An Arrancar He Had Never Seen Before

Liu Hao stood quietly in place, his gaze sharp, staring directly at the man before him who was always calm and composed, as if everything was under his control. His hand was still on the hilt of the Imperial Sword, his knuckles slightly tightening, feeling the familiar resonance emanating from the blade, as if it were connected to his own blood.

His voice was calm and clear, each word like the sound of a hammer striking metal, echoing across the silent battlefield. "If you're at your current level, I'm confident I can defeat you."

Upon hearing Aizen, Aizen's smile deepened. A playful, amused look, as if he were watching an entertaining performance, flickered in his deep eyes.

However, Liu Hao changed the subject. "But..."

He paused, his gaze growing even deeper. "You have already merged with the Hōgyoku."

This statement, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up towering waves.

The Soul Reapers in the distance slightly contracted their pupils.

The Hōgyoku has actually fused with Aizen?!

Aizen's smile froze for a moment.

But that moment of stillness was fleeting. He remained composed, only the light in his eyes had become deeper and more dangerous.

Liu Hao continued, his voice still calm, yet carrying an indescribable certainty, as if stating a predetermined fact. "Therefore, in the battles to come, you will continue to grow and evolve. You will break through the boundaries between Soul Reaper and Hollows, reaching an unprecedented level."

He paused, then looked directly at Aizen: "By then, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to defeat you."

Aizen listened quietly, his smile deepening. He tilted his head slightly, a gesture elegant and composed, yet carrying an indescribable, almost savoring, sense of amusement. "Oh? You even know that?"

His voice was as gentle as ever, yet it carried a hint of barely concealed curiosity. "Since you can't guarantee you can defeat me... what are you going to do?"

Liu Hao did not answer immediately.

He simply turned around slowly, his gaze passing over the space shrouded by the barrier, and landing on the boy in the crowd with a golden left eye and a phantom horn on his forehead.

Ichigo Kurosaki.

He stood there quietly, his hands gripping the pure white Zangetsu tightly, his heterochromatic eyes burning with an unprecedented fighting spirit and determination. He looked at Liu Hao, as if waiting for something.

Liu Hao spoke, his voice calm and clear. "Ichigo, come to my side."

Upon hearing this, Ichigo Kurosaki did not hesitate at all. His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, and the next moment, he appeared beside Liu Hao, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

Liu Hao turned his head slightly, looked at him, and said in a tone that carried a hint of entrustment, "Keep an eye on Aizen for me."

Ichigo Kurosaki nodded vigorously. "Understood!"

Liu Hao withdrew his gaze and looked back at Aizen. Then, he slowly raised a finger, pointing the fingertip in the direction where the Gotei 13 and the Visoreds were located.

His lips parted slightly, uttering Spirit Incantations that sounded like ancient spells:

"The city gate at the dragon's tail--!"

As he finished speaking, a massive stone gate, carved with dragon tail patterns, appeared out of thin air on the ground behind the Soul Reapers! The stone gate was pitch black, tens of feet high, and exuded an ancient and majestic aura.

"The city gate bitten by a tiger—!"

Another stone gate suddenly appeared on the other side! The stone gate was carved with a lifelike tiger, its blood-red mouth wide open, as if it would pounce out at any moment to devour everything.

"The gates of the tortoise-armored city—!"

The third stone gate, covered with thick tortoise shell patterns, stands as stable as Mount Tai.

"The Phoenix Wings Gate--!"

The fourth stone gate is carved with a phoenix spreading its wings, its wingspan covering the sky and the sun.

Four stone gates stood in the four directions of east, south, west, and north, completely surrounding all members of the Gotei 13 and the Visoreds.

Those Soul Reapers and members of the Visored trapped inside the stone gate couldn't help but frown at this sudden turn of events.

Shinji Hirako narrowed his eyes and muttered, "What... is this guy planning to do?"

Shunsui Kyōraku gently shook his head under his straw hat, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Who knows? Anyway, it can't be anything bad."

