Zhu Zhuqing

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhu Zhuqing (朱竹清)
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Zhu Family; later Lin Xia's apprentice
Occupation/Role	Soul Master; wielder of the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul
First Appearance	Chapter 127
Martial Soul	Hell Spirit Cat
Innate Soul Power	Level 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Innate Soul Power Level 7	135	Awakened the Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul in the Zhu Family's Star Soul Hall.
Soul Elder, Level 33	194	Reached level 33 at age eleven after five years away from the Zhu Family and training under Lin Xia.
Soul Power suppressed to Level 29	319	Restrained her power for a spar against Meng Yiran, demonstrating precise control over her cultivation.

Background / History

Zhu Zhuqing is the second daughter of Zhu Family Patriarch Zhu Zhan and the younger sister of Zhu Zhuyun. As a child, she was timid, sensitive, and strongly dependent on her protective elder sister. Before her awakening, she wanted to become strong enough to protect Zhu Zhuyun, unaware of the full cruelty of the Star Luo Empire's inheritance system 127 129.

Her Martial Soul awakening revealed the inherited Hell Spirit Cat, along with seventh-rank Innate Soul Power. The result bound her to the Zhu and Dai families' political arrangement: she was named the fiancée of Star Luo's Third Prince, Dai Mubai 134 135. After learning that her future had been decided without her consent, Zhu Zhuqing became colder and more resolute; servants increasingly neglected and disparaged her as her value within the manor declined 136 137.

Lin Xia offered her quiet companionship during the period surrounding her awakening, then began discreetly protecting her from mistreatment. Time spent outside Star Luo City exposed Zhu Zhuqing to a life beyond the Zhu Manor and gave her the resolve to confront her circumstances rather than simply endure them 133 137 153 163.

With Zhu Zhan's tacit consent, Zhu Zhuqing hid beneath Lin Xia's carriage and left Star Luo City with him. She chose danger over the despair of remaining trapped in her predetermined role 179 180. During their journey to Gengjin City, Lin Xia became her teacher, rebuilding her fundamentals through Soul Master theory, body tempering, and purification of her Soul Power with the Power of Stars 181.

Five years later, Zhu Zhuqing had reached level 33 and was recognized by Lou Gao as Lin Xia's apprentice. She later registered at Shrek Academy, where her age and cultivation shocked the examiners 194 237.

Appearance

Zhu Zhuqing initially appeared as a small girl with baby fat, clear obsidian-like eyes, and long black hair. Following five years of training, she grew into a slender young woman with a cold, refined appearance and a form-fitting black combat uniform 127 190.

• Deep black, cat-like eyes; later described as clear and icy.
• Long black hair.
• Often wears black combat clothing.
• Has worn small cat-ear hair accessories 194.
• Her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul manifests as a sleek black spirit cat with eerie green eyes and black mist surrounding it 134.

Personality

As a child, Zhu Zhuqing was shy, lonely, and easily frightened, but she possessed a stubborn desire to become strong and protect her sister. Even before awakening her Martial Soul, she rejected the idea of remaining ordinary merely to avoid the family's succession conflict 129.

The revelation of her engagement and the hostility of the Zhu Manor hardened her demeanor. She became silent, proud, and emotionally guarded, enduring contempt without surrendering her dignity 136 137. Her reserve does not erase her emotions: she shows vulnerability around Lin Xia, seeks his recognition, and eventually entrusts him with her hope of escaping her fate 179 180 321.

Zhu Zhuqing is disciplined and tenacious in cultivation. She performs even basic training with care, persists through exhaustion, and seeks practical improvement rather than comfort or excuses 181 266.

Abilities & Skills

Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul

Zhu Zhuqing inherited the Zhu Family's Hell Spirit Cat, an agility- and shadow-oriented Martial Soul.

• Produces a cold, otherworldly aura and a black feline phantom with green eyes 134.
• Grants exceptional speed, agility, claw-based offense, and an affinity for shadows 181 319.
• Its inheritance ties her to the Zhu Family's marriage alliance with the Star Luo imperial Dai Family 135.

First Soul Skill: Hell Stab

Zhu Zhuqing concentrates her power into a rapid claw strike.

• Extends her fingers into dark metallic claws sharp enough to clash directly with Meng Yiran's serpent cane 319.
• Combines extreme speed with a counterattack aimed at an opponent's weapon hand 319.
• Was used while Zhu Zhuqing suppressed her Soul Power to level 29 319.

