Zhu Ying

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhu Ying (朱应)
Alias(es)	Zhu Xiongying; Imperial Eldest Grandson; Marquis of Victory; Count/Marquis Champion; “God of War of Daning”
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Ming; Daning Border Army; Imperial family
Occupation/Role	General; military reformer; imperial heir
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 13

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
All attributes exceed 2,000	75	Gains attributes and lifespan by killing Northern Yuan soldiers; fights with the Azure Rainbow Sword.
All attributes exceed 3,000	95 97	Attribute panel records Internal Breath at 3,068 and physical attributes above 3,100.
All attributes exceed 4,000	109	Internal Breath reaches 4,168; gains documented martial skills including Charged Saber Slash, Divine Arrow Volley, Golden Bell Shield, and Berserk.
All attributes exceed 5,000	114	Internal Breath reaches 5,068; Strength reaches 5,135 after the Liaodong campaign.
All attributes exceed 6,000	147 150	Internal Breath reaches 6,138 and Strength 6,235; his confirmed kills in one battle exceed 1,500.
All attributes exceed 7,000	213	Internal Breath reaches 7,238 and Strength 7,435; displays enough force to crack bluestone with a stomp.
Innate Realm peak or above	397	Uses Internal Force and the Shifting Stars technique to lift the court hall and its occupants.
Half-step Aura Realm	563	Reaches this level while confronting the Carefree Sect’s leading experts.
Aura Realm	566 579	Enters seclusion and breaks through; his aura spreads across the Multi-Martial-Arts World, and a tangible giant dragon emerges from his body.
Aura Realm, beyond ordinary peers	590 591	Absorbs the True Qi of multiple masters; defeats and kills Shi Potian, ending the major martial-expert resistance in the Comprehensive Martial World.

Background

Zhu Ying was originally forced into military service after the Shen family deceived him into going to Daning and had him incorporated into the border army. The family later sent assassins after Zhu Ying, his wife, and Lin Fu, creating an irreconcilable feud. Before enlistment, he had worked in commerce, including operating a winery in Beiping. 139 285

He rose from an ordinary soldier through battlefield merit. During the campaign against the Jianzhou Tatars, he killed 103 enemies, including their commander, and captured the enemy battle flag; the feat earned him promotion to Battalion Commander and brought his name to Zhu Yuanzhang’s attention. 13 14 20

Zhu Ying’s identity remained uncertain for much of his rise. His resemblance to the late Zhu Xiongying, his childhood connections to Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya, and an imperial identity jade gradually exposed his past. An imperial decree left by Empress Ma ultimately confirmed that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying, the Imperial Eldest Grandson believed to have died of smallpox at age eight. The decree stated that the Lü family orchestrated the epidemic to remove him as an obstacle to Zhu Yunwen’s succession. 259 281 296 299

Appearance

Zhu Ying is a young but battle-hardened general whose calm bearing contrasts with the scars left by years at the front.

• His arms bear numerous deep saber, sword, and arrow scars. 226
• He is often recognized on the battlefield by his distinctive weapons and bow. 95
• He frequently emerges from combat covered in enemy blood while remaining unwounded. 166
• Zhu Yuanzhang is struck by the resemblance between Zhu Ying’s eyes and those of Zhu Xiongying. 221

Personality

Zhu Ying is composed, practical, and difficult to intimidate. Despite rapid promotion and widespread fame, he does not act arrogant; Zhang Yu describes him as kind, loyal, righteous, and deeply attached to his comrades. 127

He leads from the front and values battlefield loyalty, but he is also calculating about power. He recognizes the importance of wealth, military strength, technological development, and political control to his long-term goal of strengthening Great Ming and eventually expanding beyond the known world. 113 311 328

His mercy is conditional. Zhu Ying can reward loyalty and accept surrender, but he is ruthless toward enemies and traitors, particularly those who threaten his family, army, or authority. 389 550

Abilities & Skills

Attribute Panel

Zhu Ying possesses a panel that grants attributes, lifespan, and rewards for killing enemies.

