Douluo: AFK to Become a God

T/N: My apologies for inconsistent updates, been having some personal issues, should be back to normal now.

As soon as Chu Chengzhou stepped into the inner city of Slaughter City, he could immediately feel the stark contrast from the outer city.

If the outer city was a world of silence and indifference, then the inner city was a world of luxury and madness.

Colorful lights shone everywhere. The inner city wasn't just more crowded—it was pure chaos. Bursts of frenzied laughter, cries of agony, and eerie, bone-chilling sounds filled the air.

Scanning the area, Chu Chengzhou soon spotted a disturbing scene: in a nearby corner on the right, a burly man was forcing a young man against the wall.

And what was even more nauseating? A crowd had gathered around, either lining up or cheering the brute on.

Chu Chengzhou saw it—and so did the black-veiled woman guiding him.

While Chu Chengzhou found it unbearable to look at, the black-veiled woman remained completely unfazed, as if such scenes were nothing new.

"I'm curious. If your Slaughter King saw that… wouldn't his eyes burn too?"

Pointing toward the brute violating the young man, Chu Chengzhou asked with interest.

"Sir 6666, as I said before, the only rule in Slaughter City is: if you have strength, you may do anything you wish. As long as it falls within the bounds of that rule, the great Slaughter King will not interfere."

The black-veiled woman replied indifferently.

"And what if that young man were you?"Chu Chengzhou smirked slightly, clearly amused.

"I am a messenger of the Slaughter King. Anyone who dares violate his authority will be subdued by the Law Enforcement Squad.The true elites of the Law Enforcement Squad are Soul Douluo granted soul skill privileges by the Slaughter King. Their captain is even a Title Douluo."

She answered, face expressionless.

Perhaps to get back at Chu Chengzhou a little, the black-veiled woman paused, then added meaningfully:"Sir 6666, you'd best be careful. Handsome young men like you are quite rare in the inner city."

Chu Chengzhou's heart sank, and a bad premonition rose instantly.

He wasn't worried about being overpowered—but just the fact that others might be thinking of such things was deeply disturbing.

Naturally, a new arrival drew attention from nearby fallen ones.

The black-veiled woman beside him was ignored—no degenerate would dare touch someone representing the Slaughter King. The Law Enforcement Squad would obliterate them.

But Chu Chengzhou was different—fair skin, youthful face, and devilishly handsome. A few perverts in the crowd began eyeing him hungrily.

Even the brute in the act abruptly shoved aside the youth he was assaulting, turning his greedy gaze toward Chu Chengzhou.

Comparison kills.The brute had thought his prey was decent—until he saw the strikingly handsome boy before him. It was like comparing a brothel auntie to a palace courtesan.

Were it not for the city's unspoken "newcomer protection period," these twisted souls would've already pounced.

But the twelve-hour protection wouldn't last long. By this time tomorrow… heh heh heh.

Feeling their hungry stares, Chu Chengzhou shivered.

"Bunch of damn perverts!"He cursed inwardly.

Without hesitation, he unleashed his spiritual power—activating his illusionary technique:Void Mirage Realm.In an instant, the consciousness of the eleven perverts, including the brute, was forcibly altered.

Then, golden light shimmered in his hand. He activated his archery technique:Divine Sun-Shooting Arrow.Two soul power arrows of golden attribute materialized.

Swish! Swish!He casually threw them—two flashes of gold zipped through the air, each burying into the forehead of a randomly chosen pervert.A little red and white fluid oozed from the wounds.

Although the Divine Sun-Shooting Arrow was an archery technique, it didn't strictly require a bow. Even thrown, it worked—just with reduced power.

But the enemies weren't strong. The burly man was only at the six-ring Soul Emperor level. The rest were at four or five rings. With their consciousness altered to regard Chu Chengzhou as their master, they didn't resist at all—and were easily killed.

