Aizen's Fury

In Aizen's secret laboratory, cold experimental tables are neatly arranged, and tiny fragments of souls float in glass containers.

Within the central container, the Hōgyoku slowly floated, its warm blue light permeating every inch of space.

It was a transcendent creation capable of breaking the limits of the soul and overturning the rules of the three realms; it was also the absolute core of all of Aizen's plans.

Aizen stood in front of the experimental table, before a huge petri dish containing a mass of Reiatsu.

Those are primordial spiritual Reishi extracted from fragments of the Soul Reaper's soul, slowly recombining under the influence of the Hōgyoku.

Wang Xun stood beside him, holding a notebook in his hand, his gaze fixed on the complex Reiatsu fluctuation diagrams.

"The soul of Soul Reaper has an inherent limit."

Aizen's voice was calm and deep, conveying a truth he already knew by heart.

No matter how talented or hardworking you are, there's always a limit.

"Some are stuck at the Seated Officer level, some at the Vice-Captain-level, some at the Captain-level..."

He turned around and looked at Wang Xun.

"But the Hōgyoku can break through this limit; it can unleash the hidden power deep within the soul, allowing the Soul Reaper to reach realms that were previously inaccessible."

Wang Xun raised his head and looked at Aizen.

"So, you used the Hōgyoku to catalyze the souls of the Soul Reaper, attempting to push them beyond their limits?"

Aizen nodded.

"It's about transcending limits. If we can break through this boundary, the power of the soul can reach a completely new realm."

He walked to the petri dish, raised his hand, and gently touched the glass wall with his fingertips.

Reiatsu seeped in through my fingertips, and the Reiatsu cluster in the petri dish began to fluctuate, as if it had been awakened by something.

"That's why I had you participate in this experiment. Your Hollowfication constitution is the best sample."

"By studying the changes in your Reiatsu, we can deduce the catalytic mechanism of the Hōgyoku."

Wang Xun remained silent, merely gazing at the surging Reiatsu within the petri dish.

His gaze passed over the petri dish and landed on another container deep inside the laboratory.

His illusory clone is sealed there.

Wang Xun with his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the experimental diagrams. He seemed to be listening intently, but in reality, he was multitasking.

While meticulously memorizing Aizen's explanation, he subtly sensed the illusory clone within the barrier using a faint trace of Reiatsu.

The white void lay quietly in the sealed container, its Reiatsu stable and its condition good.

At this moment, it is perfectly hidden among the many experimental materials, quietly waiting for the right moment to approach the Hōgyoku.

Aizen was unaware of what Wang Xun was thinking and continued explaining. Suddenly, his voice stopped.

Aizen's brows furrowed slightly, his gaze deepened, and a strange sense of foreboding crept into his heart.

This premonition had no source or sign, yet it was so clear that it unsettled him.

Wang Xun noticed his unusual behavior and asked in a deep voice.

"Lieutenant Aizen, what's wrong?"

Aizen did not answer immediately.

He stood there, motionless, his gaze piercing through the laboratory walls, landing in a distant direction.

"Nothing."

He finally spoke, but there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

"But something just feels off. I can't quite put my finger on it, it's just a kind of..."

He paused.

"A bad feeling."

Wang Xun's brow twitched slightly; he didn't know why Aizen would suddenly say that.

Did he really sense something?

Not long ago, Kaname Tōsen lead a team to the deserted mountain experimental base to retrieve equipment. It can't be such a coincidence...

Contrary to Wang Xun's guess, Aizen secretly thought that perhaps he was just too tired from his recent busy experiments.

Aizen suppressed his unease, looked back at the experimental diagrams, and continued explaining to Wang Xun.

"Never mind that, let's continue. Next is the Reiatsu matching between the test subject and the Hōgyoku..."

Aizen continued speaking, but his pace was faster than usual, and his gaze was more unfocused.

Wang Xun could sense that his attention was no longer on this.

A few minutes later, Aizen suddenly stopped what he was doing.

"Wrong."

His voice was soft, but Wang Xun could hear the gravity in it.

"At this time, Tōsen should have returned with his belongings."

He turned around and looked at Wang Xun.

"Come with me."

Wang Xun put down his notebook.

Where to go?

"I want to go and see for myself the place where the Garganta experimental equipment is recycled."

Aizen said nothing more and turned to walk out of the laboratory.

Wang Xun understood immediately, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.

He knew that the people of the Wandenreich had most likely already made their move, Kaname Tōsen become the first victim.

The clash between these various forces is finally about to come into the open.

Aizen walked quickly, and Wang Xun followed behind him, passing through the long corridor and out of the laboratory.

The night was deep, and the moonlight was cool and clear.

The two headed west, traversing the wasteland of Rukongai, and hurried toward the desolate mountain.

