Douluo: AFK to Become a God

"Eat it. I'll keep watch for you," Chu Chengzhou said.

"Mm."

Hu Liena nodded slightly. Without hesitation, she swallowed the golden fruit in one bite, then sat cross-legged and began cultivating with the Nine Breaths Meditation Technique, silently refining the medicinal power of the Star Luo Spirit Pearl.

Soon, Chu saw starlight radiate from her entire body.

Behind her, her Fox Spirit Martial Soul appeared, its orange fur glowing as its eyes shone with a pink light.

At the same time, brilliant starlight spread from Hu Liena, enveloping the Fox Spirit.

In that moment, both human and martial soul seemed draped in a robe of stars.

It was already dusk, and as night descended, Hu Liena underwent further transformation.

The starlight on her body resonated with the stars in the night sky, and suddenly, beams of brilliant light poured down, dispersing the mist above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, bathing Hu Liena and her Fox Spirit in celestial radiance.

"Tsk, with a spectacle like this, it would be strange if her martial soul didn't evolve," Chu muttered to himself.

The falling starlight continued. The commotion inevitably attracted the attention of nearby spirit beasts.

However, the mountain surrounding the Ice and Fire Well was protected by a poisonous flower barrier, keeping even ten-thousand-year beasts out. The few flying beasts that approached were casually driven away by Chu.

Perhaps due to the herb's power, or the absorbed starlight, Hu Liena's Fox Spirit suddenly began to change dramatically.

Under the brilliant starlight, its orange fur gradually turned snow-white, and a crescent moon-shaped mark appeared on its forehead.

When all its fur had turned white, its single large tail twisted, splitting into nine slender white tails.

In that moment, Hu Liena's Fox Spirit transformed into a magnificent white nine-tailed fox.

Without a doubt, Hu Liena's Fox Spirit had always been of top-tier quality. As the sister of Xie Yue, whose Moon Blade was a top-tier offensive martial soul, it was only natural.

Yet, Chu could sense that the evolved nine-tailed fox was far stronger than the original. Though it had not reached divine level, it was certainly at the peak just below godhood.

"Hmm… I hope this evolution didn't erase her martial soul fusion skill," Chu thought suddenly.

Fusion skills were hard to form, and evolution could disrupt them.

Fortunately, her fusion skill "Enchanting" was with her brother Xie Yue, not with Chu's own True Spirit Flag. The siblings wouldn't always fight together, and losing it wouldn't matter much.

Besides, with her enhanced talent and Nine Breaths Technique, she would soon surpass Xie Yue. Even without the fusion skill, her evolved martial soul gave her greater strength.

Time passed quickly, and soon dawn arrived.

As the first light of morning broke through the darkness, the starlight faded. Hu Liena, whose martial soul had evolved, slowly opened her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Chu asked with a smile.

Perhaps because the herb wasn't fully mature, its medicinal effect wasn't as overwhelming as other immortal herbs. Her soul power had only risen from near level 53 to level 55, matching Chu's current rank.

"Wonderful! And my martial soul…"

Hu Liena turned her head to admire the white nine-tailed fox glowing behind her.

No matter how she looked at it, her new nine-tailed fox was far superior to her old one.

Women did love beauty—and she was no exception.

"Want to give it a new name?" Chu asked with a smile.

"Bad guy, you name it. You helped it evolve," she said, planting a kiss on him.

"How about… Star Moon Nine-Tailed Fox?" Chu suggested after a moment's thought.

"Star Moon Nine-Tailed Fox? It used starlight to evolve, has a moon mark, and nine tails… yes, Star Moon Nine-Tailed Fox! Hehe, my Star Moon Nine-Tailed Fox will be the strongest spiritual martial soul on the continent!"

After agreeing on the name, the two didn't linger. With their purpose fulfilled, Chu summoned the Fire Phoenix Xiao Hong and flew with Hu Liena toward Spirit Hall City.

Sunset Forest was in the northern central part of the continent, while Spirit Hall City lay in the center. By afternoon, they reached the city closest to Spirit Hall.

Chu didn't immediately return her. The two spent another night "fighting" in a hotel there.

The next morning, Chu finally escorted the still pale but radiant Hu Liena to the outskirts of Spirit Hall City.

He didn't dare deliver her directly to the Pope's Palace, fearing that Bibi Dong, angry at her "plucked flower" being taken, might detain him.

"Nana, remember to train well," Chu reminded her.

"Mm, and you have to remember to miss me!" Hu Liena replied with tender affection.

Though Chu had other girlfriends, polygamy was common on the continent. While she minded it, she accepted it—because this bad man was too captivating.

"No matter what, I'll come to see you," Chu said.

After a long kiss, he waved and rode Xiao Hong away toward Heaven Dou City.

Hu Liena watched his figure disappear into the sky, only turning toward Spirit Hall City long after.

Inside the Pope's Palace, Bibi Dong was handling Spirit Hall affairs, a trace of worry between her brows.

