Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The air outside the Eighth Division's entrance was as still as a piece of raw iron soaked in blood.

Just then, a faint whooshing sound came from the Eighth Division's encampment, and the gust of wind stirred up by the movement of clothes caused the petals of hydrangeas in the courtyard to flutter down.

The newcomer was five feet tall, and the captain's haori she wore appeared rather large, hanging loosely on her shoulders, which made her figure appear even more slender.

The skin exposed outside the haori was an almost transparent, cool white, as smooth and flawless as the finest mutton fat jade, without a single blemish. Yet, it did not appear sickly; instead, it exuded an air of scholarly refinement, as if it had just stepped out of the ink-scented library, rather than being the former captain of the Gotei 13 assassin organization.

She has an oval face with a rounded and soft jawline and a small, pointed chin, giving her a gentle and intellectual air.

The delicate willow-leaf eyebrows spread gently along the brow bone, without any sharp peaks, and the pure black color of the eyebrows made the skin tone appear even clearer.

Her nose was straight but not high, with a small, rounded tip, paired with a small, cherry-like mouth with very light-colored lips. A pair of clear, almond-shaped eyes were hidden behind thick, black-rimmed glasses, with slightly downturned corners, giving her a natural sense of calm and innocence.

Her long, glossy black hair was braided into a thick plait with a red ribbon. As she suddenly stopped, the end of the braid swept across the hem of her haori, scattering tiny purple petals.

The first captain of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13, Shikatori Hakunsai.

Xuan was also somewhat amazed, mainly because the other party did not seem to exist in this era filled with violence and killing.

Xuan briefly recounted what had just happened, and then released the bindings.

Hotta Uchinosuke and another member of the squad lost their footing and fell heavily to the ground. Their hands and feet were numb from being bound for so long, and they couldn't get up for a while.

As for the [Far-Range Shield Technique], it can be ignored. Its duration is only about an hour, and it will be further shortened under the constant attacks of those Death Gods. The soldiers had not offended Xuan, so Xuan was only giving them a small lesson for their irrationality.

The expression on Shikaku Hakuryuu's face vanished. She turned to the two people on the ground: "Is that so?"

"Captain, I'm innocent! That man exaggerated, please don't believe him!"

"Hoita Uchinosuke," Shikatori Hagensai's voice was clear as ice beads falling on jade, "was it just embellishment? Then why didn't you bring him to me?"

Hotta Uchinosuke struggled to his knees, his head bowed low, his voice trembling: "Captain... I... I thought he was a fraud... trying to infiltrate the team and harass you... You have so many suitors, I just wanted to protect you..."

"Protect me?" Shikatori Hakunsai repeated softly, a ray of light reflecting off her glasses, obscuring her eyes. "You're the head officer of the 8th Division's Intelligence Squad. You don't recognize the Kido Clan's insignia and the Great Kido Master's appearance on your haori? Or do you think anyone in Seireitei would dare to wear the Great Kido Master's haori and swindle people in the 8th Division's Intelligence Squad?"

Horita Uchinosuke lowered his head even further, unable to utter a single word.

Shikaku Hakunzhai turned to another member of the team: "And you? Do you have anything to say?"

The team member remained lying on the ground, head bowed and silent, as if everyone doing so would make it seem like nothing had happened.

Lu Qu Baiyunzhai remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."

The moment she finished speaking, the asagi at her waist was drawn, extending into a long-handled naginata.

puff.

The sound was as soft as slicing a ripe watermelon with a thin blade, or like scissors cutting through thick silk. There was no crisp cracking sound of bones breaking as one might expect—her knife was too fast and too sharp, cleanly and neatly separating muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and trachea, even slicing the cervical vertebrae in two.

The next moment, blood spurted out.

Bright red arterial blood shot up from the neck cavity like a high-pressure water gun, splashing a blood mist more than three meters high, staining the falling hydrangea petals a deep purple. Dark red venous blood gushed out from the incision, quickly pooling into a thick pool of blood on the stone slabs on the ground.

With a soft thud, Horita Uchinosuke's head fell into a pool of blood, face up, eyes still wide open, retaining the last moment of bewilderment.

His mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something, but no sound came out. Only the air remaining in his lungs leaked out from the tracheostomy, making an extremely faint "hoh—" sound, like a broken bellows, which lasted for less than two seconds before stopping abruptly.

His body then fell forward, his limbs began to twitch uncontrollably, his fingers dug into the ground, and after twitching for about five seconds, he came to a complete stop.

Lu Qubaiyunzhai turned around and looked at the other team member beside him, who was so frightened that he was stiff all over and couldn't even scream. His voice was still as clear and cold as before:

"Clean this place up. He failed the basic intelligence assessment; he's fined ten years' salary and demoted to probationary soldier. If he makes another mistake, he'll suffer the same fate. Don't make me do it myself."

Xuan's pupils contracted slightly. He hadn't expected this seemingly quiet girl to be so decisive and efficient, without even a change in expression, as if she had just harvested a watermelon.

The naginata's curved blade remained as smooth as new. Shikatori Hakunsai held the naginata in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the team members cowering in the distance.

"I haven't established my authority these past few days, and it seems some people underestimate my strength." Her voice remained clear and melodious, yet it sent a chill down the spines of all the team members. "If anyone dares to deceive their superiors, disregard etiquette, act on their own initiative, or sow discord in the future, don't blame me for cutting them off completely. I hope everyone will take this as a warning and set an example for others."

"Everyone, please disperse."

Seeing that Lu had established his authority over Ba Yunzhai, Xuan also took the opportunity to remove the protective spell from the trapped soldiers.

The soldiers felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly dispersed with their heads down, not daring to even glance at the corpses on the ground.

In just a short while, only Gen and Shikatori Hakunsai remained at the entrance of the Eighth Division, along with bloodstains that had not yet been cleaned up.

Shikatori Hakunsai sheathed her naginata, and Asauchi automatically returned to its scabbard at her waist. She bowed slightly to Gen and said apologetically, "This humble woman is not good at managing her subordinates and has no experience as a captain. I apologize for making a fool of myself in front of the Great Demon Master."

Xuan shook his head: "It's alright, just call me by my name."

Lu Qubaiyunzhai said, "Please come in, let's talk at the training ground."

Xuan nodded and followed Shikato Hakunsai. After passing through several corridors, they finally arrived at the training ground of the Eighth Division.

The training ground was large, with a row of weapon racks standing along the edge, filled with all kinds of long weapons, such as spears, naginatas, and axes, which gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight.

It's a pity there's no halberd.

Shikaku Hakunsai keenly noticed Xuan's gaze: "You're also interested in long weapons?"

"I have some knowledge of it, but I only know one type of long weapon." Xuan nodded, walked to the weapon rack, and picked up the shaft of a cross-shaped spear to weigh it in his hand. The center of gravity was close to the middle of the shaft, and the balance was quite good.

"You brought me to the training ground, probably to test my skills, right? You should have already seen quite a bit of the demonic path before, is this really necessary?" Xuan had already noticed the burning fighting spirit in the girl's eyes. Perhaps the previous [Heavenly Void] had ignited her fighting spirit?

"That is indeed the plan." Shikatori Hakunsai had somehow reactivated his Zanpakuto, and his tone seemed to have changed completely.

Xuan did not want to directly confront a captain-level combatant, as this would only waste his spiritual energy, especially since he was using demonic arts to fight a captain who was skilled in long weapons at this distance.

The goal is to assess the school's strength and gain the upper hand in negotiations, so Xuan Du wants to fast-forward to the negotiation stage.

So he suggested, "How about we spar using only long weapons? If I'm forced to use demonic arts because I'm no match for them, then I'll consider it a loss."

Shikatori Hakunsai paused for a moment, holding his naginata in one hand and twisting the hem of the captain's haori with the other: "This... isn't quite right. I'm skilled with long weapons, and my spiritual pressure is higher than yours. This is a bit like bullying the weak."

"It's alright." Xuan twirled the cross-shaped spear. "I'll use this. The cross-shaped spear is relatively effective against the naginata, so it's fair."

