I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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In the passageway leaving the arena, the members of the Blazing Fire Academy team glared at the Lan Ba Academy team with eyes full of resentment.
To be precise, their resentment was directed entirely at Chu Chengzhou.
Losing wasn't the issue—after all, losing one match didn't matter much. The Blazing Fire Academy wasn't the weakest among the Five Elements Academies, and even after losing to Lan Ba Academy, securing one of the five qualifying spots in the preliminaries was still a certainty.
The problem was that they not only lost but were also thoroughly humiliated by Chu Chengzhou, especially Huo Wushuang.
In Huo Wushuang's view, he had already been knocked off the stage and was about to hit the ground when Chu Chengzhou, in front of everyone, pulled him back and hung him from a tree. Did Huo Wushuang not have any dignity?
If he could, Huo Wushuang would have loved to beat Chu Chengzhou to a pulp—preferably while hanging him from a tree.
But alas, his strength was insufficient. What could he do about it?
Facing the resentful gazes of the Blazing Fire Academy team, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you saying the Blazing Fire Academy can't accept defeat?"
"Who said we couldn't accept defeat?"
As if struck where it hurt, Huo Wu immediately retorted.
"Then why are you looking at me like that? Judging by your expressions, it doesn't seem like you're accepting defeat gracefully."
Chu Chengzhou stroked his chin and spoke with a calm demeanor.
"Hmph!"
Huo Wu coldly snorted, glared at Chu Chengzhou once more, and then turned away.
Just then, a tall young man with short silver hair, wearing a mask and dressed in a green uniform, approached from the opposite direction.
Oh? A young man wearing a mask? Was he trying to act mysterious?
But the next second, this so-called mysterious young man revealed his true nature.
"Huo Wu, are you alright?"
Seeing the gloomy Huo Wu, Feng Xiaotian quickly stepped forward with concern.
"Go away. I don't want anything to do with you."
Faced with the concern of a simp, an irritated Huo Wu completely ignored him, waving him off as if shooing away a fly.
To be fair, Feng Xiaotian was indeed a simp, but Huo Wu wasn't exactly a bad girl.
What defines a bad girl? Someone who neither rejects nor accepts, keeps her simps hanging, and maintains backup options—that's a bad girl. Huo Wu had clearly rejected Feng Xiaotian, finding him lacking in masculinity.
Seeing Huo Wu ignore him, Feng Xiaotian panicked.
"Hey, Chu Chengzhou, right? You bullied my Huo Wu earlier. I demand you apologize to her immediately!"
Feng Xiaotian wasn't stupid. He knew why Huo Wu was upset and immediately shifted the blame onto Chu Chengzhou.
Regardless of everything else, he first aligned himself with Huo Wu.
"Your Huo Wu? Huo Wu, what relationship does he have with you?"
Chu Chengzhou smirked and turned to ask Huo Wu.
At this, Feng Xiaotian eagerly looked at Huo Wu, hoping she'd say he was her boyfriend!
Unfortunately, a certain simp was met with disappointment as Huo Wu immediately replied without hesitation, "Feng Xiaotian, my affairs have nothing to do with you. I've already told you—I don't like you."
Hello darkness my old friend~
"Brother, condolences!"
Patting Feng Xiaotian on the shoulder, Chu Chengzhou chuckled and walked away, leading the Lan Ba Academy team without looking back.
Perhaps the blow came too suddenly, but Huo Wu didn't throw any tantrums or promise revenge against Chu Chengzhou. She simply ignored Feng Xiaotian and left the arena passage with her teammates.
Watching his beloved Huo Wu walk away, Feng Xiaotian stood frozen in place.
He couldn't understand why, despite going out of his way—even deliberately losing during sparring matches with Huo Wu and her brother Huo Wushuang—she still refused him.
At this moment, Huo Wushuang, who had already left, turned back and approached Feng Xiaotian, shaking his head and sighing before patting his shoulder.
To be honest, Huo Wushuang was quite satisfied with Feng Xiaotian. If he became his brother-in-law, Huo Wushuang wouldn't mind at all.
After all, Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu were close in age, he was devoted, had no ulterior motives, and possessed innate full soul power. Such an excellent brother-in-law was hard to find, even if you searched with a lantern.
