Douluo: AFK to Become a God

"Brother Xue!"

Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou called out directly.

"Come, dear brother, have a seat! Someone, serve the food!"

Seeing that Chu Chengzhou was tactful and sensible, Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction, led him to his seat, and then called out to the waiter outside the private room.

"Qinghe, Chu lad, you're both young men—have a good chat."

Ning Fengzhi said with a smile.

As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi took the main seat. Gu Rong sat to the right, Qian Renxue to the left, and Chu Chengzhou next to her.

"Naturally! Dear brother, may I ask—do you have any elders in your family?"

Qian Renxue asked Chu Chengzhou.

Chu Chengzhou had only recently entered her field of view, so she knew very little about him.

"Alas, I'm not as fortunate as you, Brother Xue. My parents died when I was very young, and I was raised by my grandparents."

Chu Chengzhou sighed, shaking his head in regret.

To be honest, one of Chu Chengzhou's greatest regrets was the early death of his parents.

If they had lived, even if his talent wasn't outstanding, with the many celestial herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he could've at least ensured they reached the Title Douluo level.

If he eventually ascended to become a Supreme God King, arranging two god positions for them wouldn't have been out of the question either.

Still, compared to Qian Renxue, Chu Chengzhou didn't see himself as too pitiful.

Sure, he lost both parents—but at least he didn't have to live with the reality that his mother was also the one who killed his father.

Having your own mother be your father's killer—that's far more devastating than being orphaned!

"That was inconsiderate of me. Please forgive me, dear brother."

Not expecting to touch on such a sore spot, Qian Renxue felt a little embarrassed and quickly apologized.

But after hearing Chu Chengzhou's story, she couldn't help but think of her own parents—especially that cold and hateful look in her mother Bibi Dong's eyes.

That woman, Bibi Dong, was truly wicked—probably the worst woman in the world!

"No worries, it's been over ten years already."

Chu Chengzhou waved it off.

The past was in the past, and one must look forward. His job now wasn't to dwell in sorrow but to fulfill his father's unfulfilled aspirations—slightly modified: marry a few beautiful wives, have a bunch of kids, and create the strongest clan in the entire Douluo Universe.

After some small talk, a knock came at the door. A moment later, two waiters wheeled in a food cart.

"Dear brother, we hit it off so well—today, we must drink a few rounds!"

With the dishes served, Qian Renxue smiled and spoke to Chu Chengzhou.

Chu Chengzhou's spirit was quite interesting, and being a 48th-level Soul Sect at just 19 showed decent talent—not inferior to Hu Liena, the disciple Bibi Dong had placed such high hopes on. Plus, Chu Chengzhou was closely tied to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—he might even be Ning Fengzhi's future son-in-law. Definitely someone worth drawing in.

Chu Chengzhou had never touched alcohol in his life, but when the time came, he couldn't back down.

Besides, when an angelic beauty invites you to food and drink—there's no reason to say no.

Meanwhile, at the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall...

In a lavish hall, Salas tapped his fingers on the armrest, pondering an assassination plan.

Just then, three figures entered—one burly and strong, two tall and lean, all with impressive auras.

"Cang Xiong, Han Bing, Lie Yan, reporting to the Hall Master."

The large, burly man—Cang Xiong—bowed slightly, while Han Bing and Lie Yan respectfully saluted.

From their attitudes alone, one could see their power levels were different.

And indeed, Han Bing and Lie Yan were both seven-ring Soul Saints, while Cang Xiong was an eight-ring Soul Douluo. Though not as high-ranking as Salas, the platinum bishop and Hall Master of the Heaven Dou Spirit Hall, their strength alone commanded significant respect.

"You three have been secretly cultivated by our Heaven Dou Spirit Hall. I've summoned you because there's a task I need handled."

Salas nodded, speaking gravely.

"Please give the order, Hall Master!"

"There is a student at Blue Tyrant Academy named Chu Chengzhou. He's closely associated with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and shows great potential. He could become a major threat to our Spirit Hall in the future. We must eliminate him preemptively. The Hall will provide intelligence support.

If you find a chance to catch him alone before tonight, Cang Xiong, don't act. Let Han Bing and Lie Yan handle it.

If no such chance arises, then the three of you will infiltrate Blue Tyrant Academy under the cover of night. That academy only has three Soul Saints—they won't be able to stop you.

Once the job is done, leave Heaven Dou City immediately. In fact, forget it—just return to Spirit City straight away!"

