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

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On the outskirts of Hongyang City.

Ning Tianchen and his group had been stationed here for several days.

During this time, they learned about the Hao Tian Sect's assassination of Emperor Xue Ye.

While others might not know the truth, Ning Tianchen was fully aware that everything was unfolding according to his plan.

Qian Renxue's coup had succeeded without exposure, and in the future, the Tiandou Empire would serve as her base to oppose Bibi Dong.

It was even possible that the outbreak of war on the continent would be delayed compared to the original timeline, giving him more time to cultivate.

For now, Ning Tianchen couldn't afford to focus too much on the events at Tiandou Palace. Successfully completing the god trial was his top priority.

After days of reconnaissance, the group gradually gained a clearer understanding of the outer perimeter of the Abyssal Cavern.

"Based on our recent investigations, I've summarized some key points. Take a look," Ning Tianchen said, passing the materials around for everyone to review.

First, they confirmed that there were indeed people active near the Abyssal Cavern.

Ning Rongrong, who inherited the Light God's trial, naturally resisted evil influences due to her divine nature.

Through her observations, she noted that not all of these individuals were evil soul masters—some were ordinary soul masters.

However, anyone willing to associate with evil soul masters was far from virtuous.

After days of investigation, Ning Tianchen discovered that these people didn't stay at the entrance of the Abyssal Cavern at all times but instead operated on shifts. Their base was located in a nearby cave.

"At present, we don't know the exact number of people or the strength of their strongest members. However, if we want to break through their blockade and enter the Abyssal Cavern, we'll inevitably have to confront them."

There was only one entrance to the Abyssal Cavern, and trying to bypass it from another direction was simply unrealistic.

Thus, Ning Tianchen planned to forcefully break through their blockade and enter the Abyssal Cavern.

Of course, they still didn't know why these people were blockading the Abyssal Cavern or whether it opened periodically.

"There are powerful spirit-type soul masters among the evil soul masters—we're in for big trouble," Feng Xiaotian sighed.

He then turned to Ning Tianchen and couldn't help but ask, "Tianchen, how strong are you? You should at least give us an idea so we can prepare accordingly."

"About seventy-six and a half levels, close to breaking through to seventy-seven," Ning Tianchen replied indifferently.

Chen Huayu chuckled and added, "The boss's first six spirit rings have all been upgraded to ten-thousand-year spirit rings, and his seventh spirit ring is a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. When recruiting the three single-attribute families, the boss fought against their clan heads. It's safe to say that below the Title Douluo level, the boss can handle anything."

Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at Ning Tianchen, as if seeking confirmation.

Ning Tianchen smiled faintly. "Fatty exaggerated a bit. Against ordinary Soul Emperors, I have no problem. But if there are peak Soul Emperors among our enemies, we'll have to retreat."

"Incredible," Zhu Zhuqing muttered, unable to hold back her astonishment despite her usual silence.

Based on Ning Tianchen's understanding, under the Spirit Hall's oppressive rule, no evil soul master could grow to become a Title Douluo. It was also unlikely for peak Soul Emperors to exist among them. Therefore, confronting these people wouldn't be overly risky—they could at least retreat safely.

The only concern was whether there were any spirit-type Soul Emperors among them.

Although Ning Tianchen's spiritual power was strong, he lacked a head spirit bone. A Soul Emperor-level mental attack might be difficult for him to withstand.

Chen Huayu suggested, "In my opinion, with the boss's strength, we should just charge in recklessly. Catch them off guard, quickly defeat the evil soul masters guarding the perimeter, and rush into the secret realm."

Yu Die rolled her eyes and retorted, "Do you think they're fools? As Tianchen said, these evil soul masters are here for the corpse of the evil god inside the Abyssal Cavern."

"If it were easy to enter the cavern, do you think these people would have been guarding it for five years?"

Feng Xiaotian chimed in, "I agree with Tianchen. The Abyssal Cavern likely has specific periods when it opens. Entering before the right time could result in great danger."

Oscar sighed helplessly. "But the problem is, we have no idea when the window period is."

Ning Rongrong thought for a moment and said, "That's why we can't avoid these people. As Brother Tianchen said, we'll need to eliminate them to ensure our safe entry."

