Ning Chuan was utterly speechless at the side quest issued by the system.
"System, if you don't give me the quest reward in advance, how the hell am I supposed to recruit Poison Douluo?!" Ning Chuan grumbled.
The system replied, "Take it or leave it!"
Ning Chuan said, "..."
Ning Chuan felt helpless. He knew perfectly well that there was a way to win Poison Douluo over: help Dugu Yan and Poison Douluo resolve the bloodline toxins of their Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor martial souls.
For Ning Chuan, that was hardly difficult. His Origin Restoration soul skill could solve the problem.
However, using Origin Restoration meant bringing out the Creation Exquisite Pagoda, which would also expose his soul power level completely before Poison Douluo.
Still, given Poison Douluo's temperament, as long as I help him and earn his approval, getting him to keep it secret shouldn't be a problem! Ning Chuan thought.
Besides, this might give me a chance to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and snatch up all those immortal herbs before anyone else! At that thought, a smile immediately curled Ning Chuan's lips.
Ning Chuan promptly asked the system, "System, would immortal herbs do anything for me?"
The system replied, "What immortal herb could possibly compare to the nourishment of creation power?"
Ning Chuan said, "All right, forget I asked!"
Ever since the Creation Exquisite Pagoda had been activated, creation power had been constantly nourishing Ning Chuan's body.
Although he could not absorb it, its effects were still beyond anything those immortal herbs could match.
Immortal herbs were useless to Ning Chuan, but he was definitely going to steal Tang San's destined opportunity.
Ning Chuan was also curious about what the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Douluo World's famous must-visit attraction, actually looked like.
Looks like I'll have to trouble Sword Grandpa to come with me! Ning Chuan thought.
He knew Dugu Bo was a solitary man who walked the line between good and evil, but he was also a man of his word and had his own principles.
Recruiting him into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would give the sect another powerful fighter.
Besides, the reward for this side quest was a poison cultivation method. Ning Chuan believed that, with its help, Poison Douluo's strength would surely climb to new heights.
A level ninety-two Poison Douluo was already someone to dread. If he advanced to level ninety-five or even became a Limit Douluo, he would truly be a walking nuclear bomb. Ning Chuan even began looking forward to the sight of Poison Douluo becoming a god.
While Ning Chuan was lost in his imaginings, Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo happened to reach the Merchant Guild's entrance.
Upon spotting Ning Chuan, Dugu Yan walked over.
"Hey, Ning Chuan!" Dugu Yan stepped up to him and, seeing him staring into space, gave him a pat.
Coming back to his senses, Ning Chuan saw Dugu Yan and an elderly man standing before him. He immediately guessed Dugu Bo's identity and nodded with a smile. "Miss Dugu!"
He then greeted Dugu Bo respectfully. "Greetings, Your Eminence Poison Douluo!"
Dugu Bo looked Ning Chuan over briefly before saying with a smile, "Ning Chuan, you're certainly the first person without cultivation talent to earn such praise from my granddaughter!"
"Then I'm truly honored!" Ning Chuan replied humbly.
Dugu Bo stroked his beard and smiled. "Not bad. The rumors outside really can't be trusted. You have quite a bit of Ning Fengzhi's bearing, little fellow!"
"You flatter me, Senior! I simply don't let much get to me!" Ning Chuan said.
Dugu Bo nodded slightly, then asked, "I noticed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has been carrying out extensive construction outside the city. What are you planning?"
"We're building an academy!" Ning Chuan answered honestly.
At that, Dugu Yan immediately asked, "Sect Master Ning recruited Skywater Academy?"
"Yes!" Ning Chuan nodded.
"That was certainly quick!" Dugu Yan exclaimed. In truth, when she had seen Xiao Yun's martial soul resonate with Shui Bing'er's, she had anticipated this outcome. She simply had not expected them to reach an agreement so soon.
Ning Chuan smiled, then asked jokingly, "Would you be interested in joining our new academy, Miss Dugu?"
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow and teased, "Ning Chuan, you're poaching people from Heaven Dou Royal Academy now? Careful, or His Highness the Crown Prince might come settle the score!"
Ning Chuan deliberately pulled a miserable face. "Miss Dugu, you wouldn't sell me out, would you?"
"That's not a given!" Dugu Yan said with a smile. She found that chatting with Ning Chuan made her feel particularly lighthearted.
His outlook really is something to envy! she thought.
Leaving the joke there, Ning Chuan smiled calmly, then turned to Dugu Bo. "Your Eminence Poison Douluo, my Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa often praise your poison attacks as unrivaled under heaven and have wanted to invite you for a drink. Since we happened to meet today, I'll take the liberty of inviting you to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Would you have the time, Senior?"
Poison Douluo did not believe Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo would praise him like that. Still, since Ning Chuan could invite him in their names, the two might genuinely have something to discuss with him. He did not understand why they had not come to find him personally, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was no dragon's pool or tiger's den to him. There was no harm in paying a visit.
Thus, Poison Douluo nodded. "All right, let's go, then!"
Afterward, Ning Chuan headed to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.
Sword Douluo had been secretly accompanying Ning Chuan throughout his visit to Heaven Dou City, so naturally, he had heard everything Ning Chuan said.
Sword Douluo did not understand why Ning Chuan wanted to invite Dugu Bo, but he trusted that Ning Chuan had a plan. He therefore returned to the sect ahead of them and informed Bone Douluo through voice transmission.
As a result, the moment Dugu Bo entered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo appeared.
To play along with Ning Chuan, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo greeted Dugu Bo with great warmth.
Their reception left Dugu Bo thoroughly puzzled. Wait, do these two really want to have a drink with me?
Impossible, impossible! Dugu Bo immediately dismissed the thought. Could they have discovered my medicinal garden? Do they want to ask me for some precious herbs?
After turning it over in his mind, Dugu Bo felt that was the most likely explanation.
"Poison Douluo, please join us at the Back Mountain for a chat!" Sword Douluo said.
"Lead the way." Dugu Bo nodded, then turned to Dugu Yan. "Yan'er, let Ning Chuan show you around the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect first."
"All right!" Dugu Yan answered with a nod, but before she had finished speaking, Sword Douluo added, "There's no need. Let them both come along!"
Dugu Bo froze at those words and immediately began muttering to himself inwardly. Surely not! Could these two old fellows be setting their sights on my precious granddaughter?
At that moment, Dugu Bo thought Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were trying to match Ning Chuan with Dugu Yan.
As a result, Dugu Bo watched Ning Chuan as warily as he would a thief, leaving Ning Chuan rather bewildered.
The five of them headed straight for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Back Mountain. Along the way, Sword Douluo used soul transmission to ask Ning Chuan why he had invited Dugu Bo.
This was one of the benefits of practicing the Soul Cultivation Formula. Previously, Ning Chuan could only hear Sword Douluo's voice transmissions. Now, he could exchange them with Sword Douluo over short distances.
"Xiao Chuan, why did you invite Dugu Bo?" Sword Douluo asked through voice transmission.
Ning Chuan answered frankly, "I want to invite Senior Dugu to join the sect!"
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