Salas originally wanted them to return after the situation cooled down, but reconsidered. To avoid exposure, it was best they go straight back.

After all, these were all experts above level 70, with one Soul Douluo among them. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan somehow caught them, he'd be heartbroken.

As for sending weaker, more expendable assassins?

In Salas' eyes, missions that couldn't be publicly acknowledged must be carried out with absolute precision—one strike, one kill.

If they sent weaker people who failed and alerted the target or the Glazed Tile Clan, it'd only be harder next time.

Leaving the Heaven Dou Grand Hotel, Chu Chengzhou headed back to Blue Tyrant Academy.

The lunch had gone well, with all parties pleased. As he left, the slightly tipsy Qian Renxue even gave him a token of private recognition and invited him to visit the palace for a casual get-together sometime.

"Could it be that she likes me?"

Chu Chengzhou thought to himself narcissistically.

Shaking his head, he brushed the thought aside.

That's one of life's three great delusions—best not to fall for it.

It was fine to accept an invitation, but to go seeking her out? That wasn't his style.

Romancing a beautiful angelic lady—sure, that's great. But if that lady is Xue Qinghe, maybe not.

Besides, from his perspective, pursuing Qian Renxue wasn't all that difficult. Probably even easier than "Big Kitty".

Someone like Qian Renxue—proud and strong like a classic "Mary Sue" protagonist—would eventually yield if defeated a few times, especially if you looked good doing it.

In the original story, she even fell hopelessly in love with Tang San, the son of her father's killer. If he could win her heart, then surely Chu Chengzhou—without a plot armor-induced IQ drop—should be fine, right?

Heaven Dou Grand Hotel wasn't far from Blue Tyrant Academy, so soon, Chu Chengzhou was back at the gate.

Just as he entered, three figures appeared in the distant alley.

"Hmph~"

Watching Chu Chengzhou's retreating figure, the leader, Cang Xiong, snorted in regret.

The moment they received Salas' mission, the three of them sprang into action.

But since Chu Chengzhou had left the Great Spirit Arena with Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, no one dared tail a Title Douluo, so they lost track of him.

His whereabouts only became known again as he returned from the hotel.

They rushed over as fast as possible—but were still too late.

It was still broad daylight. Launching an assassination at the academy would cause a major uproar.

And with the Bone Douluo from the Glazed Tile Clan still in the city, even if they succeeded, their chances of escaping were slim.

Salas might think sacrificing an eight-ring Soul Douluo and two seven-ring Soul Saints was acceptable to eliminate a threat.

But the three of them didn't want to throw their lives away.

As the saying goes: On dark, windy nights, it's the perfect time for murder and arson.

That night, three black-clad figures slipped into Blue Tyrant Academy through the forest at the rear.

Though there were still teachers on guard, they were no match for intruders of this level.

Meanwhile, in the dormitory...

Chu Chengzhou and Ning Rongrong had just finished another intense battle within the illusion realm game "The Naughty Nurse and Her VIP Client: A Forbidden Tale."

Feeling an impish hand groping behind her, Ning Rongrong blushed and pinched Chu Chengzhou's waist.

"Rongrong, how about we go another round?"

Licking the corner of his lips, savoring the lingering pleasure from the earlier illusion, Chu Chengzhou suggested:

"Peh~ Scumbag. It's late, I have to go."

Ning Rongrong firmly rejected the suggestion and pushed Chu Chengzhou away, standing up to tidy her clothes, which for some reason appeared particularly messy.

The disheveled clothes were naturally the result of Chu Chengzhou's antics.

While playing games in the illusion, the little nurse in the real world was of course at his mercy.

"Alright then."

Clicking his tongue, Chu Chengzhou nodded with some regret.

But there was no rush. The little witch had already fallen into his pond—no need to be too hasty.

To be honest, Chu Chengzhou felt his illusion technique was truly amazing—not only did it bring him pleasure, but it didn't even harm the body.

Then, Chu Chengzhou got out of bed, ready to escort the little witch who had come for their secret rendezvous.

"Hmm?"

But just as he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of three black-clothed figures sneaking toward him from the distance.

Seeing the three figures, Chu Chengzhou was briefly stunned.

What's going on? Thieves at the academy?

His expression soon changed.

The soul power aura emanating from the three was extraordinary. Two of them were slightly weaker than Flender and Zhao Wuji, but one was clearly stronger than Flender.

