Gu Rong

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Gu Rong (古榕)
Alias(es)	Bone Douluo; Grandpa Bone; Grandpa Gu; “Old Bones” 6 7
Species/Race	Human 15
Gender	Male 6
Affiliation	Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect 6
Occupation/Role	Guardian Douluo of the sect; cultivation mentor and protector of Xiao Shenghe 6 7
Martial Soul	Bone Dragon 7 13 37
Soul Master Classification	Titled Douluo; described as agility-type 13
Status	Alive; fighting Spirit Hall’s Soul-Locking Douluo in the latest provided appearance 37
First Appearance	Chapter 6 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level 95 Titled Douluo	6	Introduced as an established expert renowned for spatial abilities and formidable defense.
Level 98 agility-type Titled Douluo	13	Later described as having peak defense and speed. No intervening breakthrough is depicted, so the change from level 95 is unexplained rather than a documented cultivation event.

Appearance

Gu Rong is a tall, broad-framed elder with a gaunt appearance and an eerily pale face 6 15.

• Wears a gray robe on his introduction 6.
• Has thin, bony hands and fingers 13 14.
• Has a beard that bristles when Chen Xin provokes him 7.
• Speaks in a hoarse, rough voice, later likened to metal scraping against metal 6 18.

Personality

Gu Rong habitually teases Chen Xin and contradicts him almost on reflex. Their rivalry remains friendly: he protests being chosen to spar with Shenghe, then accepts the practical reasons behind the decision. He also notices Chen Xin’s jealousy over Rongrong’s attachment to Shenghe and deliberately needles him about it 6 7 10.

His humor gives way to caution when someone’s safety is at stake. He insists that Shenghe’s unusual Soul Ring remain secret and initially rejects the proposal to absorb ten additional rings as dangerously unrealistic. After hearing Shenghe’s explanation, he becomes willing to test the theory, though his curiosity never entirely removes his wariness of the boy’s rule-breaking power 7 9 18.

He is affectionate toward Rongrong and offers Shenghe direct, fatherly encouragement. His compassion also extends to Soul Beasts: he treats the wounded Clouded Deer gently, praises her daughter’s courage, and helps earn the trust of a community accustomed to human hunters 6 14 15 19.

Abilities & Skills

Bone Dragon Martial Soul

The Bone Dragon combines offense and defense, with particular emphasis on control and protection 7.

• Its defensive versatility makes Gu Rong a safer instructional sparring partner than Chen Xin, whose sword attacks risk injuring Shenghe 7.
• His speed and defense are described as having reached their peak during the confrontation with Tian Hanyao 13.
• He manifests the Bone Dragon behind him while fighting Soul-Locking Douluo 37.

Spatial Abilities

Gu Rong is renowned for his difficult-to-fathom spatial techniques 6.

• Appears soundlessly beside Shenghe as the surrounding space ripples 6.
• Recognizes the subtle disruption of space caused by Shenghe’s first Soul Skill 8.
• Identifies the danger of forcing passage through the Soul-Eroding Cave’s barrier after Chen Xin’s strike fails 34.

Soul Power Barriers

Gu Rong creates protective barriers and controls their strength precisely enough to test a junior’s abilities 8 13.

• His casually placed barrier can withstand an ordinary Soul Ancestor’s all-out strike 8.
• Shenghe’s purple-black flame weakens that barrier, but Gu Rong disperses the flame with a stronger pulse of Soul Power 8.
• Creates a concealed barrier around Shenghe while investigating a disturbance in the forest 13.

Bone Vines

Gu Rong summons Bone Vines for underground searches, restraint, and defensive structures 32 33.

• Probes the swamp mud, drags out a hidden Corrupt Poison Tentacle Monster, and binds it in a vine net 32.
• Forms a wall against the Netherworld Poison Dragon’s poison blast; the attack nearly overwhelms the combined defenses of Gu Rong and Chen Xin 33.
• Uses gold-tinged vines to suppress poison and purify miasma that seeps through his defenses 32 35.
• Wraps a vine around Mo Chen’s neck and seals his Soul Power meridians after the enemy is weakened 36.
• Entangles Li Qianhun’s chains and slows the circulation of his power 37.

Perception and Power Assessment

Gu Rong uses Soul Power to examine unfamiliar abilities and detect concealed threats 7 30 32.