Soul Power Control

Zhu Zhuqing can precisely limit her own cultivation output.

• Suppressed her Soul Power to the peak of the Soul Grand Master realm for a fair spar with Meng Yiran 319.
• Followed Lin Xia's restriction against using her Second and Third Soul Skills during that exchange 319.

Body Tempering and Cultivation Foundation

Lin Xia trained Zhu Zhuqing in a body-tempering method adapted from Lou Gao's teachings.

• Uses breathing, stances, and movement exercises to strengthen her body, flexibility, endurance, and foundation 181.
• Her Soul Power was purified and tempered through Lin Xia's Power of Stars, removing subtle impurities and blockages 181.
• The Power of Stars is Lin Xia's ability; Zhu Zhuqing receives its benefits through his guidance rather than wielding it herself 181.

Relationships

• Lin Xia — Teacher, protector, and the person Zhu Zhuqing trusts with her future. He helped her escape Star Luo City, trained her systematically, and became the focus of her romantic feelings 180 181 189.
• Zhu Zhuyun — Elder sister. Zhu Zhuyun deeply loves Zhu Zhuqing and initially wishes she would never awaken a Martial Soul, fearing the succession conflict that would divide them 128 129.
• Zhu Zhan — Father and Zhu Family Patriarch. His adherence to family and imperial rules causes Zhu Zhuqing profound pain, though he later tacitly permits her departure with Lin Xia 165 179 180.
• Dai Mubai — Arranged fiancé and Star Luo's Third Prince. Zhu Zhuqing was designated as his fiancée immediately after awakening the Hell Spirit Cat 135.
• Larvitar — Lin Xia's Martial Soul and Zhu Zhuqing's companion. It comforts her during her despair and accompanies her training journey 133 181.
• Lou Gao — Lin Xia's teacher, who learns of Zhu Zhuqing's background and accepts her position as Lin Xia's apprentice with a protective attitude 194.
• Meng Yiran — Sparring opponent. Zhu Zhuqing faced her under a level-29 Soul Power restriction and gained the upper hand through speed and Hell Stab 319.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Zhu Family and Martial Soul Awakening

Zhu Zhuqing meets Lin Xia while he is a guest of the Zhu Family. She spends time with him and Larvitar before her awakening, seeking a brief refuge from the fate she senses approaching 127 130 133.

Her awakening of the Hell Spirit Cat confirms her engagement to Dai Mubai. The political burden of that role strips away much of her childhood innocence and leaves her increasingly isolated within the manor 134 135 137.

Defiance of the Zhu Family's Fate

Lin Xia takes Zhu Zhuqing outside Star Luo City, where she sees the wider world and begins deciding that she will face her circumstances through strength 153 163. After returning, she refuses to kneel before Zhu Zhan's pressure and accepts confinement without lowering her gaze 164 165.

She later escapes with Lin Xia after learning that Zhu Zhan had tacitly consented to her departure. Her choice is not presented as safe, but as preferable to a life without hope 179 180.

Training Under Lin Xia

On the journey to Gengjin City, Zhu Zhuqing becomes Lin Xia's student. He teaches her Soul Master fundamentals, Hell Spirit Cat attributes, physical training, and refined Soul Power cultivation 181.

Her persistence transforms her from a neglected Zhu Family daughter into a level-33 Soul Elder by age eleven 194.

Shrek Academy and Later Battles

Zhu Zhuqing registers at Shrek Academy with a bone age of twelve and Soul Power level 33, drawing surprise and envy from the other candidates 237 238.

During a later spar, she demonstrates controlled combat ability by restricting herself to level 29, forgoing stronger Soul Skills, and using Hell Stab to counter Meng Yiran's serpent cane 319.

Notable Quotes

“I want to awaken my Martial Soul! I want to become as strong as you, sister!” 129

“Brother Lin Xia, you won't abandon me, will you?” 179

“Can you... teach me to become stronger? As strong as you!” 159

Trivia

• Zhu Zhuqing initially believed Lin Xia's ore-consuming cultivation method might require her to eat rocks as well; she was relieved to learn that Phantom Star Glaze would be poisonous to her 162.
• She developed romantic feelings for Lin Xia after observing his leadership at a blacksmiths' banquet 189.
• Lin Xia's acknowledgement can break through Zhu Zhuqing's normally icy composure, leaving her visibly shy and happy 321.