Recaps

Liu Ziyun explained to Retsu Unohana that Sōsuke Aizen had investigated him, and warned her to use his cover story if questioned. After Aizen’s watchers lost interest, Liu Ziyun turned down the prospect of a mission outside the Fourth Division and joked about his future plans, leaving Unohana furious and ordering him out.

• Liu Ziyun kept to his duties and training in the Fourth Division until Sōsuke Aizen’s watchers gradually withdrew.
• Retsu Unohana summoned Liu Ziyun to discuss a mission that might require him to leave the Fourth Division, and he asked her not to send him.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Aizen had used Kyouka Suigetsu and the Black Cloak to approach him, then probed him about Hirako and the others.
• Liu Ziyun explained the cover story he had given Aizen and advised Retsu Unohana to use the same explanation if questioned.
• Liu Ziyun joked that he wanted to give the girls a home, and Retsu Unohana angrily ordered him out.

Liu Ziyun kept a low profile in the Fourth Division until Kaien Shiba joined the Thirteenth Division and Isane Kotetsu became the Fourth Division's Third Seat. He began courting Isane under the pretext of discussing Kaidō, while Unohana watched jealously and Liu Ziyun awaited the coming events that would change the future.

• Liu Ziyun fled Unohana's office after provoking her with his harem plans, and Unohana privately called him a shameless lecher.
• Liu Ziyun maintained his quiet routine for years until Aizen's people stopped monitoring him.
• Liu Ziyun learned that Kaien Shiba had joined the Thirteenth Division as lieutenant and wondered whether he should save Kaien and Shiba Miyako.
• Isane Kotetsu became the Fourth Division's Third Seat, and Liu Ziyun began approaching her with Kaidō questions, help, and gifts.
• Unohana watched Liu Ziyun court Isane and silently vowed to deal with him, while Liu Ziyun sensed her jealousy and continued his plan.
• Liu Ziyun reflected that the gears of fate were turning faster and waited for a child to be born, Aizen to be exposed, and events to settle.

Byakuya Kuchiki faced opposition from the Kuchiki Clan elders over his decision to marry Hisana, a woman from Rukongai, until Kuchiki Kōga defended him. After the elders relented, Kōga explained how Liu Ziyun’s advice had helped him avoid being manipulated, prompting Byakuya to ask why Liu kept such a low profile.

• News spread through Seireitei that Byakuya Kuchiki intended to marry Hisana, a woman from Rukongai.
• Kuchiki Clan elders protested the marriage, but Kuchiki Kōga stepped forward and supported Byakuya, saying he also came from Rukongai.
• Kōga argued that Byakuya deserved to marry someone he loved, and the elders eventually accepted Byakuya’s decision.
• Kuchiki Ginrei thanked Kōga for changing and regretted that the clan had asked him to hide his abilities on Liu Ziyun’s advice.
• Kōga said Liu Ziyun’s guidance had helped him cultivate patience and avoid a scheme that could have exploited his temper and harmed the Kuchiki Clan.
• Byakuya asked whether Liu Ziyun was the Fourth Division’s Fifth Seat and wondered why he had kept such a low profile.

After warning the Kuchiki family about Hisana’s fragile health, Liu Ziyun stayed hidden from the unseen mastermind. When Hisana’s condition steadily worsened, he arrived secretly with Retsu Unohana to treat her, asking the family to seal the area so his Reiatsu would not expose him.

• Kuchiki Ginrei and Kuchiki Kōga wondered whether Liu Ziyun had foreseen Byakuya Kuchiki’s marriage, then decided to wait for events to unfold.
• Byakuya Kuchiki married Hisana, and Retsu Unohana delivered an unsigned letter from Liu Ziyun warning that Hisana’s health might deteriorate and advising the family not to seek Rukia early.
• Kuchiki Ginrei, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Kuchiki Kōga read Liu Ziyun’s warning, and Byakuya began monitoring Hisana’s health.
• Hisana grew progressively weaker despite the Kuchiki family’s treatments, so Byakuya went to Retsu Unohana for help.
• Retsu Unohana and Liu Ziyun secretly visited the Kuchiki estate at night, where Liu Ziyun agreed to treat Hisana and asked the family to seal the area against his Reiatsu.

