The Golden Sacred Dragon's First Flight? Ning Fengzhi Arrives in Sunset Forest! (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)

The moment he finished speaking, the golden light enveloping Luo Sanpao suddenly contracted again.

Immediately afterward, the dragon wings that had just unfurled slowly folded back in, and the fine scales covering the entire body began to disappear, bit by bit.

The smile on Dugu Bo's face froze. "Teacher, why is it...?"

Before he could finish, the young dragon within the golden light rapidly shrank.

The long limbs grew short again, the dragon tail retracted, and even the dragon head, which had begun to show a hint of majesty, gradually became round once more.

It took only a few breaths.

A little golden dog reappeared beside the bed, its body smooth and bare. Not a single dragon scale remained.

"Luo luo?"

Luo Sanpao looked down at its paws, then twisted its head to look behind itself, seemingly just as bewildered about where its newly grown wings had gone.

Just then, Yu Xiaogang slowly opened his eyes on the bed.

Half a day of torment had all but drained his strength. Yet before he could even catch his breath, he witnessed the final moment of Luo Sanpao reverting to its original form.

The anticipation on Yu Xiaogang's face froze.

He stared at the little creature beside the bed, his lips moving. He nearly failed to catch his breath, and his vision briefly went black.

I suffered for half a day, and it had even grown dragon wings. How could it turn back again?!

"Teacher..." Yu Xiaogang braced himself against the edge of the bed, his voice painfully hoarse. "What happened? Did it fail?"

Li Qingshan reached out to steady him, then placed two fingers on his wrist and slowly sent a strand of soul power inside.

Silence settled over the room.

A moment later, the furrow in Li Qingshan's brow gradually eased. "It probably wasn't a failure."

At those words, Yu Xiaogang abruptly raised his head.

Li Qingshan glanced at Luo Sanpao and explained slowly:

"Sanpao's aura is already different from before you took the pill. The connection between you and your martial soul hasn't been damaged, either. If anything, it's become clearer."

"If the evolution had failed, that shouldn't be the case."

Only then did a little life return to Yu Xiaogang's face, though he still could not help asking, "But why did it turn back?"

"Most likely, your current body and innate soul power can't sustain it yet." Li Qingshan withdrew his hand, his gaze settling on Yu Xiaogang's pale face.

"The Golden Sacred Dragon's form requires cultivation aptitude to maintain. Your innate soul power was low to begin with. On top of that, you've just exhausted nearly all your soul power, and your body has been put through half a day of torment. Naturally, you can't keep sustaining it."

"Besides, your meridians have only just been improved by the pill's effects. They haven't adapted to the circulation of soul power that a dragon-form martial soul requires. It's like a newly built road-you have to travel it a few times before you know how to apply your strength."

At that point, he glanced at Yu Xiaogang's abdomen again.

"Some of the Sacred Dragon Creation Pill's medicinal power remains in your body and hasn't been fully absorbed. Although it allowed Sanpao to complete its evolution this time, to stabilize it completely, we'll probably have to find a way to raise your innate soul power level, as well as your own cultivation."

Yu Xiaogang listened intently, and only then did his anxious heart finally settle a little. "So Sanpao can still turn back into the Golden Sacred Dragon?"

"You'll know if you try." Li Qingshan sent a gentle strand of soul power into him, helping smooth the flow of energy within his body. Once his breathing gradually steadied, he continued:

"Recall Sanpao first, then summon it again."

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly nodded.

He raised his hand, and Luo Sanpao's body became a streak of golden light that vanished into him.

The next moment, a sensation utterly different from anything he had felt before arose within him, as though another form lay hidden deep within his martial soul, beyond the Sanpao he had always known.

Yu Xiaogang's eyes brightened slightly. Following that sensation, he tried releasing his martial soul again.

With a flash of golden light, Luo Sanpao landed beside the bed once more, still the same little golden dog with a round head and short legs.

He was just about to speak when the light around the little creature suddenly brightened. Fine scales swiftly emerged, its limbs stretched out, its tail lengthened, and a pair of small dragon wings unfurled from its back.

In the blink of an eye, the young Golden Sacred Dragon appeared before them again!

"It really works!" Delight spread across Yu Xiaogang's face.

Dugu Bo could not help taking half a step forward, his gaze fixed on those dragon wings.

Luo Sanpao looked down at its claws, then tentatively flapped its wings. A light breeze swept past, and its body slowly rose off the ground!

"Roar!"

The little creature cried out excitedly, beating its wings faster. First, it wobbled around the foot of the bed, then flew toward Li Qingshan.

It circled halfway around Li Qingshan before flying in front of Dugu Bo and proudly lifting its head.

Dugu Xin could not resist reaching out, but it nimbly swerved around his hand.

Yu Xiaogang watched with shining eyes, unable to suppress his smile. "Teacher, Sanpao can fly!"

Li Qingshan was about to nod when he suddenly noticed something and turned his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang. "Don't let it fly for too long yet. Your soul power..."

Before he could finish.

Luo Sanpao suddenly flickered in midair.

The dragon wings vanished.

So did the scales.

A round little golden dog remained suspended in midair, still holding its head high and puffing out its chest.

"Luo?"

Luo Sanpao glanced down, and its four short legs immediately began flailing.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"Splat!"

It plunged headfirst into the carpet, its rear sticking high in the air, taking a solid dog-eats-dirt tumble.

The room instantly fell silent.

Then Dugu Xin was the first to lose control, bursting into laughter. The corners of Dugu Bo's mouth twitched, and eventually, he too turned his head aside and laughed aloud.

Even Yu Xiaogang, who had nearly fainted from anxiety moments earlier, could not help covering his face at the sight of Sanpao, his shoulders shaking.

Luo Sanpao pulled its head out of the carpet, shook it, and cried out to everyone with an aggrieved expression.

"Luo luo!"

Smiling, Li Qingshan lifted it back beside the bed, then patted Yu Xiaogang's shoulder. "You can rest easy now, can't you? Sanpao really has evolved."

"But next time, practice on the ground first."

Meanwhile.

In the original Douluo Continent, Sunset Forest.

Within the dense woods, two figures swept over the treetops one after another before finally stopping on a hillside. They were Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not far from Heaven Dou City to begin with, so naturally, they could reach Sunset Forest much faster than the other factions.

With Chen Xin bringing Ning Fengzhi along the entire way, the two had made almost no stops and were already deep within the forest.

Using the mountain terrain shown on the Sky Screen, along with the unusual signs they had investigated along the way, they had finally found this place.

Yet farther ahead, a layer of pale green mist blocked their path.

The mist drifted slowly among the trees, growing denser deeper within, until even the thick tree trunks were reduced to blurred outlines.

Ning Fengzhi stopped and looked into the depths, a hint of anticipation appearing in his eyes. "Uncle Jian, this should be the place."

P.S. Reporting to all my godfathers: the actual monthly vote count is currently 688. Yesterday, it was five hundred and something. It's gone up by over a hundred, and every hundred monthly votes earns an extra chapter. Today's bonus chapter is already out!

Let's aim for another 120 votes or so to reach 800, and there'll be four updates tomorrow!