Ning Tianchen smiled. "We don't need to kill all of them. We should leave some alive to interrogate them about the situation inside."

"Then let's move," Zhu Zhuqing said firmly.

Evil soul masters often harmed ordinary people, and these individuals deserved no sympathy. If they obtained the power of the evil god, it would be a disaster for the continent.

No one objected, and they decided to act.

Ning Tianchen instructed, "Zhuqing, hide in the shadows and assassinate key targets at any time."

Once preparations were complete, they dismantled their tents and erased all traces of their presence.

---

According to Ning Tianchen's plan, they would first capture the nearby evil soul masters and use them to gather information about the evil soul master team and the Abyssal Cavern.

Originally, the group intended to act at dawn or during the night, but Ning Tianchen rejected the idea.

At those times, everyone would naturally be on high alert since they knew something could happen. Thus, timing wasn't critical.

Given Ning Tianchen's personality, the sooner, the better.

The evil soul masters had set up a temporary camp near the Abyssal Cavern, with patrols constantly moving around.

Not long after, two people took advantage of the others' inattention and hid in a nearby forest for a brief rest.

"Yang Ming, did the boss say when we can go in?" Liu Qiang, an evil soul master, couldn't help but ask.

There was no cohesion among the evil soul masters. The fact that so many had gathered near the Abyssal Cavern meant they were all after the power of the evil god.

Some ordinary soul masters, whose cultivation had hit a bottleneck and hadn't made progress in decades, had also joined the group.

Even if they didn't obtain the power of the evil god, acquiring its treasures would greatly enhance their strength. Thus, none of them wanted to leave—they all sought their own opportunities.

Yang Ming saw through the situation and sneered. "Even if we enter the Abyssal Cavern, what then? Do you think the treasures will belong to us? With the boss's strength, who among us can match him?"

Liu Qiang didn't agree. "The boss already said that all of us can at least drink the soup."

Yang Ming chuckled but didn't respond.

In the world of soul masters, the strong preyed on the weak—let alone these non-ordinary soul masters.

Relying on the generosity of the strong was less believable than hoping to gain favor from the evil god.

He stayed here not for anything else but to take advantage of the chaos and snatch some benefits.

From a distance, Ning Tianchen overheard their conversation clearly.

"One low-tier Soul Emperor, one mid-tier Soul King—both vile individuals," Ning Rongrong said solemnly.

"I'll handle them," Chen Huayu volunteered.

Ning Tianchen held him back and smiled. "No need. This is a perfect opportunity to test the sect's latest research."

With that, he retrieved a rifle from his spirit-guided device.

This rifle was crafted by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's artisans based on Ning Tianchen's designs inspired by his past life.

The custom-made bullets were twenty centimeters long, and the weapon's power was enough to take out any soul master below the Soul Sage level.

"They're unprepared, and no one knows about our weapons—it's a good choice," Feng Xiaotian chuckled and stepped aside to keep watch.

Ning Tianchen looked at the large weapon in his hands and felt a slight pang of regret.

The Douluo Continent didn't have optical sights or the technology to make them. Thus, this weapon could only be aimed using iron sights.

Fortunately, Ning Tianchen possessed strong spiritual power. By locking onto the target with his mind, he didn't have to worry about missing.

He set up the weapon, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A deafening sound instantly echoed through the forest.

Liu Qiang abruptly stood up and looked toward the forest. Seeing nothing, he muttered, "What the heck? Is it thundering on such a clear day?"

After a pause, he suddenly thought, "Could it have come from inside the cavern?"

After waiting a few seconds and hearing no response from Yang Ming, he turned his head.

To his horror, Yang Ming's head was gone, and the surrounding grass was splattered with flesh and blood.

Liu Qiang was shocked. Just as he was about to shout, another loud bang rang out, and his body was blown in half.

"Damn, what power!"

Looking at the distant scene, Chen Huayu couldn't help but praise.

Ning Tianchen stored the weapon back into his spirit-guided device and said, "The noise is loud—we need to move quickly. They're approaching."

"Remember, we have the advantage of being hidden while they're exposed. Try to take them out one by one."

The group dispersed with perfect discipline.

Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong retreated to a relatively distant position to intercept any reinforcements from the evil soul masters.

