Chapter Summaries

Liu Ziyun avoided Tsunayashiro Tokinada’s traps during the field assessment by staying cautious and calling for help when Soul Reapers staged an accident. After slipping away, he settled at a café and planned to strike back.

• Liu Ziyun suspected the conspicuous Plus in the park was bait and left, while two disguised Soul Reapers waited there all night.
• Liu Ziyun spent the next day wandering through Karakura Town, and Tsunayashiro Tokinada ordered his subordinates to watch him and lure him toward a barrier.
• Liu Ziyun noticed a staged car crash and traces of Reiatsu, then shouted for Captain Unohana and Captain Kyōraku to come help.
• The Soul Reapers in ambush fled, and Liu Ziyun slipped away through the crowd as trainees debated whether to investigate.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada watched the incident and became determined to see Liu Ziyun’s next move, while Liu Ziyun relaxed at a café and planned to strike back.

Shinji Hirako and the others decided not to rush to Liu Ziyun after Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi revealed Liu had stopped a Menos Grande’s Cero with an unincanted Enkōsen. At the car accident, Liu showed Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku evidence that Soul Reapers had caused it, then invited them to investigate a suspicious place he had found.

• Kensei Muguruma urged the others to help Liu, but Shinji Hirako argued that they could not reach him quickly and might draw the nobles’ attention.
• Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi recalled Liu stopping a Menos Grande’s Cero with an Enkōsen cast without an incantation, easing the group’s worry.
• Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku arrived and found Liu relaxed on a bench, watching rescue workers at the car accident.
• Liu pointed out a tire cut bearing Soul Reaper Reiatsu and explained that he had called the captains to investigate and help the injured humans.
• Shunsui confirmed that unfamiliar Soul Reaper Reiatsu lingered at the scene and told Liu to continue his assessment task.
• Liu told the captains about a suspicious place he had seen the previous night, and Shunsui agreed to go with him.

Liu Ziyun’s assessment was interrupted by a Hollowfication incident and a plot against him, but he resumed performing Konsō on Pluses. Tsunayashiro Tokinada watched from afar and vowed to continue his game.

• Liu Ziyun arrived at the park with Shunsui Kyōraku and Unohana as a Plus transformed into a Hollow, which Shunsui Kyōraku swiftly destroyed.
• Unohana stopped two masked Soul Reapers, but they exploded when they tried to surrender, leaving no clues about their masters.
• Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku discussed the nobles’ interference in the World of the Living and the need for Captain Kuchiki to investigate.
• Liu Ziyun spoke with Life-Taker and Tulu, who warned him to flee if he sensed danger, then followed Tulu’s directions to find and perform Konsō on an old woman’s Plus.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada watched Liu Ziyun from a rooftop and decided to continue his scheme.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada ordered his subordinates to keep watching Liu Ziyun and kill him when they had an opportunity, while Liu continued his assessment in Karakura Town. After another ambush ended in the attackers’ explosions, Liu resumed his search for Pluses, realizing he had yet to perform a single Konsō.

• Tsunayashiro Tokinada learned that his plots against Liu Ziyun had failed and ordered his subordinates to kill Liu when the captains were gone.
• At a Karakura Town cemetery, Liu Ziyun found that a Soul Reaper had already performed Konsō on all the Pluses there.
• Liu sensed several watchers, led them to a secluded clearing, and called on Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku to intervene.
• Unohana and Shunsui broke the barrier around the clearing, but the masked Soul Reapers exploded before they could be captured.
• Liu concluded that the nobles might stop targeting him after his assessment, and the captains reassured him that Captain-Commander Yamamoto would protect him.
• Unohana reminded Liu that he had not completed a single Konsō, so he hurried off to continue his assessment.

Liu Ziyun completed the Soul Reaper Internship assessment and joined the Fourth Division, then kept a low profile to avoid trouble. Months later, Unohana told him that Captain-Commander Yamamoto wanted to see him.

• Liu Ziyun found and performed Konsō on two Pluses in an abandoned factory, then purified more Pluses and Hollows before the assessment ended.
• Shunsui Kyōraku announced that all trainees had met the requirement, and Liu Ziyun returned to the Fourth Division with Unohana.
• Shinji Hirako joined the Fifth Division as Third Seat, while Kensei Muguruma, Love Aikawa, and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi joined the Ninth, Seventh, and Third Divisions respectively.
• Liu Ziyun became a regular member of the Fourth Division's Seventh Medical Squad and avoided his friends as he faded into obscurity.
• Tsunayashiro Tokinada continued tracking Liu Ziyun, but several captains' attention kept him from acting against him.
• Unohana told Liu Ziyun that Captain-Commander Yamamoto wanted to see him, and he followed her to meet him.

