Gu He

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Gu He (古河)
Alias(es)	Pill King; Brother Gu He
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Alchemist Guild elder; formerly an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect 155 171
Occupation/Role	Sixth-tier alchemist; protector and occasional mentor to Huo Yuhao's group
First Appearance	Chapter 20 (observes Huo Yuhao's group in the Magic Beast Mountain Range) 20

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
High-level Dou Wang	31	Fends off enemies from the Chu Yun Empire with a Dou Emperor-level puppet and the Flamefire Sword, though he is trapped at a ruin exit. 31
Initial-stage Dou Emperor	192	Uses the sixth-grade Gale Sword and fifth-grade Flame Armguard to temporarily raise his aura to peak Dou Emperor while defending Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian. 192

Appearance

Gu He is a handsome middle-aged man who carries himself with the poise of an accomplished alchemist. He typically wears a fitted dark robe or a sixth-grade alchemist's robe. 21 155

• Serious, composed expression with sharp competence visible in his features. 21
• Uses pink flames from his Peach Blossom Flame in battle. 21 24
• Later wields a deep-purple Beast Flame while refining pills publicly. 172
• Has an elegant and dignified bearing associated with his reputation as the Pill King. 141 155

Personality

Gu He is proud of his standing as a sixth-tier alchemist and high-level cultivator, but he does not abandon younger cultivators to danger. Upon discovering Huo Yuhao, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian in the Magic Beast Mountain Range's core region, he chooses to accompany them despite considering them a burden. 21

His concern often manifests as stern scolding. After the trio confronts a fourth-tier Fire Cloud Leopard, he reprimands them for risking their lives, gives Xiao Yan ointment for his injury, and insists they should have retreated behind his protection. 22

He is easily exasperated by Xiao Yan's teasing and Huo Yuhao's implausible “ruins” explanations, yet gradually accepts the group as close companions. After Huo Yuhao's group rescues him from the Chu Yun Empire's ambush, Gu He becomes notably more trusting and treats Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian like younger siblings. 24 32 33

Gu He possesses strong professional pride. He refuses to surrender to Xie Hua despite being trapped, later competes fiercely with Xiao Yan in sixth-tier pill refinement, and remains committed to reaching the Pill Tower rather than joining Soul Hall. 31 155 171 194

Abilities & Skills

Sixth-Tier Alchemy

Gu He is recognized as the Jia Ma Empire's Pill King and is capable of repeatedly refining high-quality sixth-tier pills. 21 171 174

• Refined a high-quality Dou Ling Pill whose pill patterns and halo impressed Fama. 171
• Successfully refined two sixth-tier pills in under half an hour, including a particularly pure Jade Marrow Pill. 174
• Refined seven exceptional sixth-tier pills during his overnight competition with Xiao Yan, Huo Yuhao, and Xiao Yi Xian. 176
• Is considered close to becoming a seventh-tier alchemist. 171 174
• Offers personal alchemy instruction as the additional prize for the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Convention's champion. 155

Beast Flames

Gu He possesses the fifth-tier Peach Blossom Flame, a soft pink Beast Flame originally obtained from a Kui Wood Beast. 22 24

• Channels the Peach Blossom Flame through his Dou Qi to form flaming swords and Flame Wings. 21 24
• Identified the Poisonwood Flame as a suitable Beast Flame for Xiao Yi Xian due to her poison affinity. 24 25
• Acquired the Poisonwood Flame from a fifth-tier Rotten Wood Beast and gave it to Xiao Yi Xian, advising her to wait until she reached the Dou Master realm before refining it. 25

Sword Techniques

Despite being primarily an alchemist, Gu He is an accomplished swordsman who fights through flame-infused sword techniques. 21 25

• Thousand-Flame Net — casts a large net of flames to bind targets; used to restrain the Fire Cloud Leopard. 21
• Thousand-Flame Sword Aura — releases layered flaming sword shadows; used to kill a Dou Wang whose Dou Qi had been drained by Huo Yuhao's formation. 24 32
• Can condense a flaming Dou Qi longsword for combat. 21 24
• His combat techniques gain more than twenty percent greater power when wielding the Flamefire Sword. 25

Soul Power and Detection

As a sixth-tier alchemist, Gu He has substantial Soul Power and can search a wide area for magical beasts. 20 24

• Located the Rotten Wood Beast and Kui Wood Beast by spreading his Soul Power through the surrounding forest. 24
• Could not detect Yao Chen's concealed mental communication due to interference from the group's mental power and Yao Chen's superior ability. 21

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Peach Blossom Flame — fifth-tier pink Beast Flame from a Kui Wood Beast. 22 24
• Flamefire Sword — second-grade Spirit Artifact longsword gifted by Huo Yuhao; Gu He named it after testing its flame-enhancing effect. 25 32
• Dou Emperor-level puppet — ruin treasure with physical strength comparable to a Dou Emperor; cannot use Dou Qi. 31
• Fire-Controlling Medicinal Cauldron — received from Huo Yuhao's group upon leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range. 33
• Gale Sword — sixth-grade Spirit Artifact wielded during the battle against Mu Gu's forces. 192
• Flame Armguard — fifth-grade Spirit Artifact that combines with wind energy to amplify his flames. 192

