Plans Upon Plans

Urahara Kisuke's surrender caught everyone completely off guard.

Even Tang San could hardly believe it.

Xiao Wu found it even harder to accept.

"You didn't even finish fighting. Why did you surrender?" Dai Mubai also felt it was a pity for Aizen and the others.

Aizen shook his head and explained, "If Urahara Kisuke believes we lost, then we lost. There's nothing to regret. A Soul Sage with a Martial Soul Avatar truly is powerful. We underestimated him."

At that moment, Zhao Wuji had nowhere to vent all his strength. It felt as miserable as punching cotton.

"Although you kids were a little arrogant, you can still enroll. You forced out my Martial Soul Avatar, so you can definitely enter the academy." Zhao Wuji wanted to persuade Aizen and the others to stay.

Aizen waved his hand, declining Zhao Wuji's goodwill.

"Since we lost, we must honor our promise. Would you be willing to leave us with a lifelong knot in our hearts just because of a single sentence from you?"

Zhao Wuji was rendered speechless. What mattered most to a strong person was facing their true nature. If one's convictions were blocked, then that was all they would ever amount to.

As they watched Aizen and the others leave Shrek Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu felt terrible.

The feelings they had built over so many years erupted all at once.

Xiao Wu threw her arms around Aizen, burying her little head against his chest. A patch of his clothes was soon soaked through.

Aizen gently stroked Xiao Wu's head and said, "Let go."

Xiao Wu shook her head and muttered, "No!"

Aizen continued to persuade her. "No feast lasts forever. You've grown up. The road ahead is one you must walk on your own."

"I don't want you to go. I haven't even repaid you for teaching me!" Xiao Wu cried.

Perhaps Aizen Sousuke's template was influencing him, but Xiao Wu looked so much like HInamori Momo when she had discovered that Aizen Sousuke was not dead. Aizen's hand nearly went for his sword, wanting to give Xiao Wu a blade through the heart.

In the end, he held himself back.

He pushed Xiao Wu away and looked at her tear-streaked face. In a deep voice, he said, "If you keep crying like this, I won't acknowledge you anymore. It's not as though we'll never meet again. Once you've made a name for yourself, hearing of your glory will be the best repayment you can give me."

Xiao Wu wanted to say more, but Aizen's serious gaze made her close her mouth. She could only nod, accepting his request.

At that moment, Tang San stepped forward as well. He wanted to say something, but in the end, a thousand words became a single sentence.

"Take care!"

Aizen smiled faintly. "You too. Zhao Wuji is extremely weak right now, so it won't be hard for you to pass the test. Consider this the last gift I leave you. Goodbye!"

Tang San nodded heavily. "Goodbye!"

After leaving Shrek, the group set out for Suotuo City.

"Lord Aizen, isn't this little performance of yours a bit too cruel?" After wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Ichimaru Gin walked behind Aizen as though he were completely unharmed, unable to resist teasing him.

"What's cruel about it? We'll be enemies sooner or later. There's no difference between being heartbroken now and being heartbroken later," Aizen replied indifferently.

"Then, Lord Aizen, where are we going now?" Urahara Kisuke asked.

During the test just now, he had at least three ways to defeat Zhao Wuji. Yet in the end, Aizen had suddenly told him to surrender.

Though he did not know why, Urahara Kisuke had still done as instructed.

Aizen replied, "During our fight with Zhao Wuji, all of us kept our Soul Power suppressed at level thirty. Even so, we could barely defeat a Soul Sage like Zhao Wuji. So why should we remain at Shrek Academy?"

"My original purpose in entering Shrek Academy, aside from having some fun with Tang San, was to make use of their teaching resources. Having Soul Emperors and Soul Sages as opponents would be tremendously beneficial for helping us familiarize ourselves with fighting high-level Soul Masters."

"However, I've now realized that Soul Sages are not as powerful as I imagined. Shrek Academy no longer has any value to us. Tang San has already set foot on the path we arranged for him. There's no need to bother with him; we only need to wait for him to erupt on his own."

"In that case, we'll accumulate Soul Coins at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City. Once the time is right, I'll establish the Central Spirit Arts Academy. At the same time, we'll try to enter the Soul Master Competition, obtain the soul bones, and hand them over to you for research. We'll see what soul bones truly are and whether there's anything that can be improved."

After receiving Aizen's clear instructions, Urahara Kisuke began revising his own plans as well.

At that moment, Aizen Sousuke suddenly said, "May I leave the group temporarily? I have a plan I wish to carry out."

Aizen was greatly intrigued by this sudden request. This was the first time Aizen Sousuke had formally spoken with him.

"What plan do you have?" Aizen asked.

"This plan is very simple. Since Lord Aizen intends to hunt Soul Masters, indiscriminate hunting will easily draw the attention of the Soul Master world and provoke many factions into joining forces to hunt you down. That would make acting freely inconvenient. My plan is to secretly create conflicts among all the factions. Then, when Soul Masters die, no one will be able to determine who was responsible. That would be highly beneficial for Lord Aizen to remain hidden behind the scenes." Aizen Sousuke summarized his plan in a single sentence, simple and clear.

Aizen considered the plan as he nodded in approval. Urahara Kisuke, however, looked at Aizen Sousuke with some confusion.

Aizen Sousuke ignored that confusion outright. After all, the one who could make the decision was Aizen, not Urahara Kisuke.

"This is a good plan. Go make the arrangements." Aizen quickly agreed to Aizen Sousuke's plan, certain that this was something only Aizen Sousuke could accomplish.

When it came to stirring up hatred, Aizen Sousuke was an expert among experts.

After receiving permission, Aizen Sousuke left the group.

Only after watching Aizen Sousuke leave did Urahara Kisuke step forward and speak.

"Lord Aizen, isn't this a little hasty?"

Aizen frowned. "Is it?"

"Aizen Sousuke is very dangerous. I cannot sense his loyalty, yet I cannot say that he is disloyal either. He is a contradictory person. Letting him act alone and giving him such great freedom... I don't know what he might do," Urahara Kisuke explained.

After a brief moment of thought, Aizen asked in return, "If that is truly the case, do you think keeping him by our side would be any better? Would that prevent him from betraying us? Why not see it this way instead? If he truly intends to betray us, then staying among us would be the best way for him to conceal himself."

Urahara Kisuke nodded and said nothing more.

Though Aizen spoke that way, he still harbored reservations about Aizen Sousuke.

Aizen Sousuke, who had never truly communicated with them, made him feel deeply uneasy.

Silently and without a trace, he had calculated everyone into his schemes.

Just like the battle against Zhao Wuji moments ago, Aizen Sousuke seemed to have anticipated that he would provoke Zhao Wuji into using his Martial Soul Avatar. Then he had added fuel to the flames, thoroughly enraging Zhao Wuji and forcing him to use his full strength.

During the fight, he had gradually made Aizen realize that his decision had been mistaken, leading him to abandon victory and leave Shrek.

It had also made it easier for him to leave the group.

If they had entered Shrek Academy, it would have been much more troublesome for him to do anything alone.

After all, in such a remote backwater, no matter how great his ambitions were, he would not be able to accomplish them.

Before long, the group arrived at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.

The large-scale accumulation of Soul Coins began today!