Chapter Summaries

Lu Li and Ulquiorra began hunting in Hueco Mundo while Aizen, now the Fifth Division Lieutenant, investigated reports of Shinigami being taken through a Black Portal. The chapter ended with Aizen secretly asking Tōsen to go to Hueco Mundo.

• Lu Li introduced himself to Ulquiorra and invited him to join his hunt for Adjuchas, offering him the chance to devour the Hollows afterward.
• Explorers began infiltrating the Bleach World, with many entering Soul Society and disrupting the Gotei 13.
• Aizen reflected on his past with Lu Li and recalled searching Hueco Mundo for him after Lu Li vanished during a mission.
• Aizen received a report that a Sixth Division team and two Fifth Division Seated Officers had disappeared after a Menos Grande took them through a Black Portal.
• With Hirako Shinji away, Aizen decided to report the incident to the Captain-Commander and secretly contacted Tōsen, asking him to visit Hueco Mundo.

Lu Li and Ulquiorra headed toward Hueco Mundo’s central region despite reports that the King’s army was driving out nearby Adjuchas, while discussing survival, ambition, and the meaning of a heart. They came upon Lady Nel surrounded by the King’s forces, who demanded that she submit or die.

• Ulquiorra warned Lu Li that the central region was dangerous because the King’s army was killing Adjuchas, but Lu Li chose to continue onward.
• Lu Li explained to Ulquiorra that creatures could find meaning in their own ways of living, while Ulquiorra continued trying to understand happiness and the heart.
• A sandstorm erupted ahead as Lady Nel fought off a group of Adjuchas and green-skinned Hollows.
• Lady Nel asked her attackers to let her and her companions leave, while the Adjuchas leader demanded that she submit to the King or die.

Lu Li and Ulquiorra encountered Nel, Baraggan’s Adjuchas, and two groups of Chaos Space Explorers in Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra fought Nel while Lu Li faced the Explorers’ attack, leaving the battle underway as his strike began draining the main tank’s Life Source.

• Lu Li and Ulquiorra arrived at a clash between Nel and Baraggan’s forces, and Ulquiorra asked whether he should eliminate everyone.
• Ulquiorra released his powerful Reiatsu, killed an Adjuchas, and challenged Nel, who fought back while protecting Pesche and her other companion.
• The Ruin Adventure Group’s Explorers and Moslan’s Adjuchas squad agreed to attack Lu Li while Ulquiorra and Nel were occupied.
• Lu Li caught an arrow, returned it to wound a Menos Grande, and confronted the advancing Explorers with his Mangekyo Sharingan and Prison Demon’s chains.
• Lu Li struck the main tank’s tower shield, then a surge of electricity paralyzed him as Soul Eater Ring began draining his Life Source.

Lu Li defeated the Ruin Adventure Group and its Hollow allies by combining Susanoo, Prison Demon, and the upgraded Soul Eater Ring. As he headed toward the battle between Ulquiorra and Nel, Pesche warned Nel that Lu Li’s Captain-level Reiatsu was approaching.

• Lu Li killed Gagang with a slash and Raikōhō, then used Susanoo to repel the attackers who rushed him.
• Moslan ordered the Menos Grande to attack and sent word to Hueco Mundo that a Shinigami had arrived, while Lu Li’s lightning and Haki drove the Hollows back.
• The Heaven-Breaking captain fought Lu Li, but Lu Li’s attacks and Spirit Surge steadily drained his Life Source despite the healer’s support.
• Lu Li appeared beside the Ruin captain, wounded him with Prison Demon, and then beheaded him with a Shunpo-assisted attack.
• Lu Li killed the remaining Explorers, discovered that killing them could complete side quests, and obtained a Doomed Chest from a support-type Explorer.
• Pesche saw Lu Li approaching and warned Nel to flee while Ulquiorra and Nel remained locked in battle.

