Zhu Zhuqing

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Zhu Zhuqing was born into the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire, whose inherited martial soul is the Nether Civet. The Zhu and Dai Families have traditionally intermarried, with the heirs of the Nether Civet and Evil Eye White Tiger expected to become partners and jointly uphold the empire's core power. 18

She fled the Star Luo Empire to escape being treated as a political chess piece and to take control of her own fate. Her fiancé, Dai Mubai, had fled before her; Zhu Zhuqing regards his abandonment with disgust and is determined not to be buried alongside him by the families' arrangement. 15

Her innate soul power was rank seven. Although this would be notable talent in an ordinary household, she considers it inadequate for her imperial-family background and trains relentlessly to overcome that limitation. 18

Before entering Shrek, most of her theoretical knowledge came from elementary academies in the Star Luo Empire. From an early age, she was expected to assist her fiancé in inheriting the throne, and she later comes to regard her father's treatment of his daughters as reducing them to bargaining chips for political marriages. 19 266

After Zhu Zhuqing's rapid growth at Shrek, the Star Luo imperial family and the Duke of Nether view her as a potential political bridge to the academy. Dai Weisi attempts to have her marriage arrangement transferred to himself, while the Star Luo Emperor later promises that she will become empress regardless of which Dai heir inherits the throne. Shrek Academy rejects their attempts to dictate her future. 213 228 229

When she later returns to the Star Luo Empire to train at Shrek Academy's Star Luo City branch, Zhu Zhuqing is forced to confront the painful memories associated with her family and former political obligations. In contrast to her oppressive upbringing, she has come to regard Shrek Academy and its companions as a true family. 266

By the preparations for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, Zhu Zhuyun recognizes that Shrek's protection has effectively freed Zhu Zhuqing from being forced into marriage. Her younger sister's escape from their family's expectations becomes a source of envy as Zhu Zhuyun remains bound to Dai Weisi's fate. 320

Appearance

Zhu Zhuqing is repeatedly noted for her cold black eyes and an ordinarily icy, restrained expression. Her rare smiles tend to appear only after tangible progress in cultivation. 18 24 45

• During Hell Spirit Cat possession, she manifests black cat ears and sharp claws. 63
• Her movements are light and nearly soundless after her physical condition improves. 24
• Her appearance changes considerably during her time at Shrek, to the extent that Dai Mubai initially does not recognize her at the academy competition. 212
• At the competition, she is described as tall and voluptuous, wearing a black outfit, with long black hair cascading down her back. 212
• Her competition-era martial soul possession makes her figure more slender and transforms her ears into soft black cat ears. 214
• She is an agility-focused combatant whose fighting style emphasizes speed, openings, and decisive strikes. 137

Personality

Zhu Zhuqing is quiet, observant, and intensely determined. She measures opportunities by whether they can make her stronger and allow her to direct her own future. Shrek Academy's resources, teachers, and methods convince her that she has found a genuine path forward. 15 24

She is also practical about her shortcomings. After being eliminated by stronger opponents, she does not make excuses; instead, she seeks guidance from Wu Sidu, recognizes the need for greater strength, and continues training. 61 63

Despite her reserved manner, Zhu Zhuqing values sincere cooperation. She accepts Tang Wulin's cautious strategy in the Spirit Ascension Platform, works closely with Ning Rongrong, Wu Sidu, and Dai Yun'er, and expresses earnest gratitude when others help her improve. 44 61 82

Witnessing the aftermath of an evil soul master massacre broadens her determination beyond her own survival. After helping bury the victims, she joins her companions in vowing to grow stronger and create a world without evil soul masters. 164

Her response to the Star Luo Empire's overtures remains wary and guarded. Although her father and the emperor seek to use her strength and Shrek affiliation to reshape the imperial succession, she does not allow their promises to override her own choices. 228

The Demon Plane experience intensifies Zhu Zhuqing's resolve. After realizing that her insufficient strength limited Dai Yun'er during their struggle against the demon army, she becomes even more determined to grow powerful enough to protect herself and avoid becoming a burden to her allies. 268 269

Abilities & Skills

Nether Civet / Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul

Zhu Zhuqing's martial soul is the inherited Nether Civet of the Zhu Family, later referred to in the academy as the Hell Spirit Cat. It grants her high-speed, claw-based agility combat. 17 18 61