Unfortunately, his sister didn't approve of him. As her older brother, there was nothing he could do about it!
"Brother, you're so good!"
Feng Xiaotian looked longingly at his Huo Wu and sighed deeply to Huo Wushuang.
"Don't call me 'brother.' I'm not your brother, and I'm actually younger than you!"
This sudden address caught Huo Wushuang off guard.
'Even a future brother-in-law is still a "brother"~!'
Silently thinking this, Feng Xiaotian asked, puzzled, "Wushuang, what should I do to make Huo Wu accept me?"
"I don't have a girlfriend. How would I know what girls think?"
Huo Wushuang rolled his eyes.
One had low emotional intelligence, the other was a steel-straight man. Neither realized that the reason Huo Wu rejected Feng Xiaotian was because he was too much of a simp.
For a girl like Huo Wu, who had a strong personality, being submissive wouldn't work. Only dominance could win her over.
Since there were five competition stages in the arena, the preliminary round progressed quickly. Before noon, all thirteen matches of the day's three groups had concluded.
After the matches ended, Chu Chengzhou and his group exited the Grand Arena.
"Rongrong!"
Just as they stepped out of the arena, preparing to return to the academy, a deep voice stopped them in their tracks.
Turning around, Chu Chengzhou saw Ning Fengzhi and the tall Gu Rong approaching them.
"Dad, Bone Grandpa!"
Ning Rongrong excitedly rushed forward and threw herself into Gu Rong's arms.
Hmm, for a certain little devil, her grandpa was closer than her dad, wasn't he?
Gu Rong held his precious granddaughter, speaking words of concern, while Ning Fengzhi approached with a smile, saying, "Greetings, young friends from Lan Ba Academy."
"We pay our respects to Lord Ning and Lord Gu Rong!"
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong were well-known figures, and everyone recognized them immediately, bowing respectfully.
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand and smiled, "No need for formalities. Right now, I'm just Rongrong's father. Don't treat me as some sect leader—I'm merely your elder."
With that, Ning Fengzhi's gaze fell on Chu Chengzhou: "Young Chu, I watched your entire match earlier—you're quite impressive."
"Uncle Ning, you flatter me. Our victory over the Blazing Fire Academy team was everyone's effort."
Chu Chengzhou modestly replied.
"Haha, humility is a virtue for the young, but there's no need to be overly humble."
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but laugh. Originally, he had planned to give Chu Chengzhou a talking-to, fearing that the young man might get arrogant after gaining some skills. But to his surprise, Chu Chengzhou didn't follow the usual script—he was genuinely humble, which completely contradicted Ning Fengzhi's impression of him.
"Rongrong, won't you introduce your companions to your father and Bone Grandpa?"
Ning Fengzhi turned to his little treasure.
"Mm-hmm, Dad, Bone Grandpa, this is Jiang Zhu, our team's healer. She's a Level 35 Soul Elder. This senior, Huang Yuan, has the Lone Wolf martial soul—a Level 35 close-combat battle-type Soul Elder. Senior Jing Ling has the Skeleton martial soul—a Level 35 agility-type battle Soul Elder. And Senior Tai Long, a direct descendant of the Strength Clan, is a Level 38 strength-type battle Soul Elder."
Ning Rongrong pointed to Jiang Zhu and the others, introducing them one by one.
"Not bad. All of you young friends have great talent. As long as you continue to work hard, your future achievements will surely be remarkable."
Ning Fengzhi nodded approvingly.
Of course, Ning Fengzhi also knew that while these four would achieve decent success in the future, they would likely peak at seven-ringed Soul Sages, or at most eight-ringed Soul Douluos. Becoming Title Douluos was probably out of reach for them.
Next, Ning Rongrong continued, "This is Ma Hongjun, whom we call Fatty. His martial soul is the Magma Fire Phoenix, and he's currently a Level 39 Soul Elder. By the time the finals begin, Fatty will likely advance to become a Soul Ancestor.
And this is Oscar. He used to have the nickname 'Sausage Weird Uncle.' His martial soul is sausages, and he's a Level 42 food-type Soul Ancestor.
