The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

Although after being an Arrancar, she took on the appearance of a human girl, and lying down to eat dirt seemed rather unseemly, before she was an Arrancar, in Hueco Mundo, a place full of sand, the Holy Son would always eat a mouthful of white sand after each hunt.

Therefore, the Holy Child, who was used to eating sand, did not feel that eating soil was bad. At most, he was annoyed because his mouth was not as big as it was before the dough broke, and he could not eat as fast.

Soon, the surrounding soil was gnawed thin, and the surrounding trees were stripped of their bark. The Holy Son rubbed his belly, which had swelled several times in size, and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

Logically speaking, everything in Soul Society and Hueco Mundo is made of spirit particles, including soil and tree bark. However, the inertia of these spirit particles is far greater than that of fresh flesh and blood. Even with the digestive abilities of Hollows, they cannot be completely decomposed in a short time.

"Hold on a little longer. Once we get back to Hueco Mundo, you can spit those things out."

The Arrancar girl gave a curt word of encouragement, picked up the corpse that had been drained of blood by the Holy Son and was no longer bleeding, and tapped her finger lightly in the air. Instantly, accompanied by a piercing sound like cloth being torn, a pitch-black passage opened out of thin air, and the Arrancar girl rushed in first.

Without being told, the Holy Son, who was already prepared, rushed into the dark cavity.

The next moment, chaos erupted over the teaching building of the True Spirit Arts Academy.

Who would have thought that someone would actually be so bold as to attack the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy?

It's important to know that the position of principal of the Shinsengumi has always been held by the Captain-Commander in name only. The Captain-Commander himself attaches great importance to education and has increased the resources invested in Shinsengumi time and time again over the past seven hundred years. Now, the annual funding allocated to Shinsengumi is even higher than that of some other squads.

Attacking this place is no different from slapping the face of the strongest Grim Reaper. How reckless must one be to do something so suicidal?

When the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy was founded, it did have a complete defense plan. However, apart from the first few years when some people were too arrogant to believe it and made the plan work a few times, after the Captain-Commander killed all the fearless people, the plan was never used again for the next seven hundred years, and it was never even updated.

For seven hundred years, even when reckless nobles launched rebellions in an attempt to shake the rule of the Forty-Six Chambers, no one dared to cause trouble at the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy or use students as bargaining chips.

Everyone had become accustomed to the fact that the Shinigami Academy was an absolute sanctuary in Soul Society, and assumed that as long as the Captain-Commander was alive, it would be absolutely safe there.

This has led to a situation where, although the techniques for taming Hell Butterflies and using them to send messages were already mature hundreds of years ago, and now every Shinigami on a mission to the mortal world carries a Hell Butterfly, the Shinigami Center doesn't even have dedicated Hell Butterflies and can only use more primitive methods to report the situation to the Seireitei.

Some teachers rushed to inform the Seireitei, shouting that a Hollow spiritual energy reaction had occurred in the Shinigami Academy, while others rushed to the location of the anomaly as fast as they could.

Most of the teachers who stayed at the Shinigami Academy instead of joining the Gotei 13 were those with solid theoretical knowledge but not good combat skills. The few teachers who taught practical combat were mostly only good at the four major disciplines of sword fighting, fist fighting, and demon walking. Due to the neglect of the other disciplines for hundreds of years, they were even worse than some senior students.

To put it simply, the teacher who is good at fighting is not fast. The only teacher who is fast is the one who can only run fast. His Kido swordsmanship and his fighting skills are not very good.

As a result, the Kido, Hakuda, and Kendo teachers, who were skilled in combat, had barely run halfway when Shunpo arrived at the scene. Looking at the black cavity hovering close to the ground in mid-air, he was conflicted, unsure whether he should chase after it.

If it were a large void inside, he would probably perish inside, weighing over a hundred pounds.

But if he doesn't go in, and his colleagues arrive, won't he be confirmed as a "coward"? At that point, not only will he lose his job, but he might also have to spend a hundred years in prison.

Damn it, why did I run so fast? I should have just waited for Team Thirteen to handle it!

Shunpo cursed himself for not being calm enough. Fortunately, the person in the black cavity seemed to sense his presence and kindly fired a Cero.

