Following the successful fusion of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind into the "Four Symbols," Chu Chengzhou turned his attention to the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
No surprise—"Five Elements" fusion succeeded too.
Like the Four Symbols, the resulting soul force shimmered with five swirling hues: gold, green, blue, crimson, and yellow.
Though Five Elements involved one more force than Four Symbols, Chu Chengzhou was startled to discover the difficulty gap between the two was negligible.
And as he pushed further—testing fusion with even more elemental combinations—he realized this wasn't merely a product of his faint comprehension of all elemental Laws, boosting his fusion capacity. No—it was about compatibility.
He could effortlessly fuse Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth into the stable Five Elements configuration… but if he replaced any one of those five with Wind, Lightning, Light, or Darkness? The fusion collapsed instantly. The same applied to Four Symbols.
It seemed that in the Douluo universe, only certain elemental combinations—Four Symbols and Five Elements—offered natural harmony. All others? Chaotic, unstable, doomed to fail.
'Eleven fundamental elements total. Five are covered by the Five Elements. What about the other six—Wind, Lightning, Light, Darkness, Time, Space? How do they fuse?'
He stared at the glowing Five Elements force in his palm, lost in thought.
But before he could ponder further, dinner time arrived.
Man is iron, rice is steel. Skip one meal, and you're weak as a kitten.
He was a soul master—not a mortal. One skipped meal wouldn't kill him. But decades of habit? He'd eat. Always.
As for after dinner?
Lu Xun once said: "When the belly is full, desires rise."
Lu Xun: "I never said that."
That night, Chu Chengzhou put in two rounds.
First half of the night, Yue Xuan
Elder Sister Yuehua +1 happiness.
Chu Chengzhou +1 happiness.
His combat power -1.
And yes—his "dear" nephew Tang San's fury? Also +1.
After the 'battle', he bathed. Then rode hard to the Tian Dou Imperial Palace.
Second half of the night, Tian Dou Imperial Palace.
After the battle ended.
The Angel Maiden +1 happiness.
Chu Chengzhou (Total) +2 happiness.
His combat power (Total) -2.
At that moment, the Empress asked: "You're late. Just came from your big sister's place?"
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
What? Can't a man make two rounds in one night?
"Hmph."
Qian Renxue scowled, flipped onto her mount again, and pressed forward.
That night, Chu Chengzhou's happiness metric soared into the stratosphere.
His combat power? Plunged into the abyss.
The next morning.
Chu Chengzhou staggered out of the bedroom, one hand pressed firmly against his lower back.
On the bed, Empress Qian Renxue—dehydrated, exhausted, but smug—watched him go with a cold, curled smile.
"Hmph. Only two, and you're walking like a cripple? Wait till the other four return. Then you'll have six. See how you handle that."
As a woman, she understood: the best way to keep a man faithful wasn't to chain him. It was to make him know his limits.
Let him feel the truth: no matter how sweet the flowers outside, he simply lacks the strength to pick them.
Too bad she'd arrived late.
Had she been first… this bastard wouldn't have dared look at another woman.
After a brief recovery, sleep-deprived and still trembling, Qian Renxue rose to wash and catch up on rest.
Then—voices from outside.
"Your Majesty, it's time for court."
"Cancel today's audience."
She didn't hesitate.
No court today.
Empress doesn't rise.
Meanwhile, Chu Chengzhou, still clutching his waist as he stepped out of the palace, sighed inwardly.
No doubt—he was good. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare juggle so many women.
In his prime, his stamina and technique could have taken down three or four Qian Renxues.
With six women, three at a time, seven days a week—he could easily give each one three nights of attention, with weekends reserved for recovery.
But Qian Renxue? That little devil had no concept of sportsmanship.
She'd adopted a "mutually assured destruction" strategy… and executed it.
Sure, the ox is strong. But you don't drive it until its bones break.
This kind of relentless, unyielding demand? Even a celestial-forged alloy would crack under it.
Thankfully, though he limped away, the real victim was worse off.
She wouldn't be able to walk properly for days.
And in that moment, Chu Chengzhou made a solemn vow:
The Golden Immortal Body cultivation technique? Absolutely NOT passing it on to Qian Renxue.
Otherwise, he'd spend the rest of his life trapped in a sea of fire and brimstone.
Happiness is beautiful.
But few realize—its endpoint is disaster.
Fifteen minutes later, Chu Chengzhou stood before the gates of the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce.
It was time.
The fake Divine Craftsman was ready to forge Heavenly-Refined Metal… and become a true Divine Craftsman of this age.
"Welcome to the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce!"
The moment he stepped through the door, a young woman in crisp uniform stepped forward with a radiant smile.
"Sir, how may we assist you today?"
"Call your manager."
Chu Chengzhou waved her off.
The girl blinked. "May I ask your name, sir?"
The manager was busy. Not every customer warranted his personal attention.
But this was the imperial capital. Powerful soul masters and noble families walked these halls daily. One wrong move, and a VIP could vanish in a puff of smoke.
The guild had long since memorized a list of elite patrons. If one arrived—especially if they requested the manager—she was to notify him immediately.
"Chu Chengzhou."
The girl's eyes widened.
"Oh! Chu Young Master, forgive me! Please, this way to the VIP Room. I'll fetch the manager immediately myself!"
She bowed deeply, gesturing with flawless grace.
She didn't know how other branches operated.
But in Tian Dou City? No one in the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce didn't know who Chu Chengzhou was.
Please—this was the future son-in-law of the boss's daughter.
The hero who shattered the Xingluo Empire's treacherous plot.
The man who slew dozens of their top assassins.
To disrespect him? Unthinkable.
Yes, that night—when Dai Tao and his men launched their revenge—Qian Renxue, now Empress, had officially branded it an "evil conspiracy by the Xingluo Empire."
And Chu Chengzhou? The man who had cut them down, saving the empire?
He was now a national hero.
And the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce? They'd treat him like the next god.
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