Douluo: AFK to Become a God

An eight-ring Soul Douluo was no ordinary fighter; across the continent, such experts were rare and formidable.

For example, the sect masters of the Lower Four Sects, like Huyan Zhen of the Elephant Armored Sect, were roughly in this range of power.

Within the Balak Kingdom, an eight-ring Soul Douluo was already a top-tier powerhouse. Now two of them suddenly appeared—and they were both of the rare flying type. If anyone claimed they were just passing by, Chu Chengzhou would never believe it.

Instantly, golden light flashed across Chu Chengzhou's body. The Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Armor, Bow, and Piercing Gold Arrows manifested, and he prepared for battle.

"Nana, be careful," he warned, his gaze fixed forward.

"They're here for us?" Hu Liena also noticed the two approaching figures, her expression growing tense.

"More accurately, they're here for me," Chu replied coldly.

He had not forgotten the powerful enemies who bore him a grudge.

Judging by his own logic, a superficial truce with the Star Luo Empire would not prevent their assassins from hunting him down. The only difference was that these assassins might no longer be official agents.

Likewise, just because a truce existed did not mean he wouldn't eventually exact revenge when he had the strength.

As the enemies drew closer, Chu's expression hardened further.

One of them had a moderate aura, likely under level 85. But the other's aura was overwhelming, far surpassing the "Tiger" and "Wolf" he had fought before, absolutely beyond level 85.

Were it not for the eight soul rings shining on him, Chu might have mistaken him for a low-tier Titled Douluo.

"That's… the Vulture?" Hu Liena exclaimed, eyes wide.

"You know him?" Chu asked in surprise. It seemed this was no nameless enemy.

"The 'Vulture' is one of Spirit Hall's most wanted criminals. His spirit is the Bloodthirsty Vulture, and his soul power has already reached the peak of level 89.

"Several years ago, in an attempt to break through to Titled Douluo, the Vulture performed a blood sacrifice on an entire town of civilians. He's second only to the Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao on our wanted list.

"Because he's a flying Soul Douluo, he escaped Spirit Hall's pursuit multiple times and disappeared for the past two years. I didn't expect him to reappear now."

Hu Liena's tone was heavy.

"Level 89? Down we go," Chu said at once.

Hearing that one of the opponents was a level 89 flying Soul Douluo, he ordered his Fire Phoenix spirit Xiao Hong to descend.

A soul master with wings excelled at aerial combat, and against such an opponent—just shy of Titled Douluo—it would be foolish to fight in the air. Even if the open sky favored archery, he would still be at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, for reasons unknown, the Vulture and the other flying Soul Douluo did not immediately attack. They merely tailed him from a distance.

Soon, the three landed in a deserted wilderness. Chu dismissed Xiao Hong; the phoenix's bloodline was good, but at only ten thousand years old, it was useless against eight-ring Soul Douluo. It was safer to stow it away rather than see it slain instantly.

At the same time, Chu activated his second, fourth, and fifth soul rings. The Light Lion spirit Xiao Bai, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear spirit Xiong Da, and the Mysterious Water Turtle spirit Gui Er materialized at his side.

Xiao Bai's strength was weaker than Xiao Hong's, but it had one unique advantage: it was an auxiliary spirit capable of granting him buffs.

Chu's mind raced. The Vulture and his partner had not attacked right away, which likely meant they were waiting for reinforcements.

If they had split their forces, the ones still en route were probably ground combat specialists. Against such opponents, Xiong Da and Gui Er would prove valuable.

Soon, his suspicion was confirmed. Four powerful auras surged from the distance, rapidly closing in.

Though Chu could not yet see their faces, he sensed that these four were no weaklings—they too were eight-ring Soul Douluo, all likely above level 85.

"Nana, protect yourself later," he said grimly, tightening his grip on the Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Bow.

Hu Liena's strength was respectable—her spiritual power rivaled that of an ordinary level-70 soul master, and with her spiritual amplification abilities, Xiao Bai's Blessing, and her head soul bone's deadly illusion-attack skill, she could kill most non-spiritual Soul Sages.

But these opponents were eight-ring Soul Douluo. That was far beyond what she could handle.

Instead of dividing his focus, it was better for her to stay safe.

Hu Liena remained silent, lips pressed tight, eyes fixed on the approaching enemies.

She would never stand idly by while Chu fought alone.

