Chapter 243

Soi Fon leaned against the tree trunk.

She stared at the surrounding buildings, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"But those places all have protective barriers in place, some even set up by powerful Kidō themselves."

She spoke, her voice even lower than before.

"Before Tessai Tsukabishi was wanted, the Shihoin Clan specifically invited him. Even if we manage to get to the entrance, there's a high chance we won't be able to break through that barrier."

"The core spell of that barrier was set up by the Great Kidō Master himself. In the entire Seireitei, besides him, how many people can dismantle it?"

She paused for a moment, then turned to look at Wang Xun, who seemed about to say something.

"I know you studied under the Kidō Corps before, but how long did you study there?"

"Tessai Tsukabishi has studied the Kidō for hundreds of years. No matter how talented you are, you could never..."

"It's too narrow."

Soi Fon's eyebrows furrowed.

"What's narrow?"

"Your vision is too narrow."

Wang Xun changed his posture, leaning his back against the tree trunk.

"Tessai Tsukabishi is indeed formidable; the barrier he set up is not easy to dismantle."

"But there's always a way. Have you heard of the Hanki Sōsai? By using the same frequency Kidō to cover the original spell, we can tear a hole in the barrier without triggering an alarm. I should be able to do that."

Soi Fon opened her mouth, her eyes full of suspicion.

"Are you really capable?"

"I'll show you something new today."

66

Soi Fon lowered her head, biting her lower lip, her pupils trembling wildly.

Her toes lightly touched the branches, her ankles twirling.

After a long silence, she finally raised her head again.

"Are we... really going to do this?"

Wang Xun reached out and gently patted the back of her head.

"Do you want to Bankai?"

Soi Fon covered the back of her head and glared at Wang Xun.

"The Tenshintai allows the user to forcibly master Bankai within a few days. Kisuke Urahara used this thing and released it in less than a few days."

"What, you think you're worse than him?"

Soi Fon's brow twitched, and Wang Xun continued.

"So, Captain Yoruichi isn't here right now, but if she were, wouldn't she give you this thing? We're just doing what she would do."

Soi Fon's lips moved, but she couldn't say anything.

"Besides, you said it yourself, the Second Division can't be without a captain. With a major battle imminent, having another Captain-level fighter would be a huge boost to morale. Think about it, doesn't that make sense?"

Soi Fon was a little confused by Wang Xun's words. After hesitating for a while, she asked in a low voice.

How do you know that Kisuke Urahara used the Tenshintai?

"Kisuke Urahara told me."

Soi Fon gritted her teeth upon hearing this.

Reasonable.

She turned her head and glanced at the Shihoin residence one last time.

"If such a thing truly exists, why isn't it more widespread? If more people could master Bankai using the Tenshintai, then the Gotei 13's fighting strength would..."

"Silly girl."

Wang Xun interrupted her.

"There are thresholds to using the Tenshintai. First, you must have the qualifications to become a captain, and second, your Reiatsu must be sufficient."

"Bankai is not something anyone can master. The Tenshintai is just a compressed version of the cultivation process; it is not something created out of nothing."

Without that foundation, what use would it be?

He raised his hand and placed it on Soi Fon's shoulder.

"But you'll be fine, believe in yourself."

Feeling the warmth of Wang Xun's palm, the moonlight shone down, illuminating Wang Xun's bright eyes.

Soi Fon felt her breathing getting a little fast.

She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and when she raised her head again, the hesitation in her eyes had been suppressed.

"Then, I'll do as you say this time."

Wang Xun smiled slightly and patted Soi Fon on the shoulder.

"Action."

Under the cover of night, both of them moved very quickly.

Soi Fon knew the Shihoin Clan's defenses inside and out. She could point out which corridor had hidden sentries, which section of the wall had gaps in patrols, and which corner had blind spots in the surveillance system, even with her eyes closed.

Wang Xun's Shunpo was extremely skillful, and Soi Fon had also undergone long-term stealth training. The two moved through the heavily guarded area without anyone noticing.

They searched for two places.

One of them is the armory in the backyard, which is heavily guarded, but the space inside has no sealing barrier, which does not meet the specifications for storing heavy weapons.

The other location was the entrance to an underground chamber with a complex structure, but after the two explored it, they discovered that it was only used to store emergency supplies.

Then, they made their way deep into the inner courtyard.

This building is distinctly different from others; its walls are engraved with extremely subtle spiritual runes, forming a defensive barrier.

There was also a very subtle ring of fluctuations on the outer layer, suspended in the air half a step away from the wall; this was the police barrier.

The two layers of barriers nested together completely enveloped the entire building.

Two guards stood at the entrance, wearing the Shihoin Clan crest uniform and carrying swords at their waists.

Soi Fon whispered in Wang Xun's ear.

"I've never been here before. It looks very high-class and the location is quite secluded. Is it possible that..."

