Recaps

Liu Hao lost his duel with Imperial Princess, whose strength drew Unohana into a fierce battle inside the sealed white space. The chapter left Unohana facing Imperial Princess’s provocation about using Bankai.

• Unohana watched Liu Hao and Imperial Princess unleash their full Reiatsu, while Isane Kotetsu saw Unohana’s dormant desire for battle awaken.
• Liu Hao and Imperial Princess clashed their Five Phases attacks, creating a brief void that annihilated everything within thirty zhang before space repaired itself.
• Imperial Princess defeated Liu Hao in their final sword clash, then invited Unohana into the barrier and challenged her to test her strength.
• Unohana and Imperial Princess released their Reiatsu and fought at full strength, trading dozens of sword blows and countering each other’s hidden and summoned weapons.
• Imperial Princess claimed her strength was limited because Liu Hao had not fully awakened and challenged Unohana to use Bankai, asking whether she had noticed something.

Unohana and Imperial Princess fought with swordsmanship before Unohana released her Bankai, Minazuki, and the two clashed their strongest attacks until the Bankai was undone. Imperial Princess returned to the Imperial Sword, and Unohana took the unconscious Liu Hao back to the Fourth Division, left wondering what he knew about Soul Society’s past and future.

• Imperial Princess explained that the Imperial Sword held power Liu Hao had not yet grown strong enough to wield, and Unohana realized his potential exceeded her expectations.
• Unohana and Imperial Princess resumed their duel using only swordsmanship, wounding and healing themselves until Imperial Princess challenged Unohana to use her Bankai.
• Unohana activated Minazuki, filling the white space with a sea of blood that strengthened her and eroded Imperial Princess.
• Imperial Princess and Unohana exchanged their strongest attacks, neutralizing the sea of blood and leaving Imperial Princess exhausted and unable to continue.
• Imperial Princess returned to the Imperial Sword, and Unohana found Liu Hao unconscious, then ordered Isane Kotetsu to take him to rest.
• Unohana took the Imperial Sword to her office and healed Liu Hao while considering Imperial Princess's claims about his knowledge of Soul Society.

After waking from his overtraining, Liu Hao admitted to Unohana that the Imperial Sword had shown him Soul Society’s possible futures and that he wanted to change her fate. He explained why he had avoided Aizen and began to reveal what he had seen about Kaien Shiba and Rukia Kuchiki.

• Liu Hao woke in Unohana’s private room and learned that he had slept for a day after collapsing during training.
• Unohana asked whether Liu Hao had seen possible futures, and he admitted that he had seen her fight Zaraki in Muken and die after passing on the Kenpachi title.
• Liu Hao summoned Imperial Princess, who created a barrier against outside observation, and he revealed that the Imperial Sword controlled time and space and had shown him Soul Society’s history and possible futures.
• Liu Hao told Unohana that he wanted to change her fate and challenged her belief that she had to die to pass on the Kenpachi title; Unohana ended their discussion of the title.
• Unohana asked why Liu Hao wanted to change Kaien Shiba’s and Rukia Kuchiki’s fates, and Liu Hao said that Rukia had suffered a difficult fate.

Liu Hao told Unohana how Aizen’s experiments had shaped Rukia’s original tragedy and revealed that Kyōka Suigetsu used Complete Hypnosis. He explained the known way to resist it, while Unohana proposed that touching the blade might also break the hypnosis, a possibility they had not tested.

• Liu Hao explained that Hisana had abandoned Rukia in Rukongai, later married Byakuya Kuchiki, and died before finding her; he said he had arranged for the sisters to meet earlier.
• Liu Hao revealed that Aizen’s experiments had made Kaien Shiba and his wife victims, and that Rukia would have killed Kaien while he was controlled by Metastacia.
• Liu Hao told Unohana that Aizen had used Kyōka Suigetsu’s Complete Hypnosis to deceive witnesses, and that seeing its release triggered the ability.
• Liu Hao identified Kaname Tōsen as Aizen’s ally and Gin Ichimaru as an undercover agent seeking to recover what Aizen’s subordinates had taken from Rangiku Matsumoto.
• Liu Hao said Gin had learned to avoid the hypnosis by touching Kyōka Suigetsu’s blade just before its release, and Unohana suggested that touching the blade might also free someone already hypnotized.

Liu Hao told Unohana about Aizen’s ambitions, Yhwach’s return, the Soul King’s origins, and her own future death, warning her not to reveal the information because Yhwach could perceive events through the Almighty. Unohana agreed to verify his predictions, leaving Liu Hao aware that changing fate could disrupt his plans.

