Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

After bidding farewell to the Executioner Nobukatsu, Gen left the Seventh Division's headquarters and headed to the Eighth Division to visit Shikatori Hakunsai.

Before long, the gate to the Eighth Division's headquarters appeared before Xuan's eyes.

Unlike the cold and austere atmosphere of the Seventh Division, the Eighth Division's courtyard walls were covered with pale purple wisteria, and hydrangeas were planted on both sides of the gate. At this time, they were in full bloom, and the clusters of flowers were blooming vigorously, looking like a flowing cloud from a distance.

If it weren't for the two soldiers in shinigami uniforms and wearing shakuhachi belts guarding the entrance, it would resemble a nobleman's private garden.

Xuan stepped forward, but before he could speak, the short, stout squad member on his left spoke first, his tone somewhat nonchalant: "Who goes there? This is the Eighth Squad's territory. No one other than our squad members is allowed to enter."

"The Ghost Path Master Xuan has come to pay a visit to Captain Rokutoku Hakunzai." Xuan's tone was calm, and he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

As soon as he finished speaking, the two soldiers looked at each other, put their heads together, and whispered something.

One of them moved his lips rapidly, glancing at Xuan every now and then with a look full of vigilance and undisguised hostility. The short, stout team member shook his head and then nodded repeatedly, finally stepping forward as if he had made up his mind.

"I am Horita Uchinosuke, the fourteenth seat of the Eighth Division." Horita Uchinosuke straightened his back, as if trying to make himself as tall as Gen in front of him.

"We are just ordinary members of the Eighth Division and don't know Captain Shikatori's whereabouts. She may not be with the team right now. But since it is the Great Demon Master who has come to our door in person, I will take you around to look for her."

Xuan nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Hotta Uchinosuke turned around and led the way, walking very slowly with a slightly comical gait.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he pointed to the field of hydrangeas in full bloom on his left and introduced it in an exaggerated tone: "Great Demon Master, look, this field of flowers was planted by the soldiers specially for Captain Shikatori. In the entire Seireitei, only our Eighth Division has such a large field of hydrangeas. Many soldiers from other divisions make a special detour to come and admire them."

Xuan glanced in the direction he pointed and gave a faint reply.

Seeing Gen's lukewarm reaction, Hotta Uchinosuke wasn't discouraged. He pointed to a white-walled, black-tiled building not far away: "That's our Eighth Division's mess hall. Chef Yamada in the kitchen makes amazing tempura, especially the shrimp tempura—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor with every bite. Would you like to try some, Great Demon Master?"

Xuan shook his head and refused. He had never liked greasy food, and besides, he hadn't come here to eat.

As he walked, Hotta Uchinosuke chattered incessantly, talking about everything from the wisteria on the courtyard wall to the roof of the barracks, from the food in the mess hall to the daily duty roster, leaving no detail unmentioned, like a dutiful tour guide, but his pace never quickened.

Xuan followed behind him, his gaze fixed on a distant area separated by a high wall, where the faint sounds of clashing weapons could be heard.

Hotta Uchinosuke clearly noticed Gen's gaze, paused, and immediately turned into the left corridor, saying with a smile, "That's the Eighth Division's weapons training ground, but our division mainly specializes in intelligence gathering, so there's not much to see in the training ground. Captain Shikatori usually handles official business in the captain's office, so let's go take a look there first."

Horita Uchinosuke led Gen through a long corridor. On both sides of the corridor hung many paintings and calligraphy works, mostly depicting mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, insects, and fish. The brushstrokes were delicate, and the artistic conception was profound.

Horita Uchinosuke then began to explain the origins of these calligraphy and paintings, speaking with great enthusiasm.

At the end of the corridor, a standalone wooden house came into view, with a wooden sign that read "Captain's Room" hanging on the door.

Hotta Uchinosuke stepped forward and knocked on the door. After waiting a moment, there was no response from inside. He pushed the door open, peeked inside, then backed out, feigning surprise. "Ah? It seems the captain isn't here either. She's probably at the intelligence center. Things haven't been peaceful in Rukongai lately, and the captain has to check the intelligence reports from various places every day."

After saying that, he turned and walked in another direction without waiting for Xuan's response.

The intelligence center was a three-story building, with two soldiers guarding the entrance. Hotta Uchinosuke stepped forward and whispered something.

One of the guards shook his head: "The deputy captain is in charge of intelligence; she's good at classifying intelligence. As for Captain Shikagiri's whereabouts, we don't know either."

Hotta Uchinosuke sighed, a troubled look on his face: "What should we do? We don't know where the captain went today. How about we go check the logistics warehouse again? Maybe the captain is there checking the supplies."

Xuan looked at his feigned sincerity, a hint of indifference flashing in his eyes.

Seeing that Gen remained silent, Horita Uchinosuke assumed he believed him and secretly felt smug, slowing his pace even further. He led Gen around the logistics warehouse again, but naturally still couldn't find Shikatori Hakunsai.

Finally, Hotta Uchinosuke led Gen back to the entrance of the Eighth Division, spreading his hands with a grin: "I'm really sorry, Great Demon Master, it seems the Captain might not be in the squad today. Why don't you go back first, and I'll send someone to inform the Kido Clan when the Captain returns?"

