Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The huge square stone pit is sunken deep into the ground, like a scar forgotten in a corner of Seireitei.

This was the era of the most intense power struggles among the nobles of Soul Society. Those who lost in the struggle were branded with numerous crimes, and their only fate was to be sent here to be devoured by the Hollows captured by the Seireitei.

As for those prisoners who could defeat the executioner's illusions on the execution ground, they would be directly sent to the severance realm for exile without the guidance of the Hell Butterfly. From then on, no one knew their whereabouts.

Xuan stood on the edge of the circular grandstand, looking down into the pit.

Layers of gray stone bricks stretched downwards, and on the steep, vertical pit walls, each brick bore the marks of dark brown stains—the imprints left by blood that had seeped into the cracks time and again over countless years. The pit floor was paved with dark stone slabs, the central area showing obvious wear—the spot where countless prisoners had fought to the death.

Standing at the bottom of the execution ground and looking up, all you can see is the sky cut into a neat square by the edge of the pit, and the stands surrounding the edge of the execution ground.

The clouds hung low, and the March sky was chilly; it was uncertain when it would rain.

The trainees followed their chief instructors, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Suzume no Chojiro, to the stands. There were no nobles present today, only the trainees who would soon be fighting the Hollows on the execution ground.

The class of 1034 has 29 members remaining.

There were three fewer students than when they enrolled. Two of them quietly left the Yuanzi Academy and never returned; one of them died in an accident in Rukongai.

On the stands, most trainees looked solemn, while a few gripped their knives tightly at their waists, trying to appear more confident. But upon closer inspection, their hands trembled slightly, and their straight backs appeared stiff.

Some people muttered something under their breath, as if trying to encourage themselves; others repeatedly checked the belt around their waists, using this meaningless action to mask their inner unease.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's voice came through.

"This is your last practical experience before graduation."

He stood at the edge of the execution ground, with Chojiro Sasakibe standing behind him. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"This is the execution ground used by the nobles to punish criminals. Inside are the voids used for gladiatorial combat. They are each of you to equal strength. You must either live and defeat them, or die."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's gaze slowly swept across the circular stands.

"In the crisis, Saito Immortal and Shihōin Genkai came to our aid."

"But if someone dies too quickly and there's no time to rescue them, they can only blame their own incompetence and have no one else to blame."

The stands were deathly silent.

Xuan felt the gazes of the students beside him and gave a reassuring smile. Ultimately, no one is unafraid of death, especially when they possess enough status, wealth, and power.

Saito, seemingly immortal, leaned against the wall at the edge of the stands, yawning listlessly. His black eyepatch over his left eye was particularly noticeable, and he exuded an aura of indifference. Seeing Saito, one of the rescuers, appear uninterested and sleepy, the trainees grew even more serious and tense.

Soon, Chojiro, the saga master from the stands, began calling out names. His voice rang out calmly, yet it sounded like a devil's whispered death knell.

The student whose name was called took a deep breath, left the stands, and headed towards the private passage leading to the bottom of the pit. It was a deep, dark tunnel carved into the stone wall, the entrance pitch black, and the sound of footsteps was quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Xuan Jingjing stood quietly on one side of the stands, calmly observing the battle below.

Saito remained leaning against the wall, occasionally glancing at the bottom of the pit, but mostly staring blankly at the sky.

Time slowly passed amidst the repeated battles.

One by one, the trainees left the stands and walked through the passageway into the execution ground. Some, barely surviving, were helped onto the stands, covered in wounds, and received scattered applause from the other trainees—it was unclear whether it was to congratulate them on their survival or to encourage themselves as they were about to be executed.

Some managed to hold on, fleeing in disarray under the pursuit of the illusory, and ultimately barely escaped.

Someone was knocked to the ground by a feint, but at the last moment, they unleashed their potential and killed the opponent with a single strike.

The entire process was fraught with danger but ultimately resulted in no serious injury. No one was seriously injured, and there were no cases of missing limbs; only a few people sustained minor injuries during the struggle. After the injured were treated by medical personnel outside the execution ground, they quickly returned to the stands.

Judging solely from their spiritual power, these Hollows possessed spiritual pressure nearly identical to that of the students, clearly indicating that Yamamoto Shigekuni had specifically selected them based on the students' spiritual pressure. With their superior intelligence, rationality, and swordsmanship knowledge, these small and medium-sized Hollows were not enough to threaten the students' lives, which reassured the students in the stands who had not yet engaged in combat.

Saito remained silent, observing without making a move. She showed little interest in the battle below, occasionally yawning, but mostly leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, resting.

But the atmosphere in the stands grew increasingly tense as the rounds progressed.

Xuan's gaze swept over the trainees who had not yet taken the stage. Some gripped their sword hilts so tightly that their knuckles turned white, some muttered something under their breath, and some repeatedly checked the belt around their waists.

No one knows when or under what circumstances those two will make their move.

More than half of the rounds have been completed.

Among those who had already taken to the field, their performances varied greatly. Some won spectacularly, some barely scraped through, and some nearly lost their lives—but before those two made their move, everyone survived.

Until Hisahide Kasai left the stands.

Hisahide Kasai.

A son of a lower-ranking noble, he tried to curry favor with Gen on his first day of school—though he was humiliated when Saito brushed him off with a single palm strike—but this did not change the fact that he was the strongest among the other students.

This can be seen from the opponents that Yamamoto arranged for him.

As Hisahide Kasai stepped from the bottom of the pit into the execution ground, a huge shadow slowly emerged from the other end.

Over five meters long, its entire body was covered in white, bony carapace that gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the gloomy sky. A bony mask covered its head, revealing only its scarlet eyes. Its scorpion tail was raised high, the tip gleaming with a chilling light.

Large virtual.

The spiritual pressure rose tangibly from the bottom of the pit, and even from dozens of feet away, the students on the stands felt the oppressive force. Some instinctively took a half step back, while others clenched their fists.

Hisahide Kasai's face turned pale. Although the difference in spiritual pressure between him and this large Hollow was not actually that great, the oppressive feeling of the large Hollow was truly exaggerated, and its appearance seemed to be born for killing.

Kasai Hisahide gritted his teeth, drew his Asauchi from his waist, and without hesitation unleashed his Shikai: "Dust rises without form, blade falls without sound, Sleeping Dust Pill."

The battle has begun.

With his agile footwork, he narrowly avoided the scorpion's stings time and time again. Occasionally, he would counterattack with a slash, his Zanpakuto striking the Hollow's carapace and leaving only a shallow white mark.

On the stands, Genrao watched Kasai Hisahide's Zanpakuto with great interest. This was the third Shikai to appear among the students, besides himself and Saito, so he naturally wanted to see its capabilities.

Three minutes later.

Hisahide Kasai's breathing became erratic, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His clothes were torn, and there were wounds on his shoulders and ribs, with blood dripping down his hem.

He was cornered at the bottom of the pit.

There is no way out.

The scorpion-shaped creature emitted a low hiss, its scarlet compound eyes gazing down at the tiny humans beneath it. Its tail, aimed at Kasai Hisahide's head, rose high and stab down—

The scorpion's tail rapidly magnified in the field of vision.

Hisahide Kasai's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot. Death was imminent; he could even see the faint blue light at the tip of the scorpion's tail.

Consciousness vanished in an instant, the revolving lantern flashing by like dust—

Born into a lower-ranking noble family, her father said, "The revival of the family depends on you."

Finally, he found an opportunity to speak with the people from the Shihōin family, but they were casually brushed aside.

I practiced day and night, just so I wouldn't be insignificant anymore.

Having finally awakened his initial release, Mianchenwan, like himself, was unremarkable, yet he gave it his all.

I thought I could finally look up, but I felt so powerless in the face of real death.

Not reconciled.

I haven't been able to prove anything yet...

"Suppress and refine the universe, Zhenyuan!"

A voice came from the stands above the execution ground.

Xuan remained motionless, his Zanpakuto at his waist rapidly transformed into arm guards and gloves, gleaming with a metallic sheen, and the dark purple patterns suddenly lit up.

Xuan raised his hand and pointed to the bottom of the pit.

【Binding Spell No. 61: The Six-Staff Light Prison】.

Several golden beams shot out from Xuan's fingertips, piercing through Xu's body and fixing him in place.

Hisahide Kasai snapped out of his daze, panting heavily. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the stone slab with a "plop." He slowly turned his head and saw Gen standing on the stands, his right hand outstretched, the patterns on his golden arm guard still flickering.

Three inches.

He was just three inches away from being pierced by the scorpion's tail.

His legs buckled and he almost knelt down, but he used his Zanpakuto to support himself and stand up again.

Hisahide Kasai gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, as if letting go would cause him to collapse like dust. He circled around Sasori's tail and stepped towards the head of the Sasori Hollow.

