Strength grows through tempering.
This was precisely the meaning behind what Suō Tsukasa and Toshiro did every day. During this period, Toshiro's progress in strength could be described as meteoric. High-intensity practical combat drills, combined with the nourishment of the improved Three-Element Pills and the recovery offered by the hot springs, had stimulated his already exceptional combat potential.
His mastery over Hyorinmaru's Shikai abilities grew increasingly sophisticated. Recently, he had even developed tactical progressions that successfully put some pressure on Suō Tsukasa. His genius lay further in his startling learning capacity; having witnessed Suō Tsukasa's light clones only once, he used that as a catalyst to develop his own unique ice clone, catching Suō Tsukasa off guard. He truly lived up to his reputation as one of the greatest prodigies in the original story.
As for Suō Tsukasa himself, he felt a distinct improvement as well. Serving as a sparring partner was by no means a one-sided contribution. Through continuous confrontation with a top-tier ice-and-snow type Zanpakuto like Hyorinmaru, his understanding and development of Hikari reached a new level.
Hyorinmaru's "Tensō Jūrin" was a rather broken skill; its true terror lay in environmental control. The strength of the ability was not in an instantaneous burst of power, but in its unavoidable domain-like nature. Cold and freezing were passive rules that Hyorinmaru kept in constant effect. Moisture condensed into frost, and frost spread into a frozen domain; the longer the battle lasted, the more the opponent felt as if they were falling into an abyss of ice.
Clashing with such an opponent was the best catalyst to force a qualitative change in one's own Zanpakuto abilities. Now, Suō Tsukasa could almost instinctively deploy a constant domain of light around his body to counteract the rules of the external environment.
Ring, ring, ring—
The alarm clock placed on a rock rang, interrupting Suō Tsukasa's Kido training. He ceased the circulation of his spiritual pressure and called out to the other side.
"Toshiro, stop digging. Time to rest."
If one pushes too hard in cultivation, there will eventually come a day of imbalance. Be kind to oneself, maintain a steady heart, and live a life of balanced tension and relaxation—this was Suō Tsukasa's current philosophy of life.
On the other side of the rock pillar, Toshiro stood at the entrance of a planned cellar.
"Hado No. 57: Daichi Ten'yō!"
Spiritual pressure spread following his consciousness. Under his manipulation, uniform blocks of earth flew out from the ground in an orderly fashion. This kind of phenomenon, which defied common logic, could only be achieved through Kido. It was many times more efficient than simple manual excavation.
Hearing Suō Tsukasa's call, his movements paused, and he piled the excavated earth to the side. He called back loudly, "Coming!"
He then made his way to the hot spring. Suō Tsukasa was already submerged in the pool. Toshiro swallowed his medicine with some fresh water and went to the changing room to switch into his yukata. After washing away the dust from his body with clean water, he slowly lowered himself into the pool, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Leaning against the rocks at the edge of the pool, Toshiro pushed his wet hair back, revealing a clean forehead as he reported his progress.
"The prototype of the cellar is about done. The main space is already out. I'll spend another day tomorrow reinforcing the inner walls, and then I'll be finished."
"The exertion was a bit higher than expected. Maintaining that kind of high-precision Kido manipulation requires a high level of stability in continuous spiritual pressure output."
He spoke the last sentence somewhat slowly. It was the first time he had used Kido for such a task; there was a sense of novelty mixed with the satisfaction of mastering a new skill.
"The efficiency is already very high," Suō Tsukasa's voice came from the side, filled with praise. Hearing the slight sense of accomplishment in the boy's tone, the corners of Tsukasa's mouth curved upward, feeling no guilt whatsoever about employing child labor.
After a pause, he turned to a topic of greater interest. "Today's ice clone was very good; it gave me quite a surprise. Have you named the move?"
"Zanhyo Ningyo," Toshiro answered.
"Not bad." Suō Tsukasa nodded, approving of the naming taste. Then, a flash of inspiration hit him, and he suggested, "However, I think after this move lures the enemy, it would be even better if you could follow up with an ice crystal explosion. As it stands, using it purely for control and distraction makes the tactic a bit too one-dimensional."
As the person who had experienced the effect of the move firsthand, Suō Tsukasa had a lot of standing to speak on the matter. This was also a part of their daily post-cultivation routine—discussing and envisioning the development of Zanpakuto abilities through casual conversation.
"The operation would be a bit complex. I can't do it yet, but I'll try in the future." Toshiro's eyes lit up as he committed the suggestion to memory, though he shook his head quite honestly. He had once envisioned creating multiple clones like Suō Tsukasa, but currently, a single clone was the limit of his operational capacity.
Suō Tsukasa placed a damp towel over his face and leaned back against the edge of the pool, his voice muffled. "No rush. Take it slow."
"Mhm."
For a time, there was only the faint sound of water brushing against their bodies. The misty steam blurred their vision.
Suddenly, Toshiro spoke up. "Tsukasa, when you were calculating the casualty rates in the squad and had Vice-Captain Kaien raise the issue of Hollow mission abnormalities at the meeting... it wasn't just because of caution, right?"
Only after doing similar work himself did he realize how much effort and care Suō Tsukasa had put into this matter. It wasn't a conclusion one could reach just by casually glancing at reports; one had to meticulously categorize the injury severity of every person in the reports and the type and number of opponents, then compare that data across different periods.
Suō Tsukasa pulled the towel off his face and replied calmly. "I suppose so. Caution is part of it, but more importantly, abnormalities don't appear out of thin air. The Seireitei is vast, with thirteen squads and thousands of Shinigami. A mission accident or injury once or twice can be attributed to individual performance or individual differences in Hollows. But if, within a long-term stable system, a certain index begins a continuous upward trend, it means the system itself is being influenced by an external force."
"Particularly the abnormal increase in the frequency of large Hollows and Hollows with special abilities—I believe it is the result of natural selection under environmental changes."
"Environmental changes? Are you referring to the environment of Hueco Mundo?" Toshiro pressed.
"Perhaps. It could be that something we don't know about has changed in Hueco Mundo, leading to more and stronger Hollows appearing in missions. The reason is unclear, but regardless, this phenomenon exists. You've been on a few missions; you should have felt it a bit."
"Yes. It's no wonder you remained so vigilant even after the Department of Research and Development gave their conclusion," Toshiro said solemnly, recalling the details of the few subjugation missions he had led recently. "When official reports contradict the abnormalities we feel on the front lines, that is when one needs their own cold judgment—especially when this abnormality is being manifested through the injuries of our comrades."
"All we can do is stay sharp, continue observing, strive to get stronger, and just pay more attention during regular missions," Suō Tsukasa concluded.
It wasn't that he enjoyed being a man of mystery; the name Sosuke Aizen and the power of Kyoka Suigetsu were taboos that absolutely could not be spoken aloud at this moment. Aizen's manipulation of the overall situation, his absolute control over information, and his terrifying power that could leave everyone in an illusion without them knowing it—these were a silent sword hanging over Suō Tsukasa's head.
"I understand," Toshiro said again, not pushing for more explanations. He keenly sensed that beneath Suō Tsukasa's calm expression lay a deeply hidden, heavy vigilance, as if born from a worry regarding an unknown existence.
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi