The Hōgyoku Appears

The two of them knew that Kisuke Urahara seemed to have... gone too far this time.

Chapter 71 Hōgyoku Appears

Inside the dimly lit underground secret base, the air was so heavy it felt like lead weights pressing on the chests of the three, making it difficult to breathe.

Xuanxin and Urahara Kisuke exchanged a glance, then followed the direction of Kisuke Urahara's trembling finger and headed towards the isolation chamber deep inside.

As the two drew closer, a subtle yet real sound, capable of resonating with their souls, began to linger in their ears.

Xuanxin's right hand was pressed firmly on the Zanpakuto 'Mumyō' at his waist, while Yoruichi beside him also lowered her center of gravity, with golden lightning flashing between her fingertips.

The two were even prepared to face a distorted, hideous monster.

The two held their breath and finally reached the thick, bulletproof, Reishi glass barrier.

However, when their gaze pierced through the complex incantations used for sealing and they finally saw the interior of the isolation chamber, both of them froze in place.

There were no bloodied monsters, no rampaging Cero, and not even the slightest hint of killing intent.

In the center of that isolation chamber was a sphere, only a few sizes larger than a glass marble.

Its entire body is a deep blue-purple color, emitting a mesmerizing glow, and it rises and falls erratically within the cabin.

It looked so quiet and beautiful, even possessing a fatal attraction that made one want to possess it.

"..."

After a brief silence.

Yoruichi whirled around, her golden eyes filled with absurdity and bewilderment. Pointing at the glowing bead in the isolation chamber, she shouted incredulously at Kisuke Urahara:

"Kisuke, have you lost your mind?! This is the huge trouble you were terrified of just now?! It's just a glowing glass ball!!"

Faced with Yoruichi's questioning and roar, this time, Kisuke Urahara did not resort to sophistry or jokes as he had done before.

He walked heavily to the isolation chamber, and through the thick glass, his gaze fell on the blue-purple sphere with a complex expression.

"It's not some simple glass ball, Yoruichi."

Kisuke Urahara's voice was hoarse and low, as if he were reciting some terrible curse, "This is the result of my research over this period of time... a result that is infinitely close to the finished product."

Upon hearing this, Xuanxin frowned, his gaze fixed intently on the bead. "So, Kisuke, what exactly is it?"

Kisuke Urahara took a deep breath, turned around, and uttered, word by word, the truth that was enough to overturn the norms of death gods:

"It is the 'key' used to break down the absolute barrier between Shinigami and Hollows."

"Based on my current understanding of this thing... it's a 'forbidden creation' capable of ignoring the laws of Soul Society. And most importantly, it seems to possess self-awareness."

Upon hearing this, Xuanxin and Yoruichi's pupils contracted sharply at the same moment, and they even gasped!

It possesses 'self-awareness'! And it can disregard the laws of Soul Society!

Now the two finally realized just how serious the 'big trouble' Kisuke Urahara had mentioned really was.

Seeing the two's shock, Kisuke Urahara continued, "The moment I realized its true nature, I brought it here and locked it in an isolation chamber. I then tried all sorts of methods, but none of them could destroy it."

Hearing Kisuke Urahara's words tinged with self-reproach, Yoruichi turned her head and asked sharply, "What do you mean, 'There's no way to destroy it'? Didn't you create this?"

Hearing Yoruichi's complaint, Kisuke Urahara sighed and began to recount the unexpected event that led to the formation of this thing:

It turns out that during Xuanxin's month-long leave, the 11th Division did not stop its pursuit of Rukongai. As is well known, Hollows instinctively devour Rukongai in order to accumulate the resources for their evolution.

Under normal circumstances, the attacked soul is quickly and completely digested by the Hollow's Reiatsu, turning into pure Reishi.

However, in a nascent Void that had been delivered a few days earlier, Kisuke Urahara was surprised to find that a small piece of special soul tissue had not been completely digested and instead exhibited a quality that could resist the Reiatsu of the Void.

Driven by his own curiosity, Kisuke Urahara extracted the fragment and began to study it, but he did not get any results for a long time.

