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

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Chen Hai cleared his throat and continued, "Listen carefully—this version of the legend is a bit different."

It was also many years ago—so long ago that it couldn't be verified.

Hongyang City had once been struck by a massive plague. At the time, the city had around 200,000 people, but during the outbreak, the population dropped by three-quarters in just a few days, leaving only 50,000 survivors.

Later, a deity clad in golden light descended from the sky and brought salvation to the city's residents.

"Wait," Ning Tianchen interrupted. "Are you sure you're not mistaken? Both times, someone fell from the sky?"

Chen Hai nodded. "I have no reason to lie to you. In the first legend, there was no detailed description of the deity, but this one explicitly says it was a deity clad in golden light!"

"Was it male or female? Did it have three pairs of wings?" Ning Tianchen pressed.

Chen Hai scoffed. "Brother, staring directly at a deity is extremely disrespectful. Besides, this is just a legend—its truth can't be verified."

Ning Tianchen began calculating in his mind.

There were only two deities associated with golden light: the Angel God and the God of Light.

The era of the God of Light was so ancient that there were almost no legends about him left on the continent.

On the other hand, the Angel God existed much more recently—around 30,000 years ago—and thanks to the Spirit Hall's propaganda, many places on the continent still preserved traces of the Angel God's miracles.

Considering this, the deity clad in golden light likely wasn't the Angel God. As for whether it was the God of Light, that was hard to say. After all, this was an unverifiable legend.

After a pause, he asked, "What does this legend have to do with the Abyssal Cavern?"

Chen Hai replied, "Don't rush me—I'm getting to that."

After saving the people, the deity clad in golden light warned the citizens to stay away from the source of the disaster—the Abyssal Cavern.

An evil god had appeared there, bringing calamity to the people of Hongyang City and harvesting their souls.

"Later, that deity must have defeated the evil god—otherwise, Hongyang City as it exists today wouldn't be here."

Chen Hai concluded, "I've told you both stories. In short, the Abyssal Cavern is an evil place, sealed with a great terror within. Just take it as entertainment—don't even think about exploring it."

As he spoke, he cautiously glanced around before leaning close to Ning Tianchen's ear and whispering, "Let me tell you something. A few years ago, a group of people entered it, and only one person came out alive—and that person eventually died in the city."

He was referring to the exploration team of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Tianchen casually asked, "Is anyone still near the Abyssal Cavern now?"

Chen Hai thought for a moment and said, "Not long ago, a group of people was seen lurking around there. I don't know the specifics, but I doubt they went inside to explore."

"They might have heard the legend of the Abyssal Cavern, just like you, and wanted to check it out."

"Alright, I've said everything I needed to. Now it's your turn."

Ning Tianchen smiled and took over the conversation. "You've been playing in this gambling den for so long—haven't you noticed the dealer's little tricks?"

"What?" Chen Hai was stunned for a moment before pressing further, "You mean the dealer was cheating?"

Ning Tianchen didn't confirm it outright but shrugged and said, "When dealers cheat, they often feel guilty and avoid making eye contact with the gamblers. If your gaze happens to drift toward them, they'll look away. So… you get the idea, right?"

Chen Hai stomped his foot angrily and cursed, "Damn it! Those bastards—they're dead meat if I find their hideout!"

As Chen Hai turned around, Ning Tianchen slipped away.

Moments later, Chen Hai seemed to realize something and asked, "If I go play a few rounds, can I use the method you mentioned to win every time?"

But Ning Tianchen was already gone, leaving no trace behind.

---

Outside Hongyang City.

Ning Tianchen met up with the others.

"How did it go? Did you get any useful information?" Ning Rongrong asked anxiously.

The dangers of the Abyssal Cavern were no small matter—if they didn't gather enough intelligence, they couldn't act recklessly.

Ning Tianchen gathered everyone under the shade of a tree and explained, "I learned quite a bit."

"That secret realm is called the Abyssal Cavern—a bottomless pit. Legend has it that there's the corpse of an evil god inside, though the exact timeline can't be traced. The group of evil soul masters gathered outside the secret realm may be trying to obtain the power of that evil god."

"A god?" Everyone murmured softly.

Yu Die pressed further, "Do gods really exist? On her deathbed, my mother once said, 'When butterflies cross the sea, they will see the Butterfly God in the Valley of Butterflies.'"

"Butterfly God?" Ning Tianchen muttered, seemingly unfamiliar with this deity.

