humanization. The Non-Existent Lock prevented the Deep Sky Network from recording the advancement. 40 41
Second Rank: Junior Life Controller	87	Advanced during the Yan Family assassination attempt; gained Dark Shock and a substantially strengthened Ghost Humanization. 87
Third Rank: Grand Life Controller	124	Comprehended the Freedom Realm, gained Spirit Body Creation, and upgraded Dark Shock into Dark Shock Blast. 124
Fourth Rank: Lord of the Clouds / Asura	253	Advanced simultaneously on the Divine Priest and Ghost Slayer paths; gained the Corpse Ghost Art and a more overtly Ancient God-like manifestation. 253
Fifth Rank, Peak	434	Reached the peak of the fifth rank while pursuing Jiang Yanxu in Yingzhou and prepared for his next advancement. 434
Saint Realm	514	Entered the Saint realm, fully revealing Qilin and Candle Dragon primordial forms and unleashing the strongest Heavenly Human Transformation against Ghost Cart Ancestor. 514

Background

Gu Jianlin is the son of Gu Ci'an, a police profiler who was secretly a Tier 6 Celestial Master and investigator for the Ether Association. Four months before the story, Gu Jianlin survived the truck collision that killed his father, waking after two months with an uncanny form of profiling that others dismissed as trauma-induced hallucinations. 2 11 35

His father’s death left him under the care of his mother and her new family, including his non-biological younger sister, Su Youzhu. Although Gu Jianlin initially feels like an outsider in their home, he and Su Youzhu become close through mutual secrecy and support. 2 6

The Gu family was an Ascender clan afflicted by a long-running curse. Gu Jianlin’s grandparents, uncles, and eventually his father all died in apparent accidents; he learns that he is effectively the last surviving member of the family. 1 16

An anonymous package containing the Kirin Mask arrives at his father’s old apartment. When Gu Jianlin deeply profiles it, his consciousness enters the Kirin Immortal Palace and inhabits the body associated with the sealed Kirin Venerable. This gives him access to both an Ascender inheritance and the power of the Black Kirin. 3 5 6

Gu Jianlin later discovers that the courier who delivered the mask and the mask itself were components of a larger arrangement by an unknown powerful party. 87

His investigation eventually reveals that the Gu Clan’s “curse” was tied to Ghost Cart Ancestor’s Third Law experiments. Ghost Cart Ancestor confirms that the Gu Clan were test subjects and that Gu Ci'an was the final subject, whom He had killed. 509

Appearance

Gu Jianlin is a tall, slender high-school student, approximately 1.85 meters tall. He has black hair, a clean and understated style of dress, and a notably handsome but cold-looking appearance. 15 22 43

• Usually wears simple school clothes or dark shirts with slim trousers. 20 43
• He can present a more formal, restrained image in tailored suits, dark overcoats, and leather boots when operating in the Order or Dark World. 136 434
• His Divine Priest image wears white sacrificial robes marked by black incantations and bears pale fire between the brows. 15 40
• In Kirin form, he develops black horns, scales, fangs, claws, and burning golden vertical pupils. 28
• In his openly revealed Ancient God manifestation, a jet-black jade mask forms over his face, Qilin horns emerge, and his robes can be illuminated by gilded Buddhist light. 514
• His Spirit Body can assume an eerily beautiful, masculine form whose aura and features increasingly resemble an Ancient God. 253

Personality

Gu Jianlin is quiet, observant, and exceptionally difficult to intimidate. He approaches danger through analysis rather than panic, rapidly profiling opponents’ habits, weaknesses, motives, and likely next actions. His calmness remains intact even when threatened at gunpoint or confronted by Fallen far above his rank. 8 9 25

His ability to see through people leaves him emotionally isolated. Constant exposure to others’ hidden lives makes him increasingly taciturn and prone to depression, though he consciously regulates himself and avoids being ruled by emotion. 2 20

He is fiercely protective of the people he considers family, especially Su Youzhu. This protectiveness drives him to confront Joker alone and to pursue the truth behind Gu Ci'an’s death despite the risks. 24 25 40

