Intercept? (Two Chapters Combined)

"Come, Xiaoyan, let's continue with the innate soul power test."

Xu Zonghan stepped forward and tapped the side of the Awakening Stone lightly. Runes rippled across the stone's surface as the icy blue glow faded, replaced by a transparent film of light—the state for testing innate soul power.

"Xiaoyan, try again. Channel your soul power into the Awakening Stone," Xu Zonghan said softly.

Xu Xiaoyan nodded, pressed both hands back onto the stone, and closed her eyes, guiding the soul power within her to release outward.

The warm current inside her surged once more, flowing along her meridians to gather in her palms before pouring into the Awakening Stone.

Hum...

The Awakening Stone trembled, and the transparent film began to glow.

White, yellow, orange, red, green, cyan, blue, purple, silver...

The light climbed steadily, breaking through each color barrier with unstoppable momentum, pausing briefly at the peak of silver before—

Gold!

A brilliant, dazzling golden light erupted from the Awakening Stone, illuminating the entire ancestral hall as if it were broad daylight!

Innate full soul power, level ten!

The ancestral hall fell into instant silence.

The three clan elders stood up abruptly from their seats, staring at the golden radiance in disbelief.

"This... this..." one elder's voice trembled.

"Hahaha! I never expected it! Another genius with innate full soul power has appeared in our Xu Clan!"

Xu Zonghan finally snapped out of his daze, his loud laughter shattering the silence of the hall, filled with irrepressible ecstasy and pride.

The head elder, Xu Yuanchang, stroked his long beard and stood up with a smile. He walked to Xu Zonghan's side, his gaze fixed on the golden halo that had yet to fully dissipate, and continued, "Zonghan, these two children of yours are truly the lucky stars of our Xu Clan."

Hearing this, Xu Zonghan stood up, grinning from ear to ear, and bowed repeatedly. "Elder, you flatter us. That our Xu Clan has two children with full soul power is entirely due to the protection of our ancestors and the blessing of their bloodline upon their descendants."

Xu Xiaoyu stood behind the crowd with his arms crossed, the corners of his mouth curling upward, his eyes filled with pride for his younger sister.

He was innate full soul power, and his sister was too. Having two geniuses with level ten innate soul power in this generation of the Xu Clan was extremely rare, even looking at the entire East Sea City or the eastern region of the Sun Moon Federation.

Xu Xiaoyan remained standing before the Awakening Stone, looking down at her hands as if still processing the sensation of the soul power that had just surged through her.

A moment later, she looked up, her small face wearing a serious yet expectant expression, and chirped, "Father, I'm level ten now too! Does that mean I can go to the Spirit Pagoda to absorb a soul ring just like Brother Chu Yan, right?"

Xu Zonghan was amused by his daughter's sudden question. He ruffled her hair and said, "What's the rush? Build a solid foundation first. There's no hurry for a soul ring; wait until your body and soul power have stabilized, and I will take you myself."

"Oh..." Xu Xiaoyan drew out the sound, pouting slightly, but she quickly turned her gaze toward Chu Yan and winked at him, as if to say, "See? I'm level ten too."

Chu Yan stood at the edge of the crowd. Seeing her smug expression, he couldn't help but lift the corners of his mouth.

From the awakening of her Martial Soul to the innate soul power test, the little girl had been very composed throughout, but that final cocky little expression betrayed the fact that she was still just a child.

Xu Zonghan turned to face everyone in the hall, his face beaming as he announced loudly, "Today, our Xu Clan has double the joy! First, my daughter has awakened the Ice Staff Martial Soul, and second, our clan has gained another genius with innate full soul power! Elders, relatives, today's joy calls for a grand celebration!"

The entire Xu household was immersed in the joy of the double celebration. Xu Zonghan immediately ordered the steward to prepare a banquet and invited the clan's relatives to celebrate together.

The family banquet was set with over a dozen tables in the main hall, the atmosphere warm and lively. Xu Xiaoyan was praised in turns by the elders, her little face flushed, yet she never strayed too far from Chu Yan's side.

The banquet didn't end until the afternoon.

After the guests dispersed, Xu Xiaoyan dragged Chu Yan to the backyard to wander for the afternoon, looking at the newly sprouted Ice Crystal Orchids and circling the fish pond to feed the fish.

It wasn't until the sun began to set that Chu Yan bid his farewells.

When he stepped out of the Xu Mansion gates, the sky had already darkened.

Chu Yan stood on the steps of the mansion, glancing at the last of the sunset over the distant sea before boarding the family car that had been waiting for him.

As the car drove along the road, Chu Yan's thoughts drifted to another matter.

In the original storyline, shortly after Tang Wulin awakened his Martial Soul at age six, he would meet the girl who changed his childhood in Aolai City—Na'er.

That silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl appeared to be an ordinary human orphan, but in reality, she was the sub-personality born after the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, sealed her own power and memories. She was the embodiment of the Silver Dragon King's human side.

The origin of the Silver Dragon King's elemental power lay dormant within her, though she had no memory of it. She wandered Aolai City as an orphan until Tang Wulin brought her home, becoming one of the closest people in his childhood.

Then, when Tang Wulin was about to graduate from primary school, Na'er would leave, setting the stage for the core events of the Legend of the Dragon King.

Chu Yan tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, his gaze narrowing.

If he went to Aolai City and found Na'er before Tang Wulin did, taking her away from the city, then the vital bond between Tang Wulin and Na'er in the original work would be completely severed.

Without Na'er's companionship, Tang Wulin's childhood temperament, growth trajectory, and even his subsequent opportunities would deviate.

More importantly, if he kept Na'er by his side, the future human incarnation of the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, would become entangled with him, and even Gu Yue would eventually make contact with him.

Gu Yuena.

This name carried immense weight in Chu Yan's heart.

The Silver Dragon King, the Master of Soul Beasts, the leader who led the soul beasts in a desperate battle against humanity in the original work—yet she ultimately lost to her own romantic obsession, which was truly laughable.

But as long as he brought her to his side, he would gain a top-tier, god-level combatant in the future.

Moreover, Gu Yuena was tied to too many critical nodes. If he could influence her stance through Na'er, the impact on the entire continent's landscape would be subversive.

It would even have a massive influence on his own future plans.

But the problem is...

Everything hinges on the premise of "being able to run into Na'er."

Chu Yan frowned slightly, sorting through the known information in his mind.

In the original descriptions, the time and place of Na'er's appearance were quite vague. It was only stated that it occurred after Tang Wulin awakened his Martial Soul, within the few days after he entered Red Mountain Primary Academy. There was no clear indication of the specific day or time.

Aolai City was neither large nor small. For a six-year-old girl to be wandering the streets alone—without clear leads, searching aimlessly would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

If he sent people to search, it would inevitably attract the attention of certain parties.

Moreover, another problem plagued him.

Why would Na'er appear in Aolai City?

In the original work, the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena chose to split off a human incarnation and descend into Aolai City as "Na'er." Was that truly just a coincidence?

Or, had she sensed something?

For instance, the Golden Dragon King essence within Tang Wulin?

Chu Yan's gaze deepened.

The Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King were the two great deities split from the Dragon God; there was a fated entanglement between them.

So, the question arises.

Was there a shadow of Tang Hao behind this?

As the father of Tang San, the Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao had planted many hidden pieces across the Douluo Continent. Had he already sensed the movements of the Silver Dragon King? Was he secretly guiding the fate of Tang Wulin?

If he were to rashly intervene, would he attract the attention of that god-level existence hidden in the shadows?

Also, had he already become the Plane Master?

If he did this, he would likely be overturning the layout of some God King.

Chu Yan exhaled softly, leaning back against the cushion and closing his eyes.

The trip to Aolai City was a gamble in itself.

A gamble that he could run into Na'er, a gamble that he could find her before Tang Wulin did, and a gamble that he could persuade that six-year-old girl to come with him—after all, he was nothing special to her.

But these were merely possibilities. Even if the odds were low, it was a trial worth taking.

He did not want to wait until the dust had settled only to feel regret.

This was a precious window of opportunity to obtain the trump card that was Gu Yuena; if he missed it, it would truly be gone forever.

As for how to explain it to Xiao Yan if he really did meet her and bring her back, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"I'll just go." Chu Yan made the decision in his heart, opened his eyes, and muttered to himself, "If I run into her, it's a gain; if I don't, there's no real loss."

He adjusted his posture and began to calculate a concrete plan of action.

First, he needed a reasonable excuse to leave East Sea City.

Traveling to Aolai City by soul-guided train took about an hour—not far, but for a six-year-old child to go on a long trip alone, it would be hard to convince his father. He needed a pretext that would put his parents at ease.

Second, where should he look once he arrived in Aolai City?

In the original story, Na'er first appeared when Tang Wulin was on his way home from school, being bullied by three thugs, and he stepped in to save her.

But that was the timeline from Tang Wulin's perspective; the specific date remained unclear.

He couldn't just go and loiter at the entrance of Red Mountain Primary Academy; that would be too conspicuous.

He rubbed his temples, and just as he was calculating how to solve these problems, the soul-guided vehicle slowly pulled into the gates of the Chu Clan estate.

"Young Master, we have arrived at the estate," the butler in the driver's seat said.

Chu Yan nodded and stepped out of the vehicle.

By the time he returned to his courtyard, it was nearly dark.

He turned on the warm yellow soul-guided lamp in the room. Spread across his desk were several books on soul beast encyclopedias and basic soul-guidance theory—materials he had taken the time to flip through recently.

He sat at the desk and took a palm-sized soul-guided communicator from the drawer.

