I Have Arrived, the World of the Strong (5000-Word Mega Chapter)

Chapter 33: I Have Arrived, World of the Strong

Inside the Dangai, Kurosaki Ichigo, Sado, Inoue, and Wu Biao were running for their lives. Behind them, the Kotsutotsu, resembling a train, was devouring everything in its path.

However, unlike the others who wore expressions of pure tension, Brother Biao looked thrilled, carrying a massive backpack while holding Uryu Ishida, with Yoruichi perched on top of the pack.

"Wahahaha, look at you guys, there's a subway chasing us from behind!"

The group ignored him, instead casting puzzled glances at Yoruichi on the pack.

"It's the Kotsutotsu, a cleaner that appears every seven days," Yoruichi frowned. "It just had to show up at a time like this. Anyway, just keep running! That thing is terrifyingly fast!"

"Easy for you to say!" Ichigo shouted indignantly. Yoruichi was certainly speaking from a position of comfort, perched on Brother Biao while telling them to run faster...

Wu Biao remained relaxed. "Hey, hey, didn't you guys hear what this black cat said? Pick up the pace!"

"But this is already our limit!" Inoue took a moment to glance at the rapidly approaching Kotsutotsu, saying urgently. If they were swallowed by the Kotsutotsu before reaching the Soul Society, they wouldn't even have a place to cry!

Sado was in the same boat. Although the two of them possessed spiritual power and unique abilities, their physical conditioning hadn't improved like Ichigo's; in the end, they were still just humans!

"Stop talking! The exit is right ahead!" Yoruichi shouted, looking at the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Uryu, being carried by Wu Biao, looked at the closing Kotsutotsu, his face turning ghastly pale. "No, it's too late!"

The group looked back, and sure enough, the terrifying Kotsutotsu was less than a meter away and closing in.

Inoue's expression tightened, and she prepared to turn and use her abilities.

But just then, Wu Biao, who had been at the back of the group, suddenly surged in speed, grinning wide. "Running to that spot is enough, right!"

Almost the moment he accelerated, he caught up to Inoue, and just as she prepared to use her power... he scooped her up and tossed her onto the large backpack.

"Hold on tight! Brother Biao is going full throttle!" Wu Biao let out a strange cry, took a massive stride, and tossed Sado onto the pack as well, then repeated the process by throwing Ichigo on top.

It was fortunate that Brother Biao's backpack was huge, otherwise, it might not have held so many people!

Once everyone was tossed onto the pack, Brother Biao ran with one person tucked under each arm, three people and a cat clinging to his back, his large feet slamming against the ground with terrifying speed!

Even Yoruichi's eyes showed a hint of surprise, which showed just how fast Brother Biao was under these circumstances.

Most Shinigami using Shunpo might not even be able to catch up to Wu Biao. Running at such a speed, it didn't take long for him to reach the exit, and as the light hit their eyes, the world transformed.

"Wahahaha..."

Accompanied by Brother Biao's signature laughter, the group... or rather, he alone landed on the ground, because everyone was still attached to him!

When Brother Biao landed firmly on the ground, the others jumped off one by one, forced to marvel at the quality of the backpack Kanonji had bought for Wu Biao—it was definitely durable!

Ancient pavilions, empty streets; the entire world seemed devoid of anyone else, or rather, any other souls.

This eerie silence surprised everyone, except for Yoruichi, who glanced at Kurosaki Ichigo, knowing that the reason it was so quiet was entirely due to Ichigo—or more accurately, the Shihakusho he was wearing.

"Is this the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked, observing his surroundings.

"That's right."

Yoruichi spoke up. "This is what is commonly known as the Rukongai. Souls arrive in the Soul Society and stay here. It is located on the outskirts of the Seireitei, where the Shinigami reside. It is the most populous, poorest, but also the freest place in the Soul Society."

"Most populous?" Ichigo and the others were clearly stunned. They had been here for a while and hadn't seen a single person; could this really be called the most populous place?

"Hey, old man, why are you all hiding!"