In battle, Gu Jianlin is pragmatic and ruthless. He favors surprise, psychological pressure, and decisive finishing blows; when using Ghost Humanization or Ancient God power, his violence becomes colder and more extreme. 9 25 49

Despite his detachment, Gu Jianlin is compassionate toward people abandoned or mistreated by the extraordinary world. He aids Fu Chaoyang and Fu Qingxuan, advocates for the Unclean Ones, and acts against powerful figures who abuse the weak. 111 136 193

He is deeply independent and distrustful of abstract appeals to authority or the “greater good.” When he judges a person or system to be unjust, he prefers direct action over negotiation and refuses to let others dictate his path. 193 379

Abilities & Skills

Profiling

Gu Jianlin can reconstruct a person’s identity, history, psychology, physical condition, and likely behavior from subtle traces. After the car accident, his profiling gained a spirit-vision-like quality that lets him experience fragments of a target’s past. 1 2

• Identifies professions, habits, health conditions, motives, and concealed relationships. 1 9
• Profiles Ascenders’ inheritance-path images and approximate ranks when they use their abilities. 12 26
• Uses extended conversation and observation to predict enemies’ movements and manipulate their psychology. 25
• Located Joker by tracing evidence that conventional Ether Association investigations failed to interpret. 24 25
• The ability burdens his mental health; seeing too much of others’ hidden nature contributes to his withdrawal and depression. 2 20
• His method combines observation, deduction, imagination, intuition, and the ability to place himself in another person’s position. 94
• Through synchronized spirituality and memory contact, he can profile individuals he has never met and sketch their appearance, supernatural form, rank, and racial traits from residual clues. 156
• His profiling exposed Lin Yuan’s deception despite divination and conventional investigation incorrectly identifying the Gu Master’s substitute as an ordinary person. 96

Life Perception

The passive core ability of the Divine Priest path, allowing Gu Jianlin to perceive the rhythms of nearby life. 15 18

• Detects the health, condition, position, and vitality of living beings. 15 28
• Combines with profiling to produce more detailed readings of a target. 15
• Reaches a reported range of roughly twenty-five meters after becoming a Life Controller. 42
• Can recognize resonance from people who have consumed Ancient God Blood. 43
• Detects concealed life fluctuations and inconsistencies that can expose substitutes, ambushes, and hidden enemies. 96 234

Divine Sacrifice Fire

A pale flame that sacrifices life force from plants, animals, or living enemies and feeds that vitality back into Gu Jianlin. 18

• Heals injuries and restores his condition by draining nearby plants. 18 28
• Can drain an enemy directly in combat; this interaction helped awaken his Kirin transformation against Joker. 28 29
• Its advanced use can drain life force from multiple targets across an area. 49
• Absorbing corrupted Fallen vitality risks loss of control for ordinary Divine Priests; the Black Kirin makes Gu Jianlin unusually resistant, but the power still agitates it. 18 47
• In his Qilin state, the fire can interrupt Lunar Law transformations and rapidly consume the vitality of multiple Ascenders. 359

Ghost Curse Technique

A Divine Priest curse that damages a target’s life and soul through a physical medium connected to them. 18

• Can use body tissue, clothing, or personal belongings as the curse medium. 18
• Bypasses conventional physical defenses and harmed Joker despite his spider-like mutation. 28
• Inflicts backlash on Gu Jianlin as well as the target. 26 49
• His dual-core drive amplifies its damage beyond that of an ordinary Zero-Rank Divine Priest. 26
• He can combine the technique with the Freedom Realm and his overwhelming physical ability to subdue stronger opponents, as demonstrated against Ji Xiaoyu. 145 146

Ghost Humanization

A combat ability unlocked upon becoming a First-Rank Life Controller. 40

• Enhances physical strength, speed, durability, skeletal hardness, and organ function. 49
• Allows Gu Jianlin to fight with overwhelming close-quarters force despite lacking formal combat training. 49
• Floods him with violent negative emotions and pushes him toward a colder, more murderous state. 49
• Its power and control improved greatly upon his second-rank advancement, allowing him to overwhelm multiple Yan Family assassins. 87

