Fighting Kenpachi Zaraki (2)

Kenpachi Zaraki stared down at the horrifying wound on his chest, blood gushing from the deep gash, staining his Shihakushō a dark red. The wound stretched diagonally from his shoulder to his waist, the skin torn open, revealing the muscle tissue beneath, looking grotesque and terrifying.

However, Kenpachi Zaraki showed no sign of pain on his face. Instead, he grinned, revealing an almost maniacal smile, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

He wiped the blood from his chest with his finger, looked at it in front of his eyes, and then stuck out his tongue to lick it. The action was rough and wild, like a bloodthirsty berserker on the battlefield.

"You're really strong, Liu Hao!" Kenpachi Zaraki's voice was filled with sincere admiration and barely suppressed excitement. His gaze was fixed on Liu Hao, like a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of fresh meat, like a hunter eyeing his prey, like a child eyeing a favorite toy.

Liu Hao stood there, expressionless, staring at Kenpachi Zaraki. His Imperial Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, a drop of blood still clinging to its tip— Kenpachi Zaraki's blood, shimmering with a dark red light in the dim glow.

"What you need to do now is not to wallow in sentimentality," Liu Hao's voice was calm and indifferent, like the winter wind, like a cold blade, each word carrying an undeniable weight, "But to consider how to survive from my grasp until I achieve my Bankai."

He said it casually, as if he were just stating a simple fact. But everyone could hear the confidence and threat behind his words. Liu Hao meant—I haven't used my full strength yet.

This was a condescending attitude, a powerful person looking down on the weak, an unquestionable declaration. But strangely, coming from Liu Hao, it didn't come across as arrogant or uncomfortable. Because everyone knew he had the right to say such things.

He defeated Aizen, he shook the Three Worlds, and his power has surpassed the comprehension of ordinary people. Even though he can no longer use his Bankai, and even though his power is not what it used to be, he is still the man who stands at the top of Soul Society.

Upon hearing this, Kenpachi Zaraki's smile widened. A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes—the light of a predator spotting its prey, the light of a warrior encountering a worthy opponent, the light of a madman facing madness.

He liked Liu Hao's attitude; he liked the feeling of being looked down upon, because only when he was looked down upon could he go all out to prove the other person wrong.

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Hao raised his Imperial Sword, its tip pointing Kenpachi Zaraki. The sword gleamed coldly in the dim light, like a venomous snake poised to pounce on its prey. A glint flashed in Liu Hao's eyes, and then, spatial fluctuations reappeared behind him.

This fluctuation was more intense, more violent, and more terrifying than before. It was no longer a ripple on a calm lake, but a raging storm, an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption.

The center of the fluctuation was a huge point of light, which rapidly expanded to form a rotating spatial vortex. A deep rumble emanated from the vortex, like the Roar of an ancient beast or the wailing of the depths of Hell.

Then, swords and blades flew out from the spatial vortex.

This time, the number was several times greater than before. Ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred—a dense swarm of swords poured out of the spatial vortex, like locusts swarming across the land, like a torrential downpour, like a meteor shower falling from the sky.

After the swords flew out of the spatial vortex, they didn't shoot directly at Kenpachi Zaraki. Instead, they circled in the air, forming a torrent of swords. The torrent spun in the air, emitting sharp whistling sounds, like the cries of thousands of birds, like the wails of thousands of ghosts. Then, under Liu Hao's mental control, the torrent suddenly rushed towards Kenpachi Zaraki.

Kenpachi Zaraki's eyes widened, but there was no fear in them, only excitement. He grinned as he watched the incoming swords, then swung his Zanpakuto.

His movements were astonishingly fast; the seemingly clumsy Zanpakuto in his hands moved with the agility of a living being. The speed at which he swung the sword was dazzling, the blade drawing silver arcs in the air, those arcs intertwining to form an impenetrable net. Every strike precisely hit an incoming sword, none escaped the net, and none missed its mark.

"Clang clang--"

A series of metallic clanging sounds exploded in the air, continuous like firecrackers, dense and tight like drumbeats, and booming like a waterfall. Some of the struck swords were deflected, some were cleaved in two, some were deflected off course, and some were shattered into pieces. The metal fragments danced in the air, gleaming with a cold light, before falling to the ground with a crisp clatter.

Even with his impenetrable defense, Kenpachi Zaraki couldn't withstand so many sword attacks simultaneously. While his swordsmanship was precise, his stamina was limited, his speed had its limits, and his attention could be diverted. Although Kenpachi Zaraki deflected most of the swords, a few still managed to break through his defenses, leaving new wounds on his body.

Just then, Liu Hao moved again. His figure was like a bolt of lightning, a ghost, a phantom, silently appearing beside Kenpachi while he was focused on dealing with the incoming swords. His speed was astonishing; while the incoming swords were Kenpachi Zaraki flying through the air, his Imperial Sword had already been swung out.

However, this time, Kenpachi Zaraki did not give Liu Hao a chance to wield the Imperial Sword.

He seemed to have anticipated Liu Hao's attack at this moment, as if he had been waiting for this opportunity all along. His body suddenly turned, and his left hand reached forward, his large, scarred hand like an iron clamp, firmly gripping Liu Hao's wrist.

His fingers, like five steel nails, were deeply embedded in Liu Hao's skin, making it impossible for him to break free. At the same time, his right hand Zanpakuto, the blade drawing a silver arc in the air before slashing fiercely at Liu Hao's shoulder.

This series of movements was fluid and seamless, executed in one breath, so fast that it was impossible to react. Although Kenpachi Zaraki's swordsmanship was unrestrained, his combat instincts were top-notch. He didn't need to think or judge; his body would instinctively make the most correct reaction. This was an instinct honed in countless life-or-death battles, a combat memory etched into his bones, and a unique talent belonging to Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Clang--"

A crisp metallic clang rang out, not the sound of swords clashing, but the sound of a blade striking something hard. Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto Liu Hao's shoulder, but instead of piercing flesh as he expected, it stopped at an odd position, as if blocked by something.

A layer of flame-shaped Reiatsu appeared on Liu Hao's shoulder. The Reiatsu was pale gold, like a burning flame, dancing, rolling, and swirling on Liu Hao's shoulder.

The flame-shaped Reiatsu appeared light, but it possessed astonishing defensive power. Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto it, but could not advance even an inch. It was as if he had struck an iron mountain or a steel wall.

Kenpachi Zaraki's eyes widened slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across them, but it quickly turned into excitement. He felt his sword being blocked by a powerful force, a force that was not a physical obstruction, but rather a manifestation of a higher level of existence— Reiatsu.

Liu Hao's Reiatsu is so powerful that it can form a substantial defense outside his body. This is something that ordinary Soul Reaper cannot do; it requires extremely large Reiatsu and extremely precise control.