Douluo: AFK to Become a God

Very soon, Chu Chengzhou spotted a small village down below, from which eight figures rushed out. Each bore a beast spirit or manifested tool spirit, with soul rings flashing in yellow, purple, and black.

They were:

Vajra Tiger Soul Douluo (Power Attack)

Bloodthirsty Wolf Soul Douluo (Power Attack)

Shadow Leopard Soul Sage (Agility Attack)

Flame Sparrow Soul Sage (Flying Power Attack)

Storm Eagle Soul Sage (Flying Power Attack)

Crystal Pangolin Soul Sage (Defense)

Iron Vine Soul Sage (Control)

Starlight Staff Soul Sage (Support)

"Fire Phoenix?"

"Chu Chengzhou?!"

At the same time Chu Chengzhou saw the assassins, "Tiger" and "Wolf" also saw the Fire Phoenix in mid-air—and the figure of Chu Chengzhou standing proudly on its back.

"Fire Sparrow, Storm Eagle! Get up there and shoot that bastard down!""Tiger" grinned viciously and barked the order at the two flying Soul Sages in his group.

"What the hell are you doing? Run!"

Unlike the muscle-headed Tiger, Wolf's expression instantly turned grim when he saw Chu Chengzhou. He immediately shouted for everyone to retreat.

In Tiger's eyes, the target had walked right into their trap. What a great opportunity!

But Wolf knew better. If Chu Chengzhou could find them, then clearly their intel had already been leaked. And if Chu Chengzhou dared show up so openly, he had to be fully prepared—no doubt already surrounded by Qibao Glazed Sect elites.

Assassinate Chu Chengzhou? They needed to get the hell out first!

They weren't fanatics willing to die for a mission. Their own lives mattered more than whatever orders the emperor gave.

And besides, Tiger and Wolf weren't nobodies. They were Soul Douluo with eight soul rings—considered elite across the entire continent. Even if they failed the mission, once they returned to Xingluo, the emperor might scold them but wouldn't just kill them outright.

The seven subordinates, who were just about to attack, were startled by Wolf's sudden call. But they weren't stupid. They quickly realized the situation and followed his lead in fleeing.

They had been burning with anger from having to hide in a rural village for so long. Seeing Chu Chengzhou made them eager to lash out—but now reminded of who they were dealing with, clarity returned.

There may be fools in this world, but their target Chu Chengzhou was definitely not one of them. If he dared to appear, he came prepared.

Watching these eight Xingluo assassins flee before even making a move, Chu Chengzhou looked... genuinely puzzled.

These were assassins sent by the mighty Xingluo Empire, and they were this cowardly?

But... arrows are fast within 100 meters—and at this range, they're both fast and accurate.

With a flip of his hands, golden light flashed as the Nine Heavens Profound Spirit Bow and three Flowing Gold Armor-Piercing Arrows appeared.

Bow in his left hand, arrow in his right. As gold-type soul power surged into the arrows, they emitted fierce golden light.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

With a flick of his fingers, three golden streaks tore through the air toward three Soul Sages.

In a blink, they had crossed over 100 meters.

The results:

The Shadow Leopard Soul Sage was shot clean through the head.

The Flame Sparrow Soul Sage was pierced through the heart.

The Storm Eagle Soul Sage... either luck, intuition, or Chu Chengzhou's lack of god-tier archery meant he just barely avoided a fatal hit, only taking an arrow through his right arm.

Still, that arrow shattered the Storm Eagle Soul Sage's entire upper arm bone. Unless he could regrow limbs, that arm was done for.

A triple kill with one volley—two dead, one maimed. Not perfect, but satisfactory.

After all, these were Soul Sages—7-ringed cultivators. On this continent, that's elite.

Think about it. A classmate of his had a mayor dad who was only a 3-ringed Soul Elder—okay, by now probably a Soul Ancestor, 4 rings.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—Another volley.

This time, the Iron Vine Soul Sage and Starlight Staff Soul Sage both took arrows to the head—dead on the spot.

Only the Crystal Pangolin Soul Sage survived the volley. He could have dodged—at least enough to avoid a fatal hit, given the difficulty of hitting a vital on moving targets.

But perhaps because he was a defense-type, he trusted his defense. Activating his sixth ring ability, he braced to take the shot head-on.

That... did not go well.

His head was obliterated.Turns out, even a 7-ring defense-type Soul Sage can't stop Chu Chengzhou's soul-forged arrows.

Then Chu Chengzhou sent a final arrow into the already wounded Storm Eagle Soul Sage, finishing him off.

In less than 30 seconds—with no use of his Void Mirage Domain—just three volleys, seven arrows, and six Soul Sages were dead.

Only Tiger and Wolf, the two Soul Douluo with eight rings, were left.

But Chu Chengzhou didn't grow arrogant.

He recalled that in the original story, during the battle of Jialing Pass, two Buddha Fury Tang Lotus hidden weapons from Tang Sect wiped out over 70 Soul Sages and 30 Soul Douluo from Spirit Hall. Just two devices caused losses equivalent to two or three entire sects.

Compared to that, killing six Soul Sages? Not that impressive.

Not bothering to retrieve the corpses, Chu Chengzhou flew Little Red toward the escaping Tiger and Wolf.

Thanks to the quick work and the phoenix's flight speed, he caught up within minutes.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Chu Chengzhou chasing them from the air, Wolf cursed under his breath.

They had just seen him shoot down six of their subordinates like it was nothing.

They were stunned. Chu Chengzhou had only five soul rings. Since when could a five-ringed Soul King instantly kill Soul Sages?

Even as Soul Douluo, they couldn't claim to kill a Soul Sage in one strike.

Wolf felt despair—and rage at their intelligence division.

Those clowns said the target was at most 7 to 8 rings, and that his strength came from a Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear summon. On his own, they said, he was maybe a 6-ring Soul Emperor.

Bullshit.This guy was slaughtering Soul Sages like chickens. That's six rings?

"Tiger, stop running. We can't outrun wings."

Wolf called out, seeing that running on foot was pointless.

If they fled to the point of exhaustion, they'd lose even the strength to resist.

"Oh? Why aren't you running anymore?"

Chu Chengzhou descended and mocked them.

"Leave some room for future encounters. Chu Chengzhou, let my brother and me leave the Heaven Dou Empire, and we'll call it even. How about that?"

Wolf said calmly.

It wasn't cowardice—it was pragmatism. Even if they beat Chu Chengzhou, they'd still be stuck in enemy territory.

Their intelligence leak meant the Qibao Glazed Sect had surely mobilized. Who knew how many experts were lurking nearby?

"You Xingluo dogs tried to kill me. Why should I let you live?"

Chu Chengzhou sneered.

You try to assassinate me and still expect mercy?

"Misunderstanding! Big misunderstanding, Brother Chu—we didn't try to assassinate you!"

Tiger spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah, Brother Chu. When did we try to kill you? You attacked us first!"

Wolf caught on and played along quickly.

Technically, they hadn't launched the attack yet.Attempted assassination and planned assassination weren't the same. No action meant no crime—yet.

"Hmph. You think I don't know your plan?

Xingluo's intel branch near Heaven Dou was wiped out by me! How do you think I found you?"

Chu Chengzhou looked at them with disdain.

Wolf: "…"

Tiger: "…"

"Brother Chu, if you had this kind of strength, you should've said so earlier!

There's no need to make enemies if we can resolve things peacefully. It's just a discarded prince's fiancée—no big deal. With your strength, even His Majesty would likely let it go to grant you a favor!"

Suddenly, Wolf slapped his thigh and spoke loudly.

In Wolf's view, the current situation wasn't really because Chu Chengzhou had "stolen" the fiancée of an imperial prince, but because he had hidden his strength too well.

A low-level Soul Master with four or five rings obviously couldn't slap the Empire or Royal Family in the face—but if it were one of the continent's rare powerhouses, that would be a different story.

Their emperor might be domineering, but he knew how to endure.