Dark Shock and Spirit Body Creation

Dark Shock is a second-rank offensive technique that releases destructive dark force, while Spirit Body Creation is a third-rank ability that allows Gu Jianlin to manifest and control an external spirit body. 87 124

• Dark Shock evolved into Dark Shock Blast at the third rank, greatly increasing its destructive force. 124
• His spirit body can participate in combat and was decisive in his battle against the Ancient God progenitor sealed within Qilin’s Wedge. 299
• His advanced spirit-body control enables him to contend with higher-ranked opponents and manipulate supernatural forces within his Freedom Realm. 146
• At the fourth rank, he acquired the Corpse Ghost Art, allowing him to attempt control over corpses. 253

Freedom Realm and Heavenly Human Inheritance

Gu Jianlin learned Heavenly Human Breathing under the guidance of the King of Azure’s lineage and comprehended the Freedom Realm during his escape from Madam Yan. 80 124

• The Freedom Realm purifies supernatural forces within its domain and can neutralize or suppress enemy abilities. 124 145
• He can employ the Heaven-Human Realm and Myriad Heavens Divine Thunder, demonstrating extensive mastery of the Illumination Law. 385
• The Heavenly Human Domain ordinarily suppresses Ancient God lifeforms, but Senior Ji granted him separate authorization to move within an independent space. 299
• Upon reaching the Saint realm, he performed the strongest Heavenly Human Transformation, combining his Heavenly Human inheritance with Qilin and Candle Dragon primordial forms. 514

Black Kirin and Ancient God Transformation

Gu Jianlin possesses the Black Kirin as a second extraordinary aspect, inherited through the Kirin Mask and linked to the sealed Kirin Venerable. 6 19

• Doubles the output of his transcendent abilities through dual-core drive. 19 20
• Consumes half of the spirituality and resources he acquires, slowing normal advancement. 19 20
• Provides resistance or immunity to hypnosis, mental attacks, and mental perception. 16 28 31
• Enables a full Kirin transformation with immense physical strength and enhanced Divine Sacrifice Fire. 28 29
• Can refine Fallen vitality into Ancient God Blood, which can induce evolution in others. 29 39
• Transformation in reality lasts only briefly and causes severe physical pain and spiritual exhaustion; inside the Kirin Immortal Palace, its side effects are greatly reduced. 29 31 36
• His Qilin authority can absorb life force, invoke the Primordial Forbidden Curse, and seal a defeated Ancient God progenitor within Qilin’s Wedge. 299
• He has mastered the Qilin Forbidden Spell and can use techniques such as Meteorfall to pursue and destroy fleeing enemies. 359
• His strongest Primordial Return can manifest as a blood-red ancient dragon, reflecting his connection to the Candle Dragon Venerable and the Third Law. 442
• By the Saint realm, he can openly assume Qilin and Candle Dragon primordial forms, earning worldwide recognition as Qilin. 514

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Kirin Mask — An anonymous relic addressed to Gu Ci'an and shipped on the day of the fatal car accident. Deep profiling the mask connected Gu Jianlin to the Kirin Immortal Palace and the Kirin Venerable’s identity. 3 6
• Modified Silenced Desert Eagle — An alchemical firearm supplied by Deep Sky Technology with one hundred alchemy bullets. 18 20
• Non-Existent Lock — Mythic Armament taken from Joker. Conceals extraordinary characteristics, reduces the holder’s presence, and can bypass Deep Sky monitoring. 29 30 41
• Soul-Pacifying Bell — Mythic Armament taken from Joker. Warns its holder of mental perception or attacks and can enslave and extract information from captured souls. 30 35
• Azure Blood — Temporary spirituality-restoring secret medicine issued for the Black Cloud Stronghold operation; limited to two uses per week. 46
• Purification Stone — Emergency medicine intended to clear mental pollution if consumed within five minutes. 46
• Alchemy dagger and bulletproof vest — Operational equipment used during the Black Cloud Stronghold mission. 46
• Nine Yin — A sentient Mythic Armament blade associated with the Candle Dragon Venerable. Its immense power allows Gu Jianlin to fight above his rank, but its backlash can leave him grievously wounded. 263 270
• Qilin’s Wedge — An Ancient God relic and containment vessel. After defeating a progenitor, Gu Jianlin sealed her within a black stone coffin inside the Wedge. 299
• Storage artifact — Used to conceal Mythic Armaments, including Extreme Thunder, while operating in the Dark World. 204
• Golden Luan Phoenix Feather — A token sent to Gu Jianlin by Taihua after his victory over Ji Xiaoyu. 146

