Autumn of the Four Seasons

From level fifteen to level nineteen...

Another leap of four levels.

It looked exaggerated.

But in reality, that was because the two Soul Rings Cao Xin had absorbed were both thousand-year Soul Rings!

One had to know that when Cao Dezhi and Zang Xin awakened their Martial Souls, they had both possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

Ordinary Soul Masters could usually only absorb hundred-year Soul Rings as their first Soul Ring.

Thus, the stronger one's Innate Soul Power...

the higher the limit of the Soul Ring age one could withstand.

This showed that both the Sentimental Sword and the Ruthless Sword had reached the level of top-tier Martial Souls.

And Cao Xin possessed two top-tier Martial Souls...

The quality of his body in every aspect would only be even more astonishing.

Only two top-tier Martial Souls could bear thousand-year Soul Rings as first Soul Rings without causing him to burst apart.

And only Martial Souls of this level could allow a Soul Master to pull ahead by an insurmountable margin from the very beginning.

At that moment, Cao Xin raised his left hand.

The Sentimental Sword appeared.

The multicolored glow around its blade was far richer than when it had awakened.

He raised his right hand again.

The Ruthless Sword appeared in response.

A faint layer of autumn intent now covered its ancient blade, tranquil yet murderous.

At last, Cao Xin understood why his godfather had been unable to explain the first Soul Skill of his Ruthless Sword Martial Soul.

Because "autumn" was not one of the conventional Soul Skill categories commonly spoken of on the Douluo Continent.

What were conventional categories? Put simply...

They were:

attack, defense, healing, and support.

These four major classifications were the standard way nearly all Soul Skills on the Douluo Continent were categorized.

Whether they were moves Soul Masters used in battle or all manner of combat techniques recorded in books...

none could escape this framework.

Yet this Soul Skill, "autumn," kept his will within the autumn of the Four Seasons at all times.

It was not a simple ability like a single move or stance, but a state, an added artistic conception.

Every time he drew his sword...

it would carry the essence of "autumn," while the richness and layers of autumn itself granted him limitless possibilities.

Autumn was further divided into early autumn, mid-autumn, and late autumn.

Each stage represented a different essence. The information Cao Xin had received vaguely contained such distinctions.

Although his godfather had never explained them to him.

At this moment, however, those insights flowed through his blade as naturally as instinct.

Then, as though struck by inspiration, Cao Xin raised his right hand and thrust the Ruthless Sword straight forward.

In an instant, countless fallen leaves seemed to swirl through the air.

The air...

was immediately filled with the sensation that all things were about to wither.

At that moment, the temperature in the entire meditation room seemed to drop by several degrees. Even the light of the soul-powered lamps appeared dimmer, as though even light and warmth were unwilling to approach this desolate, murderous domain.

This was the Late Autumn Sword Intent.

Cao Xin's heart trembled slightly.

He could clearly sense the despondence and finality contained within that strike.

Late autumn was the season when all things headed toward decay after the harvest, the final threshold where life turned from prosperity to decline.

If this sword struck an enemy, it would likely plant a withered wasteland directly in his heart...

making his fighting spirit, Soul Power, and even life force seem as though they had been swept away by the autumn wind.

Cao Xin then thrust out another sword.

His wrist turned lightly, and the trajectory of the Ruthless Sword shifted from somber to expansive, as though it had broken free from some restraint and extended toward a more distant horizon.

As the sword tip cut through the air...

it brought forth a gentle golden gleam.

The phantoms of autumn leaves that had already scattered completely reappeared, but they no longer looked withered and yellow.

Plump, abundant golden leaves drifted slowly through the air, their edges carrying the warmth of ripeness.

The cold, murderous aura was instantly replaced by a feeling of abundance and warmth.

It was like standing beneath the midday sun of autumn, drying grain across a courtyard and breathing in the fragrance of fruit from the branches.

Amid the scent of osmanthus, they spoke of a bountiful year.

At that moment...

a sweet, rich scent of osmanthus seemed to drift from the void, dancing with those golden leaves and making one instinctively want to take a deep breath.

A bountiful harvest of all grains!

Golden light covered the ground, abundance filled the room. This was the time of mid-autumn, when all things ripened and heaven and earth offered their richest gifts.

This was the Mid-Autumn Sword Intent.

Cao Xin sheathed his sword and stood still.

The Ruthless Sword silently dissipated from his palm.

Only several breaths had passed between the two sword strikes.

Yet they had crossed two utterly different worlds.

One headed toward an end, while the other moved toward fulfillment.

Late autumn and mid-autumn.

Both belonged to autumn, yet their essences were worlds apart.

At that moment, Cao Xin was filled with excitement.

Too powerful!

To him, so-called attack-type or other types of Soul Skills all had roughly the same effect.

After all, everyone's Soul Skills...

grew more powerful the further along they were acquired.

First Soul Skills could generally only serve as a foundation. Compared to those high-level Soul Skills in the later stages that could destroy heaven and earth with a casual motion, they were ultimately far inferior.

But the Soul Skill his godfather had found for him was different.

At its core, it was a form of Sword Intent.

Its power did not depend on the amount of Soul Power or the age of the Soul Ring. Instead, it directly touched something more fundamental.

The depth and breadth of artistic conception.

The desolation of late autumn, the harvest of mid-autumn, the rebirth of early autumn—every artistic conception was an independent sword that could shift at his will.

In other words...

as long as he possessed more Soul Skills of this type.

When he faced enemies in the future...

he would not need to perform any complicated maneuvers at all.

He would only need to thrust out his sword, and the Four Seasons Cycle would turn.

One sword brimming with vitality, another withering all things.

And when the laws of the four seasons were condensed into a single sword.

Then who could possibly block it?

A bright curve lifted at the corner of Cao Xin's mouth.

Late autumn and mid-autumn had already taken initial form.

Then there was early autumn, as well as spring, summer, and winter.

And countless variations between the four seasons...

His future had only just begun.

Half a month slipped quietly past like flowing water.

Outside Shrek City, at the headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda.

It was a magnificent structure standing in the outskirts of Shrek City.

At this moment, a constant stream of people came and went.

Cao Xin followed beside Zang Xin, passed through the gate guarded by two Soul Sages, and entered the tower.

Afterward, they arrived at a room.

The room was filled with a sense of advanced technology.

After his identity was verified and his authorization confirmed, a pale blue glow enveloped him.

When the light faded...

Cao Xin discovered that he was already standing within a primeval forest.

He raised his head. Dense canopies covered the sky, while the air was moist and fresh.

The surrounding trees were tall and thick, their trunks covered in moss, while the ground was blanketed with thick fallen leaves and vines.

Of course, this was not the Star Dou Forest.

It was the Spirit Pagoda's Junior Spirit Ascension Platform.

The Junior Spirit Ascension Platform restricted entry to Soul Masters below four Soul Rings.

Inside were only hundred-year and thousand-year Soul Beasts.

But for Soul Masters whose cultivation was still low...

it was an excellent place to temper themselves.

And with Cao Xin's current cultivation of two Soul Rings, Cao Dezhi was quite at ease allowing him to train within the Junior Spirit Ascension Platform.