The group turned to look and realized that Wu Biao, who hadn't said a word since arriving, had somehow run into a nearby barbershop. He dragged an old man out, and judging by the half-cut hair on the old man's head, he had clearly been in the middle of a haircut!

The old man looked at the group in terror, trembling uncontrollably.

Regarding this...

"You idiot, what are you doing!" Yoruichi exploded, hitting Wu Biao with a cat-punch. "Why are you grabbing people? Anyone who enters the Soul Society without a Shinigami's guidance is called a 'Ryoka'. It's normal for them to be scared and hide! Why are you dragging them out!"

"Oh!" Brother Biao nodded in realization. "I see. Who would know if you didn't say anything? I thought this old guy looked pretty dignified, so I figured he was the head of those damn Shinigami!"

Rumble—

Just then, between the Rukongai and the Seireitei, massive stone gates descended from the sky without warning, directly cutting off the Rukongai from the Seireitei. Immediately, an incredibly angry voice erupted from the rising dust: "Release the Elder!"

Yoruichi's mouth twitched upon hearing this. Who could have guessed that Wu Biao would just reach out and grab the Elder of the Rukongai...

"Hah, he's tall. He must be pretty strong!" Wu Biao said while setting the Rukongai Elder aside, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to go up and have a fight!

"Brother Biao, let me handle this!" Kurosaki Ichigo reached out to stop Wu Biao, looking at the icy-faced Jidanbo with a faint smile. "I haven't encountered any opponents since my training, so I might as well use him to test my skills!"

"Tch, suit yourself!" Wu Biao didn't fight Ichigo for it. Although he hadn't fought Jidanbo, just looking at him made it clear that this giant wasn't a so-called Shinigami.

He was just like him, someone who relied on raw strength to fight.

By observing the density of his muscles and the pressure of his physique, Brother Biao could say with certainty that this big guy definitely wasn't as strong as he was!

Yoruichi listened to their conversation, her eyes practically spitting fire.

This Jidanbo was originally from the Rukongai and lived there when he wasn't guarding the gate. That was why Jidanbo had lowered the barrier even though they hadn't forcibly broken in—it was because Wu Biao had grabbed the Rukongai Elder.

Now, with Wu Biao and the others acting like this, in the eyes of the people of the Rukongai, they had likely become heinous villains...

"He's so massive," Uryu Ishida said, looking at the figure. "Who exactly is this guy?"

"Jidanbo. He is a famous strongman of the Soul Society, a hero hand-picked by the Seireitei to guard the White Road Gate leading into the Seireitei—that gate behind him."

"A strongman? You've got to be kidding, he's not even as strong as me!" Wu Biao interjected triumphantly.

However, everyone was already accustomed to ignoring any statement made by Brother Biao, filtering out his words with seamless ease.

"In other words, he is the gatekeeper." Uryu Ishida looked at Jidanbo and said, "If we want to get inside, we have no choice but to defeat him?"

"That's right, but that won't be an easy task. After all, he has held this position for three hundred years. No one has ever managed to break through the White Road Gate he guards; he is a legendary strongman." Yoruichi spoke up, "And although he is not a Shinigami, his axe is equivalent to a Zanpakuto. He once took out 30 Hollows with just a single swing, and it is precisely because of that feat that he became the guardian of the West Gate."

"30 Hollows, and with just one swing." Uryu Ishida looked at Jidanbo and muttered.

"You find me 30 Hollows, and I can wipe them out with a single punch too!" Brother Biao was still working hard to assert his presence!

Ichigo nodded in realization: "So, if I defeat him, I can enter the Soul Society?"

"You could put it that way, but we should still retreat for now and discuss a strategy... Hey!!!"

Before Yoruichi could finish, Ichigo, having received her confirmation, ran straight toward Jidanbo, which made Yoruichi stomp her feet in frustration.

As for Brother Biao, seeing that no one was paying him any mind, he simply put down the large bag he was carrying, first taking out a tablecloth, and then pulling out a huge pile of food.

Biscuits, bread, ham, fruit... everything one could possibly need was there.

