Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 443 Ulquiorra's Second Release: Resurrection

Retsu Unohana had a precognitive dream, in which many things were unclear, such as how she didn't know that the villain at this moment was Aizen.

But Retsu Unohana clearly remembered that there was such a war, and she also remembered how powerful the enemy was.

If this enemy is Aizen after obtaining the Hogyoku, then the strength he ultimately displays is simply beyond the capabilities of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

This shows just how far Aizen's power had grown.

To be precise, the battle between Aizen and Captain-Commander Yamamoto was basically a game.

Retsu Unohana clearly remembered that the Visoreds' power had a major flaw, and such a powerful burst of energy wouldn't last long.

Fortunately, she and Xia Zuo have become additional variables that do not exist in the dream, which have now led to a major change in the battle situation. We can try to take down Aizen here.

So, Unohana Retsu shone her light on Natsusa, and Natsusa, as if by telepathy, turned her head, smiled and nodded at her, then shook her head.

Wait, I want to see Aizen's performance.

With a clear understanding of the situation, Retsu Unohana felt completely relieved and revealed a reassuring smile.

Xia Zuo wanted to see not only Aizen's performance, but also Kurosaki Ichigo, who had just returned from Hueco Mundo. But more importantly, he wanted to see the King Key and Yhwach.

Why? Because we have the confidence.

The true master, Xia Zuo, has returned.

After undergoing closed-door training by celestial officials, he was awarded the ninth rank of True Immortal.

Considering that the ultimate goal of cultivation is to be formally employed, the True Immortal Xia Zuo willingly joined the Heavenly Court's ranks and became a minor official in the Finance Department under the Longevity Emperor.

But his superior was none other than Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth!

Therefore, the true identity of the immortal Xia Zuo is already the god of wealth, Xia Zuo!

All the Xia Zuo were convinced and kept bowing on the bronze table.

Worshipping the God of Wealth is not shameful!

However, many Xia Zuo are not under the jurisdiction of the God of Wealth Xia Zuo; they are separated by several worlds.

For example, the Grim Reaper Shazo couldn't borrow any fortune; he could only share a little bit of power.

Then Xia Zuo became depressed.

The divine power he can share is less than one percent of that of the God of Wealth, let alone the essence and power of a true immortal.

We're all gods, so why am I, the Grim Reaper Xia Zuo, so lowly, while the God of Wealth Xia Zuo is so unapproachable?

After months of contemplation, Death God Shazo decisively concluded that he was not the one in the wrong, because he was also Shazo.

The world is wrong!

The Soul King is wrong, the Soul Society is foolish, and the Soul Reaper is ignorant!

As a Shinigami, he doesn't do his job properly. He uses most of his power to fight Hollows and Quincy, and uses the Soul King as a Jinchūriki. Where is the dignity of a god?

If only the underworld worked properly, punishing the good and rewarding the evil, and promoting the great spiritual cycle of the world, would the God of Death only have this much power?

So Xia Zuo understood.

His perception of Aizen also changed.

Aizen Sousuke, do a good job and make a huge mess of things! Lord Natsume will secretly support you!

If you can just ask for a small request, I'll take care of the rest!

Shinji Hirako led the Visoreds to defeat and destroy the Menos Grande, and his confidence exploded!

Hirako was even confident that he could face Aizen alone and felt that he had a great chance of winning.

So he led the Masked Army A up there, only to be thoroughly outmaneuvered.

This unlucky kid doesn't even remember how he was tricked to death by Aizen back then?

Aizen was able to subtly infuse him with Hollow power; could the hypnosis level be any less than that he used on Hinamori Momo?

Aizen could see right through Hirako's body, inside and out. How could Hirako's Zanpakuto's abilities be a secret?

Therefore, after Hirako Shinji released his Zanpakuto, Gyōfu, he not only failed to turn the tide but was instead completely overwhelmed.

He was taken down in just two rounds.

Gin Ichimaru stood silently by, observing coldly, without making a move.

Just now, during the confrontation with Xia Zuo, when I was verbally attacked and my mental weaknesses were exposed, Xia Zuo also told me a few things.

First, Xia Zuo knew that he was lurking around Aizen's side.

Secondly, Aizen also knew that Gin Ichimaru had ill intentions and that his target was Aizen's head.

Third, Aizen doesn't care about Gin Ichimaru's thoughts, only about how Gin will retaliate; that's what makes Aizen's fun.

Gin Ichimaru almost became withdrawn.