Liu Ziyun used his Zanpakuto, Life-Taker, to heal Hisana Kuchiki and awaken her Soul Reaper powers. Hisana recovered, and Liu Ziyun explained why she had remained frail and powerless, leaving Byakuya reassured but still burdened by guilt.

• Kuchiki Ginrei, Kuchiki Kōga, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Retsu Unohana formed a barrier around the room while Liu Ziyun prepared to treat Hisana Kuchiki.
• Liu Ziyun used Life-Taker to examine Hisana, then stabbed her in the chest and invoked Change Fate.
• Hisana’s body became healthy and strong as her dormant Soul Reaper powers awakened.
• Liu Ziyun told Byakuya that Hisana could train to grow stronger and explained that the Kuchiki Clan’s powerful Reiatsu had worsened her frailty before her powers awakened.
• Byakuya wondered whether he had caused Hisana’s suffering, but Liu Ziyun said she might have fared worse in Rukongai without him.

Liu Ziyun urged Hisana Kuchiki to wait before seeking Rukia and revealed how his knowledge of the future had changed Kuchiki Kōga’s fate. After leaving the Kuchiki estate with Retsu Unohana, he identified the future “Child of Destiny” as Cheat B and fled when Unohana reacted to his plans for a harem.

• Liu Ziyun asked Hisana Kuchiki to train and wait until Rukia entered Shin'ō Academy before bringing her into the Kuchiki Clan and later the Thirteenth Division.
• Liu Ziyun revealed that Rukia would guide the “Child of Destiny” and described the future in which Hisana died and Byakuya adopted Rukia.
• Liu Ziyun told Kuchiki Kōga that he had foreseen Kōga being framed, sealed away, and eventually killed, and the Kuchiki family thanked him for changing that fate.
• Liu Ziyun and Retsu Unohana left the Kuchiki estate and returned to the Fourth Division.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Cheat B was the “Child of Destiny” and joked about pursuing the girls Cheat B had let down.
• Retsu Unohana drew her Zanpakuto, and Liu Ziyun bolted out of the room.

Liu Ziyun kept a low profile while influencing events around the Fourth Division and watching the next generation’s fates unfold. As Rukia joined the Thirteenth Division as an ordinary member, he waited for a child’s birth, Aizen’s exposure, and the moment he could finally act.

• Kiyōnosuke Yamada left the Fourth Division to direct the Shin'ō Institute of Medicines, and Liu Ziyun warned him about Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
• Isane Kotetsu succeeded Yamada as the Fourth Division’s Lieutenant, and Liu Ziyun began pursuing her under the pretext of discussing Kaidō.
• Rukia and Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and Momo Hinamori entered Shin'ō Academy, and the Kuchiki Clan later brought Rukia to Hisana Kuchiki.
• Rukia accepted Byakuya Kuchiki as her adopted older brother and became Rukia Kuchiki.
• Wangtu Chuan Yuxufei stepped down as captain of the Tenth Division, and Isshin Shiba succeeded him.
• Byakuya asked Jūshirō Ukitake to keep Rukia an ordinary member of the Thirteenth Division, while Liu Ziyun watched and waited for the future to unfold.

Liu Ziyun enlisted Retsu Unohana to help save Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako from the fate Aizen had arranged for them. He gave her talismans to protect them and laid out his plan, while Unohana agreed to assist in exchange for future compensation.

• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako were destined to die because of Aizen's experimental Hollow, Metastacia.
• Liu Ziyun proposed saving them and later sending them to the World of the Living to train with Kisuke Urahara.
• Liu Ziyun gave Retsu Unohana two talismans that could preserve their souls and consciousness when they died.
• Liu Ziyun explained Metastacia's abilities and weaknesses, Shiba Miyako's possession, Kaien Shiba's sacrifice, and Rukia Kuchiki's role in the tragedy.
• Retsu Unohana agreed to deliver the talismans to Captain Ukitake and help Liu Ziyun, but warned him that she expected compensation.
• After Retsu Unohana left, Liu Ziyun privately imagined repaying her by making her pregnant.

