The Battle of Bamboo Creek Plain (VIII)

Hongming has been activated.

His speed was astonishing—his black armor left afterimages in the moonlight, and he appeared in front of Fon Shaoling in an instant. His claws slashed down, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air.

Fon Shaoling dodges Shunpo, while simultaneously unleashing Suzumebachi.

Hongming neither dodged nor avoided.

Suzumebachi his armor, leaving a butterfly pattern.

But Hongming's claws had already swept across. Fon Shaoling Shunpo retreated, the claws grazing her shoulder and tearing up a wisp of cloth.

Hongming remained silent.

He simply continued his attack.

Claws, Cero, punches and kicks— Vasto Lorde- level power poured forth like Tide wave.

Fon Shaoling can only dodge.

She glanced at the butterfly pattern on Hongming's body.

It is fading rapidly.

Hongming's Reiatsu washed over his armor like Tide, and with each wash, the pattern faded a little.

"I've seen through your abilities," Hongming finally spoke. "The first mark is a sure kill—but as long as I can use my Reiatsu to remove the mark before you strike a second time, your ability will be meaningless."

Fon Shaoling gritted her teeth.

She attempted to thrust again.

Shunpo, close the distance, and the Suzumebachi strikes.

Hongming dodged to the side and threw a punch with his backhand. Fon Shaoling retreated with Shunpo, but the force of the punch still grazed her shoulder.

Once again.

Once again.

While Fon Shaoling in her Shunkō) state is incredibly fast, she is significantly weaker in terms of power, and the increased Kidō damage is negligible and doesn't play a crucial role.

Although Fon Shaoling had a slight advantage in speed, Hongming completely overwhelmed her in terms of strength, defense, and total Reiatsu.

Fon Shaoling was thinking of a solution:

Bankai?

If Suzumebachi's Bankai were used, the power of that attack would be enough to pierce through Hongming's defenses.

However, Bankai sacrifices speed.

Right now, Hongming's speed isn't much different from hers. If Bankai, her speed will decrease, and he'll seize the opportunity before she can unleash her attack.

If someone is holding us back...

She glanced at Hu, who had fallen to the ground not far away.

He is still unconscious.

It's impossible to restrain her. Even if it were possible, the current Hongming could withstand the attacks and rush in to stop the Bankai.

Hongming seemed to sense her hesitation as well.

"What? Still have tricks up your sleeve?" He tilted his head. "Go ahead and try. I'm unkillable right now."

He raised his hand, and his Reiatsu condensed once more.

Cero was launched.

Fon Shaoling dodges with Shunpo, but the second shot comes, then the third, then the fourth—

She could only dodge constantly, unable to get close at all.

At that very moment--

A sharp figure flew in from the side, Zanpakuto, leaving a deep gash on the armor of the Hongming's arm.

Hongming's attack was interrupted, and he looked down at the figure beneath him.

Cilian gripped her Zanpakuto in her right hand and used Shunpo to retreat and create distance.

"Your Highness, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

After greeting Fon Shaoling, he raised his left hand and clenched his fist.

"The A Thousand Transformations in the World --"

His voice was deep and powerful.

Reiatsu began to surge.

" --One Machine, One Heart!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark gray light emanated from his Zanpakuto and adhered to his left hand, followed by a burst of Reiatsu!

The light coalesced and took shape—a set of intricate gauntlets began to cover the wrist, spreading upwards inch by inch until it enveloped the entire forearm. The surface of the gauntlets was covered with gear patterns, shining with a dark golden light and emitting a crisp mechanical sound, as if it were alive.

Around Cilian, countless phantom images of weapons faintly appeared—swords, spears, axes, chains, and hidden weapons—memories of his four hundred years of battles, projections of the Thousand-Mechanism Arsenal, flashing by in the moonlight.

He drew his Zanpakuto from his right hand, which transformed into a katana. The blade was simple and unadorned, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Hongming looked at him, the red light beneath her helmet flickering slightly.

"That old dog from the Fon Clan dares to come here to die?"

The Cilian did not answer.

He simply raised his left hand, and a dark golden light shot out from his gauntlet—it was a massive battle axe, which then fell with the force of splitting a mountain.

"Firm Rock."

Seeing the battle axe coming down, Hongming raised his arm to block.

Boom--!

The immense impact forced Hongming to take a step back.

He was astonished by the power of that axe blow. How could a mere ordinary instructor from the Fon Clan force him to retreat?

The Cilian gave him no time to think.

The battle axe dissipated, and light flew out of the gauntlet once more—this time, it was a long spear.

" Through the Shadow Piercer."

The spear swiftly thrust out from the gauntlet, aiming straight for Hongming's face.

Hongming dodged to the side, but the sudden double extension of the spear tip increased the speed of the thrust, grazing his helmet and leaving a shallow mark.

