Three Gu Sect

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Three Gu Sect
Original Name	三蛊门
Type	Gu-cultivation sect; regarded as a demonic sect by outsiders
Headquarters	Gu Mountain range, Southern Border
Founding Lineages	Ice Spirit Gu, Bloodthirsty Gu, Five Poisons Gu
Leadership	Sect Master; nine Elders, each occupying a peak of the Gu Mountain range 26
Core Principle	“Gu Raising”: survival, competition, and mutual predation are used to cultivate disciples 6 15 17
Status	Its stronghold was breached in a coordinated invasion; it was later rebuilt under Sect Master Leng Shou 150 237

Background / History

The Three Gu Sect was founded around three Gu lineages. The Ice Spirit Gu lineage held the Sect Master position from the sect’s founding, while the Bloodthirsty Gu and Five Poisons Gu lineages originally served it. The Sect Master position remained a hereditary privilege of the Leng family for generations. 148

The sect once dominated the Southern Border and generally produced a Divine Ability Realm expert within the Ice Spirit Gu lineage each generation. Its decline began when that lineage stopped producing such experts; by the present era, the wounded Sect Master was its only remaining Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. 148

The Bloodthirsty and Five Poisons lineages eventually amassed nine Purple Mansion Realm Elders between them. When the Sect Master was severely injured during the conflict with the Witch Worship Cult, both factions began openly contesting the succession and moved to end Ice Spirit Gu control of the sect. 75 80 142 148

Organization

Lineages and leadership

Lineage	Position within the sect	Known traits
Ice Spirit Gu	Sect Master’s lineage; historically led by the Leng family	Normally accepts only cultivators possessing Ice Spirit Gu; Leng Man’er could offer an exception to an Alchemist 1 104
Bloodthirsty Gu	Major Elder faction	Focuses on Bloodthirsty Gu and its transformations; the Grand Elder through Fifth Elder belonged to this lineage 1 26
Five Poisons Gu	Major Elder faction	Concentrates heavily on raising and cultivating Gu worms; the Sixth through Ninth Elders belonged to this lineage 26 48

• The Sect Master receives half of all sect resources and is chiefly expected to deter top experts from rival forces. 142
• The Grand Elder is second only to the Sect Master; Old Demon Gu led the Grand Elder’s Bitter Bamboo Peak lineage. 70 80
• The sect’s hierarchy operates as a pyramid: Outer Sect disciples sustain the Inner Sect, Inner Sect disciples are exploited by True Disciples, and Elders ultimately support the Sect Master. 15
• Bitter Bamboo Peak was the Grand Elder’s peak and trained disciples in the Demon Devouring Art. 26 27

Gu Mountain

Gu Mountain is a vast mountain range rather than a single mountain. Its major areas are divided by rank: 6 11

• Foot of the mountain — Outer Sect courtyards, the Hall of Receiving Merit, Hall of Transmitted Skills, Scripture Repository, and labor facilities.
• Mountainside — Inner Sect town, marketplace, and the sect’s administrative activity.
• Peaks — Elder and Sect Master residences.
• Blessed Land valley — The sect’s true core, where Elders and elite prodigies cultivate in seclusion. The Outer Sect, Inner Sect, and even the main peak could be abandoned as long as this valley remained. 105

Recruitment and Training

Gu Cultivation Dens

The sect accepts large numbers of refugees and abandoned people through Gu Cultivation Dens. Recruits are implanted with Bloodthirsty Gu or Five Poisons Gu, then forced to survive the Gu’s consumption of their vitality. 1 3 4

• Bloodthirsty Gu recruits receive food and Blood Replenishing Pills, but the apparent generosity functions as livestock management for Gu cultivation. 2
• Only those who survive the initial implantation trial are recognized as official disciples; in one intake, only two survivors remained. 4
• The Gu Cultivation Dens function as supply grounds, with Outer Sect disciples ultimately used as feed for Meat Gu unless they reach the Qi Induction Realm within three years. 25
• The sect confines entry-level disciples to Gu Mountain, leaving them dependent on sect-issued supplies and compulsory work. 12