Lu Li and Ulquiorra learned from Nel that Baraggan had ordered a mass purge of nearby Hollows, and Nel agreed to travel with them after revealing that Dondochakka had been captured. Lu Li accepted a hidden mission to help rescue Dondochakka, and the group prepared to head toward Hueco Mundo’s central region.

• Lu Li stopped Ulquiorra’s fight with Nel and asked her why the Hollows near Hueco Mundo were being purged.
• Nel said Baraggan’s army had attacked peaceful Hollows and admitted she did not know why the king had ordered it.
• Lu Li decided to investigate the central region, while Nel followed because she refused to abandon her captured companion, Dondochakka.
• Lu Li triggered a hidden mission to help Nel rescue Dondochakka and offered to help her in exchange for traveling together.
• Nel introduced herself as Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and introduced Pesche Guatiche, while Ulquiorra gave his name as Ulquiorra Cifer.
• Lu Li told Ulquiorra to clear the battlefield and gather the fallen Hollows before they set out together.

Marrow manipulated Baraggan into continuing a purge of Hueco Mundo and recruited Explorers into Baraggan’s forces to profit from their missions. Meanwhile, Blood Rain killed four Chaos Space Explorers who had tracked her down, then wondered where to go next.

• Baraggan killed an Adjuchas who failed to explain the destruction of Moslan’s extermination force and raged over reports of a Shinigami among the enemies.
• Marrow flattered Baraggan and urged him to continue purging Hueco Mundo’s Menos Grande, secretly using the campaign to gather Exploration Progress from other Explorers.
• Marrow introduced more than twenty Explorers to Baraggan, who accepted them into his forces.
• Four Chaos Space Explorers surrounded Blood Rain at the edge of the Forest of Menos and attacked her.
• Blood Rain killed all four Explorers in midair and opened her umbrella to catch the falling blood.

Lu Li, Nel, and Ulquiorra continued through Hueco Mundo while discussing Nel’s principles and the nature of humanity. They encountered Kaname Tōsen, who mistook the two powerful Hollows for weak ones and was stunned when Ulquiorra’s Reiatsu overwhelmed him.

• Lu Li and Nel discussed why Nel refused to devour Menos Grande that Lu Li had killed, and Ulquiorra struggled to understand her principles.
• Nel offered to open a Black Portal for Lu Li, who explained that he had stayed in Hueco Mundo to investigate its turmoil and warned Nel not to assume everyone was good.
• Lu Li revealed that he had learned Dondochakka was alive and likely held as bait, then caught a tracking Bakudō and realized its caster was nearby.
• Kaname Tōsen arrived and questioned Lu Li’s identity while underestimating Nel and Ulquiorra, whose Reiatsu he had not sensed.
• Ulquiorra released enough Reiatsu to terrify Tōsen, and Lu Li told him to rein it in before mentioning that he had been Sōsuke Aizen’s roommate.

Lu Li told Kaname Tōsen to inform Sōsuke that he was safe and invite him to Hueco Mundo, then continued with Nel and Ulquiorra to rescue Dondochakka. Meanwhile, the Soul Singer secured Haschwalth’s permission to leave the Wandenreich and headed for Soul Society to hunt Prison Demon.

• Lu Li refused to return with Kaname Tōsen until he had helped Nel rescue Dondochakka, and he guessed that Sōsuke had sent Tōsen on a private mission.
• Lu Li asked Tōsen to tell Sōsuke that he was safe and invite him to Hueco Mundo, and Tōsen left to deliver the message.
• Lu Li, Nel, and Ulquiorra set out to rescue Dondochakka.
• The Soul Singer defended his plan to protect the Quincy in the Living World, but Haschwalth dismissed his concerns and allowed him to act on his own.
• The Soul Singer left the Wandenreich through the shadows and set out for Soul Society to find Prison Demon.

Lu Li, Nel, and Ulquiorra fought through Hueco Mundo to rescue Dondochakka, while Marrow was attacked by the Hunter Mandala and received a mission to hunt a Spirit Seed holder. The chapter ended with the rescue party surrounded by Chaos Space Explorers who threatened Dondochakka.