• Liu Hao told Unohana that Aizen planned to replace the Soul King and explained how Aizen’s experiments led to Isshin Shiba losing his powers, Masaki Kurosaki’s death, and Ichigo’s birth.
• Liu Hao revealed that Yhwach would return, kill Yamamoto, and ultimately be defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, and Aizen before becoming the new Soul King.
• Liu Hao explained that the original Soul King, Adnyeus, had been mutilated and sealed by the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans, and warned Unohana not to share the secrets because Yhwach could perceive them.
• Liu Hao told Unohana that she would die fighting Zaraki, and she asked whether she could tell Yamamoto before agreeing to watch for evidence of Liu Hao’s predictions.
• Unohana left to consider what she had learned, while the Imperial Princess warned Liu Hao that Unohana might take actions that disrupted his plans.

Unohana learned that Metastacia had attacked a Thirteenth Division patrol and recognized the Hollow from Liu Hao’s warning. After Liu Hao recovered, Kaien Shiba thanked him for helping protect Miyako, but Liu Hao warned him to keep their secret as Sōsuke Aizen arrived at the Fourth Division barracks.

• Unohana heard that Metastacia had controlled a Third Seat and wiped out a Thirteenth Division patrol before Captain Ukitake and Lieutenant Shiba destroyed it.
• Kaien Shiba told Unohana that Metastacia could control Soul Reapers and make Zanpakuto disappear, confirming Liu Hao’s warning about Aizen’s experiments.
• Unohana left Liu Hao asleep and considered whether his predictions about future events were reliable.
• After recovering, Liu Hao told Kaien Shiba not to discuss Metastacia or his warning, especially after sensing Aizen nearby.
• Aizen asked Liu Hao and Kaien Shiba about the Hollow attack, and Liu Hao deferred the answer to Kaien because he had not been present.

Aizen questioned Kaien Shiba and Liu Hao about Metastacia, then invited the Medical Guard Team to train with the Fifth Division while continuing to scrutinize Liu Hao. Several days later, Aizen and Momo Hinamori visited the training grounds, where Hinamori spoke privately with Liu Hao as Aizen watched; the teams began sparring practice.

• Kaien told Aizen that the injured were recovering and that the Twelfth Division had taken Metastacia's body for study.
• Aizen described the classified Hollowfication Incident and suggested Metastacia was part of a reverse experiment, then probed Kaien and Liu Hao about their knowledge and abilities.
• Liu Hao and Kaien declined Aizen's invitation to investigate, citing their duties, and agreed to keep his claims confidential while Liu Hao arranged for Fifth Division members to train the Medical Guard Team.
• Several days later, Aizen, Hinamori, and experienced Fifth Division members arrived at the training grounds, where Aizen instructed the Medical Guard Team in rescue tactics and teamwork.
• Hinamori caught up with Liu Hao and mentioned that Kira thought he had changed, while Liu Hao remained wary of Aizen's attention.
• Aizen finished his instruction and split the Fifth Division and Medical Guard Team into groups for sparring practice.

Liu Hao asked Sōsuke Aizen to teach the Medical Guard Team about Shikai, giving him a chance to observe Kyōka Suigetsu firsthand. After Aizen released it and hypnotized everyone present, Liu Hao learned how its power worked and resolved to find a way to counter it.

• Sōsuke Aizen advised Liu Hao that the Medical Guard Team needed more combat training and Shikai experience, and Liu Hao asked him to demonstrate Shikai.
• Aizen explained how Reiatsu and resonance with a Zanpakuto enabled Shikai, then released Kyōka Suigetsu using the command “Mesmerize.”
• Liu Hao sensed a faint Reiryoku fluctuation in the mist as Imperial Princess explained that Kyōka Suigetsu implanted Reiryoku Seeds through sight to alter perception.
• Imperial Princess told Liu Hao that removing or disabling the Seeds could theoretically break the hypnosis, but he would have to discover how himself.
• Liu Hao realized everyone present had become a target of Aizen’s Complete Hypnosis and resolved to seek a way to resist it.

Liu Hao demonstrated the Imperial Sword’s Shikai before the Medical Guard Team, while Aizen’s Kyōka Suigetsu concealed that their entire exchange with him was an illusion. The Imperial Princess explained that Liu Hao was nearing the level required to pursue Bankai, but he first had to master the full range of his Shikai abilities.

