Dugu Bo saw hope

At the Back Mountain of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, in Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo's Seclusion Grounds.

As soon as Dugu Bo entered the cave, he made his position clear. "You two, Ning Chuan is indeed outstanding, but my granddaughter already has someone in her heart, so..."

At those words, Ning Chuan and Dugu Yan both stumbled and nearly fell.

"You misunderstand, Poison Douluo," Sword Douluo hurriedly explained. "I wouldn't go pairing mandarin ducks at random!"

"Then what exactly did you two invite me here for? I don't believe you truly wanted to have a drink with me!" Dugu Bo said.

"Let me explain!" Ning Chuan interjected. On the way to the Back Mountain, he had already told Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo his plan.

Dugu Bo froze at his words. He had not expected Ning Chuan to have a say even in front of Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.

"So the person who invited me was you, not Chen Xin and Gu Rong?" Dugu Bo asked, looking at Ning Chuan.

"Yes!" Ning Chuan nodded. "I hope you'll forgive me for resorting to this, Senior."

Dugu Bo was not angry at all. Now he was genuinely curious about Ning Chuan's intentions. He knew very well that within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, only Ning Fengzhi could get Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo to cooperate like this.

Yet the attitude these two Titled Douluo showed toward Ning Chuan was truly intriguing.

"Go on, then. What is your purpose?" Dugu Bo asked.

Ning Chuan immediately cupped his hands toward Dugu Bo and spoke frankly. "I invited you here today because I wish to ask you to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

"You?"

"Invite me to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"That joke isn't funny in the slightest!"

Dugu Bo's brows knitted tightly. At that moment, he even began to wonder whether someone was impersonating Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo.

"Senior, how would I dare joke with you?" Ning Chuan said earnestly.

"What makes you think I would join?" Dugu Bo asked coolly, then turned toward Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. "Could it be that you two intend to force me through strength?"

"Of course not!" Sword Douluo said with a smile. "We're not the Spirit Hall!"

Bone Douluo chimed in. "Exactly. Hear Xiao Chuan out first. If you disagree, we certainly won't force you to stay. Just consider it making a friend!"

Dugu Bo could sense that Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo truly bore him no ill will. Only then did his taut nerves relax.

Knowing that Dugu Bo was already getting a little angry, Ning Chuan spoke directly. "I can eliminate the toxins in Senior Dugu's and Miss Dugu Yan's jade scale snake emperor bloodline!"

"What?" Dugu Bo was startled, and Dugu Yan was equally astonished.

Although Dugu Bo did not know how Ning Chuan had learned about this, hearing that Ning Chuan could solve it immediately filled him with anticipation.

In his heart, Dugu Bo did not believe Ning Chuan, but he knew very well that Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo's silence lent weight to his claim. Ning Chuan might truly have a way.

"Very well. If you can help Yan'er eliminate her bloodline toxins, I will join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," Dugu Bo declared solemnly. To him, Dugu Yan's life mattered more than anything. Joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for his granddaughter's sake was no loss at all.

Ning Chuan nodded. "Before that, I need you and Miss Dugu to swear not to reveal anything you see today, because it involves some of my secrets!"

"Oh?" Dugu Bo studied Ning Chuan again, yet he could see nothing special about him.

"Ning Chuan, if I'm not mistaken, the rumors about your martial soul undergoing a malignant mutation are false?" Dugu Bo ventured.

He knew very well that only extraordinary cultivation talent, enough to qualify Ning Chuan as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's future successor, could make Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo cooperate like this.

"That's right!" Ning Chuan nodded in acknowledgment, then revealed his soul power aura.

"Only rank twenty-four?" Dugu Bo asked in confusion. He had thought Ning Chuan was hiding immense strength, yet he was only rank twenty-four.

At that moment, Sword Douluo spoke. "Dugu Bo, Xiao Chuan has already shown considerable sincerity. Shouldn't you make your position clear first?"

Dugu Bo smiled at his words. "Very well!"

"I, Dugu Bo, swear here and now that whether or not Ning Chuan can eliminate the bloodline toxins in Yan'er and me today, neither my granddaughter nor I will reveal anything we see here! Otherwise, may heaven strike me down!" Dugu Bo took the oath without hesitation.

Though oaths had little binding force on the Douluo Continent, they still carried considerable weight for those who kept their word.

Seeing this, Dugu Yan also started to swear an oath, but Ning Chuan raised a hand to stop her.

Seeing Ning Chuan stop Dugu Yan immediately improved Dugu Bo's opinion of him.

"So, Ning Chuan, what other secrets do you have?" Dugu Bo was now extremely curious, and so was Dugu Yan.

Ning Chuan nodded to Sword Douluo, who released his soul's power and enveloped the cave.

Sensing Sword Douluo's soul aura, Dugu Bo was deeply surprised. Compared to this aura, his own spiritual power seemed to be on an entirely different level.

He immediately looked toward Sword Douluo and discovered that the longer he looked, the more unfathomable Sword Douluo seemed!

Chen Xin has hidden his strength well. The rumors say he's rank ninety-six, but the feeling he gives me now... could he already have reached rank ninety-eight, or even ninety-nine? Dugu Bo thought.

Dugu Bo could hardly be blamed for this mistaken impression.

After all, the Soul Cultivation Formula not only allowed one to cultivate the soul's power, but also elevated the soul's very essence. Just as a soul power cultivation method made soul power purer, this was what gave Dugu Bo that mistaken impression.

No wonder they wanted me to swear an oath. For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, this is indeed a major secret that must never leak!

Dugu Bo thought this to himself, but suddenly remembered that Ning Chuan had said the secrets involved were his own, not Sword Douluo's or Bone Douluo's.

Could Ning Chuan be hiding an even greater secret? Thoughts churned through Dugu Bo's mind, yet he could not fathom what secret a Soul Grandmaster could possess that would outweigh one belonging to a Titled Douluo.

While Dugu Bo was pondering, Ning Chuan had already released the Creation Exquisite Pagoda.

Seeing its thirteen stories, Dugu Yan cried out on the spot.

"This... this... this... how can the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda have thirteen stories?" Dugu Yan stared at Ning Chuan's martial soul in shock.

Dugu Bo also came to his senses at that moment. Looking at the Creation Exquisite Pagoda, he could hardly believe his eyes.

"No... that's not right. This doesn't seem to be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!" Dugu Bo quickly realized.

"This pagoda is called the Creation Exquisite Pagoda!" Ning Chuan said.

"The Creation Exquisite Pagoda!" Dugu Bo murmured, then asked, "Is this pagoda a healing-type martial soul?"

"You could say that!" Ning Chuan replied.

Dugu Bo nodded, but he did not look particularly pleased. He said gravely, "This martial soul's aura is indeed awe-inspiring. I believe that if you reach Titled Douluo, you may truly have a way to eliminate our bloodline toxins. Unfortunately, you've cultivated for twelve years and only reached rank twenty-four. Titled Douluo is simply too far away!"

Ning Chuan smiled at his words. "Senior Dugu, since I've brought it up now, naturally I already have a solution. If I weren't confident, I wouldn't have said anything."

"Are you certain?" Dugu Bo asked solemnly.

"Of course!" Ning Chuan nodded.

Dugu Bo looked at Ning Chuan, then at Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. Only when he saw the two of them nod as well did he believe that Ning Chuan was not boasting.

Dugu Bo saw hope, but still asked with a clear head, "Ning Chuan, to remove poison, you must first be unafraid of it yourself. Besides, you probably don't yet understand the specifics of Yan'er's condition and mine. Why are you so certain you can help us resolve this?"