Looking at Xuan through his thick glasses, Lu Qubaiyunzhai nodded after confirming again: "Okay."

She gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, her eyes sharp, her body slightly lowered, her weight on her front foot, the naginata held horizontally in front of her, the blade parallel to the ground, her whole being like a fully drawn bow, ready to be released.

An invisible aura emanated from her, and although she did not release any spiritual pressure, it made the air feel heavy.

Xuan also became serious.

He previously stated that he "only knows one type of long weapon," which is the Cloud Thunder Halberd of the Xingyi School, or the "Eight Forms of Cloud Thunder Halberd Technique."

This is a halberd technique that incorporates internal martial arts power, requiring practitioners to use their waist and hips to propel the halberd.

The Cloud Thunder Halberd has an asymmetrical three-pointed, two-bladed structure with a main point and two crescent-shaped blades of different sizes. The large crescent blade is used for hooking, grabbing, locking, and seizing, and can hook onto the opponent's weapon or armor. The small crescent blade is used for cutting, slashing, and stabbing, and can be used to attack the opponent's wrists, throat, and other vital points when at close range.

Unfortunately, there wasn't one available here, so a similar cross-shaped spear had to be used as a substitute.

Sunlight streamed through the roof of the training ground, casting dappled shadows on the two figures. A breeze blew in from the entrance, stirring up dust and ruffling Shikatori Hakunsai's braids and the hem of Gen's haori.

The two faced off for a moment, neither making the first move.

Time seemed to stand still.

Xuan broke the silence first. He twisted his waist and hips, and all the power in his body flowed up his spine to his arms. The Cross Spear, with a deep hum, thrust out, its tip as fast as lightning, aimed directly at Shikagiri Hakunsai's throat. This spear seemed simple, but it contained the essence of the Cloud Thunder Halberd's "Point" technique. The follow-up moves were endless, and once locked on by the spear tip, one would be trapped in an endless pursuit.

Instead of retreating, Shikaku Hakumō advanced. With a slight twist of her wrist, the back of her naginata precisely struck the side of the spear tip, gently deflecting the fatal blow. A crisp clang rang out, and a violent tremor ran through the spear shaft, traveling down his arm and back, causing Xuan's fingertips to tingle slightly. Before he could change his move, the naginata had already slid down the spear shaft, its silvery-white blade grazing his fingers, bringing with it a cool breeze.

Xuan hastily withdrew his spear and retreated, simultaneously flicking his wrist to sweep the spear shaft horizontally, forcing back the approaching Shiki. Their weapons clashed again, producing a deafening sound. Xuan's halberd technique emphasized a balance of strength and flexibility; the spear shaft seemed to come alive in his hands, sometimes like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, sometimes like a tiger descending a mountain, every point—the tip, the crossbar, the butt—was a killing move. Shiki's naginata technique, on the other hand, was expansive and powerful, each strike carrying the force to cleave mountains and cleave seas, the wind whistling as it shattered the surrounding air.

The sounds of clashing weapons grew increasingly frequent, transforming from crisp clangs into a continuous buzzing. Their figures intertwined in the sunlight, stirring up gusts of wind that whipped up dust and fallen leaves. Xuan could feel the power she transmitted through her weapons; her seemingly slender arms concealed astonishing explosive force. Each clash sent a tightness in his chest. He had to channel all his spiritual energy into the shaft of his spear just to barely withstand her increasingly fierce attacks.

Shikatori Hakunsai spun around to avoid Gen's horizontal slash, her long hair brushing against his wrist, carrying a faint scent of ink and sweat. Using the momentum of her spin, she thrust her naginata upwards, aiming straight for Gen's abdomen. Gen quickly dodged to the side, simultaneously using the crossbar of his spear to lock the naginata's blade. Both exerted force at the same time, their weapons locked tightly together, neither willing to let go.

Gen felt the pressure on the cross-shaped spear increasing, and he exerted his strength, trying to push the naginata away. Shikatori, however, was prepared. She used his momentum to lunge forward, her body almost touching Gen's, and swung her sword to strike.