• Extends his perception across several miles while approaching Mistveil Valley 30.
• Senses poison and hidden Soul Beasts beneath the Netherworld Swamp 32.
• Probes Shenghe to verify his rapid increases in Soul Power and detect the two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast auras within him 24 29.
• Draws on extensive Soul Ring experience, claiming to have seen or hunted eight thousand rings, if not ten thousand 6.

Injury Stabilization

Gu Rong can apply gentle Soul Power to ease wounds without attacking the recipient 14.

• Sends a soft thread of green Soul Power around the Clouded Deer’s injuries, reducing her pain 14.
• Helps her take Shenghe’s Blood-Congealing Essence-Fixing Liquid and stabilizes her condition while Chen Xin keeps watch 14.
• Later passages describe a plant-related affinity that gives him some tolerance for the swamp’s decaying environment 32.

Relationships

• Chen Xin — Fellow guardian Douluo, longtime rival, and trusted combat partner. Their exchanges alternate between insults, teasing, and coordinated protection of Shenghe 6 7 10 33 36.
• Ning Fengzhi — Sect master, who respectfully addresses him as “Uncle Gu.” Gu Rong accepts his decision to test Shenghe’s Soul Skill and undertakes the forest journey under his instructions 6 7 10.
• Ning Rongrong — Grandfatherly figure whom she calls “Grandpa Bone.” He welcomes her with an invitation to hug him and affectionately calls her the sect’s little princess 6 10.
• Xiao Shenghe — Student and ward. Gu Rong evaluates his abilities, protects his secrets, accompanies his search for power, and advises him to confront hardship rather than continually avoid it 7 8 10 19.
• Clouded Deer Chieftain — Rescued Soul Beast whose injuries he helps treat. Her gratitude leads to an invitation to Spirit Creek Valley and acceptance of the three humans as honored guests 14 15.
• Lu Xuan and Lu Xue — Expedition allies who share knowledge of symbiosis and cooperate with him against the swamp’s corruption and Spirit Hall’s ambush 29 30 36 37.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Shenghe’s First Soul Ring

• Initially dismisses Chen Xin’s report of a purple-and-black Soul Ring, then becomes speechless after seeing it himself 6.
• Supports keeping the ring secret and joins Chen Xin as Shenghe’s appointed cultivation guide 7.
• Tests Shenghe’s first Soul Skill and identifies its energy-devouring, spiritual-burning, and slight spatial effects 8.
• Moves from rejecting the auxiliary-ring proposal to supporting a stronger test after Shenghe explains his Main Soul Ring’s protective properties 9.
• Accompanies the forest expedition, guards Shenghe during absorption, and questions how Ring Devouring converts a ring into adaptable attributes rather than a fixed skill 10 12.

Clouded Deer Rescue and Symbiosis

• Backs Shenghe’s intervention against Spirit Hall and publicly warns Tian Hanyao that the hunt will damage her reputation 13.
• Helps the wounded Clouded Deer and enters Spirit Creek Valley, where nearly a hundred Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts astonish both guardian Douluo 14 15.
• Waits outside the restricted symbiosis ceremony and later confirms Shenghe’s rise from level 15 to level 24 19 24.
• Remains outside the Skyvault Bamboo sacred grounds, then learns that Shenghe has reached level 30 and gained two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirits through equal partnerships 25 29.
• Expresses interest in whether other Soul Beast clans can also form symbiotic bonds with humans 30.

Netherworld Swamp and Soul-Eroding Cave

• Locates and restrains the hidden tentacle monster, allowing the group to investigate its unnatural corruption 32.
• Helps withstand the corrupted Netherworld Poison Dragon and assess the cave’s dangerous barrier 33 34.
• Provides defenses against the cave’s miasma, then joins Lu Xuan and Chen Xin in pinning down its creator so Shenghe and Lu Yao can purify him 35 36.
• Prevents the weakened Mo Chen from escaping and seals his Soul Power before Chen Xin executes him 36.

Spirit Hall Ambush

• Warns that Spirit Hall may be tracking the party during the return journey 37.
• Takes the front line alongside Chen Xin while Shenghe and Lu Yao remain protected in the center 37.
• Engages Soul-Locking Douluo Li Qianhun, immobilizing his chains with Bone Vines; the battle remains ongoing at the end of the provided chapter 37.

Notable Quotes

“Until he can protect himself, this must remain strictly secret. Only those of us here can know.” 7

“An anomaly beyond the rules.” 18

“Once you've chosen a path, keep walking forward.”
“If you're true gold, you needn't fear the fire.” 19