Training for Complete Shikai (III)

In the Real World, Underground Training Ground.

Liu Ziyun opened his eyes and coughed violently. He found himself lying on the ground, with no wounds on his body, but every cell in his body was screaming.

It wasn't physical pain, but a stinging pain at the level of the soul. It felt as if countless fine needles were piercing his soul simultaneously, the pain penetrating deep into his bones, yet impossible to pinpoint precisely. He tried to move his fingers, only to find that even such a simple movement caused a sharp pain.

"Ugh..." Liu Ziyun gritted his teeth and struggled to sit up.

Looking around, the Time Recorder in the Training Ground showed that he had been lying there for one day and seven hours. This meant that the arduous battle he had experienced in his Inner World had only taken less than two days in the Real World.

"Is this the aftereffect of Complete Shikai..." Liu Ziyun smiled bitterly, trying to mobilize his Reiatsu to relieve the pain, but found that the Reiatsu was running wild in his body and was completely uncontrollable.

He could only endure the excruciating pain and incline step by step toward the exit. Each step felt like walking on a knife's edge. By the time he reached the ground, he was drenched in sweat and his face was as pale as paper.

On his way back to the dormitory, Liu Ziyun encountered several members of the Fourth Division. They were surprised to see the usually composed Fifth Seat struggling to walk while holding onto the wall. They wanted to help him, but he waved them off.

"It's nothing... just overexertion during cultivation..." Liu Ziyun forced a smile, "I just need a rest."

He locked himself in his room and tried to use the Kaidō healing technique. However, the Kaidō had limited effect on damage to the soul level, especially this kind of "Reiatsu Backlash" caused by the power going berserk, which was even more difficult to cure.

For the next three days, Liu Ziyun almost unable to get out of bed. The pain fluctuated in intensity, and at its worst, he even had difficulty breathing. On the fourth day, the pain lessened slightly, but this was followed by extreme weakness—his Reiatsu was almost completely depleted and needed time to slowly recover.

On the seventh day, Tazawa Kentarō knocked on his door.

"Liu Ziyun? You haven't been to the team for a week. Captain Unohana sent me to check on you." The Fifth Seat of the Fourth Division walked in carrying a bowl of medicinal soup. Seeing Liu Ziyun's weak appearance, he was startled. "What happened to you...?"

"I've run into some problems with my cultivation." Liu Ziyun against the headboard, his voice hoarse. "I'm sorry for causing trouble for the team."

Tazawa shook his head. "There's nothing much going on with the medical team, you should get some rest. By the way, there have been some rumors Seireitei lately..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Muguruma Captain has implemented a series of reforms in the Ninth Division, which are said to have encountered considerable resistance. Some speculate that noble forces are behind this."

Liu Ziyun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Kensei... no, the Muguruma's side, the Fourth Division shouldn't interfere. But if the Ninth Division sends any wounded, treat them first."

"I understand." Ta Ze nodded, chatted for a few more minutes about the team's daily life, and then said goodbye and left.

The room fell silent again. Liu Ziyun at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts.

The power of his Complete Shikai far exceeded his expectations, but the cost was equally enormous. If the aftereffects could not be resolved, this power would be a double-edged sword in actual combat—harming himself before harming the enemy.

By the second week of recuperation, the pain had largely subsided, but his Reiatsu had only recovered to about 30% of its usual level. Liu Ziyun knew he couldn't just wait passively any longer.

He went to the Captain's Office and found Retsu Unohana.

"Captain, I'd like to ask you some questions about methods to improve physical fitness," Liu Ziyun bluntly. "Recently, I've developed serious aftereffects from training. Every time I use my full strength, I experience excruciating pain throughout my body, and my Reiatsu becomes disordered."

Unohana was organizing medical records when she heard this. She looked up and carefully examined him. "Hold out your hand."

Liu Ziyun reached out his hand as instructed. Unohana's fingertips gently rested on his wrist, and a gentle yet precise Reiatsu probed into his body. After a moment, she withdrew her hand, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Your Reiatsu... is very unstable. It's as if it has undergone intense compression and explosion, resulting in slight damage to your soul," Unohana pondered. "The pain you described is likely due to using Reiatsu to temper all the cells in your body, allowing your body to adapt to a higher intensity of Reiatsu. Using medication will alleviate the pain, but it won't achieve the tempering effect."

Liu Ziyun frowned. "Aren't they both about tempering the physical body? Why are the effects of medicinal tempering and Reiatsu tempering different?"

"They're fundamentally different." Unohana walked to the medicine cabinet and took out a porcelain bottle. "Medicinal tempering enhances the body's strength and resilience through external stimulation. Reiatsu tempering, on the other hand, allows the body to adapt to your Reiatsu characteristics from the inside out; it's a process of 'assimilation'."

She opened the porcelain bottle and poured out a few crimson pills. "These are 'Blood Soul Pills,' which can temporarily enhance physical strength and relieve pain. However, long-term use will damage the essence of your soul and shorten your lifespan. More importantly, it will interfere with the natural flow of Reiatsu, preventing you from ever truly mastering that high-intensity power."

Liu Ziyun stared at the pills in silence for a long time.

So... I have no choice but to tough it out?

"Cultivation is never about taking shortcuts." Unohana put away the medicine bottle, her tone unusually gentle. "Liu Ziyun, your growth rate is already very fast. But sometimes, haste makes waste. Proper rest and adjustment are also part of cultivation."

She paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "After all, I'm still waiting to see you build a harem. If you ruin yourself, the fun will be over."

Liu Ziyun was taken aback, then smiled wryly, "When that time comes, you will be the empress, and I am very much looking forward to it."

Unohana's face instantly turned cold. "Get lost, you annoying brat."

Liu Ziyun knew this was the captain's way of expressing concern, and he chuckled awkwardly as he left the Captain's Office. But in the instant he turned around, he saw a fleeting look of worry in Unohana's eyes.

Back in his dormitory, Liu Ziyun sat by the window, watching the Seireitei as night fell.

One by one, the lights illuminated the ancient city of Soul Reaper, making it appear as if a galaxy had been inverted. He could sense that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging. Aizen's schemes, Kisuke Urahara's research, Shinji Hirako's and others' promotions, and the forces hidden in the shadows...

"Time is running out," Liu Ziyun muttered to himself.

He closed his eyes and entered a shallow meditative state. The remaining Reiatsu within his body flowed slowly, repairing the damage to his soul. The pain was still there, but it was now bearable.

This trial made him realize that the power of the Complete Shikai was far more dangerous and powerful than he had imagined. The Complete Fusion of Life-Taker and Tulu was not merely the superposition of two Zanpakuto, but a qualitative change, a power that touched the Zanpakuto Origin.

To master this power, he must cross the abyss called "madness".

"Do your best... and leave the rest to fate?" Liu Ziyun opened his eyes, a resolute glint in his pupils. "No, what I want to control is not just power, but also destiny."

Outside the window, a new moon rose, its cool light spilling onto the Seireitei.

In the stillness of the night, Liu Ziyun made his decision: he would continue forward, no matter what lay ahead, whether it be a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, or an abyss. For he knew that in the near future, the Soul Society would face an unprecedented upheaval.

His Silent Blade must be honed to the point where it Fate Severing before the storm arrives.

The Life-Taker and Tulu, trembled slightly within its sheath, as if responding to its master's resolve.