The Duel

"Boy, your movements have become much faster, but that's not enough!" Musashi laughed loudly, his right hand wielding a long sword that slashed down like Mount Tai, while his left hand silently slashed towards Xuanxin's ribs.

Faced with this unavoidable attack, Xuanxin's eyes remained calm and unwavering.

"Clang!"

Xuanxin neither dodged nor evaded, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, and swung it directly upwards to meet Musashi's longsword!

Two terrifying forces collided with a deafening roar! Xuanxin's strike, seemingly simple and unadorned, contained an extreme ferocity that almost shattered space itself.

Musashi felt a slight numbness in his tiger's mouth, and his seemingly inevitable downward strike was actually forced open by this brute force.

At that very moment, when Musashi's old power was exhausted and his new power had not yet been generated!

Xuanxin's originally heavy and imposing sword aura suddenly shifted in an unpredictable way. Using the reaction force from the collision of the blades, he flicked his wrist at an incredible angle.

In an instant, the Zanpakuto lost all its fierceness, transforming into a silent, chilling glint of light. It ruthlessly and precisely pierced her throat, exploiting a blind spot in Musashi's short sword's defense!

Swift as a thunderbolt, still as a venomous snake's tongue!

Having endured countless weeks of grueling "special training," Xuanxin rarely skipped classes after Bankai. No matter how badly he was beaten the day before, he would still appear at their dojo.

Xuanxin, relying on his own combat talent, was no longer simply imitating or learning, but had thoroughly digested the sword techniques of the two and perfectly fused them into his own unique way of swordsmanship.

Faced with this stunning yet deadly sword strike, Musashi's eyes instantly blazed with intense light.

She took a strange step, her body like a fully drawn bow, and at the critical moment, she leaned backward. Xuanxin's blade barely grazed her nose, severing a few strands of her flying hair.

Musashi landed gracefully with a backflip, his gaze towards Xuanxin filled with undisguised admiration:

"Good lad! That sword strike just now was quite interesting! It combined strength and gentleness, with a restrained killing intent. It seems you've found some excellent swordsmanship sparring partners while you're out here!"

Xuanxin wiped the sweat from his forehead, preparing to press his advantage and continue the attack.

However, Musashi suddenly raised an eyebrow, stopped what he was doing, and his sharp eyes looked past Xuanxin and straight at the tightly closed metal gate of the training ground.

"Wait a minute, kid." Musashi casually slung his twin swords over his shoulder, tilted his head, and said, "There's someone outside. Want to open the door?"

Meanwhile, inside the underground passage of the main residence of the Shihoin Clan.

Retsu Unohana was walking alone on the corridor leading to the secret training ground.

As the Fourth Division Captain, she shouldn't have been in the forbidden area of other noble families.

However, when she followed the extremely refined sword intent to the outskirts of the Shihoin Clan, the members of the Stealth Force responsible for guarding the area were all immobilized as if they had been frozen in place.

Retsu Unohana simply walked past them with a gentle smile. Because of her status as the Fourth Division Captain and the terrifying Reiatsu that she exuded, the Executive Militia immediately lost the courage to draw their swords and stop her.

Soon, Retsu Unohana reached the end of the corridor and stopped outside the training ground.

She stretched out her fair hand and gently touched the surface of the door.

"Buzz..." An invisible, special domain barrier rippled out from her fingertips.

Through the door, Retsu Unohana could clearly sense that in the space behind the door, Xuanxin was engaged in a fierce collision with another Reiatsu that shared the same origin but was even more unrestrained and wild!

Each clash of Reiatsu felt like an invisible blade, relentlessly scraping at Retsu Unohana's soul.

This feeling stirred a deep, restless longing within the First Kenpachi, who had remained silent for a thousand years.

The fighting spirit hidden beneath her gentle exterior was slowly boiling over.

Retsu Unohana's eyes gradually deepened, and her right hand involuntarily moved slowly down, gently resting on the hilt of her Zanpakuto at her waist.

Since the door can't be opened, we might as well just smash it to pieces.

At this moment, inside the barrier.