Retsu Unohana warned Jūshirō Ukitake, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako about the future Hollow attack that would kill Miyako and Kaien, then gave the couple talismans and advised them to fake their deaths. The chapter left them with a chance to survive the coming incident, though the mastermind might still target them afterward.

• Retsu Unohana summoned Jūshirō Ukitake, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako for a top-secret warning about the Hollow Metastacia.
• Retsu Unohana described how Metastacia would possess Miyako, lead Kaien and Ukitake into a fight, and ultimately cause Kaien’s death.
• Retsu Unohana revealed that Metastacia was a test subject of the mastermind behind Kisuke Urahara’s Hollowfication Experiment, but said exposing the mastermind could endanger the Three Worlds.
• Retsu Unohana gave Kaien and Miyako golden talismans that could bring them back if they died in battle.
• Retsu Unohana advised Kaien and Miyako to fake their deaths and escape because the mastermind might experiment on them if they survived.

Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s talismans bonded to their souls, preparing to revive them after death, while Jūshirō Ukitake learned that their mysterious benefactor knew about the Soul King’s Right Arm sealed inside him. Ukitake sent Kaien and Miyako into hiding and planned to root out corrupt squad members and train replacements to manage the squad.

• The golden talismans flew into Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako, leaving a phoenix-and-dragon pattern that sank into their souls.
• Retsu Unohana confirmed that the talismans had chosen Kaien and Miyako and advised them to let the power settle into their souls.
• Unohana told Jūshirō Ukitake that the hidden benefactor knew about his illness and might try to treat the Soul King’s Right Arm sealed inside him.
• Ukitake ordered Kaien to replace squad members with people who had records of wrongdoing and warned him not to tell anyone, including Kūkaku.
• Kaien and Miyako left the Captain’s Office, and Ukitake resolved to train two people to handle squad affairs while they were away.

Kaien Shiba prepared Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu to succeed him while continuing to mentor Rukia Kuchiki. When Shiba Miyako’s squad disappeared in Rukongai, Kaien fought the Hollow possessing his wife, but the battle ended with Rukia striking him as he attacked her; Kaien died after entrusting her with his heart and will.

• Kaien Shiba asked Jūshirō Ukitake to prepare for the division’s future, then chose Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu as candidates to train as lieutenants.
• Kaien Shiba trained Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu and mentored Rukia Kuchiki in Zanjutsu, Kidō, and field missions.
• After Shiba Miyako’s squad vanished in Rukongai, Kaien Shiba rushed to find her, while Retsu Unohana gave Liu Ziyun’s talisman to stabilize the squad’s souls.
• Kaien Shiba found Shiba Miyako possessed by a Hollow and fought her as Jūshirō Ukitake and Rukia Kuchiki arrived.
• The Hollow possessed Kaien Shiba, and Jūshirō Ukitake fought him until his illness left him vulnerable and the Hollow lunged at Rukia Kuchiki.
• Rukia Kuchiki’s blade pierced Kaien Shiba, freeing him briefly; Kaien thanked her, entrusted her with his heart and will, and died in her arms.

After Rukia Kuchiki killed Kaien Shiba, Retsu Unohana used a talisman to create two beads containing Kaien and Shiba Miyako’s Reiatsu, which she said could help bring them back to life. Rukia carried Kaien’s body to return it to Shiba Kūkaku, while Byakuya Kuchiki kept his distance from Rukia to protect her role in a future plan.