To this day, Kisuke Urahara doesn't know what possessed him, or what kind of mysterious guidance he was receiving.

He inexplicably threw the fragment into the large experimental dish he had prepared earlier, which was filled with a high concentration of Hollow and Shinigami Reiatsu.

And the Miracle happened at that very moment.

Those Reishi that were originally clearly distinct and even mutually exclusive suddenly converged and collapsed toward that fragment at an astonishing speed.

The final result is the blue-purple sphere in front of the three of them.

"So I've temporarily named it 'Hōgyoku'."

Kisuke Urahara looked at the isolation chamber through the glass, a flicker of barely concealed fear and lingering dread in his eyes:

"In the early days after the Hōgyoku was completed, when I discovered that it seemed to truly break the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows and ignore the laws of Soul Society, I was very excited, thinking that the experiment had finally been a great success."

"But the moment my Reiatsu made actual contact with it, I realized something was wrong... It actually possessed a faint sense of self!"

"It not only spreads along my Reiatsu, but it's also subtly sensing and trying to amplify the most insane desire for exploration deep within me!"

At this point, Kisuke Urahara clenched his fists in anguish:

"It was at that moment that I realized how dangerous this thing was, so I immediately moved it here and tried to destroy it, and what happened next is what you're seeing now—I failed."

Upon hearing this, Xuanxin took a deep breath. It seemed that his old friend had indeed created a huge, potentially disastrous problem for him and his wife.

After hearing the whole Yoruichi, Yoruichi could no longer contain her anger. She transformed into a black shadow and rushed over, determined to beat up the blond-haired guy no matter what!

"Bang! Thud!" The slender fist, yet brimming with monstrous strength, slammed down without mercy.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Kisuke Urahara abandoned all defense and offered no resistance, merely dodging helplessly.

"So, you called us over in the middle of the night because you want our help?" Xuanxin asked in a deep voice, looking at the scene.

Kisuke Urahara, clutching his bruised eye socket, dodged an oncoming flying kick while shouting:

"Yes, that's me... Ouch! Yoruichi, be gentle! Can you wait until I finish speaking before you hit me?!"

Xuanxin took another deep breath, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and said sharply, "Then take it out first, let me and Yoruichi try it out."

Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara nodded, his expression more solemn than ever before. Yoruichi also stopped her attack and retreated nervously to Xuanxin's side.

As the command to unlock the isolation chamber was given, the heavy lead plates slowly opened.

The moment the item named 'Hōgyoku' was released, it seemed to be attracted by something and naturally floated towards the direction where Xuanxin was.

As they drew nearer, a subtle ripple stirred in Xuanxin's mind.

Xuanxin could clearly sense that this thing was extending an 'invitation' to him.

It was a seductive attempt to arouse Xuanxin's extreme desire for power, trying to make Xuanxin merge the Hōgyoku with himself.

"A childish trick."

The instant he sensed this thought, a flash of undisguised contempt and palpable killing intent crossed Xuanxin's eyes. His Xuanxin will crushed that subtle temptation in an instant!

"Zheng—!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xuanxin drew his Zanpakuto, Mumyō, from his waist!

Xuanxin poured all his Reiatsu into the sharp blade, and a white stream of light, carrying the power to split mountains and cleave seas, slashed fiercely at the object that was right in front of him!

"When--!!"

A piercing clang of metal clashing exploded in the basement, the violent shockwave sending surrounding debris flying!

However.

Just as Kisuke Urahara had said, when the shockwave dissipated, even though Xuanxin had used such immense Reiatsu, the blue-purple Hōgyoku remained completely still, and not even a tiny white mark was left on its smooth surface.

Seeing that even Xuanxin was helpless, Kisuke Urahara's eyes grew even more dejected, sinking into deep despair.

Just as Kisuke Urahara confused and desperate, Xuanxin, who was pondering beside him, suddenly paused for a moment.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his deep, calm demeanor.

He then slowly sheathed his sword, turned to Xuanxin Kisuke Urahara, and asked, "Kisuke, could you make a small, portable isolation chamber that can absolutely isolate Reiatsu fluctuations?"

Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara paused for a moment, then subconsciously said, "Of course, it's possible to modify existing materials; that's not difficult... but why are you asking this..."

Xuanxin then pointed at the Hōgyoku and said to Kisuke Urahara, "Since this thing is dangerous and can't be destroyed, let's keep it with me for now. We'll find a solution sooner or later."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara did not immediately agree. Instead, he slammed the button, forcibly locking the Hōgyoku back into the isolation chamber and locking it tightly.

He stared intently at Xuanxin and demanded, "Xuanxin, are you telling the truth? You suggested carrying it with you... Are you sure you weren't bewitched by it?!"

Upon hearing Kisuke Urahara's words, Yoruichi's heart leaped into her throat, her body tense, and she looked at Xuanxin with suspicion and uncertainty.

Faced with the two men's tense demeanor, Xuanxin calmly met their gazes and said:

"Calm down, I haven't been misled. Since this thing is so dangerous, leaving it here is like a time bomb. If some ambitious people discover it, they will definitely do everything in their power to seize it."

"The safest way is for the three of us to carry it with us at all times and monitor it until we find a way to completely solve it."

Xuanxin pointed to himself. "So, why don't we keep this with me? After all, no one would be foolish enough to attack the current 'Kenpachi'."

Upon hearing Xuanxin's words, Kisuke Urahara stared intently into Xuanxin's eyes.

He saw that those dark eyes were still clear and open, without any trace of being clouded by desire.

Kisuke Urahara remained silent for a long time before finally relaxing his tense body and letting out a long sigh.

"Okay, I'll get it made as soon as possible. However, you must tell me immediately if you notice any changes in your body or in this product."

Xuanxin then nodded and said, "I know. Go back and build the isolation pod first. The smaller and more ordinary the isolation pod, the better. I'll guard it here tonight, and then Yoruichi and I will take turns guarding it until you've developed the isolation pod."

Hearing Xuanxin say this, Yoruichi, though somewhat worried, nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Kisuke Urahara agreed. He then gave the two of them a deep look, solemnly said "thank you," and without another word, turned around and returned to the Twelfth Division's Shinigami Research and Development Institute to work on the small isolation pod.

Now, only Xuanxin and Yoruichi remained in the basement.

Xuanxin turned to look at Yoruichi and said gently, "Leave it to me for today. I'll stay here tonight. You can come and relieve me tomorrow."

Hearing this, Yoruichi nodded and said, "Okay, then please be careful. I'll bring some things to relieve you tomorrow night."

"Good."

As Yoruichi used Shunpo to leave, there was no sound at the end of the passage.

The basement fell into utter silence.

Looking at the deserted ruins, Xuanxin slowly drew his Zanpakuto from his waist. Gazing at his reflection in the smooth, mirror-like blade, he spoke softly, in a voice only he could hear:

"Alright, now that I've gotten everyone away, tell me why you made me carry this dangerous thing with me, Musashi."

As Xuanxin finished speaking, the Reiatsu within his body was once again rapidly drawn out.

A sharp figure slowly emerged in the dimly lit basement. And perhaps because Xuanxin's Reiatsu had undergone a qualitative leap after his breakthrough, Musashi's appearance now seemed even more realistic.

Then Musashi crossed his arms, glanced down at the Hōgyoku inside the isolation chamber, and a haughty smile curled at the corner of his lips:

"I asked you to leave it behind because it will be of great use to you." Musashi then walked to the isolation chamber and patted the chamber's hull forcefully.

Xuanxin listened to the clanging sounds coming from the isolation pod. His eyes twitched involuntarily a few times. Then, Xuanxin stared intently at the isolation pod, as if afraid that Musashi would break it.

After noticing Xuanxin's tense expression, Musashi revealed a triumphant smile, and then explained:

"Although this thing has developed a faint consciousness, its energy level is several levels higher than yours. So your friend who researched this thing is indeed a true genius."

"I asked you to keep it with you because its power can serve as the perfect foundation for your 'next step'."