Gou Jun

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Gou Jun (勾钧)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Corpse Demon Sect
Occupation/Role	Patriarch of the Corpse Demon Sect
Cultivation	Peak Nascent Soul Realm
Master	Mo You, a former Sect Master of the Corpse Demon Sect. 1567
Remaining Lifespan	Less than sixty years during the prolonged search for Xugeng. 818
Status	Deceased; his soul was devoured during his attempted possession of Song Wen. 823
First Appearance	Chapter 693 (mentioned); Chapter 719 (on-page appearance) 693 719

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Nascent Soul Late Stage	733	Entered the Divine Blood Hall alone roughly three centuries earlier; explored four regions before being seriously injured and forced to withdraw. 733
Peak Nascent Soul Realm	784	Was already a famous peak Nascent Soul cultivator during the Divine Blood Hall expedition. He was later stated to have been the first among the four cultivators searching for Xugeng to reach the realm's peak; his remaining lifespan was under sixty years. 784 818

Background

Three centuries before the Divine Blood Hall expedition, Gou Jun entered the hall alone while at the Nascent Soul Late Stage. He explored only four regions before sustaining grave injuries and withdrawing. 733

During the later expedition, Gou Jun found that a hall which had caused him intense palpitations during his prior visit had become entirely harmless. He suspected that Song Wen, then using the identity Yinshuo, had concealed either the destruction of a dangerous entity or the acquisition of a treasure. 740

He later obtained an ancient stone slab from a cave dwelling on Blood Corpse Mountain. The slab recorded a method to fuse Profound Qi and stated that Fallen Immortal Blood could enable a cultivator possessing Profound Qi to reach Spirit Transformation. Gou Jun used this discovery to draw powerful cultivators into a joint expedition for the Divine Blood Hall's secrets. 734

Gou Jun was a renowned and feared corpse-path cultivator. When confronted at Origin Cave, he claimed that even the combined forces of the five great righteous sects had failed to defeat him more than a century earlier. 789

He was already the Corpse Demon Sect's lofty patriarch when Song Wen entered the sect more than one hundred and eighty years before their final confrontation. Gou Jun had never noticed the young disciple, who later betrayed the sect after reaching Foundation Establishment. 823

His master was Mo You, a former Sect Master of the Corpse Demon Sect. This connection was revealed much later, when Song Wen encountered Mo You and investigated his background. 1567

Personality

Gou Jun cultivated an image of a composed senior who prioritized cooperation. He intervened when Tai He and Mi Hai nearly fought, stressing that the expedition's dangers made internal conflict unacceptable. 729

Behind that posture, he was calculating, exploitative, and ruthless. He concealed his knowledge of Origin Cave's ghost mist, intended to use the other cultivators as shields, and sought to eliminate rivals once they had helped him reach Divine Blood Peak. 784 789

He also displayed a cruel and perversely malicious streak. Gou Jun wished to force Song Wen from Divine Blood Peak's steps precisely when Song Wen was on the verge of reaching the summit, finding the prospect gratifying; he similarly anticipated that the other explorers might kill one another after encountering the ghost mist he had concealed. 782 784

His desire to reach Spirit Transformation became increasingly desperate as his lifespan waned. After Xugeng could not be found for more than a decade, Gou Jun became reckless and repeatedly destroyed smaller cultivation forces within Corpse Demon Sect territory. 818

His insistence on discipline also served his practical interests. During the battle with Howling Moon, he stopped infighting among the cultivators assigned to hold off the beast's allies, then warned that he would show no mercy to anyone who compromised a joint battle against an external enemy. 733

Gou Jun's apparent confidence concealed a profound dependence on his advancement plans. When questioned about the absence of Fallen Immortal Blood from his ancient tome, his voice trembled at the possibility that more than a century of waiting and preparation had been futile. 790

Abilities & Skills

Twelve Capital Corpse Formation

Gou Jun's principal combat method used twelve black corpse coffins to form a massive corpse phantom.

• Condenses a nearly tangible giant corpse phantom approximately one hundred zhang tall. 789
• The phantom can attack with corpse qi, claws, and chains capable of restraining opponents. 821 822
• Gou Jun could independently withstand attacks from Yang Yu, Mi Hai, and Mo Yexue through the formation and a peak fourth-rank corpse puppet. 801
• The twelve coffins could form a close defensive perimeter around him, preventing Song Wen's spiritual sense from approaching and resisting the unrefined Soul-Splitting Blade's direct strike. 821
• The formation is vulnerable when Gou Jun's control over his body or magical power is disrupted; Lan Chen's spiritual-sense technique caused the coffins to fall and the phantom to dissipate. 801

Corpse Baleful Qi

Gou Jun wielded dense corpse baleful qi offensively and defensively.