Unohana brought Liu Ziyun to the First Division, where Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto tested him by releasing his Reiatsu and then challenged him to fight using Hakuda. The chapter ended as Yamamoto kicked at Liu Ziyun’s front foot.

• Liu Ziyun asked Unohana why the Captain-Commander wanted to see him, and she warned him to drop his disguise and not provoke a swordsmanship lesson.
• Unohana left Liu Ziyun with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto at the First Division barracks.
• Yamamoto took Liu Ziyun to the private training ground and released his Reiatsu, triggering Liu Ziyun’s dangerous urge to fight.
• Liu Ziyun regained control when Yamamoto called out to him, then explained that he was nervous facing someone so strong.
• Yamamoto ordered Liu Ziyun to fight him using Hakuda, and kicked at his front foot.

Liu Ziyun sparred with Yamamoto, showing clever Hakuda tactics but struggling against Yamamoto’s Zanjutsu. Yamamoto and Sasakibe recognized Liu Ziyun’s hidden strength and potential, while the training marked the end of his quiet life in the Seireitei.

• Liu Ziyun used feints and a counterattack in their Hakuda bout, and Yamamoto praised his understanding of the art’s essence.
• Liu Ziyun explained that his flashy techniques worked because Yamamoto had suppressed his Reiatsu to a level near his own.
• Yamamoto gave Liu Ziyun a wooden sword and overwhelmed him with a rapid sequence of attacks, eventually knocking him to the ground.
• Yamamoto told Liu Ziyun to practice his Zanjutsu, and Liu Ziyun bowed before hurrying away from the training ground.
• Yamamoto and Sasakibe assessed Liu Ziyun’s abilities, estimating his true Reiatsu at the third-grade level and noting his fear of releasing his power.
• Yamamoto decided not to investigate Liu Ziyun, saying he could become an important force in protecting the Seireitei.

Liu Ziyun worried that the Captain-Commander might send him to the dangerous Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, so he planned to pretend to be blind to avoid it. Over dinner, he tried to persuade Unohana to protect him and claimed his eyesight was failing, leaving her puzzled.

• Liu Ziyun feared the Captain-Commander intended to send him to Hueco Mundo and considered injuring his eyes so he could pose as blind.
• Liu Ziyun returned to Unohana and told her the Captain-Commander had tested his Hakuda and Zanjutsu but had given no explanation.
• Liu Ziyun invited Unohana to dinner and drinks, then asked whether the Fourth Division might join an expedition to Hueco Mundo.
• Liu Ziyun said he feared the expedition and worried that nobles and Central 46 would target him if he drew attention to himself.
• Liu Ziyun asked Unohana to keep him from being transferred and claimed his eyes had been failing, so he would soon be blind.

Liu Ziyun staged his own blinding to avoid joining the expeditionary force and secured permission to remain in the Fourth Division as a blind doctor. While he celebrated his plan, Tsunayashiro Tokinada saw Liu Ziyun’s blindness as a chance to control him and obtain his ability.

• Liu Ziyun told Unohana he planned to go blind and lie low in the Fourth Division, then pretended to pass out drunk.
• The next morning, Liu Ziyun used shards from a wine bottle to injure his eyes and convinced Fourth Division members that it was an accident.
• Unohana examined Liu Ziyun, agreed he could stay and work as a blind doctor, and hinted that she knew he had staged the injury.
• Shinji Hirako, Kensei Muguruma, and other visitors came to see Liu Ziyun, who maintained that his blindness was accidental.
• News of Liu Ziyun’s injury spread through Seireitei, and Tsunayashiro Tokinada decided that a blind Liu Ziyun would be easier to control and vowed to obtain his ability.

Liu Ziyun blinded himself to avoid being assigned to the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team, and Unohana explained his motives to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. While he recovered in the Fourth Division Medical Ward, he began training to fight without sight in his Inner World.

• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto summoned Unohana to explain why Liu Ziyun had injured his eyes and learned that he feared the nobles would send him on a doomed expedition.
• Unohana told Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto that Liu Ziyun expected the nobles to target him even if he returned, and she guaranteed he would not harm Soul Society unless provoked.
• Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto agreed to let Liu Ziyun hide for now, while warning that he would punish him if he broke the rules.
• Liu Ziyun enjoyed being cared for in the Fourth Division Medical Ward and practiced acting blind.
• Life-Taker and Tulu beat Liu Ziyun during his first four visits to his Inner World, then told him to train to fight without sight.
• Liu Ziyun began his blind-fighting training in his Inner World.