• Gains attributes such as Internal Breath, Strength, Speed, Constitution, Endurance, and Spirit through combat. 75 101
• Receives lifespan increases from kills; by age fifteen, his lifespan had extended into centuries. 109 114
• Opens treasure chests for weapons, cultivation methods, martial skills, technology, and other resources. 97 109 231
• Uses skill points to improve martial-skill proficiency. 109 114

Martial Prowess

Zhu Ying combines overwhelming physical attributes with aggressive frontline command.

• Personally killed 103 Tatars in his first recorded major feat, including their commander. 13 20
• Broke through Jincheng and Kaiyuan, killed Harazhang, and later slew Naha Chu during the Liaodong campaign. 91 95 114
• Killed more than 1,500 confirmed enemies in a Northern Expedition battle. 150
• Captured more than ten fortified Northern Yuan strongholds in under three months. 160
• Fights on foot or horseback and routinely leads the first charge. 75 166 256

Martial Arts

Zhu Ying accumulates and develops numerous martial techniques.

• Charged Saber Slash — channels Internal Breath and strength into a mounted saber attack. 101 109
• Frenzied Dance Saber Technique — late-stage saber method. 109 114
• Divine Arrow Volley — advanced archery technique; used in battlefield kills, including Harazhang. 95 147
• Golden Bell Shield — defensive martial skill. 109 114
• Eight Extremes Fist and Mountain Collapse Fist — close-combat techniques. 109 114
• Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms — repeatedly used against elite martial artists. 562 579 590
• Soul-Desolating Palm — used against Xiaoyaozi, Wuyazi, and Li Qiushui. 562
• Star-Absorbing / Energy-Absorbing Technique — drains opponents’ True Qi for refinement; a decisive tool against martial masters. 562 579 590 591
• Great Shift of Heaven and Earth — counters Zhang Sanfeng’s Tai Chi Fist. 579
• Six Vein Divine Sword — deployed against Zhang Sanfeng. 579
• Shifting Stars — manipulates Internal Force on a massive scale, lifting the imperial court. 397

Alchemy and Body Refinement

Zhu Ying possesses alchemical knowledge and uses pills and body-refining methods to strengthen others.

• Provides Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with pills and a bone-tempering technique to improve their health. 328
• Establishes the Alchemy Hall for Bone Tempering Powder production. 394
• Bestows Foundation Cultivation Pills as rewards for merit. 392
• Uses martial inheritance and Imperial Guard administration to spread cultivation within Great Ming. 394

Strategy and Governance

Zhu Ying is not solely a warrior; he advocates structural reforms and expansion.

• Proposes selecting technological talent through the imperial examinations and drafts the new system. 311
• Supports commercial tax reform, which collects 80 million taels. 397
• Advocates removing military and tax-exemption privileges from feudal princes to prevent future instability. 317
• Seeks to unify the wider world and ultimately conquer “All Worlds and Myriad Realms.” 328 397

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Azure Rainbow Sword — divine sword effective enough that ordinary Yuan weapons cannot withstand it in close combat. 75
• Wu Feng — Blood-Sweating Horse gifted by Fu Youde and personally tamed by Zhu Ying. 91
• Jade pendant / imperial identity jade — evidence connecting him to the imperial family. 296
• Treasure chests — source of martial arts, cultivation methods, technology, spirit stones, and a Golden Eagle spirit pet. 109 231
• Golden Eagle — spirit pet acquired from treasure chests. 109

