Douluo: Martial Soul Seven Kill Sword, The Sword Opens Heaven's Gates

After careful consideration, Xue Qinghe burst into laughter. "Haha, good! This is impressive, as expected of you. Unless the information leaks beforehand, this plan is airtight for the desperate Hao Tian Sect—they'll never be able to escape it."

Ning Tianchen shrugged.

This scheme wasn't just targeting Tang San alone—Tang Yuehua, Tang Xiao, Yu Xiaogang, and others would also be affected.

Moreover, once Prince Xue Xing and Crown Prince Xue Beng, who were under house arrest in the Tiandou Imperial Palace, came into contact with them, their fates wouldn't be any better either.

Such a plan truly embodied the saying, "a single plan to harm three parties."

Ning Tianchen reminded him, "Don't celebrate too soon. The poison you administered to Xue Ye—it's the Five-Color Poison, right? This poison isn't entirely without a cure."

Xue Qinghe didn't seem surprised.

Judging by his calm demeanor, Ning Tianchen roughly understood the reason.

It was likely that the Spirit Hall had informants planted within the single-attribute families.

The relocation of the three families to Tiandou City was such a significant event that the Spirit Hall couldn't have been completely unaware.

The lack of reaction from the Elephant Armor Sect suggested that someone had quietly pressured them behind the scenes.

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly. "We are allies. The only two people who can cure this poison are in our hands. So, what do I have to worry about?"

Ning Tianchen shrugged. "It's not impossible that there might still be some 'Medicine Sage' out there capable of curing it. In any case, it's best to remain cautious."

Xue Qinghe suddenly realized a potential issue. "Wait—if Tang Yuehua doesn't have the ability to invite someone who can cure the poison, wouldn't this plan become useless?"

Ning Tianchen shook his head and explained, "Don't worry. I've had contact with Tang San before, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has also secretly investigated him thoroughly. Tell me, for someone with exceptional medical skills, would they pass up such a golden opportunity?"

The Spirit Hall also knew about Tang San.

Back in Slaughter City, Tang San had demonstrated extraordinary medical skills in front of Hu Liena. After his identity was exposed, this incident naturally spread within a small circle in the Spirit Hall.

Xue Qinghe hadn't recalled this at first, but upon hearing Ning Tianchen's explanation, he immediately felt reassured.

"Very well, leave the rest to me. They must enter this trap!"

---

As for the palace coup plot, Ning Tianchen didn't need to directly participate.

As long as Xue Qinghe followed his plans step by step, everything would fall into place.

Three days later, the matters related to the establishment of the Heaven Sword Sect were resolved, and Ning Tianchen and the others were ready to embark on their cultivation journey.

On the night before their departure, Ning Tianchen met with Dugu Bo inside Seven Treasures Academy.

"Old man, the subsequent construction work of the sect will be entirely entrusted to you." Ning Tianchen said awkwardly, "Sorry about this. I originally promised not to involve you in managing the sect."

Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "What's there to apologize for? I see this as building myself a retirement home. Since it's for my own retirement, how could I not put in some effort?"

"However," Dugu Bo added seriously, "you're getting too close to certain people, and that's not a good thing. In the future, it could bring unimaginable disasters to you or even the sect."

Dugu Bo had been operating in Tiandou City for a long time—how could he not have informants?

He had certainly noticed Ning Tianchen's frequent interactions with Xue Qinghe.

"You can rest assured about this matter—I know my limits. My priority now is to focus on improving my strength. Once I have sufficient power, everything will balance out."

His cooperation with Qian Renxue was, to some extent, also based on strength.

If Ning Tianchen didn't possess extraordinary intelligence and talent, Qian Renxue wouldn't have established an equal partnership with him.

Of course, in this collaboration, Ning Tianchen only needed to continuously improve his strength to match his talents, and this cooperative relationship would remain extremely solid.

Moreover, he was now the inheritor of a god.

"As long as you're confident, that's all that matters." With that, Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes slightly, and began humming a tune.

Ning Tianchen knew this was his way of "politely asking him to leave," but he still had one more thing to say, so he couldn't leave just yet.

Dugu Bo swayed for a moment, then, seeing that Ning Tianchen hadn't left, he couldn't help but remind him, "I don't have any spare beds here. Go back and rest early."

Ning Tianchen gave an awkward smile. "Well… old man, there's one more thing I need you to do."

Then, speaking quickly, he continued, "Xue Qinghe might approach you with something in the near future. Just cooperate with his arrangements. Also, make sure no one else from the sect, especially Yang Wudi, gets involved. Not even you should involve anyone else from the sect."