He was, after all, a veteran Grim Reaper who had lived for nearly a thousand years. How could he not know whether Matsumoto Rangiku loved him or not?

When you love someone, you can't hide it in your eyes.

Since Gin Ichimaru knows that Rangiku Matsumoto loves him, he certainly can't be so easily defeated by Natsume's few words.

However, after painstakingly infiltrating Aizen's camp, he was told that Aizen was just playing him for a fool and didn't care about him at all, which deeply hurt Gin Ichimaru.

That's right, the person Gin Ichimaru cares about most is actually Sosuke Aizen!

Deeply hurt by Aizen's indifference, Gin Ichimaru no longer wanted to play with Aizen. He only wanted to end it all as soon as possible and return to Rangiku's embrace to seek comfort.

What he didn't expect was that his indifferent attitude would actually attract Aizen's attention for the first time.

Just like the game where he raised Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen was also very interested in raising Gin Ichimaru.

Cultivating rivals and traitors is a common problem among all bosses in the myriad realms.

Those who think they are invincible will start to find their own fun after fully experiencing the loneliness and isolation of being at the top. If they don't have an opponent, they'll create one.

The result was that things got out of control as they were being raised. The BOSS never nurtured any opponents to play with, but rather a chosen one with whom he harbored deep hatred.

A crash is almost inevitable.

This is why scientists who play villains often manage to create major events.

It's not just that scientists possess the truth; more importantly, their pursuit is boundless, and they never get bored.

The higher scientists climb, the more difficult and numerous problems they discover that need to be solved, and the more unknown mysteries they need to study.

Unfortunately, most bosses don't have this awareness.

Hirako Shinji was easily defeated by Aizen, but the Masked Squad achieved an amazing victory.

Stark, the No. 0.1 Espada and a symbol of death, fought passively. Surrounded by numerous Grim Reapers, this Arrancar, who was determined to die, fell to the blade of Katen Kyokotsu.

He sought benevolence and obtained it, but he has not yet been granted the wish to die.

Barragan, the No. 0.2 of the Espada, was too arrogant and believed his aging ability was invincible. He was tricked by the former vice-chief of the Kido Sect and killed by his own aging ability.

His death was hasty and ridiculous!

Halibel, the No.0.3 Espada, was beaten up by Retsu Unohana, and his combat power dropped to the extreme. He fought to a draw with Risa Yadomaru and Hiyori Sarugaki.

Aizen was disgusted by Halibel's weakness. After defeating Hirako Shinji, he casually stabbed her through with a single slash and then cut her down with another.

The fourth Espada is different; Ulquiorra fought against Toshiro Hitsugaya, Ichigo Kurosaki arrived from Hueco Mundo, and Sajin Komamura took off his hat.

Ulquiorra fought with increasing ferocity, even unleashing his second Resurrection Blade, displaying the might of the Black Winged Demon God, and slaying all four Visored Legion members who came to reinforce him.

powerful!

Unstoppable power!

This expressionless, masked figure exuded a menacing aura, instilling fear in all the Grim Reapers.

In fact, Ulquiorra doesn't have any strange abilities, and his attack methods are quite ordinary. He's just fast enough, has enough destructive power, and with his overwhelming spiritual pressure, he directly attacks the enemy's weak points.

But this simple and brutal fighting method becomes invincible once it surpasses the limits of speed and attack power.

Ulquiorra maximized his strengths, creating a huge gap between himself and his enemies. The simpler his tactics were, the more helpless the Grim Reapers became.

Aizen looked at Ulquiorra with delight; this was truly a tremendous surprise.

He sighed with satisfaction, "I've finally reached the second stage of Resurrection. Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure has now broken through the limits of ordinary Bankai and entered a completely new realm."

Even the withdrawn Gin Ichimaru was shocked by Ulquiorra's performance, and a lingering gloom appeared in his narrow fox eyes.

Will such a powerful Arrancar affect the battle situation? Will it endanger Rangiku?

So he couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Is this the power of the Hogyoku?"

But Gin Ichimaru didn't expect that Aizen would suddenly turn around and stare at him face to face.

Gin Ichimaru was so frightened that his heart stopped beating. If it weren't for his deep cunning and his centuries-long habit of hiding himself, he would have definitely exposed his weakness this time.

Too dangerous.

Gin Ichimaru knew Aizen very well, knowing that his pride had already reached the heavens. Even if he knew that Aizen was eyeing him covetously, he would never take action without having evidence.

Because Aizen would feel that it was his own failure, a very tasteless act of cheating.

