Gold Devouring Beetles are ranked 12th amongst the Wondrous Bugs, and are sacred insects of the Soaring Tribes.[1]
Although Gold Devouring Beetles are among the highest ranked exotic insects, the Controlling Spirit Sect cultivator’s jade slip mentioned that their physical power is very limited. Only by relying on its superior numbers would it be able to prevail. If the swarm only contained a dozen or even thirty of them, they wouldn’t be too useful once they reached adulthood. Only if they were in a swarm numbering by a hundred thousand or several hundred thousands would they be able to display power genuinely worthy of their rank.
Appearance[]
In early stages of maturation, its shell is silver. It has very sharp teeth. Otherwise, it looks like a normal beetle.
As it matures, it starts to gain its golden luster.
After eating Ironfire Ants, Gold Devouring Beetles can mutate into tri-colored beetles with greatly improved abilities. However, they lose their ability to reporduce, making this strain of beetles unable to further mature.
Abilities[]
Invulnerability[]
Although they are described to not be able to tolerate heat or cold, this is only true at lower maturity. After a generation or two, they become incredibly resilient to heat and cold.
At higher maturity, they are very aggressive and invulnerable to heat and cold as is evidenced time and again by Han Li's swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles running straight through blazing fire. At most, they can be knocked down by powerful flames but would rise up after a while like nothing happened. However, there does exist special flames like the Celestial Ice Flame that can kill the beetle.
Consumption[]
They are adept at consuming the five metals [Five Metals: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin] and Heaven-Earth Spiritual Qi.[1][2] The Gold Devouring Beetle was capable of eating through anything, apart from jade or wood, which are its weakness.
They are especially fond of consuming golden spiritual aura.[2]
Fearlessness[]
Very few things make the Gold Devouring Beetles afraid. The more they mature, the more fearless they become.
When entering the Inner region of the Devilfall Valley, while most spiritual pets displayed uncontrollable panic, the Han Li's Gold Devouring Beetles showed no abnormal behavior. However, when faced with the Elder Devil, the beetles started to become afraid and only pressed on because Han Li forcefully commanded them to. It is presumed that if the Gold Devouring Beetles had fully matured, then they would not be afraid of the Elder Devil at all.
Evolution[]
Gold Devouring Beetles mutate and evolve based on what they consume. When the beetles evolve, they begin cannibalizing themselves in a contest of survival of the fittest. The surviving beetles lay thousands eggs which hatch into evolved beetles.[3] The following table describes the evolution of Han Li's swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles. As these beetles mutate based on what they consume, there are potentially many other mutations that are possible than the ones listed in the table.
| Stage | Appearance | Chapter | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immature | Silver Shell | 387 | The beetles have a silver shell. At this stage they can be restrained by webs spun by their natural enemy Blood Jade Spiders. The beetles are unable to devour the webs. |
| Half Matured | Gold Spots, Silver Shell | 398 | The beetles have a silver shell with gold spots forming. Beetles at this stage are able to effortlessly devour techniques conjured by Core Formation cultivators and ethereal bodies such as ghosts.[4][5] Further evolution increases the size and number of gold spots allowing them to devour Nascent Soul cultivators.[6] |
| Mutated | Gold and Black Spots, Silver Shell | 522 | Also referred to as Tri-colored beetles. This stage is a mutation resulting from the consumption of Ironfire Ants. Beetles at this stage have powerful bodies, however in exchange they lose their ability to rapidly reproduce with the help of the Rainbow Skirt Grass.[7] This effectively prevents this strain of beetles from further evolving as they have in fact likely lost their ability to reproduce. If this is not the case, then it at least prevents them from evolving for several centuries. |
| Almost Fully Matured | Silver Spots, Gold Shell | 643 | The beetles have a gold shell with a few specks of silver leftover. Be it might or tenacity, the newly evolved beetles are far superior to that of the black-tainted mutated beetles. Additionally, they emit an ominous, repulsive scent, and their blood-thirst and gluttony are at a level that is incomparable to that before.[8] |
| Fully Matured | Gold Shell | 1357 | The beetles have a fully golden shell. Beetles at this stage are considered to be mature. Beetles need to be nurtured using special methods that use Spiritual Qi of all five elements in order to progress to this stage.[9][10] |
Background[]
Extinct Status[]
The Gold Devouring Beetles are sacred insects of the Soaring Tribes. Their ancestors spent an immense amount of time before finally nurturing several tens of fully mature Gold Devouring Beetles. Only the most distinguished of their cultivators were allowed to inherit them.[1]
Apart from the incredibly few insects belonging to the Soaring Tribes, the insect was thought to be extinct throughout the rest of the cultivation world. In the donghua, records say they disappeared in Tiannan. However Han Li eventually discovers a dormant swarm on the Minor Expanse Island, which potentially explains why the island had a thin spiritual aura.[2]
Description in the Jade Slip[]
"Gold Devouring Beetles, ranked twelve amongst the wondrous bugs. Travels in vicious swarms. It loves to eat other wondrous bugs and is adept at consuming the five metals [Five Metals: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin] and Heaven-Earth Spiritual Qi. They also cannot tolerate heat or cold. It is extremely vicious and tends to amass into a sphere. It tends to perch on spiritual trees. Jade and wood are capable of capturing it. Spider type wondrous bugs are capable of restraining it…”[1][2]
According to what the jade slip said, the Gold Devouring Beetle was capable of eating through anything, apart from jade or wood. As such, seizing them is quite difficult. The jade slip had mentioned that newly hatched silver Gold Devourer Beetles are especially vulnerable to spider type magic beasts ranked at least high grade one. Hence, the manual advises to keep them in jade, restricted by wondrous bugs like spiders.
