Training the Soul Reaper Stationed in the World of the Living (5)

A hint of approval flashed in Liu Ziyun's eyes. He didn't confront the attack head-on, but instead used his agile movements to weave and dodge through the ice dragon's onslaught. His figure was like a ghost, moving left and right, advancing and retreating amidst the swirling snow and ice. Every dodge was perfectly timed, and every movement was incredibly precise.

At the same time, his twin swords were not idle. Whenever an ice dragon approached, he would swing his swords and shatter it. The sword light flashed, ice shards flew everywhere, and the entire training room trembled slightly from the fierce battle.

While dodging and parrying, Liu Ziyun did not forget to counterattack. Taking advantage of the gaps in the ice dragon's attacks, he would occasionally slash at Tōshirō Hitsugaya with sword energy imbued with Reiatsu. These sword energies were formless and intangible, yet extremely sharp, tearing the air apart wherever they passed and producing a sharp whistling sound.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya dared not be careless. He controlled the ice dragon to attack while carefully dodging the sword beams. The battle between the two had entered a stalemate. Neither dared to reveal a weakness, and both were carefully searching for the other's vulnerability.

Time ticked by. The two fought fiercely for dozens of rounds, their swords flashing and frost flying in the training room. The aftershocks of the battle even cracked the surrounding walls.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Tōshirō Hitsugaya's forehead, and his breathing began to quicken. His Reiatsu was, after all, limited, and the sustained high-intensity battle was gradually taking its toll. While Hyōrinmaru was powerful, it also consumed a tremendous amount of Reiatsu. He could feel his Reiatsu rapidly draining away, and if this continued, he would soon be unable to hold on.

Just then, Liu Ziyun keenly noticed his change. A glint flashed in his eyes, and he decisively released his Zanpakuto.

"Existence Is to Change Fate, to Life-Taker. Killing is nothing but an impromptu game, Tulu."

As the Release Phrase, the two swords in Liu Ziyun's hands simultaneously changed. The blade of the Life-Taker Sword became longer and more slender, with an eerie, ghostly light emanating from its edge, trembling slightly as if it were alive. The blade of the Tulu, on the other hand, became heavier and heavier, exuding a violent aura.

The simultaneous release of both Zanpakuto caused the entire training room to tremble with Reiatsu. Tōshirō Hitsugaya felt the powerful pressure and alarm bells rang in his mind.

Liu Ziyun's offensive suddenly became even more ferocious. He wielded his twin swords, unleashing sword energy several times denser than before. The sword energy poured down like a torrential rain, forcing Tōshirō Hitsugaya to scramble for his hands.

At the same time, he also incorporated a skill called "Flying Blade" into his sword aura—an attack method that condenses Reiatsu into a physical blade, which is more dangerous and deadly than sword aura.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya tried his best to dodge and parry, but he was still nearly hit several times. A Flying Blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his face; another Flying Blade grazed his shoulder, cutting a gash in his Shihakusho. His situation was becoming increasingly dangerous, and he could be hit in a vital spot at any moment.

He knew that if he didn't unleash his true strength, defeat was inevitable.

"Bankai... Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"

With his roar, Hyōrinmaru's form changed once more. Huge ice wings stretched out from his back, as magnificent and spectacular as the wings of an angel. Countless ice crystals condensed around him, forming ice barriers. His body was covered in ice, and he seemed to have turned into an ice sculpture.

The incoming blades and Flying Blade struck the ice wings and ice walls with crisp clanging sounds, but they couldn't harm him in the slightest.

Liu Ziyun saw Tōshirō Hitsugaya use Bankai, his eyes showed even more approval. However, he did not intensify his attack because of this; instead, he slowed down the pace of his attacks. He began to adopt a hit-and-run style, no longer attacking fiercely as before, but slowly entangled with Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya quickly noticed this change. He discovered that after he Bankai, Liu Ziyun was no longer as aggressive as before, but instead began to circle around him. No matter how he attacked, Liu Ziyun could easily dodge; no matter how he tried to close the distance, Liu Ziyun could retreat in time.

He realized— Liu Ziyun was stalling for time.

While Bankai is powerful, it also consumes a tremendous amount of Reiatsu. In his current state, Daiguren Hyōrinmaru can only be maintained for a very limited time. Once the Reiatsu is exhausted, Bankai will automatically deactivate, at which point he will become a helpless prey.

Having figured this out, Tōshirō Hitsugaya began to feel anxious. He knew he had to end the battle within the time his Bankai could still be maintained, or he would surely be defeated. He began to attack more fiercely and pursue more relentlessly, trying to find an opening in Liu Ziyun.

However, the more impatient he became, the more mistakes he made. Although his attacks were fierce, they also created more and more openings. Liu Ziyun keenly seized these weaknesses, leaving new wounds on him time and time again. In the flash of the blade, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's Shihakusho was cut open, and bloody marks appeared on his skin.

But he gritted his teeth and refused to give up. He knew this was a trial, a trial he had to pass. If he couldn't even get past this, how would he face even stronger enemies in the future? How would he protect everything he wanted to protect?

Time continued to pass. Cracks began to appear on the ice wings behind Tōshirō Hitsugaya, a sign that his Bankai was about to be released. The form of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru became increasingly unstable, the ice layers began to peel off, and the ice crystals began to dissipate.

Just as the ice flowers were about to wither completely, Liu Ziyun suddenly spoke up, "Shiro-chan, don't release your Bankai, try to increase your Reiatsu."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, "My Bankai isn't mature enough yet, it's almost at its limit..."

"It's alright," Liu Ziyun interrupted him, her tone encouraging. "Keep trying to increase your Reiatsu; don't give up."

After saying that, he swung his sword again and attacked Tōshirō Hitsugaya. This time, his attack was no longer a flanking maneuver, but a direct assault, forcing Tōshirō Hitsugaya to fight with all his might.

Although Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't understand why, he still followed Liu Ziyun's advice. He gritted his teeth and desperately tried to activate the remaining Reiatsu within his body, attempting to make it surge again.

This was an almost insane attempt—his Reiatsu was clearly almost depleted, Bankai was clearly about to be released, yet Liu Ziyun made him continue to increase his Reiatsu; this was simply pushing the limits.

But he had no choice. He could only trust Liu Ziyun and give it his all.

He frantically channeled the Reiatsu within his body, as if trying to draw another bucket of water from a dried-up well. Painful, arduous, almost impossible—but he did not give up.

Liu Ziyun continued to fight him, slashing and striking with his sword. Tōshirō Hitsugaya's wounds multiplied, but the light in his eyes grew brighter. He sensed it—at the limit of his Reiatsu, on the verge of physical collapse, something was stirring, trying to break free.

Finally, at the very moment when all the ice flowers withered, an extremely powerful Reiatsu suddenly erupted from his body!

That Reiatsu was stronger than ever before, surging out like a volcanic eruption, causing the entire training room to tremble. But that Reiatsu was only fleeting, quickly dissipating into the air.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya exhausted his last bit of strength and collapsed to the ground, his Bankai automatically deactivated, and Hyōrinmaru returned to normal.