• Jūshirō Ukitake brought Kaien Shiba’s body back to the Thirteenth Division barracks with Rukia Kuchiki following in a daze.
• Retsu Unohana placed a talisman on Kaien’s forehead, and it transformed into two beads containing Kaien and Shiba Miyako’s Reiatsu.
• Retsu Unohana told Jūshirō Ukitake to have Rukia return Kaien’s body to Shiba Kūkaku and keep the resurrection plan secret.
• Jūshirō Ukitake urged Rukia to carry on, and she took Kaien’s body toward Rukongai.
• Byakuya Kuchiki told Jūshirō Ukitake that the Kuchiki Clan would endure, then recalled Liu Ziyun’s instructions to keep Hisana Kuchiki away from Rukia for now.

Liu Ziyun brought Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s souls to Kisuke Urahara’s secret base in the World of the Living and used his Bankai to restore them to life. They awoke in stable condition, while Liu Ziyun was left exhausted by the effort.

• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana he could not revive Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako in Soul Society and asked her to cover for his trip to Kisuke Urahara’s shop.
• Liu Ziyun traveled to Karakura Town, where Kisuke Urahara took him to the secret base and raised a barrier to conceal his Bankai’s Reiatsu.
• Liu Ziyun released his Bankai and used Change Fate on the beads holding Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s souls.
• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako re-formed as living people, and Kisuke Urahara confirmed their vital signs and souls were stable.
• Liu Ziyun released his Bankai, exhausted by using Change Fate twice in succession.

Liu Ziyun explained how he used his Bankai to rebuild Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako’s spiritual bodies and revive their original souls, leaving himself severely weakened. He told them to stay with Kisuke Urahara and revealed that Aizen had orchestrated the Hollowfication Experiment.

• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako awoke, and Liu Ziyun told Kisuke Urahara to welcome them as guests who would live with him.
• Kisuke examined Liu Ziyun and asked about the ability that had left him nearly exhausted.
• Liu Ziyun explained that he had sealed the couple’s souls and some of their power in life pearls, then used Bankai and surrounding Reishi to rebuild their spiritual bodies.
• Liu Ziyun told Kisuke that his method could only restore people whose original souls remained, and that he might be weakened for years.
• Liu Ziyun told Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako they could stay with Kisuke, then said Aizen had been behind the Hollow they encountered and the Hollowfication Experiment.
• Kaien Shiba reacted in disbelief to the revelation that Captain Aizen was responsible.

Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako thanked Liu Ziyun for saving them and agreed to stay with Kisuke Urahara in the World of the Living. After Liu fell asleep, Kisuke examined the couple and learned how Retsu Unohana had foretold their deaths and given them talismans that brought them back to life.

• Kaien Shiba thanked Liu Ziyun for rescuing him and Shiba Miyako, and Liu warned that Isshin Shiba would join them in the World of the Living in a few years.
• Kisuke Urahara led Liu Ziyun, Kaien Shiba, and Shiba Miyako to rooms; Liu fell asleep, and his Zanpakuto, Life-Taker, gave Kisuke a vial of Liu's genetic material.
• Kaien Shiba told Kisuke that Retsu Unohana had predicted his and Shiba Miyako's deaths, including Metastacia possessing Miyako and Rukia Kuchiki killing Kaien.
• Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako let Kisuke collect their blood and Reiatsu samples, then settled into their room and hoped to reunite with their friends in Soul Society.
• Kisuke Urahara reflected on Liu Ziyun's trust and mysterious nature before leaving the corridor.

Liu Ziyun visited the Visored's Secret Base, discussed their training and recent events in Soul Society, and warned Shinji Hirako about a future threat. He stayed at the base to rest and offer training advice for two days.

• Liu Ziyun arrived at the Visored's Secret Base and watched Shinji Hirako and Kensei Muguruma spar.
• Liu Ziyun told Shinji that he had revived two people whose spirit bodies were gone, then reported Isshin Shiba's appointment as captain and Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako's deaths.
• Liu Ziyun said he planned to monitor Aizen and would reveal more after Aizen fled Soul Society.
• Liu Ziyun warned Shinji that a future Major Boss would nearly slaughter the Seireitei and urged the Visored to grow stronger.
• Liu Ziyun decided to rest at the base for two days and invited the Visored to discuss their training with him.