Background / History

Gu He entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range seeking a high-rank Beast Flame, ideally one from a sixth-tier Magic Beast. He secretly followed Huo Yuhao, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian after noticing their unusual abilities and suspecting that an elder protected them from nearby. 20

After being exposed, Gu He introduced himself as a sixth-tier alchemist. He initially wished to speak with the group's presumed master and briefly considered taking Xiao Yan as a disciple, but his concern for the three youths ultimately outweighed his suspicions. He agreed to guide them in their search for Beast Flames. 21

During the journey, he saved the group from a Fire Cloud Leopard, helped Xiao Yi Xian secure the Poisonwood Flame, and endured Xiao Yan's persistent jokes about his pink Peach Blossom Flame. A night of drinking ended with Gu He becoming sworn brothers with Xiao Yan, an event he regretted so intensely that he vowed to quit drinking. 21 24 25

When Huo Yuhao's group parted from him, they gave Gu He modified weapons, three second-grade Spirit Artifacts, and a medicinal cauldron in repayment for his help. Gu He accepted the gifts and invited them to visit him in the imperial capital. 25 33

Story Role / Major Arcs

Magic Beast Mountain Range

Gu He serves as the group's powerful escort and Beast Flame guide. He kills the Fire Cloud Leopard after Huo Yuhao, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian briefly hold it back, then secures the Poisonwood Flame for Xiao Yi Xian. 21 24 25

Ruin Ambush

After entering an ancient ruin, Gu He is trapped by Xie Hua, a four-star Dou Emperor, and several Chu Yun Empire cultivators. He resists with his puppet and the Flamefire Sword rather than submit. 31

Huo Yuhao's group rescues him with the Illusory Space formation and a decoy resembling the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Gu He kills the trapped Dou Wang with Thousand-Flame Sword Aura, gives the enemy Storage Rings to Huo Yuhao, and becomes far more open with the group afterward. 31 32

Alchemist Convention Rivalry

Gu He later encounters Xiao Yan at the Alchemist Guild and announces that the Alchemist Convention's winner will receive his personal instruction. The announcement develops into a formal alchemical rivalry between the two. 155

He publicly refines high-quality sixth-tier pills to answer Xiao Yan's challenge, repeatedly pushing his limits against the unknown alchemists at the Mittel Auction House. Although exhausted, he continues refining and ultimately produces seven sixth-tier pills in one night. 171 172 175 176

Spirit Artifact Advocate

Having personally used Huo Yuhao's early Spirit Artifacts, Gu He publicly supports the claim that Spirit Artifacts can become a system comparable to medicinal pills. He shows Fama and Jia Xingtian the second-grade Spirit Artifact swords Huo Yuhao gave him as proof. 179

He later introduces Huo Yuhao, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian to Fama and Jia Xingtian at the Mittel Auction House's Spirit Artifact exhibition. 181

Defense Against Soul Hall

When Mu Gu's forces attack, Gu He joins Xiao Yan in defending Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian against Yun Shan and Vulture Protector. He boosts himself to peak Dou Emperor-level aura with Spirit Artifacts despite beginning at the initial Dou Emperor stage. 192

After suffering severe injuries against Elder Xue, Gu He still attacks to protect Xiao Yi Xian, rejects Soul Hall's recruitment, throws Xiao Yan toward the Misty Cloud Sect in an attempted escape, and prepares to self-destruct rather than surrender. 194

Relationships

• Huo Yuhao — Initially suspicious of him, but becomes a trusted friend and beneficiary of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Artifact forging; Huo Yuhao's group rescues Gu He from the Chu Yun Empire ambush. 21 25 31 32
• Xiao Yan — Sworn brother, frequent source of exasperation, and later a serious alchemy rival; Gu He had once considered taking him as a disciple. 21 24 155 171
• Xiao Yi Xian — Protective senior figure who retrieves and gifts her the Poisonwood Flame; later fights to defend her from Soul Hall. 24 25 192 194
• Yao Chen — Unaware at first that Yao Chen is concealed near the group; Yao Chen privately mocks Gu He's title and uses the situation to guide the trio's Beast Flame search. 21 24
• Fama — President of the Alchemist Guild who recognizes Gu He's alchemical progress and safeguards his public pill refinement. 171 172
• Jia Xingtian — Imperial guardian who respects Gu He's alchemy, seeks his support for the war against the Chu Yun Empire, and later works with him at the Mittel Auction House. 171 172 181
• Hai Bodong — Mistakes Gu He's scrutiny for rudeness after Gu He initially confuses his rejuvenated appearance with Huo Yuhao. 141 143
• Xie Hua — Chu Yun Empire Dou Emperor who traps Gu He at an ancient ruin exit and attempts to force him into serving as Chu Yun's Pill King. 31 32

Notable Quotes

“I, the great Pill King Gu He... actually... actually became sworn brothers with a child! From today onward, I quit drinking!” 24

“The place I, Gu He, wish to go is the Pill Tower!” 194

Trivia

• Gu He is embarrassed by the soft pink color and name of his Peach Blossom Flame. 22 24
• He offered Huo Yuhao a sword after seeing him practice, only to learn that Huo Yuhao actually uses a blade. 24
• He repeatedly accepts Huo Yuhao's fabricated explanation that valuable Spirit Artifacts came from “ruins,” despite clearly suspecting the truth. 25 33