Relationships

• Gu Ci'an — Father. A police profiler publicly accused of becoming a Fallen, but Gu Jianlin investigates evidence suggesting he was framed during the Blood Moon Massacre. Ghost Cart Ancestor later confirms that Gu Ci'an was the Gu Clan’s final Third Law test subject and was killed. 11 35 40 509
• Su Youzhu — Non-biological younger sister and the Moon Maiden. They protect each other’s secrets, and Gu Jianlin repeatedly prioritizes her safety over his own; their bond becomes increasingly intimate despite his reluctance to define it. 6 24 34 178
• Lu Zicheng — Gu Ci'an’s former student, Gu Jianlin’s mentor, and captain in the Ether Association. Gu Jianlin chooses to join his squad despite more resource-rich offers. 12 32 41
• Chen Qing — Lu Zicheng’s vice-captain and a Spirit Medium. She treats Gu Jianlin with protective concern and helps him navigate the Ether Association. 30 40 41
• Zhou Ze — Detective and former colleague of Gu Ci'an. He looks after Gu Jianlin following the accident and remains committed to protecting him. 1 13
• Jing Ci — A mysterious Ascender who protects Gu Jianlin from Lin Wanqiu’s examination through cognitive modification. He knows of Gu Jianlin’s Evolutionist nature. 31 32 33
• The Mentor — A Fallen Alchemist leading the grave-robbing group in the Kirin Immortal Palace. He and his followers offer Gu Jianlin intelligence, resources, and service in exchange for Ancient God Blood. 36 38 39
• Joker — Fallen Magician and survivor of the Blood Moon Massacre. Gu Jianlin’s assessment target; Joker’s death provides Gu Jianlin with two Mythic Armaments and vital information about Gu Ci'an. 25 29 35
• Tang Ling — Fellow lone-wolf investigator and trusted combat partner. Their relationship develops into a close friendship built on mutual trust, coordinated combat, and her willingness to safeguard his secrets. 44 49 93 156 263
• Huaiyin / King of Azure — Gu Jianlin’s master in the Heavenly Human lineage. Huaiyin tests, trains, and protects him while allowing him to make his own judgments about the King of Azure’s legacy. 124 187 218
• Ji Zhou — A powerful Heavenly Human mentor who recognizes Gu Jianlin’s aptitude, grants him special permission within the Heavenly Human Domain, and harshly reprimands his reckless conduct. 279 299
• Book Elder — A loyal subordinate from the Kirin Immortal Palace’s Fallen faction. He supports Gu Jianlin’s investigations and assists him in the Dark World. 87 94 96
• Lin Lan — A former Night Watcher, Gu Ci'an’s teammate, and an old friend of the Gu family. Gu Jianlin finds him in the Sea of Eternal Life and gains information about Gu Ci'an, the Lin Family, and the Reclusive Society. 250 251
• Han Jing — Deputy leader of the Night Watchers and Gu Ci'an’s former colleague. She offers Gu Jianlin a place in Lady Winter’s faction and helps him replace the “Chair Murderer” nickname with the codename Qilin. 138 272
• Lin Wanqiu — Head of the medical department. Initially tasked with examining Gu Jianlin after Joker’s death, she later comes to trust him after he saves her from Tribunal members. 31 234
• Taihua / the President — The Ether Association’s President. She recognizes Gu Jianlin’s potential, places him in the Omega Sequence, and tacitly supports his actions against corrupt officials. 140 193
• Ghost Cart Ancestor — The Ancient God responsible for the Gu Clan’s destruction and Gu Ci'an’s death. Gu Jianlin ultimately confronts and defeats Him after accepting the truth of his family’s fate. 509 514
• Skylark — A complex Ancient God ally and adversary whose power and origins are intertwined with Gu Jianlin’s Qilin and Candle Dragon authorities. Gu Jianlin rejects her influence when confronting Ghost Cart Ancestor. 385 509