Upon hearing Musashi's words, Xuanxin paused for a moment, then instinctively asked, "Who is it?"

Musashi closed his eyes to sense his surroundings, then opened them and described the scene in a relaxed tone:

"A long-haired woman. Although she deliberately concealed her Reiatsu, the suppressed bloodlust and sword intent emanating from her bones were impossible to hide. She seemed like a rather dangerous individual."

A long-haired woman! The smell of blood! The intent of a sword!

As soon as these keywords appeared, Yoruichi Shihōin, who was watching the game from the edge of the training field, narrowed her golden eyes into dangerous slits.

Who else in the entire Gotei 13 fits this description?!

Yoruichi glared at Xuanxin with annoyance, her eyes seeming to say, "You, Shihoin Genshin, you're always causing trouble outside. See? Now people are coming to your door!"

Receiving Yoruichi's murderous gaze, Xuanxin felt a chill run down his spine and awkwardly shook his head at Yoruichi.

He knows Sister Hana too well; clearly, Sister Hana was drawn to him by the sword intent he exuded during his fight with Musashi.

Given Sister Hana's fanatical obsession with battle, she would never have stopped and left without witnessing this duel today. She might already be outside, sword in hand, ready to demolish the Shihoin Clan's basement!

But at this very moment, Yoruichi is still standing here!

If Sister Hana were let in, and these two women were left in a confined space, the scene would be absolutely unimaginable! Xuanxin couldn't even bear to think about it! This wouldn't just be a battlefield anymore; it would be a veritable crematorium!

Just as Xuanxin was sweating profusely, caught in a dilemma, unsure of how to begin...

Yoruichi gave Xuanxin a disapproving look, then crossed her arms, displaying her "magnanimity" as the mistress of the house, and said:

"Since she's here, let her in. I know this woman's temper; if you lock her out, she might just tear down our training ground. I don't want to waste my money on that."

Upon hearing Yoruichi's words, a hint of mockery flashed in Musashi's sharp eyes. She could clearly detect the intense jealousy that Yoruichi couldn't hide in her words.

Musashi cast a look of amusement at Xuanxin, seemingly mocking his troublesome luck with women.

Xuanxin Musashi's gaze, and could only awkwardly scratch his head, coughing twice before saying, "Well... Musashi, could you please open an opening in the barrier and let her in?"

"As you wish, boy."

Musashi chuckled and snapped his fingers. A gap appeared in the special barrier surrounding the door.

At that moment, outside the gate, Retsu Unohana was about to draw her sword, paused slightly as she looked at the passage that had been opened on its own.

Seeing that the barrier had automatically opened a gap, she released her grip, her gentle smile returning to her face, and calmly stepped inside.

As soon as Retsu Unohana stepped into the training field, her gaze was immediately drawn to the two people in the center of the field.

One was Xuanxin, with silver hair and wielding a single sword; the other was a strange woman dressed as a ronin, with two swords at her waist, a heroic appearance, and emanating Reiatsu completely identical to Xuanxin's.

However, instead of going to the center of the arena to disturb their duel, she walked very naturally and lightly to the edge of the arena, went straight to Yoruichi Shihōin's side, and then stood quietly.

Two women who stood at the pinnacle of the Gotei 13 stood side by side.

The atmosphere in the air instantly became unusually subtle.

Yoruichi turned her head, looked at the smiling "uninvited guest" beside her, and couldn't help but snort coldly.

Although she had shown magnanimity outside the door, when they were face to face, Yoruichi couldn't help but want to assert her dominance.

Yoruichi then lowered her voice, her tone carrying an undeniable air of dominance. "That woman is Xuanxin and his Zanpakuto spirit. Everything you saw here today must be kept strictly confidential. I imagine you don't want Xuanxin's information to leak out, do you?"

Despite Yoruichi's barbed warning, Retsu Unohana was not angry.

She merely turned her head slightly, looked at Yoruichi's wary face, her smile deepening, and nodded, saying:

"Captain Yoruichi, rest assured. I will keep quiet about Xuanxin's matter. After all... I don't want too many people to share this precious 'secret'."

These words were spoken flawlessly, yet they contained a hidden barb, leaving Yoruichi speechless with anger.