Just like how the Wuhun Hall had been encroaching on all kinds of interests within the Empire, stirring rebellion among vassal kingdoms—had His Majesty done anything? No. He'd endured it all.

With the level of strength Chu Chengzhou had just displayed, unless a Titled Douluo intervened, it'd be nearly impossible to subdue him.

And there was no way the Empire would send a Titled Douluo just to handle some discarded prince's former fiancée.

Sending someone that powerful into Heaven Dou just to deal with this? What if they slipped up and lost the fight? Who would bear the cost?

Too risky. Too expensive. It just wasn't worth it.

Besides, the Nether Civet Clan wasn't some minor family. Even without Zhu Zhuqing, they had other marriageable daughters. Sure, their talent might be a bit worse, but whatever.

Given the current situation, the Third Prince Dai Mubai was already a write-off. Pairing him with a less-talented girl wasn't a big deal.

Honestly, matching two "disappointments" together might even give the First Prince Davis a rare chance to act like a good older brother!

Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow and, after some thought, decided to change his original plan.

While two Soul Douluos were rare experts on the continent, killing Tiger and Wolf wasn't a loss the Star Luo Empire couldn't handle. It wouldn't even sting.

But if he killed a true Titled Douluo or someone capable of that level, then the Star Luo Empire would feel it.

Right now, his "wings" were only partially grown. If he could use this opportunity to negotiate a temporary peace with Star Luo, there was no downside.

First benefit: no more assassination attempts from Star Luo.

Of course, he himself wasn't afraid of being assassinated—unless a Titled Douluo came, he had no reason to fear.

But he wasn't alone. His sisters, and his adoptive grandparents back in Nuoding City, didn't have his kind of strength. If Star Luo really put their mind to it, they could find out his real background—and the consequences could be dire.

Plus, Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai had been engaged. If the Star Luo royal family could officially dissolve that, it would clear the way for his relationship with her.

And even if he didn't negotiate peace, he couldn't do much against the Empire for now. There were only two great empires on the continent—he wasn't yet strong enough to take one on alone.

So he'd note this all down in his mental "little black book," and settle accounts once his wings were fully grown.

"Grandpa Jian!"

With that thought, Chu Chengzhou called out behind him.

Moments later, Sword Douluo Chen Xin appeared at his side.

"Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's Sword Douluo?!"

Seeing Chen Xin appear, Tiger and Wolfl's pupils shrank.

Just as they'd feared—not only was Chu Chengzhou here, but the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect had also sent a powerhouse.

What they hadn't expected was that it wasn't just any powerhouse—it was the legendary Sword Douluo Chen Xin!

Wasn't this... overkill for the two of them?

"Will you surrender?"

Chu Chengzhou said calmly. "I'll send someone to negotiate with your emperor. If peace is achieved, I'll let you go. If not—prepare to die."

The two glanced at each other and shouted, "We surrender!"

Of course they did. They couldn't even take on Chu Chengzhou alone—now there was also Chen Xin?

Better to live for now. They could worry about the rest later.

Besides, if the Empire could reconcile with Chu Chengzhou, then they—their would-be assassins—would actually be heroes for brokering peace.

After all, if Chu Chengzhou was already killing Soul Sages at five rings, what would he be capable of at six or seven? A guaranteed Titled Douluo in the making.

And once he reached that level, he'd be one of the top experts on the continent.

The Empire picking a fight with such a dangerous person—who had few attachments and nothing to lose—would be foolish.

Take Dugu Bo for example. He wasn't the strongest Titled Douluo, but everyone considered him one of the hardest to deal with.

Why? Because he was a walking weapon of mass destruction and had almost no attachments. If you offended him, he could hide his granddaughter and take revenge however he liked—with no fear of retaliation.

Chu Chengzhou was similar.

If he rose up with few ties holding him back and started making waves every few months, even the mighty Star Luo Empire couldn't withstand the chaos.

The next afternoon, a luxurious carriage rolled into the Chu estate, escorted by royal knights.

"Brother Chu, what was so urgent that you had to call me?"

