Strength-Eating Immortal Gu

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Strength-Eating Immortal Gu (吃力仙蛊)
Alias(es)	Little Bug; Little Green Worm; Little Gold Worm
Species/Race	Detached beast Martial Soul; auxiliary-type beast Martial Soul
Affiliation	Qin Qi
Occupation/Role	Self-enhancement and cultivation-support Martial Soul
Status	Active
First Appearance	1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Awakening	1	Awakens as a plump green caterpillar-like detached beast Martial Soul with innate full soul power alongside Qin Qi. Eating meat immediately sends a warm current of strength back to Qin Qi.
Initial feeding ability	2	Can eat once per day; converts food energy directly into Qin Qi's physical improvement. Whale glue exceeds its then-current digestive capacity.
First soul-ring enhancement	4	Its appetite expands to at least triple its original amount, allowing three meals per day and eventually soul beast meat.
Second soul-ring enhancement	19	Begins consuming Qin Qi's soul power, refining it, and returning higher-quality soul power over time.
First metamorphosis — golden form	28	After consuming the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum over seven days, it molts into a larger golden insect. Its transformation produces Qin Qi's Indestructible Vajra Body.
Golden defensive growth	29	Can increase Qin Qi's defensive golden light through feeding, including by digesting soul beast meat.
Third soul-ring resonance	37 38	Enters Qin Qi's body during his Ten-Thousand-Year Crimson Flame Qilin Horse soul-ring absorption, helping trigger the emergence of the Rampaging Savage Phantom as his second Martial Soul.
Second metamorphosis — dark-gold form	67 68	Molts again during the Blazing Fire Academy medicinal-bath ordeal; its gold coloration deepens and dark-gold patterns emerge.
Soul-spirit conversion support	73	Joins Little Monkey inside Qin Qi's body and supports its conversion into Qin Qi's third Martial Soul.
Ice-marrow transformation	79 85	Transforms after consuming Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. Its completed form bears blue patterns and can feed Qin Qi cold-derived energy that temporarily enhances mental power.
Ice-and-fire transformation	114	During the Water-Fire Golden Core's formation, it acts as the center of Qin Qi's energy vortex, molts from an ice-and-fire shell, gains crimson patterns alongside its dark-gold and blue markings, and produces the dragon-patterned Water-Fire Golden Core.
Fifth soul-ring synergy	115	Supports Qin Qi's injury-based fifth soul skill by continuously converting food into energy and storing excess Bloodline Power in the associated soul ring, enabling the Blood Path technique Blood-Locking Cheat.
Sixth soul-skill enhancement	154	Gains a recovery ability whose effectiveness rises with Qin Qi's strength. Combined with the fifth soul skill's injury-based strength increase, it forms the Blood Path Killer Move: Blood-Locking Cheat.
Snow Empress fusion support	151 152	Attempts to carve out internal space for Snow Empress's transformation into a Martial Soul. The effort severely depletes and visibly slims it, but it ultimately helps establish the fusion.
Seventh soul-ring condensation support	201	Assists Qin Qi while he condenses his seventh soul ring under the combined pressure of Sea God's Light and Divine Slaughter's Domain, absorbing the forming soul-ring energy.
Integrated-body cultivation support	202	Continues supporting Qin Qi as he destroys and rebuilds his Soul Power foundation, after which his soul rings are absorbed and integrated into his body.
Seventh soul skill — Strength-Eating Domain	203	Activates a domain that devours surrounding forces, allowing Qin Qi to absorb the pressure of Sea God's Light and pass the thousandth and thousand-and-first steps of the Sea God trial.

Background / History

Strength-Eating Immortal Gu awakens during Qin Qi's Martial Soul ceremony at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Meng Shenji identifies it as a rare detached beast Martial Soul; its appearance initially resembles a green caterpillar. It demonstrates intelligence by climbing onto Qin Qi's shoulder and affectionately rubbing against his hand. When fed pork, it consumes the meat and transfers a strengthening current into Qin Qi's body. Qin Qi recognizes it as the Strength-Eating Immortal Gu from a remembered image of a novel. 1

Qin Ming's testing establishes that the Gu converts food into Qin Qi's physical development. At this stage, it can only eat once daily, and its limited appetite prevents it from digesting the energy-rich whale glue. 2

After Qin Qi obtains his first thousand-year soul ring, the Gu's appetite grows substantially. It can eat roughly three meals per day, accepts beef and later soul beast meat, and continues supporting Qin Qi's physical growth and cultivation. 4 5