"Xiao Bai, give me Blessing!" Chu commanded.

Xiao Bai released a white light, channeling the Blessing skill into him. All his attributes instantly surged by 50%.

A white domain spread out, radiating intense killing intent as Chu's aura rose again. He shouted at the six Soul Douluo now circling them, "Do you dare leave your names?"

This time, the lineup was far tougher than before.

He had been surrounded by more opponents in the Slaughter City, but that was under restrictions that limited soul skills. In that setting, restricted Soul Douluo often fared worse than unrestricted Soul Sages, while he himself still maintained eight-ring combat power even under the ban.

Here, however, he faced six unrestricted Soul Douluo, all of high levels, with at least one close to Titled Douluo. One mistake and he could die.

"Domain power?"

Seeing the white domain emanating from Chu, the old man with blood-colored wings raised an eyebrow but didn't seem alarmed. Domains were strong, but they depended on the user. A mere five-ring Soul King couldn't overturn the sky.

"Young man, since you wish to know, I'll grant you this before you die. I am the Vulture," the old man said with a smile.

"I am Cang Ying," said the middle-aged flying Soul Douluo with gray eagle wings.

The tall old man with a golden elephant martial spirit: "I am Jin Xiang."

The burly man wielding a black giant axe: "I am Zhan Fu."

The red-robed man holding a crimson staff: "I am Qingtian."

The gaunt elder with a starry disk in his hand: "I am Xing Hun."

Vulture and Cang Ying, both agility-type; Jin Xiang, a defense-type; Zhan Fu and Qingtian, power-types; and Xing Hun, a control-type. These six Soul Douluo, all above level 80, were hired killers sent by an unknown force to assassinate Chu Chengzhou.

"Such a pity," the Vulture said with mock sorrow. "Young men don't know how to restrain themselves. A genius is only a genius—until he dies."

With his feigned regret, one might mistake him for a kindly elder.

"My teacher is the Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong. Think carefully before you make a move," Hu Liena warned coldly.

"What? The Pope's disciple?"

The Vulture's brow furrowed.

He knew his own limits. As a peak-level Soul Douluo, he could slaughter towns and escape Spirit Hall's pursuit.

Against ordinary Titled Douluo, his flying advantage allowed him to flee.

But killing the Pope's disciple? That was a different matter.

Even if they silenced everyone here, the truth could leak. Their employers might even betray them.

And above all, Bibi Dong herself was someone he dared not face.

After all, during the last tournament, the Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao fought dozens of Titled Douluo and nearly escaped—but was gravely injured by Bibi Dong with a single strike. Her strength was undeniable.

Since the employer dared to hire killers, one must never rely on their sense of honor.

"Everyone, our target is Chu Chengzhou."

Without hesitation, the Vulture addressed the group directly.

His meaning was clear: kill Chu Chengzhou and spare Hu Liena.

After all, only Chu was the one with a bounty on his head. Hu Liena was just caught up in this incident, and killing her wouldn't increase their reward.

"Understood."

The others nodded.

The Spirit Hall's power extended across the continent. Provoking them would be dangerous for anyone. Better to avoid unnecessary conflict.

"Are you done talking?"

Seeing the six men treating him as if he were already dead, Chu asked in a low voice.

Still, it was to his advantage that they didn't dare touch Hu Liena—at least he wouldn't need to divide his attention to protect her.

"Don't be arrogant, boy. The old man gives you a chance to die with dignity. Kill yourself."

The Vulture's voice was cold.

"Hmph. Who lives and who dies is yet to be seen. Blossoming Moment!"

With a snort, soul power surged from Chu. Golden light flashed across his body, and a golden soul-power flower appeared above his head. As its petals drifted down, a faint golden glow enveloped him, making him look like a war god descended.

As long as the flower above his head remained intact, he was impervious to all harm.

With Blossoming Moment's protective divine light and the sturdy Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Armor, even the attacks of eight-ring Soul Douluo wouldn't instantly kill him.

Moreover, the soulforged spirit-gold's all-element enhancement also strengthened this golden defensive technique.

Chu aimed at the weakest among them—Cang Ying.

Better to cut off one finger than to injure ten. Eliminating the easiest target first made a five-on-one fight less daunting than six-on-one.

In a flash, he drew the Nine Heavens Mystic Spirit Bow. Injecting soul power into the Piercing Gold Arrow, he aimed at Cang Ying, who hadn't yet activated his true form.