• Specializes in rapid movement, infiltration, and close-range attacks.
• Can wound agile enemies but initially struggles to penetrate heavily armored targets, such as the Lizard Horned Beast. 45
• Her two-ring configuration consisted of two yellow soul rings before acquiring her third ring. 32
• After absorbing her third ring, she gains a small Shadow Cat Soul Spirit that commonly rests on her shoulder. 82
• By the Shrek Academy Freshman Competition, she is a four-ring Soul Ancestor. 212
• During Demon Plane training, she can readily kill ordinary Hellhounds comparable to three-ring soul masters, though their overwhelming numbers eventually exhaust her soul power. 268

First Soul Skill: Hell Stab

Hell Stab gives Zhu Zhuqing a major short-term speed increase, allowing her to create afterimages and launch sudden claw attacks. 61 63

• Used to target vulnerable back-line opponents, including Xu Xiaoyan. 63 64
• Can serve as either an offensive burst or a retreat tool. 61
• Its effectiveness is limited when opponents can intercept her approach, restrain her, or poison her. 63
• She uses it to disengage from Dai Yun'er's attacks during their tournament match. 214
• She uses it to charge into and rapidly eliminate Hellhounds in the Demon Plane. 268

Second Soul Skill: Nether Hundred Claws

Nether Hundred Claws is a rapid multi-strike claw technique used to tear through groups of nearby enemies. 268

• Zhu Zhuqing uses the skill while fighting the Demon Plane's Hellhound horde, sweeping her claws through the surrounding demons in a storm of attacks. 268
• The skill is particularly useful against the numerous ordinary three-ring-equivalent Hellhounds, though their overwhelming numbers can still exhaust her. 268

Third Soul Skill: Shadow Raid

Obtained from a two-thousand-year Shadow Cat, Shadow Raid is an attack-type mobility skill that enhances Zhu Zhuqing's assassination potential. 82

• Instantly raises her speed by 200%. 82
• Lets her become a shadow while launching a fatal strike. 82
• Places her body in a semi-ethereal state during the attack, giving her a chance to ignore part of a physical attack. 82
• She uses the skill to pass through much of Dai Yun'er's Nether Hundred Claws, suffering only minor damage before continuing her advance. 214

Fourth Soul Skill: Nether External Body

Nether External Body creates a duplicate of Zhu Zhuqing with approximately 70% of her strength. 268

• During the Demon Plane battle, Zhu Zhuqing's clone uses a Level-Three Soul Cannon to bombard and destroy groups of Hellhounds from range. 268
• The skill allows Zhu Zhuqing to combine her own close-range assault with independent ranged support from her clone. 268

Spiritual Power Applications

Wu Zhangkong teaches Zhu Zhuqing's class basic applications of spiritual power, including Spirit Shock, Spirit Defense, and Spirit Detection Sharing. Zhu Zhuqing recognizes that spiritual attacks could complement her speed-based assassination style by giving her a way to threaten opponents without first making physical contact. 137

• Zhu Zhuqing uses Spirit Defense to resist Dai Yun'er's Spirit Shock during their tournament match, though Dai Yun'er's superior spiritual power still partially affects her. 214
• She has considered the tactical value of mastering Spirit Shock for creating openings before a decisive close-range strike. 137

Martial Soul Resonance Art

Zhu Zhuqing begins learning the Martial Soul Resonance Art with Dai Yun'er under Dai Tianling and Dai Yueyan's guidance. The technique synchronizes the soul power circulation of soul masters with compatible martial souls, dramatically accelerating soul power recovery. 270

• Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yun'er first trigger a rudimentary resonance accidentally while attempting to use their incomplete fusion skill in the Demon Plane, producing a final burst of soul power that helps them evade a fatal attack. 268 269
• Their mutual compatibility and prior experience with the Three-Eyed Underworld Tiger give them a natural advantage in sensing the Art's rhythm. 270
• At higher mastery, the technique may allow one resonating partner's soul power circulation to restore both users' energy, making it a potential survival tool in prolonged battles. 270

Three-Person Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Three-Eyed Underworld Tiger

Zhu Zhuqing can fuse with Wu Sidu and Dai Yun'er through the resonance among their Hell Spirit Cat, Evil Eye White Tiger, and Spirit Eye martial souls. 84 85

• The trio forms the Three-Eyed Underworld Tiger. 85
• Requires the three users to join hands and combine their soul power in a triangular formation. 85
• The fusion skill was initially defeated by three combat puppets fused into a giant golden dragon. 85
• Its use causes severe soul power and stamina consumption, especially given Zhu Zhuqing's lower cultivation compared with her two four-ring partners. 85
• Wu Zhangkong provides the trio with a potion that improves their compatibility, increasing the fusion skill's power and duration. 86
• Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yun'er unsuccessfully attempt to activate the fusion skill without Wu Sidu while surrounded in the Demon Plane, demonstrating that its complete form still requires all three members. 268