• Mandala ambushed Marrow, but he escaped her attack and summoned Baraggan before she vanished.
• Marrow received a Chaos Space mission to hunt an End Space Spirit Seed holder and spotted the target approaching Hueco Mundo.
• Lu Li, Nel, and Ulquiorra battled Menos Grande as they advanced toward Dondochakka’s prison, and Ulquiorra’s evolution accelerated through devouring Hollows.
• Lu Li warned Nel to retreat with Pesche and Dondochakka if the rescue went wrong, but Nel refused to leave him behind.
• Lu Li’s group reached the prison and found Dondochakka behind bars, surrounded by Chaos Space Explorers and Adjuchas.
• An Explorer threatened to kill Dondochakka unless Nel complied.

Lu Li rescued Dondochakka from the Explorers and faced Marrow and Baraggan’s assembled Adjuchas with Nel and Ulquiorra. After Marrow’s binding attack failed and Lu Li wounded him, Marrow abandoned his body and called for Baraggan to save him.

• Lu Li stopped Nel from sacrificing herself, then disarmed the spear-wielding Explorer, killed three Explorers, and brought Dondochakka back to Nel and Ulquiorra.
• Marrow appeared and rallied the surrounding Adjuchas by warning that Baraggan would punish them if they failed to kill Lu Li.
• Lu Li told Ulquiorra to fight at full strength and urged Nel not to hold back; Nel launched Lanzador Verde at Marrow, but he survived by taking to the air.
• The Adjuchas charged as Lu Li attacked Marrow, who trapped him with Niras Gold tentacles.
• Lu Li broke through Marrow’s prison and wounded him with a strengthened slash; Marrow transferred into another body and shouted for Baraggan to save him.

Lu Li killed Marrow after breaking free of his prison, but Baraggan arrived and attacked him with his aging power. As Lu Li struggled to evade the deathly aura, Nel rushed back to help while Ulquiorra obeyed Lu Li’s order to leave.

• Lu Li ordered Ulquiorra and Nel to escape while he stayed behind to confront Marrow.
• Marrow trapped Lu Li in the Sunbone Prison and attacked him with Hellblood Lotus, but Lu Li shattered both restraints and beheaded Marrow.
• Baraggan arrived in a fury over Marrow’s death, and Lu Li told Nel and Ulquiorra to leave while he faced the King of Hueco Mundo.
• Nel sent Pesche and Dondochakka through a Black Portal, then returned to help Lu Li; Ulquiorra left as instructed.
• Baraggan unleashed his aging power, and Lu Li tried to repel it with Prison Demon before retreating from its reach.

Lu Li struggled to survive Baraggan’s aging aura while worrying that Soul Singer, the Fairy Spirit Seed holder, was approaching. Nel and Ulquiorra returned to help him fight, and Lu Li ordered them to clear the Adjuchas and bombard Baraggan with Cero; the chapter ended with Lu Li appearing behind Baraggan after the aging mist engulfed his decoy.

• Lu Li rejected fleeing through a Black Portal and concluded that he would have to fight Baraggan while suspecting Soul Singer had entered Hueco Mundo to hunt him.
• Lu Li attacked Baraggan with Tide Severance and tested whether Kido could defend against the aging aura, but Baraggan overwhelmed his attacks.
• Nel struck Baraggan with Lanzador Verde and Cero Doble, and Ulquiorra returned to fire a black Cero after realizing he did not want to leave them behind.
• Lu Li told Nel and Ulquiorra to clear the Adjuchas and then help him bombard Baraggan with Cero while he drew Baraggan’s attention.
• Baraggan spread his aging mist over Lu Li and a nearby Adjuchas, but Lu Li reappeared behind him, leaving only a corner of his clothing in the mist.

Lu Li fought Baraggan and Soul Singer, a level 37 Pioneer who had targeted Lu Li for his Spirit Seeds. As Lu Li faced Soul Singer at full power, Aizen appeared in the World of the Living and asked Pesche where Lu Li was.

