A Fierce Clash!

"So it's you, the scent of my own kind!"

Amidst the ruins, dust and smoke surged into the sky at the sound of these words. A terrifying pressure, similar to spiritual pressure yet distinct from it, slammed into the entire area.

The invisible pressure felt almost tangible; as it swept away the dust and debris, gravel and rubble were sent flying to both sides. Wu Biao stepped out from the path that had cleared among the ruins.

Though his attire was utterly ridiculous, no one could laugh. Just looking at him felt like hearing a beast roaring in one's ears, a fierce and savage aura howling from within his not-so-tall frame.

This was fighting spirit!

Unprecedented fighting spirit!

A tangible fighting spirit radiating from both mind and body!

Clack!

With a crisp sound, Kenpachi slowly landed on the ground. He stared at Wu Biao with burning eyes, a cruel grin spreading across his fierce face until his entire visage looked menacing.

"Yachiru Kusajishi, get out of here!"

Yachiru Kusajishi nodded her little pink head. Without a word, she hopped off Kenpachi's back and headed toward a distant tower.

"Let's have a happy slaughter!"

After Yachiru Kusajishi left, Kenpachi spat out these seven words with a savage grin. Yet, these seven words, carried by his skyrocketing spiritual pressure, formed an endless echo that shook the area like a thunderous roar.

The voice was fanatical and excited, the voice was filled with monstrous killing intent, and the voice revealed a madness that sought to tear everything apart.

This was Kenpachi, known as the strongest Kenpachi in history.

The most bloodthirsty person in the Gotei 13!

The killing intent he had cultivated from slaughter, mixed with his spiritual pressure, turned the very sky a blood-red hue.

This fighting spirit made Wu Biao excited.

This spiritual pressure made Wu Biao fanatical.

This killing intent... made panic rise in Wu Biao's heart.

Because he had never killed a person.

Therefore, he could not withstand it!

But that did not matter. Casting everything aside, he let only one word fill his mind...

Fight!

Fight, fight!

Fight, fight, fight!

This single word boomed in his mind like a thunderclap, echoing continuously until...

"FIGHT!!!"

There was no small talk, no introductions, only battle.

The two needed no words, for the moment they met, that feeling had already explained everything.

They were of the same kind! Seeking only a battle!

They were of the same kind! Seeking only slaughter!

Superfluous conversation was simply unnecessary!

The word "fight" had barely fallen before both figures vanished from where they stood.

Boom—

Before their forms could even be seen, the roar had already sounded. As a fist and a blade appeared alongside their masters, terrifying ripples shot outward. Everything in the vicinity cracked inch by inch, and spiderweb fractures spread out from the center where they stood.

Even the air around the point where the fist and blade collided seemed to distort, and waves of sonic booms vibrated through the air.

"Interesting, so you're that human?"

"Hehe, so you're the so-called captain?"

Both were equally menacing and fanatical, both roared out loud, and neither expected the other... to answer!

The moment they asked, they had already moved.

Bodies surged, spiritual pressure fluctuated.

Clang, clang, clang...

Bang, bang, bang...

Violent attacks that surpassed the limits of dynamic vision began. Both of them were like mad demons, wearing bloodthirsty smiles, crazily attacking one another!

There was no defense, only offense.

Every time a blade slashed down, a fist was sure to meet it head-on.

In a way, the two were truly similar. Not only were they both crazily bellicose, but even their methods of combat were remarkably alike.

Their movements were chaotic and formless, yet they struck with lethal precision whenever the need arose. The beast-like instincts of the two meant they had no need to consider technique; they simply followed their whims, slaughtering at will!

It was as if two wild beasts were clashing!

The sound of fist meeting blade rang out like metal striking iron, a sight that couldn't help but bring a flicker of shock to the eyes of Kenpachi.

Such physical defense was already terrifying, and the strength behind it was even more so. Had there not been spiritual pressure fluctuating across his skin, those punches would have surely caused damage upon impact. Even so, those seemingly ordinary blows made Kenpachi feel the sting of pain!

This only made Kenpachi more and more excited. His instincts had been right; this man... was strong!

Wu Biao was no different. Although his face remained twisted in madness, his pupils revealed a calmness unprecedented, forming a stark contrast to the expression on his face.

His demeanor was as fanatical as fire, yet his gaze was as cold as ice.

It was hard to imagine these two extremes appearing in the same person, and even harder to imagine that this person was... Wu Biao!

Pfft—

Bang—

Accompanied by a dull thud, both figures were sent flying backward. After skidding back over ten meters, they simultaneously stomped one foot into the ground to come to a halt.

Drip!

Blood trickled down. Wu Biao glanced down at the gruesome wound running diagonally from his left shoulder, but there was not a hint of pain on his face—only fanaticism!

Opposite him, a trace of blood leaked from the corner of Kenpachi's mouth, and a deep fist print was etched into his chest. The force carried within that terrifying punch shocked him, but it only served to excite Kenpachi further.

With killing intent surging in his eyes, now tainted by spiritual pressure, Kenpachi took a massive stride forward and lunged at Wu Biao.

Wu Biao felt a blur before his eyes as a dark shadow rushed toward him.

A pungent scent of blood filled the air.

Wu Biao let out a savage grin and threw a punch.

Bang!

A tearing, agonizing pain erupted from Wu Biao's fist. Blood sprayed between them instantly, and Wu Biao was sent reeling backward.

Mid-air, Wu Biao performed a somersault and landed steadily on the ground.

Upon landing, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

The spiritual pressure had grown even stronger!

It was as if it were endless; the blade of the man before him was becoming sharper and sharper!

