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

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Although Hongyang City was under martial law, the citizens still had to eat. Therefore, some shops in the city remained open for business.

However, places like teahouses, which were often frequented by dubious characters, were closed.

Ning Tianchen's group visited several shops in the city. The shopkeepers seemed reluctant to talk to outsiders and evaded their questions intentionally or unintentionally.

After more than half an hour, the group stood in front of a street food stall, sighing repeatedly with no results to show for their efforts.

"Boss, give us something to eat. Whatever you've got, bring it all."

With that, Ning Tianchen sat at a small table nearby and gestured for everyone to gather around.

As soon as they sat down, Yu Die spoke up. "Why don't we just leave the city? It's annoying being stared at like thieves all the time."

Knowing how perilous the Abyssal Cavern was, Ning Tianchen naturally wasn't about to give up any chance to gather intelligence.

"Let's wait a little longer. There are still some places in the city we haven't checked. Let's finish breakfast first, then head over."

As they spoke, several burly men sat down beside them.

Ning Tianchen's gaze swept over these men.

Their eyes were resolute, their steps firm, and most importantly, their hands bore thick calluses at the base of their thumbs.

From their appearance, it wasn't hard to guess that these men might be soldiers on rotational leave. The calluses on their hands were likely from years of handling weapons during training.

After sitting down, these men glanced warily at Ning Tianchen's group before turning their attention back to their own lively conversation.

Ning Tianchen gave everyone a subtle signal. The group lowered their voices and instead focused on listening to the conversation of these men.

About half a minute later, a faint smile appeared on Ning Tianchen's lips.

He was right—they were indeed off-duty soldiers. Their discussion wasn't about city defense but rather about gambling dens.

Hongyang City had numerous underground gambling dens, and many soldiers would visit them during their downtime to place a few bets.

Gathering information in such a mixed crowd often yielded surprising results.

Feng Xiaotian suddenly laughed and loudly said, "Brothers, we've been running around so much lately that we haven't had time to have fun. I wonder if there's a gambling den in the city where we can play a few rounds?"

Chen Huayu caught on and added, "Damn it, what's the point of earning money if we don't spend it on fun?"

"What gambling? Haven't you lost enough last time?" Yu Die chimed in, playing along.

Oscar feigned anger and scolded, "You cursed crow, stop saying unlucky things. You're such a troublemaker!"

The group's "argument" quickly drew the attention of the men nearby. One of them stepped forward, patting Feng Xiaotian and Ning Tianchen on the shoulders. "Want to play a few rounds?"

Ning Tianchen glanced at him and retorted, "Who are you? What does it matter to you?"

The man sized up Ning Tianchen and suddenly smiled.

"Out-of-towners? From which noble family?"

Chen Huayu slammed the table and stood up. "Damn it, what's it to you!"

The man waved his hand dismissively and explained, "If you want to play, just follow us. Coincidentally, we're also heading there. Let's see who has better luck today."

"Hmph, who knows if you're a scammer trying to trick us!" Chen Huayu sneered.

The man shrugged impatiently. "Suit yourself. If you miss this chance, there won't be another one!"

With that, he returned to his table, picked up the food, and called out to his group. They headed toward a nearby unmarked shop.

Seeing that their gazes hadn't lingered, Ning Tianchen gave Chen Huayu a thumbs-up.

Their group was dressed extravagantly, and the more they acted like spoiled brats, the less likely they'd attract the attention of the city guards.

Of course, these men might have initiated the conversation to subtly probe their purpose for entering the city.

Chen Huayu smirked arrogantly, as if possessed by a drama king, and chased after them. "Hey, don't leave! We just arrived in Hongyang City and will be leaving soon. If we don't play now, we'll miss our chance!"

The man seemed to have anticipated his reaction and waved casually. "Follow us!"

Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.

"Oh, looks like you two hit it off," Yu Die chuckled softly. "What, do you plan to tag along with these gamblers? Rongrong, let's go."

"Meet outside the city," Ning Rongrong whispered in her ear before pretending to be upset and turning away.

Gambling dens weren't suitable for women. To avoid unnecessary trouble or exposure of their abilities, it was the right choice for Ning Rongrong and the others to leave the city first.

---

Entering the underground gambling dens in Hongyang City required an introduction from someone familiar.