• Formed baleful qi into enormous pythons to attack Fa Yan. 719
• Used a corpse-qi dragon to destroy Song Wen's blood-red tentacles and force him back. 801
• His corpse qi posed a severe threat to ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, though Buddhist Dharma and lightning arts restrained corpse-path techniques and caused him considerable expenditure. 719 743
• A sudden torrent of corpse qi from his back destroyed Song Wen's apparent body during the pill struggle, inadvertently allowing Song Wen to activate the Life-Substitution Technique and counterattack at close range. 802

Preparation and Scheming

Gou Jun had significant prior knowledge of the Divine Blood Hall and arranged his resources to profit from it.

• Kept an additional Bronze Key Coffin secret until the hall opened, then exchanged one use of it to Tai He for two Minor Teleportation Talismans. 735
• Prepared a diamond-shaped jade pendant that produced a barrier against Origin Cave's ghost mist. 784
• Recognized the hierarchy of demon beasts around the Divine Blood Hall and organized the ambush that killed Howling Moon. 731 733
• Deliberately understated his knowledge of Divine Blood Peak while planning to let the expedition members absorb its dangers and later leave them trapped by Origin Cave's ghost mist and maze. 784 789
• Pressured Song Wen to enter the Divine Blood Hall with the group rather than wait and enter separately. 735
• Used his demand for Song Wen's death to test how far the other explorers would concede in exchange for information about Divine Blood Peak. 790

Possession Attempt

Gou Jun attempted to use Song Wen's body as a vessel to pursue Spirit Transformation.

• Learned of the Corpse King Reincarnation Art through Blood Brow and concluded that possessing Song Wen would allow him to inherit Song Wen's cultivation. 822
• Waited until Song Wen reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage before acting, increasing the cultivation he expected to obtain through possession. 822
• Deliberately held back during battle to avoid destroying Song Wen's body. 822
• Used soul power to form a tentacle that restrained Song Wen's soul before transferring his own soul into Song Wen's sea of consciousness. 823
• Failed after entering Song Wen's sea of consciousness, where an unknown devouring force consumed his soul. 823

Equipment

• Twelve black corpse coffins — A set of top-grade magic artifacts used to establish the Twelve Capital Corpse Formation. 789 802
• Peak fourth-rank corpse puppet — A powerful corpse puppet that assisted the Twelve Capital Corpse Formation and intercepted Mo Yexue's flying sword. 801
• Bronze Key Coffins — Held at least one extra coffin capable of granting access to the Divine Blood Hall. 735
• Ghost-mist jade pendant — Generated a protective light curtain against Origin Cave's ghost mist. 784
• Minor Teleportation Talisman — Allowed him to escape Song Wen's near-fatal Soul-Splitting Blade ambush, though the teleportation direction could not be controlled. 802
• Ancient stone slab — Recorded the fusion of Profound Qi and information linking Fallen Immortal Blood to Spirit Transformation. 734
• Nine iron pellets — A mid-grade magic treasure he had used before forming his Nascent Soul. The thumb-sized pellets could expand into massive iron spheres several meters across; their principal strengths were weight and sturdiness. Gou Jun used them against Song Wen on Divine Blood Peak's gravity-restricted steps. 783
• Chain — A weapon that countered Song Wen's tentacle attack and could rapidly extend to pursue him as he fled toward Origin Cave. 783
• Ancient tome — Contained information about Divine Blood Peak, including Corpse King Hall and Demon Spirit Hall, but no information concerning Fallen Immortal Blood. Gou Jun shared it after the confrontation beyond Origin Cave. 790