While pretending to be blind, Liu Ziyun learned that someone had recommended him for the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team and worried that the nobles were trying to get him killed. He decided to seek Captain Unohana's help, leaving the infirmary while secretly vowing revenge on the nobles.

• Liu Ziyun continued training to fight without sight as Tulu and Life-Taker taught him to rely on sound, touch, and Reiatsu.
• Tazawa Kentarō told Liu Ziyun that the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team was recruiting and that someone from the Sixth Division had recommended him.
• Liu Ziyun warned Tazawa Kentarō against joining the expedition, claiming that nobles and other factions would put him in danger, and Tazawa agreed to decline.
• Liu Ziyun considered whether to join the expedition, then decided to ask Captain Unohana for help.
• Liu Ziyun pretended to feel his way through the division toward the Captain's Office while angrily plotting revenge on Tsunayashiro Tokinada and the other nobles.

Liu Ziyun warned Unohana that the Kasumioji Clan’s plans around Amagai Shūsuke and the Hueco Mundo expedition could lead to disaster, and Yamamoto agreed to keep Liu off the team. After Liu’s warning that Kuchiki Kōga might be targeted, Kuchiki Ginrei brought Kōga to Liu’s residence to seek advice.

• Liu Ziyun told Unohana that Amagai Shūsuke was Kisaragi Shin'etsu’s son and urged her to have the truth about his father explained to him.
• Unohana relayed Liu’s warning to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who confirmed that Liu’s expedition recommendation had been rejected.
• Unohana also told Yamamoto that Kuchiki Kōga might be killed by people in the Thirteenth Division, prompting Yamamoto to order Kuchiki Ginrei to consult Liu.
• Kuchiki Ginrei brought Kuchiki Kōga to the Fourth Division, where Unohana led them to Liu Ziyun’s residence.

Liu Ziyun advised Kuchiki Ginrei and Kuchiki Kōga on protecting Kōga from noble schemes and warned them to keep Muramasa’s ability secret. After the Kuchikis left, Unohana asked about Liu Ziyun’s eyesight, and he admitted that acting carefree made things easier for everyone.

• Unohana, Kuchiki Ginrei, and Kuchiki Kōga arrived while Liu Ziyun practiced sensing Reiatsu in his Inner World with Life-Taker and Tulu.
• Liu Ziyun welcomed the visitors and served tea, then explained that Kōga had become a target because Ginrei intended him to succeed as clan head.
• Liu Ziyun advised Ginrei to arrange a trusted witness for Kōga, encouraged Kōga to build friendships and speak openly with Ginrei, and warned them about rumors and false accusations.
• Liu Ziyun urged Kōga to keep Muramasa’s power to control other Zanpakuto spirits secret because nobles and Central 46 might see it as a threat.
• After Ginrei and Kōga left, Unohana asked whether Liu Ziyun believed they could avoid disaster and whether his eyesight had improved.
• Liu Ziyun said he still could not see, but sensed more clearly, and remarked that his carefree manner made things easier for everyone.

Liu Ziyun told Retsu Unohana that he was keeping a low profile because he foresaw a coming crisis and lacked the strength to change events. More than a decade later, he refused to attend Shinji Hirako’s captain inauguration, choosing to remain distant while he waited for a chance to alter the future.

• Liu Ziyun explained to Retsu Unohana that he could not reveal what he knew about the future and warned that the Three Worlds faced a grave crisis.
• Unohana promised to protect Liu Ziyun, and he joked that he wanted to marry her and start a harem once the danger had passed.
• Liu Ziyun watched the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team depart, knowing some members would die or return changed, while he continued concealing his strength and Zanpakuto.
• More than a decade later, Unohana told Liu Ziyun that Shinji Hirako would become Fifth Division Captain and asked whether he would attend the inauguration.
• Liu Ziyun declined to attend, explaining that he kept his distance to protect his old friends and was waiting for an opportunity to change their fates.

Liu Ziyun chose to pursue complete mastery of his Shikai, accepting a dangerous, years-long training process so he could face Aizen. Meanwhile, Shinji Hirako and his friends wondered why Liu had distanced himself and agreed to be ready to help when he finally acted.

• Unohana wondered where Liu Ziyun would strike after he left her.
• Liu Ziyun met with Life-Taker and Tulu in his hidden training ground, where they explained that mastering his complete Shikai was necessary to unleash their true power.
• Liu Ziyun chose the dangerous Shikai training over pursuing Bankai, aiming to become strong enough to face Aizen.
• After Shinji Hirako's inauguration as Fifth Division captain, Shinji and his friends discussed Liu Ziyun's distance from them and suspected he was trying not to change future events.
• Shinji and his friends agreed to respect Liu's choice to keep his distance and stand ready to help him when the time came.