Seeing the crimson light shooting out from the dark void and feeling the terrifying fluctuations, Shunpo-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

With such a powerful Cero, there must be a Hollow inside that dark cavity. Once he can confirm that, he has ample reason not to give chase.

After all, even a lower-level Hollow is a monster that requires the combined efforts of elite officers to defeat. For an ordinary teacher to knowingly charge into a Hollow's territory is not bravery, but recklessness.

This is not cowardice, but rather one of the most valuable qualities of a soldier: "calmness."

Having quickly convinced himself, Shunpo carefully moved a few steps to the side to avoid being hit by another Cero.

After calming down, Shunpo glanced back in the direction he had come from. He pursed his lips, not expecting any "support" from his colleagues. He could see the terrifying Cero from a distance.

Seeing the appearance of Cero, those guys who weren't skilled in Shunpo to begin with will probably become even more rusty now. Before the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 arrive, there's no point in expecting them to make it.

Chapter 139 Farewell

"All done, I'm back safely."

After bursting out of the black cavity, she waited a moment until the Holy Son behind her also rushed out. The masked girl waved her hand to close the black cavity, smiled, and looked up to wave at Gu Shi.

Everyone waiting there breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Shi made no attempt to hide his happiness, grinning broadly.

"Welcome back, Tianpeng."

Unlike his indifferent demeanor in Soul Society, Tianpeng seemed to be infused with fresh vitality upon "returning home." He lightly jumped onto Jiro's shoulder and playfully patted Jiro's cheek.

"See? I told you there wouldn't be any problems."

Jiro rolled his eyes. He did not approve of the idea of ​​going deep into Soul Society to kill Hayato. He had suggested more than once that the Holy Son lure Hayato to a secluded place, open the Black Cavity, and shoot a Cero through the Black Cavity to kill Hayato directly.

However, considering issues such as the recovery of the bodies and the leakage of intelligence, Tianpeng insisted on making the trip in person. After some consideration, Gu Shi also chose to support Tianpeng's approach.

“A petty person bullies those who take advantage of others; we should all be wary of being alone. Now that you've lost face, I can't beat you, so whatever you say is right.”

Erlang habitually retorted to Tianpeng, then looked in the direction where the black voice had disappeared, a hint of worry unconsciously appearing in his eyes.

"Hopefully, today's events won't involve the Jade Rabbit."

"Don't worry, as long as the information about the Arrancar is not leaked, the Soul Society will never expect that a Hollow can transform into human form and brazenly infiltrate the Soul Society."

Tianpeng was also somewhat worried about the big rabbit named Jade Rabbit, but she had cleaned up the scene very well in Soul Society, leaving not a single hair or drop of blood. No matter how much Soul Society investigated, they would most likely only conclude that the Holy Son colluded with Hueco Mundo to assassinate Hayato, and that both of them were eventually eaten by Hollows. It wouldn't be related to Jade Rabbit.

“That’s right, and Yu Tu is already in the third grade. Even if Xing Jun suspects there’s a mole among the students, she’s the least suspicious one.”

Gu Shi also comforted Jiro for a few words. The Holy Son was not the second Arrancar to be sent to Soul Society. Three years ago, he successfully infiltrated for two years through Hayato without being discovered by anyone. After confirming that the infiltration plan was indeed feasible, he sent the Jade Rabbit to Soul Society.

Furthermore, he did not assign any tasks to Yutu, only asking her to be a good student and successfully join the Gotei 13 in the future, and not to do anything until he took the initiative to contact her.

After three years of being a nobody in the True Central Academy, Jade Rabbit's identity has become credible enough. Even if the Criminal Army intervenes in the investigation, they will most likely focus on the freshmen who entered the academy with the Holy Son, and will not suspect Jade Rabbit.

Ironically, Gu Shi had clearly told Erlang, Tianpeng, and Yutu about the possibility that the Arrancar might prevent them from evolving, hoping they wouldn't rush into becoming Arrancars. However, apart from Erlang, who was single-mindedly pursuing the pinnacle of martial arts, the other two only persisted for less than a year before applying for Arrancar transformation.

