The Execution Moved Up

After leaving the Underground Space, Liu Ziyun did not return directly to the Fourth Division, but instead quietly sneaked towards the Thirteenth Division.

Seireitei in the night resembled a sleeping behemoth; the streets were deserted, with only moonlight casting dappled shadows on the cobblestones.

His figure darted swiftly between rooftops, like a true ghost, silent yet lightning fast.

The Third Division Captain was brightly lit.

Liu Ziyun gently pushed open the window and climbed in. Jūshirō Ukitake was sitting at his desk reviewing documents. Hearing the noise, he looked up, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes when he saw who it was.

"Ziyun?" Jūshirō Ukitake put down his pen. "What are you doing sneaking off to see me?"

Liu Ziyun up to him, his expression turning serious. "Captain Ukitake, are you preparing to break the seal and rescue Rukia?"

Jūshirō Ukitake paused for a moment, then smiled wryly, "With you here, I don't even need to lift a finger, do I?"

Liu Ziyun shook his head, his eyes filled with a profound meaning. "We need you and the Captain Kyōraku to take action and disrupt the Sōkyoku."

Jūshirō Ukitake frowned slightly. "Why?"

Liu Ziyun's gaze deepened, as if piercing through time and space to see the distant future. "Because the Sōkyoku remains intact, the mastermind behind it all won't appear."

A glint of light flashed in Jūshirō Ukitake's eyes. "Who's the mastermind behind this?"

Liu Ziyun smiled, a smile that held both mystery and certainty, "I'll keep you in suspense for now. It'll be out in a few days anyway."

Jūshirō Ukitake looked at him and finally nodded. "Alright."

Liu Ziyun bowed slightly. "Then I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he turned and left, disappearing back into the night.

Fourth Division, General Infirmary.

Liu Ziyun quietly arrived near the aid station and gave Retsu Unohana a coded signal. Then, he turned and sneaked towards the Captain's Office.

He waited in the Captain's Office for the entire afternoon, but Retsu Unohana never appeared. During the day, she had been treating the wounded at the General Infirmary; every single one of the injured sent from various places required her personal care.

It wasn't until nightfall that Retsu Unohana dragged her exhausted body back to the Captain's Office.

She pushed open the door and saw Liu Ziyun sitting at the tea table, leisurely sipping tea. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do? You always come here."

Liu Ziyun put down his teacup, a fawning smile spreading across his face, "I've been missing you. I finally got two days off, so of course I came to see you."

Retsu Unohana walked up to him, her eyes scrutinizing him. "Where's Isane? Don't you want to go anymore? I can talk to Isane for you."

Liu Ziyun's smile froze on his face, but he quickly regained his composure. "I want both."

Retsu Unohana raised an eyebrow. "Did you hide someone with Isane, which is why it's inconvenient for you to go over?"

Liu Ziyun quickly waved his hand. "No, no!"

Fearing that Retsu Unohana might say something he couldn't answer, he stood up, grabbed her hand, and dragged her into the bedroom.

The door slammed shut.

This time, Liu Ziyun didn't emerge from the Captain's Office's bedroom until the following evening, looking completely satisfied.

He stretched lazily, a smug smile on his face. Then, concealing his Reiatsu, he quietly left the Fourth Division and headed towards where Ichigo Kurosaki was training.

Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara's Secret Base.

When Liu Ziyun into the base, Ichigo Kurosaki was engaged in a fierce battle with Zangetsu. The enormous white figure wielded Zanpakuto, each strike carrying terrifying power. Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth and persevered, his sword constantly clashing with Zangetsu, producing a piercing metallic clang.

Liu Ziyun to Yoruichi Shihōin's side and asked softly, "How is it?"

Yoruichi Shihōin's gaze was fixed on Ichigo Kurosaki in the midst of battle. "He can probably fight Zangetsu for about five minutes with just one sword. However, his Reiatsu hasn't increased yet."

Liu Ziyun nodded, his eyes filled with certainty. "No rush. His Reiatsu will increase once the message arrives."

Yoruichi Shihōin turned to look at him. "What news?"

Liu Ziyun slowly said, "The news is that Rukia's sentence has been moved up."

Yoruichi Shihōin's pupils contracted slightly. "When?"

Liu Ziyun, then frowned slightly. "It seems to be... the day after tomorrow."

Yoruichi Shihōin grew anxious. "Such important news, why are you still unsure about the time?"

Liu Ziyun helplessly spread his hands. "It hasn't been released yet, how could I possibly remember it clearly?"

Yoruichi Shihōin deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Alright. Who will deliver the message?"

A meaningful smile appeared on Liu Ziyun's lips, "Renji Abarai."

Yoruichi Shihōin was stunned. "Are you sure you're not here to cause trouble?"

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "He came here to train in Bankai. He wants to save Rukia and deliver a message as well."

Yoruichi Shihōin was silent for a moment, then said, "It's about time. Ichigo should rest."

Liu Ziyun nodded. "You arrange it."

Yoruichi Shihōin waved her hand, retracting her "Tenshintai." Zangetsu, who was in the middle of the battle, vanished instantly, leaving Ichigo Kurosaki panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat.

