I'll Play Dumb and Catch Him Off Guard First

Kisuke Urahara hand, his fingertips gently rubbing the cool surface of the bottle, causing the reagent inside to sway slightly.

The emanating Reiatsu floated in the air, exuding an ominous aura.

Kisuke Urahara's gaze fell on Wang Xun's face, and all the laziness in those always curved eyes disappeared.

He really wanted to ask directly where the ethereal Reiatsu hidden within Wang Xun's body came from.

I also want to ask him if he can control it on his own, and if he knows how unique it is in the Soul Society to have a constitution where these two powers coexist.

These days, he has been studying the Reiatsu data extracted from the Zhu Xun repeatedly.

Although the awakening of the Hōgyoku was still weak, it made unprecedented progress under the stimulation of this special Reiatsu.

He vaguely touched a boundary, a boundary between Soul Reaper and the void.

If this boundary could be broken, allowing the Soul Reaper to wield the power of Hollows, it would mean breaking the Soul Reaper's innate constraints.

But he couldn't say it; if he did, it would be a heinous crime.

The power of Hollows is a taboo strictly prohibited by Soul Society.

His private research on the Hōgyoku had crossed a line, and the rules of the Seireitei were like a giant net, tightly binding him.

As a member of the Gotei 13, Urahara must not reveal his research.

Therefore, he could only subtly probe, trying to get Wang Xun to reveal the secret of that power himself.

Wang Xun met Urahara's gaze with a calm expression, even carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of bewilderment, as if he truly couldn't understand what was so special about the reagent in Urahara's hand.

"Third Seat Urahara, it's just a bottle of medicine, why are you making such a fuss? If there's nothing else, I should return to the Fourth Division; after all, I still have squad duties to attend to."

His tone was indifferent, and he even shifted his feet slightly, as if he were ready to leave at any moment, showing no intention of delving deeper.

This composure made Urahara's heart sink even deeper.

He didn't believe Wang Xun hadn't discovered anything. He could tell that Wang Xun wasn't truly clueless; he was deliberately avoiding the issue.

The boy's thoughts were far deeper than he had imagined.

Urahara tightened his grip on the reagent bottle, causing the Reiatsu around the bottle to fluctuate even more, swirling around his fingertips.

He was somewhat unwilling. He had finally gotten this opportunity; was he really going to just let Wang Xun go like this?

During that test in East Rukongai, the moment Wang Xun's gaze fell on his sleeve, he knew that the boy had noticed.

Urahara chuckled softly, raising his hand to shake the reagent in his hand; the liquid inside gleamed eerily under the light.

"Wang Xun, do you remember that mission where you were about to be transferred from the Second Division?"

"That Adjuchas died suspiciously; as we were leaving, you glanced at my sleeve."

Wang Xun remained silent, simply watching Urahara quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"At the time, I was hiding this in my sleeve."

Urahara held the reagent bottle up to his face and looked at the liquid inside.

"You must have sensed it, otherwise you wouldn't have been looking at me like that."

The laboratory fell into dead silence.

Urahara's words were like a key, unlocking the unspoken understanding between the two.

After a long while, Wang Xun finally spoke, his voice calm and even.

"Third Seat Urahara, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Urahara looked at Wang Xun, the conflict in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by an extreme seriousness.

He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, and spoke each word carefully.

"Wang Xun, within your body lies another power, a power related to the void."

"I don't know how you acquired it, nor do I know if you can sense its presence, but you should understand that this power is very special."

He stared intently at Wang Xun's expression, paused, and then continued.

"You know about the recent disappearances of Soul Reaper in Rukongai, but in reality, there are far more cases than what we've uncovered."

Countless unrecorded souls vanished without a trace, leaving not even a trace behind.

"I suspect someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. This person's strength is unfathomable, and they are also searching for special powers."

Urahara's gaze returned to Wang Xun, his tone carrying a deliberate hint of reminder.

"The power within you is far too unique; you're probably the only one in the entire Soul Society with this kind of physique."

"Once the person behind it all discovers you, you'll become their primary target, and you'll be in great danger."

He took a step forward and handed the reagent bottle to Wang Xun.

"I can help you uncover the truth about this power, help you understand its origin, and help you learn to control it."

"This way, you will not only understand your own strength, but also be better able to protect yourself."

As he finished speaking, Urahara's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of seduction.

"Moreover, this power is very strong. It can significantly enhance all your abilities."

"Your current strength is not bad, but if you master this power, you will become even stronger, so strong that even Captain-level will look at you differently."

Kisuke Urahara stared silently at Wang Xun; his words had made himself perfectly clear.

After all, no Soul Reaper can resist the temptation to become stronger.

He had even planned that, as long as Wang Xun nodded, he could use this pretext to continue researching the Reiatsu within Wang Xun's body and advance the development of the Hōgyoku.

Furthermore, the feasibility of Hollowfication was verified.

But Wang Xun's reaction exceeded his expectations.

Wang Xun looked at the reagent bottle handed to him, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever, neither a desire for power nor a fear of the unknown.

It was just a faint feeling, like looking at something that had nothing to do with oneself.

He took a small step back, avoiding the bottle of reagent, shook his head, his tone still calm, but his eyes held a hint of bewilderment.

"Third Seat Urahara, I still don't understand what you're talking about."

"And I'm strong enough now."

Wang Xun raised his hand and touched the Zanpakuto at his waist; the blade was slightly cool.

"Besides, I'm in the Fourth Division now."

Wang Xun's gaze swept over Urahara, his tone becoming more nonchalant.

"The Fourth Division is the medical division; its duty is to treat the wounded, not to compete. To me, becoming stronger or not is not important."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Urahara's heart.

He looked at Wang Xun, his serious expression gradually freezing, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which then turned into helplessness.

He hadn't expected Wang Xun to refuse for such a reason.

What are the duties of the Fourth Division?

That's just an excuse.

He didn't believe that anyone would genuinely not care about becoming stronger.

He wanted to say something more, to tell Wang Xun the crisis in the Soul Society was imminent, to tell him how terrifying the person behind it all was, and to tell him that only by becoming stronger could he survive.

But the words stuck in his throat.

He saw the determination in Wang Xun's eyes, and he also saw the deliberate distance between them.

He knew that saying anything more would be futile.

Urahara slowly withdrew his hand, holding the reagent bottle in his palm. The pressure from his fingertips gradually loosened, and the curiosity and allure in his eyes were once again concealed by languor.

But that subtle sense of loss couldn't be hidden.

He chuckled, scratched his head, and his tone returned to its usual casualness, as if their earnest conversation had been nothing more than a joke.

"Haha, yeah, I was just being nosy."

"You're right, the Fourth Division's life is supposed to be more relaxed."

He gestured for him to proceed.

"Since that's the case, then I won't force you. This matter is entirely up to you."

"However, if you ever come to a realization and want to uncover the truth behind that power, you can come find me anytime, and we can discuss it further."

Wang Xun looked at Urahara, the doubt in his eyes gradually fading, and he regained his calm demeanor.

The two looked at each other without saying a word, yet it seemed as if they had exchanged a thousand unspoken words.

Then, Wang Xun nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the secret door of the laboratory.

His steps were steady, without the slightest pause.

Urahara stood there, watching Wang Xun's figure disappear behind the hidden door, the smile slowly fading from his face.

He held the bottle of reagent in his hand and sighed softly.