Soul Tool and Mecha Training

Zhu Zhuqing receives practical instruction in soul tools as part of Shrek Academy's curriculum. She recognizes their tactical value early, particularly their ability to deliver substantial destructive power at a lower soul power cost than her own soul skills. 19 20

• She tests a Level-Two Soul Guidance Cannon during Wu Zhangkong's introductory lesson. 20
• She joins Ning Rongrong, Tang Wulin, and the other students in learning to pilot White-Grade Mecha. Her participation is shown, but no individual piloting proficiency is specified. 124

Equipment

• Soul Guidance Cannon — Zhu Zhuqing tests the device and notes that it consumes less soul power than her soul skills. Its attack pattern is simple, but its destructive power makes it tactically valuable. The training weapon is identified as a Level-Two Soul Guidance Cannon. 20
• Level-Three Soul Cannon — During Demon Plane training, Zhu Zhuqing equips her Nether External Body clone with a Level-Three Soul Cannon, allowing it to bombard Hellhounds while she fights in close quarters. 268
• Storage bracelet — Used to keep academy-issued rewards, including the Mystic Water Pill and Soul Ascension Pill. 24
• Academy information bracelet — Issued to the students by Wu Zhangkong to display their information, Contribution Point balances, and exchangeable items. 49
• White-Grade Mecha — Used during academy piloting lessons; personal ownership is not established. 124

Relationships

• Dai Mubai — Her arranged fiancé from the Star Luo Empire. He fled their homeland, and Zhu Zhuqing is determined to escape the fate their families imposed on them. After witnessing her growth into a four-ring Soul Ancestor, Dai Mubai seeks to win her back in hopes of strengthening his position against Dai Weisi. He later names her as his lover before the God of Love and hopes the deity will forcibly bring her from Shrek Academy, but she is not summoned. He accepts the deity's demand to castrate himself and gains eligibility for its nine trials; this does not establish any reconciliation or reciprocal affection from Zhu Zhuqing. 2 15 212 214 316 317
• Ning Rongrong — Fellow student and close companion. They train together, form teams in the Spirit Ascension Platform and Soul Beast Tower, and support one another's growth. 44 81 82
• Wu Sidu — Senior peer, mentor, and fusion partner. Zhu Zhuqing asks Wu Sidu for instruction because they share the Hell Spirit Cat martial soul. Wu Sidu's possession of both the Nether Civet and Evil Eye White Tiger initially shocks her and makes her curious about Wu Sidu's connection to the Star Luo Empire. Wu Sidu later helps her defeat the Shadow Cat from which she obtains her third soul ring. 18 61 82 84
• Dai Yun'er — Training partner and fusion partner. Dai Yun'er supports Zhu Zhuqing after her defeat in the virtual arena and joins her training with Wu Sidu. Dai Yun'er later defeats Zhu Zhuqing in the academy competition, where the ten-level difference between them proves decisive. The two later train together under Dai Tianling at the Star Luo City branch, survive the Demon Plane ordeal as partners, and begin practicing the Martial Soul Resonance Art. 61 63 84 214 266 268 270
• Tang Wulin — Classmate and teammate. Zhu Zhuqing follows his strategy during the Spirit Ascension Platform expedition and later receives his support in obtaining her third soul ring. They also help bury the victims of an evil soul master massacre and share a resolve to eliminate evil soul masters. 44 45 81 82 164
• Xie Xie — Classmate and combat rival. He defeated Zhu Zhuqing in the class-president assessment, exposing the gap in their strength at the time. 32
• Dai Weisi — Dai Mubai's elder brother and Zhu Zhuyun's fiancé. After seeing Zhu Zhuqing's Shrek-trained strength, he requests that the Star Luo Emperor betroth her to him instead, treating her as both a means to secure the throne and a link to Shrek Academy. His attempt does not overcome Shrek's protection of her freedom to choose, and he later returns to demanding Zhu Zhuyun's cooperation in their own fusion skill. 213 214 320
• Zhu Zhuyun — Zhu Zhuqing's elder sister and Dai Weisi's original fiancée. Dai Weisi's effort to replace Zhu Zhuyun with Zhu Zhuqing causes Zhu Zhuyun resentment and a complicated attitude toward her younger sister. Later, Zhu Zhuyun acknowledges that she once held affection for Zhu Zhuqing but ultimately prioritized her own survival under the succession system. She envies the freedom Zhu Zhuqing has gained through Shrek and wonders whether joining the academy could have allowed her to escape as well. 213 214 228 320
• Duke of Nether — Zhu Zhuqing's father. He is shaken by her growth from a two-ring soul master to a four-ring Soul Ancestor and supports the imperial attempt to bring her back into Star Luo politics. Zhu Zhuqing regards him as cold and distant, contrasting his treatment of his daughters with Dai Tianling's affection for Dai Yun'er. 213 228 266
• Cai Yue'er — Shrek Academy elder who protects Zhu Zhuqing's autonomy by driving away the Star Luo Emperor and Duke of Nether when they attempt to arrange her future. 228 229
• Dai Tianling — Dai Yun'er's father and Zhu Zhuqing's instructor at the Star Luo City branch. His severe Demon Plane training exposes Zhu Zhuqing to true battlefield danger and later leads her training in the Martial Soul Resonance Art. 266 268 269 270
• Dai Yueyan — Dai Yun'er's elder brother and Dai Tianling's son. He thanks Zhu Zhuqing for caring for Dai Yun'er and assists in coaching Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul Resonance Art practice. 270

