Gu Fan

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Gu Fan's new body belonged to the only main-branch descendant of the Gu Lineage, one of the royal capital's seven great lineages. His birth was accompanied by thunder, earth-born lotuses, and a qilin's blessing, leading the lineage to invest heavily in his upbringing. As the main branch's sole scion, he held the strongest hereditary claim to succeed the patriarch 1.

At twelve, a testing stele identified his God-Devouring Physique. Its inability to awaken prevented cultivation, while its uncontrolled hunger steadily consumed his life. The lineage's expectations turned into neglect and suppression; the original Gu Fan spent six years searching ancient texts before discovering that a sufficiently powerful spiritual treasure could awaken the physique 1.

Before he could obtain such a treasure, the elders banished him to Guangyang City under the pretext of managing the lineage's auction house. They intended to remove him from contention before the young-patriarch selection, despite the aged patriarch's opposition. The transmigrated Gu Fan awakened in this dying body as his carriage approached the city’s Profound Heaven Auction House 1 2.

Appearance

• Initial appearance: A sickly pale youth who appeared seventeen or eighteen, with withered hands and deeply wrinkled skin across his body 1.
• Clothing: Wore a moon-white robe and a jade pendant at his waist upon transmigrating 1.
• Physical frailty: Initially needed Uncle Fu's support simply to walk 2.
• After awakening: Became vigorous and noticeably more handsome; Zhu Huai considered his looks unmatched in Guangyang City 11.

Personality

Gu Fan is forceful and unwilling to accept a fate imposed on him. He insists on holding an auction immediately when waiting would endanger his survival, and later disregards the elders' restrictions rather than remain in Guangyang City. His inherited memories describe a domineering disposition tempered—but not erased—by years of mistreatment 2 26.

His decisions combine ambition with practical caution. He avoids returning to the royal capital while the elders can threaten him, studies Yanshan's auction market before investing, and prioritizes successful sales over the approval of prestigious guests. He accepts temporary ridicule when it does not interfere with obtaining system rewards 24 28 41.

He values useful, sincere subordinates rather than unquestioning flattery. He retains Zhu Huai despite the steward's blunt objections and encourages Bu Yi when entrusting her with a valuable martial technique. His willingness to help outsiders is selective: he refuses to shelter Commander Mad Wolf from the Shattered Star Sect, but arranges a short protective escort for Commander Wu after the latter's substantial purchase 10 22 34 37.

Abilities & Skills

Auction Ten-Thousandfold Return System

The system grants Gu Fan more valuable treasures when designated items sell through his auction house 2.

• Daily allowance: One set of ten designated auction items per day.
• Variable returns: Multipliers can reach ten thousandfold; his first designated sale receives a guaranteed ten-thousandfold return.
• No recursive returns: Returned treasures can be sold, but cannot generate another multiplied reward 2 20.
• Anti-exploitation restriction: Buying ordinary objects in bulk solely to fill auction slots is rejected as contrary to an auction's purpose 3.
• Storage: Gu Fan retrieves returned treasures and their containers from the system space 7 34.
• Cultivation supply: Rewards include pills, natural treasures, weapons, martial techniques, and demonic beasts 20 41 48.

God-Devouring Physique

His divine physique converts external resources into nourishment and spiritual power. Once awakened, he can direct its devouring force at will 10 25.

• Resource refinement: Devours natural treasures, pills, demonic-beast cores, and magical weapons 10 11 20 37.
• Purification: Dissolves the tiger core's savage, baleful Qi into pure spiritual power 10.
• Rapid advancement: Reaches Body Tempering Great Perfection without lingering adverse effects from his initial refinement session 11.
• Awakening danger: Initially cracks the cultivation chamber's walls. Gu Fan fears the growing force could consume the surrounding street and its inhabitants, then diverts it toward a beast core 10.
• Martial-technique limitation: Manuals contain no useful Spiritual Qi and cannot raise his cultivation through devouring 42.
• Resource demand: His vast Spirit Sea and additional manifestation require enormous quantities of spiritual power for further breakthroughs 20 25.

God-Devouring Scripture

A cultivation scripture that appears in his mind when his physique awakens. Its grade is unknown 10 11.

• Initially provides methods for Body Tempering and the Spirit Sea Realm.
• Circulates spiritual power stored in his acupoints through his meridians.
• Serves as the cultivation method behind his repeated devouring sessions 11 20 24.

Spirit Sea and Manifestations

Gu Fan possesses unusually large spiritual-power reserves 20 24.

• 365-li Spirit Sea: Reaches the stated heavenly limit upon entering the realm; the Gu patriarch's initial Spirit Sea measured only eight li 20.
• Black hole phenomenon: Can store spiritual power equal to nine times his own 24.
• Lotus phenomenon: The Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus offers an additional lotus manifestation; after refining it, Gu Fan confirms that he has awakened another manifestation 24 25.

Bright Moon Sword Record

A supreme-grade third-tier sword art obtained through a thousandfold auction return 14.

• Contains nine sword moves.
• Gu Fan masters its first move, Sword of the New Moon, after seven days of study.
• The first move combines offensive killing power with defensive capability and requires comprehension of yin and yang.
• Merely manifesting it makes the cultivation chamber's walls tremble; its full combat strength remains untested in that scene 20.
• He continues practicing the sword art daily alongside resource refinement 25.

Vajra Demon-Subduing Palm

A supreme-grade third-tier martial technique returned from the sale of the Great Buddha Palm 31 32.

• Uses the spirit to control its form.
• Requires comprehension of the vajra's demon-subduing power to deepen its strength.
• Gu Fan gains an initial understanding overnight and produces a large golden palm imprint.
• His early execution remains imperfect, requiring further practice 37.

