Zhu Zhuqing

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Zhu Zhuqing (朱竹清)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Shrek Academy, Suotuo City branch
Occupation/Role	Student; agility-attack battle soul master
Martial Soul	Nether Civet / Hell Spirit Cat
First Appearance	Chapter 15

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Rank 27, two-ring Soul Master	17	Introduced as an agility-attack soul master with the Nether Civet martial soul; her two soul rings are yellow. 17 32
Rank 29	24	Absorbed the Mystic Water Pill to cleanse and strengthen her meridians, then the Soul Ascension Pill, rising two ranks. 24
Rank 30	81	Reached the threshold for her Third Soul Ring through training. 81
Three-ring Soul Elder	82	Absorbed a two-thousand-year Shadow Cat soul ring and obtained her third soul skill, Shadow Raid. 82
Rank 43, four-ring Soul Ancestor	212	Reached level 43 by the Shrek Academy Freshman Competition, becoming a four-ring Soul Ancestor. 212

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 fiancée, 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

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

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
• 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

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

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
• By the Shrek Academy Freshman Competition, she is a four-ring Soul Ancestor. 212

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

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

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

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

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. 20
• Storage bracelet — Used to keep academy-issued rewards, including the Mystic Water Pill and Soul Ascension Pill. 24

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. 2 15 212 214
• 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. 61 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. 61 63 84 214
• 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. 44 45 81 82
• 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. 213 214
• 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. 213 214 228
• 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. 213 228
• 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

Story Role / Major Arcs

Joining Shrek Academy

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

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

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

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

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

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
• 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