Luo Sanpao Grew Dragon Scales? Martial Soul Evolution Begins!

At the foot of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's mountain.

Ever since they first fed Luo Sanpao Dragon Meat and Dragon Blood, Li Qingshan had made sure Yu Xiaogang kept it up.

But each feeding was small.

Only after Luo Sanpao had digested the last meal would they feed him again. If anything changed in the meantime, Yu Xiaogang would record it in his notebook and bring it to Li Qingshan for inspection.

For the first few days, Luo Sanpao seemed livelier, but showed no obvious changes.

As time passed, though, his appetite grew. The little creature who used to stop and rest after a stretch of mountain path could now run all the way down in one go.

Even Yu Xiaogang noticed that keeping Luo Sanpao active outside consumed less Soul Power than before.

Those changes left him looking forward to every feeding.

In the blink of an eye, another half month passed.

One day, Li Qingshan had just reached the bluestone in the woods when he heard hurried footsteps in the distance.

"Teacher!"

Yu Xiaogang's voice brimmed with excitement he could not hide.

Li Qingshan looked toward the sound and saw the boy hurrying along the forest path with Luo Sanpao in his arms.

The notebook he usually kept at his side was tucked under his arm, bouncing with every step and nearly falling to the ground.

"Slow down. What happened?"

"Teacher, Sanpao..." Yu Xiaogang reached him and held Luo Sanpao out before he had even caught his breath.

"Please, take a look! Something's grown on his back!"

Li Qingshan's gaze sharpened. He took Luo Sanpao, and the little golden dog seemed to recognize him by now. Instead of struggling, he wagged his tail and rubbed against Li Qingshan's hand.

"Luoluo!"

Li Qingshan ran a hand down his back. His fingertips suddenly met something hard, utterly unlike fur.

He parted a small patch of golden fur. Near Luo Sanpao's shoulders, three pale-gold scales had appeared.

The scales were small and thin, lying close to the skin with their edges slightly overlapping. A faint metallic sheen glinted across them in the sunlight.

Li Qingshan's hand paused. "Are these Dragon Scales?" he murmured.

He felt them again, confirming that they had indeed grown from Luo Sanpao's body. The corners of his mouth lifted.

"So feeding Sanpao the blood and meat of a Dragon-Type Soul Beast really can make him evolve! When did you notice?"

Yu Xiaogang answered at once.

"This morning."

"I was smoothing Sanpao's fur while feeding him when I noticed something strange on his back."

"At first I thought something had stuck to him. Then I looked closer and saw they were scales!"

His voice rose despite himself.

"I even recalled Sanpao and summoned him again twice. The scales were still there every time!"

Li Qingshan glanced down at the little creature in his arms.

Luo Sanpao had no idea what had them so excited. He merely raised his head and sniffed at the bag of beast meat at Li Qingshan's waist.

That greedy streak of his had not changed a bit.

Li Qingshan patted his head and set him on the ground. Then he turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Haven't you always wanted to know whether Sanpao could keep evolving?"

He pointed to the scales hidden beneath Luo Sanpao's fur.

"The answer is right in front of you."

Yu Xiaogang's breath caught.

He had already suspected as much on the way here. But hearing Li Qingshan say it aloud still made him clench his fists.

"Teacher, you mean... Sanpao has begun to evolve?"

"That's right." Li Qingshan nodded, his expression serious. "The changes are still small, but he has begun to grow toward becoming a dragon. All that Dragon Meat and Dragon Blood he's eaten haven't gone to waste."

"But they clearly won't be enough to complete the evolution!"

An herb garden of mingled ice-blue hues flashed through his mind, filled entirely with Immortal Herbs, but he said nothing about it.

Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, his gaze fixed on Luo Sanpao.

The little golden dog still looked just as he always had. Yet Yu Xiaogang could not stop looking at the few scales beneath his fur.

Nine years had passed since his Martial Soul awakened at the age of six, and he had cultivated alongside Luo Sanpao all that time.

Over those nine years, his father had tried countless ways to help him. He had taken medicinal herbs, and the clan elders had offered guidance, yet Luo Sanpao had never shown a change like this.

And how long had he been training under his teacher?

Not only had his constitution improved, but Luo Sanpao, whose mutation had always been considered a failure, had truly begun to evolve!

Yu Xiaogang looked up at Li Qingshan, his eyes filled with even deeper respect from the bottom of his heart.

"Teacher, what you said back then seems to be coming true, step by step!"

Li Qingshan looked at Yu Xiaogang without answering immediately.

For at that moment, a familiar screen of light appeared before his eyes.

[Yu Xiaogang has witnessed the change in his Martial Soul firsthand. His belief that the host is a Limit Douluo has deepened.]

[Progress toward becoming reality increased: 3%.]

[Current progress toward becoming reality: 20%.]

[Stage reward obtained: Soul Power increased by two levels!]

Li Qingshan's heart leaped with joy.

He was already level thirty-eight. Another two levels would bring him straight to level forty, wouldn't they?

The thought had barely formed when a surge of pure power poured into his body and swiftly flowed into his meridians.

Level thirty-nine.

Level forty!

As his Soul Power broke through, his connection with the Passionate Sword changed as well.

[Host's Soul Power has reached level forty. The Passionate Sword's Fourth Soul Ring has been unlocked!]

[Corresponding Soul Skill unlocked. Transmitting information...]

[Fourth Soul Skill: Fury. Draw upon your own resentment and rage to erupt with power, greatly increasing attack power, speed, and Soul Power. A pale-red flame of emotion also ignites along the Passionate Sword's blade, burning an opponent's mind and soul with each attack.]

A flood of new information entered his mind.

Li Qingshan could clearly sense a Fourth Soul Ring beside the Passionate Sword's original three!

How much time had passed since he arrived here at level twenty-three? Now he was level forty!

Li Qingshan suppressed his delight and was about to examine his new Soul Skill when another notification appeared before his eyes.

[Disciple Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao, has undergone an initial evolution. Its growth trajectory has changed significantly, and its fate will change accordingly.]

[Disciple growth reward obtained: the ages of all four currently unlocked Soul Rings on the Passionate Sword have each increased by one thousand years!]

[This increase is permanent.]

"All four Soul Rings, increased by a thousand years each?"

Li Qingshan could barely contain the joy in his eyes. He had not expected the Apprenticeship System to reward him by increasing the ages of his Soul Rings!

The next moment, a power utterly different from the last surged through his connection with his Martial Soul and into each of the Passionate Sword's four Soul Rings.

The auras of all four Soul Rings grew denser at once.

Li Qingshan did not summon his Martial Soul, but he could still sense the changes clearly. Even the Fourth Soul Ring he had just unlocked had received the increase.

The ways to use the Soul Skills had not changed, but the power behind them felt far fuller than before.

Li Qingshan slowly curled his hand into a fist and laughed to himself. First, two levels of Soul Power. Then, a thousand years added to each of my four Soul Rings. Taking Xiaogang as my little apprentice was worth it after all!

He glanced at the scales on Luo Sanpao's back, his anticipation growing.

The Apprenticeship System had given him such a generous reward for a mere initial evolution.

When Luo Sanpao truly became a Golden Sacred Dragon and Yu Xiaogang broke free of his Martial Soul's limitations, what reward would await him then?

"Teacher?"

Yu Xiaogang's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.

Li Qingshan collected himself. Seeing the boy still watching him eagerly, he cleared his throat.

"Sanpao's change is a good thing. But keep feeding him the same amounts as before. Don't rush to give him more just because you've seen results."

"Yes, Teacher. I'll remember!"

Yu Xiaogang nodded quickly.

Then he could not resist crouching to stroke Luo Sanpao's head. The little creature looked up and barked at him, his tail wagging even harder.

Li Qingshan watched them for a moment, then said slowly, "Xiaogang, it's time we made plans for your First Soul Ring."