Mortal-town disciples

The sect also controls numerous mortal towns throughout the Gu Mountain range. These towns contain martial arts schools that train a separate class of “true” Outer Sect disciples. 25 26

• These disciples are not implanted with Gu initially.
• They receive better Gu only after successfully reaching Qi Induction and entering the Inner Sect. 26
• The towns have lived under Three Gu Sect control for generations and provide the sect with a stable, culturally aligned source of recruits. 25

Outer Sect

Outer Sect disciples live in crowded courtyards at the foot of Gu Mountain and are effectively laborers for the Inner Sect. 6 11

• New disciples receive ten Blood Pills per month and one Body Tempering Realm technique. 6
• Daily sect tasks are mandatory before cultivation is permitted. 6
• Blood Pills restore blood energy and prevent Bloodthirsty Gu from consuming the host. 6
• The Hall of Transmitted Skills requires contribution points that ordinary Outer Sect disciples cannot obtain, preventing them from receiving meaningful instruction. 13
• The Scripture Repository’s accessible manuals are mediocre, incomplete, or damaged; its lax security reflects the low value of its contents. 10

Inner Sect

Reaching the Qi Induction Realm grants entry to the Inner Sect, where disciples can access the sect’s true cultivation methods. 11 24

• Inner Sect disciples compete for resources, merchants, and management rights over Meat Gu Caves. 15 17 33
• A transformed Bloodthirsty Gu or Five Poisons Gu can devour other Gu, making Inner Sect disciples both predators and prey. 15
• Stewardship of a Meat Gu Cave is won through challenges; the winner receives only three days of protection before another challenge may be issued. 17
• Killing an Inner Sect disciple without cause is nominally forbidden, though poisoning and covert assassination are commonplace. 24
• The monthly Martial Arts Tournament distributes benefits, selects resource-guarding disciples, and identifies elites for contests against rival sects. 46

Blessed Land

The Blessed Land houses the sect’s most promising disciples and offers dense Spiritual Energy, alchemy facilities, a Life and Death Arena, and Spirit Platform Caves for breakthroughs. 105 106

• Every month, the bottom ten elite disciples are eliminated. 106
• Its residents include the sect’s prodigies, while most Elders cultivate in seclusion nearby. 105
• Political conflict within the Blessed Land intensified after the Sect Master’s decline, particularly around the succession struggle. 106 125

Gu Cultivation Practices

Gu Raising policy

The sect deliberately creates a harsh environment in which disciples must fight for food, pills, work rewards, and safety. This process is explicitly described as “raising Gu.” 6 17

• Resources are restricted even when the sect could potentially provide more, forcing disciples into conflict. 14
• Inner Sect disciples exploit Outer Sect disciples, while stronger Inner Sect members seize management rights, merchant patronage, and cultivation resources. 15 17 33
• The sect considers rapid growth under lethal pressure the best way to create elite disciples. 112

Human–Gu cultivation

Three Gu Sect techniques cultivate humans and Gu worms together. A cultivator’s personal breakthrough and their Gu’s advancement are both required for progress. 27

• This method consumes immense resources but can more than double combat power after a successful breakthrough. 27
• Natal Gu refinement is a core sect method, allowing a cultivator to control a Gu worm through Soul Power and gain additional cultivation and combat strength. 74
• The sect possesses hidden knowledge of Human–Gu Union, but does not openly teach it to ordinary disciples. 149
• The Myriad Gu Tower serves as a research base for cultivating and studying Gu worms. 53