Oh, Dad, Oscar is also the unprecedented food-type soul master with innate full soul power on the continent!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi, who was already smiling, grinned even wider.
Ning Fengzhi was well aware of the intelligence on the Lan Ba Academy team. Ma Hongjun was only 14 years old and would soon reach the Soul Ancestor level—a surefire candidate for becoming a Title Douluo in the future.
As for Oscar, he was the unprecedented food-type soul master with innate full soul power. There were no restrictions on martial souls for those with full soul power. Once he grew stronger, he was guaranteed to become a Title Douluo. Perhaps in a few years, the continent would see its first-ever food-type Title Douluo.
Such geniuses—even if they didn't join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in the future—their ties with his precious daughter would make them potential allies.
"Dad, Bone Grandpa, allow me to introduce my two besties!
This is Zhuqing. Her martial soul is the Netherworld Spirit Cat, and she's a Level 43 Agility-type Soul Ancestor. Also, Zhuqing is a bit younger than me!
This is Xiao Wu. Her martial soul is the Soft Bone Rabbit. Why don't you guess Xiao Wu's soul power level?"
Hugging her two girlfriends' arms, Ning Rongrong smiled at Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong.
"Dad can't guess."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head.
"Could this little girl possibly be a Soul King already?"
Rubbing his chin, Gu Rong guessed.
Xiao Wu had mastered secret techniques, and even Gu Rong, a Level 95 Title Douluo, couldn't discern her soul power level.
However, since his precious granddaughter brought it up, it was clear Xiao Wu wasn't just a Soul Ancestor.
"Bone Grandpa is sharp! That's right—our Xiao Wu advanced to become a Soul King just a few days before the Soul Master Tournament began!"
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong proudly puffed out her chest, as if she herself had become a Soul King.
Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi was momentarily stunned.
He had been keeping tabs on Chu Chengzhou and the others, but he truly hadn't known about Xiao Wu advancing to a Soul King.
According to the intelligence reports, Xiao Wu was 18 years old. An 18-year-old Soul King was undoubtedly another super genius.
What Ning Fengzhi didn't know was that the intelligence he received only scratched the surface. Xiao Wu's actual age wasn't 18—it was calculated as 14 based on human soul masters' standards.
Of course, if you included her entire rabbit lifespan, there wasn't a single soul master on the continent older than Xiao Wu.
Learning about Xiao Wu's strength, Ning Fengzhi felt both pleased and troubled.
He knew that his precious daughter's relationship with Chu Chengzhou wasn't normal, and Xiao Wu was Chu Chengzhou's official girlfriend.
As a father, if possible, Ning Fengzhi naturally didn't want his daughter to share a husband with other women.
Make Xiao Wu leave Chu Chengzhou?
Ning Fengzhi wasn't that brainless. If he did that, regardless of whether Chu Chengzhou would hate him, Xiao Wu—who would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future—would definitely hate him.
What about making Chu Chengzhou distance himself from his precious daughter and sever ties?
Forget about whether the two involved parties would agree—just considering how excellent a son-in-law Chu Chengzhou was, Ning Fengzhi couldn't bear to let him go.
Because he wasn't just a father; he was also the sect leader of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. From the sect's perspective, as long as the son-in-law was capable and treated his daughter well, having a few extramarital entanglements could be tolerated.
"So that means the Lan Ba Academy team has one Soul King and five Soul Ancestors? Tsk, such a pity."
Gu Rong clicked his tongue regretfully.
"A pity? Bone Grandpa, what's a pity?"
Ning Rongrong was confused.
"Hehe, nothing~"
Gu Rong shook his head and didn't elaborate.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had received word that the Spirit Hall was promoting their so-called "Golden Generation." This trio of the Spirit Hall's "Golden Generation" had decent talent and strength—all three were Soul Kings.
In other words, in this year's Soul Master Tournament, the Spirit Hall team's lineup would consist of three Soul Kings and at least four Soul Ancestors.
In previous years, a team with one Soul King and five Soul Ancestors would have been enough to secure the championship. But compared to this year's Spirit Hall team with three Soul Kings, they were still somewhat lacking.