Jade Rabbit's reason for requesting to become an Arrancar was simple and realistic. She believed that she was not good at fighting and killing. If she were to be separated from Gu Shi and the others for a short time due to some unforeseen event, she would probably be eaten by other Hollows before she could evolve into an Adjuchas. It would be better to become an Arrancar as soon as possible to increase her strength and improve her ability to protect herself.

Simply put, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; rather than betting on the future, it's better to secure the present.

Just then, Gu Shi was considering planting a second spy in Soul Society, but he was secretly worried about where to find someone who was absolutely reliable, would not betray him, and would not have any ulterior motives. So, Yu Tu mustered up her courage and approached Gu Shi, suggesting that she go to Soul Society to infiltrate after she was abducted.

Yu Tu's speech at the time was sincere and heartfelt. She poured out all her fears about the future and her unease about her weak strength, which ultimately convinced Gu Shi to agree to her proposal.

As for Tianpeng's transformation into a broken face, it can only be described as unexpected yet reasonable.

Tianpeng never pursued evolution; he was solely focused on researching his alchemy. Among the many factors limiting his research, the inflexibility of Killian's hands (claws), which prevented him from performing precise operations, was a significant one.

Furthermore, it is foreseeable that once they evolve into Adjuchas and their bodies become similar to those of animals, their ability to manipulate objects with their claws will further decline unless they become monkeys or apes.

Tianpeng's entire focus was on alchemy, and he had little interest in evolution. If he could exchange his evolutionary potential for a pair of skillful hands to solve a major problem in the present and future, she really couldn't think of any reason to refuse.

Of course, Tianpeng did not completely give up on evolution. She placed her hopes for evolution on her future, hoping that she could create elixirs that could assist or even force evolution.

Therefore, when Tianpeng earnestly discussed the matter with Gu Shi and truthfully conveyed his thoughts, Gu Shi couldn't bring himself to refuse. After all, he wasn't Tianpeng's parent, and he had no reason to force Tianpeng to follow the path he had chosen for him—the path of pursuing power.

Stark, who had been dozing on a stone bench, slowly opened his eyes and lazily yawned.

"Is the matter resolved? Then we should get going. Lilynette, let's go. Gu Shi, take care."

The joyous atmosphere of Tianpeng's safe return to Hueco Mundo suddenly cooled down. Gu Shi was silent for a moment, while Lilynette, who looked reluctant to part with him, waved goodbye.

"Goodbye, Lily. I'll tell you a new story when we meet again. Stark, I hope that when we meet again, we'll have the foundation to be companions."

Gu Shi was in such a hurry to get rid of Hayato for one reason: in recent communications, Hayato had repeatedly expressed his trust in Aizen, fantasizing that even if he told Aizen his true identity, his best friend would not leave him, and attempting to strengthen their friendship through "frankness".

On the other hand, it's because Stark and Lilynette are leaving.

During their first conversation, Stark mentioned that he planned to travel the world in search of powerful companions, but Lilynette was so interested in Gu Shi's story that he stayed temporarily to take care of her.

Now, five years have passed, and Stark has finally made up his mind to begin his journey. Needless to say, Lilynette will naturally leave with him.

Without Lilynet as the central link of their souls, it would become extremely difficult for Gu Shi to contact Hayato, and his control over Hayato would be severely weakened. Who knows, Hayato might reveal the secrets of the Arrancar one day.

Of course, as long as Lilynette gives Gu Shi a fragment of her soul, they can still stay in touch at any time, and Gu Shi can still get information about Hayato at any time.

However, while Stark did not object to giving Gu Shi a fragment of his soul, he believed that a long journey was itself a purification of the soul.

He hoped that Lilynette would grow enough during this journey. If Gu Shi and Lilynette continued to contact each other every day and listen to the stories on time, the effect of this journey would definitely be greatly reduced.

Therefore, the group agreed that they would only communicate through their soul links once every twenty years.

With all these factors combined, Hayato's situation became a problem that needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

Now that the problem is solved, it's finally time to say goodbye.

Watching Stark and Lilynette walk away, Gu Shi shook his head. He didn't feel much reluctance. The Earth was only so big. For Hollows with lifespans of thousands of years, as long as they weren't killed by others, reunion was just a matter of time.