• Aizen questioned Liu Hao about Kyōka Suigetsu and invited him to demonstrate his Zanpakuto’s Shikai.
• Liu Hao released the Imperial Sword, and the team members laughed at his dramatic release phrase before he explained his combat and healing abilities.
• Aizen praised Liu Hao’s training approach, then left with Momo Hinamori.
• The Imperial Princess revealed that Aizen had never approached them and that Kyōka Suigetsu had made Liu Hao and the team speak to an illusion.
• The Imperial Princess explained that Bankai depended on understanding and controlling one’s own power, and that Liu Hao needed to master his Shikai before beginning Bankai training.
• Liu Hao resolved to master the Imperial Sword’s remaining Shikai abilities and grow strong enough to face future threats.

After years of training to detect and suppress the foreign Reishi planted by Aizen and Yhwach, Liu Hao secretly demonstrated his spatial barrier ability to Unohana and warned her that someone could spy through shadows. Unohana then confirmed that Isshin Shiba had encountered a strange black Menos Grande in the World of the Living, and Liu Hao recognized that White had appeared.

• Liu Hao discovered dormant Kyōka Suigetsu seeds attached to his nervous system and unusual Reishi spread throughout his spiritual body, which he suspected came from Yhwach.
• Liu Hao trained to control his Reishi, learned to partially block the foreign particles, and fooled Sōsuke Aizen into believing he remained fully hypnotized.
• Kaien Shiba urgently brought Liu Hao aside, and Unohana joined them after sensing their presence.
• In Unohana’s concealed training room, Liu Hao used the Imperial Sword’s “Isolate All Things” to separate the barrier room into another dimension and warned that observers could spy through shadows.
• Unohana revealed that Isshin Shiba had encountered a strange black Menos Grande in the World of the Living, and Liu Hao recognized the arrival of White.

Liu Hao and Unohana discussed how to preserve contact with Isshin Shiba without alerting Aizen, then Liu Hao secretly marked Isshin and Kaien Shiba’s Reiatsu in Isshin’s body during treatment. Isshin accepted the means of communication, leaving the three able to contact one another in the future.

• Liu Hao told Unohana and Kaien Shiba that Isshin would choose to remain in the World of the Living and that his future wife would die, prompting them to plan how to save her and keep in touch with him.
• Liu Hao proposed inviting Isshin to the Medical Guard Team under the pretext of combat instruction and warned Kaien to wait until they could avoid Aizen’s surveillance.
• Kaien brought Isshin to the training ground, where Isshin instructed the team while Liu Hao noticed Aizen’s people watching them.
• Isshin asked Liu Hao to treat his mission wound, and Liu Hao used Kaidō to place a communication mark made from his and Kaien’s Reiatsu inside Isshin.
• Liu Hao healed Isshin’s wound with Kaidō and the Imperial Sword, then explained the mark and asked Isshin to respond when they needed his help; Isshin nodded in acceptance.

Liu Hao and Unohana left Reiatsu marks in Isshin Shiba as beacons, but Liu Hao refused to interfere when Isshin lost his powers saving Masaki Kurosaki in the World of the Living. After Isshin’s disappearance led to Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s appointment as captain of the Tenth Division, Hitsugaya confronted Liu Hao, and their exchange ended in a tense standoff.

• Liu Hao and Unohana discussed the secret surveillance of Isshin Shiba and agreed to wait rather than intervene rashly.
• Isshin Shiba lost his Soul Reaper powers while saving Masaki Kurosaki from White, then settled in the World of the Living as Isshin Kurosaki with the Reiatsu marks still inside him.
• After the Gotei 13 declared Isshin Shiba missing, Kaien Shiba urged Liu Hao to go help him, but Liu Hao insisted they wait.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya became captain of the Tenth Division and reopened the investigation into Isshin Shiba’s disappearance.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya accused Liu Hao of knowing more about Isshin Shiba’s disappearance, and Liu Hao challenged his evidence as Rangiku Matsumoto prepared for a possible fight.

Unohana brought Liu Hao, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and Rangiku Matsumoto to her private training space, where she promised to reveal what she knew about Captain Shiba's disappearance if Hitsugaya defeated Liu Hao. Their duel drew several Gotei 13 captains and Vice-Captains, and after Hitsugaya's released Hyōrinmaru failed to finish Liu Hao, Liu Hao released the Imperial Sword and began the fight's second round.

