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

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The door to the forge room hadn't been closed. After causing such a commotion, the master blacksmiths and grandmaster blacksmiths who were working in their respective forge rooms came out to investigate.

Initially, they thought the racket was caused by someone hammering metal with the door left open. But the sound of the large-caliber firearm was far louder than any noise from forging metal, no matter how hard one tried.

"Who are you?"

Seeing unfamiliar faces like Ning Tianchen's, the blacksmiths immediately became wary.

Si Yu hurriedly rushed out of the forge room to explain.

Before he could finish, the door to the neighboring forge room slowly opened, and a burly, tall man walked out with an imposing demeanor, fuming as he said, "Si Yu, what do you think you're doing? Is this tiny forge room not enough for you? Should I just give you my forge too?"

The forge behind the wall that had been pierced belonged to him.

Si Yu quickly begged for forgiveness. "Senior Brother Si Long, please calm down! I was testing the power of a new weapon earlier—I didn't expect it to punch straight through the wall."

The walls of the forge were extremely thick. What kind of weapon could penetrate them?

The blacksmiths began murmuring among themselves, and some even entered Si Yu's forge to inspect the situation.

With the evidence right in front of them, everyone had no choice but to believe it was real.

Seeing Si Long's expression soften somewhat, Si Yu apologized sincerely. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect the sound to be so loud or the power to be so astonishing."

"Master Si Yu, you must be joking! If weapons of such power become widespread, our status as blacksmiths will reach unprecedented heights!"

One of the master blacksmiths spoke up.

The others quickly caught on and began asking what kind of weapon it was.

As his senior brother and someone whose forging skills surpassed Si Yu's, Si Long couldn't help but glance over. "Hmph, it seems you've done well among us apprentices. Teacher would be proud."

Si Yu, embarrassed, replied, "Senior Brother, esteemed masters, this isn't my creation. It belongs to this young friend here."

He pointed at Ning Tianchen, and everyone else turned their attention toward him.

Ning Tianchen displayed the weapon in his hand to the group.

After explaining its workings, the blacksmiths finally understood that weapons could be combined with gunpowder.

This was absolutely a product of a new era!

"Friend, are you really willing to entrust such weapons to our Blacksmiths' Association?" Si Long asked anxiously.

Ning Tianchen placed the weapon back into his spirit-guided device and smiled. "The specifics of cooperation will need to be decided by President Lou Gao, I suppose?"

Si Long chuckled and said, "I believe Teacher will be more than happy to cooperate with you."

With that, he waved his hand and led the group toward the deepest forge room.

Si Long turned around and scanned the other blacksmiths with his gaze. "Teacher values peace and quiet. Everyone else, disperse."

As the chief disciple of Lou Gao, Si Long held significant authority within the Blacksmiths' Association.

At his command, the other blacksmiths returned to their respective forge rooms.

However, they weren't focused on forging anymore. Instead, they stood by their doors, peeking out, eager to keep an eye on the outcome of the negotiations.

"Hey, do you think President Lou will agree?"

"I saw that the weapon's craftsmanship wasn't anything special. If it becomes widespread, our status…"

The blacksmiths had countless questions and concerns, but for now, they could only wait patiently for the results.

---

Si Long lightly knocked on the door of the forge room and said apologetically, "Sorry, Teacher. I have something very important to report to you. May I come in?"

Si Yu added, "Teacher, Senior Brother is right. This matter is indeed very important."

After a brief pause, a series of irritated curses came from inside the forge. "You two little brats, are you trying to turn the world upside down? What was all that racket earlier—were you trying to tear this place apart?"

The angry shouting gradually faded, replaced by the sound of mechanisms clicking. The heavy stone door of the forge slowly opened.

The one who opened the door was a short, elderly man. He was only about 1.6 meters tall, but his waist circumference seemed to match his height—he looked like a ball.

"You two little brats, why did you bring outsiders here? How many times have I told you—I don't see outsiders!"

Si Yu and Si Long lowered their heads, listening attentively to his scolding.

Ning Tianchen stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Lou Gao, my name is Ning Tianchen. I hail from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and am currently the leader of the Sky Sword Sect. I've come to discuss some matters with the Blacksmiths' Association. I hope you'll consider it."

Si Yu and Si Long exchanged surprised glances.

Earlier, Ning Tianchen had never mentioned that he was from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. But since Lou Gao didn't say anything, they kept silent.

"I know of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but can a young fellow like you really be the leader of a sect? And your Sky Sword Sect—I've never even heard of it." Lou Gao asked suspiciously.

