Learning Bankai (4)

Kisuke Urahara stood at the edge of the training field, his signature fisherman's hat obscuring most of his face, revealing only his tightly pursed lips and slightly furrowed brows. His fingers unconsciously traced the edge of his folding fan, a habitual gesture when he was thinking, but at this moment, the frequency of this action was noticeably faster than usual.

Liu Ziyun's words echoed repeatedly in his mind—about the Soul King Substitute, about the Kidō that sealed Aizen, about the destruction of the Zero Division, about the ultimate being that devoured the Soul King. Each word was like a boulder thrown into his once calm heart, stirring up ripples upon ripples.

As the most outstanding scientist in Soul Society, Kisuke Urahara possesses an insight and judgment that are unmatched by ordinary people. He can distinguish between casual remarks and well-thought-out statements. What Liu Ziyun just said clearly belongs to the latter—every sentence has undergone a century of refinement and deliberation, and every word carries an indescribable weight.

"I hope so." Kisuke Urahara finally spoke, his voice low and cautious, "If the future..."

"That's fine."

Liu Ziyun interrupted him rudely, his tone clearly impatient. His empty eye sockets turned towards Kisuke Urahara, and although they were unfocused, they made the genius scientist feel an invisible pressure.

"You're so nagging." Liu Ziyun's tone was like complaining about a nagging old woman. "I'm not going to explain anymore. Just keep doing what you're doing. You can be wary of me if you want—anyway, I won't do anything to harm Soul Society or the Three Worlds."

He paused, then his tone suddenly became serious. "By the way, do you want to be the Soul King Substitute?"

The question came so suddenly that Kisuke Urahara's breath caught in his throat for a moment. For the first time, a clear wavering appeared on his usually composed face.

Liu Ziyun didn't wait for his answer and continued, "In the destiny I see, you became two—a boy and a girl, two children. I hope I haven't changed your mind; just do what you're supposed to do."

His tone was as calm as if he were discussing what to eat that night, but the content was enough to send chills down the spines of everyone present.

"Oh, right," Liu Ziyun said, as if suddenly remembering something, "the Kidō that sealed Aizen was also developed by you. Remember to develop it further, lest we be unable to seal Aizen and he gets killed by the Zero Division."

These words caused Kisuke Urahara's pupils to contract sharply. He forcibly suppressed his shock and asked in as calm a tone as possible, "What will happen to the Zero Division in the future?"

Liu Ziyun's answer was concise and cruel, "He got killed by the BOSS."

His tone was nonchalant, as if he were merely stating a trivial fact. "But they are immortal; they will be resurrected later. Alright, stop trying to get information out of them."

Liu Ziyun stood up, dusting off non-existent dust from his clothes. "I'm going to cultivate. You go do whatever you need to do."

After saying that, he didn't even give Kisuke Urahara any time to respond before sitting down cross-legged, placing his Zanpakuto horizontally on his lap, and closing his eyes.

The next second, the suffocating Reiatsu that had "disappeared" reappeared— Liu Ziyun had once again entered Bankai state.

Kisuke Urahara opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He looked at Liu Ziyun's figure, enveloped in crimson-gold light, his expression indescribably complex.

Shinji Hirako walked to Kisuke Urahara's side and said softly, "Kisuke, you should go back now. We'll take care of things here."

Kisuke Urahara was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Hirako."

He turned and walked towards the door with Tessai Tsukabishi. Just as he was about to step out of the training ground, he stopped and looked back at the figure sitting cross-legged.

Liu Ziyun kept his eyes closed, as if he had entered a deep state of meditation.

Kisuke Urahara a deep breath, adjusted his hat brim, and strode away.

At the same time, Liu Ziyun's consciousness once again entered his Inner World.

But this time, he was not met with a storm of attacks, but with two pairs of eyes filled with vigilance and dissatisfaction.

Life-Taker stood in the center of the void, her arms crossed over her chest. Her cold face was expressionless, but Liu Ziyun could feel the oppressive aura emanating from her.

Tulu leaned to one side, the blade twirling between his fingers, his sharp eyes filled with obvious schadenfreude.

"Why are you back in again?" Life-Taker asked coldly, his tone clearly showing displeasure.

Liu Ziyun blinked, looking completely innocent. "I came here to cultivate..."

