Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

After attending the Weibo Night event, Gu Zhiyan didn't have any free time. With the Spring Festival approaching, the competition for the Spring Festival film season is intensifying. Various films are using behind-the-scenes footage, character marketing, and editing to grab attention. Gu Zhiyan also has to participate in the promotional activities for "The Swordsman".

The marketing strategy for "The Swordsman" was extremely clear: it used the "four generations of martial arts heritage" of Yuan Heping, Li Lianjie, Wu Jing, and Gu Zhiyan to support the film's structure and tone, and used Gu Zhiyan's skillful and fluid eighteen kinds of real kung fu as the core highlight. With his professional skills that could be seen with the naked eye and his extremely self-disciplined knight-errant demeanor, it subverted the perception of the entire network and set off a nationwide frenzy of posts.

From February 2nd to February 6th, "The Swordsman" completed its first round of major official announcements.

The official release date for the film has been set for the first day of the Lunar New Year, with a simultaneous global release. The promotional song for the newly adapted version of "A Laugh in the Vast Sea" has swept the internet with its desolate desert and martial arts spirit. The epic poster featuring the full cast of "Jianghu!" shows four generations of martial arts filmmakers standing side by side, blending old and new styles, creating a truly immersive atmosphere.

The poster featuring the full cast of "The Bodyguards" exudes a strong sense of martial arts spirit and quickly topped the trending searches.

At that time, public perception was still fixed. Most people remembered Gu Zhiyan as a top student in law at Tsinghua University, a five-time winner of the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor, with a gentle and refined temperament, and skilled in subtle and restrained dramatic performances. No one could associate him with the sharp, tough, and hardcore martial arts.

Although he has also filmed war movies and many martial arts and fantasy dramas, these are completely different from hardcore martial arts films.

The entire internet is filled with curiosity and a wait-and-see attitude, with suspense building up layer by layer, all waiting for an extremely stunning official announcement to completely ignite the moment.

On February 9th, the Movie Channel's Spring Festival Carnival kicked off with a grand finale appearance by the cast and crew of "The Swordsman".

[Four Generations of Martial Arts Masters in One Frame] Instantly topped the charts across the internet. Yuan Heping, a martial arts master, Li Lianjie, embodies the spirit of the times, Wu Jing carries the banner of the middle generation, and Gu Zhiyan takes over the baton from the new generation. The four of them together capture the original aspirations of Chinese martial arts over the past decades, creating a solemn and awe-inspiring scene.

During the stage interview, Gu Zhiyan spoke calmly and humbly, frankly stating that the entire film used zero stunt doubles, zero special effects, and zero green screen compositing, with all action scenes being 100% filmed on location.

His calm and composed demeanor made the audience even more excited for his martial arts debut.

At the end of the gala, the four announced in unison that the film's pre-sales had officially begun. Millions of moviegoers flooded into major ticketing platforms instantly, and all prime screenings sold out within three minutes. Pre-sale box office quickly exceeded 20 million yuan, kicking off the martial arts film's comeback.

Just as the entire internet was immersed in the emotion of four generations of martial arts heroes appearing together and the frenzy of scrambling for tickets, the official team released a full ten minutes of unedited, original behind-the-scenes footage at the perfect moment. Without any build-up, the explosive content instantly ignited social media platforms.

Within just one hour of its release, the behind-the-scenes footage garnered over 1200 million views across the internet, with reposts, comments, and likes skyrocketing. The three related hashtags dominated the top three trending topics on Weibo, sweeping the charts by a wide margin.

Gu Zhiyan's Eighteen Martial Arts Skills

Gu Zhiyan performs all his own action scenes without a stunt double.

Yuan Heping's evaluation of Gu Zhiyan's true skill

Without soft-focus filters, without retouching or editing, without speeding up the shots, the straightforward midday sunlight of the desert shines down, capturing every inch of skin texture, every detail of exertion, and every drop of sweat with extreme clarity.

The most shocking scene in the video is the complete footage of Gu Zhiyan taking off his shirt and practicing martial arts naked.

A gentle breeze swept across the wilderness, carrying yellow sand. He stood between heaven and earth, his posture upright like a pine tree.

After removing all clothing, the figure is fully revealed, with broad and flat right-angled shoulder lines that are neat and smooth. The back muscles are of even thickness and have clear texture. When exerting force, the scapula bones are stable and tight, with tight lines that are not bulky. When relaxing, the lines are smooth and clean, combining a sense of power and ease.

With a tight and defined waist and abdomen, and clear and regular abdominal muscle contours, the lines are clean and sharp, without exaggerated muscle build-up. It is the lean and chivalrous demeanor unique to those who have practiced martial arts for many years, combining explosive power and flexibility.

The blazing sunlight fell on his muscular back and chest, and fine beads of sweat slowly trickled down his smooth muscle lines, falling onto the scorching yellow sand and evaporating without a trace.

The wind and sand gently ruffled the wisps of hair on his forehead. His refined features, combined with his unyielding spirit, created a striking contrast between his gentle, aloof demeanor and his fierce, wild nature.

