Experience Soared

Wang Xun frowned slightly and instantly suppressed the restless Reiatsu.

At the same time, he stepped back several paces to put some distance between them, breathing slowly.

"Senior?"

Kaien noticed the change in Wang Xun's expression and hurriedly stopped attacking.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"...No, I'm fine."

Wang Xun calmed his surging blood and the restless trace of Reiatsu.

"I just got a little tired all of a sudden. Sorry, Kaien, let's stop here for today."

Seeing Wang Xun's complexion, Kaien immediately felt ashamed.

"Sorry, Senior. It's my fault. I didn't realize we'd been fighting for so long..."

"It's all right. I gained a great deal from this spar. We can continue next time we have a chance."

Feeling that nothing was amiss with his body anymore, Wang Xun grew calm again and replied with a smile.

Seeing Wang Xun's condition, Kaien's expression immediately relaxed.

He rubbed the sore spots on his body.

"Tonight was really exhilarating. I didn't expect you to be this strong, Senior."

His tone was sincere, with a hint of admiration.

"With your strength, you should be able to join the Gotei 13, right? Why are you still unknown at the Spiritual Arts Academy?"

Kaien was a little curious.

"I have indeed been hiding my abilities at the Spiritual Arts Academy. I'm after a peaceful life, so I have no desire to draw attention to myself."

"You're the first person to know my true strength. I hope you can help me keep it a secret, Kaien."

Seeing the trust in Wang Xun's eyes, Kaien was moved.

Everyone had different beliefs. Since this was the path Wang Xun had chosen, he would not say anything.

Kaien patted his chest.

"Don't worry, Senior. I will."

Wang Xun looked at Kaien. Although Kaien's breathing had already steadied, he clearly still had strength to spare.

Wang Xun had gained a great deal from this spar.

Wang Xun glanced at the system. Apart from Kidō, the experience points in every other category had risen substantially.

[Spiritual Might experience +580]

[Kendō experience +320]

[Hakuda experience +380]

[Shunpo experience +350]

A single fight with a genius like Kaien yielded far more than daily training and picking up ordinary fragments.

The two tidied up briefly, then headed down the mountain and returned to the Shiba Clan residence.

By the time they returned to the Shiba Clan residence, it was late at night.

Kūkaku sat at the courtyard entrance, with a warm yellow lamp burning under the eaves.

"Big brother, Wang Xun, you're back."

Seeing the two return travel-worn, Kūkaku yawned and waved to them.

Kaien glanced at the sky.

"Senior, why don't you stay here for the night? We can head back together tomorrow."

"All right, then. Sorry for the trouble."

"Haha, there's no need to be so polite with me."

Kūkaku was a little puzzled as she watched the two, who had grown much closer.

When did big brother and Wang Xun get so close?

"All right, it's cold. Come inside."

Kaien arranged for Wang Xun to stay in a guest room.

Lying in bed, Wang Xun quietly reviewed what he had gained that day.

He had gained more experience today than he had expected. It seemed he could seek Kaien out every few days from now on.

A breakthrough to lv4 in Zankensōki was close at hand.

By then, his strength would be enough to match that of an upper-middle-ranking Seated Officer.

But the strange movement of that trace of Hollowfication Reiatsu during today's spar forced him to take it seriously.

As he recalled, for a Soul Reaper to complete Hollowfication, they needed at least the Reiatsu of a lieutenant for it to be stable.

His current Spiritual Might level was not high, and although he had the system to fall back on, he still did not know what would happen if he triggered Hollowfication.

But if... there were an extremely remote place that could block Reiatsu, perhaps he could give it a try.

But that would require careful planning and preparation.

There were only a handful of people in Seireitei who could make that possible.

The next day, Wang Xun returned to the Spiritual Arts Academy with Kaien.

In the days that followed, Wang Xun's life returned to its regular routine, though it was also somewhat different.

In other people's eyes, he was still that fifth-year student with average grades.

But Nanao noticed that Wang Xun had changed a little.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but Wang Xun seemed to be much more diligent than before.

In particular, a while ago, she had seen him training seriously on the training grounds, an unprecedented sight.

Though lately he had gone back to his usual lazy ways.

Meanwhile, Wang Xun and Kaien Shiba began spending time together more frequently.

Recently, Wang Xun had always been hanging around with Kaien Shiba. The two often sneaked out of school together, and she didn't know what they were doing.

On days off in particular, Wang Xun disappeared early in the day.

He spent much less time at the library with her.

Nanao had quite a few complaints about that.

That guy isn't sneaking off to see Kūkaku Shiba, is he?

Whenever she thought of it, Nanao felt especially irritated, as though something were weighing on her heart.

Although Wang Xun had said he had been training with Kaien lately, Nanao couldn't convince herself with that explanation.

She decided to secretly follow him.

After class that day, she rushed home, changed into her everyday clothes, took her pass for entering and leaving Seireitei, and secretly lay in wait near the White Way Gate.

Before long, she saw Wang Xun and Kaien come out together, just as she had expected. The two passed through the bustling streets and reached a rarely visited stretch of woods.

The next second, they both used Shunpo and vanished from where they stood.

Nanao's pupils narrowed slightly.

The two were so fast that even she, a fellow member of the elite class, could barely catch sight of them.

That speed was even greater than that of the teachers who taught their classes.

Nanao would not have been surprised to see Kaien Shiba display such strength.

After all, it would have been strange for someone with sixth-class Spiritual Might not to have that kind of strength.

But... Wang Xun?

Nanao rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Her mind was in a jumble.

Could what Wang Xun said about training with Kaien Shiba have been true?

As her thoughts ran wild, a finger poked her shoulder.

"Huh?!"

Nanao jumped in fright and looked back. Wang Xun was standing behind her with a smile.

Seeing that it was Wang Xun, Nanao felt a little embarrassed at being caught following him, on top of her fright. That embarrassment then turned into a trace of anger.

Nanao stood there in a daze for a moment, her face flushing bright red. Then she raised her small hands and punched Wang Xun hard twice.

That's for scaring me, that's for scaring me...

"All right, Nanao. Why were you secretly following us?"

Only after Nanao's anger had finally faded and her expression gradually calmed did Wang Xun ask softly.

Hearing this, Nanao turned her face slightly away, her voice a little awkward.

"It's nothing. I just... wanted to know what you were going to do. Lately, you've hardly spent any time with me..."

"Ah, no! That's not what I meant..."

Watching Nanao blush and fluster about, Wang Xun found it amusing, but he couldn't help sighing inwardly.

He had been so absorbed in grinding experience with Kaien lately that he really had neglected Nanao a little.

He gently patted Nanao on the head.

"I'm just doing some training with Kaien in private. Don't think too much about it. It'll be dark soon, so head back early."

"Don't worry. Once the Konsō practicum is over, I'll go to the library with you just like before."

Although Nanao didn't understand the point of what Wang Xun had been doing lately, as she looked into his eyes, she felt as though something had filled her heart.

Nanao pressed her lips together and finally nodded gently.

"Mm, I'll wait for you."