Her disciple Hu Liena had left the City of Slaughter nearly half a month ago, yet there was no news. As her teacher, Bibi Dong couldn't help but worry.

At that moment, a palace guard announced, "Report! Your Holiness, Hu Liena requests an audience!"

Bibi Dong's expression brightened, then quickly darkened. "Let her in."

She was glad her precious disciple had returned, but unhappy that she hadn't reported back sooner.

The side doors opened, and Hu Liena entered.

"Nana, you're back… hmm?"

Though annoyed, Bibi Dong was happy to see her safe. Yet her face soon darkened again.

As a woman, Bibi Dong could tell something had changed.

It wasn't the pale complexion or the cold aura, but the way her disciple walked.

There was a subtle difference between the walk of a maiden and that of a woman. Others might not notice, but Bibi Dong, a powerful woman, could not miss it.

Her heart turned bitter. The girl she had raised had been taken by someone—Chu Chengzhou! Unforgivable!

"Teacher? Teacher?"

Seeing her teacher's face grow ugly, Hu Liena asked in confusion.

"Sigh, it's good you're back. I didn't expect you to leave the City of Slaughter so quickly. Tell me about your training there."

After staring at her for a while, Bibi Dong sighed, gently touching Hu Liena's head, and asked softly.

What else could she do?

Say Chu wasn't a good match and try to tear them apart?

Impossible.

No one understood the power of love better than she did. Forcing them apart would only lead to a worse outcome.

"This…"

Hu Liena hesitated.

"Hmm? Is there something you can't tell your teacher?"

Bibi Dong frowned, growing even more displeased with Chu. Because of him, her disciple was hesitating with her.

"No, teacher, it's like this…"

Hurriedly, Hu Liena waved her hand and recounted her experiences in the City of Slaughter.

She couldn't hide it; with her strength, it was impossible to have won a hundred matches so quickly without help.

Spirit Hall had ties with the City of Slaughter, supplying its resources. Her teacher could easily find out the truth.

Of course, she left out the part about the Rose Hotel in Soto City.

After a long while, Bibi Dong felt relieved. Her disciple might have rebellious tendencies, but she hadn't lied about Chu.

Likewise, Hu Liena relaxed when her teacher didn't press about Chu.

Being part of Spirit Hall, she knew well that it opposed the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Chu was close to both. She had feared her teacher would question and strongly oppose their relationship.

Hmm, perhaps the teacher already knew but simply didn't say it.

After a pause, Hu Liena decided to shift the topic with some good news and said, "Teacher, my martial soul has undergone a mutation and evolved!"

As she spoke, Hu Liena released her Star Moon Nine-Tailed Fox martial soul.

"Oh?"

Seeing the white-furred nine-tailed fox martial soul appear behind Hu Liena, Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Wasn't the City of Slaughter only supposed to grant the Killing God Domain? How did her martial soul mutate and evolve?

Bibi Dong could clearly tell that compared to her previous Demon Fox martial soul, Hu Liena's new nine-tailed fox was far stronger.

If she were to make a comparison, it was like the White Armored Earth Dragon of the Holy Dragon Sect versus the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon of the Blue Lightning Clan.

Suddenly, Bibi Dong thought of a possibility.

Could her disciple have been favored by the deity behind the City of Slaughter, who granted her the chance to evolve her martial soul?

But that didn't make sense. Bibi Dong knew very well what level her disciple was at.

Compared to ordinary spirit masters, her disciple was a genius, but compared to true prodigies, she still fell short.

For those lofty deities, even innate full spirit power was likely not enough to attract their attention.

Bibi Dong remembered that when she herself was chosen by the Rakshasa God, it was not just because of her innate full spirit power and twin martial souls, but more importantly because of the hatred in her heart, which resonated with the evil Rakshasa God. Without that alignment, inheriting a god position would have been impossible.

After all, while twin martial souls were rare, history had recorded many. Yet in twenty thousand years of recorded history, only the Angel God and the Sea God had ascended to divinity, and neither achieved it through inheritance.

"Nana, what happened?"

Bibi Dong voiced her doubts.

"Teacher, after leaving the City of Slaughter, I accidentally obtained a treasure. That's how my martial soul evolved," Hu Liena said vaguely.

She didn't elaborate. Chu Chengzhou had told her to keep it secret, and even if he hadn't, she wouldn't expose him or the original owner of the treasure, Dugu Bo.

Seeing this, Bibi Dong raised her eyebrows, her dissatisfaction with Chu lessening slightly.

Hu Liena didn't say much, but Bibi Dong could easily guess. She didn't believe this was pure luck. This opportunity must have come from Chu Chengzhou. Why else would her disciple gain it only now?

After chatting a bit, Bibi Dong said, "Nana, go back and rest. Come see me tomorrow."

She knew that after just obtaining the Killing God Domain, Hu Liena's condition was unstable. She planned to cleanse and help her fully master it tomorrow, instead of leaving her to wander around brimming with killing intent like a fallen evil spirit master.

"Mm!"

Hu Liena nodded and was about to leave.