"Do you think this is a school field trip!" Uryu Ishida's mouth twitched slightly: "Kurosaki is fighting over there, aren't you worried at all?"

Rip.

Wu Biao tore open the bread packaging and bit off more than half of the loaf in one go, mumbling: "Why should I be worried? That big guy is no match for Ichigo. The current Ichigo is countless times stronger than he was half a month ago!"

Upon hearing this, Yoruichi felt most of her anxiety dissipate. Because she had been staying by the side of Orihime and Sado, she wasn't entirely clear on how strong Ichigo had become, and she couldn't help but feel a bit worried earlier.

Although Wu Biao was a bit of a simpleton, Yoruichi still had a lot of confidence in the things Wu Biao sensed by instinct!

"Hey, do you guys want to eat?"

Orihime and Sado looked at each other and simultaneously moved closer. They had left at one in the morning, and they were indeed feeling a bit hungry...

"Are you sure it's okay to be this relaxed?" Uryu Ishida's mouth twitched again.

Yoruichi glanced at him: "Except for Wu Biao, you are the one carrying a change of clothes, so you have the least right to say that!"

"..."

Meanwhile, the battle on the other side had already unfolded, just as Wu Biao had said. Jidanbo was simply no match for Ichigo. Even if Ichigo stood there and let Jidanbo hack away, Jidanbo could not break through the Zangetsu in Ichigo's hand, which was overflowing with spiritual pressure.

Accompanied by a final crisp sound, Ichigo channeled his spiritual pressure and slashed, cutting Jidanbo's axe in two. Even Jidanbo's massive body was sent flying by this spiritual pressure, which was comparable to that of a captain-level officer.

Regarding this, Wu Biao didn't even glance over, burying his head in his food.

As long as they passed through that gate, they would inevitably face a fierce battle ahead. For Wu Biao, the most urgent task now was to eat his fill and then go inside to have a grand fight.

After some pleasant conversation, Uryu Ishida turned his head and called out: "Hey, get ready to go, Jidanbo has agreed to help us open the White Road Gate!"

"Understood!"

Brother Biao gave a light nod and packed the unfinished food back into his backpack; these were his precious survival supplies, and he absolutely could not lose them. However, Wu Biao's movements suddenly paused, and he twitched his nose.

On the other side, Jidanbo suddenly hoisted the massive White Road Gate, but the moment he lifted it, his body stiffened, and a look of terror appeared on his face.

Although he was still holding the White Road Gate, Jidanbo's eyes were filled with horror as he looked at the person behind the gate. When he confirmed the identity of this person, his body couldn't help but tremble.

It was a man with silver-white hair, skin so pale it would make any woman jealous, narrow eyes slightly squinted, and lips curled upward, carrying a cold and disdainful smile, much like a cunning fox.

"3rd Division... Captain Ichi... Ichimaru Gin." Jidanbo tremblingly stated the identity of the man before him.

Ichimaru Gin looked at Jidanbo and curled his lips: "That won't do, you know!" As he spoke, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist. Without any visible movement, a flash of light appeared out of thin air.

Immediately...

Splat—

A massive wound appeared on Jidanbo's left arm, and a large amount of blood sprayed out simultaneously.

Ichimaru Gin had struck suddenly, and even Ichigo, who was standing next to Jidanbo, hadn't reacted in time.

"As a gatekeeper, losing a fight means death, you know." Ichimaru Gin chuckled and took a step forward, but Ichigo blocked Jidanbo's path at this moment, his body tense as he watched Ichimaru Gin.

He hadn't understood what had happened during that last strike, even from such a close distance, so the moment he stepped out, he channeled all his spiritual pressure to prevent a repeat of the previous attack.

However, he was no match for Ichimaru Gin no matter what, and even channeling all his spiritual pressure would ultimately be in vain!

"You must be Kurosaki Ichigo, the human who took away Kuchiki Rukia's Shinigami powers." Ichimaru Gin looked at Ichigo, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. In truth, the name of the person who took Rukia's powers had not been made public.

The only reason he knew Ichigo's name was because... this was the target that man had been observing all along!