Chu Chengzhou didn't bother killing all eleven. After taking down two, he left nine alive—just enough for a full ten-person battle in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

Seeing him kill two fallen ones so casually, the black-veiled woman raised an eyebrow.

No martial spirit?Clearly, Chu Chengzhou's power was extraordinary.

But then again, anyone who knowingly entered this brutal city clearly wasn't ordinary.

"Alright, you can go. You nine, lead me to the Hell Slaughter Arena."Chu Chengzhou waved off the woman and addressed his newly acquired—soon to be deceased—temporary slaves.

"Yes, respected master!"Led by the now-submissive brute, all nine perverts responded in unison.

The black-veiled woman: "…"

Goodness… she'd underestimated this "6666."

She'd thought he had just casually killed two fallen ones. She hadn't realized the other nine had already had their minds subtly controlled too.

Mental-type soul bone? Or a self-developed mental soul skill?No wonder he changed his token from 5438 to 6666—he probably forced Dark Warrior Barn to do it.

—

Soon, under the lead of his nine minions, Chu Chengzhou arrived at the Hell Slaughter Arena, located in the inner city's central district.

The arena had a circular exterior, or more precisely, a rough cone shape—widest at the base, tapering slightly upward for about thirty meters, and then continuing up another twenty meters at a constant diameter.

Jet black and ominous, the arena exuded an oppressive atmosphere. A thick stench of blood wafted out from within.

Along the way, Chu Chengzhou had already learned about the arena's rules from his slaves.

The rules were simple:

Enter and register with your identity token

No fighting during the waiting period before a match

Each match consisted of ten participants in a free-for-all battle

Use any method—the goal was to be the last one alive

A maximum of one survivor could emerge. Sometimes even the victor would die from a last-second counterattack

To watch a match required a fee—a cup of Bloody Mary, which could come from yourself… or someone else.

—

Leading his nine underlings into the arena, Chu Chengzhou noticed three fallen ones already sitting by the registration booth.

"Hey, are they here to sign up too?"He asked the black-clad woman at the booth, pointing to the trio.

Upon seeing them, Chu Chengzhou immediately read their soul power: two Soul Kings (five rings), one Soul Emperor (six rings).One of the Soul Kings had broken past level 60 but couldn't advance without a sixth ring—which Slaughter City lacked.

"Would you like to register, sir?"The black-clad woman asked.

"Hand over your identity tokens—all of you. Sign us all up."Chu Chengzhou passed his token to her and ordered his nine minions to follow suit.

Though the group now totaled thirteen, it didn't matter. Once registered, there was no backing out—everyone had to enter the arena.

He'd take care of the match, then use the extra three for later.

Of course, if he really wanted to maximize value, he could have made them donate Bloody Marys first… but he had no use for it, so it wasn't worth the trouble.

"Yes, respected master!"The nine answered and handed over their tokens.

The black-clad woman: "…"

The three strangers: "…"

Registration complete. The group of ten was finalized.

"6-7XX, 4-9XX, 8-2XX, 6666… Gentlemen, please enter the arena."

Aside from Chu Chengzhou and his six controlled underlings, the remaining three fallen ones were the ones who had arrived earlier.

Realizing they were outnumbered, the three exchanged glances—and without a word, silently formed a "plastic alliance".

They didn't have a choice. Facing a seven-person faction, a three-on-seven was better than going solo.

—

Each participant passed through a gate and entered the arena.

The arena interior was plain—Chu Chengzhou stood atop a massive battlefield over 100 meters in diameter. A thick metal cage made of arm-thick unknown material surrounded the arena. Spectator stands rose up in rings around it.

Only about 20% of the seats were filled—watching required a cup of Bloody Mary, which not everyone could afford.

There were no referees. The moment the gate closed, the match began.

It would only reopen once a sole victor remained—or if all ten died.

Right away, the three unaffiliated fallen ones grouped up and released their martial spirits, preparing to take on Chu Chengzhou.