However, to avoid dampening his precious granddaughter's spirits, Gu Rong decided not to say more.
After all, in Gu Rong's view, even if he mentioned the Spirit Hall team, aside from causing some distress to his precious granddaughter, it wouldn't help in any way. It was better not to say anything.
Clearly, Gu Rong didn't fully understand Chu Chengzhou's strength. He didn't realize that the strongest member of the Lan Ba Academy team wasn't Xiao Wu, who had the highest soul power level, but Chu Chengzhou, the seemingly mischievous auxiliary-type Soul Elder.
Seeing his Bone Grandpa speak cryptically, Ning Rongrong was extremely curious. But just as she was about to ask for clarification, Gu Rong interrupted her.
"Rongrong, you haven't introduced these two to Bone Grandpa yet!"
Gu Rong pointed to Chu Chengzhou and Dai Mubai, changing the subject.
"Eh? Bone Grandpa, don't you know Senior Chu?"
Ning Rongrong blinked.
Her dad had already met Chu Chengzhou, and Grandpa Jian had seen him too. She didn't believe Bone Grandpa didn't know about Chu Chengzhou.
Gu Rong: "..."
Well, he really did know this young man.
There was no helping it. According to his old friend Chen Xin, his precious granddaughter had an abnormal relationship with this young man. As a doting grandfather, Gu Rong had naturally investigated him.
"And this young friend?"
Gu Rong pointed to Dai Mubai.
"Oh, his name is Dai Mubai."
Glancing at Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong said indifferently.
What was there to say about this tiger guy? If it weren't for the fact that they were from the same academy, she'd have found someone to beat him up!
Initially, due to her little sister Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong already disliked Dai Mubai.
Later, because Chu Chengzhou and Dai Mubai didn't get along, she disliked him even more.
On top of that, Dai Mubai hailed from the Star Luo Imperial Family, which had countless past grievances with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. As the young miss of the sect, Ning Rongrong naturally didn't give him a friendly face.
Noticing his precious granddaughter's apparent dislike for Dai Mubai, Gu Rong raised an eyebrow.
'Bone Uncle, this Dai Mubai is the third prince of Star Luo. He doesn't get along well with Rongrong and the others.'
Ning Fengzhi transmitted telepathically.
Instantly, Gu Rong became even more surprised.
Star Luo prince, White Tiger, Netherworld Spirit Cat?
If he wasn't mistaken, according to Star Luo's imperial tradition, Dai Mubai and the girl named Zhuqing likely had a marriage contract, right?
His precious granddaughter strongly disliked Dai Mubai but was best friends with his fiancée?
Something was off. Had Zhuqing and Dai Mubai, who were engaged, fallen out?
For a moment, a small spark of gossip ignited in Gu Rong's heart.
Of course, it was just a small spark.
After all, Dai Mubai was just a Star Luo prince, not the crown prince, and certainly not the emperor.
If one day, the Star Luo emperor got into a fight with his unwed empress-to-be the day before his coronation, that would be a big scandal.
After chatting for a bit, Ning Fengzhi's old habit kicked in again, and he extended an olive branch to the Lan Ba Academy team.
However, perhaps because they were used to a leisurely life, only Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, and Huang Yuan showed interest in joining the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Though Ning Fengzhi felt a bit disappointed, he didn't hold any significant regrets.
Regardless, aside from the openly hostile Dai Mubai, the others were all his precious daughter's companions. Even if they weren't part of their faction, they were still natural potential allies in the future.
By this time, more and more spectators were leaving the Grand Arena, and it was getting late. Ning Fengzhi said, "I'm very happy to have met all of you talented youths today. Alright, hurry back to the academy! Young Chu, stay behind—I have something to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
But if his future father-in-law wanted to talk to him, there was no way he could refuse. What if his little devil's dowry got cut later?
Soon, the rest of the Lan Ba Academy team left, leaving only Chu Chengzhou behind. He followed Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong into the bustling area of Tian Dou City.
As they walked, Chu Chengzhou asked, "Uncle Ning, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "I'll introduce you to a young man."
At this, Chu Chengzhou understood.
