Battle Against Kenpachi Zaraki (1)

Kenpachi Zaraki raised his Zanpakuto high, its blade gleaming with a cold light. The Zanpakuto notches on the blade looked particularly menacing in the dim light. This strike contained all his Reiatsu, all his fighting spirit, and all his power.

Liu Hao did not retreat, dodge, or even blink. He just stood there, the Imperial Sword in his hand steadily pointing in the direction of Kenpachi Zaraki, the tip of the sword trembling slightly, as if anticipating the clash with that Zanpakuto.

"Clang--"

The instant the swords clashed, a crisp and resounding metallic clang exploded in the open space. The sound was sharp and piercing, like two mountains colliding, like two bolts of lightning striking, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

Where the swords clashed, a dazzling burst of sparks erupted, standing out starkly in the dim light, like fireworks blooming in the night sky—beautiful yet fleeting.

Liu Hao and Kenpachi Zaraki's figures clashed amidst sparks, then quickly turned and collided again. A sword strike, a blade strike—each collision erupted with dazzling sparks, each impact produced a deafening sound.

Their speed was so fast that it was dazzling and impossible to catch; all that could be seen were two blurry figures moving rapidly across the field, and all that could be heard was the continuous clanging of metal echoing in the air.

Liu Hao's swordsmanship was precise and fierce, each strike aimed at Kenpachi Zaraki's vital points, each strike carrying a deadly killing intent. His swordsmanship contained no superfluous movements, no fancy moves, only the simplest, most direct, and most effective attacks.

Those were skills he honed in countless battles, truths he gleaned from the brink of death—in real combat, fancy moves will only hasten your demise.

Kenpachi Zaraki's swordsmanship is completely different. His swordsmanship is wild and brutal, without rules or routines, only pure brute force and instinct. Every strike of his carries earth-shattering power, as if each strike is meant to cleave everything in front of him in two.

His swordsmanship had no defense, only offense, because in his view, the best defense was offense, which meant attacking faster, more ruthlessly, and more fiercely than his opponent.

The two fighters had completely different fighting styles, but they had one thing in common—they were both enjoying the fight.

Excitement gleamed in Liu Hao's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He felt his blood boiling, his heart pounding, and every cell in his body rejoicing.

Kenpachi Zaraki's reaction was even more pronounced. His face was full of wild smiles, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, and he let out an excited roar with every swing of his sword and a satisfied sigh with every collision.

This was the battle he craved, the opponent he desired, the meaning of his life. In this moment, he forgot about Yachiru, forgot about the Soul King Palace, forgot about everything outside. His world consisted only of Liu Hao, only of the sword in his hand, only of this battle.

Just as the two clashed swords and struggled against each other, a glint of light flashed in Liu Hao's eyes. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. Then, a spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared behind him.

The fluctuation came suddenly and strangely, like ripples suddenly appearing on a calm lake, or like cracks suddenly appearing in the azure sky.

The center of the fluctuation was a tiny point of light, which rapidly expanded to form a rotating spatial vortex.

A deep humming sound emanated from the vortex, as if something was crossing over from another dimension.

The next second, several swords flew out from the spatial vortex. These swords were of various shapes and sizes, some long and some short, some wide and some narrow, some straight and some curved, but each one emitted a chilling light and carried a deadly killing intent.

They shot out of the spatial vortex like arrows, flying straight toward Kenpachi Zaraki at an astonishing speed and with unpredictable trajectories.

Kenpachi Zaraki's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils reflecting the incoming swords. He showed no panic, no fear, not even surprise. He simply grinned, a grin tinged with almost manic excitement, then with a sudden burst of strength, he deflected Liu Hao's Imperial Sword and staggered backward.

His retreat was incredibly fast, his body as light and agile as a leaf blown by the wind. But as he retreated, his right hand was not idle either. He swung his Zanpakuto, the blade drawing silver arcs in the air, each swing accurately striking an incoming sword.

"Clang, clang, clang--"

A series of metallic clanging sounds exploded in the air, like a continuous string of firecrackers.

Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto clashed with the incoming swords, sparking bursts of dazzling sparks. Some of the swords that were hit were deflected, some were cleaved in two, and some were deflected, none of them managing to get close.

Although Kenpachi Zaraki's swordsmanship was unrestrained, his reaction speed and judgment were top-notch. Every strike he made was perfectly timed, and every swing was incredibly precise.

However, just as Kenpachi Zaraki was focused on dealing with the incoming swords, Liu Hao made a move.

His figure appeared silently beside Kenpachi Zaraki like a ghost. He was faster than the flying swords, more powerful than the arrows, and his sword was more deadly than any of those weapons.

Kenpachi Zaraki sensed the approaching danger. His body instinctively tried to dodge, but his movements were hindered by the flying swords and blades. His attention was diverted by the weapons, and his reaction was a moment too slow.

In just a moment.

But for Liu Hao, that one moment was enough.

The Imperial Sword fell.

The blade sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, like the wailing of ghosts and the crying of a baby, sending chills down one's spine. The light flowing across the sword reached its peak at this moment, and the entire sword seemed to transform into a beam of light, a beam of light capable of cutting through everything.

Kenpachi Zaraki's body trembled violently. He felt a chill creeping up his chest, a chill that penetrated his very bones, his very soul, and every corner of his being. He looked down and saw a deep wound on his chest. The wound stretched from his shoulder to his waist, the flesh torn open, blood gushing out, a horrifying sight.

Blood gushed from the wound, tracing red arcs in the air before dripping onto the ground with a "drip-drip" sound.