Chen Huayu dismissed it casually. "Who cares if gods exist or not? We should focus on improving our strength instead of worrying about these intangible matters."

---

Meanwhile, in Tiandou City.

"Tomorrow is the day we enter the palace, Xiao San—are you ready?" Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but ask.

Successfully curing Emperor Xue Ye was their hope for turning the tide—they had to take it seriously.

Over the past several days, Tang San had gathered numerous medicinal herbs, spending nearly two million gold soul coins in total.

Compared to money, gaining political resources was far more important. They would need to rally more allies when the time came to take revenge on the Spirit Hall.

Tang San solemnly replied, "Teacher, I'm fully prepared. As long as Emperor Xue Ye is still breathing, tomorrow's success is guaranteed."

Tang Xiao added, "Xiao San, entering the palace alone is too dangerous. Why don't I accompany you?"

The imperial palace was a critical location, and bringing a Title Douluo-level expert into it was inherently risky.

After all, with the strength of a Title Douluo, Tang Xiao could easily wreak havoc in the palace. If his identity were exposed, this mission could backfire spectacularly.

Tang Xiao chuckled. "Don't worry—I haven't walked the continent for many years. With some disguise, no one will recognize me. Xiao San, you're our only hope for avenging ourselves against the Spirit Hall—you absolutely cannot fail!"

Yu Xiaogang chimed in, "Xiao San, let Lord Tang accompany you. If anything goes wrong, Lord Tang can safely escort you out of the palace."

After a moment of silence, Tang San reluctantly agreed.

Indeed, with Tang Xiao's strength, even if someone in the palace tried to harm him, escaping unscathed wouldn't be a problem.

---

On the other side, Xue Qinghe was also plotting the details of the palace coup.

According to his plan, once Tang San walked into the trap tomorrow, he could borrow a knife to kill.

"Young Master, someone just delivered a letter for you at the door, claiming it was from your friend. Please take a look." The attendant held the letter respectfully and presented it to Xue Qinghe.

"Oh, my friend?"

Xue Qinghe pondered for a moment. Aside from Ning Tianchen, he didn't have any other friends.

Taking the letter, the attendant turned and exited the study.

Opening the envelope and seeing the signature on the paper, Xue Qinghe couldn't help but smile before reading its contents.

This letter was left by Ning Tianchen before he departed and entrusted to Zhang Erhe to deliver to Xue Qinghe today.

The content of the letter was brief—it resembled more of a prophecy.

"Don't reveal your true identity, don't get entangled with the Spirit Hall, and you'll remain invincible." After reciting the words, Xue Qinghe casually burned the letter under the oil lamp.

After careful consideration, he found Ning Tianchen's advice reasonable.

Xue Qinghe's position as the crown prince was already set in stone. Even if the palace coup failed, as long as he remained Xue Qinghe, the worst he'd face was public criticism—it wouldn't affect his status.

But if he exposed his true identity, wouldn't he be admitting to the world that he was a fake Xue Qinghe?

At that point, it would truly be a complete disaster.

With his godlike perspective, how could Ning Tianchen not know the foolish mistakes Qian Renxue made in the original timeline?

In his view, if Qian Renxue hadn't revealed her identity, even if she lost to Tang San, she would still be the legitimate heir of the empire. At worst, she'd be labeled an unfilial child—she wouldn't lose her core support base.

The second point—avoiding ties with the Spirit Hall—was easy to understand. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect still existed. If he exposed his covert cooperation with the Spirit Hall, he would undoubtedly lose their support.

It was even possible that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would become the first faction to oppose him.

Xue Qinghe sat at his desk, deep in thought for a long time.

More than a decade of planning—all would come down to tomorrow.

That night, Qing Luan Douluo returned to report. "Young Master, based on my investigation, Tang Xiao will enter the palace with Tang San tomorrow."

"Tang Xiao's strength isn't weak. Without a powerful protector by your side, you might be in danger."

Recalling Ning Tianchen's warning, Xue Qinghe declined. "No need. If Tang Xiao dares to cause trouble in the palace, someone will deal with him."

Ning Fengzhi was closely monitoring the situation inside the palace. If Tang Xiao dared to make a move, the Sword and Bone Douluo would arrive in an instant.

"Master, isn't this too risky?" Qing Luan Douluo hesitated.

At this critical moment, if Tang Xiao were to disrupt their plans, more than a decade of effort could go up in flames.

Xue Qinghe smiled faintly. "You must trust that Ning Fengzhi wants me to ascend the throne even more than I do."