• Unohana stopped Tōshirō Hitsugaya's confrontation with Liu Hao, and Liu Hao captured a Soul Reaper who had been spying on the Fourth Division before Unohana sent him away with a warning.
• Unohana offered to reveal the truth about Captain Shiba's disappearance and other matters if Hitsugaya defeated Liu Hao in her private training space.
• Isane Kotetsu activated the barrier as Liu Hao and Hitsugaya began their duel, while several Gotei 13 captains and Vice-Captains arrived to watch.
• Hitsugaya released Hyōrinmaru and trapped Liu Hao's arm in ice, but Liu Hao broke free, counterattacked with Byakurai, and avoided being defeated.
• Liu Hao released the Imperial Sword, summoning the apparition of the Imperial Princess, and announced the start of the second round.

Liu Hao overwhelmed Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s Bankai with the Imperial Sword’s flames, countering his ice techniques and revealing that he knew Hitsugaya’s abilities and the circumstances of Captain Shiba’s disappearance. The spar ended on the brink of turning hostile as Liu Hao warned Hitsugaya to stop investigating.

• Liu Hao used Imperial Flame to burn away Hitsugaya’s ice dragons and weather attack, forcing Hitsugaya to release Daiguren Hyōrinmaru.
• Liu Hao created the Blazing Graveyard to counter Hitsugaya’s freezing domain, then identified Hyōten Hyakkasō before Hitsugaya used it.
• Hitsugaya’s ice petals and Ryūsenka failed to stop Liu Hao, who escaped the ice pillar and exposed Hitsugaya’s Ice Image trick.
• Liu Hao told Hitsugaya that he knew about his abilities and Captain Shiba’s disappearance, and urged him to stop pursuing the matter.
• Hitsugaya insisted on learning the truth, and Liu Hao answered with killing intent, warning him not to meddle in what Captain Shiba could not resolve.

Liu Hao defeated Tōshirō Hitsugaya in a spar, forcing him to release his Bankai and acknowledge the loss. After the others left, Unohana suspected Liu Hao had sensed Aizen watching them through Kyōka Suigetsu.

• Liu Hao overwhelmed Tōshirō Hitsugaya with close-range attacks and Imperial Flame, damaging his Bankai and leaving only one Ice Flower.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya launched a final ice attack, but Liu Hao's flames melted it and his Pillar of Flame Formation forced Hitsugaya to release Bankai and concede.
• Unohana dismissed the visiting captains, while Liu Hao gave Shunsui Kyōraku a guarded explanation for the spar and noticed Aizen was still observing them through Kyōka Suigetsu.
• Liu Hao advised Tōshirō Hitsugaya to avoid using Bankai casually until his body and Reiatsu matured, and Hitsugaya left with Rangiku Matsumoto.
• Liu Hao returned to the barracks to rest, and Unohana wondered whether he could sense or resist Kyōka Suigetsu.

After the match, Kaien Shiba concealed what he knew about Isshin’s disappearance while Tōshirō Hitsugaya accepted his defeat and vowed to grow stronger. Liu Hao evaded Sōsuke Aizen’s scrutiny and decided to master Reishi control before beginning Bankai training, aiming to escape Kyōka Suigetsu’s influence.

• Jūshirō Ukitake questioned Kaien Shiba about Isshin Shiba’s disappearance, but Kaien hid the truth and said he would investigate when he was stronger.
• Shunsui Kyōraku suggested that Isshin’s disappearance was likely his own decision, giving Kaien a plausible explanation to share.
• Tōshirō Hitsugaya told Rangiku Matsumoto that Liu Hao had controlled their fight and vowed to surpass him and bring Captain Shiba back.
• Unohana searched the Fourth Division training grounds for the hidden observer but found no trace and suspected Aizen had left.
• Sōsuke Aizen watched Liu Hao recover, then left after judging him not yet capable of Bankai; Liu Hao learned from Imperial Princess that Aizen had followed him and planned to master Reishi control to resist Kyōka Suigetsu.

After rumors exaggerated Liu Hao’s sparring victory over Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Unohana warned him that someone was using the story to undermine Hitsugaya and put Liu Hao under scrutiny. Liu Hao attended the emergency captains’ meeting as the debate over Hitsugaya’s position began, while Chōjirō Sasakibe suspected Liu Hao was hiding captain-level strength and planned to report his suspicions.

