Gu Yuan

Biodata

Power Progression

• Official grade is separate from cultivation: his promotion to a third-grade command post does not make him a third-rank martial artist; he explicitly remains sixth rank when appointed commander 36.

Background / History

In his previous life, Gu Yuan completed the game Heavenly Desolation and was struck by a truck while going out to celebrate. He awakened in a world matching the game’s setting, occupying the body of the identically named heir to the Marquis of Pingxiang—a minor figure who originally existed only in dialogue and had no character art 1.

The original heir had suffered from a mental affliction since childhood. Seven days before Qi Yueli investigated him, he had drunkenly entered the imperial mausoleum and insulted the late emperor, leading to his imprisonment by the Mystic Shadow Guard. His coherent behavior after transmigration convinces his family that he has recovered, while Qi Yueli initially suspects that he had been pretending to be foolish 1 2 3.

Gu Yuan regards the world’s current era as the game’s first version, “Dynasty Turmoil.” He believes Great Qi’s destruction and Qi Yueli’s defeat are necessary to unlock later stages of the world, eventually making immortality attainable. This belief drives his rebellion plans even as he repeatedly helps the empress eliminate her enemies 1 11 21.

Appearance

• Handsome young man: his looks and carefree bearing attract attention from palace maids and make him well known within the inner palace 13.
• Extraordinary presence: the Martial God Physique enhances his appearance and bearing, making him stand out even among the Mystic Shadow Guard 5.
• Visible technique effects: the True Yang Art surrounds him with golden flames, while the Vajra Indestructible Body turns his empowered arms the color of hard metal 8 17.

Personality

Gu Yuan is opportunistic and determined to avoid becoming anyone else’s tool. He uses his knowledge of Heavenly Desolation to seize opportunities before its original protagonist can obtain them. Although he briefly considers taking the throne, he prioritizes immortality over imperial power and avoids changes he fears might prevent the world’s later transformations 1.

His irreverence is often deliberate. He loudly greets the empress, provokes Princess Huai’an, abuses his investigative authority, and openly admits to practicing witchcraft in hopes of being dismissed or punished. Qi Yueli’s repeated tolerance frustrates him because each new appointment makes leaving the capital harder 5 7 27 48.

Despite his self-interested planning, he has firm limits concerning cruelty. He defends Meixiang because he rejects distinctions between noble and lowly people, refuses to abandon his family to save himself, and kills Zhu Laosi after learning that the villagers intended to sacrifice children. His initial interest in Meixiang’s heirloom does not prevent him from intervening when she is assaulted 19 20 38.

Gu Yuan is also flirtatious and fond of teasing his senior sister. His attraction to Lin Yao and Qi Yueli repeatedly unsettles his stated resolve to pursue immortality above everything else 6 12 20.

Abilities & Skills

Diary Check-In System

The system grants rewards for writing a diary, with greater rewards available as he continues writing 1.

• Awards the Martial God Physique after seven consecutive days 1.
• Provides the Art of Gold Divination and Tomb Location and The Exploitation of the Works of Nature 8 28.
• His diary’s contents also appear in a copy possessed by Qi Yueli, allowing her to learn his plans and predictions without his knowledge 1 4 21.
• Qi Yueli cannot damage her copy even with her full strength 1.

Martial God Physique

A supreme martial talent that removes cultivation bottlenecks and greatly accelerates learning 1 4.

• Enables near-instant mastery of the Gu family’s inherited martial arts 1.
• Allows him to bypass some requirements of the Imperial Deliverance Unceasing Scripture 10.
• Strengthens his techniques; his Scorching Yang Flame is purer than that of the Orthodox Yang Sect’s old Daoist Zhenyi 43.
• Its activated state interferes with other martial artists’ true essence, affecting even third-rank Hong Ni 33.
• Its early emergency activation lets him fight fifth-rank prison raiders despite his lower cultivation, but the prison encounter establishes a roughly twenty-breath window 2 3.

True Yang Art and Six Yang Finger

Techniques selected from the Great Qi Martial Repository for their effectiveness against ghosts and evil entities. Qi Yueli had deliberately placed them where he would find them 7.

• True Yang Art: converts true qi into Scorching Yang Flame 7 8.
• Six Yang Finger: concentrates qi at the fingertips and fires it outward; Gu Yuan demonstrates six simultaneous streams of flame 7 8.
• Combines yang flame with a peachwood sword and black-rice talismans to destroy ancient corpses 9.
• Burns away evil-dragon miasma before it can enter his body and kills the black-robed man with a flame shaped like a golden dragon 43.
• The flames can burn his own clothing 8 43.

Imperial Deliverance Unceasing Scripture

Great Li’s imperial cultivation art, revealed through the Dragon Seal. It produces continuously renewing protective true essence and possesses exceptional defensive and restorative properties 10.

• Reaches minor accomplishment in less than a quarter of an hour 10.
• Converts his true qi into golden dragon qi to treat Lin Yao’s severe back wound 10.
• Gu Yuan acknowledges that her own powerful cultivation performs much of the healing; he acts as the catalyst 10.