---

The next morning, Tang San arrived at the palace gates with a medical kit on his back and Tang Xiao, who was disguised.

As expected, they were stopped by the Royal Knights.

"Halt! This is the imperial palace. Any trespassers will be killed on sight!" The guards watched them warily.

Tang San took out a token from his pocket. "We were invited by Count Suotuolo to enter the palace and treat His Majesty."

The token given by Count Suotuolo was, in fact, Xue Qinghe's personal token.

Currently, the entire palace was surrounded by Xue Qinghe's men, and only his token could grant entry.

The guards lowered their weapons and shouted, "Let them through!"

The two entered, but Tang San suddenly stopped.

This was his first time in the palace—why weren't the guards guiding them?

The palace was vast, and finding Emperor Xue Ye's chambers on his own would be nearly impossible.

"Aren't you going to guide us?" Tang San asked.

The guards replied sternly, "Guiding visitors isn't part of our duties. Our responsibility is to guard the palace entrance—we cannot leave our posts!"

"Xiao San, we can sense the presence within the palace. Let's find it ourselves," Tang Xiao said using sound-transmission techniques.

Tang San no longer dwelled on it and walked into the palace with Tang Xiao.

After they left, one of the Royal Knights quickly removed his armor, changed into civilian clothes, and slipped away through a hidden path to inform Xue Qinghe deep in the palace that the bait had taken the bait.

---

The palace was massive, with a labyrinth of complex pathways.

Through his senses, Tang Xiao detected a large gathering of people deep within the palace. He assumed that was where Emperor Xue Ye's chambers were located. However, even knowing the direction, navigating the intricate paths still caused significant delays.

"Damn it, the palace's anti-theft measures are too tight. If I don't fly up into the air, I won't be able to see the layout clearly," Tang Xiao muttered grimly.

Surveying the palace from above was something he could only talk about. If he actually did it, the palace guards would immediately mistake him for an assassin.

Tang San patiently used his Purple Extreme Demon Eyes to observe the surrounding road layout.

"Uncle, we're not in a hurry. Let's take our time," Tang San reassured.

After the time it took to burn one stick of incense, a palace maid approached and scolded them. "Who are you? This is the imperial palace—how dare you act so recklessly?"

Tang San explained, "Miss, we were invited by Count Suotuolo to treat His Majesty's illness. When we entered the palace, the Royal Knights didn't guide us, so we ended up here by mistake. Please forgive us."

"If you have time, Miss, could you lead us to His Majesty?"

The palace maid pressed further, "Are you sure it was Count Suotuolo?"

Tang San nodded and promptly produced a handwritten letter of recommendation from Count Suotuolo.

Seeing this, the maid's frown relaxed slightly, and she gestured, "Follow me."

Tang San finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Encountering a cooperative palace maid would save them a lot of trouble.

After all, wandering freely inside the palace and being caught by the guards would be like having mud on your pants—guilty until proven innocent.

Following the maid, the two headed deeper into the palace.

At a corner, the maid led them down a path that didn't lead to Emperor Xue Ye's chambers.

Tang Xiao discreetly warned Tang San, but Tang San wasn't worried—he wanted to see what tricks the maid would pull.

Moreover, their entry into the palace was legitimate, so they weren't afraid of being investigated.

Soon, the maid led them to a courtyard.

From the outside, the courtyard appeared eerily desolate. The roads on either side were overgrown with weeds and moss, and the ivy climbing the walls hadn't been cleared in ages.

Clearly, this place hadn't been maintained for a long time.

The maid stood at the courtyard gate and called out, "Your Highness, Count Suotuolo's guests have arrived!"

Your Highness?

Tang San instinctively thought of Xue Qinghe.

However, Xue Qinghe was the crown prince. Even if he didn't reside in the palace, the courtyard belonging to him should have been kept tidy—it shouldn't look as neglected as this.

As Tang San pondered, the maid heard footsteps coming from inside the courtyard and quickly slipped away. The courtyard gates slowly opened.

The person opening the door was none other than Prince Xue Xing, who had been under house arrest for many days.

Tang San's eyes narrowed.

Back when Shrek Academy visited the Tiandou Imperial Academy, Prince Xue Xing had publicly humiliated them. Moreover, Qin Ming had died at Prince Xue Xing's hands.

Face-to-face with his enemy, Tang San wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

However, this was the palace—any sign of combat would be detected. Therefore, he decided to wait and see what tricks the other side would try.

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