Arriving in Hueco Mundo

"But as I said, it was a tragedy," Liu Hao's voice became low and serious, "I still hope the ending won't have too many tragedies."

Gin Ichimaru was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Is that so? Is there any way to change the outcome of this tragedy?"

"We can only try to change things," Liu Hao said frankly. "At least for now, I've saved two people. After all, we can only try to change things in the future; there's no guarantee we can do it all."

These words are both a fact and a test.

Gin Ichimaru understood the unspoken meaning. He narrowed his eyes, his foxy smile returning to his face, "I see. If there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know."

"I will," Liu Hao said solemnly. "After all, people don't like tragedies, and neither do I."

"Then you must live well." Gin Ichimaru's tone carried a meaningful admonition.

"Yes, I will," Liu Hao smiled. "I've always been searching for a way to live freely and comfortably."

For the rest of the journey, the two remained silent, focusing solely on clearing a path through the Garganta to provide a stable passage for the support troops behind them.

Time lost its meaning as it passed through the void. How much time had passed—perhaps hours, perhaps half a day—was finally revealed a ray of light ahead.

That's the exit.

"We've arrived," Gin Ichimaru's voice broke the silence. "Be careful on the road ahead."

"Yes, I know." Liu Hao nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to die."

The two were the first to burst out of the Garganta and found themselves high in the sky. Below them stretched a vast, boundless white Desert, with twisted, petrified trees in the distance and, further still, the faint outlines of strange buildings.

Hueco Mundo, this desolate land ruled by Hollows, finally came into view.

The two descended slowly from the air, the white sand beneath their feet soft yet cold. After landing, Liu Hao looked around, sensing the sparse Reishi and the chaotic, violent aura permeating the air.

Immediately afterwards, members of the support team leaped down from the exit of the Garganta one after another, landing around the two like dumplings being dropped into a pot. They quickly assembled and cautiously observed their surroundings.

Gin Ichimaru looked at Liu Hao: "So, how should we find the people for the Expeditionary Force next?"

"Let's have some people set up a defensive formation here and rest for a bit," Liu Hao suggested. "Then we can use the detection devices provided by the Twelfth Division to search for the Reiatsu signal of the Expeditionary Force."

"Alright." Gin Ichimaru nodded, then turned to the support troops and gave orders, "Everyone, deploy your forces around this location! Second Squad, take charge of guard duty. The rest of you, rest and check your equipment!"

The order was swiftly carried out. These experienced Soul Reapers demonstrated excellent qualities, quickly establishing a temporary outpost in this unfamiliar land.

Liu Hao and Gin Ichimaru found a huge weathered rock and sat down on the leeward side.

"This time," Liu Hao said bluntly, "I will most likely leave Soul Society as a 'traitor.' But it's not a big problem. I will explain your situation to Unohana and the Captain-Commander. In case of crisis, you can also go to the World of the Living to find Kisuke Urahara."

"Oh?" Gin Ichimaru's smile became subtle. "Can they forgive me? I've done so many evil things."

"Yes," Liu Hao said confidently, "After all, you'll be providing them with very important information."

"Don't you know that information too? Didn't you tell them?" Gin Ichimaru retorted.

Liu Hao shook his head. "No. After all, you're the only one who can do that right now. Well, Old Man Yama did it too, but he was just lucky. He didn't even know he was immune at the time. In the end, he was specifically targeted and seriously injured, and he even lost an arm."

These words reveal a great deal of information.

Gin Ichimaru's expression turned serious. "It seems his strength has surpassed that of Captain-Commander Yamamoto."

"No, not at all," Liu Hao corrected. "He created an Arrancar that could seal Ryūjin Jakka, and tricked Old Man Yama."

"I see," Gin Ichimaru said thoughtfully, "But even so, there aren't many people who could be his match."

"That's true," Liu Hao admitted, "But there will always be someone who can surpass him."

"Is that so? Who could it be?"

"Who knows?" Liu Hao's answer was ambiguous. "But you did almost kill him and took that thing. However, by then he had already merged with that thing, so in the end it only accelerated his evolution."

Gin Ichimaru was silent for a moment. "So, to kill him, the only option is to strike beforehand?"

"I advise you not to," Liu Hao said seriously. "The outcome could be worse."

"Is that so?" Gin Ichimaru remained noncommittal.

"Yes," Liu Hao emphasized, "After all, his future self indirectly saved everyone. Letting him live is acceptable. After all, he's a very charismatic villain, isn't he?"

