A Rise in Power

The woman looked at him, a faint smile appearing on her lips. That smile carried a hint of tenderness, a touch of doting affection, and a captivating allure.

"Alright, go now." She raised her hand and waved gently at Liu Ziyun. The movement was elegant and composed, as if shooing away a mischievous kitten, or bidding farewell to a friend on a long journey.

A gentle force surged from her palm, enveloping Liu Ziyun. The force was warm and comforting, like a mother's embrace, like the spring sunshine. Liu Ziyun's body slowly rose within that force, and the scene before him began to blur. The volcano, the Giant Egg, the woman—everything began to dissipate, turning into chaos.

"Wait—" He tried to say something, but his voice was swallowed up by that force.

His consciousness began to sink, sinking into boundless darkness, sinking into endless void. He felt himself falling, falling, falling—as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss, as if he were falling into eternal darkness.

Then, he opened his eyes.

Muken, dark blue light entered his eyes, cold yet gentle, casting dark shadows on the stone walls of the Muken. He lay on the ground, the ground cold and black, covered with a warm coat—it was Isane Kotetsu's coat, still retaining her faint warmth and familiar scent.

Retsu Unohana knelt beside him, her hands hovering above his body. The Kaidō light flowed in her palms, warm and gentle, like the warm sun of spring. That light seeped into his body, into his meridians, into his soul, soothing the remaining fatigue and pain within him little by little.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai stood not far away, his hands resting on Ryūjin Jakka, like an ancient statue. His aged eyes looked at Liu Ziyun, filled with solemnity and concern.

Isane Kotetsu stood behind Retsu Unohana, her hands clenched tightly in front of her chest, her knuckles turning white from the force. Her eyes were filled with worry and anxiety, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she were praying softly.

Seeing Liu Ziyun open his eyes, Isane Kotetsu's eyes lit up. She quickly walked to his side, squatted down, and stared intently at him with her large eyes, as if to confirm that he was really awake and not just a hallucination.

"Your Reiatsu had almost disappeared!" Her voice was filled with urgency, lingering fear, and a barely suppressed sob. "What happened?"

Liu Ziyun slowly sat up and stretched his somewhat stiff body. He looked down at the Life-Taker Tulu in his hand—the blade trembled gently in his hand, the Reiatsu on the blade was steady and deep, no different from when he used it before.

But he knew something was different. The knife was no longer the two knives he knew; the woman inside the egg was their true owner, and he was merely a borrower.

He paused for a moment, sorting through the jumbled thoughts in his mind, then slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and low. "Perhaps it's because there's someone else in my Inner World."

He paused, then continued, "She said that my Zanpakuto was her sword. With her awakening, the power of my Zanpakuto gradually returned to her. The reason I was able to use it before was because she lent me her power. With this Bankai, the power she could lend me has reached its limit."

His gaze deepened, as if he were recalling something. "Because she's only in the initial stages of awakening and can't move freely yet, she needs my power. So I transferred my power to her. There was indeed a moment in between when I felt as if my power was suddenly drained—that's probably why my Reiatsu dropped instantly."

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's brow furrowed slightly, a thoughtful glint in his aged eyes. His fingers tapped lightly on the hilt of the Ryūjin Jakka sword, the rhythmic sound echoing in the Muken, empty space.

"So what's your situation now?" His voice was deep and powerful, each word carrying a thousand years of authority.

Liu Ziyun a bitter laugh, a laugh filled with helplessness, self-mockery, and a hint of inexplicable loss. "Right now, she can lend me some power, allowing me to use my Zanpakuto temporarily. I can't use Bankai— " He sighed deeply, "I wonder how much my power has diminished. It seems I'm useless."

Retsu Unohana withdrew the light from her Kaidō, her gentle eyes fixed on Liu Ziyun, a hint of contemplation and doubt flashing within them. Her lips parted slightly, and she uttered words that surprised everyone:

"But—although your Reiatsu has decreased, its quality seems to have increased significantly."

Liu Ziyun was stunned for a moment. His eyes widened slightly, a hint of confusion and contemplation flashing in them. He closed his eyes and felt the Reiatsu within his body—the power was indeed much weaker than before, like a great river turning into a stream, like a high mountain turning into a hill.

But at the same time, he could also feel that the texture of that power was completely different from before. It was more solid, more pure, and more profound—like a piece of steel that had been repeatedly forged, with impurities removed and the essence left behind.

He opened his eyes, a flicker of realization crossing them. He looked down at the Life-Taker Tulu in his hand; the blade trembled slightly, as if in response to his thoughts.

"Quality has improved..." he murmured to himself, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "So that's how it is. What we lost was quantity, but what we gained was quality. It's like a blessing in disguise?"

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at him, a hint of relief and approval flashing in his aged eyes. He nodded slowly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Liu Ziyun," his voice was deep and powerful, "You still have a long way to go. Don't give up because of temporary gains or losses."

Liu Ziyun raised his head, looking at the old man who had protected the Soul Society for a thousand years, a hint of gratitude and determination flashing in his eyes. He slowly nodded, his voice calm yet firm. "I know, old man. I won't give up."