After recovering enough to speak, Liu Ziyun advised the Visored on how to communicate with their Zanpakuto and control their Hollow powers, then helped each member with their training problems. He left to rest, saying he would return to Soul Society the next day.

• Shinji Hirako told Love Aikawa and Kensei Muguruma that Liu Ziyun had exhausted his Reiatsu saving two victims of Aizen's experiments, and the Visored gathered to discuss their training.
• The next day, Liu Ziyun explained that the Visored should treat their Zanpakuto as partners and use Blade Zen to explore their Zanpakuto and Hollow powers.
• Liu Ziyun advised Lisa Yadōmaru to practice Blade Zen with Iron Paddle Dragonfly released and urged everyone to keep their Hollow powers from running wild.
• The Visored raised their individual training problems throughout the day, and Liu Ziyun offered each of them suggestions and encouragement.
• Liu Ziyun thanked Shinji Hirako, said he would rest and return to Soul Society the next day, then waved as he disappeared down the corridor.

Liu Ziyun left the Visored base and returned to Soul Society, where Retsu Unohana told him Kenpachi Zaraki had defeated Kenpachi Kiganjō. He explained that Yachiru Kusajishi embodied part of Zaraki’s power and described how Hollows became Arrancar and how Zanpakuto related to the Hollow within a Soul Reaper.

• Liu Ziyun said goodbye to the Visored and joked with Hiyori Sarugaki and Kensei Muguruma before leaving their base.
• Liu Ziyun bought gifts in Karakura Town and used the Senkaimon Badge to return to Soul Society.
• Liu Ziyun gave Retsu Unohana a phoenix hairpin and learned that Kenpachi Zaraki had defeated Kenpachi Kiganjō.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that Yachiru Kusajishi was an embodiment of Zaraki’s power that would return to him if he released his Zanpakuto.
• Liu Ziyun explained that Arrancar were Hollows who gained Soul Reaper powers naturally or through artificial intervention, while Visored were Soul Reapers who gained Hollow powers.
• Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that a Soul Reaper’s Zanpakuto was the Hollow within their soul, while Hollows gained Soul Reaper powers by sealing their power into a sword.

Liu Ziyun explained his theory about Visored powers to Retsu Unohana and discussed how he had trained with his Zanpakuto. After joking about Unohana joining his harem, he fled, and she later discovered that reviving Kaien Shiba and his wife had left him gravely depleted.

• Liu Ziyun explained that Visored could merge Hollow and Soul Reaper powers, using the Child of Destiny as the basis for his theory.
• Liu Ziyun suggested that Unohana train by fighting her Zanpakuto's Bankai without releasing her own, then promised to introduce her to his two Zanpakuto.
• Liu Ziyun gave Unohana gifts from the World of the Living, fled after calling her his harem's mistress, and returned to his quarters with another gift for Isane Kotetsu.
• Unohana visited Liu Ziyun overnight and found him unconscious from the strain of reviving Kaien Shiba and his wife.
• Liu Ziyun explained how his ability preserved their spirits and how his Bankai restored them, while Unohana told him to rest and warned him against flirting with Isane.

Liu Ziyun entered his Inner World to ask Life-Taker and Tulu how to recover after using Recreate Spiritual Body and wondered whether he could give them independent lives. Tulu told him he would have to break down to build anew, confronting the danger of losing his power.

• Liu Ziyun secretly went to his underground training space and began Blade Zen.
• Liu Ziyun found Life-Taker and Tulu standing atop a skyscraper in his changed Inner World.
• Liu Ziyun asked whether he could make Life-Taker and Tulu real beings or bring other people into his Inner World, and Life-Taker explained they could not leave without giving up their role protecting him.
• Life-Taker recognized that Liu Ziyun's lingering weakness came from forcing himself to use Recreate Spiritual Body before reaching his peak.
• Tulu advised Liu Ziyun to break down to build anew and reminded him that he had previously feared this method because it might cost him his power.

