Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Gen had long been acquainted with the Fifth Division Captain Obana Danjiro and the Sixth Division Captain Saito Immortal. They could spar and chat casually on a regular basis and were familiar with each other, so there was no need for Gen to make a special visit.

After a moment's thought, Xuanjing turned around and headed towards the Seventh Division's headquarters, which always had a cool and quiet atmosphere.

Upon arriving at the 7th Division, Gen didn't need anyone to lead the way; he could spot the executor, Takeshi, at the 7th Division's outdoor training ground at a glance.

The executor, Naiwu Gang, was tall but had a thin face and deep-set eyes. A thick fur draped around his neck, and his head was wrapped in a thick cloth for warmth, leaving only his face and hair exposed.

Even so, he couldn't stop the chill emanating from his body. His exposed skin was covered with frostbite marks of varying depths, with old and new wounds layered on top of each other, a shocking sight.

Tiny ice crystals floated and condensed slowly around him. The warm afternoon sun shone down, and the tiny ice crystals evaporated as they heated up, turning into wisps of light white mist that swirled around him. From a distance, it looked as if he was surrounded by smoke.

Even the grass outside the training ground was covered with a very fine layer of white frost, and the tranquil atmosphere exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

Sensing someone's arrival, Shi Zhi Naiwu Gang slowly withdrew the chilling aura emanating from his body and looked at the newcomer. Upon recognizing Xuan Hou, Shi Zhi Naiwu Gang spoke first, his voice hoarse from years of exposure to the chilling aura: "Great Ghost Daoist has arrived; I apologize for not greeting you sooner."

Xuan walked slowly to him, his gaze falling on the frostbitten skin, his expression calm. He knew this appearance was no accident, but rather a result of the characteristics of his Zanpakuto, yet he still spoke with concern: "Judging from your injuries, the cold poison has penetrated quite severely. Can your body withstand it?"

Executive Takeshi lowered his eyes slightly, looking at his arms covered in frostbite. His tone was calm and even, revealing no trace of pain or resentment: "It's alright. These frostbite injuries were caused by my Zanpakuto, and it's a result I willingly accepted."

He casually revealed the ability of his Zanpakuto: "My Zanpakuto is extremely special. It belongs to the normal release type and is always in the Shikai state, constantly absorbing the heat around it."

The larger the area affected by the initial release and the greater the temperature drop, the higher the temperature and the stronger the destructive power will be after the Bankai.

Perhaps because he usually dresses very well when carrying out his duties, everyone can guess that it is due to his Zanpakuto, so he simply stopped hiding the Zanpakuto's abilities.

Xuan listened quietly, a hint of understanding in his eyes. Logically, a Zanpakuto cannot unleash a second spiritual attribute, just as a Zanpakuto cannot simultaneously unleash both fire and ice attacks.

While it appears that Nobuaki's Zanpakuto's Shikai and Bankai are of ice and fire attributes respectively, this is not actually the case: his Shikai does not release ice-attribute attacks, but simply absorbs heat until it is released all at once during Bankai.

"If my Shikai doesn't absorb heat, then my Bankai is no different from a regular Asauchi," said Takeshi no Tsuna. "If I allow my Shikai to absorb heat, everyone else around me will suffer from the corrosive effects of icy cold year after year."

"During the previous captains' meeting, after Captain-Commander Yamamoto released his Shikai, the raging flames swept across the entire area. It's thanks to your timely intervention that I was able to absorb the heat, otherwise it could have been mistaken for an attack, potentially prompting the other captains to act rashly while their nerves were on edge."

This explanation was somewhat far-fetched. Xuan felt a little embarrassed when he heard him speak so solemnly and politely, and said, "I'm very sorry, Captain."

"No need to take it to heart. You didn't know the power of my Zanpakuto back then, did you? It was just a kind gesture, no apology needed."

The executioner, Nao Takeshi, had a gloomy and cold expression, which was due to the stiffness of his facial muscles caused by prolonged hypothermia; his voice also had a hoarse quality as if he had been frostbitten, but his tone was quite gentle.

"Besides, Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Shikai caused moisture to condense in the air, which would inevitably lead to rain. I hate rain because it only makes me feel damp and cold. Your Kido borrowed the moisture in the air, didn't it? You prevented a rainstorm, and I really need to thank you."

It is clear that Takeshi always limits the power of his Zanpakuto to a very small area around himself.

He bears all the pain and suffering from the cold and frostbite. Only when fighting against an enemy will he release the restrictions on his spiritual power, allowing the chill of his initial release to envelop his opponent, and suppress him by relying on his adaptability to the extreme cold he has been in for a long time.

Years of enduring the cold alone have left him with frostbite all over his body that cannot be healed, and his body is always surrounded by endless fine ice crystals, giving him a unique appearance shrouded in cold mist in the eyes of others.

Xuan looked at the man before him, who was restrained and composed, and sighed inwardly.

Executive Nobukatsu appears aloof and gloomy, seemingly quite unapproachable, but he is extremely caring towards others in both his words and actions.

His temperament, vision, and enlightenment far surpass those of ordinary people. No wonder his Zanpakuto is the embodiment of a Shinigami's soul, just like Takeshi himself—cold on the outside but warm on the inside—his Shikai is cold, but his Bankai is probably just as passionate as he is.

After a brief silence, Xuan changed the subject, his gaze sincere, and uttered a suggestion he had been pondering for a long time: "I have come to your door today because there is another matter I would like to discuss with you."

"Go on," Wu Gang said, nodding as he listened attentively.

"My Kido Corps is now taking shape. All members have undergone systematic training and are skilled in ranged attacks, spiritual energy binding, ranged defense, and other battlefield support capabilities, which can make up for the shortcomings of ordinary Shinigami who can only fight in close combat." Gen said slowly and clearly. "The Seventh Division will definitely be a formidable force in the future, but it lacks means of ranged restraint and emergency defense."

After raising the potential problems, Xuan continued to explain the solution: "I plan to select a group of experienced members of the Ghost Path Sect and integrate them into the grassroots squads of the Seventh Division, so that they can perform daily duties, train and hone their skills, and gain practical experience alongside you."

The two sides work together day and night, which not only hones the Kido members' close-combat adaptability and on-the-spot adaptability, but also uses Kido power to make up for the Seventh Division's ranged weakness, thus improving their teamwork and overall combat capabilities.

Upon hearing this, Wu Gang's eyes flashed with approval. After a moment's thought, he quickly weighed the pros and cons. This mixed-team approach could indeed complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, making the Seventh Division's tactical system more complete and significantly increasing its margin for error on the battlefield.

After a moment, he no longer hesitated and said in his hoarse voice, "It's feasible. Captain-Commander Yamamoto assigned the Seventh Division the responsibility of assisting the First Division in protecting the Central Forty-Six Chambers and the core area of ​​the Seireitei. I should also send some members of the Seventh Division to take turns guarding the Kido. After they have experienced Kido, we can mix them into small teams, which should speed up the process of getting them to work together."