• Lu Li used Utsusemi to attack Baraggan, then took a Quincy arrow meant for Nel and Ulquiorra and was badly wounded.
• Soul Singer revealed that he had been hunting Lu Li for his Spirit Seeds and repelled Baraggan's attack while moving to kill Lu Li.
• Lu Li activated the Eight Gates Released Formation and blocked Soul Singer's arrow, while Nel and Ulquiorra stood between him and Baraggan.
• Lu Li and Soul Singer joined forces briefly to cut through Baraggan's attack, then clashed as Nel and Ulquiorra held Baraggan back.
• Soul Singer replaced his Quincy bow with a harp, and Lu Li sensed a dangerous aura as their battle intensified.
• Pesche and Dondochakka emerged from a Black Portal in the World of the Living, where Aizen asked Pesche where Lu Li was.

Lu Li, Ulquiorra, and Nel fought Soul Singer and Baraggan, but the Quincy’s Spirit Particle attacks overwhelmed Lu Li while Baraggan pressed the two Hollows. As Ulquiorra and Nel refused to abandon Lu Li, he claimed their presence had kept him from using his ultimate moves, and Soul Singer paused to let him try.

• Soul Singer gathered Spirit Particles and bombarded Lu Li with musical notes, forcing him to evade while his lightning and arrows failed to break through the Quincy’s defenses.
• Baraggan attacked Ulquiorra and Nel, who defended Lu Li from joining the fight; Ulquiorra severed his tainted arm and Nel’s hind leg before they tried to counter with Ceros.
• A girl in a red dress emerged from the sand, dismissed the battle as boring, and began to leave.
• Soul Singer’s notes badly injured Ulquiorra and Nel, while Lu Li’s armor and body suffered heavy damage as he struggled to survive the barrage.
• Lu Li ordered Ulquiorra to take Nel and leave, but Ulquiorra stayed; Lu Li then said their presence had prevented him from using his ultimate moves, and Soul Singer stopped attacking to give him a chance.

Lu Li was nearly killed in Hueco Mundo until Aizen arrived and drove off the Soul Singer, leaving Baraggan behind. After reuniting, Lu Li and Aizen discussed whether Lu Li could safely return to Soul Society, and Aizen offered to help him if he chose to go back.

• Nel and Lu Li prepared for a final stand against the Soul Singer and Baraggan, but Lu Li was close to opening his Seventh Gate or Gate of Death.
• Aizen used Hadō #81: Severing Void to stop Baraggan’s Black Dragon and arrived in time to save Lu Li.
• Aizen trapped the Soul Singer with Black Coffin, but the Quincy broke free and fled; Lu Li decided to recover and fight him himself later.
• Aizen suppressed Baraggan with his Reiatsu, then reunited with Lu Li and met Nel and Ulquiorra.
• In a cave, Aizen warned Lu Li that Soul Society might interrogate and punish him for surviving in Hueco Mundo alongside Hollows.
• Aizen offered to help Lu Li return, but Lu Li cautioned him against using Kyōka Suigetsu on Central 46 and risking exposure.

Lu Li agreed to help Aizen establish a research base in Hueco Mundo and take control of the realm while Aizen pursued ways to surpass the limits of Shinigami and Hollows. He set a boundary against experimenting on Rukongai residents, and Aizen accepted Lu Li’s suggestion to use wicked souls from the Living World instead.

• Aizen told Lu Li that his careful preparations might allow him to return to the Fifth Division, then revealed a second plan after Lu Li asked about it.
• Aizen explained that he wanted to research Shinigami Hollowification and Hollow Shinigamification, and Lu Li agreed to remain in Hueco Mundo and record Adjuchas evolution.
• Aizen asked Lu Li to help bring Hueco Mundo under their management and build a research institute there, and Lu Li agreed to find talent and research materials.
• Lu Li told Aizen not to use Rukongai residents as test subjects and proposed that he experiment on wicked souls after they died in the Living World.
• Aizen praised Lu Li’s proposal and agreed not to harm Rukongai residents.

