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Shusuke Amagai couldn't wait to ask, "Commander Ye Yang, how did you escape from more than twenty Adjuchas Menos Grande? You looked a little tired, but you weren't injured. What happened after we left?"

After Shusuke Amagai finished speaking, everyone present stared at Ye Yang. Clearly, they were also very curious to know. To escape from more than twenty Adjuchas was a feat that probably no one in the entire Expeditionary Force could accomplish.

Ye Yang gave a wry smile, "Actually, my return this time was purely by luck."

"Oh?" Ikeda Kawai looked curious. "Could you tell me what happened?" At the same time, his words echoed the thoughts of everyone present.

"Here's what happened," Ye Yang paused before continuing, "After you all left, I ran in the opposite direction to lure them away and entered that cave." At this, everyone's hearts clenched. Wasn't that a dead end? How did he get back? But at the same time, they also admired Ye Yang for risking his life to lure the enemy away.

At this moment, Ye Yang turned to Ikeda Kawai: "Commander-in-Chief, do you remember you said that an Adjuchas often appears here? He's our target, and we always thought he brought the Menos Grande here, but that's not the case."

Shusuke Amagai asked, "What happened?"

Ye Yang continued, "I had my doubts before: how could they possibly mobilize such a large force against a mere small squad like us? Turns out we were all wrong. They weren't here for us, but for that Hollow in the cave. They only wanted to kill that Hollow, and we just happened to arrive at the right time. Our luck was pretty good, really."

Everyone sighed in admiration, but Shusuke Amagai asked, "And then? How did you escape? Even if it were an internal war, twenty-odd against one shouldn't have given you a chance, right?"

Ye Yang nodded. "That's true, but have you considered whether it's necessary to mobilize so many Hollows if it's just an Adjuchas?"

Ikeda Kawai exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be..."

"That's right, it's Vasto Lorde!" When Ye Yang said this, the atmosphere in the entire camp immediately became heavy. The oppressive atmosphere made it difficult for everyone present to breathe. Everyone knew what a Vasto Lorde meant! As a top-tier Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo, it possessed strength surpassing that of an ordinary captain. It could be said without hesitation that a single Vasto-class Menos Grande could annihilate the entire Expeditionary Force! This was Vasto Lorde, the most powerful being in Hueco Mundo!

Then Ye Yang said, half-jokingly, "Just as you guessed, they clashed. Logically speaking, even twenty or more Adjuchas couldn't defeat Vasto Lorde, but unfortunately, he was injured. When the Menos Grande had to surround and attack him, I took advantage of the chaos to escape using the Shihoin Clan's secret Shunpo."

Ye Yang spoke casually without recounting the details of the battle, but everyone could imagine how dangerous the situation was—a single misstep could have led to certain doom! They also realized just how critical the Expeditionary Force was. If the Menos Grande hadn't arrived, the Expeditionary Force would have faced a single Vasto-class Menos Grande, and they couldn't imagine any other outcome besides total annihilation. Even if Ye Yang was powerful enough to kill Adjuchas, that was a completely different matter from Vasto-class Menos Grande.

The crowd sighed and expressed their condolences to Ye Yang. Ikeda Kawai said, "Commander Ye Yang, this is my responsibility. I never expected it to be Vasto Lorde. If it weren't for this incident, your entire Second Corps might have been wiped out. I feel deeply ashamed. If it weren't for Commander Ye Yang saving everyone, I would be the murderer. I have no face to face you." With that, Ikeda Kawai stood up and bowed to Ye Yang.

Ye Yang quickly helped him up. "Commander-in-Chief, what are you doing? Didn't I say that this was my recklessness, and I will take full responsibility for this incident?"

At this point, the others also advised him, and Shusuke Amagai spoke up, "Commander-in-Chief, there's no need to blame yourself. After all, no one could have imagined that it would be a Vasto-class Menos Grande. Commander-in-Chief, please go back and sit down."

Ikeda Kawai then returned to his seat and asked, "I've heard that Commander Ye Yang is also very strong, and Deputy Commander Amagai said he personally witnessed you instantly kill an Adjuchas. Is that true?"

Those present gasped again. An instant kill of Adjuchas? But upon reflection, they understood. The fact that Ye Yang was able to escape amidst a group of Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde demonstrated his considerable strength; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do it. They all only thought about the urgency of the situation, but only Ikeda Kawai noticed the key point: without sufficient strength, even the best opportunity would be wasted!

Ye Yang nodded. "That's true, but the Hollow I killed was only a lower-level Adjuchas. Besides, I was just trying to create an aura to intimidate them. When a Hollow rushed up, of course I attacked it."