---

Soon, a squad of evil soul masters arrived at the site where Ning Tianchen had fired the gun.

"What happened? Who caused that noise?" the squad leader frowned, scanning the area.

"Captain, there are signs that someone was hiding here," one of the members quickly reported.

When Ning Tianchen's group dispersed, they hadn't cleaned up the scene, leaving obvious traces of someone having been there.

The squad leader furrowed his brow, examining the traces left behind. He immediately realized, "We've been targeted by another group. Damn it, you stay here and guard the scene—I'll report to the boss at headquarters."

As he prepared to leave, a faint whistling sound came from behind him.

When he turned, he saw a member of his squad fall to the ground, his throat slit by a wind blade.

"Ambush!"

He shouted and quickly moved toward his team members.

Aside from the captain, who was a Soul Emperor, the other members of the squad were only Soul Lords or Soul Kings. Facing attacks from Feng Xiaotian and the others, they were completely defenseless.

Suddenly, the shadow beneath one of the members began to flow and easily severed his head.

"Shadows can kill!"

Most evil soul masters were bullies who feared death. Faced with mortal danger, their performance was abysmal.

The squad's discipline collapsed entirely, and the evil soul masters scattered in panic.

However, the squad leader didn't dare move.

He knew that enemies were already lying in wait nearby. If he fled recklessly, he'd only meet his death.

After a while, the sounds in the forest gradually faded.

He realized that his team had been wiped out by hidden enemies, yet he hadn't even seen their faces.

Cursing, he shouted, "Who's sneaking around in the shadows, cowardly scum!"

"The real coward is you," Yu Die's figure appeared behind him. "I sense a strong stench of blood on you. Many must have died at your hands!"

Ning Tianchen had informed them that evil soul masters often tortured and killed civilians to absorb their blood and enhance their strength—or even directly consumed their bodies to boost their soul power.

And that was just the most ordinary method. There were even more cruel practices, too numerous to count.

"Hmph, why waste words with him?" Feng Xiaotian and the others stepped forward.

The outcome of six Soul Emperors facing a low-tier Soul Emperor was obvious.

But the methods of evil soul masters were unpredictable.

Knowing he couldn't win, the evil soul master captain roared, "Blood Bat!"

His body spontaneously combusted, and blood-red flames shot into the sky.

"What the hell? He's self-immolating!" Oscar exclaimed.

From afar, Ning Tianchen watched the towering pillar of crimson flames and sensed trouble.

"This is bad. Xiaotian and the others have never fought evil soul masters before."

Ning Tianchen grew tense.

Though he hadn't encountered evil soul masters himself, he had seen forbidden techniques.

By burning their life force, they could forcibly increase their strength. And there was no telling what other methods they might have.

"Such a terrifying aura of evil."

Ning Rongrong frowned deeply, feeling intense revulsion toward the crimson flames in the distance.

Ning Tianchen sighed and turned his gaze toward the nearby mountain.

Such a strong surge of soul power wouldn't go unnoticed by the main camp of evil soul masters.

Next, a fierce battle awaited!

---

Farther away, atop the mountain, lay the main camp of the evil soul masters.

The dense stench of blood-red flames was unmistakable, and those in the camp could easily sense it.

Inside the main tent, Carlos's eyes snapped open.

Upon closer inspection, his pupils were blood-red snake eyes.

Hissing like a snake, he sneered, "How repulsive—the presence of light. Could it be people from the Spirit Hall?"

Soon, an evil soul master arrived to report the situation.

Upon hearing the news, Carlos bolted toward the Abyssal Cavern.

Meanwhile, realizing the gravity of the situation, Feng Xiaotian launched an attack on the evil soul master before him.

"It's too late. Lord Carlos will surely avenge me."

The evil soul master captain's life force was completely exhausted, and his body was incinerated by the flames.

"Damn it, he used this method to alert his allies," Chen Huayu cursed.

He couldn't understand how the evil soul masters had developed such resolve.

Zhu Zhuqing spoke grimly, "I once read about evil soul masters in the library of the Star Luo Empire."

"Perhaps he believes that dying for the evil god will earn him resurrection under its favor."

Yu Die frowned. "We don't have time to listen to stories. Reinforcements are coming. Prepare to use our spirit fusion technique—everyone, buy us some time!"

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