After years of seclusion and repeated battles with his Zanpakuto spirits, Liu Ziyun began training to master complete Shikai. Life-Taker and Tulu merged into a single form and summoned a new Zanpakuto, leaving Liu Ziyun facing a dangerous test.

• Liu Ziyun quietly treated injured Soul Reapers while Love Aikawa became Seventh Division captain, then continued avoiding later captain inaugurations and promotions.
• Liu Ziyun spent years training in his underground ground and serving as a healer, while Retsu Unohana alone understood his transformation.
• During his 127th Blade Zen session, Life-Taker and Tulu warned that Liu Ziyun's Reiatsu was stable but his mind had reached its limit.
• Life-Taker and Tulu merged into a crimson-black-robed woman and told Liu Ziyun they would begin teaching him.
• The merged Life-Taker Tulu released a new Tang Dao-style Zanpakuto and warned Liu Ziyun not to die.

Liu Ziyun released Life-Taker Tulu and briefly gained enough power to fight her, but the complete Shikai state overwhelmed his reason and left his soul badly damaged. Life-Taker and Tulu resolved to train him until he could withstand the power, then sent him out of his Inner World.

• Life-Taker Tulu broke Liu Ziyun’s swords and slashed him, forcing him to release his Shikai if he wanted to survive.
• Liu Ziyun summoned Life-Taker Tulu, restored his weapon, and rose to the threshold of Captain-level power as madness began to erode his consciousness.
• Liu Ziyun fought Life-Taker Tulu through seventy exchanges before she knocked him unconscious to stop him from losing control.
• Life-Taker and Tulu healed Liu Ziyun and concluded that he needed more training before facing the complete fusion state again.
• Life-Taker tapped Liu Ziyun’s forehead and sent him out of his Inner World.

Liu Ziyun recovered from the severe backlash of achieving complete Shikai and learned that mastering its power required enduring Reiatsu tempering rather than relying on medicine. He resolved to strengthen himself and master his fate before upheaval struck Soul Society.

• Liu Ziyun woke in the underground training ground after spending one day and seven hours unconscious, then struggled back to his dormitory with severe soul pain and uncontrolled Reiatsu.
• Liu Ziyun spent a week recovering, and Tazawa Kentarō visited him with medicinal broth and reported resistance to Captain Muguruma's Ninth Division reforms.
• Liu Ziyun told Tazawa to prioritize any wounded Ninth Division members brought to the Fourth Division.
• Liu Ziyun consulted Retsu Unohana about strengthening his body, and she explained that Blood Soul Pills would ease his pain but damage his soul and prevent him from mastering his power.
• Liu Ziyun meditated as his Reiatsu slowly repaired his soul, then resolved to master complete Shikai and prepare to face Soul Society's coming upheaval.

Liu Ziyun learned that Sōsuke Aizen had joined the Fifth Division and warned Tazawa Kentarō to keep his distance while helping him watch Aizen. That night, Liu secretly entered the Fifth Division Barracks and sensed Aizen’s unusual Reiatsu, confirming his suspicions.

• Tazawa Kentarō told Liu Ziyun that the Fifth Division had recruited Sōsuke Aizen, a talented graduate favored by Captain Hirako.
• Liu warned Tazawa to stay on guard around Aizen and asked him to report on Aizen’s activities and Gin Ichimaru’s possible appearance.
• Liu urged Tazawa to act more distant around him in public because the dangerous plans ahead could put Tazawa at risk.
• After Tazawa left, Liu decided to investigate Aizen and slipped into the Fifth Division Barracks at night with his Reiatsu concealed.
• Liu sensed Aizen’s Lieutenant-level Reiatsu and recognized its concealed, unsettling quality.

Liu Ziyun secretly visited Shinji Hirako to warn him and the others to sever all contact with him and distrust anyone who seemed too perfect. After returning to the Fourth Division, Liu Ziyun found Retsu Unohana waiting and was ordered to follow her to the Captain’s Office.

• Liu Ziyun entered the Fifth Division Barracks and told Shinji Hirako to pretend their friendship had ended and to keep their connection secret.
• Liu Ziyun warned Shinji that an undisclosed danger threatened them, urged him not to trust anyone completely, and asked him to notify Love, Kensei, Rōjūrō, and the others to bury their ties to him.
• Shinji Hirako wrote discreet letters summoning the group for a private meeting.
• Liu Ziyun circled Seireitei to ensure he was not being followed before returning to the Fourth Division Barracks.
• Retsu Unohana waited outside Liu Ziyun’s dormitory and ordered him to accompany her to the Captain’s Office.