The Inner World's New Master

Liu Ziyun looked at the woman and his mind was suddenly shaken.

His eyes widened, his pupils slightly contracted, his lips trembled slightly, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. Countless images flashed through his mind—images he thought were just dreams, images he repeatedly recalled in the dead of night, images he had always thought were illusions and impossible.

It's her.

It's her.

He had seen her countless times in his dreams—in those blurry, fragmented dreams, in those dreams where only a faint afterimage remained upon waking, in those dreams he thought were his own imagination, his own desires, his own illusions.

Each time, she wore that magnificent robe, with dragons and phoenixes coiled around her. Her face was blurry and distant, but her presence was so strong that it could not be ignored.

"Alright," the gentle female voice came from the egg, "Have you seen enough? Don't think that just because I'm lying here, I can't feel anything!"

Liu Ziyun snapped out of his daze, his face flushing slightly as he awkwardly looked away. But then another question came to mind, a question that had been puzzling him for a long time.

"You didn't say anything either," his voice held a mixture of curiosity and confusion, "What did you mean?"

The woman inside the egg chuckled lightly, her tone dismissive, "How come you don't even know this?" "Tch, you still need to ask something so simple? Don't you know—sound travels through vibrations? As long as I vibrate the nearby Reishi with my Reiatsu, I can produce sound."

Liu Ziyun paused for a moment, then slapped his forehead in sudden realization. A hint of admiration, a hint of praise, and a touch of regret—"Why didn't I think of that?"—flashed in his eyes.

"Wow," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of admiration and awe, "You can do that? I've learned something new, another trick for showing off."

The woman inside the egg chuckled softly at his words. Her laughter was clear and melodious, like the tinkling of a mountain spring or the gentle ringing of a wind chime, echoing in the crater and adding a touch of joy to the air.

"Leave." Her voice held a mix of urging, reluctance, and a heartbreaking helplessness. "Your power is abundant, but its quality isn't enough for me to extract. Continuing to input it like this is just a waste."

As soon as the words were spoken, a stream of energy separated from the Giant Egg. The energy was like an invisible thread, drawn out of the eggshell, condensing, taking shape, and changing in the void. Gradually, the energy transformed into a human figure—a woman exactly like the woman inside the egg, who slowly walked out of the void.

Her figure was light and graceful, each step seemingly treading on thin air, creating ripples of Reiatsu beneath her feet. Her face was exactly the same as the woman inside the egg, but her eyes were more lively, more vibrant, and more full of life.

She wore the same magnificent robe, with dragons and phoenixes coiled around her, and her long hair swayed gently in the wind, radiating a faint glow.

She walked up to Liu Ziyun, stopped, and looked down at him. Her eyes, like two bright stars, shimmered with a mysterious light in the dim light of the crater.

"Alright," her voice held a hint of solemnity and a touch of admonition, "From now on, I will be the one to oversee your inner world. When you've matured enough, you won't need me to oversee it anymore."

Liu Ziyun looked at her, a trace of gratitude, a trace of warmth, and a deep, almost dependent emotion flashing in his eyes. He knew that this clone would fill the emptiness in his heart, guide his power, and protect him in his most dangerous moments. She was his guardian, his guide, and the lighthouse of his Inner World.

"You are the guardian of my heart," his voice tinged with worry and urgency, "How will I use my Life-Taker and Tulu in the future? They are still there—"

He didn't finish his sentence because the woman had already moved.

She raised her hand and gently waved it at the two Zanpakuto inserted beside the egg. The movement was elegant and composed, like a conductor waving a baton, like a dancer waving her flowing sleeves.

The Life-Taker and the Tulu began to tremble the moment she waved her hand. The two swords emitted a deep hum, a sound like an ancient call, like a slumbering soul awakening. Then, they flew up simultaneously, spinning, intertwining, and merging in the air—transforming into a brand new Zanpakuto.

Life-Taker Tulu.

The knife flew into the woman's hand, and the moment it touched her palm, a dazzling light suddenly burst forth from its blade. The light was so brilliant and dazzling, as blinding as the sun, that it was impossible to look directly at it.

In the light, the dragons and phoenixes on the blade came to life—the dragons roamed the blade, the phoenixes flew over it, they intertwined, entwined, and circled, leaving behind exquisite patterns on the blade.

As the light faded, the Life-Taker Tulu regained its former luster. The Reiatsu emanating from the blade was powerful and profound, like a bottomless abyss, like an endless starry sky. The blade trembled gently in the woman's hand, as if singing, as if celebrating its reunion with its master.

The woman looked down at the knife in her hand, a hint of tenderness, a touch of nostalgia, and a deep, almost maternal love flashing in her eyes. Then, she casually tossed the knife to Liu Ziyun, as if discarding something worthless rather than a divine weapon capable of changing one's destiny.

Liu Ziyun hurriedly caught the Life-Taker Tulu. The blade trembled slightly in his hand, and the familiar power emanating from it brought him an inexplicable sense of security.

"You'll continue using this sword from now on," the woman's voice held a hint of admonition and warning, "But—it will be impossible for you to use Bankai in the future."

Liu Ziyun frowned, a hint of confusion and unease flashing in his eyes. "Why?"

The woman looked at him, a hint of helplessness, a touch of heartache, and a sigh of "Why don't you understand?" flashing in her star-like eyes. "Because I won't lend you power for your Bankai. I lent it to you this time because you needed power to fight Aizen —it won't happen again."

Liu Ziyun his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to utter a word. A bitter smile appeared on his face, a smile full of helplessness, self-mockery, and an inexplicable sense of loss.

"Forehead..."

His voice echoed in the crater, tinged with embarrassment, helplessness, and a hint of resignation, as if to say, "Fine, I give up."