The Gu helps Qin Qi absorb soul rings by splitting incoming soul power between itself and Qin Qi, buffering the impact before the energy reaches him. Its second soul-ring ability later lets it continuously consume, refine, and return Qin Qi's soul power at higher quality. 3 19

Dugu Yan's Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum triggers its first major metamorphosis. It consumes the herb over seven days, sleeps for another seven days, then molts from its bluish-green body into a golden form. The released golden energy integrates into Qin Qi's bones and blood, creating the Indestructible Vajra Body. 28

The Gu enters Qin Qi's body during the absorption of the Crimson Flame Qilin Horse's soul ring, helping stimulate the awakening of the Rampaging Savage Phantom. It later joins Little Monkey during the latter's conversion into Qin Qi's third Martial Soul, demonstrating that it can assist unusual Martial Soul transformations and integrations. 37 38 73

The Gu undergoes further changes after the Blazing Fire Academy's medicinal baths and again after consuming Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. The ice-marrow transformation gives it blue patterns and a new capacity to temporarily enhance Qin Qi's mental power, perception, and reaction speed. 68 79 85

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Gu absorbs and condenses frigid energy through its ice-blue patterns. During Qin Qi's formation of the Water-Fire Golden Core, it serves as the vortex's center, emerges from an ice-and-fire shell with additional crimson patterns, and spits out the dragon-patterned core that continues condensing Qin Qi's soul power. 109 114

The Gu's transformations also contribute to Qin Qi's later Blood Path abilities. Its sixth soul skill grants recovery that scales with Qin Qi's strength, while the fifth soul skill makes him stronger as his injuries worsen. Together, the two abilities form Blood-Locking Cheat, allowing Qin Qi to recover from damage while converting severe injuries into greater physical power. 115 154

When Qin Qi attempts to turn Snow Empress into a Martial Soul, the Gu merges into his body to carve out the space required to contain her immense power. Although it initially cannot make sufficient room by itself, it exhausts and visibly slims down while assisting the eventual fusion. Snow Empress ultimately becomes a Martial Soul, and Qin Qi's expanding group of conscious Martial Souls continues to include the Gu as a distinct physical being. 151 152 156

During Qin Qi's ascent of Sea God Mountain, the Gu assists with the dangerous condensation of his seventh soul ring while he endures the Sea God's Light and the killing intent accumulated in Slaughter City. After Qin Qi destroys and rebuilds his cultivation foundation, his soul rings become integrated into his body. The Gu's seventh soul skill, Strength-Eating Domain, subsequently devours the pressure of the final stages of the Sea God trial and lets Qin Qi pass them with ease. 201 202 203

Appearance

Strength-Eating Immortal Gu is a detached insect Martial Soul that normally remains on Qin Qi's shoulder. It is expressive, gluttonous, and capable of limited independent movement.

• Initially appears as a chubby, adorable bluish-green caterpillar-like insect with large eyes. 1
• Its first metamorphosis produces a somewhat larger, slimmer golden insect, though it retains a round belly. 28
• Its second molt intensifies its golden coloration and adds dark-gold patterns. 68
• After consuming Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, its golden body gains ancient-looking blue patterns likened to flowing droplets of water. 85
• During the Water-Fire Golden Core formation, it gains an additional layer of crimson patterns, leaving its dark-gold body decorated with both icy-blue and blood-red markings. 114 129
• It visibly slims down while carving out space for Snow Empress during her Martial Soul fusion. 151 152
• It can stand upright and attempt an imposing pose, though it quickly tires and collapses. 21 68

Personality

The Gu is strongly food-motivated. It reacts to meat, medicinal herbs, spirit bones, and rare energy sources with rumbling hunger, drooling, or immediate attempts to eat them. 4 28 62 78

It displays simple intelligence and emotional responsiveness. It nuzzles Qin Qi, reacts angrily when called fat, and repeatedly uses its self-styled “Bug Bug Charge” when annoyed or excited. 1 28 68 85

As it grows, the Gu becomes increasingly vain and self-assured, considering itself the most handsome Gu insect and wanting underlings to emphasize its status. It nevertheless takes its role as a leader seriously, protecting the Ice Silkworm it claims as its subordinate and sharing its own food with her. 139 140

The Gu retains independent desires, consciousness, and physical instincts even after becoming a Martial Soul. It can act without Qin Qi's direct command, respond to unfamiliar beings, and make its own decisions about eating, fighting, and protecting its subordinate. 148 149

Abilities & Skills

Food Energy Conversion

Strength-Eating Immortal Gu consumes food and converts its energy into benefits for Qin Qi.