The moment the momentum begins, the aura changes drastically.

With both feet firmly planted on the ground in a horse stance, the center of gravity is as solid as a rock, the waist and stance are in harmony, and the foundation is extremely stable. This is a solid foundation that an expert can immediately recognize as orthodox.

A set of basic long fist movements is expansive and powerful, with swift and crisp punches, the force of the arm swings flowing through the whole body, the turns are neat and graceful, and the finishing movements are calm and restrained. The whole set of movements is completed in one breath, flowing smoothly, with steady breathing throughout, without any stiffness or deliberate effort.

Following closely behind, they displayed a variety of martial arts skills, each move skillful and professional.

With the long sword drawn, the four core moves of chopping, slashing, thrusting, and blocking are practiced in a cycle. The wind from the sword cuts through the air and whistles, stirring up a sky full of yellow sand. Every swing of the blade is powerful and precise, and the rhythm of offense and defense is perfectly controlled.

He engages in close combat with short blades, his body moving low and darting about, dodging and weaving, attacking and defending at close range. His movements are light and cunning, his attacks swift and fierce, and his advances and retreats are well-organized.

With a long staff in hand, one can sweep away thousands of troops and split mountains and rivers. The fierce wind of the staff is awe-inspiring. The power comes from the waist and abdomen and flows through the limbs. Every move is steady, accurate and ruthless.

In addition, he is equally skilled in wielding less common weapons such as whips, short halberds, and double daggers, disassembling, attacking, defending, and executing combos with seamless transitions, without the slightest hesitation or unfamiliarity.

Throughout the entire high-intensity martial arts performance, his posture remained upright and proper, his breathing was long and steady, with only a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were sharp and clear, focused and determined, which was the spirit and energy that one could only have after years of immersion in martial arts. There was not a trace of the deliberate act of an actor posing.

At the end of the video, 74-year-old Yuan Heping made a rare appearance, giving high praise with every word, instantly raising expectations across the internet: "I have trained countless action actors, and Gu Zhiyan is the most hardworking, the most dedicated, and the most capable among the new generation. He is not just dabbling in martial arts; he is someone who has truly settled down to learn, practice, and preserve martial arts."

The entire internet exploded, with comments flooding the screen and all social circles falling under its spell.

"Completely shattered my expectations! I always thought he was the pinnacle of dramatic acting, but I never imagined he had such a solid foundation in action scenes!"

"No special effects, no stunt doubles, no staged shots, every move is real."

"This is what it means for an actor to transform; it's not about riding the coattails of martial arts; it's about truly experiencing the world of martial arts."

"You can tell from the power he generates that it's not staged. His waist and stance are perfectly coordinated, and his landing point is precise. He has definitely practiced hard for a long time."

"Eighth Master's films are the most demanding in terms of actors; mediocre actors simply can't handle them, but Gu Zhiyan completely nailed it."

"Chinese-language martial arts films finally have a new generation of successors."

"The most terrifying thing about top students is that they excel at everything they do and reach the pinnacle of their abilities."

"He can write five golden roosters and write martial arts, and he can wield a sword on the battlefield. Gu Zhiyan is too top-notch."

Meanwhile, a massive number of female fans across the internet went into a frenzy, flooding the screen with shouts and vowing to watch the movie multiple times. The comment section was completely overwhelmed with love and anticipation.

"I screamed on the spot! The refined and elegant movie star took off his clothes, revealing a tough and chivalrous side; the contrast was off the charts!"

"That physique, that posture, that real skill—it's unparalleled in the Chinese entertainment industry! Clean lines, a restrained yet powerful presence—I'm completely hooked!"

"When Xiao Yan first debuted, he performed martial arts on 'Happy Camp,' so there's nothing surprising about it."

"I was just casually watching some behind-the-scenes footage, but I was absolutely blown away! Their acting and performance are both superb, who can resist? I'm definitely going to be glued to the screen on Chinese New Year's Day and watch it countless times!"

"Others rely on special effects and stunt doubles to film, but Xiao Yan became a legend through hard work and real skill! He's handsome, dedicated, and a great fighter—I'd gladly buy a ticket for him!"

"I've watched the scene of sweat glistening on his muscles a hundred times! This is what a chivalrous hero should look like. I'm only watching Gu Zhiyan during the Spring Festival!"

"From now on, martial arts novel protagonists will have a concrete image! They can achieve literary godhood and win the Golden Rooster Award, and hone their martial arts skills to protect the martial world. I will definitely support them in theaters from start to finish!"

"Not only is his physique amazing, but his kung fu is even more incredible! His fluid and graceful moves are so cool, I've already booked to see every single showing during the Spring Festival!"

"Brother Xiaoyan's physique is making my mouth water."

……

The entry "【Yuan Heping stamps Gu Zhiyan's true skills】" surged again, completely shattering all doubts.

A behind-the-scenes clip went viral, and Yuan Heping couldn't stop smiling.