Qing Ling assimilated the Mu Gong remnant spirit within Mu Gong's clone by wielding the authority of the wood path, transforming the nascent soul into the true Hao. Hao abandoned this Dao body and condensed a new one within Tang Gu. Qing Ling, meanwhile, obtained the essence of the sun's vigor from wood.
Finally, he could begin.
Qing Ling calmed his mind and cast the Four Seasons Diagram. The divine diagram vanished, only to materialize as four scenes, each occupying a cardinal direction. To the east, the gentle and bright spring; to the south, the scorching summer sun; to the west, the desolate autumn winds; and to the north, ten thousand miles of snow. This was his personal four seasons.
Qing Ling sat at the center of the four scenes. The "Spring" divine pattern on his brow mirrored the four scenes, settling upon the blazing summer in the south. The origin essence of the scorching sun transformed into a colossal golden crow phantom that soared across the sky, entering the warm sun formed by the divine diagram. The warm sun's temperature began to rise, shifting from the mild spring to the intense heat of summer.
Qing Ling then guided the sun's vigor from the Fusang wood, infusing the myriad plants and trees with its essence. This process involved the countless divisions of his nascent soul, deducing the optimal solar adaptation for every plant on heaven and earth, essentially altering their genetic chains to cope with the high temperatures of summer. Simultaneously, he fused the origin essence of the scorching sun with his spring, enduring immense spiritual expenditure. This allowed his divine diagram's sun to evolve into a new form. Every second, every moment, he performed countless calculations, incurring spiritual losses beyond measure.
Qing Ling remained seated amidst the four scenes for tens of thousands of years. During this time, his nascent soul was utterly exhausted, and his spirit suffered profound damage, yet he never gave up. The path was arduous and long; no one could assist him. He had to tread this path alone. After ninety thousand years, his nascent soul finally reached its limit.
Hao, hidden within his not-yet-fully condensed body, watched with his head tucked in. If Qing Ling were to fail, he would seize the Three Luminaries Divine Mirror and flee Tang Gu. Although bound by a Dao oath, it didn't forbid "borrowing" treasures. Hao's mind raced with calculations. If Qing Ling succeeded, he would feign extreme joy and admiration, but not too convincingly. If Qing Ling were to fall into demonic deviation midway, he would be even happier. If Qing Ling took a wrong turn in his enlightenment... Hao remained hidden on the Fusang divine tree, observing.
However, seeing the immense effort of the person before him moved him slightly. Over ninety thousand years, he witnessed the youth falter more than once. After all, deducing new sequences to adapt to all living beings, and the Primordial World teemed with countless life forms. Such a task would deter even the most powerful beings. Yet, this youth, even when his nascent soul was so weak it was on the verge of collapse, would only pause for a short rest. As soon as his nascent soul's power slightly recovered, he would resume his deductions. For ninety thousand years, he never once stood up.
Although Qing Ling stopped and restarted countless times, he knew in his heart he could persevere; this was not yet his limit. He intended to deduce the summer sequence by himself! From spring to summer, then from summer to autumn, and from autumn to winter. The spring and winter sequences were already established, so he only needed to deduce and create the summer and autumn sequences. At that point, he would become the God of the Four Seasons, the supreme deity presiding over the world's weather and cosmic phenomena. His authority would be immense, his merits vast. Even the Heavenly Dao would have to tread cautiously if it sought to act against him.
Upon success, he would fear no Heavenly Dao. As the Lord of the Earthly Path, outside the Heavenly Dao, it could not destroy him. As the Lord of Jian Mu, the God of Marriage, and the God of the Four Seasons, his authority would be unparalleled. Within the Heavenly Dao, it would not dare to destroy him easily. Neither within nor outside the Heavenly Dao could it move him. Then he could exist eternally in the Primordial World, indestructible by tribulations. Even if he couldn't achieve Hunyuan, he wouldn't turn to dust in a great calamity, his cultivation lost in vain. For this God of the Four Seasons, he had schemed for a very, very long time. No matter how difficult, he had to succeed!