But before they could act, a wave of spiritual power swept into their minds.

In an instant, Chu Chengzhou gained three more temporary slaves.

For those he planned to kill, Chu Chengzhou didn't bother with "divine belief" illusions—he just rewrote their minds. After all, a god is merciful… it wouldn't be right to slaughter one's devout believers, even if temporary.

"Alright—go off yourselves."

Chu Chengzhou waved casually.

"Yes, respected master!"

The nine responded without hesitation.

Those whose martial spirits weren't suited for combat pulled out blades from their belts and drove them into their own chests.

The three beast spirit users raised their claws and slit their own throats.

"Stop!"

At that moment, among the two remaining fallen ones, just as the one with the hammer martial spirit was about to smash his own head, the other—wielding a staff martial spirit—suddenly called out.

The hammer user turned to him in confusion.

"Brother, give me a hit first! My staff isn't really up to the task."

The staff user said.

Bang—

The next second, the massive hammer came down. The staff user's head burst open like a watermelon hitting the ground.

Bang—

Another swing followed, and the hammer user crushed his own skull as well. Now, only Chu Chengzhou remained in the Slaughter Arena.

Instantly, the stands erupted in shock.What kind of demonic art was that kid using?!

"You! You! You! Sign up!"

As soon as the match ended and the gate reopened, Chu Chengzhou didn't leave immediately. Instead, his spiritual power surged as he activated his illusion technique, Void Mirage Realm, and randomly pointed at six fallen ones in the audience.

"Let's set a small goal. I'll start with five consecutive wins today!"

Half an hour later, when Chu Chengzhou finally stepped out of the Hell Slaughter Arena, he had achieved that goal—five wins in a row.That meant he'd completed 1/20 of his target for a hundred-win streak.

Originally, he could've easily repeated the process: alter his opponents' minds, sign them up, have them self-destruct. Four more matches could've been done in under 30 minutes.

But the problem was—after he did it again for the third match, the entire audience ran away.

No one dared to stay. It was just too creepy.

A single finger point, and those on the stands would suddenly lose their minds and go sign up—only to walk into the arena and kill themselves on command.

Anyone still even half-rational wasn't about to stick around.

And so, an unprecedented scene occurred in the history of Slaughter City:

A match was underway—but there wasn't a single spectator.

With no audience left, Chu Chengzhou had no choice but to go outside and manually round people up.That's what cost him the extra time.

In short, Chu Chengzhou had just made history in Slaughter City—on his very first day.

In a stone room, Hu Liena took a deep breath. She drew a sharp dagger from her storage soul device.

"Teacher, I won't let you down. And you—bad man—wait for me!"

Two figures flashed through her mind. One was her teacher, Bibi Dong. The other… was Chu Chengzhou, wearing his usual sly grin.

Gripping her blade tightly, Hu Liena left her quarters and headed for the Hell Slaughter Arena—ready for her 13th match toward the hundred-win goal.

But the challenge was far harder than she'd expected.

It had been almost four months since she entered Slaughter City, and she had only managed twelve consecutive wins.

Not because her opponents were too strong—but because she had to ensure she left each match at full strength.

The real difficulty of the hundred-win streak wasn't in the fights—it was surviving the ambushes right after stepping out.

Every fallen one in the city had to compete in the arena. So if you saw a strong competitor leave the ring injured, that was the perfect chance to get rid of them.

No one wanted to risk fighting them in the arena later.

Anyone who started making a name for themselves would be targeted the moment there was an opening.

As she walked through the streets of Slaughter City, Hu Liena kept her guard up, wary of any ambushes.

Just then, the conversation of a few fallen ones drifted over from ahead.

"Hey, you hear? A Great Devil showed up in the city today!"

"Tch—who hasn't heard? I'm telling you, I saw that Great Devil with my own eyes!"

"What?! You actually saw him?"