• Liu Hao learned from Unohana that rumors of his victory over Tōshirō Hitsugaya had spread through Seireitei and were being used to question Hitsugaya’s fitness as captain.
• Unohana told Liu Hao that an emergency captains’ meeting would discuss Hitsugaya’s position, and Liu Hao went with her to the First Division Barracks.
• In the vice-captains’ lounge, Liu Hao denied trying to become captain and downplayed his spar with Hitsugaya; Yachiru Kusajishi mentioned that Kenpachi Zaraki wanted to fight him.
• Liu Hao told Renji Abarai that Hitsugaya had held back, but Chōjirō Sasakibe sensed that Liu Hao’s Reiatsu was far stronger than he let on and decided to inform Yamamoto.
• At the captains’ meeting, Gin Ichimaru questioned Hitsugaya’s qualifications, while Sōsuke Aizen argued that one spar could not determine a captain’s fitness.

The captains debated whether Liu Hao should replace Tōshirō Hitsugaya, then summoned Liu Hao to hear his position. Liu Hao rejected the idea of becoming captain, and after the meeting ended, Kenpachi Zaraki and Gin Ichimaru approached him while Hitsugaya warned him to keep Rangiku out of danger.

• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the captains debated Hitsugaya’s fitness to lead the Tenth Division, while Retsu Unohana said Liu Hao’s performance in their spar did not prove he was stronger.
• Yamamoto summoned Liu Hao, who said the rumors should be stopped and explained that Hitsugaya had held back and that Liu Hao lacked Bankai and knowledge of the Tenth Division.
• Yamamoto confirmed that Liu Hao would not challenge Hitsugaya’s position and ordered the captains to stop the rumors.
• Kenpachi Zaraki challenged Liu Hao to a future fight, while Gin Ichimaru praised his potential and offered the Third Division’s help with Medical Guard Team training.
• Liu Hao admitted he had mentioned Rangiku to deflect attention, and Tōshirō Hitsugaya warned him not to put her in danger.

Liu Hao told Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto that Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen had orchestrated Isshin Shiba’s disappearance through an experiment involving the Hollow White. He used his Zanpakuto to show Yamamoto the events, ending with White’s power entering Masaki Kurosaki after its defeat.

• After the captains left, Liu Hao hinted that someone was concealed in the meeting room, and Retsu Unohana and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto searched for the hidden presence with their Reiatsu, but found nothing.
• Unohana took Liu Hao and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to a private training ground, where Liu Hao explained that Isshin Shiba had lost his Soul Reaper powers while saving a Quincy in the World of the Living.
• Liu Hao accused Sōsuke Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen of ambushing Isshin and described Aizen’s experiment with White, whose power transferred into Masaki Kurosaki after its defeat.
• After Liu Hao accidentally mentioned the future, he invoked his Imperial Sword’s space-time ability and transported the group into a starry void.
• Liu Hao showed Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto a vision of Aizen attacking Isshin during his fight with White, Masaki joining the battle, and White’s power entering her soul when it self-destructed.

Liu Hao showed Yamamoto, Unohana, and Sasakibe visions revealing Aizen’s role in the Hollowfication conspiracy and explained how Kyōka Suigetsu gave him a perfect alibi. He disclosed that his Zanpakuto could glimpse the future and warned that Yhwach had broken his seal, leaving Yamamoto to suspect Yhwach was hiding in Soul Society.

• Liu Hao showed Yamamoto the events surrounding Masaki Kurosaki, Isshin Shiba, and Ichigo Kurosaki, and explained that the images were incomplete fragments glimpsed through time.
• Liu Hao revealed how Aizen orchestrated the Hollowfication of Shinji Hirako, Hiyori Sarugaki, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna, and others, then framed Kisuke Urahara and his allies.
• Liu Hao explained that Kyōka Suigetsu used permanent Complete Hypnosis, allowing Aizen to deceive the captains and create an alibi during the trial.
• Yamamoto asked how Liu Hao knew the future, and Liu Hao revealed that the Imperial Sword wielded power over time and space.
• Liu Hao said Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, and Aizen would later save the Three Worlds from Yhwach, and explained that Yhwach’s Auswählen caused Masaki’s death.
• Yamamoto concluded that Yhwach had already broken his seal and was likely hiding somewhere in Soul Society.

Liu Hao revealed the Quincy war’s future and the ancient truth behind the Soul King and the creation of the Three Worlds, then urged Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to prepare for coming crises. The chapter ended with Liu Hao explaining how the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans mutilated and sealed the Soul King to make him a controllable linchpin.