Qing Ling persevered for another thirty thousand years. His nascent soul was already at its absolute limit, fine fissures appearing upon it. If it endured any longer, it would surely collapse. His future self had offered to share the burden, but Qing Ling refused. This was his Dao, not his future self's. His path had to be walked by himself, not even by another self; he could only be his own sole self!
Qing Ling weakly raised his head and glanced at Hao on the Fusang divine tree. Hao offered a sheepish smile and retreated back into the tree. Qing Ling nodded, acknowledging that the fellow had kept his word and had not harbored ill intentions even in his moment of greatest weakness. If Hao knew, he would scoff. He had witnessed Qing Ling's weakness for tens of thousands of years, and countless wicked thoughts had arisen in his mind, but ultimately, he was bound by the Fusang oath. If he broke it, the sentient Fusang divine tree would reclaim his nascent soul and spirit, rendering all his efforts futile. Moreover, he always felt that the youth before him was no simple being, and beneath his seemingly gentle exterior lay countless past bloody deeds. He decided that even if he were to seize the treasure and flee, he would wait a little longer, until Qing Ling was truly beyond recovery, before acting.
Qing Ling's face was pale. He retracted his nascent soul, internalizing it within his body. Then, with a flick of his finger, the Bridge of Time was erected, leading directly to Du Guang. The next moment, a purple light descended, purple mist rising gracefully. The soft purple light enveloped Qing Ling, carried by a purple lotus that gently rotated, its soft glow healing Qing Ling's nascent soul. This lotus was the Purple Nether Lotus, which had been present alongside the Red Leaf Chun. It greatly aided in nourishing the soul. Youyou's intelligence had opened precisely because it had often been in proximity to the Purple Nether Lotus. He had persevered until the utmost limit of soul deduction before using this innate spiritual root, only for the sake of maximizing its utility. With every rotation of the Purple Nether Lotus, Qing Ling's nascent soul was repaired a bit. Twelve thousand years of nascent soul fatigue had rendered his soul body unable to continue its exertions. But now, with the Purple Nether Lotus, he could continue his soul's deductions.
Qing Ling's mind continued to divide, sensing every blade of grass, every blooming flower, every living creature, integrating them into the blazing summer. Within Tang Gu, divine light flowed endlessly, perpetual daylight for a thousand years, ten thousand years, one hundred thousand years, one Yuan Hui, three Yuan Hui. In the third Yuan Hui, Qing Ling finally achieved complete success in his deductions! The Golden Crow entered the sun, myriad beings entered summer, and heaven and earth became a single sequence. Spring, from its peak of birth, transitioned into the summer sequence! The verdant trees and foliage of heaven and earth turned green, branches and leaves flourished, and all living things grew robustly. Qing Ling looked at the Purple Nether Lotus beneath him, which had rotated for two Yuan Hui without stopping, and smiled, saying, "Since this is the case, you shall be the Flower of Summer." He then added, "Since summer has a flower, spring must also have one. I was once invited by the Queen Mother of the West Kunlun to nurture a tree full of peach blossoms that bore fruit. In spring, it is a flower; after spring, it is past. That spring flower shall be the peach blossom, and the summer flower shall be the lotus." Qing Ling looked at the divine diagram of the completed summer sequence and smiled, "When I have deduced all four seasons, you, oh lotus, shall be the foremost treasure of the Four Seasons in this world!"
Spring had entered summer. All things were flourishing, and life was transitioning from birth and rebirth in spring to its zenith. Qing Ling had not moved for three Yuan Hui. Today, he finally rose to his feet. He walked into summer, the summer rain becoming heavy, the flowers blooming ardently, the grasses green and lush, and the world filled with vibrant life. Qing Ling nurtured his spirit in summer, entering the summer night alone. He smelled the fragrance of the midsummer night and gazed upon a pool filled with brilliantly bloomed lotuses, unstained by the mud, pure and elegant. All this was his doing; he was the god of this midsummer.