Ichigo Kurosaki's Training

Liu Hao, observing Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki's reactions from the shadows, felt both touched and helpless. He thought to himself, "[Not bad, as expected of my friends. If I weren't afraid of dragging you down, why would I distance myself from you? Honestly!]"

For years, he deliberately distanced himself from the two, not wanting them to get involved in Aizen's schemes. But now it seems that this distance has only made them more confused and hurt.

Just then, Renji Abarai raised his Zanpakuto and solemnly said to Byakuya Kuchiki, "Captain, if I ever see him again, I will definitely cut him down first, and then ask him if he regrets becoming Fallen, so he will know how ridiculous it is to be Fallen."

As he said this, he winked at Rukia Kuchiki —a hint that only Rukia could see.

But Liu Hao didn't see this subtle movement. Hearing this, he was so angry his eyes almost rolled back to white, wishing he could rush out and chop Renji to ask him if he was too arrogant. However, reason told him that now was not the time to expose himself.

Byakuya Kuchiki seemed oblivious to the Vice-Captain's subtle actions, and calmly said, "Alright, Renji, open the Senkaimon. Let's go back."

"Yes, Captain." After Renji Abarai agreed, he immediately used Zabimaru to create a rift in the void, opening Senkaimon.

The three entered the gate one by one. Before entering, Rukia Kuchiki turned back to look at the unconscious Ichigo Kurosaki, her eyes filled with worry and apology. The Senkaimon closed behind her, and the Reiatsu of the three completely disappeared from the World of the Living.

The abandoned construction site returned to silence, leaving only the unconscious Ichigo Kurosaki and the barely holding on Uryū Ishida.

Just then, two figures emerged from the shadows— Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi. Kisuke Urahara's gaze fell directly on the direction where Liu Hao was hiding. "Aren't you coming out?"

Upon hearing this, Tessai Tsukabishi and Uryū Ishida, who was barely able to stand, both looked toward Liu Hao's location.

Liu Hao reluctantly took off his hood and walked out of the woods, his tone tinged with complaint. "Honestly, there are kids watching. You're just giving away my identity."

When Uryū Ishida saw Liu Hao, his eyes widened in surprise. "You... I've seen you before. You lived in our house for a while."

"Yes, yes," Liu Hao replied perfunctorily, then turned to Kisuke Urahara, "You can just take the person away, why did you call me out?"

Kisuke Urahara covered his face with his folding fan, grinning mischievously. "I just wanted to ask you how you managed to hold back from attacking just now. After all, you've watched this child grow up."

"Tch," Liu Hao spat, turning to Uryū Ishida, "Little Uryū over there, it's time for you to go home."

But Uryū Ishida's curiosity had been piqued, and he pressed on, "You two know each other? Then why didn't you help me earlier?"

Liu Hao waved his hand impatiently. "Hurry up and go, why are you so curious?"

Seeing that Liu Hao was unwilling to say more, Ishida Uryū Ishida turned to Kisuke Urahara. Kisuke Urahara smiled and said, "Don't listen to him. Why don't you come back with us for treatment later?"

However, Uryū Ishida shook his head. "Never mind, I'm not seriously injured. Besides, if we want to save Rukia in the future, we'll have to rely on Kurosaki-kun."

After saying that, he turned and left the abandoned construction site. Although his steps were a little unsteady, his back remained firm.

Watching Uryū Ishida leave, Tessai Tsukabishi walked towards the unconscious Ichigo Kurosaki and easily hoisted him onto his shoulder. The three then returned to Urahara Shop.

Back at Urahara Shop, Kisuke Urahara carefully placed Ichigo Kurosaki's soul back into his body. After settling in, the three went to an empty room to discuss their next plan.

Kisuke Urahara spoke first, "Next, we need to get Ichigo Kurosaki back into the Soul Reaper. However, regarding his training, wouldn't it be appropriate for you, Liu Hao, to instruct him?"