In the Dangai, the Soul Singer planned to find an ally who could help him counter Aizen and give him a chance to take Prison Demon’s Spirit Seeds. Meanwhile, Lu Li showed Aizen his new cultivation technique and asked him to use hypnosis to help Lu Li reconnect with his Zanpakuto.

• Blood Rain mocked the Soul Singer for fleeing Aizen, and he said he would seek other allies rather than return to the Wandenreich.
• The Soul Singer left the Dangai intending to find help against Aizen and eventually face Prison Demon alone for the Spirit Seeds.
• Lu Li gave Aizen a communicator and demonstrated his Sage Mode and Dragon Transformation Art, then shared the technique’s complete text.
• Aizen speculated that Lu Li’s unusual abilities came from his Zanpakuto and asked whether he could use Bankai.
• Lu Li explained that he still could not communicate with his Zanpakuto or enter the abyss within his soul, and asked Aizen to hypnotize him.

With Aizen guiding Lu Li through Zanpakuto resonance, Lu Li encountered Prison Demon and glimpsed a desolate world beyond its sealed cage. He emerged after a nineteen-second rampage that devastated the landscape and nearly killed Aizen, leaving Lu Li to suspect that the power came from something ancient within his own soul.

• Aizen used Kyōka Suigetsu to guide Lu Li into his soul space so he could resonate with Prison Demon.
• Lu Li found Prison Demon imprisoned in a strengthened cage, and the Demon briefly opened the gate and sent him an image of a ruined world.
• Prison Demon's attempt to communicate nearly shattered Lu Li's soul, but flames in the lava world stabilized him.
• Lu Li awoke to find the cave and mountain range destroyed, and Aizen revealed that Lu Li had rampaged for nineteen seconds and nearly killed him.
• Lu Li treated Aizen's injuries and reasoned that the Demon God's power had existed within his soul before he obtained his Asauchi.

After an uncontrolled surge of power left Aizen badly injured, Lu Li considered safer ways to develop Prison Demon and learn Bankai. He decided to remain in Hueco Mundo and announced that he intended to rule it, while Ulquiorra offered a lead on powerful Hollows.

• Aizen treated Lu Li's injuries and warned him that his dangerous power surge might have been Bankai, then described the Apotheosis Device as a risky way to materialize a Zanpakuto.
• Lu Li rejected using the device to release Prison Demon and learned that Aizen had mastered Bankai in about two months.
• Lu Li considered three possible paths to Bankai: nourishing Prison Demon with his soul, growing stronger, or pursuing a new idea he had not yet planned out.
• Nel, Dondochakka, and Pesche returned to find the battlefield devastated, and Aizen departed for Soul Society while Lu Li stayed in Hueco Mundo.
• Lu Li told Nel and Ulquiorra that he intended to rule Hueco Mundo and recruit rational companions to replace Baraggan's rule.
• Ulquiorra offered to guide Lu Li to a place where Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande might be found.

Lu Li analyzed Soul Singer’s Fairy Spirit Seed and decided to pursue Bankai rather than compete with him through Reiatsu techniques. He then reached Coyote Starrk’s corpse-strewn refuge and invited the lonely Hollow to join them, only for Starrk to warn that Lu Li looked fragile.

• Lu Li concluded that Soul Singer’s Fairy Spirit Seed amplified Reiatsu and resolved to regain his honor by learning Bankai.
• Ulquiorra led Lu Li and Nel to a remote range of Menos Grande corpses, where Lu Li suspected Coyote Starrk was living.
• Lu Li found Starrk sitting alone and asked whether he had killed the Hollows; Starrk said they had come there and died on their own.
• Lu Li invited Starrk to join them, and Starrk agreed that he was looking for companions but said Lu Li looked easy to kill.
• Lu Li sensed that Starrk’s leaking Reiatsu had killed Hollows who stayed near him for too long.