Helping Ichigo Train (1)

The Hollowfication Ichigo Kurosaki stomped his feet on the ground, instantly springing up from his seated position and transforming into a blur as he lunged at Liu Ziyun. The Zanpakuto in his hand gleamed coldly in the moonlight, slashing down with a sharp whooshing sound.

Liu Ziyun was prepared and deftly dodged the knife with a sidestep. The blade grazed his clothes, leaving a deep groove in the ground.

Just as Ichigo Kurosaki's body swept past him, Liu Ziyun out and grabbed the Hollow Mask on his face, gripping the edge of the mask tightly with his five fingers. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, he slammed Ichigo's entire body hard into the ground.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, a shallow crater was smashed into the ground, sending debris flying everywhere. Ichigo Kurosaki let out a low growl and swung his sword horizontally, the blade sweeping towards Liu Ziyun's waist with a sharp gust of wind.

Liu Ziyun remained calm and raised his left arm—his left arm was now covered with a Wristguards formed from his Zanpakuto, the Wristguards being entirely black and gleaming with a metallic sheen. The blade struck the Wristguards, sending sparks flying and producing a piercing metallic clang.

However, the Hollowfication Ichigo Kurosaki did not stop there. The instant Liu Ziyun blocked the horizontal slash, his other hand transformed into a hand blade, piercing straight towards Liu Ziyun's chest with a whooshing sound. This attack was both fast and ruthless; if it hit, it would likely pierce through him.

A hint of approval flashed in Liu Ziyun's eyes, but his actions were without the slightest hesitation. He flicked the Zanpakuto with force, and at the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning, accurately grabbing Ichigo Kurosaki's wrist as he thrust it forward. Then, he used his waist to generate power, spinning half a circle, and using the momentum of the spin to lift Ichigo Kurosaki up and slam him hard into the ground again.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three violent impacts slammed the ground, creating deep craters. During one of the impacts, the Zanpakuto in the Hollowfication Ichigo Kurosaki's hand flew out, spun a few times in the air, and then clattered into a distant wall. His Hollow mask also cracked from the repeated impacts, fragments falling away.

Liu Ziyun gave him no chance to catch his breath, flicking his wrist and sending Ichigo Kurosaki flying. Ichigo Kurosaki's body tumbled several times in the air before crashing heavily into the Barrier wall with a dull thud.

Ichigo Kurosaki, who had been thrown out, slowly stood up. He raised one hand and made a Zanpakuto in the distance. As if summoned, the Zanpakuto stuck in the wall was suddenly pulled out of the wall, drew an arc in the air, and flew steadily back into his hand.

At the same time, the shattered mask on his face began to repair itself at a visible speed. White substance flowed out from the cracks, gluing the broken parts back together, and in the blink of an eye, it was restored to its original state.

High-Speed Regeneration.

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped his Zanpakuto, a violent glint flashing in his eyes. He swung the sword violently, and a huge blue crescent moon roared out from the blade, hurtling towards Liu Ziyun with earth-shattering force. Wherever the crescent moon passed, the air was torn apart, producing a sharp whistling sound.

Liu Ziyun watched the approaching crescent moon without dodging or avoiding it. He simply raised his right hand, his five fingers forming a blade, and slashed down fiercely. The moment his palm collided with the crescent moon, a dazzling blue light burst forth. The seemingly unstoppable crescent moon was actually shattered by his bare hand, turning into countless points of light that dissipated into the air.

However, this was just a feint by the Hollowfication Ichigo Kurosaki. The moment the crescent moon was shattered, his figure vanished from the spot and reappeared behind Liu Ziyun in the next instant, his Zanpakuto slashing down with a sharp gust of wind.

Liu Ziyun didn't turn around; he simply raised his left arm and used his Wristguards to steadily block the attack. The blade collided with the Wristguards, sparks flying. At the same time, Ichigo Kurosaki's other hand transformed into a hand chop, aiming straight for Liu Ziyun's back.

Liu Ziyun's lips curled up slightly, and he used the same trick again—he grabbed Ichigo Kurosaki's wrist as he thrust it out, and with a burst of strength from his waist, he swung him up again and slammed him hard into the ground.

"Bang!"

Another deafening crash echoed, creating another deep crater in the ground. Ichigo Kurosaki bounced off the ground and rolled several meters away. Several more pieces of his Hollow Mask shattered, but they were quickly repaired.