Clearly, the man was a regular customer. After exchanging a few words with the guard at the entrance, Ning Tianchen and the others were allowed inside.

However, the man didn't pay much attention to Ning Tianchen's group. After leading them in, he joined his companions in a gambling game.

"How much do you want to play?" the casino staff asked with a smile.

This gambling den didn't use chips—all bets were placed directly with coins.

"How much do we need to join that table?" Ning Tianchen pointed to the group of men and asked.

The staff glanced over and smiled. "The minimum bet at that table is one silver soul coin. But seeing how extraordinary you gentlemen look, why not try the higher-stakes tables? Each bet starts at ten gold soul coins?"

Ning Tianchen certainly had enough funds to play at the highest-stakes table for a long time. However, he wasn't a real gambler—his visit here had another purpose.

Earlier, the man had inadvertently revealed quite a bit of useful information.

Ning Tianchen was certain that the man was a local. In an environment like this, he could extract even more valuable information.

Seeing that the staff couldn't persuade him either way, they reluctantly led the four of them to the man's table.

Having all four join the same game might arouse suspicion.

After Ning Tianchen joined the game, Feng Xiaotian and the others dispersed into other tables.

"Big, big!" the man tossed down a gold soul coin as his bet, his eyes glued to the dice cup, silently praying.

Ning Tianchen had no interest in the game. His gaze casually swept over the dealer and the man.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the dealer making subtle moves.

Sure enough, this round involved a larger bet amount, and under the dealer's manipulation, the house won everything.

"Bah, this is boring. Let's go somewhere else to play. Ah Hai, you stay here."

The man's companions looked disappointed and turned to join other games.

Before the next round began, Ning Tianchen glanced at the table and casually tossed a gold soul coin into the pot.

When the dealer opened the cup, the result was exactly as Ning Tianchen had predicted.

"Sorry about that—I win everything this round," Ning Tianchen chuckled softly, sweeping the money on the table toward himself.

"Such good luck."

The surrounding gamblers muttered enviously.

A single victory wasn't enough to draw the man's attention.

Ning Tianchen still needed to continue betting.

In these underground gambling dens, there was always the possibility of rigged games. But Ning Tianchen wasn't a true gambler and had no gambler's mentality.

He only placed bets when he had a chance to win; he avoided rigged games entirely.

---

Half an hour passed, and Ning Tianchen had already won nearly a thousand gold soul coins, piling up a small mountain of coins in front of him.

His consecutive wins naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers.

Similarly, the casino staff took notice. The dealers were changed multiple times, yet none could beat Ning Tianchen.

Moreover, the casino dared not make any moves against him.

Powerful soul masters were highly sensitive to the sound of dice. Any manipulation by the casino would be immediately exposed.

More importantly, the casino's management believed that their enforcers might not stand a chance against Ning Tianchen. Annoying this living demon would cost them more than just money—if they were caught cheating, losing the trust of their customers would spell disaster.

"Wow, impressive, brother! Your luck today is unbeatable," the man leaned over to Ning Tianchen and exclaimed loudly.

After a pause, he continued, "I brought you here today—you owe me something, right?"

Ning Tianchen smiled inwardly.

The fish had taken the bait.

He pretended to hesitate and said, "Taking money off the table might break my winning streak—it's bad luck."

Chen Hai quickly agreed. "Right, right, we can't break the streak. Little brother, my name is Chen Hai. What's yours?"

Ning Tianchen smiled faintly but didn't respond.

Casually, he tossed a gold soul coin chip onto the neighboring gambling table.

As expected, when the dealer opened the dice cup, Ning Tianchen once again swept the entire pot.

"Amazing!" Chen Hai gave him an admiring thumbs-up.

The nearby dealer could only force a bitter smile.

Not long after, a thin man whispered something into the dealer's ear. Immediately, the dealer approached Ning Tianchen and respectfully said, "Sir, our boss wants to have a word with you. Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?"

"Tch, I see what's going on," Chen Hai interjected, blocking Ning Tianchen. "You guys are just scared of losing to my brother here. When we were losing money, your boss never showed up to entertain us. But now that my brother has won a little, you can't sit still—are you really that cheap?"

His words immediately drew agreement from the other gamblers.

Over 90% of the gamblers here lost more than they won.