This was a basic model provided by the Chu Clan. It didn't have many functions, but it was sufficient for browsing the Federal Public Network—essentially a stripped-down version of the smartphones from his previous life.

Chu Yan skillfully opened the network interface and typed several keywords into the search bar: "Aolai City," "Red Mountain Academy," "Enrollment Notice."

The page refreshed, and the official announcement from Red Mountain Primary Academy quickly popped up.

He read it word for word, his gaze eventually fixing on a single line.

"The autumn semester enrollment for new students of this academy for the Federal Calendar year 10... will be on September 1st. The new student registration and class assignment ceremony will be held at 8:00 AM on that day."

Today was August 24th.

There was exactly one week left until school started.

Chu Yan put down the communicator, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the desktop.

One week was neither long nor short.

If he were to go to Aolai City to try his luck aimlessly, a week might not be enough, but if he could grasp the timing of Na'er's appearance, that would be a different story.

In the original work, Na'er only appeared after Tang Wulin entered Red Mountain Primary Academy.

The original work does not explicitly state the exact date, but based on the timeline, it can be inferred that it was roughly within the first few days after school started, when Tang Wulin met her on his way home from school.

However, there is no need to be so fixated; going to check once is enough, and if she cannot be found, then it simply wasn't meant to be.

Chu Yan put away his communicator, stood up, and walked to the window, gazing out at East Sea City in the night.

Just then, a steady sound of footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a knock.

"Yan'er, are you asleep?"

It was Chu Yuntian's voice.

"Father, please come in," Chu Yan turned and replied.

The door pushed open, and Chu Yuntian strode inside.

He had changed into a dark-colored casual robe, and his hair was still slightly damp, as if he had just bathed. He walked over to the desk and sat down, gesturing for Chu Yan to sit as well.

"How did Xiaoyan's awakening go at the Xu Clan today?" Chu Yuntian asked casually. In truth, he already knew a little, but one always needs an opening when chatting with one's son.

"She awakened her clan's Ice Staff, with innate soul power at level ten," Chu Yan replied.

"Level ten?" Chu Yuntian raised an eyebrow, then laughed, saying, "That fellow Xu Zonghan is probably too happy to sleep tonight. Two innate full soul power children in one family—that guy's luck is even better than mine was back in the day."

Having said that, he shifted his tone, looked at Chu Yan, and said seriously, "I came to see you today to talk about the primary academy."

"You awakened at six years old; according to the continent's rules, you can enter a primary academy to study after awakening."

"The best primary academy in East Sea City is Tianheng Primary Academy. Its faculty and teaching resources are second to none in East Sea City. Your mother has also had people inquire about it; the entrance threshold for this academy is not low, but with your qualifications, there will be no problem at all."

"I have already spoken with Tianheng Academy, so when school starts in mid-September, you will go directly to register."

Chu Yan nodded.

Tianheng Primary Academy—he had heard of this institution.

As one of the best primary academies in East Sea City, it boasted several teachers at the Spirit King level. Its teaching facilities and cultivation resources were top-tier among similar academies, and many teachers from intermediate academies had noted that students graduating from Tianheng Primary Academy generally had a solid foundation.

More importantly, this academy had cooperative relationships with several intermediate academies in East Sea City, making the path for graduates to advance their education very smooth.

"Oh, right," Chu Yuntian added, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, "I've also spoken with the Xu Clan. Xiaoyan is also six this year and should be starting primary academy. Xu Zonghan has already agreed to let her enter Tianheng with you."

"It's essentially to let the two of you cultivate a bond from a young age," Chu Yuntian paused, then added, "This is something both families agreed upon long ago."

Hearing this, there was no great ripple of emotion on Chu Yan's face.

He and Xu Xiaoyan had grown up together, and he was long accustomed to the feeling of having her by his side.

The two of them enrolling together was, if anything, a logical progression.

Chu Yuntian chatted with his son for a few more moments, urged him not to slack off on his cultivation, and then stood up and left the room.

The footsteps faded away, and the door was pulled shut.

Chu Yan sat back down at the desk, his gaze resting on the night scene outside the window as his knuckles tapped lightly against the tabletop.

He had not yet mentioned the matter of Aolai City to his father.

However, Chu Yan already had a preliminary plan in mind.

The day after tomorrow, he would use the excuse of going to the Xu Clan to see Xiaoyan to leave the house, then head straight to the East Sea City soul guidance train station to buy a ticket to Aolai City.

Go and return on the same day; at most, it would take half a day.

As for his father, as long as he returned home on time, he would not be suspicious.

As for whether he could run into Na'er...

Chu Yan let out a breath and tucked the soul guidance communicator into his drawer.

Do one's best and leave the rest to fate.

If he ran into her, then it was destiny beckoning to him.

If he didn't, then it could only mean that destiny was not on his side.