Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Kendo classroom.

Xuan stood at the end of the line, watching as the swordsmanship master, Shihōin Sōji, distributed wooden swords.

"Holding a knife."

Shihouin Sōji's voice was flat. He walked to the center of the arena, drew his sword, and raised it above his head.

"Today, it is still Suzhen."

The students' faces were full of frustration. Although it was a wooden sword, its weight was almost the same as that of a Zanpakuto.

Shihōin Sōji's gaze swept over them, and the students immediately straightened their backs and tensed their faces.

"The void has no sense of pain."

Shihōin Sōji spoke. He held the swords above his head with both hands, maintaining the upper stance to ensure that all students could see the details clearly.

"Pain makes people shrink back, makes them fearful, and makes them reveal their weaknesses." His gaze swept across each face before returning to normal.

"But the illusory are different. They have no heart, no feelings, and no sense of pain. If they howl or flinch when your knife cuts into their bodies, it is merely a cunning tactic to lure them in."

Xuan revealed a look of disapproval.

Although Xuan knew that the truth was not so, Shi Fan's words were not wrong: one must be cautious when facing any enemy. Blindly believing appearances is often the beginning of defeat.

Shihōin Sōji paused, then his voice suddenly became more forceful:

"Therefore, with every swing of Death's blade—"

The wooden sword suddenly cleaved down!

"laugh--!"

The sound of something cutting through the air was short, sharp, and piercing.

"—We must all be prepared to kill. Hesitation means death."

Shihouin Sōji sheathed his sword, his eyes cold: "Ten sets of one hundred times, begin."

A dull thud of a knife being swung rang out.

Xuan gripped the wooden sword tightly with both hands, raised it above his head, and began to perform the slapping motion.

Xuan did not expect Su Zhen to improve his swordsmanship.

What I learned in my previous life was "for a single sword, look at the hand; for two swords, look at the footwork." The coordination of the non-sword-wielding hand and footwork are the most important aspects of swordsmanship.

Suzhen is just a basic skill; any technique requires a solid foundation.

The purpose of performing the initial vibration now is partly to familiarize this body with how to wield a sword.

More importantly, maintain absolute control over the body amidst the constant, tearing pain of the soul.

Xuan views it as a form of training—maintaining precision amidst pain and stability amidst discomfort.

If you can remain unaffected during casual battles today, you'll be able to remain undisturbed in actual combat tomorrow. That's how willpower is forged, honed step by step.

One hundred times, two hundred times, three hundred times...

Even after daily muscle-strengthening exercises using the Yi Jin Jing, my arms still started to ache, and the tearing sensation in my soul became clearer as my physical strength was depleted.

Xuan maintained his breathing rhythm and continued to complete the remaining basal vibrations.

……

In the afternoon, wooden stakes were erected at the drill ground.

Standing in the center of the room was the White-Handed Class Instructor, Rin'o Hō. He was tall and slender, and his dark eyes held a sharp, hawk-like light, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

"Hakuda, the art of hand-to-hand combat used by Shinigami." Her voice was clear and crisp, and she spoke quickly. "I know many of you think that having a Zanpakuto is just icing on the cake. You're so wrong."

She walked up to a wooden stake, and without using any spiritual power, she used only her physical strength to chop the side of the stake with a hand chop.

"Bang!"

The sturdy wooden stake snapped in two.

"A Zanpakuto can be released from one's hand." Rin'o turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "but your fingers, fists, elbows, shoulders, and knees are all deadly weapons."

She paused, then raised her voice:

"Moreover, the training in 'white-handed fighting' is not just about fists and feet, but also about body coordination. How to generate power while moving, how to adjust your center of gravity when you lose your balance, how to avoid a fatal blow with minimal movement amidst the flashing blades—these are all things that 'white-handed fighting' can teach you."

"A Shinigami who is proficient in hand-to-hand combat is more accurate with his sword and faster with his Shunpo. Conversely, a Shinigami who relies solely on his Zanpakuto is a lamb to the slaughter once he loses his sword."

"Spiritual power is the foundation, but technique can make one unit of power ten times more effective," she said. "Practice in pairs, and be careful not to attack vital points. Let me see your level."

……

Perhaps because the strength of spiritual power has such a great impact on the battles of the Grim Reaper, the White Fighting Class mainly teaches how to maximize the use of spiritual power with bare hands, and is quite rudimentary in terms of fighting techniques.

"Bai Da emphasizes the infusion of spiritual energy and burst output, but it is almost blank in the true subtleties of martial arts, such as the interplay of feints and real attacks, the combination of neutralizing and striking, and the use of force against force."

Xuan's martial arts skills were far ahead, but considering the reward for winning the school year competition, he chose to keep his skills hidden.

Since we're going to fry fish anyway, why not have a big competition to give everyone a "surprise" instead?