Auction Management

Gu Fan structures his business around frequent sales, low commissions, and rare finale items 9 20.

• Reduces Guangyang's commission from 5% to 1% and establishes daily auctions 9.
• Commonly sells ten reward-eligible lots before presenting a returned treasure as the eleventh-item finale 20.
• Auctions techniques he does not need while retaining resource-rich treasures for cultivation 34 42.
• Purchases neighboring properties to expand his Yanshan auction hall to approximately 3,000 seats 37.
• Uses the Ghost Sheep's strength to reassure Hou Tu that the auction house can safely handle valuable consignments 45.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heaven and Earth Sword — Low-grade third-tier sword retained as his personal weapon, replacing the Heart-Questioning Sword 33 37.
• Heart-Questioning Sword — Supreme-grade second-tier sword used to practice the Bright Moon Sword Record; later devoured to advance his cultivation 20 25 37.
• Sun-Chasing Profound Bow and Sun-Chasing Archery — Supreme-grade third-tier weapon-and-technique set obtained through a five-hundredfold return. Gu Fan sets it aside rather than immediately devouring the bow; mastery of its archery technique is not documented 47.
• Fortune Golden Pill — Supreme-grade fifth-tier pill obtained from his first guaranteed ten-thousandfold return and consumed to awaken his physique 5 10.
• Heavenly Net Treasure Lotus — Mid-grade third-tier natural treasure returned from the Spirit Heart Lotus; devoured with nine other rewards to reach Spirit Sea Fourth Heaven 24 25.

Demonic Beasts

Relationships

• Uncle Fu — Coachman, attendant, and protector. Supports Gu Fan during his initial frailty and later handles threats and protective escorts. His cultivation is identified as Divine Treasury Third Heaven 2 33 37 48.
• Zhu Huai — Steward of the Guangyang auction house. Frequently challenges Gu Fan's risky business decisions but becomes convinced of his capabilities; later refuses the Shattered Star Sect's demands for information about him 6 8 10 33.
• Feng Xu — Steward of Gu Fan's independently owned Yanshan auction house. Oversees preparations, expansion arrangements, and the reception of consignors 30 37 45.
• Xiang Yin — Auctioneer at the Guangyang branch. Presents his auction lots, including the Black Baleful Intent Snake, and admires his composure 6 16.
• Bu Yi — Auctioneer at the Linnan Street house. Gu Fan encourages her and entrusts her with the Eighteen Hands of Subduing the Tiger, giving her an opportunity to earn citywide recognition 34.
• Gu Lineage Patriarch — The aged head of his lineage. Attempts unsuccessfully to prevent the elders from banishing him 1.
• Gu Lineage Elders — Internal opponents seeking to secure succession for their own branches. Restrict his movements and order their Yanshan personnel to teach him a lesson, initially unaware that his physique has awakened 25 26.
• Gu Changge — A succession candidate favored by the first elder, who regards Gu Fan's removal as useful to Changge's claim. Changge dismisses Gu Fan as a cripple 26.
• Yang Zong — Master of the lineage-controlled Yanshan auction house and a business rival. Rebukes Gu Fan for leaving Guangyang, has him followed, and suspects a hidden patron supports his success 27 28 38.
• Lineage Head Miao — Guangyang customer and recipient of the Black Baleful Intent Snake. Treats Gu Fan with marked respect after benefiting from his auctions 19 22.
• Hou Tu — Mercenary leader who entrusts the Soul-Chasing Bow and its matching technique to Gu Fan after seeing the Ghost Sheep 45.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Guangyang City: Survival and Commercial Breakthrough

• Activates the Auction Ten-Thousandfold Return System upon arriving at the Profound Heaven Auction House and orders an immediate auction instead of waiting twenty-three days 2.
• Obtains the Fortune Golden Pill from the Four Symbols Pill's sale. When mundane lots damage the auction's reception, he introduces the second-tier Scarlet Flame Saber to restore its reputation 5 6 7.
• Establishes daily auctions and a 1% commission, drawing opposition from rival auction-house masters 9.
• Restores confidence during the second auction with the Black Baleful Intent Snake. By its conclusion, he has already guessed the rival masters' involvement in a failed robbery 16 19.
• His daily supply of second-tier treasures reshapes Guangyang's local power balance and earns him extensive goodwill before his departure 22 24 26.

Yanshan Commandery City: Independent Auction House

• Chooses Yanshan rather than the royal capital because its richer market offers better resources, while returning home would expose him to the elders' schemes 24.
• After the lineage rejects his transfer request, leaves Guangyang and purchases a struggling auction house for 170,000 low-grade spirit stones 26 28.
• Advertises second-tier treasures, although some readers mistake his Linnan Street venue for the established Profound Heaven Auction House on Vermilion Bird Street 30.
• Auctions the supreme-grade second-tier Eighteen Hands of Subduing the Tiger at his first local auction, attracting the attention of the commandery's major powers 34 38.
• Expands the premises for 200,000 low-grade spirit stones. His next finale, the Four Directions Ghost Saber, earns three million low-grade spirit stones 37 43.

Rising Influence and Stronger Returns

• Learns that the Shattered Star Sect is investigating the Spirit Heart Lotus and his whereabouts. He regards the auction as legitimate business and refuses to be intimidated by possible retaliation 33.
• Secures higher-grade consignments as his reputation grows; by his third Yanshan auction, the prepared lots include the Soul-Chasing set and three other second-tier treasures 45.
• Obtains the Sun-Chasing Profound Bow set and Golden Feather Eagle, greatly strengthening his available resources and protection 47 48.
• Selects the supreme-grade second-tier Mystic Yin Spirit Water as another finale because its realm-breaking benefits are less valuable to him than to ordinary cultivators 48 49.