Aizen's Shunpo extremely fast, Wang Xun could barely keep up.

The night wind whistled in my ears, lifting the hem of my clothes, which fluttered in the moonlight.

The outline of the barren mountains came into view.

Aizen stopped in his tracks. His Reiatsu spread outwards as he sensed everything around him.

The multi-layered Reiatsu isolation barrier he had set up was broken.

If it weren't for the unique Reiatsu mark engraved on the barrier, he wouldn't have been able to detect that the defenses of this area were already completely ineffective.

Aizen's heart sank.

That ominous feeling instantly came true.

Sure enough, something bad happened.

"The barrier has been broken."

Aizen's voice was low, but every word carried a chill.

Wang Xun stood behind him, his expression grave as he surveyed the surroundings.

"How could this be..."

A cold glint flashed in Aizen's eyes, and his Reiatsu was suppressed to the extreme, carrying a chilling aura.

He didn't speak, but strode into the depths of the mountain valley, as still as the calm before a storm.

The two walked deeper into the mountain valley.

The further you go in, the more obvious the traces become.

The rubble on the ground had been disturbed, and there were charred marks left by the Reiatsu explosion on the rock wall. The air was filled with the lingering scent of dissipated Reishi.

The scene has been cleaned up.

Aizen surveyed his surroundings and came to this conclusion.

He stood there, his gaze sweeping over the scene of utter chaos.

The equipment that needed to be recycled was smashed and scattered all over the ground.

There were some cleaned-up bloodstains on the ground, but some residue remained, gleaming with a dark red sheen in the moonlight.

His gaze fell on the Zanpakuto.

The blade, stained with blood, lay silently on the ground, its edge reflecting the moonlight with a cold, gleaming light.

Aizen crouched down and picked up the sword.

His fingers gently traced the blade, feeling the lingering Reiatsu on it.

His expression remained unchanged, but Wang Xun could feel that the temperature around him was dropping rapidly.

"This is Kaname Tōsen's Zanpakuto."

His voice was calm, eerily calm.

Aizen's aura was extremely low, and a chilling killing intent permeated the air as if it were a tangible substance.

At the same time, his fingertips clenched slightly, and a chill rose in his heart.

They arrived quickly; in terms of time, they weren't much late.

However, the other party was able to break through his barrier silently, and in a very short time, subdue Kaname Tōsen, who was capable of Bankai, and still had time to clean up the scene, taking away all the data and prisoners.

This is no ordinary enemy.

But who exactly is the enemy?

What is the purpose?

Wang Xun stood behind him, his expression solemn.

He knew perfectly well what had happened here; the people of the Wandenreich had arrived and attacked the place.

But he didn't expect that Kaname Tōsen be captured so quickly.

That guy had mastered Bankai, after all. The character who could take him down in such a short time must be a top-tier fighter in the Wandenreich.

Aizen stood up and looked around.

His gaze swept over the cleanup marks, the smashed equipment, and the bloodstains on the ground.

There are obvious signs of cleaning around the area.

His voice was very low.

"The enemy doesn't want anyone to know who did it; that's... kind of like Stealth Force."

He turned around and looked at Wang Xun.

Those eyes held no emotion at that moment, only a cold, scrutinizing gaze.

"Wang Xun."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xun's fingertips felt slightly cold.

Do you know what happened here?

Wang Xun did not hesitate.

I don't know.

Wang Xun raised his head and looked into Aizen's eyes.

He didn't look away, but simply lowered his head slightly, his tone calm and composed.

Aizen looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

He certainly suspected Wang Xun.

With Kaname Tōsen's disappearance, Wang Xun is the biggest beneficiary.

Even without Kaname Tōsen, Wang Xun has the ability to take over Kaname Tōsen's position and control the discourse surrounding the Hōgyoku experiment and many other matters.

But Aizen couldn't have imagined Wang Xun's reason for making his move at this moment.

This is inconsistent with Wang Xun's usual style of doing things, and it puts him in too much danger.

Is he really so reckless as to think he'll be forced to reuse Kaname Tōsen because of his disappearance?

Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill him?

Wang Xun sensed that the atmosphere around Aizen had changed.

Dangerous, chilling, yet strangely familiar.

When Wang Xun was still weak, Unohana at the training ground on the back mountain of the Fourth Division.

Aizen stared into Wang Xun's eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

He didn't believe Wang Xun was completely selfless, but he also couldn't understand why Wang Xun would join forces with others at this time to eliminate Kaname Tōsen.

Wang Xun wouldn't be that stupid, much less reckless.

It seems that this matter may not really have much to do with him...

Just then, Aizen noticed something.

His gaze passed over Wang Xun and landed in the shadows in the distance.

Shadows are churning.