During the sparring sessions in the White Fight class, Xuan's performance was mediocre. He focused his attention on the other students, observing their usual routines, power exertion habits, and breathing rhythms.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit; Xuan has no reason not to take the competition seriously. This intelligence will become the most lethal weapon during the school year competition.

Bee Feather Arrow is swift, but its lower body is slightly unstable, relying too much on upper body explosiveness.

The chubby boy from the Ōmaeda family moved sluggishly and breathed erratically, clearly indicating that he had neglected his training, but the possibility of him hiding his true abilities could not be ruled out.

Shihouin Shuzaburo's movements were the most standard, but his movements were very rigid and he followed the script exactly. However, the instructor seemed to value him quite a bit.

……

Finally, we had a lesson on footwork.

The Shihōin family is most skilled in Shunpo (Instant Step), and unsurprisingly, the instructor for their footwork class is also from the Shihōin family.

Surprisingly, the footwork lesson was not taught in the classroom, but in a clearing in the forest outside the classroom.

"The Death God's Footwork is based on the Instant Step," Master Kujo Tadatsugu said, his voice aged yet clear. "Therefore, today, I will first teach you the principles of the Instant Step."

The white-bearded old man gestured for the students to form a circle, then walked to the center himself.

"The instant step consists of three stages: stance, footwork, and instant step."

Kujo Tadatsugu bent his knees slightly, lowered his center of gravity, and remained motionless, poised to strike.

"This is the 'Prelude to Establishment'. Adjust your breathing, stabilize your mind, and concentrate your spiritual energy in your lower limbs, using them as a fulcrum to accumulate power."

"The 'pulling out' is the switch between 'stillness' and 'movement.' When spiritual energy accumulates to a critical point in the soles of the feet, the balance is broken, releasing all energy. The key is speed, accuracy, and decisiveness; there can be no hesitation."

Before he could finish speaking, Kujo Tadatsugu tapped his right foot.

Even though the speed was slowed down specifically for the demonstration, it was still so fast that it was almost impossible to see.

Kujo Tadatsugu's figure flickered.

With a crisp, sharp "whoosh," he vanished from his spot and was standing three zhang away the next moment.

"This is 'Instant Step'." Kujo Tadatsugu turned around. "The key to this stage is precise control over the direction, distance, and trajectory of movement; otherwise, you'll just be walking into the enemy's clutches."

Xuan seemed to be deep in thought. The principle of Shunpo is similar to snapping one's fingers. Sequential stance is about getting into position and exerting force, pulling the foot is about moving the thumb away and releasing the middle finger, and Shunpo is about the middle finger instantly moving to the thenar eminence of the hand.

Kujo Tadatsugu instantly returned to his original spot, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his tone serious:

"If the Instant Step is not controlled properly, it may deviate from the target at best, or even cause the spiritual energy to backfire and damage the meridians at worst. Therefore, today, we will only practice the 'Sequence Standing'. Feel the spiritual energy gathering under your feet. When you can gather the spiritual energy with a thought, then you can try the 'Extending the Foot'."

The students did as instructed, lowering their backs and dismounting to gather their spiritual energy.

The posture for the Xuanzhi stance is not fixed. For example, Omaeda Kichiyo, who later became the captain of the Covert Police Department, could even perform the stance while lying down.

However, Xuanxiang's performance was unremarkable, and he also adopted the standard standing posture.

Following the instructions, I slowly guided the spiritual energy to the soles of my feet.

The spiritual energy he gained after establishing his foundation surged towards the soles of his feet, naturally condensing and compressing. This process was so natural and smooth, it was as if it were his body's instinct.

The spiritual energy in the soles of the feet quickly filled up, and a wisp of spiritual energy flowed around the ankles, maintaining the tension that was ready to be unleashed.

Xuan felt a chill run down his spine.

Overflowing spiritual energy surged and collided beneath his feet, seeking an outlet. The restraint required to maintain "order" was being gradually eroded by this explosive spiritual energy.

The arrow is on the string, and it must be released.

Kujo Tadatsugu was instructing a student not far away: "Keep your mind calm, keep your spiritual energy steady..."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xuan's forehead.

It couldn't be suppressed any longer.

"Whoosh—"

Without warning, Xuan's figure vanished from the spot.

The next moment, he was already on the open ground five meters away, and his feet made a clear "thud" when they landed.

The entire room fell silent.

All the students stopped what they were doing, staring in disbelief. Many of them forgot to control the spiritual energy that was accumulating in their feet and stumbled and fell to the ground.

Xuan slowly turned around and looked up at his disheveled classmates and teachers.

Kujou Tadatsugu's aged face first showed surprise, then his brows furrowed in seriousness: "You can use Shunpo after only hearing the principle once..."

He walked up to Xuan, bowed his head, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Shihōin Gen".

"The bloodline of Shihouin..." Kujou Tadatsugu sighed softly, his voice carrying a complex emotion that seemed to be one of relief.

Kujo Tadatsugu composed himself and regained his composure.