Yoruichi Shihōin led him to the Hot Spring: "Let's go in and rest for a while."

Ichigo Kurosaki lay down in the Hot Spring, the warm water enveloping his body, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He saw Liu Ziyun, and his face lit up with surprise. "Sensei, you've come!"

Liu Ziyun to the Hot Spring and squatted down. "Hmm. Are there any problems with your cultivation?"

Ichigo Kurosaki immediately asked him about the problems he had encountered during his training over the past two days. Liu Ziyun answered each question in detail, explaining each one in a clear and concise manner, which made Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly understand.

After answering all the questions, Liu Ziyun to a corner and lay down to rest.

The following morning.

Liu Ziyun was awakened by the sounds of a fierce battle. He opened his eyes and saw Ichigo Kurosaki fighting against Zangetsu. The flashes of swords clashed in the air, and each collision unleashed an astonishing surge of Reiatsu.

He stood up, walked to the edge of the battlefield, and watched quietly.

Just then—"Boom!"

A violent explosion suddenly occurred at the entrance to the Underground Space. Debris flew everywhere, and smoke and dust filled the air. A figure fell from the sky and landed heavily on the ground.

As the dust settled, Renji Abarai emerged from the scene.

His gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Ichigo Kurosaki, a smile playing on his lips. "I wondered what you were up to hiding here. Is that your Zanpakuto itself? Bankai, huh? That's quite interesting. Count me in too."

A serious expression appeared on Yoruichi Shihōin's face. She remembered what Liu Ziyun had said yesterday—that someone would come to inform her that Rukia's sentence had been brought forward. Seeing Renji Abarai at that moment, she instantly understood what was going on.

Ichigo Kurosaki exclaimed in surprise, "Renji..."

Liu Ziyun, on the other hand, had an indifferent expression, as if he had expected all of this.

Renji Abarai shrugged, observing the three's reactions. "Why did you come here? You have a big question mark on your face. What's wrong? Well, nothing really. Time is running out, and I just wanted to find a place to concentrate on my training."

Ichigo Kurosaki looked completely bewildered. "There's not much time left... what does that mean?"

Renji Abarai's expression turned serious. "Well, I'll tell you. Rukia's sentence has been changed again."

Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes widened instantly. "What?!"

Renji Abarai took a deep breath and slowly said, "The latest execution time is tomorrow at noon."

Ichigo Kurosaki's face turned pale instantly.

Renji Abarai continued, "It's really a pity. With my current strength, rescuing Rukia is simply wishful thinking. That's why I came here."

He looked at Ichigo Kurosaki with a serious expression. "Don't worry, I'm not here to disturb your training. I've already mastered the Zanpakuto transformation; I only need one more step to achieve Bankai."

As he spoke, a whirlwind rose from Zabimaru and landed on the ground. A monster with a baboon and a snake's tail appeared before them— Zabimaru's materialized form.

Renji Abarai pointed at it. "I'm going to train properly here using my own methods."

Upon hearing Renji Abarai Yoruichi Shihōin filled with shock: [Just as Liu Ziyun said, the sentence has been moved up. Will Ichigo's Bankai be successful? But... Liu Ziyun seems quite confident.]

She looked at Liu Ziyun, only to find him completely calm.

Feeling her gaze, Liu Ziyun turned his head and winked at her. Then, he turned to Ichigo Kurosaki and said in an exaggerated tone, "Hey, Ichigo, can you do it tomorrow? Or... should we give up?"

Upon hearing this, Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakuto instantly unleashed an astonishing Reiatsu. The Reiatsu was so immense that the blade couldn't withstand it and shattered with a "crack".

Ichigo Kurosaki stared at the broken sword in his hand, his voice resolute. "Master, you taught me that you can't give up easily. This training was arranged by you and Miss Yoruichi. So how can you be the first to give up? I don't want to hear this now."

He clasped his hands together and smashed the broken sword, now only the hilt remained. "Since the time has been moved to tomorrow, let's master it today!"

Reiatsu surged wildly from his body, its Reiatsu increasing by a whole level compared to before.

Yoruichi Shihōin stared in shock at the scene, a storm of emotions surging within her once more: [His Reiatsu has increased... that guy Liu Ziyun was right after all!]

For the rest of the time, Liu Ziyun and Yoruichi Shihōin quietly watched Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai train their respective Bankai.

Ichigo Kurosaki faced Zangetsu once again. This time, his sword was more solid, his movements were more fluid, and his Reiatsu was more stable.

Renji Abarai engaged in a fierce battle with Zabimaru's materialized form, each clash honing his skills and power.

Yoruichi Shihōin walked to Liu Ziyun's side and asked softly, "Ziyun, will they be able to achieve Bankai by tomorrow?"

Liu Ziyun's gaze was fixed on the two men, his eyes filled with certainty. "Anyway, they'll definitely arrive before the execution."

He turned to Yoruichi Shihōin: "Prepare your clan's divine armor for Ichigo. That way he can quickly reach Sōkyoku to rescue them."

Yoruichi Shihōin nodded. "Okay."

Her gaze returned to the two combatants, her eyes flashing with complex emotions—expectation, worry, and an indescribable trust.

Time is passing by, second by second.

Tomorrow will be the moment that decides everything.