• Continuously improves Qin Qi's physical condition after feeding. 2
• Feeds back energy that strengthens Qin Qi's body and supports his cultivation. 1 5
• Can absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth while digesting food, then transfer that energy together with the food's converted energy. 5
• Its appetite and digestive capacity increase with its growth and soul rings. 4 21
• Initially cannot digest excessively energy-dense whale glue due to insufficient appetite. 2
• Can join Qin Qi and the Rampaging Savage Phantom in absorbing soul power, potentially increasing their collective recovery rate. 54
• Can digest high-grade soul beast meat, spirit bones, medicinal herbs, and condensed elemental energy as its transformations advance. 29 62 78
• Can absorb frigid energy from the Far North and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well through its ice-blue patterns. 109 139

Soul Power Buffering and Refinement

The Gu assists Qin Qi in processing soul power.

• Divides incoming soul-ring energy between itself and Qin Qi, reducing the force of absorption. 3 19
• Consumes Qin Qi's soul power gradually after the second soul ring, refines it internally, and returns higher-quality soul power. 19
• Helps Qin Qi cultivate by purifying externally drawn soul power before he absorbs it. 5
• Its continued refinement makes Qin Qi's soul power markedly denser than that of ordinary Soul Masters. 110
• Can absorb and help stabilize energy during Qin Qi's dangerous soul-ring condensation and cultivation-foundation reconstruction. 201 202

Golden Defensive Energy

After consuming the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, the Gu produces golden energy that becomes part of Qin Qi's Indestructible Vajra Body.

• The golden energy fuses into Qin Qi's bones and blood. 28
• Golden light protects Qin Qi against physical and elemental attacks. 29
• Feeding on soul beast meat can steadily increase the defensive golden light. 29
• The effect grants resistance rather than absolute elemental immunity. 29
• The transformation resembles the all-attribute resistance associated with the Darkgold Terrorclaw Bear's Behemoth Bloodline. 29

Ice-Marrow Mental Enhancement

Following its Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow transformation, the Gu can convert acquired energy into cold-derived energy and feed it back to Qin Qi.

• Temporarily increases Qin Qi's mental power, perception, and reaction speed. 85
• Produces pale-blue patterns across Qin Qi's body while active. 85
• The enhancement ends once its supplied energy is exhausted. 85
• Using the ability leaves the Gu exhausted and intensely hungry. 85
• Can absorb and recondense cold energy from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well within its ice-blue patterns. 109
• Its cold-energy abilities allow Qin Qi to endure extreme ice-element environments and cultivate in the Far North. 107 139

Martial Soul Conversion and Fusion Support

The Gu can enter Qin Qi's body to assist the formation, integration, and accommodation of additional Martial Souls.

• Its merger during Qin Qi's third soul-ring absorption helps awaken the Rampaging Savage Phantom. 37 38
• It joins Little Monkey during the process that turns Little Monkey into Qin Qi's third Martial Soul. 73
• It attempts to carve out an internal space to accommodate Snow Empress's transformation into a Martial Soul. 151
• It can retain its own body, consciousness, and desires after becoming part of Qin Qi's Martial Soul system. 148 149
• This process can heavily deplete it when the incoming entity's energy exceeds Qin Qi's current capacity. 151 152
• It assists the continued integration of Qin Qi's Martial Souls and soul rings during his reconstruction of body, spirit, and Soul Power. 201 202

Water-Fire Golden Core Formation

During Qin Qi's cultivation at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Gu helps condense and stabilize the Water-Fire Golden Core.

• It coils at the center of Qin Qi's soul-power vortex and absorbs the converging energy. 114
• After emerging from an ice-and-fire shell, it produces a small dragon-patterned bead that replaces it at the vortex's center. 114
• The Water-Fire Golden Core continuously gathers and condenses Qin Qi's soul power. 114

Recovery Enhancement

The Gu's sixth soul skill improves Qin Qi's recovery in proportion to his strength.

• The greater Qin Qi's strength, the stronger the recovery effect becomes. 154
• It combines with the fifth soul skill's injury-based strength increase to create the Blood Path Killer Move: Blood-Locking Cheat. 154
• The combination allows Qin Qi to turn severe injuries into increased strength while rapidly recovering from the same damage. 115 154

Strength-Eating Domain

The Gu's seventh soul skill allows it to consume surrounding forces through a domain.