"Gen Shihouin," he began, "now that you've taken this step, tell everyone how you grasped the essence of Shunpo just now?"

Xuan was slightly taken aback.

He looked around and saw more than twenty pairs of eyes staring at him, some curious, some inquisitive, and some unable to hide their jealousy.

Xuan remained silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

The principle behind Instant Step is actually very similar to snapping your fingers, but explaining what a snapping finger means in this world is a bit complicated. So—

"In my opinion," Xuan said, "that Instant Step is like shooting an arrow."

The room fell silent; everyone waited for him to continue.

"The sequence is like drawing a bow, nocking an arrow, and aiming. Gather all your spiritual energy at your feet, as if accumulating power into the bowstring, and steadily aim at the target."

"Pulling out is like loosening the string," Xuan continued. "It's simply loosening the fingers that are pulling the string, allowing the accumulated power to find an outlet."

"As for the final stage, 'Instant Step,' I'm not sure either," Xuan said. In fact, the technique he used to stop the Instant Step by immediately activating his spiritual power after the accidental attempt was this stage's technique. However, he didn't say this aloud, fearing it would cause public outrage.

As soon as he finished speaking, many students looked enlightened, and Kujo Tadatsugu's eyes also flashed with approval.

"Using archery as a metaphor for Instant Step is very apt." The old man nodded. "Your ability to grasp this principle truly demonstrates your exceptional talent."

He paused, then looked at everyone: "Today's lessons are over. Everyone, go back and continue practicing your stances. Shihouin Gen, you stay."

The trainees exchanged bewildered glances, a mixture of shock, confusion, and jealousy filling the air. They dispersed one after another, but kept turning back, their gazes fixed on Xuan.

Only two people remained in the arena.

Kujo Tadatsugu stared intently at Gen and slowly spoke:

"Your talent is unparalleled in my entire life."

Xuan remained silent. The inherent humility of the Chinese people made him reluctant to accept, but he simply remained noncommittal.

"But you must remember, the Instant Step is easy to learn but difficult to master."

Kujo Tadatsugu pointed to the footprints that Gentsu had left on the ground:

"True Shunpo should be silent, invisible, and traceless. Extensive experience in sequence formation can reduce the sound of Shunpo, speeding up the movement can make it invisible, and controlling the body and spiritual power can make Shunpo leave no trace."

"However, I don't expect you to reach that level within a hundred years." He smiled, his wrinkles etched on his face.

"When you get back, practice standing in sequence and pulling your foot out more. Don't rush it. Once you can perform standing in sequence and pulling your foot out in various postures, then try turning during the instant step."

Xuan bowed deeply: "This student will remember."

Kujo Tadatsugu looked at Gen: "Although I can't reach that level, I hope my student can become the next 'Flash God'. Go back and practice hard, but don't rush things." With that, he turned and left.

Xuan stood alone in the gradually darkening training ground, the faint sounds of students discussing in the distance drifting over.

He knew that he could no longer remain a nobody in the school.

This was not Xuan's original intention; he was simply struggling to stop himself, so he released it directly after setting up the order.

All Xuan ever wanted was to live and become stronger. Being in the spotlight meant trouble, and this was a result of a momentary lapse in attention, making it hard for Xuan to be happy.

On the bright side, showing off some of his talent in public would prevent him from appearing too cunning after winning the final school year competition, thus avoiding tarnishing his and his partner's image.

Xuan composed himself, left the training ground, and continued to the library to read.

When they returned to the courtyard, Zongzhu had already prepared dinner. Today's meal was exceptionally lavish, with a noticeable increase in the amount of spiritual food, and even an extra small dish of fruit that they had never seen before.

Xuan ate without making a sound.

After all, with the descendants of several noble families studying together, the family academy is not only an ordinary school, but also a social network showcasing the future power of the families. The news should have spread by now.

After dinner, the Yi Jin Jing, wooden dummy exercises, and Qi cultivation continued as usual.

The refining process is progressing much faster than expected. This may be because the body is still young, resulting in fewer impurities in the spiritual energy; it may also be related to the purer spiritual energy in Soul Society.

Xuan appropriately reduced the proportion of his daily Qi cultivation time, allocating some of his time to practicing the Instant Step technique.

"The training should be completed before the tournament, at which point the spiritual energy density will significantly increase, meaning the spiritual pressure will be significantly enhanced. A year later, most people should have learned Shunpo, but you still need to refine Shunpo to further expand your advantage."

The stars hang low in the sky, and the night breeze is chilly.

The winner of the year-end competition will receive a light beating.

Obtaining Asauchi—the initial form of a Zanpakuto—a year earlier means achieving Shikai a year earlier, which means rapidly increasing one's strength to the point where one can resolve the soul's problems.

Xuan returned inside and blew out the oil lamp.

Tomorrow is another day.

What he needs to do is fill himself with knowledge in the school and become strong enough to get rid of the hidden dangers in his soul as soon as possible.