"Two seven-ring Soul Sages and one eight-ring Soul Douluo?"

Though Chu Chengzhou couldn't pinpoint their exact levels, he could sense their general class of power.

Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou summoned his True Spirit Flag martial soul. His third soul ring lit up, and the Fire Phoenix, Xiao Hong, suddenly manifested in mid-air outside the dorm hallway.

Next, Chu Chengzhou wrapped his arm around Ning Rongrong's waist, tapped his foot, and leapt onto Xiao Hong's back with her.

In the dead of night, these three suspicious intruders not only wore nightclothes, but were also this powerful—clearly no good intentions. They were very likely here to cause trouble.

For now, the priority was to fly high into the sky and gain the upper hand.

Of course, that assumed the eight-ring Soul Douluo didn't have a flying martial soul.

"Who are you?!"

Riding high in the sky on Xiao Hong, golden light flashed from Chu Chengzhou's hands as he summoned the Flowing Gold Soul-Breaking Bow and the Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrow, glaring down at the three intruders.

The Flowing Gold Soul-Breaking Bow, forged with spirit-refined fine gold, was Chu Chengzhou's replacement for his fire-attribute Flaming Sun Arrow Bow. Paired with his gold-attribute soul power, the arrows it fired were even more powerful than before.

"Hmm? Has our intel been leaked?"

Cang Xiong (Dark Bear), cloaked in night gear and having watched Chu Chengzhou's smooth operation earlier, was visibly stunned.

He had never expected that before they could even strike, Chu Chengzhou would discover them.

At this moment, Cang Xiong had to suspect that the temple's plan had been exposed—how else could this be such a coincidence?

"Go!"

But there was no time to think. Cang Xiong waved to Han Bing (Ice) and Lie Yan (Flame).

His martial soul was the Violent Gold Bear, which didn't allow flight. Since Chu Chengzhou could fly—and at such a height—he was helpless even as a Soul Douluo.

Fortunately, Salas had anticipated this. Knowing that Liu Erlong and Flender could both fly and were strong, he arranged for Cang Xiong's partners, Han Bing and Lie Yan, to be flying-type Soul Sages.

"Crimson Flame Bird, Possession!"

"Ice Sparrow, Possession!"

The two flying-type Soul Sages activated their martial soul possession, their soul rings shining as they soared into the sky.

"You've got guts! Daring to cause trouble in my academy?! Sixth Soul Skill: Blazing Fire Dragon Rush!"

A fierce shout echoed. A fiery figure streaked across the sky like a meteor, crashing into Han Bing with a scorching dragon-fist impact.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Air Blade Slash!"

Flender descended from the sky, his fourth soul ring shining, as ten sharp, orange-gold blades shot at Lie Yan.

At the same time, Zhao Wuji, now in his Mighty Vajra Bear form, leapt from the dorm building like a cannonball, landing far ahead of Cang Xiong.

The moment Chu Chengzhou summoned Xiao Hong, Liu Erlong and the others sensed the soul power fluctuation. Though it was late at night and they had all been asleep, they were only a step behind.

Han Bing and Lie Yan endured the attacks with defensive soul skills. Lie Yan held off Flender's skill, but Han Bing—up against Liu Erlong's sixth skill—had his defense shattered and was punched to the ground, sustaining minor injuries.

Still, as a seven-ring Soul Sage with a defensive skill, Han Bing wasn't seriously hurt.

"Hmph~ You two, go kill the target! Let Blue Tyrant Academy choose who to save!"

Cang Xiong snorted, instructing Han Bing and Lie Yan before activating his Violent Gold Bear martial soul—two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings glowing—charging toward the student dorms.

Han Bing and Lie Yan were just newly advanced Soul Sages, and Liu Erlong and Flender could both fly. If the two teachers focused on protecting Chu Chengzhou, there was a real chance he could escape.

But as the Art of War says: Attack what they must defend.

Chu Chengzhou was a student of Liu Erlong and Flender, but so were the others. Cang Xiong didn't believe that if he started a massacre in the dorms, the two would ignore it to protect just Chu Chengzhou.

As for Zhao Wuji? Just a bear-type martial soul like himself—he couldn't fly. Plus, Zhao Wuji was only a seven-ring Soul Sage and couldn't stop him.

"You dare!"

As expected, seeing the eight-ring Soul Douluo Cang Xiong charge the dorms, and knowing Zhao Wuji couldn't stop him, Liu Erlong and Flender panicked and rushed to intercept, abandoning their fight with Han Bing and Lie Yan.