It wasn't the change in light and shadow, but the shadow itself that was writhing, like a pool of turbulent black water.

The distortion grew more and more intense, until finally a figure emerged from the shadows.

The waning moon pierced through the thin mist, illuminating the figure.

A blond man emerged from the shadows, under Aizen's gaze.

Haschwalth wore a pure white uniform, his long golden hair cascading down his back. His azure eyes swept over Aizen and Wang Xun, cold and serene.

Cang Du led the captured Kaname Tōsen he remained here, waiting to see if anyone else would come.

Unexpectedly, he actually got his wish.

Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.

It seems that things are not as he thought.

Who are you?

Aizen's voice was deep and calm.

"Are my men in your hands?"

Haschwalth's gaze fell on Aizen, a hint of wariness flashing in his azure eyes.

He could clearly sense that the seemingly ordinary Grim Soul Reaper in front of him, wearing black-rimmed glasses, was no ordinary person.

He glanced at the dawning sky; the eastern horizon was already tinged with the pale light of day.

If the battle lingers here, it will inevitably alert the Seireitei Gotei 13.

This would greatly increase the risk of exposing the existence of the Wandenreich, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Try something first to test the waters, then make a plan.

With this in mind, Haschwalth no longer hesitated.

He flashed forward, his longsword instantly unsheathed, the sharp sword light heading straight for Aizen's heart with extreme speed and without the slightest hesitation.

Aizen drew his Zanpakuto from his waist and blocked Haschwalth's slash.

The blades clashed, sending a string of cold sparks flying.

Aizen his wrist, and Haschwalth's sword was deflected.

Haschwalth remained calm, sheathed his sword, and attacked again.

This time, his sword was faster and more ruthless, each strike carrying a sharp Reiatsu.

"You mentioned subordinates, so it seems you're the one behind this."

Haschwalth's voice remained calm and still.

"Your men are holding firm; so far, they haven't said a word."

Aizen simply turned to the side and tilted his head, thus avoiding all the attacks.

"It seems you were the ones who kidnapped Tōsen."

"Who are you people, and what is the purpose of this operation?"

Aizen moved with the ease of taking a stroll, his face expressionless.

The two asked each other questions and probed each other's intentions, but neither wanted to answer the other's questions.

Haschwalth then found himself in a somewhat precarious situation.

The person in front of him was very strong, so strong that he had almost no chance of winning without using Schrift.

Moreover, this place is too close to Seireitei, and dawn is approaching. If the fighting continues, it is very likely to attract the attention of Seireitei.

He sheathed his sword and stepped back.

Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Want to leave?"

His right hand was loosely clenched at his waist, and Reiatsu suddenly condensed.

"Hadō #90: The Black Coffin"

The black cubes pressed in from all directions, completely sealing off the space where Haschwalth was located.

The Reiatsu raged wildly within the cube, enough to crush any living being into pieces.

But Haschwalth's figure had already disappeared into the shadows beneath his feet.

The shadows washed over his body like flowing water, engulfing him completely.

The Black Coffin closed, trapping only a wisp of a shadow.

Aizen withdrew his hand, his brows furrowing slightly as he watched the shadow gradually subside.

"... shadow?"

Aizen stared at the empty shadows, a hint of seriousness and apprehension flashing in his eyes.

This mysterious person who suddenly appeared was incredibly powerful, used unpredictable methods, and could even manipulate shadows to travel through time; clearly, he had come prepared.

Aizen's fingertips gently caressed his fingers, a hint of inquiry and coldness flashing in his eyes.

It seems that beneath the surface of Soul Society lies a force he was unaware of.

Why did they contact me?

Aizen knew he still had a lot to do and a lot to figure out.

Wang Xun stood aside without saying a word.

Haschwalth's appearance was very timely, clearing him of suspicion in Aizen's eyes.

Aizen stood there, silent for a long time.

The night wind blew by, picking up the bloodstains on the hem of his clothes.

"Wang Xun."

Aizen did not turn back.

"Clean this up, then return to the lab."

He turned around and looked at Wang Xun.

Those gentle eyes now held only a cold emotion.

"Starting tomorrow, you will take over Kaname Tōsen's part of the Hōgyoku experiments."

"Secondly, we need to investigate this group. We need to know who they are and why they've come after us."

Wang Xun lowered his head.

"Clear."

Aizen said nothing more, took the Zanpakuto that Kaname Tōsen, and turned to walk out of the mountain.

Wang Xun stood there, looking at the spot where the shadow had disappeared.

He knew that Aizen's suspicions wouldn't be completely dispelled by Haschwalth's appearance.

But at least, he got through this hurdle.

He exhaled softly and turned to walk towards the scattered equipment.

In the distance, the sky was already turning white.