Ichigo Kurosaki looked at Liu Hao, puzzled, his eyes filled with confusion. "Liu Shu, what are you doing?!"

Liu Hao ignored him. He simply continued chanting the incantation that seemed to come from ancient times, each word as heavy as a mountain, each syllable containing indescribable power. "With the military prime minister at eight inches, there is absolutely no reason for retreat..."

The four stone gates began to tremble simultaneously, emitting a deep rumble.

"Blue bolts, white bolts, black bolts, red bolts..."

Four enormous bolts of different colors appeared out of thin air and were inserted into the four stone gates! They were as blue as the deep sea, as white as the first snow, as black as the eternal night, and as red as raging fire!

At last--

"Four Beast Gate Block...!!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the four stone gates suddenly erupted with blinding light! The light instantly connected, forming a huge, semi-transparent barrier that completely enveloped the entire area!

All the members of the Gotei 13 and the Visoreds are trapped inside this barrier!

Having done all this, Liu Hao withdrew his finger, turned around, and looked at Aizen. A faint smile appeared on his face, as if saying, "That saves trouble." "Since you didn't stop me, it saves me the trouble."

Aizen stood quietly in place, without making a single move from beginning to end. He simply watched Liu Hao complete all of this, the smile on his face never fading.

Hearing Liu Hao's words, he chuckled softly, "There's no need to stop you."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the massive four-beast barrier, a hint of amusement in his voice as if watching an entertaining performance. "Do you think... this will protect them?"

Liu Hao shook his head, his tone casual as if he were chatting about everyday things. "This won't protect them."

He paused, his gaze deepening. "It merely separates them from our battlefield."

He glanced at the barrier, a complex light flashing in his eyes. "After all, if they can't help but intervene halfway through the fight, it will cause me a lot of trouble."

He turned back to Aizen, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "Because I'm also afraid that I... won't be able to resist cutting them all down."

Inside the barrier, the expressions on the faces of the Soul Reapers and members of the Visored became incredibly complex upon hearing these words.

Shinji Hirako's lips twitched. "That bastard... what kind of talk is that!"

Shunsui Kyōraku shook his head with a wry smile, "Although it sounds harsh, the reasoning is sound. After all, if we let our perceptions be clouded by Kyōka Suigetsu, we might actually hold Liu Hao back."

Soi Fon snorted coldly, remaining silent, but the resentment in her eyes was clearly visible.

Outside the barrier, Liu Hao slowly raised his hand and placed it on the hilt of the Imperial Sword at his waist.

The blade slowly emerged from its sheath, emitting a crisp metallic scraping sound. The blade reflected a cold, eerie light in the sunlight, and faint, almost living, dark red patterns flowed along its surface. Even just by looking at it, one could sense the terrifying power contained within, enough to incinerate everything.

Liu Hao turned his head slightly and said to Ichigo Kurosaki beside him, "Ichigo, you should also keep some distance from us."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ever-smiling figure in the distance. "If you're bored, "Gin Ichimaru, "You can go play with Gin Ichimaru."

Hearing this from a distance, Gin Ichimaru's smile froze slightly before widening. He spread his hands, his tone carrying a hint of pleading helplessness. "Oh dear... is that alright? I won't interfere, really."

Ichigo Kurosaki glanced at him, then looked at Liu Hao. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just nodded vigorously.

His figure flashed, instantly appearing opposite Gin Ichimaru, only a few feet apart. He gripped Zangetsu tightly with both hands, his heterochromatic eyes fixed on Gin Ichimaru, his voice low and firm. "You'd better not move!"

Seeing his tense expression, Gin Ichimaru's smile deepened. He casually brandished the Shinsō in his hand and said lazily, "Hmm, your eyesight is quite good now."

He paused, a hint of something unspoken in his fox-like smile, as if saying "I understand": "Don't worry, I promise... I won't move."