Under that last strike, his body's resistance to spiritual power had nearly dissipated because the opponent's spiritual pressure was simply too overwhelming.

Wu Biao looked at his blood-drenched fist, his eyes revealing an unprecedented gravity.

Is this what a captain-level existence is like?

A strange look flashed in Kenpachi's eyes. He, too, had not expected that his strike would fail to cause any substantial damage to Wu Biao.

"Interesting, this is truly interesting!!!"

He let out a long roar and stomped his foot, causing the very ground beneath him to explode!

Wu Biao let out a furious shout. A faint black glow emerged on his right arm, and as he threw his punch, the black energy converged, vaguely coalescing into the shape of a dark skull behind him.

Bang!

Blade and fist collided, and the shockwave surged outward. Wu Biao was sent flying like a ball struck by a bat, crashing violently into a building. Kenpachi didn't fare much better, sent sailing through the air in a high arc.

On the other side, seeing that he was about to slam into the wall, a fierce light flashed in Wu Biao's eyes. A series of cracking sounds echoed from his bones as he performed an unnatural, contorted twist in mid-air.

His feet slammed into the outer wall, shattering it into a cloud of debris and stone. Wu Biao's body, like a spring compressed to its limit, suddenly vanished.

When he reappeared, he was already beside the airborne Kenpachi.

Although Kenpachi had no leverage in the air, he felt no fear, swinging his Zanpakuto directly toward Wu Biao's forehead.

Wu Biao sneered. The bones that had been forced out of place instantly snapped back, and using the momentum of his shifting skeleton, he moved his body in a bizarre, lateral motion. He dodged the blade aimed at his head, but he couldn't avoid it entirely; the sword bit deep into his shoulder, sending blood spraying into the air.

The intense spiritual pressure tore at his flesh.

But instead of making Wu Biao feel fear, it brought him an indescribable sense of excitement.

This pain acted like some kind of stimulant, leaving Wu Biao's brain in a state of unprecedented calmness.

Ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, Wu Biao suddenly reached out and grabbed Kenpachi's waist, his fingers digging into Kenpachi's flesh like iron hooks. Although Kenpachi's spiritual pressure had reinforced his body's defenses, Wu Biao's full-force grip still managed to break through!

Stung by the pain, Kenpachi's brows twitched slightly, yet he didn't let out a single cry. He shifted the angle of his Zanpakuto and thrust it directly toward Wu Biao at his waist.

However, once Wu Biao latched onto someone, it was a disastrous situation. Wu Biao's body, as flexible as a noodle, used the force from his grip to swing himself around, suddenly appearing behind Kenpachi.

Opportunity!

A cold glint flashed in Wu Biao's eyes. He wrapped his arms around Kenpachi's shoulders, curled his body into a ball, and planted his feet against Kenpachi's back.

Joint Lock Combat Technique!

The two plummeted toward the ground like a falling stone.

Even Kenpachi couldn't help but be stunned for a split second by such bizarre combat technique.

With his arms restrained and under the force of the terrifying pull, his shoulder joints groaned under the strain. The pain between his bones was enough to make even someone like Kenpachi, who viewed pain as nothing, knit his brows.

Thud!

The two of them slammed heavily into the dirt, the powerful impact sending them flying in opposite directions.

Yet, both twisted in mid-air and landed on the ground as if nothing had happened.

The shirtless Wu Biao stood firmly on the ground, a playful grin on his face.

Battles are rarely decided by strength alone.

Technique is also a major factor, though Wu Biao's strength had reached such an inhuman level that he often relied on brute force to overcome any skill, making it unnecessary for him to use technique. However, this did not mean that Wu Biao's combat skills were weak.

On the contrary, his combat skills were formidable.

Joint locks, palm strikes, punches, and even finger techniques—Wu Biao was proficient in them all. In a sense, Wu Biao was a master of close-quarters combat!

The thrill he craved from flesh-to-flesh impact made him even more passionate about all kinds of fighting techniques.

In other words, Wu Biao was at his strongest when engaged in close-quarters grappling.

With terrifying strength combined with a dazzling array of combat techniques, Wu Biao... was a master of close-quarters combat!

And joint locks could be considered the combat technique Wu Biao excelled at most!

Because he did not kill!

If one wanted to make an opponent lose their ability to fight as quickly as possible, killing them was undoubtedly the most effective way. But there was another combat technique that could achieve this, and that was... joint locks!

Joint locks are a unique set of close-quarters combat techniques developed with human joints as the target. Joints are relatively fragile parts of the human body and are easily damaged.

Once caught in one, it often forces a person to lose their ability to fight in the shortest amount of time!

A martial artist skilled in joint locks is highly feared. Once a master of joint locks gets close, the nightmare begins!

Any part of your body could become their target. These martial artists are often intimately familiar with the tiny joints protected by muscles and are adept at destroying them.

Crack, crack, crack—

Kenpachi Zaraki flexed his backward-bent shoulder bone, and accompanied by a series of crisp snaps, he used his spiritual pressure to forcibly reset the dislocated joint while remaining completely expressionless.

He seemed to feel no pain at all, leaving Wu Biao, who stood opposite him, momentarily stunned.

"What kind of technique is this?" Kenpachi asked.

Wu Biao looked at Kenpachi with a strange expression, suddenly feeling that because the world was different, perhaps joint locks weren't as effective as he had anticipated, for he had forgotten about the existence of spiritual pressure in this world!

But so what!

The corners of Wu Biao's mouth curled up, revealing a savage grin identical to Kenpachi's.

"This is called a joint lock. Want to learn? I can teach you!"

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(End of chapter)