Minor Expanse Island[]
It was only by coincidence that Han Li was able to obtain the Gold Devouring Beetles, a species that should’ve been extinct. It seemed that they had been in suspended animation on Minor Expanse Island since ancient times for some unknown reason.
It was reasonable to say that mountain-splitting earthquakes and torrential storms had been unable to awaken the exotic insects. However, it seemed that the congregation of exotic insects that Han Li had brought with him after building his cave residence had resulted in the beetles’ miraculous awakening. It is possible that the scent of Han Li’s various insects may have slowly trickled down and aroused the appetite of the swarm of Gold Devouring Beetles.
While this newly awakened swarm of beetles should have by all means attacked Han Li’s exotic insects sooner, the presence of Han Li’s Blood Jade Spiders had detered their plan. As they were fearful of their natural predator, they didn’t dare to venture too closely to Han Li’s cave residence. Thus, they had stayed hidden on Minor Expanse island while rigidly staring at Han Li’s cave.
However, on one of his trips, Han Li brings his Blood Jade Spiders with him, which allows the Gold Devouring Beetles to emerge fearlessly. Afterwards, the Gold Devouring Beetles eat all of Han Li's exotic insects left behind in his cave residence and settle their nest into the cave’s medicine garden. With Han Li’s stealthy return, however, he was able to capture them in one sitting using his Blood Jade Spiders.
This swarm only numbered in the several hundreds. When Han Li thought of the several tens of thousands he would need to display their true strength, Han Li lost confidence in continuing to raise these bugs. However, he did not falter and did raise the bugs anyways.
Under his care, the Gold Devouring Beetles rapidly evolve due to a steady supply of Rainbow Skirt Grass, bringing about streaks of golden brilliance to their silver shell. Initially, Han Li was surprised that the beetles reacted as such to the Neon Grass.[11]
Heavenvoid Hall[]
During Han Li's adventure in the Heavenvoid Hall, he encountered incredibly large swarms of Ironfire Ants that had been laid there as a trap by the Star Palace elders. However, these swarms were no match for his Gold Devouring Beetles. The result was an absolute massacre. Waves upon waves of Ironfire Ants were consumed by his beetles, which later results in a mutation in the next generation of beetles that yielded greater combat strength. These beetles had black spots on their shell as well, which made their shell have 3 colors. Unfortunately, they seemingly lost their ability to reproduce as they stoped responding to the Rainbow Skirt Grass's effect of inducing rapid reproduction. At the very least, they would take incredibly long to reproduce and advance their evolution.
As Han Li became more proficient at utilizing his Gold Devouring Beetles in battle, he earned the infamous title of "Insect Devil" while he was hunting for Demon Beasts in the Outer Star Seas. For a very long time, the mutated beetles served him well.
Drifting Cloud Sect[]
As Han Li continued his journey and eventually condensed his first Nascent Soul in the Drifting Cloud Sect, the minority of his beetles that had not mutated due to not participating in the massacre of the Ironfire Ants continued to evolve and eventually became stronger than the mutated variants. When he pitted over a hundred black-tainted and newly evolved Gold Devouring Beetles against each other, the black-tainted beetles were nearly wiped out after a few seconds. However, at the same time, it also became difficult for Han Li to control these evolved insects.[8] Over the next few years, Han Li began to experiment making different shapes and equipments with his beetle including an incredibly sturdy armor on par with magic treasures and artifacts.