Story Role / Major Arcs

Joining Shrek Academy

Zhu Zhuqing first appears among the applicants joining the academy, following the enrollment line in the hope of becoming stronger and escaping her predetermined fate. 7

Zhu Zhuqing enrolls at Shrek seeking the power to determine her own life. She introduces herself as a rank 27 Nether Civet agility-attack soul master, then is shaken by the exceptional cultivation and martial souls of her classmates. 15 17 18

After earning the academy's pill reward, she uses the Mystic Water Pill and Soul Ascension Pill to reach rank 29. The sudden improvement strengthens her resolve to seize Shrek's opportunities. 23 24

Early Combat Assessments

Zhu Zhuqing joins Ning Rongrong, Wu Sidu, and Dai Yun'er in a four-person squad for the practical combat assessment. Their shared Hell Spirit Cat martial soul is an important reason for her interest in training alongside Wu Sidu. 30

During the practical combat assessment, Zhu Zhuqing fights Xie Xie but is eliminated due to his superior rank, speed, and external amplification. Seeing the gap between herself and the academy's strongest students reinforces her need to improve. 32 34

After her elimination, she watches Wu Sidu's self-martial soul fusion into the Nether White Tiger. The sight astonishes her because the Dai and Zhu Families traditionally require two partners to achieve a fusion of those martial souls. 33

She later participates in Tang Wulin's Spirit Ascension Platform team. While she gains spiritual power from defeating soul beasts, her physical constitution has difficulty handling the absorbed energy, exposing another area requiring improvement. 44 45

Virtual Arena Training

Rather than accepting her limits, Zhu Zhuqing personally asks Wu Sidu to train her because they possess the same martial soul. Dai Yun'er joins them, forming a regular three-person training group in the Virtual Pods. 61

In their first virtual-arena match, Zhu Zhuqing is eliminated by Zheng Yiran's poison and binding abilities. She accepts responsibility for her weakness, while Wu Sidu and Dai Yun'er encourage her to continue fighting as a team. 63

During the rematch, she successfully reaches and injures Xu Xiaoyan after Dai Yun'er disrupts the opposing team's defense. The experience gives her a deeper respect for control-type soul masters and Shrek's overall strength. 64

When Yang Nianxia destabilizes her with Earthquake Strike and Zheng Yiran catches her ankle, Wu Sidu's Nether White Tiger frees her. Zhu Zhuqing subsequently eliminates Xu Xiaoyan while her teammates contain the other opponents, contributing to their team's victory. 64

Third Soul Ring and Fusion Skill

After reaching rank 30, Zhu Zhuqing enters the Soul Beast Tower with Ning Rongrong, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Wu Sidu, and Dai Yun'er. She rejects unsuitable thousand-year rings, chooses a two-thousand-year Shadow Cat, and gains Shadow Raid. 81 82

Spirit Resonance Water later reveals that Zhu Zhuqing, Wu Sidu, and Dai Yun'er can perform a three-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Their resulting Three-Eyed Underworld Tiger becomes a major shared combat technique, though its initial version drains them heavily and loses to a stronger virtual fusion opponent. 84 85

Mecha Training and the Journey to the Body Sect

Zhu Zhuqing participates in Shrek Academy's White-Grade Mecha lessons alongside her classmates. The sight of the students piloting mecha shocks Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Tang San, and Yu Xiaogang, who are unfamiliar with the technology. 124