"Attack! Seventh Soul Skill, Bloodthirsty Vulture True Body!"

The Vulture shouted as he charged, his seventh soul ring flashing. His body transformed midair into a massive bloodthirsty vulture.

At the same time, the other five activated their own seventh soul rings.

"Void Illusion Domain!"

Chu's voice rang out, and a surge of immense spiritual power shot into Cang Ying's mind.

Instantly, Cang Ying froze, his consciousness trapped in illusion.

Chu's spiritual power was already on par with an average eight-ring soul master. With Xiao Bai's 50% boost and the 60% enhancement from his soulforged helmet, his mental force surpassed that of the agility-type Cang Ying.

The next second, a golden streak tore through the sky, crossing a hundred meters in a blink and striking the dazed Cang Ying directly in the head.

Boom—

His skull burst like a watermelon, scattering blood, flesh, and bone fragments.

"What?!"

The remaining five were stunned.

Though Cang Ying was the weakest among them, he was still an eight-ring Soul Douluo—and he had been killed with a single arrow.

"Die! Sixth Soul Skill, Bloodthirsty Arrow Feathers!"

With a furious roar, the Vulture's sixth soul ring lit up. Countless blood-red feathers shot out from his massive form like a storm of arrows.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Binding Starlight!"

Meanwhile, the control-type Xing Hun released his martial spirit's true form, becoming a colossal starry giant. His fifth ring shone, and a brilliant beam of starlight shot toward Chu.

Control-type soul masters might lack raw destructive power, but when paired with a strong attacker, they could defeat even two or three of their equals.

Seeing the incoming starlight, Chu's pupils shrank. He knew he must not be hit—being immobilized would leave him defenseless against the barrage of four Soul Douluo.

Just as the beam was about to strike, Chu tapped the ground lightly. His movement technique, Earthlight Traverse, activated, leaving a fading afterimage as he reappeared ten meters away.

As he evaded, the storm of blood-red feathers struck, clashing violently with the golden barrier of Blossoming Moment.

Clang, clang, clang—

The air rang with countless impacts.

Though the Vulture's sixth skill was a two-ringed attack from a Soul Douluo, its area-of-effect meant each feather was weaker. Only a portion struck Chu, failing to break through his defense, merely draining some soul power.

In the same instant, another Piercing Gold Arrow nocked onto the bowstring.

Whoosh—

The golden light streaked toward Xing Hun.

With Cang Ying dead, the most dangerous opponent was not the Vulture, but Xing Hun, the control-type Soul Douluo. His control could make the others' attacks far deadlier.

"Void Illusion Domain!"

As the arrow flew, Chu sent another mental attack toward Xing Hun.

While arrows were fast, Soul Douluo's reaction times were extraordinary. Killing one in a single shot required either a sneak attack or restricting their movement.

For a brief moment, Xing Hun's body stiffened as the illusion clouded his mind.

"Urgh—"

Chu groaned, blood trickling from his nose and mouth.

Mental attacks had a critical weakness: if the target's spiritual power exceeded the user's, the attack could backfire. Severe cases could kill the caster outright.

Though Xing Hun's mental strength was higher, the difference wasn't huge. Chu suffered only minor backlash, while Xing Hun's brief daze was enough.

In battle, even a heartbeat mattered. The Piercing Gold Arrow reached Xing Hun and punched through his starry defense, embedding itself in his forehead.

With a dull thud, Xing Hun's body collapsed, the arrow protruding from his skull.

Now only four remained.

Yet danger loomed.

The slower attackers—Jin Xiang, Zhan Fu, and Qingtian—finally joined the fray.

Chu wasn't alone; Hu Liena fought alongside him, with Xiong Da and Gui Er aiding.

Sensing Xiong Da's threat, Jin Xiang and Qingtian split off to contain it, while Zhan Fu lunged at Chu at full speed.

Gui Er, being a defensive summon, was ignored.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Divine-Demonic Split Earth!"

With a roar, Zhan Fu's eighth ring glowed. His martial spirit true form expanded into a colossal dark giant wielding an enormous axe. The axe shadow formed, immense and unstoppable.

Even under the suppression of the Killing God Domain, his strike remained terrifying as it descended.

Boom—

The impact resounded. The golden flower above Chu shattered, and his body was blasted dozens of meters away, crashing into the ground amid a cloud of dust.

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