A Time-Type Zanpakutō? Perfect

The Divine Realm above Douluo Continent.

Pfft—

With a soft sound, blood sprayed from Tang San's mouth.

His face turned deathly pale. He slowly wiped the blood from his lips, disbelief filling his eyes.

"What happened? My vision... was interfered with?"

His expression darkened. He swept a cold gaze around him and instinctively sent out his divine sense, but a stab of pain struck the moment it spread. He quickly withdrew it.

"My divine sense is damaged... Was this Destruction's doing?"

Tang San frowned. He soon suppressed his agitation, calmed himself, and began to assess the situation.

"No. He wouldn't stoop to a sneak attack."

"Forget it. Repairing my divine sense comes first."

"Otherwise, I'll be at a disadvantage even if I confront Destruction."

He lowered his gaze toward Douluo Continent below, beyond a barrier his sight could barely penetrate.

"That unpredictable factor in the lower realm... I hope he doesn't get out of hand."

In the town where Song Que lived.

Xu Sanshi had dragged Bei Bei and Tang Ya out to buy supplies.

Wang Dong followed at the back of the group, empty-handed and visibly reluctant.

None of them had expected to leave Shrek Academy so suddenly.

The town was small. It did not take the four of them long to gather everything they needed and head back.

Bei Bei turned to Xu Sanshi beside him and asked, puzzled, "What's gotten into you? Weren't you against dropping out? Why aren't you in any hurry to go back?"

Xu Sanshi curled his lip, looking pleased with himself. "Your great-great-grandfather specifically told you to drop out and train away from the academy. No matter how I look at it, that's strange. There's got to be some hidden benefit."

"Heh. I'll stick with you for now and see what happens. Maybe I'll get a nice surprise."

Bei Bei laughed. "Aren't you afraid my great-great-grandfather will file your withdrawal papers while he's at it?"

"Hah." Xu Sanshi looked utterly confident. "The academy would be desperate to keep a talent like me. I can go back whenever I want."

Bei Bei could not be bothered to argue. He shook his head helplessly.

Just then, Xu Sanshi stopped dead, his pupils contracting.

"Something's different!"

He hurried forward, eyes fixed on the figure in the center of the open ground ahead.

"Song Que! You broke through?!"

Bei Bei and Tang Ya followed his gaze.

Song Que stood quietly in the middle of the courtyard.

His Soul Rings lit up one after another: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black. Light flowed around all five as his powerful Soul Power continued to rise.

Xu Sanshi looked baffled. "Didn't you reach rank forty-seven just recently? How did you suddenly break through?"

Tang Ya stood to one side, a complicated look and a flash of delight in her eyes.

Song Que reaching rank fifty meant the time to avenge the Tang Sect was nearly here.

She silently clenched her fists and gazed at him with burning eyes.

Xu Sanshi hurried over and looked Song Que up and down. "You really hit rank fifty? Now you've left me completely behind."

Song Que looked up with a faint smile. "Don't flatter yourself. You've never beaten me."

"Fine, fine. You're amazing." Xu Sanshi laughed awkwardly, then teased, "So why are your Soul Rings still out? You've broken through already. Are you showing off? Doesn't it tire you out?"

"Quiet."

Song Que kept his eyes closed and focused his mind.

"My Martial Soul is undergoing a second evolution. I can redefine all my Soul Skills, and I'm rebuilding the whole set. Don't disturb me."

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others froze in surprise.

He can choose his own Soul Skills? Could a Martial Soul really have such an unbelievable ability?

They fell silent and waited for Song Que's evolution.

Song Que sank his consciousness into the Hōgyoku within his Martial Soul and considered how to shape his Zanpakutō.

"For the first four Soul Rings, I should prioritize Zanpakutō with strong Shikai abilities in combat."

"Suzumebachi, Shinsō, Hyōrinmaru, and Senbonzakura would all be good choices..."

"The fifth ring was generated by the Hōgyoku, so Zangetsu fits best. Its age can keep increasing as I level up."

"Maybe I can unlock Zangetsu's later forms, too."

He was about to choose his first Soul Skill.

Beside him, Xu Sanshi could not help marveling, "Choosing your own Soul Skills is ridiculous. If you could pick a time or space ability, you'd be invincible, wouldn't you?"

The remark landed lightly.

Song Que's focus wavered, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"A time-type ability..."

For some reason, he recalled Kensei Muguruma, that supposed "powerhouse" with time-type abilities.

He chuckled to himself. "Time-type? Then why not make my first Soul Skill Tsuchinamazuki?"

At that instant, the fleeting thought triggered a faint glimmer from the Hōgyoku within his blade.

Hum—!

His first, hundred-year Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

Song Que's eyes flew open. His face stiffened.

It was not Suzumebachi, the choice he had intended to make.

The long blade in his hand transformed. A surge of vivid green wind power burst from it.

"No! I was joking!"

Song Que was dumbfounded. He frantically sent his thoughts to the Hōgyoku.

"Hōgyoku! I didn't mean it! Change it back!"

"Come on, Hōgyoku, don't do this to me!"

But no matter how he tried to communicate, the Hōgyoku's power kept working. Moments later, his first Soul Skill was set.

Tsuchinamazuki had taken shape.

Song Que stared at the Zanpakutō in his hand, on the verge of tears.

"Xu Sanshi! You and your damn mouth!"

Xu Sanshi looked utterly bewildered. "What did I do? I only said one thing..."

It was too late to undo it now.

Song Que took a deep breath and decided he might as well make the best of it.

"Fine. Since it's set, I'll try it out."

He gripped the blade and barked the release command.

"Release, Tsuchinamazuki!"

Green light burst forth. The long blade instantly condensed into a short, finely crafted dagger. Wisps of green wind blades swirled around it, and a violent gust swept outward.

Song Que casually swung it forward.

Whoosh—!

Wind erupted, sending a condensed blade of air sweeping out. Xu Sanshi, who stood closest, had no time to react. The gust hurled him several meters before he stumbled and fell in a heap.

Silence fell over the courtyard.

Bei Bei, Tang Ya, Wang Dong, and Huo Yuhao stared wide-eyed in shock.

"A wind-type Martial Soul? That's a powerful burst!"

Bei Bei studied the green dagger with a grave expression.

As Song Que felt the new power coursing through him, his frustration began to fade.

Many people had thought Tsuchinamazuki was weak. Perhaps the problem had never been the Zanpakutō, but the way Kensei Muguruma fought.

In his hands, Tsuchinamazuki might reveal abilities no one had seen before.

"Fine. Tsuchinamazuki it is for my first Soul Skill."

"Besides, if I don't use Bankai, it isn't 'time-type,' right..."