Notable Gu and methods

• Bloodthirsty Gu — Absorbs the host’s blood vitality, then can return purified blood qi to open meridians and assist cultivation. 2 4
• Five Poisons Gu — One of the sect’s foundational Gu lineages, associated with a cultivation style centered on Gu breeding. 1 48
• Ice Spirit Gu — The Sect Master lineage’s defining Gu; ordinarily required for admission into that lineage. 1 104
• Demon Devouring Gu — A mutation of Bloodthirsty Gu cultivated through the Demon Devouring Art. It can devour poison and grants powerful physical and spiritual-energy traits. 27
• Flesh Gu / Meat Gu — Fed coarse fodder or demon beast meat to produce flesh rich in blood qi; Outer Sect disciples are treated as part of the resource chain supporting these Gu. 11 12 25
• Heart Connecting Gu — A control Gu implanted into disciples sent on dangerous missions. It can be used by a superior to issue warnings and exert authority. 54 59
• Myriad Spirit Gu — A long-term project of the sect, cultivated using Leng clan bloodline in an attempt to produce a Divine Ability Realm cultivator and escape Demonic Creature control. 246

Internal Conflict

The Bloodthirsty Gu and Five Poisons Gu lineages were deeply divided, even occupying separate areas of Gu Mountain. Their conflict worsened as the Ice Spirit Gu lineage weakened. 48 68 80

• The Five Poisons Gu faction held an advantage despite the Bloodthirsty Gu lineage’s stronger direct combat capability, possibly because Bloodthirsty cultivation was more resource-intensive. 48
• The Sect Master’s injury prompted rival factions to compete openly for the next Sect Master position. 75 106 125
• Gong Jiu and Ye Zai emerged as prominent succession candidates, while the Ice Spirit Gu lineage supported Leng Man’er. 125 143
• The sect’s ingrained mistrust prevented coordinated responses during warfare; its disciples fought as scattered individuals rather than a unified force. 64
• The sect’s higher-ups regarded promising disciples as assets to recruit, manipulate, or sacrifice depending on factional interests. 53 112

Conflicts and Collapse

The Three Gu Sect fought the White Bone Monastery and Five Ghosts Sect over a special ore deposit, sending lower-ranked disciples to act as bait for enemy Spirit Platform Realm cultivators. 53 54

Old Demon Gu later destroyed the contested mine shafts and killed suspected conspirators after many Three Gu Sect Spirit Platform Realm cultivators died. 70

The sect’s greatest crisis came when the Witch Worship Cult, White Bone Monastery, and Five Ghosts Sect coordinated an invasion. They drew away major Elders, exploited an internal traitor, and breached the stronghold with three Purple Mansion Realm invaders against a single defender. 149 150

• The sect’s grand formation failed to respond during the initial Witch Worship Cult assault. 148
• The Ice Spirit Gu lineage was later brutally slaughtered, while the Sect Master and Leng Man’er disappeared. 190
• Although the stronghold was breached and heavily looted, all nine Elders reportedly survived, leaving the sect capable of rebuilding. 152
• By the time Leng Shou became Sect Master, the rebuilt sect used the Myriad Gu Soul Devouring Banner—a semi-Dao Artifact—as the core of its great formation. 237
• Later revelations characterize regional sects such as the Three Gu Sect as pawns of Demonic Creatures, explaining their disregard for human life. 229

Relationships

• Ice Spirit Gu lineage — The historical ruling lineage; its decline triggered the sect-wide succession conflict. 148
• Bloodthirsty Gu lineage — Major Elder faction and home to the Grand Elder’s Bitter Bamboo Peak. 26
• Five Poisons Gu lineage — Rival major faction that competed with the Bloodthirsty Gu lineage for influence and the Sect Master position. 48 80
• Witch Worship Cult — Major enemy that coordinated the invasion which breached the sect’s stronghold. 148 150
• White Bone Monastery — Rival sect involved in the mine conflict and later assault on the Three Gu Sect. 53 149
• Five Ghosts Sect — Rival sect allied with the White Bone Monastery during the mine conflict and invasion. 53 149
• Demonic Creatures — Hidden powers said to use regional sects, including the Three Gu Sect, as pawns. 229