Finding a Way to Control His Power

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the familiar sky outside, a thoughtful glint in his aged eyes.

"Alright." His voice was deep and powerful. "Then go to the Muken. I'll be watching you."

Muken —the deepest the Jail in Soul Society, holding the most dangerous criminals and sealing away the most evil powers. Its Reiatsu density is extremely high, and its spatial structure is incredibly unstable; it is a forbidden zone that ordinary people cannot set foot in.

But for a powerful figure like Liu Ziyun, that place is the most suitable place for cultivation—because there, no matter how rampant his power becomes, it will not affect the outside world.

Liu Ziyun nodded and was about to turn and leave when two figures walked in from outside the door: Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu.

Retsu Unohana's face still wore that gentle smile, but her eyes held an undeniable determination. Isane Kotetsu followed behind her, her face showing a hint of stubbornness and nervousness, but her gaze was equally firm.

"I'll wait here with Isane." Retsu Unohana's voice was gentle yet firm, each word as clear as a musical note dancing on a harp string.

Liu Ziyun frowned, his gaze lingering on Retsu Unohana's face for a moment before turning to Isane Kotetsu. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Isane Kotetsu spoke first.

"No," her voice held a hint of stubbornness and urgency, "We must go with them."

Liu Ziyun sighed, his sigh filled with helplessness, heartache, and a touch of indescribable emotion. He knew that Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu were worried about him, concerned for him, and wanted to be by his side during his most dangerous time.

"That won't be necessary—" Before he could finish speaking, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai.

"Let them come along." A gentle light flashed in the Captain-Commander's aged eyes. "Captain Unohana's strength is beyond question. With Captain Unohana and me here, Isane Kotetsu won't have any problems."

Liu Ziyun remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. He didn't refuse again, because he knew it would be useless. Retsu Unohana made a decision, no one could change it.

The group walked through the long corridors of the Seireitei, past the familiar barracks and training grounds, and through that heavy gate to the entrance to the Muken. It was a gate formed from Reiatsu, with complex sealing patterns on its surface, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai raised his hand and placed his palm on the door. Golden Reiatsu surged from his palm, seeping into the sealing patterns, and streaks of light lit up. Then—the door slowly opened.

Behind the door was a staircase leading downwards, flanked by black walls, also covered with sealing patterns that gleamed eerily in the dim light. An ancient and heavy aura permeated the air—the aura of time, the aura of sealing, the whispers of countless imprisoned souls in the darkness.

The group descended the stairs, each step making a dull thud that echoed through the silent passage, gradually fading into the distance as if swallowed by endless darkness.

After walking for a long time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead. The light was neither sunlight nor lamplight, but a glow condensed from Reiatsu, a deep blue and cold, like moonlight shining on snow.

At the end of the stairs was a vast space. The space was surrounded by smooth stone walls, covered with dense, layered sealing patterns that formed a massive and complex sealing array. In the center of the space was a flat, empty area with a black, metallic sheen, as if it had been compressed countless times by some force.

"What a wonderful place!" Liu Ziyun's voice echoed in the empty space, carrying a mix of emotion and admiration.

He walked to the center of the flat ground, stopped, and turned to face the group. Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu stood at the edge of the space, watching him quietly, their eyes filled with worry and expectation. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai stood beside them, his hands resting on Ryūjin Jakka, like an ancient statue, guarding this sealed land.

Liu Ziyun a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in darkness. Then, he opened his eyes, flicked his right hand, and the Life-Taker Tulu appeared in his palm. The blade of the knife gleamed faintly in the Muken blue light, and the dragon and phoenix on the blade were lifelike, as if they were sleeping, or as if they were waiting.

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

As he uttered his Spirit Speech, the form of the Life-Taker Tulu began to change. The blade became longer and more slender, the edge sharper, and exquisite patterns appeared on the hilt. The Tang Dao trembled gently in his hand, as if it had a life of its own, yearning for something.

Then, he sat down, placing the Life-Taker Tulu Blade across his lap, his hands gently resting on the blade. He closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into the depths of his heart, into a world that only he and his Zanpakuto could enter.

The Blade Zen has begun.

When Liu Ziyun opened his eyes, he found himself standing on unfamiliar land.

The sky was a hazy gray, devoid of sun and clouds, a perpetual, oppressive gray. The earth was black, scorched, as if burned by some enormous flame, barren and desolate. In the distance, several low hills rose, bare of any vegetation, only black rocks and gray sand.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur, the Heat and acrid, making one involuntarily hold their breath. Something was burning in the distance, the flames casting a dark red glow against the gray sky, like blood seeping from a wound.

Liu Ziyun's gaze swept across this unfamiliar land, searching for familiar figures— Life-Taker and Tulu, the two Zanpakuto spirits that had always accompanied him, the two beings he knew as well as his own arms.

But he couldn't find them.

He sensed their Reiatsu —those two powers he knew all too well, faintly emanating from the tallest volcano in the distance. But their Reiatsu was strange, so strange that it made him uneasy—their aura was very weak, so weak that it seemed as if it might dissipate at any moment, yet it was also very deep, as deep as a bottomless abyss.

Liu Ziyun strode towards the volcano. His footsteps left deep imprints on the scorched earth, each step making a dull thud. The closer he got to the volcano, the Heat the air became, the stronger the smell of sulfur grew, and the brighter the dark red halo in the distance became.

When he climbed to the top of the crater, the sight before him caused his pupils to contract sharply.

Inside the crater lies a Giant Egg.

The egg was astonishingly large, at least several meters in diameter, entirely black with a metallic sheen. Its surface was covered with intricate patterns, resembling some ancient totem, gleaming faintly in the dim light.