The Cilian man followed the spear, smoothly passing over the Hongming and heading straight for the Hongming's back.

Just as Hongming was about to retaliate, Cilian had already switched to a new weapon—a giant scythe—and swept it across the air.

"Dankū."

The scythe struck Hongming's side. Hongming's armor, though seemingly hard, was actually more like some kind of gelatinous material, possessing a certain degree of flexibility. The sharp scythe was not very effective, but the impact forced him to retreat again.

Hongming was enraged.

"You old dog, how dare you mock me!"

He gathered his Reiatsu and struck the Cilian with his palm.

Cilian stepped forward, and a beam of light flew out from her gauntlet—it was a huge shield.

"Iron Wall."

The Reiatsu slammed into the shield, causing it to explode, but the Cilian remained completely still.

The shield dissipated, causing Hongming, whose hand was resting on the shield, to stumble. Cilian Lotus switched back to her battle axe and delivered an upward slash that knocked Hongming off her feet.

And so, Cilian, wielding a variety of weapons, engaged in a fierce battle with Hongming. Most of Hongming's attacks were either dodged or neutralized by Cilian.

Hongming became increasingly frustrated as the fight progressed.

His strength and speed were clearly far superior to this old dog's, but he just couldn't take down the old guy quickly.

Every attack was easily neutralized by him. Every time he got close, he not only failed to gain any advantage but was also toyed with. If it weren't for his current strong physical body, he would have been killed hundreds of times over by this old dog.

"Old dog, you can't kill me! Are you just going to be a fly like this?!" Hongming roared.

The Cilian did not answer.

He simply continued fighting.

The weapons within the gauntlets constantly switched— Firm Rock, Flying Gravel, Shadow Piercer, Dankū, Lock Sever, Flame Niter, Mist Concealment ... These seven core weapons were the techniques honed by his Zanpakuto over four hundred years of trials and tribulations. The gap in combat experience accumulated over these four hundred years was not something that Hongming, a "child" who had just gained power, could make up for in a short time. The Thousand-Mechanism Gauntlets operated at high speed, driving the various weapons to unleash their maximum power.

Behind Hongming, Fon Shaoling waited for her chance to strike.

She stared at the butterfly pattern on Hongming's body—those remaining patterns that Hongming had forgotten to continue washing away with her Reiatsu because of Cilian's arrival.

As long as Cilian can restrain him, she'll have an opportunity to strike a second time.

Hongming seemed to have noticed it too.

He turned around abruptly, trying to find Fon Shaoling's location.

But the Cilian circled around in front of him, trying to distract him.

"Your opponent is me."

"You damn fly!!"

Hongming roared and punched Cilian.

Cilian raised his shield to block, retreating continuously until the shield shattered. The impact injured Cilian, causing him to bleed from his nose, but he did not fall.

He wiped the blood from his nose, grabbed it, and twisted it hard to stop the bleeding. He stood up straight again, and another weapon popped out of his gauntlet.

Fon Shaoling looked at him, her eyes stinging with tears.

For four hundred years, the old man has been protecting the Fon Clan in this way. Not only does the Fon Clan rely heavily on this old retainer, but Yoruichi also trusted him greatly. If it weren't for the mishap during the Hueco Mundo expedition, he would likely have already been a Captain-level figure.

During Cilian's prime, Fon Shaoling had little recollection of him. Not long after Fon Shaoling Soul Reaper, he was severely injured. At that time, the two captains Unohana and Senjumaru, could only offer the option of installing prosthetics. However, Cilian's Zanpakuto ability was extremely dependent on his hands and eyes, and the loss of one eye and one arm directly led to a significant reduction in his combat effectiveness.

Seeing him recover now, she was genuinely happy for him: He now owed the Department of Research and Development a considerable favor...

Just then, the opportunity arose.

Cilian used her Lock Sever to ensnare Hongming's arm, temporarily immobilizing him. Simultaneously, her battle axe cleaved towards his face, forcing him to raise his hand to block.

Hongming's chest was completely exposed.

Fon Shaoling disappeared from the spot.

The next second, she appeared in front of Hongming, and the Suzumebachi out.

The stab wound was to the fading butterfly pattern.

Hongming's body stiffened.

He looked down at the small wound on his chest.

"You..."

The Fon Shaoling landed successfully.

The Suzumebachi's second finishing move hit.

Hongming's body began to tremble.

Cracks appeared on his armor, and a dark red light emanated from them. His aura began to become disordered, and his Reiatsu began to dissipate.

Cilian retreated to Fon Shaoling's side, and the weapon in her gauntlet vanished.

"It's over," he said.

Fon Shaoling nodded.

Hongming's armor cracked.

But it turned out to be a complete breakdown!

Layer after layer of armor peeled off his body, revealing cracks, wounds, and butterfly patterns. With each layer that peeled away, the patterns faded a little. After four layers of armor had been removed, Hongming stood in place, his armor completely renewed. The messy butterfly patterns that had been pierced before were also gone.

He looked down at his hands, then looked up.

"Hahaha."

He laughed with relief:

"I thought I was almost killed by you guys. I didn't expect you to be this weak. You think four layers of skin can negate your two-hit kill effect?"

Fon Shaoling's pupils contracted.

Cilian frowned.

Hongming looked at them, the red light beneath his helmet flashing mockingly.

"My Reiatsu is enough to allow me to shed hundreds more layers. Can the two of you hold out until then?"

The battle has reached a stalemate.

Even with Cilian and Fon Shaoling joining forces, they still couldn't kill Hongming.

The Cilian restrains, the Fon Shaoling launches a sneak attack, and the Suzumebachi stings— the Hongming molts and cancels it out.

Continuous cycle

The Reiatsu from Hongming seemed inexhaustible.

Within Cilian's gauntlets, the speed at which he switched weapons began to slow. His breathing became heavy.

Fon Shaoling's Shunpo also began to slow down. Shunkō) was ultimately an incomplete technique and was not stable. Since the battle had entered a protracted phase, Fon Shaoling stopped it.

The two faced the monster that was still standing there, showing no signs of fatigue.

"What's wrong?" Hongming tilted his head. "Is that all you've got?"

He raised his hand, and his Reiatsu condensed once more.

"Then it's my turn."

Cero were fired in succession.

Cilian raised her shield to block.

Another one.

Fon Shaoling dodged with Shunpo, scraping her shoulder in the process.

One more.

Another one,

Cero bursts forth as if they were free. Although each Cero is not very powerful, neither of them are known for their defense. Unable to withstand the damage head-on, they can only passively defend and are unable to mount an effective counterattack.

In the shadows outside the courtyard, two figures silently watched everything unfold.

Gin Ichimaru squinted, a signature smile playing on his lips.

"Hongming possesses Vasto Lorde- level strength, but lacks experience in direct combat," he said softly. "Fon Shaoling and Cilian work well together, but lack a decisive weapon. Who knows how long this battle will last?"

He awaited Aizen's response.

Aizen remained silent.

Feeling something was off, Gin Ichimaru shifted his gaze from the battlefield to Aizen beside him.

Aizen stood there, without a smile on his face.

His brows furrowed slightly as he gazed at the battlefield—but not at Hongming, nor at Fon Shaoling.

It was that figure lying to one side.

Yexing Hu.

Gin Ichimaru followed his gaze:

Fon Shaoling effectively widened the battlefield during the battle, and thanks to the spaciousness of the Fon Residence courtyard, Amber's side was largely unaffected and remained sound asleep.

Gin found it strange that Kou would make Aizen show such an expression.

Aizen remained silent.

The scene from just now kept replaying in his mind.

The boy who poured all his Reiatsu into the sword.

The Cero, whose quality was close to that of the Gran Rey Cero, was sliced into pieces upon entering the range of that attack.

It's chopped!

It shattered like glass.

He always believed that the battle between Soul Reaper was a battle of Reiatsu. As long as the Reiatsu was strong enough, no ability could cross that chasm.

But that boy's knife wound caused a crack in that belief.

That is not a conceptual separation, but a subjective separation of things.

Cero can be split in the middle, interrupted, or neutralized, but it should never shatter. Because it is essentially a high-pressure stream of Reishi —a stream of Reishi! When Aizen saw the Cero shatter, he almost doubted whether he was under a genjutsu.

It was an extremely willful force. Within the domain of this technique, everything, including space and time, was under the control of the one who unleashed it, and everything, truly everything, could be severed.

This power was too unreasonable and too rare. Aizen couldn't help but wonder: Could this power be used against enemies whose Reiatsu far surpassed his own?

Aizen's thoughts stopped here.

He needs an answer.

And here, there happens to be a suitable test subject— Vasto Lorde- class Hongming.

Aizen took a small bottle from his pocket.

That was a special supply issued by the Seireitei to the captains—a potion to quickly restore Reiatsu. It did indeed accelerate Reiatsu recovery several times over, but it still took time. In Captain-level battles, every second counts; no one would use something like that.

Aizen handed the bottle to Gin Ichimaru.

Gin Ichimaru took it, glanced at it, and then looked at Aizen.

Aizen merely tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Koko lying on the ground. "It seems it's time for 'Kaki' to make his reappearance."

"Captain Aizen, this disguise might fool Amber, but if I were to stand in front of Captain Soi Fon, I'd definitely be exposed."

"It doesn't matter. Yexing Hu's ability is very interesting. If we need to maintain contact, it would be more sincere to use my real identity."

"Alright, since Captain Aizen says so, then I'll go."

Yin put the medicine bottle into his pocket and walked towards the courtyard.