The scorpion-shaped Void's eyes blazed with red light as it stared at the approaching humans, yet it was unable to move an inch.

Hisahide Kasai raised his asana and aimed it at the gnome's head.

He cleaved down with a single stroke.

The ethereal body transformed into spiritual particles and slowly dissipated, like weathered ashes scattered under the gloomy sky.

Kasai Hisahide stood there, watching the spot where the illusion had dissipated, panting heavily.

After a long while, he turned around and looked at Xuan in the stands.

He bowed deeply.

"Hisahide... Thank you for saving my life!"

His voice was hoarse and trembling, echoing in the empty execution ground.

Xuan looked at him and nodded slightly.

Hisahide Kasai staggered toward the passageway leading out of the execution ground. The moment his figure disappeared into the darkness, the long-suppressed murmurs from the stands erupted.

"Xuan has struck again! I saw him kill a large Hollow four years ago, and I swear he used this move!"

"Was that his Shikai technique? A ranged light-attribute ability, it's so fast!"

Witnessing Xuan's move once again, the students in the stands began to discuss among themselves.

Xuan ignored those gazes. He quickly released his initial release, and Zhenyuan gradually dimmed, transforming back into spiritual light particles that gathered, contracted, and finally returned to its initial form, returning to its sheath.

Saito, who had somehow gotten close to him, nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "Your move looks so cool, I want to learn it."

Xuan glanced at her but did not respond.

The exercise continues.

The remaining trainees took turns going up to complete the challenge.

In the end, everyone survived. No one was seriously injured; only a few had suffered minor injuries in the previous fight—grabs and shallow cuts from the Void's claws—and had already bandaged themselves, sitting silently in the stands.

No one spoke, and no one was in a hurry to leave. The sky above the execution ground remained gloomy, but having once again personally experienced the breath of death, the feeling of being alive seemed all the more real.

As the last student returned to the stands from the passage, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stood up.

He stood in the center of the pit, raised his head, and slowly scanned everyone in the circular stands.

"Congratulations everyone, regardless of victory or defeat, you have all survived."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Cherish this battle and remember it well. In the future, you may not face equally strong opponents, and you may not have anyone to help you."

Yamamoto's gaze lingered briefly on Gen before shifting away.

"Disband."

After saying this, he turned and left the stands, heading towards the Genji Academy. Chojiro Sasaki followed closely behind, and their figures quickly disappeared into the darkness.

On the stands, the trainees stood up in twos and threes. Many of them were injured, and the bandaging by the medical staff alone was not enough. They also needed to eat to replenish their spiritual energy and rest as soon as possible.

Saito stretched and stood up from the wall.

Gen and Saito left the execution ground side by side.

Behind me, a huge square stone pit lay silently in the ground, with a few fresh marks added to the gray stone bricks. Looking up, the sky was even more gloomy, with dark clouds stretching for miles, looking as if rain might fall at any moment.

Outside the execution ground.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Sasakibe Chojiro walked slowly. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor; there was no one around, only the deepening twilight.

Chojiro Sasakichi turned his head slightly.

"Your Excellency Yuan Liuzhai, I have a question that I do not understand."

Yamamoto didn't stop walking, his voice low and deep: "Speak."

Sparrowbeard followed his steps: "The techniques that Gen Shihouin used today are exactly the same as those from four years ago, but much more powerful. Is that really not his Shikai ability?"

Yamamoto remained silent for a moment.

"no."

His gaze fell on the darkening horizon in the distance, his face expressionless.

"I can sense that there is no spiritual connection between those techniques and his Zanpakuto."

He paused.

"Just like four years ago, it was what he called the 'path of ghosts'."

The sparrow pondered.

"...From my observation, this 'Ghost Path' can attack from a distance and also bind and control, and it seems to have the potential to become stronger. If it is indeed a spiritual power manipulation machine as he said, if an ordinary Grim Reaper could master it, the boost to combat power would not be underestimated."

Yamamoto did not respond.

The two continued onward, their footsteps echoing through the corridors. As dusk deepened, the outline of Seireitei became increasingly blurred in the gloom.

After a long silence, Yamamoto spoke.

"Perhaps."

Que Bu was slightly taken aback: "Lord Yuan Liuzhai?"

Yamamoto didn't say anything more.

The two disappeared into the twilight at the end of the corridor.

It was already March, and there was only one month left until the graduation of the 1034th cohort of students.