"Yeah, that's me." Ichigo said coldly.

"So it really is you."

Ichimaru Gin turned around, walked away with his back to Ichigo for quite a while before stopping and saying: "Since that's the case, then I can't let you pass even more."

And the moment he stopped, a terrifyingly immense spiritual pressure surged into the sky, crashing down upon everyone like a violent storm. A cold sneer appeared on Ichimaru Gin's lips, and a low voice followed as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto: "Shoot to kill, Shinso."

The terrifying light reappeared, but because the target of this attack was Ichigo, he was able to vaguely perceive a trace of its trajectory.

But seeing it was one thing; he was unable to make an effective response, only managing to hold Zangetsu horizontally in front of him.

Clang—

A long, metallic clashing sound rang out. Ichigo was sent flying backward with almost no ability to resist, not even stopping when he collided with Jidanbo behind him, both of them rolling back over ten meters before coming to a halt.

The White Road Gate slid down as well. Ichimaru Gin, wearing a smile, bent down and waved at the group, softly spitting out two words: "Bye-bye!"

BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, the White Road Gate slammed shut completely!

Just as everyone rushed over to check if Ichigo was alright.

Wu Biao, who had remained silent and hadn't made a move until now, hoisted his massive bundle back onto his back and walked straight toward the White Road Gate.

"Kid, what are you doing?"

Yoruichi was the first to notice this, and upon hearing her words, everyone—including Ichigo, who had just climbed up from the ground—looked toward Wu Biao, only to find that he had already reached the White Road Gate.

He bent down, thrust his right hand into the ground beneath the gate, and lifted it upward.

CRACK!

That incredibly massive door was lifted by Wu Biao with a single hand as easily as if it were nothing, without him even blushing or catching his breath.

One must remember that even Jidanbo, known as the "Legendary Strongman," had to exhaust all his strength and turn purple in the face just to lift this gate, yet in Wu Biao's hands, the White Road Gate seemed as light as if it were made of foam.

Just watching him, one could tell he wasn't even using much effort.

"Ho... how is that possible?" Jidanbo's eyes bulged so wide that one couldn't help but worry they might pop out.

Yoruichi's face was also filled with shock; one had to realize that physical strength and spiritual pressure were two different concepts. Having high spiritual pressure did not necessarily mean one had great physical strength; there was no direct correlation between the two.

Wu Biao's current display of strength was enough to shock anyone!

Moreover, the most important thing was that the wall surrounding the Seireitei was entirely cast from Sekki Seki, which could completely block spiritual pressure. This meant that opening the gate using spiritual pressure was absolutely impossible; one had to rely on pure physical strength.

However...

BOOM—

With a loud crash, the White Road Gate dropped back down, jolting the stunned crowd back to their senses.

"..."

Looking at the spot in front of the White Road Gate where Wu Biao had vanished, veins began to bulge on the foreheads of everyone present, including Yoruichi!

Because that bastard had actually gone inside...

He had gone in all by himself!

"You bastard, open the gate for us!" Yoruichi roared in anger!

Wu Biao, on the other side of the gate, grinned, revealing his signature goofy smile.

But this smile was bone-chillingly cold, a cold that pierced to the marrow, a cold that felt like the dead of winter...

He had arrived!

In this world where experts were as numerous as clouds!

Although he wasn't familiar with Rukia, since she was someone his little brother cared about, she was his family.

There were many strong people here. The moment he stepped into the Soul Society, Wu Biao had already sensed them. Although he couldn't pinpoint their exact locations, the aura of powerful individuals permeating the entire Soul Society was impossible for him to ignore!

So he came, he came alone first!

Regardless of the shouting behind him, Brother Biao paid no heed, because... the people here were strong!

"This is truly interesting!"

Ichimaru Gin, who had already been preparing to leave, had turned around the moment the White Road Gate opened, his eyes filled with surprise as he watched Wu Biao!

Well, thank you all for your support. It's the last two days, and I'm about to drop off the new book rankings. Brothers, if you have recommendation votes, please give them to me!

(End of chapter)