Aizen watched all this quietly, his face always bearing that composed smile. Only after Liu Hao had arranged everything did he slowly speak, his voice gentle yet curious. "Since you felt you couldn't defeat me, why did you draw your sword in the first place?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hao drew his Imperial Sword completely. He held the sword in one hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and his body was surrounded by a faint yet chilling aura of Reiatsu.

He looked at Aizen, a faint smile playing on his lips, "That's after you evolved."

He paused, his gaze sharpening further. "I want to try... before that, whether I can take you down first."

Upon hearing this, Aizen chuckled softly. His laughter was gentle and composed, yet carried an indescribable undertone, as if saying, "Then let's give it a try": "Is that so? Then... let's try!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Aizen moved.

Instead of rushing towards Liu Hao, his lips suddenly curled into a wide grin!

That smile was no longer composed and elegant, but rather carried a hint of mockery, as if watching a good show with amusement!

A white figure appeared behind him like a ghost, instantly blocking his path!

The figure was incredibly fast, faster than the limits of visual perception!

Clang--!

A deafening clang of metal clashing!

The white figure steadily blocked Liu Hao's downward slash with the Imperial Sword!

Liu Hao's pupils contracted slightly. He looked closely and saw a Visored he had never seen before.

The Visored was deathly pale, its face covered by a complete, bizarrely shaped Hollow Mask. The mask had no patterns, only two pitch-black, empty eye sockets, and a slightly open mouth that seemed to be forever murmuring something.

Its body is no different from that of an ordinary person, but the Reiatsu surrounding it carries an indescribable, pure fighting instinct that seems to have been stripped of all emotion and reason.

Liu Hao frowned slightly, his voice calm yet wary. "An unfamiliar fellow... who are you?"

The white- Arrancar tilted its head slightly, emitting a sound as childlike as a toddler's, yet eerily unsettling. "Ah... ah?"

Its voice was broken and intermittent, like a child who had just learned to speak, "Gla... Fis... Griffith Torrend..."

Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in Liu Hao's eyes. His gaze passed over Griffith and landed on Aizen behind it, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance as if confirming something. "Oh... so like Wonderweiss, you, Aizen, used the Hōgyoku to sacrifice his language, consciousness, knowledge, and reason, leaving him only with his fighting instincts, and... the Visored that Zanpakuto?"

He looked at Griffith's empty eye sockets, at its utterly irrational appearance, and said with a faint, almost certain tone, as if stating a fact. "It seems it has lost all reason."

Aizen stood behind Griffith, his smile growing even wider. He looked at Liu Hao, his tone carrying a hint of admiration, as if saying, "You really do know..." "You really do... know a lot of things."

Liu Hao did not respond to his praise. He simply stepped back quickly, creating enough distance between himself and Griffith, while keeping his gaze fixed on Aizen.

A faint, self-deprecating smile appeared on his face, "Didn't you already say it? Since I know the future, I naturally know that Wonderweiss is Visored you specially created to seal away Old Man Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka."

He paused, his gaze falling on Griffith, who remained standing motionless. "And this guy, who has never shown his face before..."

A meaningful smile curled at the corner of his lips, "Was it specially made to seal my Imperial Sword?"

Upon hearing this, Aizen gently clapped his hands. The applause sounded exceptionally crisp in the silent battlefield, yet it carried an indescribable meaning, as if congratulating someone. "You really did... know."

He paused, his smile deepening, carrying a hint of amusement that seemed to say, "You guessed right, but so what?" "So what? What are you going to do next?"

Liu Hao looked at him, his smile unchanged. He merely shook the Imperial Sword in his hand lightly, his tone as casual as if chatting about everyday matters. "I never expected that my treatment would be as high as that of Old Man Yamamoto."

He paused, his gaze falling on Griffith, his tone carrying a hint of self-mockery. "To have you create a Visored specifically to seal my Zanpakuto... what an honor."

There was no tension or fear in his voice, only a calm, composed tone, as if he were saying, "Then let's do it."

In the distance, within the barrier, the Soul Reapers and members of the Visored watched this scene with a storm of emotions churning within them.