Crisis in the Inner World

Liu Ziyun's gaze fell on the two Zanpakuto stuck beside the egg— Life-Taker and Tulu, the two swords that had been with him for nearly two hundred years, the two swords that he knew as well as his own arms.

At this moment, they stood there silently, without any Reiatsu or signs of life, as if they were just two ordinary, cold iron tools.

"So what's your name?" His voice held a mixture of probing and expectation. "Can you tell me?"

A soft chuckle emanated from the Giant Egg again, a chuckle tinged with amusement, mockery, and an unfathomable depth. "My name? Telling you wouldn't hurt. But—" She paused, a hint of coldness creeping into her voice, "You're not yet qualified to know my name."

Liu Ziyun paused for a moment, then gave a bitter laugh. He lowered his head, looking at his hands, at the knife he had once held, at the blood that had stained them. A trace of helplessness, a trace of self-mockery, and a deep, almost pitying sigh flashed in his eyes.

"Um..." His voice held a hint of embarrassment and helplessness, "What qualifications do I need to know your name?"

The voice from within the Giant Egg grew serious, carrying a hint of solemnity and an undeniable authority. "At the very least, you need to—release me from here."

Liu Ziyun's gaze fell on the two Zanpakuto stuck beside the egg, then on the Giant Egg itself, looking at the intricate patterns on its shell, at the golden dragon and the red phoenix.

His mind raced, piecing together all the clues— the Zanpakuto had used all its power to seal her here; the Zanpakuto was her blade, and everything the Zanpakuto did was both a seal and a nourishment.

Her power has not yet reached its limit, so she cannot leave the seal. She needs his power to nourish her and allow her to grow rapidly.

"Those two knives," the Giant Egg's voice continued, tinged with a mixture of emotion and helplessness, "Used all their power to seal me here. But—they are ultimately just my knives, and also a part of me. Everything they did was both a seal and nourishment."

She paused, then continued, "I cannot leave this seal until my power reaches its limit. So—you need to nourish me with your power so I can grow quickly."

Liu Ziyun looked down at his hands, which were pressed against the eggshell, feeling his Reiatsu continuously seeping into the Giant Egg. A look of realization, a hint of understanding, and a deep, almost compassionate helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"Like I am now," his voice was calm and direct, "Continuously channeling my power into this egg?"

"Yes." The voice from within the Giant Egg carried a hint of approval and satisfaction. "Before I fully mature, I can use your power to create an avatar to reside within your heart. This is to prevent—the emptiness within your heart from being filled with nothingness, causing your power to run rampant."

Liu Ziyun frowned, a hint of confusion and unease flashing in his eyes. "How could it go berserk? Weren't you here the whole time?"

A sigh came from the Giant Egg, a sigh tinged with helplessness, heartache, and a tenderness that moved people. "My existence cannot fill the emptiness in your heart."

Before, it was my blade that filled the void in your heart. Now, they have transformed all their power into a seal protecting me—the moment they vanished, your heart began to crumble."

She paused, then continued, "It's just that you didn't use your power much, so you didn't notice anything unusual. This time, you used Bankai to fight Aizen, which accelerated your mental collapse."

Because—power needs the heart to guide it, and the heart needs power to protect it. You gave your heart to my sword; when they disappear, your heart disappears with them.

Liu Ziyun's body trembled slightly. A hint of shock, a hint of realization, and a deep, almost fearful unease flashed in his eyes.

He recalled the feeling during those battles—the feeling of power spiraling out of control, the feeling of reason being devoured by instinct, the feeling as if something was tearing, struggling, and the Roar inside him.

He had always thought it was because his Bankai incomplete, because his Zanpakuto hadn't fully accepted him. But now he knew—it wasn't because his Bankai incomplete, but because his heart was empty.

"So your heart is empty now." The voice from the Giant Egg carried a hint of heartache and helplessness, "You just haven't realized it, and you're still relying on those two knives. But as you can see, they've turned into ordinary iron, standing on my left and right sides. They can no longer bear your heart."

Liu Ziyun silent for a long time. His gaze fell on the two Zanpakuto stuck beside the eggs, watching them gleam coldly in the eerie blue light, watching their blades that showed no Reiatsu, no signs of life.

A trace of sadness, a trace of nostalgia, and a deep, almost resigned helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"So now you're going to use an avatar to oversee my Inner World," his voice was hoarse and deep, "To guide my power? Why don't you do it yourself?"

A disdainful snort came from within the Giant Egg, a voice tinged with arrogance, willfulness, and a stubbornness that was both amusing and exasperating. "Tch, why should I sit in the center of your heart? I can't be bothered with your petty affairs."

Liu Ziyun gave a wry smile, a smile full of helplessness and a hint of inexplicable tenderness, "Um... alright."

He said nothing more, but closed his eyes and focused even more intently on channeling his Reiatsu into the Giant Egg. The power surged from his palms like two invisible rivers, continuously flowing into that unknown ocean.

As he continued to input his Reiatsu, the patterns on the Giant Egg began to brighten. Those intricate totems, those mysterious symbols, that golden dragon, and that red phoenix—all shone with dazzling light under the nourishment of his Reiatsu.

The light was like the first ray of dawn before sunrise, like the first star in the darkness, shining exceptionally brightly in the dim light of the crater.

The eggshell began to become increasingly transparent as Reiatsu entered. The jet-black, metallic outer shell began to become translucent and crystalline under the penetration of Reiatsu, like a gem being slowly polished, gradually revealing the secrets hidden within.

Liu Ziyun's gaze pierced through the increasingly transparent eggshell and saw inside—a stunningly beautiful woman.

She lay quietly in the egg, curled up, her hands wrapped around her knees, like a fetus sleeping in the womb. Her skin was as white as snow and as delicate as porcelain, gleaming faintly in the deep blue light.

Her features were exquisite, like the most perfect work of heaven—her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like stars, her nose like a hanging gall, and her lips like cherries. Her hair was black, like the deepest night, draped over her shoulders, and shimmered with a faint glow in the light of Reiatsu.

She wore a magnificent robe, its color a deep purple, like the dawn sky or the deep sea.

The robe was embroidered with exquisite patterns—a golden dragon and a red phoenix, the dragon and phoenix swirling and intertwining on her robe, so lifelike that they seemed ready to fly off at any moment.

She wore a jade bracelet on her wrist, its entire surface a vibrant green, gleaming with a warm luster in the light of Reiatsu. A string of bells adorned her ankles, jingling softly within the egg.