While the two women on the sidelines were secretly exchanging blows, Musashi, in the center of the arena, focused all his attention on the newly arrived Retsu Unohana.

Just now, he only sensed Reiatsu outside the door. Now that he saw the real person, Musashi's keen swordsmanship intuition immediately detected something familiar from Retsu Unohana's seemingly frail body.

Musashi then sheathed his twin swords and walked directly in front of Retsu Unohana without any warning.

She lowered her head slightly, her wild and sharp eyes almost touching Retsu Unohana's face.

After carefully examining Retsu Unohana, Musashi's gaze swept back and forth between Yoruichi and Unohana a few times.

Then, she touched her chin, as if she had thought of something amusing, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

This troublemaking sword spirit strolled leisurely back to Xuanxin's side, leaned close to his ear, and deliberately lowered his voice, speaking in a tone full of sympathy and suspicion:

"Xuanxin, you little rascal... are you feeling unwell?"

"Look at that long-haired beauty who came in later, she's completely clean, there's not a trace of your Reiatsu on her? But that purple-haired fiancée next to her clearly has your Reiatsu on her. Could it be that you really are...?"

As he spoke, Musashi patted Xuanxin's shoulder with an air of importance and continued to mutter in a low voice, "During my travels over the years, I've actually met quite a few famous doctors. I have a few useful prescriptions on hand. Do you want me to give them to you...?"

Although Musashi deliberately lowered his voice, pretending to whisper, don't forget that none of the people standing in this empty underground training ground are ordinary people.

Therefore, Musashi's shocking remarks naturally reached the ears of the two women on the sidelines without missing a single word.

Upon hearing these outrageous and unrestrained remarks, even the usually composed Retsu Unohana, who could remain unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, visibly stiffened for a moment, and her perfectly perfect smile twitched almost imperceptibly for half a second.

She then shifted her gaze to Yoruichi beside her, and Yoruichi blushed deeply upon noticing Retsu Unohana's amused gaze, her ears even burning slightly.

Fortunately, her healthy tan skin served as an excellent cover-up, preventing her face from showing so much shame and indignation.

Xuanxin, who was directly involved, was completely stunned.

Several seconds passed before his face turned bright red, and he looked as if he wanted to dig a hole in the basement and bury himself alive on the spot.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Let's get back to the beginning!"

Xuanxin roared in exasperation, quickly interrupting the woman who was talking increasingly outrageously, fearing that she would utter some more vile words.

"Haha, you're getting anxious. You wouldn't really..."

Upon hearing this, Musashi revealed a wicked smile of triumph. She shrugged helplessly, then turned and took a few steps back, the playful expression on her face gradually fading.

With her twin swords clashing, she reverted to her flawless starting stance. The pure sword intent belonging to the sword spirit once again filled the entire underground space.

"As you wish, Master. Now that the small talk is over, let's see how long you can last in this second round."

Xuanxin took a deep breath, forcibly expelling the chaotic thoughts from his mind.

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands and charged towards Musashi's blade.

The two figures collided heavily once again, the crisp sound of clashing weapons echoing continuously in the confined space.

The two people standing at the edge of the field once again focused their attention on the white-haired figure on the field.

Chapter 66 Showdown

Inside the underground secret training ground, the storm of Reiatsu was constantly rising.

With a low clang of the blade, Xuanxin recited the Shikai without hesitation.

His Reiatsu poured out of his body like a flood, instantly filling the entire barrier space with a heavy and oppressive Reiatsu.

"Good timing! Let me see the results of your hard work!"

Musashi laughed loudly, her figure vanishing from her original spot in an instant. When she reappeared, she had already covered a distance of dozens of meters, arriving directly in front of Xuanxin!

That's too fast!

That was a speed and power that completely surpassed the limits of a regular Shinigami's Shunpo!

Musashi's twin swords rained down like a storm, each strike carrying the terrifying force capable of cleaving mountains.

However, faced with such an overwhelming offensive, Xuanxin did not choose to confront it head-on. Instead, he displayed the skills he had learned in countless life-and-death battles over the years without reservation!