Relationships

• Song Wen / Yinshuo / Extreme Yin — Enemy and intended possession vessel. Gou Jun repeatedly sought to kill or capture Song Wen, but was ultimately killed after attempting to seize his body. Before his soul was consumed, he learned that Song Wen had once been an unnoticed disciple of his own sect and was only one hundred and ninety-five years old. 783 802 821 823
• Yang Yu — Temporary ally during the Divine Blood Peak ascent; they plotted to exclude the other explorers, but Yang Yu later exposed Gou Jun's deception regarding Origin Cave. Gou Jun also privately intended to eliminate Yang Yu once an opportunity arose. 782 789
• Blood Brow — Co-conspirator in the ambush against Song Wen. She disclosed information on the Corpse King Reincarnation Art in exchange for a Demon Soul Spirit-Breaking Pill and one thousand high-grade spirit stones; after Gou Jun's death, she fled and looted the Corpse Demon Sect's treasury. 821 822 825
• Gongsun Cailü — Disciple who controlled the formation used to trap Song Wen and Gou Jun. She realized her master's possession attempt had failed after his death; her death in the aftermath was concealed alongside Gou Jun's. 821 823 825
• Mo Yexue — Fellow explorer who openly defied Gou Jun's demand for Song Wen's death, deploying the Exorcising Evil Sword Formation to oppose the Twelve Capital Corpse Formation. 789
• Lan Chen — Fellow explorer whose hidden peak Nascent Soul spiritual-sense technique disrupted Gou Jun's body and magical power, temporarily collapsing his formation. 801
• Tai He — Transaction partner who traded two Minor Teleportation Talismans for temporary use of Gou Jun's Bronze Key Coffin. 735
• Mi Hai — Fellow explorer who mediated between Gou Jun and the other Nascent Soul cultivators after Gou Jun's schemes were exposed. 789
• Mo You — Gou Jun's master and a former Sect Master of the Corpse Demon Sect. Song Wen learned of this relationship during his later encounter with Mo You. 1567
• Fa Yan and Xiao Chan — Cultivators he pursued near Boundary Mountain. They relied on Buddhist treasures, including the Mystic Heaven Defensive Talisman and Fleeting Splendor, to resist him and facilitate their escape. 719
• Xugeng — A source of information about Fallen Immortal Blood and later the target of a joint search by Gou Jun and three other powerful cultivators. Gou Jun temporarily set aside his hostility toward Song Wen while seeking information about Xugeng. 800 816 818

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pursuit near Boundary Mountain

Gou Jun pursued Xiao Chan and Fa Yan near Boundary Mountain. Fa Yan proposed using Fleeting Splendor, a single-use Buddhist treasure refined from forty-nine Golden Core relics and rare fourth-grade materials, to trap Gou Jun long enough for them to flee. Its activation required ten uninterrupted breaths, forcing the pursued cultivators to arrange a temporary defense. 719

Fa Yan activated the Mystic Heaven Defensive Talisman, which expanded into a barrier spanning ten li and withstood Gou Jun's probing corpse-baleful python attack. Xiao Chan ultimately activated Fleeting Splendor to create the lotus barrier intended to obstruct their pursuer. 719

Divine Blood Hall Expedition

Gou Jun gathered high-level cultivators to seek Fallen Immortal Blood and the path to Spirit Transformation. He presented himself as a cooperative guide, moderated disputes within the group, and led the plan to kill the demon beast Howling Moon. 729 731 734

He exploited the expedition for personal gain, concealing both an extra Bronze Key Coffin and his foreknowledge of Origin Cave's ghost mist. At Divine Blood Peak, he joined Yang Yu in attempting to prevent Song Wen from reaching the summit, then pursued Song Wen into Origin Cave after the attempt failed. 735 783 784

Within Origin Cave, Song Wen used resentful spirits to hinder Gou Jun's pursuit. Gou Jun's subsequent passage cleared spirits from the route, unintentionally making the way easier for the other explorers. Although he had entered seven days before them, they caught up with him while he was healing beyond the cave. 785 789

When the other cultivators survived Origin Cave and confronted him, Gou Jun deployed the Twelve Capital Corpse Formation and demanded Song Wen's death. Though he later agreed to share information, his rivalry with Song Wen continued during the struggle for Demon Soul Spirit-Breaking Pills. 789 790 801

Xugeng's divine-sense phantom revealed that the Divine Blood Hall's Fallen Immortal Blood had been exhausted before his ascension, devastating Gou Jun and the other explorers. When the phantom suggested that some might still remain elsewhere in the realm, Gou Jun dropped to his knees. 800

Gou Jun initially attempted to seize the hidden alchemy furnace, then fought Yang Yu, Mi Hai, and Mo Yexue over its contents. After breaking free of Lan Chen's interference, he blasted the furnace open and swept up one of its three Demon Soul Spirit-Breaking Pills. He did not fully trust Song Wen's description of the pills and wanted to verify whether they truly had no use beyond overcoming minor Nascent Soul bottlenecks. 801 802

Injury and Decline

Song Wen used a Life-Substitution Technique and the Soul-Splitting Blade to ambush Gou Jun, nearly killing him. Gou Jun escaped with a Minor Teleportation Talisman, but suffered severe bodily and soul injuries and vowed revenge. 802

The blade shredded half of Gou Jun's chest. His uncontrolled teleportation ended against the cave wall, and the pill he had seized fell into Song Wen's hands. Gou Jun withdrew not merely because of Song Wen, but because his injuries made him vulnerable to an opportunistic attack by the other explorers. 802

Gou Jun later fled the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall in great haste. During the effort to encircle Xugeng, he refrained from settling his grudge with Song Wen and instead questioned him about possible encounters with their target. He did not know that Song Wen had already survived Xugeng's divine-sense attack, since he had fled before it occurred and Mo Yexue concealed the incident. 815 816

After the search for Xugeng failed, Gou Jun's dwindling lifespan drove him into increasingly violent conduct. He eventually joined Blood Brow and Gongsun Cailü to trap Song Wen after Song Wen's Nascent Soul breakthrough. 818 821

Death

Gou Jun revealed that he intended to possess Song Wen's body and use the Corpse King Reincarnation Art to advance toward Spirit Transformation. Once he entered Song Wen's sea of consciousness, however, a devouring force consumed his soul. His corpse coffins immediately lost their power, ending the ambush and killing him. 822 823

Before his soul was consumed, Song Wen disclosed that he was Extreme Yin rather than Yinshuo and had originally belonged to the Corpse Demon Sect. Gou Jun was astonished to learn that his opponent was only one hundred and ninety-five years old and had reached Foundation Establishment at twenty, Golden Core at eighty-three, and Nascent Soul at one hundred and forty-nine. 823

Blood Brow subsequently concealed the deaths of Gou Jun and Gongsun Cailü from the wider cultivation world while taking treasures from the Corpse Demon Sect's treasury. 825

Posthumous Legacy and Namesake

Following the patriarch's death, Song Wen began using Gou Jun as an identity. He presented himself as a late Golden Core cultivator when applying to become an outer sect elder of the Limitless Sect, concealing his Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivation. His true cultivation was later exposed during his battle with Yinshuo. 853 858 885 886

Under this identity, Song Wen defeated Yinshuo through a close-range attack following the Life-Substitution Technique. This later confrontation concerned Song Wen's adopted name, not the deceased Corpse Demon Sect patriarch. 886

The namesake later became widely associated with Song Wen's exploits across the Southern Nether and Western Rong Continents. Cultivators eventually identified Gou Jun with Song Wen's other identities, including Extreme Yin, Gu Huang, and Yang Yu; Song Wen also disclosed Gou Jun as his true name to Ye Bing. 1711 1742 1856

Intelligence concerning the later “Gou Jun” became a valuable commodity. Duan Huo sold accounts of Song Wen's clashes with Gu Huang, his hidden Void Demon, his substitute puppets, and Bai Wei's recommendation for entry into the Turbid Spirit Realm. Song Wen investigated these disclosures while disguised as a prospective buyer. 1377 1379

Song Wen continued to use the name in the immortal world. Mu Li addressed him as Gou Jun during their coordinated ambush of Ji Tong, in which Song Wen wielded the Ghost Bone Sword and used a concealed divine-soul attack to defeat their target. These immortal-stage abilities belonged to Song Wen rather than the original patriarch. 2129 2130

Accordingly, accounts from after Chapter 823 that refer to “Gou Jun” frequently concern Song Wen rather than the deceased Corpse Demon Sect patriarch. 858 886 1742

Notable Quotes

“Enough, everyone. We came here for the secrets within the Divine Blood Hall, not to settle old grudges.” 729

“Yinshuo, you have exhausted every trick in your bag. Surrender obediently and let me possess your body.” 822

“Rest assured, I will take this body of yours and ascend to the Upper Realm. Then, your life will not have been in vain!” 822

Trivia

• Gou Jun called himself the foremost cultivator of the Heavenly Origin Continent while confronting the Divine Blood Hall expedition members at Origin Cave. 789
• After the patriarch's death, Song Wen adopted Gou Jun as an alias; later references to “Gou Jun” may therefore refer to Song Wen rather than the original Corpse Demon Sect patriarch. 858 886
• The iron-pellet treasure he employed against Song Wen on Divine Blood Peak dated from before his Nascent Soul breakthrough. 783
• Gou Jun never knowingly met Song Wen during the latter's early years in the Corpse Demon Sect, despite being its patriarch at the time. He learned of their former sect connection only during his failed possession attempt. 823

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