"Let me observe them. These two barriers seem to be the work of the Great Kidō Daoist Priest. I've seen his method of setting up barriers before."

Wang Xun examined the two layers of barriers for a long time. It was indeed the work of Tessai Tsukabishi. The structure of the technique was in the same style as the spatial barriers he had learned before.

The Reiatsu nodes are densely distributed, and each node has a different phase transition frequency.

If brute force is used to break through, the first barrier won't even break before the second barrier seals off the entire area.

Following Wang Xun's signal, Soi Fon followed him, avoiding the guards' gaze, and the two circled around to the back.

Is there any way?

In the bushes, Soi Fon, his voice low, looked at Wang Xun, his heart pounding with nervousness.

"Watch closely."

Wang Xun raised his right hand.

Reiatsu condensed at his fingertips, and dozens of extremely fine Reiatsu threads extended from them, reaching towards the two layers of barriers.

Soi Fon stared wide-eyed, not daring to breathe too loudly.

The threads precisely located the redundant nodes of the barrier, drilled into them with remarkable accuracy and stability, and then began to vibrate in sync with the frequency of the barrier.

Until the frequency of the trembling Reiryoku threads perfectly matched the frequency of the barrier.

Soon, several extremely fine cracks appeared on the barrier.

There are Reiatsu threads gently pulling along the edges of the crack, holding it in place and preventing it from closing.

The crack slowly widened, from the size of a palm to half a person's width, just enough for a person to pass sideways.

No alarms were triggered throughout the entire process; the alert and defense spells didn't even flicker once.

Soi Fon's expression went beyond mere shock.

Those eyes stared at Wang Xun, as if she were getting to know him from head to toe all over again.

"You..." Soi Fon's voice caught in her throat, "This is a barrier personally inscribed by the Great Kidō Master..."

What Kidō Corps couldn't accomplish in their entire lives, Wang Xun from initial contact to complete dismantling in less than a moment.

"How... how did you do that?"

Wang Xun's lips curled up slightly.

"The principle of 'Hanki Sōsai ' is that you should know it. It's an advanced technique of the Kidō, and the principle is to use the same Kidō to obliterate the opponent's Kidō."

"I used a slight application of the principle of Hanki Sōsai to expand this barrier."

Soi Fon listened, completely bewildered.

She knew that Hanki Sōsai, but could she really do it to this extent?

Wang Xun did not tell Soi Fon that he also used a small amount of spacetime Kidō techniques to freeze part of the barrier.

He learned that from the fragments that fell from Tessai Tsukabishi on the night the captain Hollowfication.

However, saying these things would be too shocking, so in order not to frighten Soi Fon, Wang Xun chose to omit this part.

Anyway, she wouldn't understand it.

"Alright, let's go."

The two sneaked into the barrier and climbed in through the attic window.

The room was not large, and the shelves were filled with sealed artifacts, some wrapped in crystals and others locked in spell boxes.

Soi Fon followed behind Wang Xun, her gaze sweeping over the shelves. She was no stranger to the collections of these Divine Weaponry Division; Yoruichi had mentioned a few of them to her occasionally before.

"Wow, he looks kind of handsome..."

Seeing Wang Xun staring intently at a small trinket, Soi Fon was furious and reached out to tug at him.

"Stop looking, don't move, hurry up and find what you need."

"Oh oh."

After searching the surroundings, Wang Xun discovered that the Tenshintai was placed in a corner at the deepest part of the secret room.

Its shape is that of a white doll the size of a human body, with a smooth and rounded appearance and faint magical patterns flowing on its surface.

Wang Xun picked it up, Tenshintai, and glanced at it to confirm. It was easy to recognize, so he casually tossed it to Soi Fon.

"This is..."

Soi Fon took it and hugged it to her chest, her heart racing.

"Goods in hand, let's go."

The two climbed back the way they came and exited the barrier.

Wang Xun turned and walked to the crack in the barrier, raised his hand to re-condense the Reiatsu threads, and re-filled the redundant nodes according to the original structure.

The barrier was restored to its original state, leaving no trace.

After leaving the Shihoin Clan, Soi Fon felt like she was in a dream, completely dazed.

Looking at Wang Xun beside her, Soi Fon, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn't help but ask.

"When did your Kidō become so powerful?"

Wang Xun smiled upon hearing this.

"Haven't you noticed? I'm actually good at everything."

Soi Fon paused for a moment, looked at Wang Xun's eyes, and seemed to realize something. She blushed and spat at Wang Xun.

"Indecent."

Soi Fon looked at the Tenshintai in her hand and asked in confusion.

"Now, where are we going to use this?"

Wang Xun didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The underground cavity of the Sōkyoku Hill.

This place hasn't changed much since my last visit, except it feels much more spacious.

Soi Fon looked around, her eyes filled with surprise.

"Here it is..."

