Frustrated by Their Lack of Resolve

Liu Ziyun looked at them, the cynical smile on his face gradually disappearing. In its place was a complex expression—disappointment, helplessness, exhaustion, and a trace of... barely perceptible sadness.

He remained silent for a long time before finally sighing.

"Yes... I really didn't want to kill you." Liu Ziyun's voice became very soft, "If I really wanted to kill you, you would be dead already."

He raised his right hand, holding the Tulu across his chest, and then slowly recited another Release Phrase:

" To Existence Is to Change Fate."

The dark red light on the blade began to change, gradually transforming into a soft white-gold. The light was warm and holy, forming a stark contrast to the Killing aura of the previous Tulu.

"Life-Taker, Wound Severance."

Platinum light spread from the blade, turning into countless specks of light that drifted down onto the training ground like snowflakes. The specks of light landed on the seriously injured Shinji Hirako, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and Hiyori Sarugaki, as well as on others with minor injuries.

The Miracle happened.

Those deep, bone-revealing wounds began to heal at a visible speed. Broken bones rejoined, torn muscles regrowed, and lost blood returned to the body as if time had reversed. Even the severed Sakanade was restored to its original shape in a burst of light.

In less than ten seconds, all the injured people were fully recovered, and even their Reiatsu returned to its peak.

Having done all this, Liu Ziyun sheathed the Life-Taker sword and turned to look at the edge of the Barrier.

"Alright, Manager Urahara, dispel the Barrier." His voice carried a hint of weariness. "These guys resort to cheating when they can't win; there's no way to fight them."

Kisuke Urahara nodded, and together with Hachigen Ushōda and Tessai Tsukabishi, they dispelled the Barrier. The semi-transparent shield dissipated into the air, and the training ground returned to normal.

Hiyori Sarugaki got up from the ground, stretched her fully recovered body, and a complicated expression appeared on her face. She looked at Liu Ziyun, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn't say anything.

Shinji Hirako also stood up. He looked down at his unharmed body, then at the Sakanade in his hand that had been restored to its original state, and finally raised his head to look at Liu Ziyun.

"You didn't come here just to humiliate us, did you?" Shinji Hirako's voice was unusually calm. "Tell me, what exactly do you want?"

Liu Ziyun turned around to face him, her empty eyes "looking" at Shinji Hirako.

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Actually... I knew you would end up like this when I was at the Shin'ō Academy."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, resounding in everyone's hearts.

"How could that be?!" Shinji Hirako blurted out, "Then why didn't you tell us in the first place? We trusted you so much..."

"Shut up." Liu Ziyun interrupted him, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. "Let me finish. I'm here today to explain all of this to you."

Seeing that Shinji Hirako didn't interrupt, Liu Ziyun continued, "My Zanpakuto, 'Life-Taker,' is a sword capable of changing fate. So, during its first release, I saw... many things."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts. "I see the future of Soul Society, I see Aizen's conspiracy, I see your Hollowfication, I see Captain Urahara's escape... and I also see that behind all of this, there is an even greater threat, a catastrophe that will almost destroy the Three Worlds."

"So you chose to hide?" Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi asked, his voice filled with complex emotions. "You chose to watch everything happen instead of stopping it?"

"It's not that we don't want to stop it, but that we can't stop it." Liu Ziyun his head. "Because if we change these 'inevitable' events, many key subsequent points will disappear. The 'savior' who can save the Three Worlds might not be born, and the person who ultimately defeats the Major Boss might not appear."

He looked around at everyone present. "So all I can do is try to make sure things go according to the trajectory I see, and only at crucial moments save those who 'don't affect the overall situation.' Like you—although you experienced the pain of Hollowfication, at least you're still alive. In your original destiny, you should have already died."

These words silenced everyone.

They needed time to process this information—about fate, about the future, about everything Liu Ziyun had endured over the years.

"So, what's the purpose of your visit this time?" Shinji Hirako finally spoke, breaking the silence, "It can't just be to explain why you've distanced yourself from us, can it? Tell me, what else is your purpose?"

Liu Ziyun sighed, "This explanation is just to let you know the reason behind things. There are two main purposes: first, to see how much you've grown since you came to the World of the Living. To be honest, it's very disappointing. Look, I'm stuck in the Fourth Division every day, and all of you captains and Lieutenant combined aren't even a match for me."

These words were harsh, but no one could refute them. The battle just now had proven everything.

"My second purpose," Liu Ziyun continued, "Is to borrow your place and your people to help me conceal my Reiatsu. I need to train my Bankai here."

"Bankai?" Shinji Hirako was stunned. "You still can't Bankai?!"

"I've been focusing on developing my Shikai, so I haven't been training my Bankai," Liu Ziyun explained. "Even my secret training base in Soul Society can't completely conceal the Reiatsu I release when training my Bankai. To avoid being discovered by those with ulterior motives, I had no choice but to come here. And also to check on your progress... and well, you've seen the result."

He paused, then his tone suddenly became serious. "However, Hirako, what I said during the battle just now, though harsh, was the truth. Your abilities still have a lot of room for development."

He turned to Shinji Hirako: "Your Sakanade can only distort vision, so could you continue training and try to distort people's spiritual senses as well? To make enemies even misperceive Reiatsu?"

He then turned to Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi: "Rose, your ability is to deceive people with music, so could you train yourself to deceive with sight and touch? So that everything the enemy sees, hears, and feels is fake?"

He looked around at everyone. "And your Hollowfication abilities, can they be combined with your Zanpakuto? Can they be further developed to reach a higher level? Now that you've mastered power, you should train hard and find ways to further improve your strength."

These words were like a wake-up call, causing the members of the Visored to fall into deep thought.

Over the years, they have indeed become somewhat complacent. Although life in the World of the Living is tough, it is at least safe. Without Aizen's pursuit or the Gotei 13's chase, they have gradually lowered their guard and relaxed their pursuit of power.

Liu Ziyun's words were like a wake-up call, rousing their dormant fighting spirit.

"You're right," Shinji Hirako finally spoke, his voice resolute. "We've indeed been too relaxed. From today onward, we'll begin our training afresh, and you won't have another chance to call us 'trash.'"

Liu Ziyun looked at him, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his face—not a cynical smile, but a smile of relief and heartfelt joy.

"That's good." He said softly, "Then... I'll be looking forward to your guidance for the next while. I'll be training my Bankai here, and you... just watch closely. See what true 'training' and true 'becoming stronger' really mean."

He turned and walked to the center of the training field, his shadow stretching long under the lights.

Behind him, the members of the Visored exchanged glances, their long-dormant flames rekindling in their eyes.