If he wasn't mistaken, the young man Ning Fengzhi referred to was Xue Qinghe, the crown prince of the Tian Dou Empire—in other words, Qian Renxue.
Perhaps in Ning Fengzhi's view, his prospective son-in-law and disciple were both young people who needed to interact and exchange ideas?
Indeed, Chu Chengzhou also thought it necessary to communicate.
Not long after, the three arrived in front of a hotel called Tian Dou Grand Hotel.
The hotel's scale was massive, decorated in dazzling gold and jade. Before even entering, Chu Chengzhou felt a wave of 'simplicity' wash over him.
But it made sense. Since this hotel dared to name itself after "Tian Dou," its status was akin to Diaoyutai in his previous life. The level of luxury couldn't be lacking—otherwise, it would disgrace the entire Tian Dou Empire.
At this moment, a waiter approached and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Ning, Lord Gu Rong. His Highness has been waiting for some time. Please follow me."
"Mm."
Ning Fengzhi nodded faintly.
Following the waiter to the third floor and into the innermost private room, the waiter pushed open the door and ushered the three inside.
The private room was spacious, nearly a hundred square meters, and seated inside was a young man with short golden hair.
Noticing their arrival, the young man stood up and greeted them.
"Teacher, Lord Gu Rong!"
Xue Qinghe—no, Qian Renxue—greeted them.
Compared to the original storyline, Xue Qinghe's appearance was closer to the anime version.
He appeared to be in his twenties, with short golden hair paired with a suit in red, gold, and white. He looked handsome and gave off an air of gentleness and elegance.
Chu Chengzhou had to admit that the Angel Head soul bone's disguise skill was impressive. Even though he knew Xue Qinghe was Qian Renxue in disguise, he still couldn't detect any flaws.
He wondered if he could explore and uncover the pair of treasures hidden beneath the angel's chest if he approached now?
He had glimpsed them once through her robes—they weren't as large as Big Cat's, but they were still quite sizable.
Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Young Chu, let me introduce you. This is Xue Qinghe, the current crown prince of the Tian Dou Empire and also my disciple."
"So you're the Crown Prince? My apologies!"
Chu Chengzhou cupped his hands in greeting.
Indeed, it was impolite. Right now, the angel was Xue Qinghe, so how could his thoughts be so vulgar? It was utterly inappropriate!
Hmm? Why did Xue Qinghe's face resemble Qian Renxue's from when he first met her?
Damn it, had he been corrupted?!
"Brother Chu, Teacher has spoken highly of you. I watched your match earlier, and you truly are extraordinary.
It's a pleasure to meet you. If you don't mind, call me Brother Xue! No need to mention the title of 'Crown Prince.'"
Qian Renxue praised him.
To be honest, Qian Renxue found it difficult to gauge Chu Chengzhou's strength.
It wasn't his Level 48 soul power that puzzled her. After all, the Soul Master Tournament gathered most of the continent's genius soul masters—there were even Soul Kings, not to mention Soul Ancestors like Chu Chengzhou.
What confused her was the strength of Xiao Qing.
She had clearly seen that when Chu Chengzhou summoned that giant tree, his first soul ring lit up.
As a product of a hundred-year soul skill from a Soul Ancestor, that tree had completely suppressed Huo Wu, a Soul Ancestor. Moreover, the group-wide shield he bestowed upon his teammates had a strength comparable to an ordinary Soul King's ten-thousand-year defensive soul skill.
Even if Chu Chengzhou's flag martial soul had unique properties similar to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, allowing his soul skills' effects to improve with his strength, wasn't this a bit too absurd?
Furthermore, that tree was summoned using only his first soul skill. If he summoned the creatures formed by his higher-level soul skills, wouldn't they easily overpower Soul Kings, or even Soul Emperors?
And once his level increased further, would these summons be able to rival ten-thousand-year soul beasts?
The more she thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed. How could such a powerful martial soul exist in the world?
Comparing her own martial soul to Chu Chengzhou's, Qian Renxue couldn't help but feel that her Six-Winged Angel martial soul wasn't all that impressive.
Aside from awakening a divine domain, was her esteemed Six-Winged Angel martial soul really inferior to some unknown, potentially mutated martial soul?
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