They had already been simmering with resentment over the casino taking their money, and now their anger was fully ignited.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the dealer tried to slip away but was blocked by the angry gamblers.

Ning Tianchen chuckled softly. "I don't need to meet your boss. That's enough for today—I'm tired and don't feel like playing anymore."

With that, he reached into his pile of coins and took back a single gold soul coin as his initial stake.

Then, with a wave of his hand, amplified by his soul power, he tossed the mountain of coins on the table into the air, scattering them like a rain of money.

"Everyone, take it and have fun. Share in the luck!"

After speaking, Ning Tianchen turned and walked toward the exit.

"Are you crazy?!"

Chen Hai panicked, grabbing at his ears and rushing to block Ning Tianchen's path. "You're leaving already? You should press your advantage while you're winning!"

Ning Tianchen shrugged casually. "Gambling for too long always leads to losses. Besides, I'm not short on that bit of money."

"However…" He paused, smirking. "There is a foolproof way to win—but why am I telling you this?"

At the mention of a guaranteed winning method, Chen Hai's eyes lit up with intense fervor, his breathing quickening.

He understood that if he could master this technique, he would become an invincible gambler in the casinos.

Seeing Ning Tianchen already leaving the gambling den, he hurriedly chased after him.

Inside the casino, Feng Xiaotian and the others couldn't help but laugh. "This tactic of feigned retreat is brilliant!"

Chen Huayu expressed deep admiration. "Boss has completely hooked that gambler. Next, I'm sure Boss will extract plenty of information from him."

---

Outside the gambling den, Chen Hai grabbed Ning Tianchen's arm and earnestly asked, "Brother, can you teach me this foolproof gambling method?"

Brushing off his hand, Ning Tianchen made a move as if to leave.

Chen Hai quickly followed. "Wait, wait, let's talk this over. How about this—if you need anything, just say the word. My voice carries weight in Hongyang City."

Ning Tianchen stopped and pretended to think for a moment.

"I do have one thing I'd like to ask you about."

Chen Hai's heart sank.

Ning Tianchen was an outsider, and entering the city at this critical time meant he likely had ulterior motives.

If he betrayed military intelligence just to obtain this foolproof gambling technique, he might end up dead on the battlefield.

But as a gambler, how could he resist knowing such a guaranteed winning method? It was against his very nature!

While Chen Hai was internally conflicted, Ning Tianchen asked, "I heard there's a secret realm near Hongyang City—called the Abyssal Cavern. Do you know anything about it?"

Chen Hai blinked and countered, "Are you sure you only want to know about that?"

Receiving a firm nod, he continued, "The Abyssal Cavern is a death trap. If you're thinking of exploring it, forget it—your life is more important."

Ning Tianchen shook his head, dissatisfied with the response. "If that's all you know, then forget it. Whether or not I go there is none of your concern—I just want to know about the place!"

"Calm down, calm down," Chen Hai placated with a forced smile. "The Abyssal Cavern is a forbidden zone—I don't know much about its interior. However, I've heard legends about it since I was a child."

"Let me think… The legend says that a long, long time ago—so long ago it's hard to count the years…"

Hongyang City wasn't originally the flat plains it is today. Instead, it was a massive crater left behind by a meteorite impact.

The force of the meteorite's fall seemed to have ripped open the gates of hell. At the bottom of the pit was a bottomless cavern, often echoing with the mournful cries of ghosts.

"At first, only a few herding families lived near Hongyang City. Then, one day, a deity descended from the sky and completely filled in the terrain. The herders settled here and built Hongyang City."

Ning Tianchen nodded slowly.

This legend was far too vague and held no practical value.

However, one detail stood out: the Abyssal Cavern was described as a bottomless pit—or at least, no one knew how deep it truly was.

Chen Hai chuckled. "You think that's all? No, that's just one version of the legend."

"There are multiple versions of the legend circulating in the city. I've always loved stories and have summarized them over the years. The legends about the Abyssal Cavern can generally be divided into two types."

"One type is what I just told you, and the other is a more terrifying version."

Ning Tianchen became interested. "Tell me more?"

Chen Hai probed cautiously. "What about the foolproof gambling method?"

Ning Tianchen rolled his eyes. "You'll get it—don't worry!"

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