But before she stepped out, she remembered something and took out a large, frost-covered box from her storage device.

"What is this?"

Bibi Dong asked in surprise.

"Teacher, this is the corpse of one of Spirit Hall's top wanted criminals, whom I was lucky enough to encounter and kill," Hu Liena replied, pointing to the box.

"Oh? Who is it?"

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. The criminals on Spirit Hall's wanted list were never ordinary; their spirit power was at least over level 80.

For her disciple, who was only at the fifth ring, to have killed such a figure?

"It's the Vulture, second on the wanted list."

Bibi Dong was stunned.

If she remembered correctly, this evil spirit master had once sacrificed an entire town's civilians in an attempt to break through to Title Douluo. He was an 89th-level agility-type flying Spirit Douluo.

My disciple killed an 89th-level Spirit Douluo?

She inhaled sharply. Half a year ago, Chu Chengzhou had only been a fourth-ring Spirit Ancestor, yet now he could kill an 89th-level Spirit Douluo?

In an instant, Bibi Dong guessed the truth.

If this had been half a month ago, knowing Chu Chengzhou was this strong, she would have eliminated him early.

After all, if her plans regarding the Heaven Dou Empire failed, both the empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would remain obstacles to her unification ambitions, and Chu Chengzhou was closely tied to both, practically a member of the sect.

At such a young age, to already be capable of killing an 89th-level Spirit Douluo—what would happen if he cultivated for a few more years? He would become an even greater threat than Tang Hao!

But now, Bibi Dong no longer thought of eliminating him.

She had raised Hu Liena as her own daughter, even closer than to her real daughter. No matter how much she disliked this future son-in-law, she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

Hopefully, that brat would know his place in the future.

Three days later, in the afternoon.

Heaven Dou City, Chu Residence.

Lying on a lounge chair in the courtyard to soak up the sun and "warm up" his cold aura, Chu Chengzhou felt frustrated.

Despite his efforts, the icy killing intent around him hadn't improved much. Even his three girlfriends were reluctant to get close to him.

With his aura resembling that of a corrupted evil spirit master, it was no surprise they kept their distance.

Well, at least they were back home. They could get close again when things improved.

"Seems Absolute Control isn't so absolute after all," Chu muttered.

He could suppress the killing intent within him, but unless he kept the technique active constantly, the icy aura leaked out.

Was it because the technique wasn't high enough in grade, or because this killing aura simply wasn't within its control range?

As he pondered, he heard commotion at the front gate. Before he could extend his spiritual sense, Ning Rongrong's voice rang out: "Chengzhou, Daddy, Sword Grandpa, and Crown Prince Senior are here!"

The father-in-law had arrived. No question, Chu immediately rose to greet them.

Soon, in the living room, Chu served tea as the host.

"What's going on with you, kid?"

Noticing the cold, unnatural aura around Chu, Ning Fengzhi frowned.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin and Qian Renxue also turned to look, sensing the same problem.

"After killing too many people, there are no other side effects," Chu said helplessly.

"How many have you killed?" Chen Xin asked, astonished.

For his aura to change so drastically, he must have slaughtered at least tens of thousands.

"Not that many, only about a thousand. The City of Slaughter has an arena where ten people fight, and only the last survivor wins.

To leave the City of Slaughter, one must achieve a hundred consecutive wins. Compared to others who escaped, I killed the fewest."

Chen Xin was stunned.

Only a thousand and he turned out like this?

A thousand might sound like a lot, but for someone like him, it wasn't. With his sixth spirit skill, Ten Thousand Swords Return, he could wipe out thousands in one attack if they were packed tightly enough.

"It's not about the number. The City of Slaughter amplifies killing intent, changing your aura.

But there's an advantage—accumulating vast killing aura is the key to obtaining the Killing God Domain."

Chu waved his hand as he explained.

"Brother, what does your Killing God Domain do?" Qian Renxue asked.

Her own Angelic Six-Winged Martial Soul also came with a domain, so she was curious.

"My domain is still the basic version. It boosts my power by 10% and weakens the enemy by 10%. It can grow further, up to 20%."

"Seems quite effective," Chen Xin nodded, comparing it to his own Seven Kill Domain.

"Kid, I know a place that can solve your current problem," Ning Fengzhi said.

"Teacher, you mean Moon Pavilion?" Qian Renxue spoke before Chu could ask.

"Yes. The Moon Pavilion's mistress is a remarkable woman. Though not a spirit master, she wields a domain of her own.

This domain has no offensive power, but it can purify the heart. It should help you greatly," Ning Fengzhi said.

Chu raised an eyebrow.

He had almost forgotten that in the original story, Tang Yuehua had cured Tang San's Killing God Domain aftereffects.

Looks like he needed to visit Moon Pavilion.

Maybe he could also see if there was a chance to become the future brother-in-law of the God King Tang.

Chu Chengzhou: In the name of a father!

A brother-in-law is also a kind of father, right?

Hmm… though in the story, that "father" didn't end well.

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