Xiao Chen looked at the little girl beside him, brimming with joy and fighting spirit, and settled on their itinerary.
Since he had already agreed, he wasted no time. He immediately turned with Na'er and headed toward Leng Yaoyu's office.
Going out on a mission required approval and registration. They could only leave the Spirit Transferring Pagoda after receiving permission.
Walking briskly, the two soon arrived outside Leng Yaoyu's office.
They knocked gently, and Leng Yaoyu's soft reply immediately came from inside.
They pushed the door open and entered a tidy, elegant office. Warm white light filled the room, and a faint, refined scent of ink lingered in the air.
Leng Yaoyu sat upright behind her desk, her bearing elegant and composed, her demeanor cool yet gentle.
Hearing them, she looked up. Her gaze first settled on the visibly excited Na'er, a smile in her eyes.
She already knew perfectly well why Na'er had come.
"Teacher!"
Na'er spoke first, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation. "Xiao Chen and I are getting ready to leave for Eastsea City!"
Right after her, Xiao Chen bowed slightly, steady and proper. "Aunt Leng, I request permission to accompany Na'er to Eastsea City and assist her in completing this mission."
A flicker of surprise crossed Leng Yaoyu's eyes.
She had arranged this mission specifically to develop Na'er's independence, so she would stop seeking Xiao Chen out every single day.
But Xiao Chen agreeing to apply to accompany her was beyond her expectations.
Xiao Chen had always been composed and solitary, with a disposition far more mature than boys his age. He rarely volunteered for miscellaneous fieldwork and had no friends his own age.
Now that he had taken the initiative to set aside time to accompany Na'er, she, a war god of romance, had already guessed his intention.
Looking at the boy and girl before her, who spent their days together and were inseparable as body and shadow, Leng Yaoyu shook her head helplessly.
This boy clearly could not stop worrying about the clingy Na'er. He had deliberately made time to accompany her, quietly protecting her.
After a moment's thought, Leng Yaoyu tucked away her inward amusement, assumed a gentle but serious air, and slowly nodded her approval. "All right, all right, I approve your request. You may travel to Eastsea City together."
She paused briefly, swept her gaze over them both, and earnestly reminded them:
"But remember, while gaining experience outside and carrying out missions are important, you must never neglect your daily cultivation because of them."
"You both possess exceptional talent, so it is all the more important to build a firm foundation and persevere. Do not let a moment of laxity delay your cultivation progress."
"Yes, Teacher!"
"Yes, Aunt Leng!"
Their voices rang out together in perfect unison.
Seeing how completely in sync they were, the seriousness in Leng Yaoyu's eyes faded, leaving only tenderness and gratification.
Only after they bowed in farewell, turned to leave the office side by side, and gently closed the door did she prop up her chin, look toward the doorway, and give a helpless chuckle.
"Could this little brother of mine finally be catching on?"
After four years of spending their days together, she had long since noticed how exceptionally indulgent Xiao Chen was toward Na'er. Now it had reached the point of personally accompanying her on trips.
But ten years old was a little early. Back then, she and...
Meanwhile, the two who had left the office had already begun their journey to Eastsea City.
Leng Yaoyu had already prepared travel permits and Soul Guidance Train tickets for them. With no additional waiting necessary, they went straight to the platform and boarded the long-distance Soul Guidance Train bound for Eastsea City.
The brand-new Soul Guidance Train was silver-white throughout, its streamlined body giving it a distinctly technological look. Its interior was spacious and clean, its seats soft and comfortable, and it ran smoothly without jolting. Far faster than ordinary trains, it was now the primary means of long-distance travel on the Douluo Continent.
They found seats by a window and sat down. The train slowly started, gradually accelerating with a faint hum as it sped toward distant Eastsea City. Outside the window, the scenery raced backward. Buildings, trees, and open fields swept past one after another, finally dissolving into blurred streaks of light.
The carriage was quiet and peaceful, and quite a few passengers were resting with their eyes closed.
But just as Xiao Chen settled into his seat, an inexplicable tension suddenly surged in his heart. A faint, elusive chill seemed to linger around him, leaving him unsettled.
Xiao Chen knitted his brows slightly, inwardly puzzled.
Something's wrong.
This subtle sense of danger is all too familiar. It's malice lurking in the shadows.
After cultivating with Wither for so long, he had become able to sense malice around him, perhaps because his wither Martial Soul was classified as a power of destruction in the Douluo Plane.
Interceptions by Evil Soul Masters, ambushes from the shadows, sudden crises... aren't these Tang Wulin's exclusive passive abilities?
How did I become the train killer instead?
Countless thoughts churned rapidly through Xiao Chen's mind. His vigilance instantly rose to its peak, his Soul Power lying quietly in wait around him, ready to respond to any sudden developments.
Beside him, Na'er keenly noticed the change in his mood. Seeing his grave expression and unsettled manner, she could not help tilting her head slightly and asking softly, her eyes full of confusion, "Big Brother, what are you thinking about? Why do you look so serious?"
Na'er's voice broke through Xiao Chen's thoughts, pulling him out of his contemplation and back to reality.
Xiao Chen concealed his vigilance and suppressed that inexplicable unease. Turning to Na'er beside him, he spoke softly with feigned casualness. "Nothing. I was just thinking about the upcoming mission."
"Na'er, give me an honest answer. Are you confident you can defeat that newcomer in Eastsea City?"
He wanted to confirm whether Na'er could handle Gu Yue as she was now, so he could prepare in advance.
At the question, Na'er instantly lifted her little face, her eyes shining with spirited confidence as she declared with complete assurance:
"Of course! She's just an ordinary newcomer. I'll definitely beat her easily!"
After saying that, she leaned affectionately against Xiao Chen, her eyes curving as she spoke with sweet dependence. "But with you there to hold the fort, Big Brother, I'll feel even more at ease!"
"With you around, I won't be scared at all, no matter how strong she is!"
By now, Na'er's heart was already filled with anticipation for the coming meeting and certainty of victory.
She knew better than anyone just how terrifying Xiao Chen's Martial Soul was, and how impossible it was to counter.
Why did that absurd Wither drain your life just because it hit you?
If they had not been fighting inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, but in the real world instead, someone would have died in every match.
It could be called the bane of all things, crushing every living creature. Over these four years, she had sought Xiao Chen out for countless sparring matches, yet from beginning to end, she had never won a single time.
As soon as Xiao Chen's Wither Head struck her, layers of bizarre wither and life-withering debuffs would afflict her entire body, drastically reducing her fighting strength.
Whenever she thought of this, Na'er could not help grumbling inwardly.
Stupid Big Brother doesn't know how to cherish a delicate flower or go easy on me. He goes all out every time we spar. This wither buff is practically cheating. It's completely unreasonable!
But that was precisely why she was so confident.
She could not beat Xiao Chen, but could Gu Yue possibly be stronger than him?
This trip to the East Sea to assess Gu Yue was a showdown that would decide who ranked above whom from now on!
With Xiao Chen's fighting strength backing her up, she, Na'er, was certain to win this contest!
As she thought on, Na'er became completely immersed in her own world of fantasy. Her eyes filled with smugness and anticipation, a sweet smile hanging on her little face as she already began imagining herself crushing Gu Yue and securing her legitimacy as the Silver Dragon King.
Looking at the little girl beside him, her face alight with excitement, Xiao Chen could not help chuckling helplessly and said no more.
He adjusted his posture slightly and slowly closed his eyes. He appeared to be resting, but his mind was intensely focused, his senses spread to their fullest, firmly tracking every movement around the train.
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