"Cultivation?" Life-Taker sneered. "You just awakened your Bankai, and you haven't even mastered the basic controls yet, and you dare to enter Blade Zen in Bankai state? Do you know how dangerous that is? When the soul resonance is unstable, a single mistake can cause the Bankai to go out of control!"

She grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, her voice becoming increasingly cold. "What do you think Bankai is? Is it a toy you can play with? A playground you can come and go as you please?"

Liu Ziyun was rendered speechless by this reprimand and could only smile awkwardly, not daring to refute.

Tulu added gloatingly, "And we heard everything you said to that hat-wearing guy outside. What did you mean by 'remember to develop the Kidō to seal Aizen '? What did you mean by 'don't let the Zero Division kill you'? Do you think Kisuke Urahara is a research and development center? And you're even placing orders?"

Liu Ziyun's expression became even more awkward.

Life-Taker a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips against her temples, as if enduring a headache.

"Never mind," she finally said, her voice filled with deep weariness. "Your current state is unstable; it's not suitable for cultivation. Go back and solidify your foundation, learn to control your Bankai before coming back in."

After saying that, she raised her hand and waved it, and a gentle yet irresistible force pushed Liu Ziyun out of her Inner World.

The Real World.

Liu Ziyun suddenly opened his eyes, and the terrifying Reiatsu from before instantly subsided, along with the dissipation of his Bankai.

He looked down at the Zanpakuto on his lap and sighed helplessly. Within the transparent blade, the three-colored light still flowed slowly, calm and peaceful, as if nothing had just happened.

"It seems... I still need to practice my Reiatsu control." Liu Ziyun muttered to himself, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "Now that my Reiatsu has increased, my control has decreased."

He tried to use his Reiatsu to guide the Zanpakuto to change. The blade began to glow, then gradually shrank and deformed, eventually transforming into two exquisite metal Wristguards that lay quietly in his palms.

The left Wristguards was carved with a crimson-gold phoenix spreading its wings, every feather meticulously detailed and lifelike; the right Wristguards was carved with a coiled five-clawed golden Golden Dragon, its scales distinct and majestic. Both Wristguards emitted faint Reiatsu fluctuations, resonating with the power within his body.

Liu Ziyun the Wristguards on and flexed his fingers. The Wristguards fit perfectly, almost weightless, yet it conveyed an indescribable sense of security—as if Life-Taker and Tulu had never left him, only accompanying him in another form.

He looked up and found that Kisuke Urahara had already left, while the Visoreds were standing not far away, watching him with complicated expressions.

Shinji Hirako stepped forward, his face unusually serious.

"What are you planning to do now?" he asked. "I can feel your Reiatsu dropping again. To be honest, you're a truly terrifying guy—you're on a completely different level from us."

His tone contained no jealousy, no resentment, only a calm that bordered on resignation.

Liu Ziyun looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "You guys are just lazy and don't use your brains."

These words came so suddenly that Shinji Hirako was taken aback.

"Think carefully about the relationship between Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto." Liu Ziyun's tone was like that of a teacher who was disappointed in his students. "You and the Hollows within you are actually in the same relationship as Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto. It's just that Hollows might be more volatile."

He stood up and paced around the training ground, his voice echoing in the empty space. "So, you should try to improve your strength from this point—of course, be careful not to be swallowed by Hollows. I think you will all be able to master the Shikai of two Zanpakuto in the future."

These words made everyone raise their heads.

"One is your original Zanpakuto," Liu Ziyun extended his left hand, gesturing to the phoenix on his left Wristguards, "And the other is your Hollowfication Zanpakuto."

He extended his right hand, gesturing to the Golden Dragon on his right Wristguards: "Bankai can also combine two Zanpakuto into one, thereby enhancing your strength."

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, you have already broken through the boundary between Soul Reaper and Hollows. When Urahara saved you, he used the power of both humans and Quincy —these powers remained within you, and you can try to develop them."

Liu Ziyun looked around at everyone, his tone almost cruelly honest. "Honestly, your potential is actually no less than that brat's in the future. It's just that you don't use your brains and are lazy enough, which is why you haven't thought of these cultivation methods."

His tone softened somewhat. "You should think it over carefully, and try cultivating while you're at it. After all, I don't have your resources, and I don't know the specifics of how to cultivate; I can only talk about it theoretically."

A long silence fell over the training ground.