This time, the Hollowfication Ichigo Kurosaki didn't rush forward recklessly. He knelt on the ground, panting heavily, his eyes flashing with a crazed light. He seemed to realize that he was no match for Liu Ziyun in close combat, so he changed his strategy and began to unleash crescent slashes from a distance.

Blue crescent moons rained down like a storm, attacking Liu Ziyun from all angles. Liu Ziyun dodged and weaved through the crescent moons, his figure as elusive as a ghost. He avoided what he could, and smashed what he couldn't. His movements were fluid and graceful, like an elegant dance, seemingly effortless, but in reality, every second he walked the line between life and death.

Just then, a change occurred in Ichigo Kurosaki's chest. A dark void emerged from the center of his chest, slowly expanding until it formed a Hollow Hole running from front to back. It was the hallmark of a Hollow, the core of Hollow Power.

As the Hollow Hole appeared, Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu began to surge. That Reiatsu erupted like a volcanic eruption, causing the entire training ground to tremble.

The Zanpakuto in his hand was also enveloped by a black Reiatsu. The blue light on the blade was swallowed by the black, and its form was changing—from the Shikai Zangetsu to the Bankai Tensa Zangetsu. The blade became longer and darker, exuding a chilling aura.

Liu Ziyun watched this scene, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He recalled a scene he had witnessed somewhere before, the fierce battle between the orange-haired boy and the blue beast, and the dark power that seemed to devour everything. He muttered to himself, "Oh, the real battle has begun. I wonder how it will end..."

Having achieved both Hollowfication and Bankai, Ichigo Kurosaki's strength has undergone a qualitative leap. His speed is so fast that it is almost impossible for the naked eye to catch, and each movement leaves an afterimage in his wake.

The crescent moons he slashed were no longer a single blue, but had turned into a more solid and dangerous black. Those black crescent moons seemed to have a life of their own, swirling and dancing in the air, attacking Liu Ziyun simultaneously from all angles.

Liu Ziyun finally dropped his relaxed expression, drawing his Zanpakuto — Life-Taker and Tulu— into his hands simultaneously. He weaved through the onslaught of the black crescent moons, shattering them with each swing of his blades. The flashing blades and sparks sent the entire training ground trembling slightly from the intense battle.

Ichigo Kurosaki unleashed a strike, transforming into several black crescent moons that attacked Liu Ziyun from the front, while his true body silently vanished from its original spot, circling behind Liu Ziyun to prepare for a fatal blow.

A slight smile appeared on Liu Ziyun's lips. He didn't turn around, but simply raised his left hand and whispered, "Bakudo #81, Dankū."

A transparent defensive barrier instantly formed behind him, blocking Ichigo Kurosaki's sneak attack. At the same time, he whirled around, his right hand wielding the Tulu slashing out with a sharp gust of wind, striking Ichigo Kurosaki and leaving a deep wound. Immediately afterward, he kicked Ichigo Kurosaki away.

Ichigo Kurosaki's body tumbled through the air several times before crashing heavily against the Barrier wall. His sword wounds began to heal at a visible speed, with a white substance oozing from the wounds and reconnecting the severed muscles and skin.

Liu Ziyun didn't give him time to fully recover, raising his hand to unleash a Kidō: "Hadō #31, Shakkahō."

A crimson fireball shot from his palm, carrying the Heat as it hurtled towards Ichigo Kurosaki. The fireball collided with Ichigo Kurosaki.

The shockwave from the explosion blasted half of Ichigo Kurosaki's body into a bloody mess, sending him flying again before he crashed heavily to the ground. He lay there, half of his body mangled beyond recognition, a gruesome sight of white Hollowfication matter mixed with red flesh and blood.

However, even such severe injuries could not stop his regeneration.

As Ichigo Kurosaki lay on the ground, large amounts of white Hollowfication matter began to emerge from the blasted-away half of his body. This matter, as if alive, rapidly filled the gaps, reconnecting broken bones and muscles. Then, the white matter coalesced into a gigantic monster with a massive maw, charging towards Liu Ziyun with its gaping jaws wide open.

Liu Ziyun frowned slightly, raised his hand, and fired another Shakkahō, which accurately struck the giant-mouthed monster. The fireball exploded, shattering the monster into pieces, with white fragments flying everywhere.

As the dust settled, Ichigo Kurosaki reappeared. Half of his body had completely Hollowfication —not just Hollowfication, but entirely. His arm was thick and menacing, with claw-like fingers and a white, keratinous skin that exuded a chilling aura.