Death: Then stood in the sky.

This precisely proves that the creation of the Hōgyoku was accidental.

"As for why I don't replicate this process... you actually want to see Yoruichi kick me away, right?" Seiji looked at the man opposite him with a suspicious gaze.

"Tch, he's really going to be stripped down to nothing, not even his underwear." Kisuke Urahara scratched his head and chuckled. He actually had a perverse sense of humor, wanting to see Seiji Ukitake get kicked away by Yoruichi.

“That’s why I said, Kisuke Urahara, you’re not a good person in any sense of the word,” Aoji said.

How was the Hōgyoku created?

It is created by fusing the souls of numerous Shinigami, Hollows, and humans, and then mixing in the power of the Soul King, under extremely rare circumstances.

So where do these Grim Reapers, Hollows, and human souls come from?

Where did the Spirit King's shattered body come from?

This question simply doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Yoruichi Shifūin believed that Kisuke Urahara was extremely dangerous, and there was a reason why his level of threat was no less than Aizen's.

But at the moment.

Kisuke Urahara has completely come to regard Aoji as one of his own.

Like himself, he possessed extraordinary talents far surpassing those of other Grim Reapers, but he was also more rational than himself.

"Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Kisuke Urahara ignored his clothes, which were soaked with tea, nodded to Seiji, and then got up and left the room.

The atmosphere became somewhat silent for a moment.

Although Hanakari Jinta and Tsumugi Ame, these two artificial spirits, have been created for some years, their mental age is still that of children, so they dare not speak.

They felt a terrible pressure being created in the room.

Only a few times did Tetsuzai unable to resist secretly glancing at Seisaku out of the corner of his eye. He had never seen his manager value someone so much, not even himself.

despair.

despair.

despair.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the room.

Kisuke Urahara pushed open the door and walked in: "Oh dear, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."

He closed the door and walked over, then smoothly followed up with a flat fall.

Under everyone's gaze, a box the size of a palm flew out of Kisuke Urahara's arms, rolling, rolling, rolling in the room—and a hand caught it.

Aoshi picked it up and placed it on the table.

"This is the Hogyoku?"

Hanakari Jinta leaned over the table, looking at the motionless stone in the box, then looked up and asked, "This doesn't seem like anything special, does it?"

Qing Si glanced at him, then chuckled softly.

It's nothing special.

【Name: Hogyoku (Semi-finished product)】

[Attribute: It can materialize the host's inner desires and protect the host, but the host must have the strength to realize those desires. When the host's life is threatened or their abilities reach their limit, the Hogyoku can help the host enter a higher realm.]

[Note: Without a doubt, this is already a truly great creation.]

[Should we add crafting materials?]

Of course not.

Kisuke Urahara has indeed perfected the Hogyoku, pushing it to its absolute limit.

So, what's next...?

“That’s right, this is the Hogyoku. Aizen has been searching for us all along, and his real purpose is actually this.” Kisuke Urahara pointed to the Hogyoku in the box.

"But isn't this just a rock?" Hanagari Jinta asked, puzzled.

"That's just because it's sealed." Aoshi tapped the outer layer of the box, which looked like just a layer of glass, but was actually strong enough to withstand an attack from a captain-level enemy without being destroyed.

"You've been found out."

Kisuke Urahara's eyes flickered slightly before he explained, "In order to prevent the spiritual pressure of the Hogyoku from leaking out and causing an accident that I cannot control, and also to prevent Aizen from noticing its existence, I reinforced it with multiple layers of seals."

"The first layer is a specially designed outer shell."

"The second layer is a sealing barrier that has been reinforced multiple times by the Iron Chamber."

Upon hearing this, Wo Ling Tie Zhai pushed up his glasses, remaining silent and pretending to be an expert, though his beard, half of which had been torn off, made him look somewhat comical.

"I will continue to seal off the third layer, rendering it unable to move and making it appear as if it is dead."

"Wait a minute!" Hanakari Jinta exclaimed in shock. "The manager means it's alive?"

“Of course it’s dead.” Kisuke Urahara looked at him like he was an idiot.

"That's good." Hanagari Shinta, who had been startled, breathed a sigh of relief.

But Kisuke Urahara spoke as if he were taking a deep breath, and then he uttered the second half of the sentence that sent chills down Jinta Hanakari's spine: "But it does indeed possess the qualities of being alive."

After a brief silence, Kisuke Urahara's eyes were dark and unreadable as he lowered his voice and said, "That's precisely why the Hogyoku is so dangerous."

Even so.

"Ukitake Seiji, do you still want this Hogyoku?"

Chapter 42 The Hogyoku's Plea

The Hōgyoku possesses self-awareness.

It will spontaneously probe the hearts of those around it.