"Heh," Gin Ichimaru chuckled, a complex emotion swirling in his smile, "She is indeed very charming. If it weren't for her, I would genuinely want to follow her."

Just then, Liu Hao suddenly looked up and gazed into the distance.

"They're here," he sighed softly. "Couldn't they have waited that long?"

"Hmm?" Gin Ichimaru followed Liu Hao's gaze.

A figure is slowly walking towards them from the distant sand dunes.

It was a tall, thin man with pale skin and green hair that stood out starkly against the pale sky of the Hueco Mundo. He wore a fragment of a bone mask on his face, beneath which his eyes were sharp as knives, and a cruel smile played on his lips.

Even more striking was the weapon he carried on his shoulder—a massive scythe, its blade gleaming coldly in the dim light of the Hueco Mundo.

Nnoitra Gilga, the fifth Espada, is Arrancar symbolizing "despair".

Liu Hao stood up. "You should proceed according to their plan for now."

After saying that, he leaped into the air and rushed towards the figure.

Gin Ichimaru stood still, his foxy smile returning to his face, silently watching what was about to happen.

The moment Liu Hao rushed towards Nnoitra, three figures were quietly observing everything from behind a sand dune in another direction.

They wore black cloaks that blended almost seamlessly into the Hueco Mundo environment, their figures completely hidden in the shadows. Unless one was deliberately looking for them, it would be nearly impossible to spot them.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Retsu Unohana, Kisuke Urahara.

These three important figures, who should have been in Seireitei, appeared in Hueco Mundo without a trace.

"He saw it," Unohana said softly, her eyes fixed on Liu Hao.

She was referring to Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen —at the same time Liu Hao confronted Nnoitra, two other figures emerged from behind the ruins in the distance. It was indeed Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen; they were also wearing similar cloaks, but they clearly hadn't noticed the presence of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the other two.

"He not only saw Aizen, but he also called out his name directly." Kisuke Urahara's voice carried a hint of surprise. "It seems that Liu Hao is indeed immune to the effects of Kyōka Suigetsu."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto remained silent, simply watching quietly.

Just then, Sōsuke Aizen made a move.

He slowly drew his Zanpakuto from his waist; the elegant blade of Kyōka Suigetsu reflected a cold light in the pale light of Hueco Mundo. Then, he gently touched the ground with the tip of the blade.

There were no flashy special effects, no amazing bursts of Reiatsu, and not even any sound.

But in that instant, the scene before Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the other two underwent a strange change.

The once clear battlefield suddenly became blurry and distorted. They saw Liu Hao and Nnoitra abruptly stop their standoff and instead join forces to attack Gin Ichimaru. However, Gin Ichimaru seemed to have been prepared and skillfully dodged the attack, and the three of them immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

The figures of Sōsuke Aizen and Kaname Tōsen gradually faded away in the distorted scene, as if they had never existed.

"Is this the power of Kyōka Suigetsu?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto finally spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a heavy, authoritative tone. "Complete Hypnosis... quite a remarkable ability. It's a pity it wasn't used for good."

Unohana frowned. "However, Liu Hao should know how to break it. He might even be immune to the Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis."

"But the problem now is," Kisuke Urahara adjusted his hat, his expression serious, "That what we're seeing is also a distorted image. Even though we know it's an illusion, our vision has been completely deceived."

He paused, then continued, "Captain-Commander, Captain Unohana, it seems there's no need for us to be here anymore. If we act rashly, we might be manipulated by Aizen and unable to distinguish friend from foe."

"Can't you save Liu Hao?" Unohana asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Kisuke Urahara his head. "If we go up, at worst Aizen will control us and we won't be able to distinguish friend from foe. So... it's up to Liu Hao himself."

"Trust him," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto finally said. "Since it was his own choice, he has the ability to handle the current situation."

After speaking, Kisuke Urahara raised his hand and drew complex trajectories in the air. A tiny Garganta opened silently, just large enough for the three of them to pass through.

They took one last look at the battlefield—in the illusory realm of Kyōka Suigetsu, Liu Hao, Nnoitra, and Gin Ichimaru were locked in fierce combat, their Reiatsu clashing and sending up clouds of white sand—before turning and stepping into the Garganta.

The three figures vanished from Hueco Mundo, as if they had never existed.

On a real battlefield, however, the situation is completely different.

Liu Hao stood in front of Nnoitra, about twenty meters away. The members of the support force watched nervously from behind, but no one dared to step forward— Gin Ichimaru had already ordered them to stay put.