• Liu Hao showed Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the others how the Quincy would invade Hueco Mundo and the Seireitei, steal Bankai, and kill the Captain-Commander.
• Liu Hao explained that Yhwach would later attack the Soul King Palace, devour the Soul King, and be defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryū Ishida, and Aizen.
• Liu Hao said he had revealed the future because he wanted to save lives and preserve Soul Society’s strength, and Retsu Unohana supported his credibility with examples of information he had known.
• Liu Hao urged the Soul Reapers to save Gin Ichimaru during Aizen’s rebellion and deal with the Tsunayashiro Clan after the crisis.
• Liu Hao recounted how the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans separated the Three Worlds using the Soul King’s power and how the Tsunayashiro founder helped seal and mutilate him.

Liu Hao explained Yhwach’s origins, weaknesses, and the future allies and events that could help defeat him, then urged Yamamoto to prepare by protecting the Ishida family and attacking the Wandenreich. Yamamoto reserved judgment, while Liu Hao and Unohana discussed whether the Soul Reapers should unite with others to face the coming war.

• Liu Hao told Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto that Yhwach had once sought to return the worlds to chaos and that Yamamoto had only defeated him a thousand years earlier because Ichibē Hyōsube sealed The Almighty.
• Liu Hao explained that Yhwach’s power could be countered with Still Silver mixed with the blood of the person who performed Auswählen, and that Ryūken Ishida had made the arrow Uryū Ishida used against him.
• Liu Hao described how Mayuri Kurotsuchi caused Sōken Ishida’s death and advised Yamamoto to save Masaki Kurosaki and Kanae Katagiri, protect Sōken, and later attack the Wandenreich.
• Yamamoto said he needed time to consider Liu Hao’s proposals and asked whether Liu Hao had learned Bankai; Liu Hao said he had not, then left with Retsu Unohana.
• On their way back to the Fourth Division, Liu Hao argued that Soul Reapers should join with other groups to protect the Three Worlds, and Unohana acknowledged his point while saying change would take time.

Liu Hao began Bankai training by returning the Imperial Sword to its newly revealed sheath and facing the Trial of the Starry Sky, an eighty-one-step path to an imperial throne. On the first section, memories of his former life tested his resolve, and he finally climbed to the second section after accepting that he could cherish the past without letting it block his future.

• Unohana and Liu Hao discussed the Captain-Commander's reluctance to involve others and Liu Hao's wish to save Masaki Kurosaki and Katagiri Hae; Unohana offered to help if necessary.
• Liu Hao summoned Imperial Princess and began Bankai training, saying he could now break Kyōka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis.
• Imperial Princess revealed the Imperial Sword's ancient dark-gold sheath, and Liu Hao sent the sword into it, causing an imposing throne to appear.
• Imperial Princess began the Trial of the Starry Sky, creating an eighty-one-step imperial path through a vast starry expanse.
• On the first section, Liu Hao repeatedly relived memories of his previous life and struggled with his longing for home, while Imperial Princess watched without intervening.
• Liu Hao accepted that his memories could not hold him back, overcame the invisible barrier, and stepped onto the first stair of the second section.

Liu Hao was trapped in a dream of his former ordinary life, where he met Wang Ji and gradually recovered his memories of Imperial Princess. After recognizing the dream and choosing to wake, he returned to the third flight of the Bankai trial stairs, ready to continue.

• Liu Hao experienced an increasingly unreal version of his old life and met Wang Ji, whose face and presence felt familiar to him.
• After Liu Hao forgot Wang Ji, Zhang Tao sent him her number, and a Bleach update triggered his memories of Imperial Princess.
• Liu Hao called Imperial Princess, who told him she could not choose his future path for him.
• Liu Hao realized he had woven the dream from his memories and longing, then chose to wake up.
• The dream dissolved, and Liu Hao found himself on the first step of the third flight, facing the remaining trial.

Liu Hao endured a looping illusion of the Bleach story, where Ichigo Kurosaki helped him recognize his attachment to the world and choose to forge his own path. Liu Hao shattered the illusion and reached the fourth flight of stairs, with his Reiatsu diminished but more condensed.

• Liu Hao entered the third trial and watched the events of Bleach repeat across the river of time, unable to intervene.
• Liu Hao discovered that the characters sensed him, and Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki revealed that they knew they were trapped in a loop.
• Liu Hao and Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki watched together, noticing that the loop changed in response to Liu Hao and that the characters gradually awakened.
• Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki told Liu Hao that the illusion reflected his thoughts and that he had not fully accepted himself as a person of this world.
• Liu Hao formed a sword from Reiatsu, shattered the illusion, and leaped through a crack into reality.
• Liu Hao arrived at the fourth flight of stairs, where the Imperial Princess watched him with approval.