Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

A year passed in cultivation. When Xuan stood in the center of the courtyard again, preparing to complete his beast transformation, the summer night sky was already filled with stars.

The process of spiritual particle reconstruction went more smoothly than expected. After a year of gradual practice, from one arm to all four limbs, from parts to the whole, the spiritual body had already memorized that feeling. At this moment, Xuan only had the idea of ​​transforming into a beast, and the spiritual particle nodes in his body naturally flowed and reorganized.

A few breaths later, the reconstruction was complete.

Xuan opened his eyes. The world was predominantly cool-toned, with red and orange appearing as dull gray and brown. However, compared to his night vision capabilities, this shortcoming was negligible.

He looked down and saw not hands, but a pair of wings covered in grayish-brown feathers. The feathers were densely packed, with faint dark patterns along the edges, almost blending into the shadows in the moonlight.

Qianri walked over from under the tree, squatted down to examine him closely, and Xuan's large, round eyes were reflected in his golden pupils. He suddenly chuckled: "He doesn't look fierce at all, but rather a bit dull."

Xuan tried to speak, but only a "du-du-du-wu" came out. He immediately shut his beak—it would take time to get used to speaking human language.

Xuan felt his new body. The wings were lighter than he had expected, the bones were hollow but tough, and the muscle distribution was completely different from that of a human arm—every muscle fiber was optimized for efficient wing flapping.

Xuan's wingtips drooped, its hind legs pushed off the ground, and its wings rapidly and continuously pressed down, propelling its body into the air. The night breeze lifted its wings, each flap light and efficient.

He circled low over the courtyard once and landed on a cherry tree inside.

Owls have a unique perspective. Their single eye's field of vision is smaller than a human's, but the overlap of their binocular fields of vision is greater, which makes owls have a stronger sense of three-dimensionality than humans.

The owl's eyes are, to be precise, tubular and cannot rotate at all, but the special structure of its cervical vertebrae allows the owl to rotate 270° in any direction.

Xuan, who had been facing away from Qianri, turned his head to look directly at Qianri, without feeling any discomfort from the 180° turn.

The whole world seemed to be cut into sectors, which were presented in turn and then connected when I turned my head.

"Have you gotten used to the perspective?" Qianri asked.

Xuan landed in front of him and nodded.

Qianri said, "Revert to human form. It's not advisable to remain in beast form for too long if you haven't fully mastered it."

Xuan Yi closed her eyes, and the process of her spirit returning to human form was faster than when she transformed into human form.

Soon, Xuan, dressed and restored to human form, stood in the courtyard. He flexed his fingers; his joints were as flexible as ever, as if the wings he had just seen were merely an illusion. But deep within his spirit, he remembered that arrangement, making it easier to transform into a beast next time.

"How are you feeling?" Qianri asked.

"It can fly, and it can also mobilize spiritual power. In the future, we can try to take off using Instant Step," Xuan summarized succinctly.

Qianri sighed, "I asked if you felt any discomfort, not how you developed it. Judging from your appearance, you seem to be fine."

He patted Xuan on the shoulder: "Congratulations on learning to transform into a beast. The next step is to master its use and completely control the spirit body in beast form."

After saying that, Qianri walked out of the courtyard. When he reached the door, he leaned against the door frame and turned back, saying, "Let me give you a reminder: eat more for dinner from now on. Otherwise, don't blame me if you develop an appetite for insects and mice after you transform into a beast."

Senri waved his hand behind his back and then instantly left.

"Tsk." Xuan clicked his tongue. A thousand days of serious business, how reliable he was; how much he loved to ramble on in casual conversation. Even knowing full well that beast transformation only changed the spirit's form and wouldn't affect the user's food preferences, he still had to be cheeky and run away.

Sensing that Qianri's spiritual pressure had receded, Xuan secretly decided to go and mooch off Qianri's dinner the next day and eat a whole pound of it.

After finishing his daily cultivation, Xuan opened the window of the hut and looked up at the night sky. Sparse stars were faintly visible, and a full moon hung in the east; it was the perfect time to take off.

As it transformed into its beast form once more, the owl's shape coalesced under the moonlight, its gray-brown feathers almost blending into the shadows of the night.

As I took off once more, the feeling of my wings cutting through the air became familiar, and my body found its balance in the night wind.

The rooftops receded beneath his feet, and the small courtyard shrank into a neat, dark patch. He continued to ascend, and even at night, the Four Maple Courtyard estate remained clearly reflected in the owl's round eyes—the sprawling mansions, the staggered eaves, the training grounds, the library, the main house, the side courtyards… Warm yellow light emanated from each room, like scattered gold dust on black silk.

In the spiritual vision, the patrol's spiritual pressure moved along a fixed path, leaving behind light blue spiritual traces along the way.

Xuan Zhen flew towards the edge of the clan's territory, where the night market was located in the southwest corner of Seireitei.

It was past midnight, but the streets were still not completely quiet. The windows of the izakayas were lit, and the faint sound of drunken laughter could be heard. This was considered a bustling scene in this era.

This is Seireitei, where noble servants from the Soul Society live.

Xuanfei flew in the air, gazing into the distance under the moonlight.

The buildings are low and dilapidated, and the roads are narrow; this is Rukongai. Although there is no tall wall made of killing stones separating Seireitei and Rukongai, the two areas are clearly distinct and are still separated by a tall wall.

No nobles bother managing the chaos in Rukongai; they only bother managing their family's properties there.

Ordinary spirits who come to Soul Society can only become wandering spirits in Rukongai. The outer Rukongai is filled with chaos and evil. You can't survive without stealing and robbing. No one cares about the crimes, murders, arson, and robberies except for the victims.

The prosperity within Seireitei is built on the exploitation of the vast majority of souls.

Staying with the Shihouin family, one of the five noble families, was good; they had food, clothing, and educational resources. However, this behavior did not align with the educational philosophy that Xuan had received in his previous life.

Being poor cares themselves, being wealthy cares the world.

Gen didn't like hardship, so he thought that the lowest-ranking rogues in Soul Society were probably the same.

Now that he has mastered the Beast Transformation technique, he can escape even if the Quincy attack Soul Society in the next moment. Since he has a way out, he should try to improve his strength before the Quincy attack, which might have a positive impact on the future battle.

The education at Shihōin Academy has deviated from Xuan's expectations, emphasizing aristocratic honor all day long. Apart from the brainwashing-style education in cultural subjects, other training remains at the basic level.

The main purpose of the students at the academy is to cultivate relationships. The academy exists more as a platform for future nobles to socialize than to train combat power.

Xuan didn't want to get involved in the messy affairs among the nobles; improving his strength was the most important thing.

Right now, there is a place that could give Xuan a huge boost – the Genji Academy, the predecessor of the Shinigami Academy, the official training institution for the future Shinigami.

Its founder is also very famous—

Yamamoto Shigekuni.

The most powerful Shinigami in Seireitei, a key force in resisting the Hollow Ghouls a thousand years ago. Perhaps applying to study at the Genji Academy could help the family make connections with promising Shinigami; I believe the family wouldn't refuse.

Night had fallen. Xuan found his cabin, glided precisely through the window, and landed inside.

The moment he landed safely, Xuan dispelled his beast form and returned to human form.

He walked to the window, gently closed the shutter, and kept the evening breeze out.