Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

In the depression, the congealed dark blood among the rubble gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Xuan's breathing was heavy and restrained. With each inhale, the tearing sensation deep within his soul felt like a dull knife cutting through an old wound, but his hands remained steady—his right hand stretched forward, the dark purple patterns on the Zhenyuan arm guard flickering incessantly, his left hand clenched loosely, his fingertips gathering the next burst of demonic spiritual light.

Unohana Yachiru didn't say anything, she just kept moving forward.

Xuan knew he had no way out and had to use every means at his disposal to fight for a chance of survival. Yes, there was still a chance.

The spiritual energy within Xuan's body surged, and the previously suppressed corrosive properties reappeared. Now, he held nothing back, and dark purple lightning burst forth from his fingertips.

【Hado #4: White Lightning】

Unohana seemed to sense the danger.

He took a half-step diagonally with his right foot, and his body rotated lightly around his waist. It was a very basic evasive footwork, but the reaction was astonishingly fast; he must have dodged immediately after seeing Xuan raise his hand.

The lightning grazed her shoulder and struck the broken rocks behind her. The rocks didn't shatter or explode; instead, the impact point quickly turned to sand, and fine grayish-white powder fell down the fracture.

Unohana's gaze did not waver for a moment, as if she didn't care about anything around her, but was only staring at Gen's every move.

Suddenly she moved.

The Zanpakuto rose from below, its movement light and graceful, like a swallow's tail gliding across water. It wasn't the typical opening move of any sword style—it was the Swallow Return of the Flying Swallow School, unleashed without any prior preparation. The tip of the blade aimed precisely at Gen's right wrist, at a tricky angle.

Xuan used Shunpo to retreat, the tip of his blade grazing the edge of his arm guard with a piercing metallic scraping sound. Using the momentum of his retreat, he unleashed a flurry of sword strikes with both hands, a series of demonic techniques shooting out in quick succession. His aim was not to injure the enemy, but simply to expose a weakness in Unohana that would allow Xuan to escape.

Unohana slashed vertically with her sword, the sharp blade instantly shattering the binding beams. Her toes lightly touched the gravel ground, and she gracefully leaped into the air, dodging the lightning crackling on the ground. The instant she landed, she smoothly switched her grip on the sword, from right to left, her stance, center of gravity, and power generation structure changing in sync. The transition between styles was fluid and seamless, as if it were all part of the same swordsmanship.

This is the Yachiryu school.

Xuan didn't give her a chance to change her move. He pushed forward with his left hand, and dark purple spiritual energy condensed in mid-air—

【Binding Spell #30: Mouth Thrust Triple Flash】

Three dark purple, fang-shaped beams of light shot towards Unohana from three different angles. Unohana paused, turned sideways to sheathe her sword, and shrank into an extremely narrow line—the fang-shaped beams grazed her body, cutting three shallow rips in her clothing, revealing pale skin beneath her torn shihaka armor. There was no blood at the wounds, only a few specks of dust falling.

Unohana's expression gradually revealed a morbid excitement. Then she looked up again, and the hand gesture holding the knife changed again—both hands were raised high above her head, above her right shoulder, the blade pointing forward and downward, the tip of the knife pointing directly at Gen's brow; her arms were fully extended, like a dragonfly standing upside down.

The dragonfly structure of the Samasama manifestation stream.

Xuan's heart was filled with alarm bells. The "Han Shen Gou" (含身构) was a typical style of fighting that was wide open and wide, leaving no way out. Once the blade was drawn, there was no turning back. She had been testing him with skill and speed, but now she suddenly adopted this desperate stance, which could only mean one thing—she had seen through his suppressive rhythm and was preparing to break through his firepower with a full-force charge.

Xuan acted decisively, deciding to take the lead. This concept exists not only in swordsmanship but also in various martial arts.

The patterns on Xuan Zhenyuan's arm guard instantly shone at their brightest. He poured a massive amount of spiritual energy into it all at once—

The pure spiritual energy surge, amplified by Zhenyuan, transformed into a dark purple pillar of light, carrying a large amount of black pure energy, and slammed towards Unohana's face. This was the simplest and most brutal attack, devoid of any skill. If it had to be named, it would be Dynamax - Rush.