"It was discovered by Kisuke Urahara, and then transformed into a secret base, where he and Captain Yoruichi would occasionally come here for private training."

"Varied?!"

"Alright, bring the things here."

Wang Xun took the Tenshintai from the stiff Soi Fon's hand, planted it on the ground, and gestured for Soi Fon to insert the knife into it.

"Put your Zanpakuto into this thing, and it will forcibly manifest its spirit. Then, you need to use your strength to make it submit."

Seeing this, Soi Fon took a deep breath, drew her Zanpakuto, and aimed the tip at the Tenshintai.

She paused for a moment, then thrust in forcefully.

The moment the Tenshintai came into contact with the Zanpakuto, it began to expand and deform, Reishi surged from the surface of the doll, reforming themselves in the air.

A humanoid silhouette gradually took shape. It was a petite female phantom dressed in yellow and black stripes, like a wasp, with a huge metal stinger on her right arm.

"Make it submit, Soi Fon."

"For someone who has mastered Shunkō, this is not difficult."

Wang Xun retreated to the edge of the rock wall, leaned against it, and crossed his arms.

Soi Fon flexed her wrists, looking at the sword spirit that belonged to her in front of her.

Although I don't know how things got to this point, since it has come to this...

"So you're saying that as long as we beat her into submission, that's all that matters, right..."

Reiatsu exploded in her shoulders and back.

Shunkō of Reishi energy erupted from his shoulders, leaving two billowing waves in the air.

She lowered her body, leaned forward, lightly shuffled her toes on the ground, and then disappeared from the spot.

The sword spirit also vanished.

The first loud bang of impact exploded in the cavity.

Wang Xun against the rock wall, closing his eyes to rest.

Four days later, Wang Xun returned here after finishing his team duties.

Inside the desolate, empty space, only Soi Fon lay exhausted on her back on the ground, her Zanpakuto lying horizontally beside her.

Her shinigami outfit was soaked with sweat countless times, her hair was a mess and stuck to her face, her lips were slightly chapped, and her fingertips were still twitching slightly involuntarily.

But Soi Fon stared intently at the cold light of the spirit ore on the dome, and a slow smile crept onto her lips.

She finally learned the name of the Suzumebachi Raikōben.

Wang Xun walked over, squatted down, put one arm under her knees and the other arm under her back, and lifted her up.

Soi Fon didn't struggle. Feeling the warmth and security in Wang Xun's arms, she naturally rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Soi Fon gave a muffled "hmm" and fell into a deep sleep.

A few days later, the application from Wang Xun, the captain of the 11th Division, to recommend Soi Fon, a member of the Second Division, to participate in the captain's assessment was conveyed to the 1st Division.

The assessment notice came down on the same day the application was submitted, even faster than Wang Xun had expected.

On the assessment platform at the training ground of the brigade, Shigekuni Yamamoto sat in the center, flanked by Ginrei Kuchiki and Retsu Unohana.

"That's really frequent. I didn't expect Yama-jii's recruitment notice to be so effective."

Kyōraku, who was watching the commotion from the other side, rubbed his chin, then glanced at Wang Xun, who was recommending him, and looked at Soi Fon in the middle of the testing area, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

As perceptive as he was, he instinctively sensed that the atmosphere between the two was strange.

Is it just my imagination...?

Soi Fon stood in the center of the training field, not very tall, but standing very straight.

Her background is impeccable; she is a subordinate noble of the Shihoin Clan, having served the Shihoin Clan for generations. There's nothing to criticize about her.

After demonstrating basic skills such as Zankensōki, the captain's core assessment criterion is Bankai.

Soi Fon's Zanpakuto unleashed its Reiatsu Reiatsu in that instant, causing the training ground to vibrate and hum. Several members of the First Division who were watching involuntarily took a half-step back.

Yamamoto nodded slightly.

Although it still seems somewhat raw and immature, it is indeed a true Bankai.

Yamamoto up and immediately announced that the candidate had passed the test.

After a brief moment of thought, Yamamoto gave his plan for Soi Fon.

"From today onwards, Soi Fon will serve as the Second Division Captain."

Soi Fon sheathed her sword, knelt on one knee, and bowed in respect.

When she stood up, Wang Xun noticed that her fingers were trembling slightly.

The inauguration meeting for the new captain was held in the First Division Headquarters conference room.

Shigekuni Yamamoto sat in the main seat.

Ginrei Kuchiki, Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, Retsu Unohana, Kirio Hikifune, Isshin Shiba Wang Xun, Soi Fon, the eight current captains, took their seats in turn.

After introducing the new Second Division Captain, Yamamoto's voice was deep and solemn.

"Although the Third Division, Fifth Division, Seventh Division, and Ninth Division are still vacant, time waits for no one."

"Today, we need to discuss the operational plan against the Wandenreich."

"If you have any ideas, feel free to share them."