Relationships

• Zhu Yuanzhang — grandfather and emperor; rewards Zhu Ying’s merits, later confirms his identity as Zhu Xiongying, and supports his policies and expansion plans. 20 221 299 328
• Zhu Biao — father and Crown Prince; an early patron who consistently advocates for Zhu Ying’s promotions and later develops a close paternal bond with him. 57 219 221 311
• Liu Yu’er / Shen Yu’er — wife; Zhu Ying’s conflict with the Shen family includes their attempt to assassinate her. Her original Liu surname is later restored. 101 173 279 285
• Zhu Wenxi — son; Zhu Ying trains him in both literary and martial pursuits. 221 296
• Xu Miaojin — childhood friend who recognizes him as Xiongying; later becomes his wife and appeals for Zhu Di’s life. 259 309 394
• Mu Ya — childhood friend who helps identify Zhu Ying and seeks to restore his memories. 259
• Li Qingchen — Joseon princess betrothed to Zhu Ying and later described as his concubine. 290 296
• Zhu Di — initially seeks to recruit and investigate Zhu Ying; later becomes his political adversary after Zhu Ying discovers Zhu Di’s betrayal and ambitions. 139 206 313 394
• Bu Wan — Daning commander and steadfast supporter who entrusts military affairs to Zhu Ying. 13 96 109
• Chen Heng — general who first reports Zhu Ying’s exceptional battlefield merit. 13 14
• Fu Youde — senior general who gifts Zhu Ying Wu Feng and later welcomes him among the military officials. 91 222
• Lan Yu — initially hostile rival from the Huai Xi faction; later pledges loyalty to Zhu Ying. 95 109 309
• Liu Lei — subordinate and personal-guard commander trusted with investigations and military affairs. 114 213 296
• Zhu Wushi — martial-world subordinate whose allegiance shifts to Zhu Ying after being saved by him. 579 590

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rise in the Daning Border Army

Zhu Ying gains fame by killing over a hundred Tatars, capturing their commander and battle flag, and receiving promotion to Battalion Commander. His merit establishes him as a new military talent favored by the imperial court. 13 14 20

Liaodong Campaign

He breaks Jincheng and Kaiyuan, kills Harazhang and Naha Chu, and helps return Liaodong to Great Ming. His attributes surpass 5,000, and his victories earn him major titles and the reputation of a rising commander. 91 95 96 114

Northern Expedition

Zhu Ying captures successive Northern Yuan strongholds, wins the first merit of the expedition, destroys the Northern Yuan royal court, and achieves Fenglangjuxu. He returns to Ying Tian with the captured Yuan Emperor and is publicly hailed as Great Ming’s hero. 147 157 208 219

Imperial Identity Revelation

Clues from his childhood, his jade pendant, and Empress Ma’s decree reveal that Zhu Ying is the surviving Zhu Xiongying. The Lü family’s attempt to eliminate him through a manufactured smallpox epidemic becomes the basis for their downfall. 259 281 296 299

Reforms and Consolidation

As imperial heir, Zhu Ying pushes examination reform, technology selection, military restructuring, tax reform, and policies limiting feudal princes. He openly demonstrates supernatural martial strength to force the court to accept his authority and vision. 311 317 328 397

Northern Frontier Pacification

Zhu Ying defeats the Tatars and Jurchens, establishes military towns in conquered territory, and enforces submission under the “keep head, not hair; keep hair, not head” policy. 389 394

Conquest of the Comprehensive Martial World

After entering the Multi-Martial-Arts World, Zhu Ying defeats leading martial artists including Wang Chongyang, Cheng Shifei, Xiaoyaozi, Wuyazi, Li Qiushui, A Qing, Dugu Qiubai, and Shi Potian. His Aura Realm strength secures Great Ming’s control before he returns to the main realm through a Spatial Portal. 550 562 579 589 591

Trivia

• Zhu Ying’s stated age was altered when he was sent into the Daning army; his true age is revealed as eighteen during his first audience at court. 127 221
• He was once considered as a prospective son-in-law for Zhu Biao. 99 166
• Zhu Biao’s first meeting with Zhu Ying is also the first time the two knowingly speak face-to-face. 219
• Zhu Ying’s long lifespan is central to his ambition to unify the world over centuries rather than a single mortal lifetime. 97 328