Dragonfly had no room to retreat, so Unohana chose to rush forward.

She pushed off the ground with her feet, her body moving forward—facing the beam of light, she glided almost flat on the ground, the tip of her knife trailing behind her, like a wandering black phantom.

A beam of light grazed her head, and a few strands of black hair were affected by the spiritual energy, turning into dust and scattering. Unohana's approach speed did not decrease but increased, the tip of her sword dragging on the ground leaving a trail of sparks, and the ground rolled to both sides along the blade marks, using the earth as a scabbard for drawing her sword.

The distance between the two was reduced to within three steps.

Unohana suddenly raised her body, her sword turning with her body, bursting with astonishing speed.

【Binding Spell #39 - Round Gate】shattered in front of Gen, the shockwave exploding in the center of the two, knocking Gen backward.

Xuan's anxiety grew, and the initiative was slipping from his grasp. Zhenyuan's passive absorption could replenish his spiritual energy, but his physical strength was steadily declining. The tearing sensation in his soul persisted—the pain intensified with each prolonged use of Zhenyuan, like incessant white noise, interfering with his concentration.

Xuan Jiang pushed Zhen Yuan's power to its limit, the patterns on his arm guards shining blindingly. This time, it wasn't a restraint from a low-level ghostly path, but a release of a massive amount of spiritual energy all at once:

【Binding Spell #62: Hundred-Step Railing】

Under the multiple incantations, hundreds of black tendrils shot towards Ueno-no-Hana from all directions simultaneously, each carrying corrosive properties. This was the move Xuan judged to be most likely to hit Ueno-no-Hana; even though it consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, he had no other choice—

We must force her back. We must disrupt her rhythm. We must stop her movements before she can draw her sword.

But Unohana drew her sword.

She faced the towering railings and slashed down with her sword.

Dozens of railings were severed simultaneously with a single strike, and fragments of spiritual energy exploded in the air. The remaining railings shot towards her, but she twisted her wrist and unleashed three consecutive horizontal slashes—before the first strike had even finished, the second had already cut out from a different direction.

The railings scattered into fragments of spiritual particles, which fell with a dark, corrosive sheen.

Unohana stood in the center of the shards, her Zanpakuto back in place—the tip pointing straight ahead, the blade lying horizontally, only with a notch at the tip.

Xuan's heart sank to the bottom.

His spiritual energy was more than half depleted, and his stamina was declining due to the continuous high-intensity combat, while Unohana only had a few minor, insignificant injuries. Her breathing remained steady, and her spiritual pressure was as stable as ever.

She finally saw through his methods.

Unohana suddenly lowered her body, her knees bent slightly, her center of gravity shifted, and her grip on the sword changed to a reversed two-handed grip, the blade held diagonally horizontally in front of her—this was not from any known school of martial arts. Her center of gravity was almost touching the ground, and the entire movement served to launch an upward attack from the lower body.

Xuan had no time to calm the spiritual power within his body, and forcibly urged Zhenyuan to release [Breaking the Dao Twelve - Subduing Fire] towards the ground.

Unexpectedly, Unohana leaped up and, using the spiritual energy she had created in mid-air, swooped down. Her Zanpakuto changed from a reverse grip to a normal grip, the tip pointing forward, and thrust straight into Gen's left chest like a spear.

Xuan's Instant Step was very fast, but there was still an extremely short prelude. The tip of the blade grazed the left chest of the Shinigami armor, and the crisp sound of the cloth tearing was particularly clear.

The moment Xuan landed, he immediately raised his hand, his right hand fingers spread wide—[Hado 33: Azure Fire Fall] shot towards the position he had just moved from.

Unohana flipped in mid-air, the tip of her blade pointing towards the ground. Using this momentum, she changed direction again, approaching Gen from his left rear. As she landed, she switched to a one-handed sword-carrying stance—the blade pressed against her right shoulder, half-crouching to gather momentum. The sword swung out from behind her in a wide arc, her entire body spinning like a whirlwind as she exerted force.