"Damn right. He's not human. I was at the Hell Slaughter Arena watching when he pulled some kind of trick. After winning one match, he was ready for another—and then pointed right at me!"

"Wait—he pointed at you? What does that mean?"

"I was sitting next to someone from the Blood Dragon Gang—'Blood Axe'. The Great Devil pointed, and instead of me, he got picked. Lucky me!"

"So what happened next?"

"Well, Blood Axe and eight others entered the ring with that Great Devil. And when the match began, the guy just waved his hand and said:'Kill yourselves.'All nine—including Blood Axe, who's a damn seven-ring Soul Sage—slit their own throats on the spot!"

"Hsssss——"

The fallen ones all inhaled sharply.

Hearing this, Hu Liena raised her eyebrows.

Humans naturally form groups wherever they gather, and the Blood Dragon Gang was one of the most powerful factions in the inner city.

Their leader, Blood Dragon, had once been called Blood Snake—a Soul Douluo with an eight-ring cultivation and a Bloodthirsty Demon Snake martial spirit. But after a brutal victory two years ago, no one dared call him "Blood Snake" anymore. His title—and gang—had changed accordingly.

Blood Axe, one of his lieutenants, was a name Hu Liena recognized. Not only was he a seven-ring Soul Sage, but one of the strongest among them—nearly at level 80.

Someone that strong… obeyed a command and ended his life?

Judging from the conversation, Hu Liena quickly pieced things together. It must've been some kind of mind control—either a mental soul bone skill or a self-developed soul technique.

And if this "Great Devil" could make a high-level Soul Sage kill himself, then his spiritual power must be even stronger than hers.If she went up against him, it would mean certain death.

For the first time, Hu Liena hesitated.With a monster like that in the arena, wouldn't joining the match just mean getting killed?

Then she heard more—

"And that's not even all. That Great Devil's killing intent was off the charts."

"Once Blood Axe slit his throat, the entire audience panicked and ran. Everyone thought leaving the arena would be safe. But guess what? The Great Devil followed them out! He pointed again—and another nine lost their minds and followed him back in!"

"Bro, this guy's too dangerous. Can you describe what he looked like? I'd rather stay far, far away."

"Well…"

The fallen one hesitated, then began rubbing his fingers.

"Easy. I've got a woman back home—she's yours."

One of the listeners grinned, slapping his chest.

Satisfied, the informant nodded.

"He might be called a devil, but he looked young—fair skin, clean-cut. Like some pampered pretty boy. Looked around seventeen or eighteen at most. Easy to spot."

"Seventeen or eighteen?!"

From afar, Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat.

Was he some ancient monster pretending to be young… or actually a teenager capable of instant-killing Soul Sages with mental power?

Wait… he was new to Slaughter City, and if he really could do that with spirit-based abilities, then he had to be…

She moved closer.

A glimmer of ghostly light flashed on her forehead as she activated her Wisdom Skull Bone Soul Technique: Spiritual Domination—carefully tuned down in power.She struck the informant with a focused mental attack.

"Pfft—!"

The fallen one immediately vomited blood and clutched his head, writhing in agony.

"Tell me—what color was the Great Devil's hair?!"

Hu Liena demanded.

The continent was filled with gifted soul masters—but someone who could mentally dominate a Soul Sage while still looking that young?That narrowed it down to just two people: Chu Chengzhou or Tang San.

Though the Great Devil's power appeared even stronger than either, it had been months since the Soul Master Tournament. Their strength could have grown.

More importantly—Chu Chengzhou had black hair, while Tang San had blue. That distinction was key.

"B-Black hair! Please, spare me, ma'am!"

The fallen one sobbed, clutching his head.

Hearing that, Hu Liena lit up with joy.

Without sparing another glance at the fallen ones, she sprinted toward the Hell Slaughter Arena.

If the one who came was really the person she had feelings for—then that would be incredible!

After all, Slaughter City was full of danger.Who wouldn't want a powerful loved one who could protect them like a hero?

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