Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

On the way back, the atmosphere was completely different from when we arrived.

The trainees, who had just returned from the brink of death, had mixed feelings. There was admiration for the strong, relief at surviving a close call, and anger and lingering fear about nearly dying.

"Is that the Shikai of my Zanpakuto?"

"Killed that huge creature with a single blow... what level of power was that?"

"Saito's amazing, he single-handedly cut down three medium-sized Hollows and appeared completely unharmed..."

Some people wanted to approach and flatter him, but faced with Saito's nonchalant and arrogant demeanor, they awkwardly retreated. As for Gen, he usually gave off a kind feeling, but at this moment, Gen was uncharacteristically expressionless, making people even more hesitant to approach him.

Among the crowd, some people's legs were so weak they could barely walk, and they had to be helped by their companions to keep up with the group. The thought of that spider lunging at the crowd, its open fangs, dripping saliva, and the imminent aura of death... even now, sending chills down their spines.

"I...I thought I was going to die..." A civilian student's voice trembled, his face pale.

"Shut up!" a well-dressed noble student beside him hissed in a low voice, but his hand was trembling. His exquisite katana was covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled.

"Yuanzi Academy... almost killed me here!" His voice was forced out through clenched teeth, filled with the fear and anger of someone who had just escaped death. "This kind of exercise completely disregards our lives! When I get back, I will make sure my family teaches Yuanzi Academy a lesson!"

Having said that, without waiting for anyone else's reaction, he turned and walked away. He stumbled a few steps, almost tripping over his own hakama—his hands were still trembling uncontrollably. After walking more than ten steps, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaned against a tree trunk by the roadside, bending over and dry heaving. But they were too far away for anyone to see clearly.

The others silently averted their gazes; no one laughed. They knew that if it weren't for Gen and Saito, they might not even be able to stand up right now.

Having narrowly escaped death, the students were clearly reluctant to speak. They returned to the Yuanzi Academy in silence.

"The others should reflect on their performance today. Gen Shihouin, Saito Immortal, follow me."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni had somehow appeared at the front of the group, followed by Sasakibe Chojiro. His gaze swept over the two men without any further expression, and he turned and walked away.

Gen and Saito exchanged a glance and followed.

Whispers came from behind: "The head instructor summoned him privately... is he going to reward him?"

"Definitely! They single-handedly defeated the Hollows and saved everyone!"

……

The Chief Instructor's office was extremely simple. Apart from a tea table where tea was being brewed and a few futons, there was only a sword rack in the corner, but no Zanpakuto on it.

"sit."

The aroma of tea rose in wisps of steam. Yamamoto sat behind the tea table, his gaze first falling on Saito.

"Saito is immortal."

"Yes!" Saito replied, his tone as arrogant as ever.

Yamamoto's voice was calm, yet every word was clear: "How long did it take you to kill those three Hollows?"

Saito paused for a moment: "...I don't remember, maybe a few minutes."

"Your strength far surpasses that of the three Hollows, yet you fought back and forth, holding your own." Yamamoto's voice was completely flat. "Your swordsmanship is too poor. You need to practice more regularly."

"Furthermore, if Xuan hadn't killed that large Hollow among your companions this time, the rest of you would have been wiped out by the Hollows long ago. With the stamina you're expending with this fighting style, will you even be able to defeat a large Hollow in its prime later on?"

On the battlefield, you have comrades. You can choose to endure some injuries that won't affect your combat effectiveness in the short term, quickly eliminating the enemy at the cost of some casualties, and then lead the others to encircle and annihilate enemies of equal strength.

Saito opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but when he met Yamamoto's sharp, razor-sharp eyes, he swallowed his words.

Yamamoto did not continue to scold him, but instead turned his gaze to Gen.

Saito turned his head to look at Gen, his eyes filled with curiosity—Gen had done well enough this time, what was old man Yamamoto going to say this time?

Yamamoto spoke, getting straight to the point: "That attack wasn't your Shikai ability."

Xuan's pupils contracted slightly.

Saito blinked. Not Shikai? Then what is it?

Xuan remained silent for a moment, then met Yamamoto's gaze: "Why do you say that, Chief Instructor?"

"I have studied the spiritual energy fluctuations between a Zanpakuto and its ranged attacks. They are synchronized," Yamamoto's voice was as steady as a rock. "The attack you released is not similar to that of your Zanpakuto; it is not a Zanpakuto attack."

Xuan fell silent.

Yamamoto Shigekuni's experience and spiritual pressure perception far exceeded his expectations. But at the same time, another question arose in his mind—

How did Yamamoto sense the spiritual connection between the Kido and the Zanpakuto? Didn't he arrive at the scene only after it was over?

Yamamoto seemed to see through Xuan's question and said calmly, "I have been here the whole time. Those Hollows were captured by the nobles for use in gladiatorial combat to execute prisoners at the execution ground. I specifically selected these few based on the spiritual power levels of you newcomers."

Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Saito was also stunned, his gaze shifting from Gen's face to Yamamoto, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Yamamoto continued, "Yuanzi Academy is not a place to cultivate hothouse flowers. Death needs to see blood, needs to know what real battle is like. Unfortunately—everyone performed terribly, and I am very dissatisfied."

A chill ran down Xuan's spine.

At that moment, he clearly realized that the Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni before him was not the old man from a thousand years later who roasted sweet potatoes with Ryujin Jakka. He was the "Sword Demon," a ruthless instructor who trained killing machines. In his eyes, the lives of those trainees were nothing more than rust on a whetstone, to be discarded at any time.

Silence spread throughout the room, like a string that was stretched ever tighter.

After a long silence, Xuan spoke: "That is indeed not a technique from the Initial Release."

"It's the Ghost Path," Xuan said slowly, "a technique for using spiritual power that I created myself."

Saito blinked. Kido? She'd never heard of it before.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, the cross-shaped scar twisting in his eyes: "Your idea is correct, but you've gone astray."

His voice suddenly grew harsher: "How much time did you spend studying this 'Ghost Path'? If you had used that time entirely for self-cultivation, you would at least have reached the fifth level of spiritual power, making it no problem to kill a lower-level Great Void Foundation An!"

Xuan didn't explain that his daily cultivation time had reached the limit his body could handle; he simply said, "I used the Ghost Path to save someone."

"What did I say at the start of the semester?" Yamamoto's voice was like a muffled thunderclap, "'You must not only consider your own life'—did you hear me?"

"I'm concerned about their lives."

"Wrong." Yamamoto said, emphasizing each word. "You should be thinking about how to kill that Hollow. If you're strong enough, you can eliminate all threats in an instant; you won't need to save anyone. If you're strong enough, that spiderweb won't be able to trap you at all."

Xuan took a deep breath: "So, in the Chief Instructor's view, the lives of those trainees are indeed unimportant?"

"Important, but not as important as the 'big picture'." Yamamoto's voice remained unwavering. "They weren't strong enough, so they deserved to die. You are strong enough, so you should focus on slaying powerful enemies. If sacrificing a few people can buy time to kill Hollows, then it's worth it. No matter how strong someone is, they can't save everyone in the world. To fulfill the responsibility of a Shinigami, sacrifice is necessary."

A brief, deathly silence fell over the room.

Saito sat to the side, silently glancing at Gen's profile. She had expected Gen to argue, to debate, or even to become angry. But Gen remained silent, his eyes devoid of emotion, like a stagnant pool.

But she knew—that wasn't the case.

Something was burning deep within those eyes.

Yamamoto looked at Gen, his tone complex: "You're a clever brat, as expected of Shihouin. But cleverness doesn't equal correctness. Kido? It's nothing more than a rudimentary technique for projecting spiritual energy. Instead of pondering these unorthodox methods, you should focus on honing your own skills. That's the right path."

Xuan rose and bowed, his voice calm: "This student has learned much."

But Yamamoto could tell that Gen's eyes didn't convey that.

He waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Xuan turned around and pushed open the door.

Saito paused for a moment, then quickly got up and followed. Before leaving, she glanced back at Yamamoto, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, and hurried after him.

Outside the duty room, the sun was shining brightly.

Xuan walked under the corridor, his steps steady and his face expressionless.

Saito caught up with him and walked alongside him for a while, then suddenly said, "Feed."

Xuan glanced sideways.

"Don't take what that old man said to heart." Saito put away his usual carefree demeanor and looked at Gen seriously for the first time. "He has lived for hundreds of years and has seen many people die. He probably doesn't care."