In truth, having earned the approval of Si Long and Si Yu, Lou Gao's impression of Ning Tianchen wasn't bad enough to outright dismiss him.

Ning Tianchen cupped his hands and said, "The Sky Sword Sect has only just been established. Currently, we have a Title Douluo overseeing the sect. I believe it won't be long before the Sky Sword Sect's name spreads across the continent."

Lou Gao shrugged indifferently. "Alright. But what do you want from me? If you need something forged, these two incompetent disciples of mine can handle it. Why bother coming to me?"

"Are we going to discuss this here?" Ning Tianchen pretended to look around.

Lou Gao kicked Si Yu and Si Long. "When guests arrive, don't you even know how to entertain them? You two are useless."

With that, he walked into the forge room himself but left the door open.

Si Long and Si Yu quickly ushered Ning Tianchen and the others inside and closed the door.

Lou Gao's forge room was much larger than Si Yu's.

Even with the group inside, it didn't feel crowded. There was still plenty of open space.

Lou Gao asked, "Well, what do you want from me?"

Ning Tianchen placed the two firearms in front of him. Before he could begin explaining, Si Yu eagerly took the lead.

Si Yu first explained the source of the earlier noise, then went on to list the advantages of the firearms one by one.

Ning Tianchen quietly stood to the side, filling in any gaps in Si Yu's explanation.

After the explanation, Lou Gao's expression shifted between anger and contemplation. Unable to hold back, he cursed, "Damn it, why are you being so eager?"

Turning his gaze to Ning Tianchen, he asked, "Is everything you just said true?"

Ning Tianchen nodded. "Yes, firearms indeed possess the characteristics of simple construction, low cost, and immense power."

"But there's one thing he didn't clarify—or rather, I hadn't discussed with him earlier."

Lou Gao became interested. "Go on, tell me."

Ning Tianchen said, "The structure of firearms is so simple that I believe, even without blueprints, Senior Lou Gao could replicate a similar one after seeing it just once."

That was true.

Lou Gao was the foremost blacksmith of his time, and his insight was sharp.

Ning Rongrong smiled and said, "What Brother Tianchen means is that this kind of weapon could become a disaster if it spreads unchecked."

Long ago, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had already debated the pros and cons of firearms.

Otherwise, why would the sect strictly control them and prevent them from spreading across the continent?

Simple construction meant easy replication.

If firearms spread uncontrollably, leading to widespread civilian ownership, would the continent ever know peace again?

"This…"

Si Yu's eyes widened.

Previously, he had only considered the battlefield applications and economic benefits of firearms, never imagining what might happen if they fell into civilian hands.

Such powerful tools in the hands of those with ill intentions, coupled with the existing tensions between soul masters and ordinary people, could lead to unpredictable chaos in the future.

Lou Gao blew out a breath in frustration. "If you're aware of the dangers of this kind of weapon, why are you seeking to cooperate with us? If you're just here to mock me, you can leave right now."

Ning Tianchen smiled faintly.

Bringing out the firearms was all part of his plan to win over Si Yu and gain access to Lou Gao.

Promoting the widespread use of firearms was never Ning Tianchen's goal.

Weapons with no barriers to entry, combined with the already precarious state of law and order on the continent, were something he absolutely did not want to see proliferate.

From his spirit-guided device, he took out a blueprint for constructing soul-guided devices and the Power-Crystallizing Crystal.

His fingers lightly tapped the blueprint as he said, "This is the future!"

Lou Gao immediately recognized the intricacy of the item. He snatched the design blueprint and moved closer to the light to carefully examine its contents.

Si Yu and Si Long exchanged glances and instinctively leaned in together.

This blueprint was completely different from the earlier hidden weapon designs.

While the hidden weapons used spring tension as their energy storage mechanism, this design featured something they couldn't understand or had never even heard of.

Lou Gao's breathing quickened, and a flicker of excitement appeared in his deep, dim eyes. Laughing heartily, he exclaimed, "This is a soul-guided device blueprint! Haha, I can't believe I actually got my hands on one!"

"Soul-guided device!" Si Yu and Si Long looked at each other.

Earlier, Si Yu had wanted to buy the Power-Crystallizing Crystal ball for Lou Gao precisely to study soul-guided devices.

Compared to starting from scratch, having ready-made blueprints would make the process much easier.

The status of a soul engineer far surpassed that of a blacksmith.

After all, soul-guided devices were also assembled from various parts, and blacksmiths already possessed the necessary skills—having them craft soul-guided devices would be ideal.