Chapter 140 New Technologies

Watching his friend of five years walk away, Gu Shi clapped his hands to bring everyone back to their senses.

"Alright, everyone, let's calm down. It's time to start the experiment we've been preparing for for several years."

Tianpeng was the first to realize what Gu Shi meant by experiment, and he immediately became excited. He left with the words "I'm going to pack my things" and ran towards the cave where he usually refined elixirs.

Erlang wasn't as interested in the experiment as Tianpeng. He shook his head and was about to say something when Tianpeng came rushing back, carrying a box bigger than a person, riding on a spinning top.

"My Lord, I am ready! We can depart at any time!"

Overjoyed, Tianpeng's eyes even gleamed slightly, a testament to the slight outburst of spiritual energy within her. Upon seeing this, Erlang promptly swallowed back his words of discouraging her.

Among the group, apart from Tianpeng, the others didn't have any luggage to prepare. Since Tianpeng had prepared it, Gu Shi immediately nodded emphatically.

"Okay, let's go."

As soon as Gu Shi finished speaking, Tian Peng impatiently struck the air, and a huge, dark rift opened out of thin air.

At the other end of the passage, the faint sound of water could be heard from afar. Gu Shi and Erlang, the two Kirians, went in first. In the past five years, neither of them had given up training in controlling their spiritual power, and they had made great progress in this area. As long as they could restrain their spiritual pressure as much as possible, they no longer had to worry about damaging the Black Chamber passage halfway through.

However, as a precaution, Tianpeng remained at the entrance, ready to reinforce the Black Cavity passage at any time. Only after Gu Shi and Erlang walked out of the Black Cavity did he pull the somewhat inconspicuous Holy Son and rush to the other end of the Black Cavity at top speed.

At the exit of the dark cavity, Gu Shi stretched his body vigorously and casually touched the shark swimming past him, which startled the little guy so much that his eyes widened. Only then did he be satisfied and beckon Erlang to swim upwards together.

As planned, the exit of the black cavity was located on the seabed, shielded by hundreds of meters of seawater above. Even if Death were to take a stroll above, he would not notice anything amiss.

Taking a gentle sip of seawater and savoring its salty and bitter taste, Gu Shi couldn't help but chuckle. He found the underlying logic of this world to be quite interesting.

For example, "Matter (vessels) cannot enter the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, which are composed of pure spiritual particles."

This meant that when Ichigo Kurosaki went to Soul Society to rescue people, apart from Ichigo himself being able to move by leaving his body, his companions all had to rely on Kisuke Urahara's technology to transform their physical bodies into spirits in order to enter Soul Society.

This also means that even though the Hollow Chamber is located on the seabed, there is no need to worry about seawater flowing into Hueco Mundo through the passage.

Even though the Hollows are also purely composed of spiritual particles, they can drink seawater of matter, but seawater of matter cannot enter Hueco Mundo. Is Hueco Mundo and Soul Society too special, or are the Hollows not actually that "pure"? Are there other things mixed in with the bodies of the Hollows?

Lost in wild speculation, Gu Shi slowly began to swim upwards. Before long, Tian Peng caught up behind him carrying a box. Gu Shi glanced back and saw that the Black Chamber was still open, quietly sitting on the seabed. He nodded in satisfaction.

During these five years, Hayato, who was undercover, sent back a large amount of information collected by the Shinigami Library. Although the most advanced information would certainly not be put into the school library, even information that was discarded or outdated by Shinigami still had great value to Hueco Mundo, which had no accumulation.

For example, one of the dusty manuscripts on the improvement of the Ghost Path, which was tucked away in a corner of the library, provided Gu Shi with considerable help.

The owner of the manuscript did not leave his name. In the manuscript, he described in detail his ideas for improving the No. 81 Binding Path and Severing the Void. He cited a lot of information related to the Transcendent Gate and tried to prove that the Severing the Void could not only be used to block attacks, but also to construct a structure similar to the Transcendent Gate on the surface of the formed light shield, so as to introduce some too powerful attacks into the Severing Path and achieve a better defensive effect.