It was for this reason that Kisuke Urahara believed the Hogyoku was extremely dangerous and could even destroy the Soul Society.

He began to attempt to destroy the jade...

Especially after realizing the existence of Aizen, a fellow human, and knowing that he had mastered the Hogyoku, Kisuke Urahara tried various methods.

High-level breakthrough.

The Soul-Slaying Blade cleaves and slashes.

The slash after Bankai.

In addition to other research findings, they developed specially designed targeted tools for destruction.

But all of them ended in failure.

No known means could cause the slightest damage to the Hōgyoku; the hardness of this gemstone was beyond his comprehension.

Thus, Urahara Kisuke, having no other choice, could only seal it away.

He didn't want anyone to touch the Hogyoku, nor did he believe that anyone could control it.

And at this moment...

Kisuke Urahara met Seiji's green eyes and understood Seiji's answer.

"So this is your answer."

"Actually, I can understand, after all, your body has reached a point where it could collapse at any moment."

"But......"

"I still choose to refuse."

After a brief pause, Kisuke Urahara continued slowly and deliberately:

Please forgive my rudeness.

"Please forgive me for not helping you in your time of need."

"The Hogyoku is far too dangerous. I don't believe anyone can control it. It is a power that can truly destroy everything."

“If it’s you, you should understand what I’m talking about—Ukitake Seiji.”

Kisuke Urahara said in a deep voice, "You want to use the power of the Hogyoku to achieve Hollowfication, thereby breaking through the limits of life as a Shinigami and entering a higher level, so as to restore your body to health."

"The idea is very good. If you can successfully complete the virtualization, everything may indeed go as you wish."

"But aren't you underestimating the Hogyoku?"

Kisuke Urahara placed his hand on the box containing the Hogyoku and said seriously, "You should be able to see how dangerous it is. This is a power that no one can reach."

Aoshi's expression remained unchanged: "Hollowfication?"

"Virtualization!"

Urahara Kisuke affirmed:

"Decades ago, you witnessed the Hollowfication of eight former captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13: Shinji Hirako, Bogen Ushōda, Rai Aikawa, Ryūjūrō Horibashi, Hiyori Sarugaki, Lisa Yadōmaru, Haku Kunan, and Kensei Muguruma."

"They were all invaded by the power of the Hollow and forced to activate Hollowfication."

"In the end, they all failed, and the process was irreversible."

At this point, Kisuke Urahara began to emphasize, "If I hadn't found a special medicine to suppress their Hollowfication, they would have become monsters who had completely lost their minds and would have ultimately destroyed themselves."

"So... having witnessed all of this, you should understand even more how dangerous and uncontrollable etherealization is."

His tone was very certain.

Aoshi immediately realized that Urahara Kisuke had not understood the true function of the Hogyoku.

Kisuke Urahara simply believed that the function of the Hogyoku was to cause Shinigami to become Hollowfied.

Little did they know... the reason the Hogyoku displayed the 'Hollowfication' ability, which could break the limits of a Shinigami, was simply because Kisuke Urahara wanted it to do so, and the Hogyoku responded to Kisuke Urahara, nothing more.

Kisuke Urahara continued speaking, his voice still carrying an absolute and unshakeable tone: "This kind of power is absolutely not something that a Shinigami can control, whether it's you, me, or anyone else."

"Although it's cruel and thwarted your goals, that's the reality, and the inevitable outcome."

"If possible, I will help study your body and find a way to prolong your life before your body is completely beyond saving."

"As for the Hogyoku, no one can control it... Huh?!"

"What?!"

The box in my hand is vibrating at a high frequency.

Kisuke Urahara immediately looked down at the sealed Hogyoku in the box, and then his pupils suddenly contracted.

In his vision, the Hogyoku, which had been tightly sealed and confined within, seemed to suddenly come to life and began to struggle violently, as if trying to break free from the seal and escape his control!

Moreover... the seal is being broken!

Kisuke Urahara could clearly see that the layers of seals and barriers reinforced on the Hogyoku were beginning to collapse illogically, as if a higher-dimensional force had been applied to them.

But... what a joke!

Although the Hōgyoku has its own consciousness, it has never made such a move to rebel against itself!

What exactly happened?

Kisuke Urahara picked up the box, feeling it seem eager to fly towards the man opposite him, propelled by the Hogyoku.

His eyes glazed over for a moment, then his heart pounded wildly, sending tidal waves of shock through him.

Does this mean... approval?

The Hōgyoku, it has recognized Ukitake Seiji?

Why is this happening?

How could such a thing happen?

The Hōgyoku has been developed for over a century, yet it has never shown any recognition of itself—even though it is the creator of the Hōgyoku.

Ultimately... Unable to use the power of the Hogyoku, Kisuke Urahara, out of fear of the Hogyoku, had no choice but to seal it away.

But now,