Ning Tianchen smiled and said, "You've now seen my sincerity. May we discuss our cooperation further?"

"How do you propose we cooperate?" Lou Gao asked, though his eyes never left the blueprint.

"The blueprints for soul-guided devices are of great importance. I need the Blacksmiths' Association to join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Sky Sword Sect," Ning Tianchen stated.

Researching soul-guided devices required enormous expenses, far beyond what the Sky Sword Sect alone could handle.

Involving the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would not only reassure Ning Fengzhi but, more importantly, provide the massive funding needed.

"What?" Lou Gao's expression froze, and he scowled. "Boy, are you joking? You think you can pull a fast one with just a dubious blueprint? Forget it!"

Ning Tianchen calmly replied, "The Power-Crystallizing Crystal can serve as the energy storage device for soul-guided mechanisms. Whether it's genuine or not, President Lou Gao can verify it personally."

"Besides, this is just one of many blueprints. If the Blacksmiths' Association joins us, we will gladly hand over the remaining fifty-plus blueprints."

With Lou Gao's sharp eye, he could naturally discern the authenticity of the blueprint.

His eyes darted around, and he snorted. "How do I know if you're lying? If you want me to believe you, you'll have to show me another dozen or twenty blueprints for verification."

As he spoke, he gave a subtle signal to his two apprentices.

If Ning Tianchen really produced them, the three disciples would memorize the contents of the blueprints in a short time.

What a sly old fox!

Though inwardly amused, Ning Tianchen kept a straight face and said, "President Lou Gao, empty promises won't work here."

Ning Rongrong chimed in, "I can guarantee with the honor of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect that we indeed possess over fifty soul-guided device blueprints."

"And who might you be?" Lou Gao asked.

Ning Rongrong took out the Seven Treasures Token and smiled. "My father is Ning Fengzhi."

"Ning Sect Leader's daughter!" Lou Gao was taken aback.

Ning Fengzhi, as one of the leaders of the top three sects, held immense prestige on the continent.

Lou Gao certainly didn't want to offend such an influential figure as Ning Rongrong.

After some thought, he said, "I can join you, but the Blacksmiths' Association cannot. Though I am the president, there is still a vice president…"

Before he could finish, Ning Tianchen pulled out a wanted poster from the Tiandou Empire from his spirit-guided device.

The portrait clearly depicted Tai Tan's face.

"President Lou Gao, Vice President Tai Tan, as one of the accomplices in the assassination of Emperor Xue Ye, is now a wanted criminal in the empire. I assume your Blacksmiths' Association wouldn't want to claim him as one of your own, right?"

Upon hearing this, Si Yu's expression changed drastically, and he cursed, "Teacher, the Spirit Hall's attacks on us must be because of Vice President Tai Tan's involvement. We've been implicated!"

"Assassinating a monarch is outright treason!"

"Living under constant suppression by the Spirit Hall—I'm sick of it. Regardless of whether you agree or not, I've decided to join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."

The Tiandou Empire's wanted poster hadn't yet appeared in the Star Luo Empire.

Si Long remained skeptical. "How do we know if what you say is true?"

Before Ning Tianchen could respond, Chen Huayu interjected, "The Hao Tian Sect's involvement in Emperor Xue Ye's assassination is no longer a secret in the Tiandou Empire."

"When you reach the Tiandou Empire's borders, you'll learn of this. Do you think we'd bluff about such a thing?"

"This…"

Si Long fell into deep contemplation.

Ning Tianchen's words seemed credible. Although Tai Tan, as the Blacksmiths' Association's vice president, hadn't visited the association in many years, if someone framed them as accomplices in regicide, the Blacksmiths' Association's reputation would be ruined.

The hard-earned reputation accumulated over the years couldn't be destroyed by Tai Tan.

Realizing this, Si Long firmly declared, "Teacher, if the Blacksmiths' Association is implicated, I will join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect with Junior Brother Si Yu."

Feng Xiaotian offered them advice: "In my opinion, the Blacksmiths' Association should issue a disclaimer and cut ties with Tai Tan. That way, no one will suspect you."

But if that happened, Lou Gao's earlier argument would no longer hold water.

Without Tai Tan as a scapegoat, he would have to directly face Ning Tianchen's proposition.

Seizing the moment, Oscar pressed further: "The future of blacksmithing lies in your hands. Will you usher in a new era for blacksmiths, or let it fade into obscurity? Think carefully."

Yu Die followed up: "I believe the continent is home to skilled artisans beyond those in the Blacksmiths' Association. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime—you must seize it."

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