She grinned: "I agree with you. Nobody wants to be the one sacrificed. And you revealed all your hidden trump cards to save people—isn't that what you meant by 'a person who carries firewood for others' in the cafeteria? If I don't even support that, what kind of friend am I?"

Xuan remained silent, surprised that Saito still remembered what he had casually said a year ago.

"But speaking of which, your 'Kido' is really quite interesting. It's a technique comparable to a Zanpakuto, and it can even kill large Hollows—"

She suddenly leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with excitement: "Teach me a few moves, please?"

Gen knew that Saito seemed unreliable at first glance, but was actually quite dependable. He said, "Alright, as long as you can learn it. But you mustn't pass it on to anyone else."

"Tch, don't underestimate me!" Saito laughed loudly, his laughter echoing unrestrainedly in the corridor.

The two turned into the corridor and bumped into a group of students.

"Gen!" "Saito-kun!" "You guys are out!"

The crowd surged forward instantly, surrounding the two. Clearly, after a period of relaxation, the others had emerged from the shadow of death.

Those gazes were filled with fervor and admiration, even a hint of fear—the battle just now had made everyone clearly realize that these two people were not on the same level as them.

"Did the Chief Commander commend you?"

"Xuan, that move of yours was amazing! Does it have a name?"

The chirping sounds rose and fell in waves.

Just as Gen was about to speak, Saito waved his hand and pushed his way to the front: "Make way! That's Gen's Shikai, what's there to ask? Let's awaken the Zanpakuto first!"

"Saito-kun! You single-handedly chopped down three Hollows! How do you train normally?"

"Tch, those small fry are not worth mentioning." Saito waved his hand, then turned back and winked at Gen.

Xuan nodded slightly in thanks.

The crowd gradually dispersed. The two continued walking until they parted ways in front of the dormitory area.

"I'll come find you after class tomorrow, don't forget what you promised me~" Saito seemed to raise an eyebrow, but it was hidden by his eye patch and bangs.

After parting ways, Xuan returned to his dormitory.

The scenes from today are intertwined in my mind.

He closed his eyes, letting the memories settle.

Yamamoto Shigekuni is right—he is not strong enough.

If he were strong enough, the spider web of that Void Spider wouldn't have been able to trap him at all; if he were strong enough, he could have ended everything with a straightforward and honorable cleavage punch, without having to expose his Demonic Path in front of everyone; if he were strong enough, he wouldn't even need to hide his Demonic Path.

However, Gen did not agree with Yamamoto's statement that "Kido is a heretical path," because time would tell. At this point, Yamamoto was still too old-fashioned, because he had previously dismissed the value of Kido simply because Shinigami only knew how to slash, move, and strike.

Kido allows for ranged attacks, control, and defense—something Kenzoku Zan can't do, and it's one of the main combat methods the Shinigami will use in the future. In today's battle, without Kido, those students would already be dead. If more people could master this power…

If the way of the demons could be systematized and popularized...

May more Grim Reapers wield this power...

It even formed a dedicated organization...

The Ghost Path.

The name came to mind.

Once one's strength increases and one no longer needs to worry about using Kido, one can gather immense power through it. This is especially true for families that are not skilled in swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat, or even those without Zanpakuto, such as the Ise family—they lack the means to engage in direct combat. Kido might open a new door for them.

This may be the foundation for a stable life.

Xuan opened his eyes, his gaze clear.

But it's too early now. Our strength is insufficient, and we've only researched and mastered basic demonic arts; the time isn't right.

He took a deep breath and began his training for the day.

Cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. No matter what lies ahead, every step you take must be solid.

The next morning.

As the morning light shines down, students stroll along the stone path in twos and threes.

Gen and Saito walked side by side toward the classroom.

Saito yawned: "Didn't sleep again last night?"

"Going to sleep."

"Tch, who are you trying to fool? I concealed my spiritual pressure and went to your dorm last night, and I saw you still meditating."

Xuan paused, "...You came again last night?"

"I'm tired of killing those trash Hollows. I want to have a proper fight with you." Saito stretched and moved his hands on his shoulders, making a slight "click" sound. "I thought I could have a match with you in the live-fire exercise, but it didn't work out because the Hollow that old man Yamamoto found ruined it."

Xuan shook his head helplessly.

The two walked into the classroom side by side. The morning light shone through the window, casting two long shadows on the floor.

A new lesson, a new day.

Everything seemed normal.