Xuan's binding barrier barely blocked the attack, but he was thrown back several steps by the impact. His breathing became rapid, and his spiritual energy was being depleted far beyond expectations. Unohana gave him no chance to catch his breath, parrying the sword with a diagonal slash followed immediately by a reverse kasaya strike, with almost no connection between the two attacks.

There's no way to avoid it.

Xuan's pupils contracted sharply. He raised his right hand to block in front of him, and then immediately released [Binding Path No. 8 - Repulsion] - this strike was too sudden and unexpected, and this was the only way to deal with it at this moment.

"Click—"

The blade fell. The shield cracked in the center, shattering into pieces in the blink of an eye. Unohana's blade slashed into Zhenyuan—the black-gold metal shell made a piercing tearing sound under the blade, then snapped abruptly. The arm guard peeled off Xuan's forearm and fell into the pile of rubble at his feet.

Zhenyuan was destroyed.

Xuan took a half step back and looked down at his right hand—he had deflected most of the force with the help of [Rebuke], spreading his hands, and Zhenyuan's defense.

He only had a shallow bloodstain on his hand, but his Zanpakuto had been sliced ​​open. After its Shikai was damaged in an attack, the Zanpakuto could only repair itself through a long period of nurturing; it was impossible to use Chingen again in this battle.

The tearing sensation deep within his soul suddenly lessened. Zhen Yuan's activated Spirit King Soul Sleep stopped expanding, and the relentless repulsive force weakened instantly.

At the same time, his spiritual pressure dropped significantly. Without Zhen Yuan's passive absorption, the free spiritual particles in the air of the depression no longer actively rushed towards him. Without Zhen Yuan's amplification, the remaining spiritual power in his body could no longer be amplified and output.

Unohana made no unnecessary movements, simply drawing her Zanpakuto again, each strike aimed at a vital point. Collarbone, throat, heart, wrist, thigh—she was approaching in the most direct way, giving Gen no room to breathe.

Xuan couldn't hold them off any longer.

Without Zhenyuan's amplification of spiritual pressure and demonic power, he was already struggling to withstand these attacks.

The first blade grazed his left shoulder, slicing open his shihaka armor and flesh. The second blade struck his raised left arm, sending him flying and crashing his back into a pile of rubble. The third blade reached his face; Xuan rolled away before he could get up, the blade cutting into the spot where he had just been lying, sending rubble flying.

I felt a sharp pain in my leg.

Xuan looked down and saw a half-inch deep gash cut on the outside of his right thigh. Blood soaked through the torn edge of his shihaka armor, sticking to the wound. He didn't know when he had been stabbed, because Unohana's blade was too fast; he hadn't felt the wound at all. Blood gushed from the wound, flowing down his thigh onto the gravel, congealing into dark red patches.

Xuan pressed his left hand against the wound, and a wisp of spiritual energy condensed into a fine thread—a spiritual particle thread that pierced through the flesh, simply stitching the wound shut. Immediately afterward, [Binding Spell Four: This Rope] condensed into a light rope in his palm, tightly binding his thigh, and was further stitched up with spiritual particle threads, temporarily stopping the bleeding. The rough emergency treatment left his forehead covered in cold sweat, and blood loss caused the edges of his vision to darken.

But he couldn't stop yet. Unohana's figure had reappeared before him.

Xuan gritted his teeth and unleashed a [Crimson Fire Cannon]. The fireball flew out, only to be cleaved apart by Unohana's sword. Without Zhenyuan's amplification, his demonic power was greatly reduced; he couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes.

Just being able to keep moving is a feat. If you stop even slightly, the next blow will land fatally. You can't stop; you haven't reached your limit yet.

Blood seeped continuously from the wound on his leg, the blood seeping into his black shihachi uniform unnoticed. Xuan's breathing was rapid and shallow, each inhale carrying the metallic smell of blood. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on.