At this point unfortunately, no matter how much these evolved beetles consumed the Rainbow Skirt Grass, they failed to show any sign of induced breeding behaviors, indicating that Han Li either needed to wait up to another hundred years or fulfil some unknown unmet condition before the beetles could complete their final evolution.[8]
Moulan Plains[]
Han Li managed to acquire the method to nurture the beetles from the Endless Sky Saintess whom he saved in the Kunwu Mountain.
Reputation in Spiritual and Immortal Realm[]
Gold Devouring Beetles are renowned across the Immortal and Spirit Realms. In the Spirit Realm it is considered a stroke of fortune to be the master of these beetles.[12]
"Of course, if you can nurture hundreds, even thousands of these mature Gold Devouring Beetles, then most of the Spirit Realm is your oyster as the majority of wood-attribute treasures won't be able to trap so many matured Gold Devouring Beetles." - Qing Yuanzi
A swarm of over 10,000 mature Gold Devouring Beetles eradicated four minor races on the Thunder Continent in the Spirit Realm.[13] The most powerful existences in the realm were unable to destroy the beetles. Instead a powerful race used their Heaven Vanquishing Hammer, a profound heavenly treasure, to banish the beetles from the realm by opening up a spatial rift.[13] As a result, all powerful existences in the Spirit Realm fear the beetles. Body Integration stage cultivators will flee from a master of the beetles regardless of their cultivation.[14]
Spirit Realm[]
After ascending in the Spirit Realm and staying in Deep Heaven City for a while, the beetles finally matured and became strong enough to scare Body Integration cultivators.[15] They were seven thousand to mature in these fearful Spirit Insects.
It is stated by Ginger that mature Gold Devouring Beetles are quite fearsome, and show their true powers when they're in large groups. Few mature Gold Devouring Beetles are often get easily trapped by high grade cultivated with the use of wood attribute treasures. Controlling large swarms of Gold Devouring Beetles are incredibly taxing on one's spiritual sense to the point that even Grand Ascension Cultivators can't handle controlling them. It has also been hinted of a legendary form of the beetle known as the Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch.[12]
Han Li evolved his Gold Devouring Beetles to 13 Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch candidates in chapter 1875-1876. This was one by making the tens of thousands of Gold Devouring Beetles devour each other again, based on the Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch nurturing secret technique he got from a Late Stage - Grand Ascension Mayfly being called Voidspirit.
They evolved once more and could be refereed to as the 3 Faux Beetle Monarchs in chapter 2194. After eating part of the Black and White Lightning Ball during Han Li's Grand Ascension Tribulation, the 13 Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch candidates and all of his remaining Mature Gold Devouring Beetles battled each other. The battle mainly occurred when Han Li was facing his Inner Demon Tribulation.
Appearance and Strength of the 3 Faux Beetle Monarchs: "Not only were these three faux beetle monarchs far more massive than they had previously been, all of them had lightning-shaped purple patterns on their backs, presenting quite a menacing sight to behold. At the same time, their auras had been significantly enhanced and could virtually compare with that of late-Body Integration cultivators."
Side note: Faux actually means fake, if that helps.
Gold Devouring Beetles are a rare species of Spirit Beast originating from the Immortal Realm.
Han Li was able to evolve Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch in Chapter 2064. [16]
Immortal Realm[]
Han Li meets his Gold Devouring Beetle Monarch, Jin Tong again but this time it has already evolved to the point of being a Golden Immortal.
Jin Tong eventually reaches the Jade Taiyi stage after leaving on his own after another Jade Taiyi level Golden Devouring Bettle chases Han Li.
Jin Tong and Xiao Bai(White Jade Pixiu) leave Han Li(almost half abandoning him :)) ) in chapter 603 (Immortal Arc, the last released book from Immortal Realm) and they travel together to realise their dreams/objectives.
Han Li meets Jin Tong again after Jin Tong reaches the Da Luo stage and it is also revealed that she once was a Golden Devouring Immortal that had to split up into many smaller beetles to preserve himself after a fight with the Time Dao Ancestor.
Trivia[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chapter 742 (Novel)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Episode 73 (Donghua)
- ↑ Chapter 398 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 421 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 443 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 551 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 529 (Novel)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Chapter 643 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 1054 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 1202 (Novel)
- ↑ Episode 75 (Donghua)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chapter 1522 (Novel)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Chapter 1575 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 1391 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 1357 (Novel)
- ↑ Chapter 2064 (Novel)