Xuan looked at him quietly without saying a word. Sunlight fell on his profile, outlining his defined jawline, and his once calm eyes gradually turned cold.

He had patiently followed the Grim Reaper for a full half hour, scouring almost every insignificant corner of the Eighth Division, except for the area near the training grounds. This wasn't just a simple matter of not being able to find him; it was blatant mockery.

Xuan had intended to be polite to others in their camp, but he didn't expect these soldiers to be so shameless.

For those who cultivate the Tao, the most important thing is to find peace of mind. If one has painstakingly cultivated power, only to be bullied by such a clown and forced to swallow one's anger, then what is the point of cultivating in vain?

Xuan raised his right hand, spiritual energy flowing from his fingertips without any warning.

【Binding Spell Sixty-One: The Six-Staff Light Prison】

A golden band of light suddenly appeared, trapping Hotta Uchinosuke firmly in the center. The light band clung tightly to his body, rendering him unable to move. The smug smile on his face instantly froze, replaced by terror and disbelief.

Xuan ultimately showed mercy, wanting to save face by not using techniques like "Binding Technique Sixty-Three: Locked Bars" which binds people, or "Binding Technique Seventy-Five: Five Iron Pillars" which uses iron pillars to press the opponent's five limbs to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the tall, thin squad leader who had been observing coldly at the door changed his expression drastically. He suddenly drew his katana from his waist, pointed it at Gen, and shouted sharply, "Great Demon Master is attempting to storm the Eighth Division! He's attacking members of the Gotei 13! Horita isn't moving! Kill him!"

Xuan glanced at him, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

【Binding Spell #75: Five Iron Pillars】

Five enormous iron pillars appeared out of thin air and descended from the sky with a whistling sound.

With a loud "boom," the iron pillar struck the tall, thin soldier precisely, pinning him to the ground.

The impact slammed the ground, creating a shallow crater, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere. The soldier groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The weapon slipped from his hand, and he could no longer move, only able to stare at Xuan with venomous eyes.

This commotion was enormous, and coupled with the shout from the squad member earlier, it instantly attracted the attention of the nearby Eighth Division members.

More than a dozen soldiers rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and were immediately horrified by what they saw—Hoita, the 14th seat, was pierced by a golden beam of light, his head bowed, his expression unreadable; another soldier was pinned to the ground by five massive iron pillars, his fate unknown.

"How dare you cause trouble in the Eighth Division!" Someone shouted, and more than a dozen members simultaneously drew their asaka, their spiritual pressure rising, and rushed towards Genichi.

Although they had heard of the reputation of the Great Demon Master of the Demon Path, their companion's spiritual pressure was weak on their own territory, and he was probably on the verge of death. Blinded by rage, they disregarded everything else.

Xuan asked indifferently, "Knowing that I am the Great Ghost Daoist, why did you still attack?"

No one answered him; instead, he was met with a dozen or so gleaming, cold-looking swords.

Xuan shook his head slightly and said no more. He joined his two hands together with the large evil runes, his ten fingers interlaced, and spiritual power rapidly condensed in his palms.

【Binding Technique Seventy-Eight: Distant Cover Technique】

A giant copper-iron net suddenly fell from the sky, carrying a heavy sense of oppression, and enveloped all the Eighth Division members who rushed up.

The giant net had a fine mesh, with spiritual energy flowing through it, making it indestructible. The soldiers swung their swords at the net, but only made crisp clanging sounds, leaving not a single mark. Instead, their arms went numb from the impact. They struggled desperately, but could only futilely crash into the net, unable to break free.

He withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at the struggling figures. Rather than wasting any more time here, he decided to find Lu Qubaiyunzhai himself directly.

Xuan raised his left hand, his fingertips slowly tracing across his palm. Pure spiritual energy flowed along his fingertips, outlining intricate and obscure lightning patterns. Then, fragmented lightning-shaped spiritual energy traveled along the patterns, spreading outwards.

【Binding Spell Seventy-Seven: Heavenly Void Net】

In an instant, all colors vanished from the field of vision, turning into a gray-white expanse. The outline of the Eighth Division's base was clearly revealed through spiritual pressure perception, with every house, every plant, and every faint flow of spiritual pressure leaving no room for concealment.

The spiritual pressure from the busy kitchen in the canteen, the spiritual pressure from the patrolling soldiers in the corridor, and the spiritual pressure from the deputy captain of the intelligence center hunched over his desk all swept past. Finally, Xuan locked onto a spiritual pressure from the training ground.

That spiritual pressure was a notch above his own fourth-grade spiritual might, but it was far from being as powerful as his second-grade spiritual might. It was self-evident who that spiritual pressure belonged to.

With a thought, only a lightning-shaped spiritual energy channel remained in the air connecting the two.

Xuan spoke, his voice ringing directly in the other person's ear:

"Is this Captain Shikato Hakunsai of the Eighth Division? I am the Great Kido Chogen of the Kido Clan, and I am currently at the entrance of the Eighth Division."