In the courtyard, Qian Renxue glanced at the two unfamiliar men standing nearby as she questioned Chu Chengzhou.

"Brother Qinghe, I went out of the city the other day and, unsurprisingly, the Star Luo Empire sent more assassins after me. But the fools ended up getting killed by me and Grandpa Jian.

That said, as the old saying goes—better to make peace than enemies. I want to ask you for a favor: have the Empire negotiate with Star Luo on my behalf to settle this."

He skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Hmm? Star Luo assassins? Were you injured?"

"No big deal. A few small fry like that can't hurt me."

Chu waved it off.

The only thing he regretted was that the six Soul Sages he killed last night were all broke—not a single soul bone on them.

"Good. The Empire naturally stands behind you. Star Luo sending assassins time and time again is outrageous. If you have any demands, just say the word!

A great empire like Star Luo acting this shamelessly must be taught a lesson."

Qian Renxue immediately encouraged him to make an aggressive list of demands.

As for the talk of "peace"—nobody was buying that.

But she understood that for Chu Chengzhou, peace had more benefits than drawbacks for now.

When he grew strong enough, he could always revisit the issue—either formally, or by direct force.

"You probably already know Zhuqing's situation. My only request is that the Star Luo royal family cancel her engagement. As for the rest, I leave it to your judgment.

Also, these two are the assassins. Both are Soul Douluo with eight rings. Grandpa Jian sealed their powers. Please take them back with you.

If peace is achieved, release them. If not, have them executed."

Chu pointed to Tiger and Wolf, whose powers had been sealed.

"Rest assured, I'll take care of it!"

As expected of a "good big brother," Qian Renxue patted her chest and agreed.

Truthfully, Chu Chengzhou didn't care much about compensation. As Ning Fengzhi's son-in-law, he wasn't lacking money or resources.

And the Star Luo Empire likely didn't have any top-tier soul bones worth offering.

The only reason he was seeking peace was to avoid dangerous retaliation—and to resolve Zhuqing's engagement cleanly.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have cared about negotiating at all.

And as for the risk of letting Tiger and Wolf—two people who now knew his true strength—go?

It didn't matter.

His cultivation was progressing rapidly. In a year or so, his strength would be on a completely different level.

It was like how Bibi Dong knew Tang San was a double-spirit genius, but still didn't worry—because she thought his youth was a limitation. She believed Tang San would need a decade or more to become a threat.

What she didn't expect was that while she was advancing toward the God position, Tang San had already become the Sea God.

People would make the same mistake with Chu Chengzhou.

Because he was too young, they'd assume he wasn't an immediate threat—and that's why villains always lose in the end: they recognize danger, but don't eliminate it when they have the chance.

After chatting for a while, Qian Renxue left the Chu residence with Tiger and Wolf, whose soul power was still sealed.

Back at the imperial palace, she had the two taken away for questioning, then immediately went to report to Emperor Xue Ye.

Assassination attempts and peace talks with Star Luo couldn't be handled on her own—they had to go through the emperor.

An hour later, after agreeing on the terms, Qian Renxue returned to her Eastern Palace.

Just then, a trusted subordinate came to report:

"Your Highness, the assassins have given their statements, but..."

"But what?"

Qian Renxue frowned.

"Their stories are a bit exaggerated. We can't tell if they rehearsed it together or if it really happened."

Thinking of what they said—Chu Chengzhou killing six Soul Sages with seven arrows despite being only five-ringed—the subordinate felt it was absurd.

"A five-ring Soul King one-shotting six seven-ring Soul Sages? That's not even good bragging!"

"Exaggerated?"

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, now intrigued.

"Here are their statements, Your Highness."

The aide handed over the testimonies from Tiger and Wolf.

Reading that Chu Chengzhou had fired seven arrows and instantly killed their six Soul Sage subordinates, Qian Renxue fell silent.

Apparently, her good little brother's strength... was a bit ridiculous.

Even she, a self-proclaimed genius, couldn't possibly one-shot a Soul Sage at five rings.

And Chu hadn't even used his bizarre mutated spirit skills to do it.

T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on most of my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle