Battle of Bamboo Creek Plain (Nine)

Amber stood atop the canopy of the Demon World Tree, gazing at the gray sky before her.

He had no strength left in his body, his Reiatsu was almost depleted, and he could barely stand.

"This is the consequence of forcibly implementing this move."

Jiku'a's voice came from behind.

Hu turned around and saw Jiku'a leaning against the Throne, arms crossed, his face saying, "I told you so."

"I know..." Amber smiled bitterly, "But back then, if we couldn't stop it, Shaoling would..."

"Judgment Cut: Absolute is the move closest to the origin of my ability. Forcing it with only a superficial understanding not only fails to unleash its full power but also consumes a huge amount of energy," Jiku'a interrupted him. "All I can say is, you've been too reckless."

He stood up and walked over to Hu.

"However, since you survived, this trip was still worthwhile, and you should understand that now."

Jiku'a raised his hand, and five blue daggers appeared in his palm—no, they were miniature versions of Phantom Blades.

They hovered around the Jiku'a, slowly rotating like five satellites.

"This is..." Hu was stunned.

"Summoned Swords," Jiku'a said, "Is also your corresponding ability for 'movement'."

He reached out and grabbed one, then casually tossed it. The Summoned Swords traced an arc and embedded itself in a tree trunk in the distance.

The next second, Jiku'a disappeared from his original spot and reappeared where the sword was.

"Each Summoned Swords is like a coordinate." He drew his sword, turned to look at Hu, and said, "As long as the sword doesn't dissipate, you can instantly teleport to its location."

Hu's eyes widened.

"However, there are limitations in the Shikai stage." Jiku'a held up five fingers. "First, a maximum of five can exist at the same time. Second, they can only condense within a distance of about half a meter around the body; they can't be generated directly around the enemy like that person."

He withdrew his hand, and the five Summoned Swords vanished into thin air.

"You used Shunpo and Phantom Blade quite frequently in this battle. Your understanding of spatial movement and energy entities is sufficient, so this ability can now be given to you."

Hu took a deep breath.

What should I do?

Jiku'a looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Feel it. Feel it like you feel the Phantom Blade."

Hu closed her eyes.

Deep within his consciousness, the structural model of the Summoned Swords was slowly becoming clear.

Hu opened her eyes to a hazy, indistinct call and saw a smiling face.

"Young man? Young man!"

"Brother Shi...?"

Gin Ichimaru crouched beside him, still dressed as an ordinary Soul Reaper. He saw that Koko was awake and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're finally awake. I thought you were going to sleep until dawn."

Hu struggled to sit up, her head still feeling a little dizzy.

What are you doing here?

Yin pointed to a passageway in the courtyard.

"I came over to check after dealing with those Completed Forms. And what I found was you lying here, with two or three others and... well, it looks like the Vasto Lorde Menos Grande are fighting each other."

Hu followed his gaze.

Under the moonlight, Fon Shaoling and Cilian were locked in a fierce battle with a humanoid monster clad in jet-black armor. Scattered on the ground were layers upon layers of shell fragments—the shed skin of Hongming.

"The battle over there is too advanced; I can't be of much help. I just came to see if I could save you." Yin shrugged. "I forced you down a bottle of medicine, and you actually woke up."

Seeing that Fon Shaoling and Cilian both looked tired, Amber pushed herself up from the ground, lifted Jiku'a, and condensed the Phantom Blade in her left hand, while several blue flashes appeared around her.

"Thanks, Persimmon Bro."

Silver waved his hand.

Before Gin could speak, Amber rushed towards the front lines of the battlefield. Gin sighed, watching his frantic movements.

"Hey... go ahead, go ahead, young people are always so impatient."

Gin watched his retreating figure, slowly drew his Zanpakuto, and followed him at a leisurely pace.

"Anyway, Captain Aizen said that using his real identity would be more sincere..." he muttered, "Then I guess I can just do it my way."

On the battlefield

The Iron Walls of the Cilian shattered once more.

He was panting heavily, and the light on his gauntlets had dimmed considerably. These weapons were constantly being shattered by Hongming and then constantly reforming, consuming far more energy than usual.

A fierce glint flashed in Hongming's eyes--

He had been waiting for a long time.

This old dog's shield takes time to repair every time it breaks. This time, we can't give him another chance.

"Go to hell!"

Hongming leaped up, his sharp claws aimed straight for Cilian's chest.

The Cilian's pupils contracted; she had no time to dodge.

In that instant, a blue light flew past from the side, seemingly not aimed at either Cilian or Hongming.

The next second, a figure flashed to the location of the light.

Jiku'a was slain.

Judgment Cut!

Three purple cracks opened simultaneously on Hongming's arm, and invisible blades pierced into his armor, leaving deep gashes.

When Hongming saw the crack and the ripple, he suddenly felt a chill and instinctively Sonído and retreated—only stopping when he was several hundred meters away.

He gasped for breath, looking at the figure blocking Cilian's path.

Yexing Hu.

Hongming's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He didn't know why this was happening. His Reiatsu was much higher than this person's, even before his transformation. He should be able to surpass this person in every aspect now.

But his body was trembling.

He didn't know why he was afraid. In the second stage, he was almost entirely driven by instinct, his memories as hazy as if seen through a layer of fog. He only remembered a blue light—the one that sliced his strongest attack into pieces, a power that was almost incomprehensible.

His body may have sensed the fear of that different level of power even before his consciousness did.

Hu stood there, holding Jiku'a, watching Hongming's reaction, and was also stunned for a moment.

What's wrong with him? Is he so timid?

Cilian was also bewildered. He was indeed surprised by Amber's sudden teleportation to save the day, but he didn't understand why Hongming was so frightened.

Fon Shaoling landed beside him in Shunpo, her gaze falling on Hongming. She was also a little puzzled; why did Hongming seem somewhat afraid of Amber?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered Hu's move before she fell, which made the almost mindless monster take a step back. Perhaps the completely transformed Hongming still remembered that feeling!

He's afraid of amber.

"Afraid?" Cilian was even more puzzled.

Fon Shaoling's voice sounded somewhat surprised.

"He was afraid of Amber's strike— 'Judgment Cut: Absolute'! For a period of time before, Hongming's consciousness was hazy, almost entirely driven by instinct. He didn't remember what happened, but the dangerous aura of that strike was etched into his instincts."

She looked at Hongming and gave a mocking smile.

"His body was telling him that person could kill him. Amber could kill him; indeed, an animal's instincts are usually very sharp!"

Cilian looked at Amber, a slight smile playing on her lips. She rested her katana on her shoulder.

"Oh? I see. I understand now. It seems this beast's death is finally near."

Hongming stood at a distance, watching the three of them stand together. Fon Shaoling and Cilian's words did not shy away from his thoughts at all. Listening to their words, Hongming felt an inexplicable unease.

The boy who seemed to be the weakest of the three stood in the middle, with Fon Shaoling and Cilian standing on either side of him.

They were openly telling Hongming that their killing move was right there.

They were leaving the final blow to Amber.

Cilian and Fon Shaoling had both witnessed Amber's killing move up close, and they both understood some of the unreasonable aspects of this move.

The only one kept in the dark was Hongming.

Hongming's breathing became rapid; his body was warning him that the kid was dangerous! But Hongming's reason refused to believe it; he preferred to believe they were bluffing.

"You... think you can scare me like this? Who would believe that the ultimate weapon is in the hands of the weakest person?!"

He roared, his Reiatsu erupting once more. But in the end, he didn't take a single step forward. Hongming was a man who valued his life; he wouldn't dare gamble even with the slightest chance.

The Cilian was the first to move.

Instead of engaging in direct combat with weapons as before, he began to use chains and Flying Gravel to restrain Hongming. The Lock Sever flew out from tricky angles, wrapping around Hongming's ankles; the Flying Gravel exploded in front of him, forcing him to raise his hand to block.

Each strike was not intended to kill, but merely to distract him—to prevent him from concentrating on thinking, judging, and ignoring the location of that kid.

"Bakudō #61: The Six-Staff Light Prison!"

Fon Shaoling's voice rang out. Six beams of light shot in from all directions, sealing off Hongming's limbs.

Hongming roared and broke free, the light shattering—but the second Bakudō of Fon Shaoling had already arrived.

"Bakudō Sixty-Three: Chain Binding!"

Thick Reishi chains wrapped around Hongming's waist, pinning him firmly to the spot.

Hongming struggled desperately, the chains clanging and cracking.

Cilian took the opportunity to add two more chains.

"Bakudō Fifty-Eight: Kakushitsuijaku!"

Fon Shaoling's voice rang out again. The invisible tracking Reiatsu locked onto Hongming's location, allowing his every movement and change in Reiatsu to be detected and suppressed in advance.

Hongming broke free from one chain, only to be bound by another. He broke free from the second, but the third and fourth followed.

"Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan!"

Five enormous pillars of Reishi descended from the sky, slamming into Hongming's limbs and neck, pinning him down.

Hongming's face was pressed into the mud, and he let out an angry roar.

He was trying to get up, but it only took a few seconds, even just a few seconds.

Hu stood behind them, holding Jiku'a, waiting.

His Reiatsu hasn't fully recovered yet. Judgment Cut - Absolute, can only be used once.

It must be a single, decisive strike.

"Soon," said Cilian.

He raised his gauntlet, Flying Gravel, Lock Sever, and Shadow Piercer flew out simultaneously, reinforcing the Bakudō that had begun to loosen.

Fon Shaoling formed hand seals, continuously unleashing her Reiatsu.

"Bakudō Number Seventy-Nine: The Six Luminaries!"

Six orbs of light appeared around Hongming, sealing off all his angles of movement.

Hongming's struggles grew increasingly fierce.

He looked up and saw Hu raise his Jiku'a.

Reiatsu began to gather. All remaining power was poured into this strike.

Hongming's pupils contracted as he vaguely recalled the previous scene. Now he truly felt that the killing move might really be in this person's hands.

The move that instinctively sent shivers down his spine reappeared before his eyes.

"No! Stop right now!!"

The chains of Cilian bound his feet, and the Bakudō of Fon Shaoling sealed off all his escape routes!

He had nowhere to run.

At that moment, Amber's knife fell, fell.

Judgment Cut - Absolute!

Space shattered.

"Ah!!--"

Countless Dimensional Rifts simultaneously opened around Hongming's body, densely packed and layered. His armor shattered, his body bled, and his screams echoed in the night sky.

When the flash of the blade subsided, Hongming knelt on the ground, covered in blood.

His armor was mostly shattered, revealing charred skin underneath. His entire body was covered in cuts and lacerations, from which blood gushed.

The pain made his whole body tremble. This move only lasted an instant from outside the range, but to him it felt like a hundred years. During those hundred years, he could not move an inch. His strength and speed were useless, and his High-Speed Regeneration was gone. He was cut countless times by Jiku'a, and he clearly remembered the feeling of each cut.

After this almost torture-like move for Hongming finally ended, Hongming knelt on the ground, raised his head, and looked at Hu. Although his expression was unreadable, his anger and resentment could be deeply felt from his posture.

Amber gripped Jiku'a tightly, panting heavily; her Reiatsu had plummeted to its lowest point. But the fact that Hongming was still alive was a complete surprise to everyone!

Hongming's eyes turned red.

"You... you damned thing, you actually dared to kill me..."

His voice trembled, filled with fear and madness.

He glanced at Hu's condition.

His Reiatsu was almost completely depleted; he could barely stand.

It seems that the second time that Hongming feared will not happen again; his fear was suppressed by madness.

"You damned wretch, die!"

He suddenly stood up, ignoring his wounds, and lunged at Hu.

Cilian and Fon Shaoling Aya panicked. To avoid the range of Judgment Cut - Absolute, they had retreated to the sides, but now they were too far away. Neither Shunpo nor Kidō could protect Amber before Hongming Nether made her move.

It's too late.

Hongming's sharp claws tore towards Amber's chest.

Hu didn't have time to dodge.

In that very instant--

A blade tip emerged from behind Amber, precisely piercing Hongming's chest.

The tip of Hongming's blade seemed to extend infinitely, continuing to lengthen after touching Hongming, determined to pierce through Hongming chest!

The blade extended, forcing Hongming back.

A voice with a Kyoto dialect came from behind Amber.

"Taking advantage of someone in distress? That won't do."

Hu turned around.

Gin Ichimaru stood behind him, holding the Zanpakuto that could extend indefinitely, and looked at Hongming with a smile.

Yin didn't look at him, but stared at Hongming.

"Hey buddy, are you alright? I was just about to tell you that you shouldn't exercise right after taking your medicine. This guy seems pretty tough, let me help you out."

His smile remained enigmatic.

But at this moment, Hu felt that the figure was incredibly reliable.