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Spirit Insect
Eternal Life: Crafting My Own Wine Gu
Biodata
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Spirit Insect |
| Alias(es) | 灵虫 |
| Species/Race | Spiritually empowered insect-like creature; a primary material used in Gu refinement |
| Status | Extant; found in cultivated herb gardens, wild habitats, hosts, underground environments, and ancient fossils |
| First Appearance | 1 |
Characteristics
Spirit Insects possess spiritual power and are far more formidable than their ordinary counterparts. Their traits can be enhanced further through Gu refinement, where they serve as the ingredients for a new Gu insect. 3
- Their value depends heavily on rarity, maturity, grade, and compatibility with a Gu recipe. 2 5
- Rare Spirit Insects are difficult to breed and can sell for immense prices, particularly when they are useful as ingredients in known Gu recipes. 2 33
- Different species possess different growth cycles and dietary needs; specialized feed can dramatically shorten maturation time and provide a major commercial advantage. 2
- Long Xuan’s growth-sensing ability displays their maturity as percentages. In his observations, additional decimal precision indicates exceptionally long maturation periods and can reveal potentially high-grade specimens. 3 4
- In this world’s classification, even creatures such as centipedes, venomous snakes, scorpions, spiders, and toads are treated as “insects”; these five groups are collectively known as the Five Poisons. 3
Gu Refinement
Spirit Insects are placed together in a Gu vessel and made to devour one another. Given sufficient time, this process may create a new species known as a Gu insect. 1
- A refined Gu insect cannot reproduce; it can only be created through Gu refinement. 1
- A recipe’s main ingredient is the Spirit Insect intended to survive the refinement process. If it dies, the refinement fails. 5
- The grade of the main ingredient determines the resulting Gu insect’s grade. A low-grade main ingredient produces a low-grade Gu even if the final ability is unusually useful. 5
- Higher Spirit Insect maturity improves the success rate of Gu refinement. 2
- The number and combination of ingredients affect a Gu’s eventual form and abilities, though more ingredients do not necessarily produce a stronger or more practical result. 1 15
- Gu insects are broadly divided into larger External Gu, used in direct combat, and Internal Gu, which parasitize a host and form a mutually beneficial relationship through spiritual power or vital energy. 1 3
Habitats and Sources
Herb Gardens
Spirit Insects may emerge among spiritual herbs. Insects born from common first-grade herbs are generally destroyed as pests, while insects associated with high-grade herbs may be valuable enough for Gu refinement. 8
Spirit-herb gardens can also support breeding operations. Long Xuan’s two purchased bees recovered by feeding on nectar and pollen, later multiplying into a colony of several hundred Spirit Bees. 4 22
Hosts and Underground Environments
Some Spirit Insects parasitize spirit beasts or humans. Those born within a person are called Innate Gu and may grant their hosts unusual abilities. 8
Others live underground, including earthworms, mole crickets, and ants. 8
Fossils
During recurring Ice Ages, Spirit Insects may enter suspended animation underground and form protective stone shells. These insect-bearing stones are known as fossils. 8
- A dormant insect’s bodily functions and lifespan effectively pause, allowing it to survive for extraordinarily long periods. 8
- Most fossilized insects are dead; fossils containing living Spirit Insects are fewer than one in a hundred. 8
- Living fossils can contain ancient, rare, or extinct species, making them the foundation of the dangerous stone-gambling trade. 8
- Thick stone shells can conceal exceptionally valuable specimens, such as the insect within the Stone King. 8 13
Known Examples
| Spirit Insect | Notes | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Bee pair / purported Thorn Bees | Sold as Mid-grade Thorn Bees, but their four-decimal growth readings led Long Xuan to suspect they were actually a higher-grade species with an extremely long maturation period. They recovered by feeding on spirit-flower nectar and pollen. | 4 |
| Spirit Bees | Descended from Long Xuan’s purchased bee pair; established a hive in the medicinal garden and multiplied into a colony numbering several hundred. Their stings are potentially lethal. | 22 |
| Spirit Insect Cockroaches | Used as the primary materials in Long Xuan’s first self-created Gu recipe because of their resilience, regeneration, and survival traits. | 3 5 |
| Stone Eye | An eye-shaped ancient Spirit Insect excavated from the Stone King. Long Xuan identified it as a likely Eye Gu foundation and used it in a recipe centered on microscopic magnification. | 14 |
| Wine Worm | A snow-white, serpent-like Supreme-grade Spirit Insect that emits a wine fragrance and changes according to the wines it consumes. | 45 |
Relationship with Long Xuan
- Long Xuan — Treats Spirit Insects as research subjects, Gu-refinement materials, commercial goods, and potential long-term breeding resources. His ability to observe growth progress allows him to identify promising specimens and optimize their feed. 2 3 4
- Spirit Bees — Long Xuan provides access to spirit-flower nectar and pollen while the colony produces honey; he avoids disturbing their hive because of their dangerous stings. 22
- Gu insects — Spirit Insects are their precursor materials. Once refinement succeeds, the resulting Gu follows a separate growth system beginning again at 0% progress. 16 49