At this moment, Ye Yang slowly drew his Zanpakuto: "My Zanpakuto's ability is quite special. After its Shikai, it becomes exceptionally sharp and can cut through anything. Close combat is my forte, which is why I was able to kill it instantly."

Everyone nodded; this explanation made sense. They had no doubts. After all, it was already astonishing for Ye Yang to have reached this level of strength at his age. Who would believe that he achieved it through his own strength? Of course, they couldn't have imagined this either. Their current assessment of Ye Yang's strength was between Captain-level and vice-captain-level. Due to his unique Shikai ability, his Zanjutsu skills were close to those of a captain. His Shunpo was a secret technique of the Shihoin Clan, making him extremely fast. However, his Hakuda and Kidō were slightly inferior. Overall, their assessment was that his strength was close to that of Captain-level, but he couldn't Bankai. Within the Expeditionary Force, he was one of the top experts.

If Ye Yang knew their assessment of him, he would definitely laugh. Putting everything else aside, his hand-to-hand Hakuda skills are absolutely top-notch. In terms of hand-to -Hakuda alone, Ye Yang has never been afraid of anyone in Soul Society. Even if Captain-Commander Yamamoto came, Ye Yang would still be confident in fighting him! Of course, Ye Yang wouldn't dare say he could win, after all, his accumulation over a thousand years is no joke.

After talking for a while, Ye Yang excused himself due to exhaustion. Ikeda Kawai even gave Ye Yang three days off to rest.

Accompanying Ye Yang was Shusuke Amagai. "Commander Ye Yang, are you going back to rest?"

Ye Yang looked at him strangely. "Isn't there a celebration? Let's go to the Second Corps's headquarters first."

"Didn't you say you were tired? If you need to go back and rest, I'll tell them to hold the celebration tomorrow," Shusuke Amagai said, scratching his head as he looked at Ye Yang.

Ye Yang waved his hand. "No, I was just kidding them. Let's go."

"Uh... I was just kidding them..." Shusuke Amagai asked, puzzled. Ye Yang explained, "If we stay in that serious place any longer, I'm afraid I'll break down. It would be so much better to go back and have a celebration party, hahaha." Ye Yang laughed heartily. In a way, his smile was a bit like Yoruichi's; both were so sunny. They really are siblings.

When Ye Yang returned to the Second Corps' main camp, all the members were there. They stood in two rows on both sides, and when they saw Ye Yang return, they said in unison, "Welcome back Commander Ye Yang!" Then they all bowed to Ye Yang to show their sincerity.

Ye Yang didn't refuse. He walked to the path between the two rows of people and saw that a feast had been set up, waiting for his return. Ye Yang walked slowly, observing his teammates as he went. Their expressions were completely different from when he first arrived. From initial disdain, contempt, and doubt, they had transformed into absolute trust! Even if Ye Yang asked them to venture into dangerous territory now, they wouldn't hesitate, because their leader would stand guard for them. How could they not trust such a person? How could they not be convinced?

At this moment, Ye Yang no longer concealed himself, revealing his true temperament—the aura of someone in a superior position. In his previous life, he was a peak martial artist, and in this life, he further displayed his astonishing talent and power. The aristocratic demeanor he had cultivated since childhood in the Shihoin Clan made him even more radiant! At this moment, in the eyes of his teammates, he was a god!

Finally, under the watchful eyes of his teammates, he sat in the main seat, like a king. He raised his glass and said, "Everyone has worked hard. I'm grateful for this victory celebration. Actually, we didn't do anything particularly remarkable, but for everyone to come back alive, and for a brighter tomorrow, let's drink to this!"

Everyone raised their glasses to drink with Ye Yang, except for Shusuke Amagai, who looked at the glass with a wry smile, unsure whether to drink or not. Finally, he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and gulped it down. The result was, of course, self-evident...

Ye Yang only remembered that his adjutant, Shusuke Amagai, couldn't drink alcohol after seeing him collapse. He quickly ordered his men to carry him back to his tent. The veteran team members below, knowing his condition, didn't say anything, leaving the new recruits looking at each other in confusion.

At this moment, one of the team members stood up and said, "Commander Ye Yang, on behalf of our former team members, I, Endō Toyoshige, would like to apologize to you. Before, we didn't know you well because you were new to the company, and we didn't trust you as our leader. We also didn't cooperate with you in our work. After this incident, we have reflected on our actions, and we have received your kindness in caring for your subordinates. We promise that such a thing will not happen again, and we hope you can forgive us."

Ye Yang smiled and said, "I know everyone had mixed opinions about me before, and I'm very happy to have gained everyone's approval. I also had my faults in the past. From now on, we must all work together. After this drink, no one is allowed to mention the past again. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

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