Yu Yuanzhen's voice finally pulled everyone out of their shock.
"That's enough staring. Hurry up and summon Xiao Long!"
The Grand Elder immediately nodded in agreement.
"That's right! Xiaogang, let us see what kind of changes your spirit has undergone."
The others echoed the sentiment.
Everyone's curiosity had reached its peak.
After all, Yu Xiaogang himself had experienced a tremendous transformation after absorbing his third spirit ring. His appearance, aura, and even bloodline had undergone extraordinary changes.
If the spirit that shared such a close connection with him evolved as well, how incredible would that transformation be?
Yu Xiaogang himself was equally curious.
He carefully returned the mirror to Bibi Dong before taking a deep breath.
A surge of spirit power flowed through his body.
Golden light flickered around him.
Then he raised his hand.
"Come forth, Xiao Long!"
A brilliant golden light erupted from his body.
The next moment—
"ROAR!!!"
A majestic dragon's roar exploded through the hall.
The deafening sound shook the surrounding walls and caused everyone's hearts to tremble.
A dazzling golden radiance burst outward like the rising sun.
Everyone instinctively narrowed their eyes.
When the light finally faded, a massive figure stood before them.
Silence filled the room.
Yu Yuanzhen's mouth slowly fell open.
The Grand Elder's eyes widened.
Even the usually calm elders stared blankly at the creature before them.
For several seconds, nobody could speak.
"Is... is that really Xiao Long?"
Yu Yuanzhen finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
The others looked no better.
Even Yu Xiaogang, who had already prepared himself mentally, was left speechless.
The changes were far greater than he had imagined.
After absorbing the third spirit ring, Xiao Long's body had undergone another complete evolution.
Yu Xiaogang was nearly one hundred and eighty centimeters tall.
Yet standing beside Xiao Long now, he only reached the middle of its body.
The tiny dragon that once perched on his shoulder had transformed into a true giant.
Its body was covered in dazzling golden scales that shimmered like forged divine metal.
Every scale reflected light brilliantly, giving it the appearance of a living golden sun.
Its previous childish appearance had vanished entirely.
In its place stood a majestic dragon that radiated dignity and authority.
The pressure emanating from it was overwhelming.
Most shocking of all were its eyes.
Just like Yu Xiaogang's own transformed eyes, Xiao Long's pupils had become pure gold.
Those golden eyes carried an indescribable sense of nobility.
Simply meeting its gaze caused everyone present to feel an invisible pressure weighing down on them.
Even the clan elders felt their hearts tighten slightly.
The dragon horns on its head had also changed dramatically.
What had once looked like delicate jade ornaments had become sharp, elegant weapons.
The curved golden horns gleamed with a dangerous light.
No one doubted that a single strike from those horns could pierce solid steel.
Its wings remained folded against its back.
Even so, everyone could tell how enormous they had become.
If they were fully spread, they would likely cover half the training grounds.
The dragon's entire body exuded power.
It looked less like a spirit and more like a legendary divine beast that had descended from the heavens.
"ROAR!"
Xiao Long let out another mighty roar.
The sound carried a hint of confusion.
It looked around curiously.
Then it tilted its head.
Why had everyone suddenly become so small?
The dragon blinked.
Its enormous golden eyes scanned the crowd.
Finally, it lowered its head toward Yu Xiaogang.
Seeing the familiar figure, Xiao Long's confusion immediately disappeared.
A trace of joy appeared in its eyes.
Yu Xiaogang smiled.
Without hesitation, he raised a hand and gently touched its head.
The moment their contact was made, Xiao Long narrowed its eyes comfortably.
The majestic dragon that had terrified everyone moments ago suddenly looked remarkably obedient.
The contrast was so dramatic that many people nearly laughed.
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but feel emotional.
Only a short while ago, Xiao Long had been roughly his own size.
Now it had become a giant creature large enough for him to run around on its back.
If its wings were fully spread...
Even Yu Xiaogang couldn't imagine how enormous it would appear.
The growth was simply too sudden.
He wasn't prepared for it at all.
Looking at the gigantic dragon before him, he felt both pride and disappointment.
He was proud of Xiao Long's growth.
But at the same time...
He knew things would never be quite the same.
The tiny dragon that liked to curl up beside him was gone.
From now on, Xiao Long would likely become larger and larger.
Eventually, it might become impossible to interact as closely as before.
A trace of sadness flashed through his heart.
Unexpectedly—
As if sensing his emotions through their spiritual connection, Xiao Long suddenly smiled.
The smile appeared almost mischievous.
The next second, golden light erupted from its body.
Everyone was startled.
"What is it doing now?"
The dragon's body began shrinking rapidly.
Its enormous limbs became smaller.
Its giant wings contracted.
The majestic body compressed continuously.
Within seconds, the giant dragon that filled the room had completely disappeared.
In its place stood a tiny golden dragon.
The size was exactly the same as when Yu Xiaogang first obtained his spirit ring.
"Awoo!"
The little dragon let out a soft cry.
Its adorable voice immediately shattered all traces of the majestic image from moments earlier.
Then, before anyone could react—
Whoosh!
The tiny dragon launched itself directly into Yu Xiaogang's arms.
Yu Xiaogang instinctively caught it.
His eyes widened.
The others were equally stunned.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Finally, Yu Xiaogang looked down at the tiny dragon nestled comfortably in his arms.
"It can actually do that?"
The ability completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
A spirit evolving was normal.
A spirit becoming stronger was normal.
But a spirit capable of freely switching between its evolved form and its original form?
That was practically unheard of.
The Grand Elder rubbed his eyes.
Even after decades of experience, he had never seen such a thing.
"It evolved..."
"And yet it can still return to its original state."
"Remarkable."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded repeatedly.
This ability alone made Xiao Long even more extraordinary than before.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong's attention was focused elsewhere entirely.
Her eyes sparkled.
"So cute..."
The words slipped out unconsciously.
Compared to everyone else's fascination with Xiao Long's transformation ability, Bibi Dong was completely captivated by its adorable appearance.
When she first met Xiao Long, it had already grown considerably.
Even then, she had liked it very much.
But now?
The tiny dragon in Yu Xiaogang's arms was simply irresistible.
Its golden scales glowed softly.
Its little claws clung to Yu Xiaogang's clothes.
Its tail swayed happily behind it.
Every movement was unbearably cute.
Bibi Dong suddenly felt a dangerous impulse.
She wanted to pick it up.
She wanted to hug it.
She wanted to spoil it endlessly.
As if sensing her intentions, Xiao Long shivered.
It immediately buried itself deeper into Yu Xiaogang's embrace.
Only its eyes peeked out cautiously.
The sight made Bibi Dong puff her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)