"No way," Liu Hao immediately refused, acting as if it were none of his business. "You can teach them yourself. I'll go back to Soul Society in a few days, and then I can help them out when they invade Seireitei."

Kisuke Urahara understood Liu Hao's personality and knew that he wasn't truly indifferent, but rather had other considerations, so he didn't press the matter further.

The next morning, Ichigo Kurosaki awoke from his unconsciousness. He looked around in confusion and found himself in an unfamiliar environment. When he saw Kisuke Urahara, he immediately remembered what had happened the night before.

"Where's Rukia?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked anxiously.

Kisuke Urahara didn't answer directly, but said, "Come with me, there are some things I need you to know."

He led Ichigo Kurosaki to the incredibly spacious training room in the basement of Urahara Shop. The room was so large that it could accommodate the entire team for training, and the walls were covered with complex Reishi circuits.

In the center of the training room, there is a huge, bottomless pit with warning signs erected along its edges.

"Where is this place?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked, puzzled.

Kisuke Urahara turned around, his expression serious. "This is where you will become Soul Reaper again. But before that, you need to understand one thing—lost Soul Reaper Powers cannot be easily restored. You must start from scratch and reawaken the power within you."

Over the next few days, Kisuke Urahara began rigorous training for Ichigo Kurosaki. Liu Hao observed from the shadows, watching the boy he had watched grow up struggle, persevere, and transform on the verge of despair.

The core of the training is to reconnect Ichigo Kurosaki with his Zanpakuto. This is not a simple restoration of power, but a reshaping of his soul. With each failed attempt, Ichigo Kurosaki gets closer to the edge of Hollowfication —the Hollow energy within him is lurking, trying to devour his remaining will.

After Kisuke Urahara threw Ichigo Kurosaki into the Training Ground known as the "Pit of Despair," Liu Hao walked to Kisuke Urahara's side and whispered, "Now we just have to wait. It should be the third day."

Kisuke Urahara nodded. "Yes. The instant before he becomes a Hollow is his chance to return to the Soul Reaper."

A hint of worry flashed in Liu Hao's eyes. "Hopefully, it will be the same as before, and the Quincy power within him won't cause trouble, and can guide him normally."

"Oh?" Kisuke Urahara keenly caught the key information. "What's going on?"

Liu Hao explained, "In the stories I know, the Quincy power within Ichigo Kurosaki exists in the form of young Yhwach at the center of his power, sealing away his Soul Reaper Powers. However, every time Ichigo Kurosaki is taught how to use his Zanpakuto, it is a Hollow fused with his Soul Reaper Powers who guides him. And this time, when he tries to acquire Soul Reaper Powers, it is also the Quincy power that guides him to find his own Soul Reaper Powers."

This information made Kisuke Urahara ponder, "Why would the Quincy seal away his Soul Reaper Powers?"

"It's for protection," Liu Hao replied. "His Quincy power knows that once he becomes Soul Reaper, he will eventually face Yhwach. It believes that when Ichigo Kurosaki grows to a certain level, he will be killed by Yhwach. Therefore, out of a desire to protect Ichigo Kurosaki, it has been suppressing its Soul Reaper Powers."

Kisuke Urahara pressed on, "Then why did it guide Ichigo Kurosaki to acquire the Soul Reaper Powers?"

"Because Hollows are poison to Quincy," Liu Hao explained. "The Quincy power cannot resolve Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollowfication. Therefore, it can only allow him to acquire Soul Reaper Powers to suppress the Hollow power of the same origin. It's a choice between two evils, choosing the lesser one."

This explanation gave Kisuke Urahara a clearer understanding of the complex power structure within Ichigo Kurosaki's body. He also understood why Liu Hao insisted on observing the entire process—it was a crucial moment to understand the essence of Ichigo Kurosaki's power.