-----------------

I am Xuan.

I possess a photographic memory, having read the entire Daoist canon by the age of ten, and deeply understand the mysteries of internal alchemy. I have attained enlightenment, but I am hampered by the depletion of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, remaining trapped at the threshold of foundation building.

At fifteen, after extensively studying cultivation classics, I realized that what was lacking in Foundation Establishment might not be pure spiritual energy.

At twenty, I devoted myself to martial arts techniques, attempting to attain enlightenment through martial arts, but ultimately, I was limited by the rules of heaven and earth, and all my efforts were in vain. I've realized something. Perhaps at a critical moment of life and death, I will break through the threshold of Foundation Establishment; perhaps this will be the opportunity for a breakthrough.

wrong.

I have already established my foundation, and even refined my Qi, formed my core, and cultivated my spirit. In the Soul Society, my spiritual energy is so abundant it almost overflows from the air. What am I comprehending?

Holy crap, this is a revolving lantern.

Xuan, who rarely swore, suddenly came to his senses.

Unohana's Zanpakuto was coming straight at him. The blade still bore traces of the shards of stone from the previous strike, tracing a grayish-white arc in the moonlight. His body moved before his mind—he slammed his left hand on the ground, using the recoil to roll out of the blade's reach.

【Binding Spell #73: Mountain-Turning Crystal】

Four prisms emerged from the void, enveloping Xuan within them. He constructed the strongest binding spell he could currently use as quickly as possible, and needed to take this opportunity to recover his spiritual power.

Unohana didn't stop. Her slashes on the barrier became increasingly rapid, each strike hitting the same spot with pinpoint accuracy. First, a fine crack appeared on the surface of the inverted crystal, then a second, then a third—the cracks spread rapidly, and the inverted crystal shattered with a deafening roar.

Xuan staggered to his feet. The wound on his leg had been torn more severely during the rolling, and blood had soaked through most of his trouser leg.

The spiritual particles dissipated in the air, and Xuan retreated hastily under the cover of the last few fragments. His breathing was erratic, each breath carrying the metallic taste of blood. The excruciating pain from the wound on his leg made it almost impossible for him to concentrate, and the flow of spiritual energy within his body became increasingly difficult. He had previously been able to maintain distance from Unohana using his low-level demonic arts, but now he barely had the strength to even lift a hand.

Unohana gave him no chance to catch his breath. Her movements accelerated again, no longer probing or observing—a straight thrust, clean and swift, without any unnecessary movements, aimed directly at the center of his chest.

Xuan had no time to think; he could only swiftly sidestep, the blade slicing across his left chest, leaving a fresh bloodstain. He gritted his teeth and continued to dodge, channeling all his remaining spiritual energy into binding spells—[Binding Spell One: Smash], [Binding Spell Four: This Rope], [Binding Spell Nine: Collapse Wheel]—regardless of whether they hit or not, as long as they could slow her down for a moment. Unohana sliced ​​through these low-level binding spells one by one, her sword momentum completely unaffected.

Her expression remained unchanged. Neither impatient nor excited, she simply approached quietly.

I don't want to die. I can't die. What can I use to resist at a time like this? With Zhenyuan temporarily destroyed, the Ghost Path, having lost its amplification, can no longer suppress Unohana's offensive rhythm.

As he rolled and dodged, Xuan was struck by something hard—a shallow blade. It was left behind by some fallen warrior; the blade was perfectly embedded in the rubble, the hilt tilted towards him, as if waiting for someone to pull it out.

Xuan rolled on the ground in a disheveled manner and reached out to grab the shallow weapon.

Unohana's second strike was already upon him. He didn't have time to stand up again, so he could only kneel on one knee, frantically pouring his spiritual power into the unfamiliar asahi katana, gripping the blade horizontally with both hands in an attempt to block her attack.

The spiritual energy flowed into the blade without any hindrance.

In that instant, Gen, who had been somewhat dazed, suddenly regained his senses: there was no unusual sense of rejection on the Zanpakuto—that was the biggest anomaly.