With that, he stepped onto the Seven Kill Sword and disappeared in a flash.

Dugu Bo rose indignantly, but seeing that Ning Tianchen was already far away, he sighed and sat back down.

"Young man, you must quickly increase your strength. Otherwise, even I won't be able to protect you in the upcoming turmoil on the continent."

Not refusing meant agreeing. Since Ning Tianchen had spoken, how could Dugu Bo refuse to help?

---

The night passed silently.

Early the next morning, Ning Tianchen and the others boarded a carriage and set off toward Hongyang City, where Huang Wu and Bao Zhen had previously encountered trouble.

Unexpectedly, Ning Fengzhi didn't object to their departure. Instead, he provided several million gold soul coins to cover their expenses along the way.

As the carriage had just left Tiandou City, Ning Rongrong, inside the carriage, asked nervously, "Big Brother Tianchen, is it really okay for us to deceive Father like this?"

In fact, Ning Fengzhi had agreed to let them go on this training journey because Ning Tianchen had mentioned that it was related to the god trials.

Since Feng Xiaotian and others hadn't yet encountered the god trials, and due to the confidentiality of these trials, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong could only communicate in encrypted ways.

"I'm not deceiving Uncle Ning. I have a strong premonition that this journey will yield great results," Ning Tianchen said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong's brows relaxed slightly, but she still felt uneasy.

Seeing this, Chen Huayu couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what are you two talking about? What deception?"

"It's nothing. But I believe you'll soon understand everything." With that, Ning Tianchen quickly changed the subject. "Feng Xiaotian, have you thought about it? Will you join my sect?"

Feng Xiaotian pondered for a moment and replied, "Grandfather said that, in principle, he agrees to let me join your sect. However, Grandfather has one request."

Ning Tianchen prompted, "Go ahead and say it."

Feng Xiaotian shrugged helplessly. "Grandfather wants to know if our three families—Wind, Water, and Fire—can join your sect together."

The current situation of the Wind, Water, and Fire families was similar to that of the four single-attribute families in the past—they were essentially vassals of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

However, Ning Tianchen's Heaven Sword Sect maintained an equal partnership with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. If the three families joined the Heaven Sword Sect, it wouldn't technically count as betraying the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but their status would be elevated—they'd no longer be considered inferior.

Ning Tianchen was somewhat surprised.

Initially, he had indeed considered recruiting the Wind, Water, and Fire families into his sect.

However, these three families were subordinate to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Trying to poach them could jeopardize the founding of the sect, so he abandoned the idea of recruiting them.

Of course, if the three families voluntarily expressed interest in joining the Heaven Sword Sect, Ning Fengzhi would likely consider it carefully.

With this in mind, Ning Tianchen said, "When we reach the next city, I'll write two letters—one to Uncle Ning and one to the three family heads. If they have no objections, then neither do I."

---

After closing Moon Pavilion, Tang Yuehua had been trying to contact officials and nobles who owed her favors in order to gain enough convenience to take Tang San and others to the Star Luo Empire to establish the Tang Sect.

Officials and nobles were profit-driven individuals. Having lost her status as the owner of Moon Pavilion, Tang Yuehua had also lost her former glory.

These nobles avoided her like the plague—how could they care about past favors?

One day, Tang Yuehua, with a try-it-and-see attitude, approached a count who owed her a favor.

Meanwhile, Tang San and Tai Tan, after riding hard, finally returned to Tiandou City.

After making inquiries in the city, the two finally felt reassured.

The three single-attribute families hadn't arrived in Tiandou City yet, so they still had time to prepare and make arrangements in advance.

Upon returning to the mountain cabin and learning about their journey, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but ask, "The three single-attribute families don't have any land in Tiandou City, and they're not here to rely on the Strength Clan—so what kind of sect are they trying to establish?"

Tang Xiao also found it puzzling. "Yes, establishing a sect isn't child's play. With the abilities of these three family heads, it would be difficult for them to build a major sect. Of course, I'm not deliberately belittling them—I'm just stating the facts."

He was somewhat familiar with the heads of the four single-attribute families and knew their capabilities.

Even if we take the worst-case scenario into account, even if the three families did establish a sect, it would only be a makeshift operation doomed to fail sooner or later.

Tang San sighed. "The specifics can only be clarified by asking the three family heads directly. By the way, Teacher, have you noticed any newly established sects in the city? I suspect they might have joined forces with other families to form a sect."

Tang San's reasoning made sense. After some thought, Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "No, there hasn't been any news of new sects being formed in the city."

Ning Tianchen's Heaven Sword Sect was still in its confidential phase.