While traveling toward the Body Sect with Tang Wulin and the others, she encounters a manor devastated by evil soul masters. After Tang Wulin kills the remaining attackers with the soul guide bus's cannon, the group collects the victims' remains and buries them behind the manor. Zhu Zhuqing joins Xie Xie, Ning Rongrong, and Huo Yuhao in vowing to help create a world without evil soul masters, while Tang Wulin urges them to become stronger. 164

Shrek Academy Freshman Competition

By the Shrek Academy Freshman Competition, Zhu Zhuqing has advanced to level 43 and faces Dai Yun'er, now a level 53 Soul King, in an internal Suotuo City match. Zhu Zhuqing uses Shadow Raid to penetrate Dai Yun'er's Nether Hundred Claws and employs Spirit Defense against a Spirit Shock, but Dai Yun'er's ten-level advantage, twin martial souls, and Body Flicker ultimately secure her victory. 212 214

Her appearance and strength alert Dai Mubai, Dai Weisi, the Star Luo Emperor, and the Duke of Nether to her transformation. Dai Weisi seeks to take her as his wife, while the emperor promises that Zhu Zhuqing will be empress regardless of the eventual winner of the Dai succession struggle. Cai Yue'er rejects these arrangements on Shrek's behalf, affirming that outsiders cannot decide a Shrek student's future. 212 213 228 229

Star Luo City Branch and Demon Plane Training

Zhu Zhuqing later travels with Dai Yun'er through a teleportation array to Shrek Academy's Star Luo City branch. Returning to the Star Luo Empire stirs difficult memories of her former life, but Dai Yun'er reassures her that they will train together under Dai Tianling. 266

Dai Tianling explains that Shrek has opened a reverse passage into the Demon Plane and made it a training ground. Learning that the academy also suppresses invading enemies further increases Zhu Zhuqing's respect for it, while Dai Tianling warns the pair not to grow complacent merely because they surpass many of their contemporaries. 267

Dai Tianling takes the pair to a passage into the Demon Plane and seals them inside while he battles a Greater Demon. Zhu Zhuqing fights the Hellhound hordes using Hell Stab, Nether Hundred Claws, her Nether External Body clone, and a Level-Three Soul Cannon, but the inexhaustible demon army eventually pushes both girls to the brink of exhaustion. 268

With Wu Sidu absent, Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yun'er cannot complete their three-person fusion skill. However, their synchronized soul power circulation produces a brief burst of restored energy, allowing them to evade a fatal attack until Dai Tianling returns to rescue them. The ordeal teaches Zhu Zhuqing that she must become strong enough to contribute meaningfully beside her allies. 268 269

Afterward, Dai Tianling and Dai Yueyan begin teaching Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yun'er the Martial Soul Resonance Art. Their shared Hell Spirit Cat compatibility and existing fusion experience allow them to reach the technique's threshold, establishing a new method to restore soul power during prolonged or desperate battles. 270

Later Succession and Marriage Developments

During the God of Love's assessment, Dai Mubai claims Zhu Zhuqing as his lover and presents their engagement as proof of devotion. Oscar privately regards this claim as hypocritical, recalling that Dai Mubai had wanted to use her strength against Dai Weisi. Dai Mubai hopes the god will bring Zhu Zhuqing from Shrek Academy, but she is not summoned; instead, he is required to castrate himself before being allowed to undertake the god's nine trials. 316 317

Before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, Dai Weisi again demands Zhu Zhuyun's cooperation and promises to make her empress if he survives and inherits the throne. Zhu Zhuyun recognizes that his earlier attempt to obtain Zhu Zhuqing failed because Shrek protects her right to refuse marriage. Still subject to the succession system herself, Zhu Zhuyun looks toward the academy and envies her younger sister's escape from their shared fate. 320

Trivia

• Zhu Zhuqing initially believes the Soul Guidance Cannon could bring revolutionary change because its energy cost is low compared with ordinary soul skills. 20
• She decides to pursue blacksmithing as her first step toward becoming a Battle Armor Master. 29
• Although she worries that blacksmithing may favor strength-type soul masters rather than an agility-attack soul master like herself, she resolves to try it for the sake of her future. 29
• She and Ning Rongrong are both overwhelmed by Shrek's advanced resources, including Soul Spirits, Battle Armor, pills, Virtual Pods, and the Spirit Ascension Platform. 36
• Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yun'er briefly attempt to use their three-person fusion skill without Wu Sidu in the Demon Plane, but instead discover the initial basis for their Martial Soul Resonance Art. 268 270