Of course, their choice was based on knowing Chu Chengzhou's true strength.

If he weren't capable, they wouldn't have left him with two Soul Sages.

Especially with Ning Rongrong beside him—if anything happened to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's princess, they couldn't face her father.

With Liu Erlong and Flender gone, Han Bing and Lie Yan immediately flew toward Chu Chengzhou, who hadn't left the battlefield.

They knew their mission wasn't to fight teachers—it was to assassinate Chu Chengzhou. That goal was top priority.

'Scumbag Chu, you better not screw this up!'

Seeing the two flying Soul Sages approach, Ning Rongrong clutched tighter to Xiao Hong's feathers, her heart anxious.

'Relax. Just two Soul Sages without martial soul avatars.'

Sensing her fear, Chu Chengzhou comforted her with a spiritual message.

As the two enemies approached, Chu Chengzhou's second soul ring lit up. A mini-version of Xiao Bai manifested, and her innate skill Blessing surged out—white light enveloped him, boosting all attributes, including spirit, by 50%.

Then, Chu Chengzhou narrowed his eyes. Golden light gleamed from his bow as he aimed at the closer Crimson Flame Bird Soul Sage.

He calculated the maximum effective range of his illusion skill.

'Now!'

With a mental command, he activated his illusion technique and released the arrow.

A wave of invisible spirit energy surged forward, invading Lie Yan's mind.

With the 50% attribute boost, Chu Chengzhou's spirit power now surpassed the early-stage Soul Sage's, and in an instant, Lie Yan's vision blurred and consciousness fell into an unknown space.

A golden flash streaked across—an armor-piercing arrow infused with gold-attribute soul power struck Lie Yan's head.

"Boom—"

His head burst like a watermelon, flesh and brain matter spraying through the air.

Seeing this gruesome sight, Han Bing was terrified.

Before he could react, a powerful spiritual force invaded his mind. His vision spun, and he, too, fell into eternal darkness.

'Hmph~ That's the price for underestimating an archer!'

Watching the two headless Soul Sage corpses fall from the sky, Chu Chengzhou, who had fired a second arrow in mere seconds, scoffed inwardly.

Killing two seven-ring Soul Sages within seconds, he was very pleased with the results.

Of course, he knew it wasn't just his skill—it was mainly that the two enemies underestimated him as a mere four-ring Soul Ancestor.

If they'd activated their martial soul avatars in advance, well... they'd still be dead. Just not as fast.

After all, Chu Chengzhou had consumed Eight Petal Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot, granting him immunity to ice, fire, and poison—perfect counters to elemental Soul Masters.

"Big scumbag, you're totally the kind of man I like—so awesome!"

Seeing him kill two Soul Sages in a flash, Ning Rongrong beamed and praised him.

Normally, Chu Chengzhou would joke about how exactly he was "awesome."

But now wasn't the time. He turned his attention to the battlefield below.

Cang Xiong had already been stopped by Liu Erlong, Flender, and Zhao Wuji, while Xiao Wu and "Big Cat" were evacuating students.

Chu Chengzhou sighed in relief.

However, seeing the mangled corpses of several students near the dorms, his expression darkened again.

Without hesitation, he directed Xiao Hong to land farther from the battle.

"Rongrong, go stay with Xiao Wu and the others."

He instructed Ning Rongrong.

"Okay. That big bear looks super strong—be careful!"

She nodded and reminded him as she got off Xiao Hong.

"Hmph~ That big bear dared to kill in our academy. He's not leaving tonight!"

Chu Chengzhou snorted coldly. His fourth soul ring lit up, summoning his Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear spirit, Xiong Da. After giving him a Blessing from Xiao Bai, he remounted Xiao Hong and rose into the sky again.

Liu Erlong, Flender, and Zhao Wuji weren't just any Soul Sages—they were top-tier. With support from Shao Xin's food-type soul power, they could rival even a Soul Douluo like Cang Xiong.

Now that their strengths were evenly matched, if Chu Chengzhou added surprise attacks from the sky and sent in Xiong Da, things would tip in their favor—especially since Cang Xiong's martial soul shared blood with Xiong Da, causing suppression.

If Xiong Da were older than 20,000 years, that pressure would be much stronger—maybe strong enough to make Cang Xiong collapse just from his presence.

T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle