Douluo Dalu - The Story of Sheng Feilong

Some time passed until Sheng Lingtian calmed down while Sheng Feilong did his best to console his father. Agitation could be seen in Song Weihan's eyes, but he held himself back, quietly standing at the side. When the father and son duo finally separated, Sheng Feilong started smiling and turned towards Song Weihan before bowing deeply. "Master, your disciple has returned."

Song Weihan couldn't help be crack a relieved smile as well, gently nodding his head in response. He looked Sheng Feilong up and down, carefully assessing the latter's condition. Other than looking somewhat thinner than when they last met, Sheng Feilong hadn't changed much, much to Song Weihan's relief.

Before saying anything else, he used his Spirit Power to inspect Sheng Feilong's body more closely and was soon shocked. Sheng Feilong's body had become much stronger that what he would have expected. It's been over three months since Sheng Feilong came to Heaven Dou City to obtain another Spirit Soul after he advanced to Rank 40. Back then, his body was already strong enough to bear a 10.000-years-old Spirit Soul, but now his strength should be superior to ordinary Rank 60 Soul Emperor's, and that's just from from a rough estimate.

Another thing cause Song Weihan to frown as well; Sheng Feilong's Soul Power had elevated to rank 48. Normally, it should be impossible for him to reach this level in a short three months, considering his circumstances. Only with thousands of years old Soul Treasures would he be able to accomplish something like this, but Song Weihan knew that Sheng Feilong wouldn't randomly take any Soul Treasures without consulting him first.

Song Weihan retracted his Spirit Power and glanced at She Meixiao for a split second before speaking to Sheng Feilong. "You've become much stronger than before. What happened to you since we last met, Feilong? Other than the Soul Train accident."

Sheng Feilong was a bit surprised but quickly summarised the happenings of the last few months that lead up to the Year End Exam. He mostly trained normally so there wasn't anything that stood out in particular. He also quickly mentioned that he noticed this sudden increase in strength after waking up today.

Song Weihan was a bit confused and beckoned for Sheng Feilong to explain himself. Then, starting with the Soul Train accident, Sheng Feilong started to narrate what happened. From the terrorist's attack, to fighting the evil Soul Saint ranked Soul Master, to the encounter with the Doomstinger Dragonfly. Sheng Lingtian's and Song Weihan's faces quickly changed when he began to explain that he Soul Beast attacked them.

Sheng Feilong frowned when he told his father and master about how the Doomstinger Dragonfly attacked him, how it pierced his chest and the strange voice he heard after that. He also told them that he lost consciousness after that and only woke up today. At that point, She Meixiao quickly chirped in, telling them how she found Sheng Feilong in the western wasteland, with the Doomstinger Dragonfly already being dead since hours ago and the strange condition Sheng Feilong was in.

Both, Song Weihan and Sheng Lingtian were confused about this as it didn't really make sense for such a strange voice to be there, much less for Sheng Feilong to become so much stronger due to this. She Meixiao told them a few details about the tests and the monitoring results that the doctor made, before Sheng Feilong began telling them how he entered his spiritual consciousness earlier today and the same story about the strange black area inside there.

Song Weihan was deep in thought while Sheng Feilong was still explaining about the situation as he could make heads and tails of it. But just a few moments later, Sheng Feilong threw him a special look while his back coincidentally faced She Meixiao. Song Weihan quickly got his meaning, but continued to give the same thoughtful look as before, silently waiting for Sheng Feilong to finish.

After Sheng Feilong's explanation ended, She Meixiao told them of a few more of Daedalus' monitoring results, to which Song Weihan nodded. "I see. So,it can be assumed that this strange energy is gone for now. Still, we should do a few tests once we get back." He then looked at She Meixiao with a light frown. "Madam Smiling Snake, is there a training facility we could use? I would like to assess Feilong's prowess myself."

She Meixiao could understand Song Weihan's question. Although she suspects that he's not really willing to do something so important inside their territory, but given Sheng Feilong's situation, there isn't much he can do. Sheng Feilong had been unconscious for 10 days and even though his parameters are quite normal, it was always better to test it out. Moreover, there is the matter about this dangerously powerful energy that seemed to have vanished.

Nodding her head, She Meixiao replied to Song Weihan in a calm tone. "There are a few training facilities deeper underground. I'll manage for you to have one for yourselves. Naturally, no surveillance will be put on that room. Song Weihan quickly responded with a nod. "Many thanks."

She Meixiao then proceeded by walking out of the room to make a quick call on her Soul Communicator, before entering the room again about a minute later. She told Song Weihan that everything was already organized and asked them to follow her. Song Weihan and Sheng Feilong exchanged a glance before following behind She Meixiao, while Sheng Lingtian also followed suit, though he doesn't know about Sheng Feilong's underlying agenda to be alone with them as soon as possible.

Walking out of the infirmary ward and back into the main hallway, they followed She Meixiao for a while before reaching a heavily guarded, 4 metres wide steel door; An massive elevator! The people stationed next to it quickly saluted She Meixiao when they drew near and opened the steel door for them.

After boarding the elevator, She Meixiao casually explained the situation. "The training facilities are at the second lowest level. The reason this elevator was so heavily guarded is that we're headed for the core of Daedalus' institutions. After we exit this elevator, all of you are to stay closely behind me."

They entered another hallway after exiting the elevator. Although She Meixiao had warned them beforehand, Sheng Feilong couldn't see any differences from the hallway they were walking through before. There were little people running around, but all of them quickly saluted She Meixiao when they saw her. Doors were tightly kept close, while people would occasionally enter or exit them; Nothing one wouldn't expect from anormal office building or anything of the likes.

However, there was one thing that all of the people they passed had in common. All of them wre Soul Master; There wasn't even a single ordinary person among the ones Sheng Feilong and the others saw! Moreover, all of them gave off a sharp and dangerous vibe, probably due to their Spirit Essences. As She Meixiao had mentioned earlier, all of them were likely Soul masters with evil or dark attributed Spirit Essences!

Soon after, they reached the training facility and She Meixiao led them inside. It was a spacious hall with reinforced walls, same for the ground and ceiling. It was completely empty other than a door at the other side of the hall. She Meixiao turned towards Song Weihan and spoke up again. "This is the facility you asked for. As I've promised, all surveillance devices have been turned off. I will also leave now; if you need anything, you can find me in front of the hall."

Song Weihan thanked her and after she left. Before anything else, Sheng Feilong checked once again if anyone was spying on them before asking Song Weihan to isolate the training hall with his Soul Power. Song Weihan frowned but did as he was asked for, then turned towards Sheng Feilong with a serious expression. "So, what it is that you wanted to talk about in private?"

Sheng Feilong sighed lightly with a solemn expression while lightly bowing. "First of all, I'm sorry for lying to your before, Master, father. I haven't told you everything I knew while madam She was still with us. For starters, the dark energy hasn't vanished; It is still within my body."

Although he was prepared for something serious, Song Weihan's expression still soured upon hearing Sheng Feilong. From what he had heard, this corrosive energy wasn't a laughing matter and highly dangerous. "What do you mean? Is it still concentrated in your spiritual consciousness as before? What about the voice you mentioned, Is it related to the energy?"

Sheng Feilong quickly pacified Song Weihan and told him about what really happened. Starting with the memories he regained concerning the fight against the Doomstinger Dragonfly, to the split world inside his spiritual consciousness and the reaction of his spirit Essence, Spirit Souls and Soul Bone, to meeting with the demon on the dark wasteland inside his spiritual consciousness. And lastly, about the Netherworld Putrefaction Demon itself.

Song Weihan calmly listened to Sheng Feilong at first but the more he got to know, the uglier his expression became. All of this was simply too bizarre, but what really bothered him was what Sheng Feilong said last. "The Netherworld Putrefaction Demon isn't just some demon. It's... It's my second Spirit Essence."

He focused on the Netherworld Putrefaction Demon, carefully activating the Spirit Essence. Suddenly, a powerful, uncomfortable oppressive feeling filled the room as Sheng Feilong grew a few centimetres taller. A greyish, muddy green vapour started rising up from the scar on his chest, as his skin turned paler, then greyish in colour, with strange, pulsing green veins spreading all over his skin, starting from his heart. Slowly, two massive horns started growing from the side of Sheng Feilong's head, curving upwards and his forearms and hands morphed into heavily armoured demonic claws with muddy green tips.

This time, both Song Weihan's and Sheng Lingtian's expression's changed. No matter what they said they couldn't deny that Sheng Feilong's transformation was certainly that of a demon!