After the Battle, Heading to the Visored Base

At the Visored's base, Ichigo Kurosaki is having another round of practice battles with Hiyori Sarugaki.

His movements were smoother than before, and the time he could maintain his Hollowfication was longer. But he still couldn't fully control that power—whenever he tried to advance further in battle, an invisible barrier would always stand in his way, preventing him from breaking through.

Liu Ziyun stood at the edge of the Training Ground, watching quietly. He could see the problem with Ichigo Kurosaki —it wasn't a lack of strength or skill, but a deeper, more internal obstacle.

"Hirako," he asked in a low voice, "How long is Ichigo's Hollowfication duration now?"

Shinji Hirako leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his face still bearing that languid expression. But upon hearing the question, his expression turned serious. "It was eleven seconds before the battle with the Arrancar. After that battle, it increased by two seconds. However, it seems he hasn't found the right method yet; his progress is slower than we expected."

Liu Ziyun nodded, his gaze returning to Ichigo Kurosaki was still fighting. "He's been unable to confront his instincts, so he's been suppressing his power. He's not like you..."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts. "Your situation is that you obtained the power of the Hollow from the outside. That power is foreign to you, and what you need to do is use your own Soul Reaper Power to wield and control it. But he is different. His Hollow Power is innate, an inseparable part of his soul."

Shinji Hirako nodded thoughtfully, signaling him to continue.

"If the Quincy power within him hadn't suppressed his Soul Reaper Power back then," Liu Ziyun's gaze became distant, as if looking at a distant future that only existed as a possibility, "He might have been able to perfectly control his power through normal training from the moment he obtained it. But reality isn't 'ifs'... His Soul Reaper Power suppressed his Quincy Soul Reaper Power, and because he couldn't accurately determine the source of his power, his Soul Reaper Power began to lean towards Hollowfication, using this method to escape the suppression of the Quincy power and protect his physical body."

His voice deepened. "But because he feared becoming Hollowfication, he consistently rejected this power. What he didn't know was that this power shared the same origin as his Soul Reaper Power. Since he rejected this power, he naturally couldn't control his Soul Reaper Power, much less the Hollow Power that shared the same origin."

Shinji Hirako was silent for a moment, digesting Liu Ziyun's words. Then he asked, "Then what should he do to develop his own power?"

Liu Ziyun didn't answer directly. He looked at the sweat-drenched figure in the Training Ground, at the boy who repeatedly attempted to Hollowfication, struggling on the edge of his limits, and slowly said, "Stop them."

Shinji Hirako nodded and raised his voice, "Alright, everyone stop!"

Ichigo Kurosaki and Hiyori Sarugaki stopped simultaneously. Ichigo Kurosaki was panting heavily, sweat dripping down his face, his Shihakusho completely soaked. Hiyori Sarugaki, on the other hand, was only slightly out of breath, clearly indicating that this level of training was nothing to her.

The two walked up to Liu Ziyun. As soon as Hiyori Sarugaki saw Liu Ziyun, she immediately put on a disgusted expression. "Yo, bald guy, you're here. What are you up to this time? Are you here to cause us trouble again?"

Liu Ziyun looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, "You immature little washboard, go wash up and go to bed. Don't worry about adult things, kid."

Upon hearing this, Hiyori Sarugaki's expression instantly changed. Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed red with anger, and she looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her fur standing on end.

"You bald bastard..." She suddenly drew her Zanpakuto and charged at Liu Ziyun with a suicidal ferocity, "I'll kill you!!"

Liu Ziyun calmly raised his hand and accurately pressed down on Hiyori Sarugaki's head. Her arm wasn't long enough; the tip of the Zanpakuto was still an inch away from Liu Ziyun's chest, but it couldn't go any further. She frantically waved her arm, like a kitten being lifted up, baring her teeth and claws but posing no threat whatsoever.

"Alright, alright, Lord Hiyori," Liu Ziyun's voice carried a hint of amusement, "We have important business to attend to, stop fooling around. Once we've finished, you can chop for as long as you want, okay?"

Shinji Hirako walked over, grabbed Hiyori Sarugaki's shoulder from behind, and pulled her away from Liu Ziyun. His face wore that ever-unpredictable smile, but his tone was surprisingly serious. "Alright, Hiyori, stop fooling around. I'll help you chop him up later, I promise you'll get your fill."

Hiyori Sarugaki struggled a few times, but finding she couldn't break free, she could only glare hatefully at Liu Ziyun and grit her teeth, saying, "Baldy, you wait! When you're done with your work, I'll go tell Isane that you harassed me!"

Liu Ziyun's smile froze on his face. He stared wide-eyed at Hiyori Sarugaki with an incredulous expression, then turned to Shinji Hirako, his voice tinged with despair. "Hirako, who did she learn this from? With her appearance... what about her is there that I would want to molest?"

Upon hearing this, Hiyori Sarugaki exploded like a powder keg. Her face flushed crimson, her lips trembled with rage, and she pointed at Liu Ziyun, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, but she was too angry to utter a single word. After a long pause, she finally managed to squeeze out through gritted teeth, "You... you just wait!"

After saying that, she turned around abruptly and was about to run outside—to find Isane Kotetsu, to find anyone who could deal with Liu Ziyun, to complain, and to vent her anger.

But before she could take a step, Liu Ziyun's voice rang out behind her. "Bakudō #61, Six Rods Prison of Light."

Six beams of light appeared out of thin air, precisely locking onto Hiyori Sarugaki's waist and limbs, freezing her in place. Her body remained in a running posture, but could no longer move forward an inch.