Story Role / Major Arcs

Father’s Death and the Kirin Mask

Following Gu Ci'an’s death, Gu Jianlin attempts to prove that the crash was not an accident. The arrival of the Kirin Mask leads him into the Kirin Immortal Palace, where he is mistaken for the resurrected Kirin Venerable. 2 3 5 6

Entry into the Extraordinary World

After surviving Li Changzhi’s abduction attempt, Gu Jianlin learns that his father was an Ascender and that he was murdered. He joins the Ether Association and chooses the Divine Priest path to pursue the truth and protect his family. 8 11 12 15 16

Joker Assessment Mission

Used as bait against the Fallen Joker, Gu Jianlin profiles and confronts him at Fengcheng No. 2 High School. When the Ether Association strike team is neutralized, Gu Jianlin awakens his Kirin transformation, kills Joker, and claims the Non-Existent Lock and Soul-Pacifying Bell. 24 25 27 28 29

Hidden Evolution and Gu Ci'an Investigation

Gu Jianlin hides his Ancient God power from the Ether Association while using Joker’s captured soul and the Kirin Immortal Palace’s Fallen to investigate the Blood Moon Massacre. He discovers evidence that Gu Ci'an may have been replaced or impersonated. 31 33 35 39 40

Black Cloud Stronghold Operation

As part of Lu Zicheng’s squad, Gu Jianlin enters the Black Cloud Stronghold to hunt Joker’s surviving accomplices. Though officially listed as a Zero-Rank Divine Priest, he operates alone, uses Ghost Humanization, and fights alongside Tang Ling against the Grave Diggers. 41 44 46 49

Yan Family Conflict and Omega Sequence

After becoming an Omega Sequence candidate, Gu Jianlin survives an assassination attempt by the Yan Family, advances to Junior Life Controller, and allows Book Elder to evolve in battle. He subsequently investigates Lin Yuan, exposes the Gu Master’s use of substitutes, and becomes increasingly entangled in Feng City’s conflict with the Tribunal and the dark world. 67 87 96 111

Freedom Realm and Grand Life Controller Advancement

While pursued by Madam Yan, Gu Jianlin comprehends the Freedom Realm and advances to Grand Life Controller. His growing influence leads to his assignment as a group leader in the Omega Sequence’s second echelon, where he continues advocating for Unclean Ones and challenging institutional prejudice. 124 136 140

Sea of Eternal Life

Gu Jianlin enters the Sea of Eternal Life to obtain materials for advancement and encounters Lin Lan, Gu Ci'an’s former Night Watcher teammate. He advances to Lord of the Clouds and Asura, gains the Corpse Ghost Art, and becomes involved in the escalating struggle surrounding Minister Lu, the Reclusive Society, and the Ancient God outpost. 250 253 265

Dusk and the Codename Qilin

Gu Jianlin frees prisoners during the conflict with Minister Zhang, kills Zhang Xuzhi, and openly reveals that he is a member of Dusk. Han Jing offers him a new place within Lady Winter’s faction, and he chooses the codename Qilin. 272

Qilin’s Wedge and the Jiang Clan Conflict

Within the Heavenly Human Domain, Gu Jianlin defeats an Ancient God progenitor and seals her inside Qilin’s Wedge. He later enters Yingzhou, confronts the Jiang Clan and Mount Buzhou’s pseudo-ancestors, and increasingly reveals his Qilin authority through Forbidden Spells, Primordial Return, and Heavenly Human techniques. 299 359 385 442

Ghost Cart Ancestor and Saint Realm

Gu Jianlin learns the full truth behind the Gu Clan’s destruction from Ghost Cart Ancestor, including Gu Ci'an’s fate as the final Third Law test subject. Rejecting Skylark’s influence, he confronts Ghost Cart Ancestor alone, reaches the Saint realm, and defeats Him with the strongest Heavenly Human Transformation. 509 514

Notable Quotes

“Just because they couldn't, doesn't mean I can't.” 25

“Now it's your turn to taste fear.” 28

“I don't need you to accept me.” 50

“I'm very competitive.” 556