For the next two days, the Training Ground fell into an anxious silence. Ichigo Kurosaki showed no signs of turning into Soul Reaper at the bottom of the pit; on the contrary, his Reiatsu fluctuations became increasingly unstable, and his Hollow aura grew stronger.

Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya would lie by the pit every day, observing with worry on their faces. Ururu Tsumugiya asked in a low voice more than once, "Can Mr. Kurosaki really succeed?"

"Trust him," Liu Hao always replied. "That kid is much stronger than he looks."

Finally, late on the third night, as Ichigo Kurosaki was on the verge of Complete Hollowfication, a dramatic change occurred in the Training Ground.

Liu Hao stood at a concealed observation point, intently sensing the changes in Reiatsu at the bottom of the pit. He could feel that Ichigo Kurosaki's will was engaged in a final struggle against the Hollow power, while the Quincy power, like an observer, quietly awaited the crucial moment.

Suddenly, a blinding light burst forth from the bottom of the pit.

Ichigo Kurosaki burst out of the crater like a cannonball, his Reiatsu pressure far exceeding anything he had ever felt before. But what was unsettling was that his face was covered by a white bone mask—a sign of Hollowfication.

However, a crucial turn of events occurred as his feet touched the ground: Ichigo Kurosaki struck his mask with the hilt of his sword. With a crisp cracking sound, the mask shattered and dissipated, revealing his true face.

At this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki is wearing a complete Shihakushō, holding a broken Zanpakuto in his hand, his eyes showing both weariness and a resolute determination for rebirth.

"Congratulations, you've become Soul Reaper again." Kisuke Urahara emerged from the shadows, his signature smile on his face. He waved his fan and continued, "Very good, you passed Test Two."

But Ichigo Kurosaki was clearly not in the mood for such flattery. The pain and despair he had just experienced at the bottom of the pit had pushed him to the brink of an emotional outburst.

"It's so noisy!" Ichigo Kurosaki said impatiently, casually shoving the hilt of his sword into Kisuke Urahara's face.

"Ah, my eyes!" Kisuke Urahara in pain, clutching his face and crouching on the ground. The blow was clearly severe.

Ichigo Kurosaki grinned maliciously and pointed at Kisuke Urahara: "Heh heh, now that I'm back, it's your turn to be in trouble. I swore that if I leave this pit alive, I'll definitely kill you."

Kisuke Urahara slowly stood up, leaning on his cane, his expression returning to calm. "That's perfect then. Let's use this momentum to move on to Test Three."

He pointed to his hat. "There's no time limit for Test Three. As long as you can use that Zanpakuto to knock off my hat, you pass."

These words made Ichigo Kurosaki feel slighted. He casually swung his broken Zanpakuto —although the blade was broken, the Reiatsu it released was still sharp, leaving a small notch on Kisuke Urahara's hat brim.

Kisuke Urahara glanced down and exclaimed, "Even a broken Zanpakuto has this kind of power."

"Of course," Ichigo Kurosaki replied arrogantly, then held up five fingers. "No need to talk about a time limit, I can take you down in just five minutes."

Kisuke Urahara's expression turned serious. He slowly drew his Zanpakuto from his cane. "Is that so? Then I'll give you five minutes. Let's see if you can defeat me."

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Ichigo Kurosaki assumed a fighting stance, his broken sword pointing directly at Kisuke Urahara. Kisuke Urahara maintained a composed posture, but his eyes were sharp as knives, clearly indicating that he had entered battle mode.

Liu Hao watched this scene from the shadows, feeling both gratified and worried. He was gratified that Ichigo Kurosaki had successfully regained his Soul Reaper Powers, and was even stronger than before; he was worried because he was facing Kisuke Urahara —the former Captain of the Twelfth Division, whose strength was unfathomable, and even though Ichigo Kurosaki had improved, the gap was still enormous.

But Liu Hao did not interfere. He knew that this was a test that Ichigo Kurosaki had to go through. Only through fighting against strong opponents could he truly master his power and understand the essence of Soul Reaper.