Rather than experience the feeling of failure, he would rather continue playing with Gin Ichimaru, and besides, playing mind games with smart people is a very interesting game.

However, if Gin Ichimaru makes a foolish mistake and reveals his thoughts, handing the evidence to Aizen, Aizen will instantly lose interest and then kill without warning.

Just like when Halibel performed so poorly that Aizen got bored and killed him without warning.

After scrutinizing Gin Ichimaru for a long time, Aizen's smile grew deeper and deeper.

Suddenly, he laughed and said, "You misspoke, Gin!"

Gin Ichimaru knew he had passed the test again, and he asked with a smile, "I was wrong? What did Lord Aizen mean?"

Aizen smiled and replied, "Ulquiorra is not relying on the power of the Hogyoku right now, not even when he was an Espada. He is one of only two Vasto Lordes among the Espada who has independently ascended to the Espada."

"The Hogyoku only helped him save time to increase his power after he was awakened, but it did not change his fundamental nature."

"Perhaps Ulquiorra was able to perform a second Resurrección because his power was not tainted by the Hogyoku."

One problem solved, but Gin Ichimaru had even more: "One of only two Vasto Lordes to have self-destructed—who is the other one?"

"Also, isn't the Hogyoku the purest form of power? Can it be corrupted? And even corrupt Arrancar?"

Aizen replied, "The first Arrancar to voluntarily wield his power was Stark, and he was also the first Arrancar to master the Second Release."

Aizen glanced at Stark's location with a hint of regret. Stark's spiritual pressure had dropped to its lowest point, but it had also stabilized, suggesting that he was unlikely to die again.

"Otherwise, how could such a lazy Arrancar who even wants to die be ranked No. 0.1?"

"Stark was a Varian-class Hollow who had self-destructed before we entered Hueco Mundo."

"When I first met him, his spiritual pressure was so strong that Hollows that got close to him were crushed by his spiritual pressure, and their souls became his power."

"Unfortunately, Stark's strength is undeniable, but his mind is far too fragile."

9

"He was actually afraid of being alone, and in order to escape loneliness, he did not hesitate to divide his soul and power to create companions of the same level as himself."

Aizen shook his head and said regretfully, "The strong should be lonely. He couldn't see that, so he only reached this level."

As Aizen said this, his aura solidified, and he burst forth with unparalleled confidence: "But I am different. I know that walking the final path is destined to be lonely. I like loneliness and enjoy it."

"I was born to stand in the heavens."

Gin Ichimaru tilted his head, grinned, and said, "I don't understand a word Captain Aizen said, but I just think he's amazing!"

Aizen touched the Hogyoku in the center of his chest. The blue gem had penetrated even deeper into his body, and now only a small part, about the size of a marble, was visible.

Touching the Hogyoku caused Aizen to become involuntarily immersed in its power. Like someone who was high on a leaf, he closed his eyes and babbled incoherently, "I have already seen the throne. It is calling to me in the sky, waiting for me to walk over, sit on it, and be crowned king."

"I have a feeling that today's battle is my final test to become king."

"Silver, this is your last chance to stop me."

Gin Ichimaru feigned panic and said, "Oh dear, Captain Aizen, don't scare me! I support you, why would I stop you?"

But in his half-closed eyes, a deliberately feigned look of greed swept across Aizen's chest, and he stared intently at the Hogyoku.

Aizen sensed the greed, saw through the fear beneath it, and even guessed the hatred beneath that fear, but he couldn't confirm why Gin hated him.

For the Soul Society? For the Soul Reaper? For justice? Or—for Matsumoto Rangiku?

[This is really interesting. Gin is getting more and more interesting. Keep it up, and I won't have the heart to kill you.]

Aizen and Gin Ichimaru were quietly engaged in a fierce battle of wits, completely absorbed in trying to guess each other's thoughts.

On the other side, Ulquiorra and Captain-Commander Yamamoto were locked in a fierce battle.

The arrogant and domineering demeanor of Espada No. 4 angered Captain-Commander Yamamoto, who, without saying a word, drew his sword and attacked.

At this moment, Aizen's attention was focused on the unusually quiet Gin Ichimaru, and he did not step forward to stand up for the Captain-Commander.

This resulted in a situation where the king faced off against the general.

Ulquiorra is simply maxed out in speed, attack power, and spiritual pressure.

The Captain-Commander, however, is the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, a hexagonal warrior with all six sides maxed out.

The two were actually not even in a fight.

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