Liu Ziyun learned that the power damaging his body was his complete Bankai, sealed within Life-Taker and Tulu, and he activated Bankai to break through his limits. As he began balancing its powers of destruction and creation, Retsu Unohana sensed that his Reiatsu had vanished and feared something had happened to him.

• Life-Taker explained that Liu Ziyun's body had been damaged by the power of his complete Bankai, which remained sealed inside her and Tulu.
• Liu Ziyun left the Inner World and set up a powerful Barrier around his Cultivation Space.
• Liu Ziyun released his Bankai, and its destructive and creative powers began tearing apart and repairing his body.
• Liu Ziyun entered the power within him and tried to balance its opposing forces through Taiji, gradually forming a cycle between destruction and creation.
• Retsu Unohana noticed that Liu Ziyun's Reiatsu had disappeared, searched his empty quarters, and could not find him.

Retsu Unohana discovered that Liu Ziyun’s Reiatsu Substitute had vanished and feared something had happened to him. After reporting her concerns to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, she returned to search his quarters for clues.

• Retsu Unohana searched Liu Ziyun’s empty quarters but found only dissipating traces of his Reiatsu.
• Retsu Unohana hurried to the First Division and told Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto that Liu Ziyun’s Reiatsu and Substitute had disappeared.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto urged Retsu Unohana to investigate Liu Ziyun’s quarters for clues and suggested covering his absence as a mission.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto reassured Retsu Unohana that Liu Ziyun was difficult to kill, and she left to search his quarters.

Retsu Unohana discovered Liu Ziyun’s hidden letter and followed its instructions to locate his secret cultivation base. She entered through a gate of light while a duplicate stayed behind to tell Isane Kotetsu that she was entering secluded cultivation.

• Retsu Unohana found a concealed compartment in Liu Ziyun’s quarters and read his letter, which urged her to visit his cultivation base before passing on the Kenpachi title.
• Retsu Unohana used Liu Ziyun’s Talisman on a blank sheet and revealed a map leading beneath the Fourth Division.
• Retsu Unohana placed the Talisman against a wall, opened a gate of light, and stepped into Liu Ziyun’s unfamiliar secret space.
• A duplicate of Retsu Unohana went to the Captain’s Office and told Isane Kotetsu not to disturb her while she cultivated in seclusion.

Unohana found Liu Ziyun in a sealed underground space, alive but undergoing a mysterious transformation, and stayed beside him to wait for him to wake. Within Liu Ziyun’s consciousness, the Taiji cycle continued to strengthen and reshape him as time lost its meaning.

• Unohana entered the underground Barrier and found Liu Ziyun looking like a long-dead corpse, with no detectable Reiatsu.
• A talisman calmed Unohana and protected her from the overwhelming pressure when she opened the Barrier.
• Unohana saw black and white light destroy and restore Liu Ziyun’s body while a golden glow balanced the cycle.
• Unohana chose not to touch Liu Ziyun and settled nearby to watch over him until he awoke.
• Deep within Liu Ziyun’s consciousness, power from the rotating Taiji diagram nourished his soul and gradually transformed his spirit body.

After more than a month in seclusion, Liu Ziyun awakened with a powerful new force in his body and found that his strength had greatly increased. Retsu Unohana left him to adapt to it, and he remained alone in the underground space.

• Retsu Unohana watched as the black and white lights around Liu Ziyun grew brighter and his body began to glow reddish gold.
• Liu Ziyun was pulled into his Inner World, where Life-Taker and Tulu appeared changed and pushed his consciousness back to reality.
• The black and white lights merged into Liu Ziyun, and he awoke; Retsu Unohana kicked him down and warned that the power could annihilate him if he lost control.
• Liu Ziyun explained that he could barely guide the destructive and creative power, which had damaged his body since he used it to save Kaien and his wife.
• Retsu Unohana told Liu Ziyun to stay and adapt to his increased strength, then used her Talisman to return while he remained behind.