"The target has appeared on his own." Nnoitra grinned, revealing a cruel smile, slowly lowering the scythe from his shoulder, its tip pointing at Liu Hao. "Lord Aizen said you're a troublesome variable. Let me... eliminate this variable."

Liu Hao did not respond immediately, but instead turned his head to glance in the direction of Aizen and Kaname Tōsen.

The two men stood on a distant sand dune, neither concealing themselves nor making any movement, simply watching quietly, as if enjoying a good show about to unfold.

"You really can't wait, Captain Aizen." Liu Hao's voice echoed in the vast Desert of Hueco Mundo.

These words caused Aizen's pupils to contract slightly.

He was certain he had used the Kyōka Suigetsu. Logically, Liu Hao should have seen the illusion he wanted the other party to see—for example, that he hadn't appeared, or that the situation on the battlefield was completely different.

But Liu Hao not only saw him, but also spoke directly in his direction.

The Kyōka Suigetsu... has it stopped working?

No, impossible. Aizen immediately dismissed the idea. Kyōka Suigetsu is perfect; it cannot be broken. The only possibility is...

Liu Hao was bluffing. He was testing the waters.

Aizen didn't respond, simply standing there quietly with that gentle yet mysterious smile on his face. Kaname Tōsen stood beside him, his expression serious, his hand already on the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

Nnoitra seemed uninterested in the conversation. He twirled his scythe and said impatiently, "Hey, Soul Reaper. If you're not going to attack first, I'll make the first move."

Liu Hao withdrew his gaze and looked back at Nnoitra.

He could sense the powerful Reiatsu emanating from this Arrancar, a power that blended the rage of a Hollow with the order of the Soul Reaper, indeed far stronger than that of an ordinary Hollow. But that was all.

"The Fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga," Liu Hao said calmly, "the Arrancar who symbolizes 'despair.' I'm curious, why would someone like you willingly obey Aizen's orders?"

"Why?" Nnoitra laughed, a laugh filled with madness. "Because he's stronger! That's all! In this world, only the strong can rule everything! And Lord Aizen... is the strongest!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved.

The massive scythe sliced through the air with a piercing whistling sound, sweeping towards Liu Hao. This attack was simple and direct, yet it contained terrifying power; the air itself was torn apart wherever the blade passed.

Liu Hao did not take the hit head-on.

He moved his feet, his figure drifting backward like a phantom. The blade of the scythe grazed his chest, less than an inch away, yet it didn't touch him at all.

At the same time, Liu Hao's right hand was already on the Imperial Sword at his waist.

The sword was not drawn, but an invisible pressure emanated from him. It was not a simple Reiatsu impact, but a more essential and profound power—the majesty of the Imperial Heart.

Nnoitra paused slightly.

He felt something he had never experienced before. It wasn't fear, it wasn't oppression, but a kind of... instinctive unease. It was as if he had encountered some kind of being that naturally restrained him.

"Interesting..." Nnoitra licked his lips, his eyes burning with even more madness. "You really are different from ordinary Soul Reapers!"

He launched another attack, this time faster and with greater force. The enormous scythe swung in his hands like a windmill, each strike powerful enough to cleave mountains and tear the earth apart.

Liu Hao still did not draw his sword.

He simply moved, dodged, and evaded. Every step was precise to the millimeter, every movement concise and efficient. He evaded all of Nnoitra's attacks with minimal cost.

The white sand on the battlefield was stirred up by the battle between the two, forming white sand waves. The members of the support force could only see two blurry figures moving at high speed in the sand and hear the whistling of weapons cutting through the air and the explosions of Reiatsu colliding.

Gin Ichimaru remained standing in the same spot, his hands tucked into his sleeves, a sly smile on his face, as if he were enjoying a wonderful performance.

On the distant sand dunes, Aizen's gaze deepened.

He realized that Liu Hao was testing, observing, and searching for a weakness. And... that way of dodging, that control over his power, that seemingly casual yet subtly meaningful movement...

The medical Squad Lieutenant of the Fourth Division was far more powerful than he had imagined.

Kaname Tōsen whispered, "Lord Aizen, do you need my help?"

"No," Aizen his head, his voice calm, "Let Nnoitra continue. I want to see... just how much power this variable is hiding."

In the center of the battlefield, Liu Hao once again dodged Nnoitra's slash. This time, instead of retreating, he adopted a counter-attack stance for the first time.