Over the years, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had undertaken numerous large-scale construction projects within the city. Any commotion they caused would simply make others think they were building another marketplace.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

They simply couldn't figure out the purpose behind the actions of the three single-attribute families.

Shortly after, Tang Yuehua, Yu Tianxin, and Yu Tianheng returned, their faces brimming with excitement.

"Good news!" Tang Yuehua panted as she spoke.

Her strength was too weak, so her safety during travel was entrusted to the Blue Lightning Twins.

For them, who had faced setbacks recently, the outcome of today's meeting with that noble was a rare piece of good news.

"Let me explain," Yu Tianxin interjected. "Madam Yuehua contacted Count Suotuolo today, and he shared some explosive news with us. The palace has been deliberately suppressing the news of Emperor Xue Ye's critical illness and secretly searching for physicians capable of curing him."

"If we can cure His Majesty, our actions within the Tiandou Empire will become much smoother. We might even receive a generous reward."

As soon as he finished, Yu Xiaogang immediately doused the excitement with cold water. "Hoh, what kind of good news is this? With the influence of the Tiandou Empire, what kind of physician can't they find? Even if they can't find one, the palace could easily obtain those precious herbs from Dugu Bo's pharmacy with a single order."

"But even with all that, they still haven't been able to cure Emperor Xue Ye. Moreover, who among us is a physician? Hoh, we don't even have a healing-type soul master!"

Once again, the glimmer of hope in everyone's eyes dimmed.

"No!"

Tang San shook his head.

His gaze was firm, and for the first time, he contradicted Yu Xiaogang's thoughts.

"Teacher, I grew up in the village with Father and learned a great deal of pharmaceutical knowledge from the village doctor. Later, I also studied with Xiao Wu for a while. I believe I can give it a try."

He desperately wanted to establish a connection with the Tiandou Empire.

In his plan, the Tiandou Empire would be the long-term buyer of hidden weapons. By curing Emperor Xue Ye, he could request a favor, and the Tang Sect could become an official supplier.

At that point, making money would truly be as easy as drinking water—it wasn't an empty boast.

Regarding Tang San's explanation, Tang Xiao and the others didn't object.

Xiao Wu was, after all, a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, specifically a herbivorous Rabbit Spirit, so it was natural for her to have deep knowledge of medicinal herbs.

And given Tang San's close relationship with Xiao Wu, it made sense that he had learned this knowledge from her.

Tang Yuehua crossed her arms, her expression filled with worry. "The palace must have already consulted famous physicians or healing-type soul masters across the continent to diagnose Emperor Xue Ye's condition. If even these experts are helpless, Xiao San, are you sure you can do it?"

Tang San revealed a confident smile, thinking to himself: The hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge of the Tang Sect—how could it compare to these so-called physicians?

Out loud, he said, "A clever housewife can't cook without rice. I need to purchase some herbs to address His Majesty's condition. If the herbs are suitable, I have a ninety percent chance of curing His Majesty."

After hearing this, Yu Xiaogang firmly supported his disciple. "Xiao San never does anything without confidence. This might be our only chance to turn things around. Everyone should trust Xiao San."

With that, he took out a card worth a million gold soul coins from his soul-guiding device.

After a pause, he added, "Xiao San, while you're at it, look for herbs that can heal Mubai. If the money isn't enough, you can ask me for more. Mubai is crucial to our future plans, so his injuries must be treated."

Tang San solemnly accepted the gold soul coin card.

He felt guilty about Dai Mubai and was highly concerned about this matter.

That afternoon, Tang San and Yu Tianheng went to several pharmacies in Tiandou City to purchase the necessary herbs.

Although Tang San's identity had been exposed to the Spirit Hall before, he believed that the Spirit Hall's presence in Tiandou City was relatively limited, so he didn't think he would be discovered.

---

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and Ning Tianchen's carriage arrived at Hongyang City.

Due to the destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family and the Hao Tian Sect, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had adopted a strategic contraction, and most of its disciples stationed outside had already returned to the sect.

Currently, there were no disciples of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect stationed in Hongyang City to provide real-time intelligence for Ning Tianchen and his group.

Hongyang City bordered the Star Luo Empire, and the constant friction between the two empires along their borders had led to martial law being imposed in Hongyang City.

As expected, their carriage was stopped upon entering the city. A large number of city guards surrounded the carriage, brandishing sharp spears.

"Halt! Without proper travel documents, no one is allowed to enter or leave Hongyang City!" the captain of the guards shouted sternly.

From inside the carriage, Chen Huayu stuck his head out and exclaimed, "What the heck! Are you trying to rob us?"

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