Vajra Indestructible Body

One of Great Qi’s three nation-defending techniques, taught to him by Lin Yao 17.

• Hardens skin, muscles, and bones to improve survival against higher-realm opponents 17.
• Reaches minor mastery in half an hour under her guidance 17.
• Used during later training to withstand and test himself against her true qi 24.

True Essence Weapon Manifestation

A technique taught by Lin Yao that is normally associated with first-rank experts 28 31.

• Creates swords and shields from true essence 31.
• Protects Huai’an by destroying the qi surrounding her 31.
• Can be used while Gu Yuan is only sixth rank; Hong Ni initially misidentifies his physique while trying to explain this feat 31 33.
• Lin Yao states that martial artists below third rank generally struggle to detect it 31.

Artifact Refining

The Exploitation of the Works of Nature is a system-granted method for making weapons, artifacts, and ordinary implements 28.

• Uses Shuzhou black silk to create enchanted stockings for Lin Yao 28.
• The finished artifact increases her strength by more than ten percent, can be concealed with true essence, and can disrupt martial artists’ qi and blood within ten zhang 28.

Tomb-Finding and Investigation

• Art of Gold Divination and Tomb Location: reads the surrounding terrain to locate the ancient tomb containing the Dragon Seal 8.
• Game knowledge: supplies knowledge of hidden treasures, enemy plots, monster weaknesses, and the labyrinth beneath Nine Geese Mountain 1 9 21 41.
• Improvised traversal: uses canvas to slow a fall and true-qi recoil against rock walls to cross a burial-chamber chasm 9.
• Witchcraft: draws talismans that reveal otherwise unseen traces during the investigation of Long Ye’s death 48.
• Occult identification: identifies Long Ye’s murder method as spirit-seizing witchcraft 49.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Diary — records his plans, game knowledge, and observations; he also draws the Nine Geese Mountain labyrinth map in it 1 41.
• Orthodox Yang Sword — bestowed by Qi Yueli upon his appointment as commander; used against the evil serpent and the black-robed man’s forces 36 41 43.
• Cloud-Peering Mirror — tracking mirror given to him by Qi Yueli before the bandit expedition 36.
• Peachwood sword and black-rice talismans — anti-corpse tools used during the ancient-tomb expedition 8 9.
• Dragon Seal — temporarily obtained from the tomb to learn the Imperial Deliverance Unceasing Scripture. After he throws it back inside, Qi Yueli secretly retrieves it 9 10 12.
• Enchanted black stockings — crafted as a gift for Lin Yao rather than retained for his own use 28.

Relationships

• Qi Yueli / Lin Yao — his sovereign, intended rebellion target, and concealed cultivation instructor. He refuses to become the empress’s disciple to avoid a binding karmic obligation, but accepts instruction from her disguised identity as his “senior sister.” Their mutual rescues and growing attraction culminate in an intimate encounter while she is afflicted by evil miasma 7 10 11 43.
• Gu Ming — his father, the Marquis of Pingxiang. Proud of Gu Yuan’s recovery and appointment, but repeatedly warns him not to endanger his mother and sister 4 24.
• Mother Gu — his mother, whose joy at his recovery and distress over his imprisonment demonstrate the family’s attachment to him 4 20.
• Gu Shu — his elder sister. Her sincere welcome gives him a sense of warmth after prison; she later helps procure the silk used in his artifact crafting 3 28.
• Meixiang — a child he rescues from three powerful men and later takes into the Gu household as his sworn younger sister 19 20 24.
• Princess Huai’an — initially attacks him and demands that he become her punching bag. Later protects his family and considers seeking marriage to save his life 7 20.
• Shangguan Weiming — his initial commander, sparring partner, and advocate; accompanies him on the bandit expedition 6 7 36.
• Zhang Qiandao — imprisoned scholar whom Gu Yuan befriends while delivering meals. Gu Yuan recruits Lin Yao to rescue him because he considers Zhang important to his plans 15 17.
• Xiao Chen — the original protagonist and Qingzhou prince’s heir. The system identifies Xiao Chen’s heavenly mandate as naturally opposed to Gu Yuan; Gu Yuan decisively defeats him at the capital’s reception 30 33.
• Lu Zhaoming and Lu Ling — expedition companions who join him after the reception battles. Lu Ling later interrupts his encounter with Lin Yao beneath Nine Geese Mountain 36 43.
• Shangguan Lin — prospective political ally. Gu Yuan exposes her disguise and offers to resolve Ruzhou’s internal strife in exchange for military support when he orders a rebellion 48 49.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Notable Quotes

“Ultimate goal: immortality!”
“Short-term goal: rebel and take down the empress!” 1

“All people are born equal, and she’s just a child... If no one else will protect her, then I will.” 20

“If I can’t guard against hidden arrows, I’ll just kill the ones shooting them!” 20