• Activates at the thousandth step of Sea God Mountain's staircase. 203
• Devours the pressure generated by the Sea God's Light rather than merely resisting it. 203
• Allows Qin Qi to pass both the thousandth and thousand-and-first steps without suffering the expected overwhelming pressure. 203
• Represents an expansion of the Gu's fundamental eating ability from food and energy into external forces. 203

Consumption and Biting

Despite lacking conventional offensive soul skills, the Gu can physically consume unusually hard materials and defend itself through direct contact.

• Bites through the shell of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. 78
• Chews and swallows the remaining portions of an ice-attributed spirit bone. 62
• Can bite and consume a portion of Snow Empress's frigid energy without injuring her body. 149
• Can enter Qin Qi's body during unusual transformations and energy-absorption events. 37 73
• Repels Dugu Bo's Nine-Jointed Jade during a head-on Bug Bug Charge. 109
• Shatters an Ice Silkworm's simulated fierce-beast aura with a headbutt. 140
• Can physically pin down and restrain the Ice Silkworm despite its small size. 139

Limitations

• The Gu has no dedicated offensive soul skills; Qin Qi ordinarily performs the actual fighting through his own body and self-created techniques. 8 19
• Its effectiveness depends heavily on food, energy sources, and resources. 2 32
• High-energy food can exceed its current digestive capacity. 2 28
• Its mental-power enhancement is temporary and leaves it depleted. 85
• Its fusion support has limits; it initially cannot create enough internal space to house an entity as powerful as Snow Empress. 151
• It can be overwhelmed when forced to process energy beyond its current capacity, requiring Qin Qi to redistribute the excess through other Martial Souls or storage methods. 78 151
• The Strength-Eating Domain is dependent on the Gu being able to consume or process the force acting upon Qin Qi; the chapter demonstrates its use against Sea God's Light but does not establish universal absorption of every power. 203

Relationships

• Qin Qi — Owner and bonded Soul Master. The Gu lives on his shoulder, feeds him converted energy, supports his cultivation and Martial Soul integrations, and shares his appetite for rare ingredients and soul beast meat. 1 4 73 94 151
• Qin Ming — Qin Qi's older brother and the first person to systematically test the Gu's feeding, digestion, and soul-power-refining abilities. 2 19 29
• Dugu Yan — Provides the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum that triggers the Gu's first metamorphosis. 28
• Rampaging Savage Phantom — Fellow Martial Soul that joins the Gu and Qin Qi in consuming energy and spirit-bone remains. 62 73 94
• Little Monkey — Qin Qi's third Martial Soul; joins the Gu and Rampaging Savage Phantom in shared meals after its awakening. 73 94
• Ice Silkworm — The Gu's first self-proclaimed underling. It asserts dominance over her, protects her from leaving, and later shares food with her. 139 140
• Snow Empress — Examines the Gu's physical body and consciousness, temporarily mistakes it for a mutated Ice Silkworm, and witnesses it assist Qin Qi in making room for her Martial Soul fusion. The Gu can also bite and absorb a small amount of her frigid energy. 149 151 152
• Snow Lotus — Qin Qi's later Martial Soul and a fellow participant in his soul-ring condensation and cultivation breakthroughs. The Gu works alongside Snow Lotus to stabilize and absorb energy during Qin Qi's advancement. 154 201
• Ice Empress — A fellow affiliated Soul Beast who joins Snow Empress's side of Qin Qi's Martial Soul system and observes the Gu's role in his transformations. 154 156
• Nine-Jointed Jade — Dugu Bo's pet serpent, which engages in a playful clash with the Gu and is knocked away by its Bug Bug Charge. 109

Trivia

• Qin Qi initially registers the Gu under the simple name Little Bug. 6
• It is classified as an auxiliary-type Martial Soul despite enabling Qin Qi's overwhelming physical combat ability. 19
• Its “Bug Bug Charge” is an earnest but easily exhausted charge attack usually performed when it is upset. 28 68 85
• Qin Qi and the Gu repeatedly become hungry at the same time, particularly around rare food, medicinal herbs, spirit bones, and extreme-energy materials. 4 28 62 97
• It regards receiving leftovers from the Ice Silkworm as tribute, mirroring the offerings Qin Qi has received from others. 140
• The Gu's seventh soul skill is the first explicitly demonstrated extension of its eating principle to an environmental force: the pressure of Sea God's Light. 203
• Although it is one of Qin Qi's Martial Souls, it retains a physical body, independent consciousness, and enough autonomy to establish its own subordinate relationship. 148 149