Douluo Dalu: Ascension Across the Realms

Fengyu City, Tavern. "You—what did you do to him? Speak now, or I'll kill you!" The dull thuds of foreheads slamming against the wooden floo

Fengyu City, Tavern.

"You—what did you do to him? Speak now, or I'll kill you!"

The dull thuds of foreheads slamming against the wooden floor echoed repeatedly, fueling the rage of the burly man leading the group. Roaring furiously at Chen Xiaoming, he grabbed a nearby wooden stool, snapped it cleanly into a makeshift staff with a single twist, and stormed forward.

"Oh? You're going to kill me?"

Chen Xiaoming smiled lightly, genuinely impressed by the man's eagerness to throw his life away.

"Plenty of people want me dead. You'll have to take a number and wait your turn."

He spoke plainly, shaking his head. His eyes held no trace of concern—the burly man wasn't even worth acknowledging.

"Courting death!"

The brawny thug froze momentarily at Chen Xiaoming's calm retort, but the next instant, his fury ignited. Swinging the staff in a violent arc, he brought it down toward Chen Xiaoming with force.

He wasn't inexperienced—anyone who survived in the underworld had a few tricks up their sleeve. Moments earlier, one of his companions had inexplicably collapsed after brushing against Chen Xiaoming. Since no one else had approached, the culprit was obvious.

He didn't dare take any chances. The staff descended like a hammer.

"Sigh... I told you to wait your turn. Why are you in such a hurry?"

The staff stopped an inch above Chen Xiaoming's head.

Without ever rising from his seat, he sighed again and added calmly, "Cutting in line is bad manners. You should just wait quietly over there."

At his words, the staff remained frozen mid-air, unmoving. The brawny man's body, too, had gone stiff—locked in place as though time itself had halted for him.

Gasps rippled through the onlookers. All eyes turned toward the thug, whose face was now contorted in terror. His pupils darted frantically, but his body refused to obey.

"W-what are you?! D-Don't come any closer!"

With two companions incapacitated in the blink of an eye, the third man began to stumble backward. When he looked at Chen Xiaoming, it was no longer with hostility—but raw, unfiltered fear.

"Relax. I'm not interested in you."

Chen Xiaoming shot him a sidelong glance. The man was no beauty worth sparing—he'd simply stayed out of it. The only reason the other two were punished was because they dared lift a hand against him.

Whether they lived or died now was none of his concern.

Did they think that just because he walked among mortals, he'd let himself be trampled?

Ridiculous.

Did his title as the ultimate cheat-code not mean anything?

With the vast knowledge of an Alchemy Emperor, crafting a bit of poison was child's play.

"What a buzzkill," he muttered, shaking his head.

All he'd wanted was a quiet day. Now that his mood had been spoiled, he gathered his pack and headed for the door.

As for the two frozen men—whether they lived or perished would depend on their luck. Once the poison wore off… if they were still breathing, it meant fate wasn't done with them yet.

How long would it last again? Two days? Or was it three?

He couldn't remember.

As Chen Xiaoming stepped outside the teahouse, the gathered crowd recoiled as if fleeing a plague, terrified of meeting the same fate.

He ignored them.

He walked his path. He had always been the center of attention, and this was only the beginning.

Wandering down the streets of Fengyu City, Chen Xiaoming observed the city's so-called "security." It didn't take long for him to realize how deep the difference ran.

But for all its flaws, Fengyu had no shortage of indulgent delights. All around, the city thrummed with revelry—nights of dancing, singing, and hedonistic abandon. Many were clearly enjoying themselves.

After an unhurried stroll, Chen Xiaoming's steps came to a halt.

Not far ahead, a group of men in constable garb approached. At their lead was the very man who had passed by the tavern earlier—Captain Li. At his side? The man Chen Xiaoming had previously spared.

The thug whispered urgently into the constable's ear, eyes darting repeatedly toward Chen Xiaoming.

"Sigh, this again?"

Chen Xiaoming groaned. Yet another self-delivered offering?

He was a noble Alchemy Emperor, not some street thug poisoning mortals for fun. Did they think he had no pride?

…Wait, he was a tree now. He didn't have a face!

Realizing this, he flashed a crooked grin—his trademark smirk—and reached into his pack, drawing out a single gleaming pill.

"That's him! He killed Zhang San!"

The thug jabbed his finger at Chen Xiaoming, crying out with righteousness.

Chen Xiaoming blinked. Zhang San? Who's that? Did I kill someone by that name?

What a baseless accusation.

He only ever struck down worthy opponents. A name like "Zhang San"? Clearly not one of his.

"Men, arrest him!"

Captain Li raised an eyebrow, waved his hand, and at once, several uniformed officers surrounded Chen Xiaoming.

Steel flashed. Long blades unsheathed, catching the sunlight with a gleam.

"Hey, can't I at least say something in my defense?"

He hadn't even spoken, and already they were charging?

Was this how things worked in the mortal world of the Heaven-Defying Realm?

"No need!"

With a cold snort, Captain Li gave him no chance to speak. With his men, he charged forward.

"Why does this always happen?" Chen Xiaoming sighed.

"I just want to walk the mortal path and gain insight into karma, yet all I find are fools throwing themselves at me."

He pinched the purple pill between his fingers, and a wisp of violet poison began to spread, drifting lazily through the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Steel hit the ground one after another.

Captain Li and his men turned pale. The violet hue began to spread across their faces, seeping toward their skulls and hearts.

"W-What did you do to us?"

Their limbs turned to jelly, and their bravado crumbled. Gone was the arrogance—now there was only fear in Li's eyes.

"Nothing much. Just didn't want to waste my time, so I gave you a little gift."

He had come to comprehend the Dao, not to show off.

"Stay right where you are. The poison will wear off in three hours."

He spoke softly, then turned his back on them and walked toward the city gates.

As he strolled away, his mind wandered through all he'd experienced so far. Somehow, he felt… further than ever from understanding the Origin of Karma.

Thinking back on the old man's life immersed in the mortal world, of playing through the mortal world as a game, Chen Xiaoming found himself caring a little less about the root of karma.

The more one clings to it, the further it slips away.

"Well, forget it. I'll just take this lifetime to walk the path of a mortal… and become a Medicine Saint."

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