Gen instinctively stepped back, leaning backward. Taking advantage of this, Shikatoshi pulled back his naginata, swung the hilt at Gen's knee, and Gen hurriedly used the shaft of his spear to brace himself and block.

Before he could catch his breath, Shikagiri's attack came again. The naginata transformed into a silver-white lightning bolt, slashing down at him relentlessly. Gen could only defend passively, the spear shaft forming an impenetrable barrier in front of him, blocking all the attacks.

Sweat dripped down Xuan's jawline, soaking his collar. His breathing became rapid, and his arms trembled slightly from the prolonged exertion.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Shikatori Hakunsai's forehead, trickling down her cheeks. Her face was flushed from the intense battle, and her breathing was rapid, with her taking small, labored breaths. But her eyes remained sharp, and the naginata in her hand did not slow down at all; instead, it became faster and more ferocious.

Their weapons clashed and became entangled once again.

The blade of the naginata got stuck on the crossbar of the cross-shaped spear, and the two exerted their strength at the same time, beginning a struggle.

Xuan's arms were bulging with veins, and all the muscles in his body were tense. He could feel the gun barrel bending and groaning under the strain.

Shikatoshi Hakunsai leaned forward, her braid hanging down to one side in front of her, swaying with her breath.

Just then, Shikaku Hakunsai suddenly unleashed his power.

She suddenly flicked the naginata upwards, simultaneously releasing her left hand and gripping the sword with her right. With a spin, the naginata, carrying immense momentum, swept horizontally upwards.

The strike was swift and ruthless, leaving Xuan no time to react. He instinctively tried to hook the naginata with his crescent blade, but failed, and the naginata grazed the cross-shaped spear as it fell.

At the critical moment, Xuan swiftly unleashed [Binding Spell No. 39: Round Gate Fan], and a spiritual energy barrier instantly unfolded in front of him.

"clang--"

The naginata struck the spiritual energy barrier heavily, producing a crisp sound. The barrier shook violently, and several fine cracks appeared, but it ultimately withstood the fatal blow.

Xuan took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, creating some distance. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Lu Qubaiyunzhai, panting, and said, "I lost. You are indeed very strong."

Shikatori Hakunsai also sheathed her naginata. Hands on her hips, she gasped for breath, her round face covered in sweat, yet a radiant smile graced her lips. That smile was sincere and bright, like sunshine after rain, dispelling all the murderous aura emanating from her.

"Thank you for the compliment." She chuckled, reached out and took off her thick glasses, pretending to wipe the sweat from the lenses on the captain's haori.

Xuan stared in disbelief as he looked at Shiroku Hakunsai, who had taken off his glasses.

After taking off her glasses, her eyes were fully revealed. They were very beautiful eyes, with pure black pupils. Without the thick glasses obscuring them, her features appeared more refined and defined, and much of her original naivety and innocence faded, replaced by a brighter and more lively look.

Xuan's heart clenched suddenly.

so similar.

She looks so much like my junior sister from my past life.

They have the same almond-shaped eyes, the same round face, and look quiet and gentle, but are actually highly skilled in martial arts.

Back then, it was that junior sister who dragged Xuan into martial arts practice and taught him how to use the Cloud Thunder Halberd.

Later, my junior sister left the Taoist temple to pursue her own path of martial arts, and we never saw each other again.

So many years have passed, and he thought he had long forgotten those past events. He never expected to see someone so strikingly similar to his junior sister in this unfamiliar world.

A faint sense of homesickness welled up in his heart, and Xuan's eyes became somewhat unfocused.

"Xuan? The Great Ghost Taoist Priest?"

Lu Qu Baiyunzhai's voice pulled Xuan back from his thoughts. She had already wiped her glasses and put them back on, tilting her head to look at him with a hint of curiosity on her face: "What's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing." Xuan shook his head, suppressing the emotions in his heart. "It's just that it's been a long time since I've had such an exhilarating fight."

"Me too!" Shikaku Hakunsai said happily, his eyes sparkling, no longer showing his previous cold expression.

She paused, then asked curiously, "By the way, when you were using the cross-shaped spear just now, I felt your technique wasn't quite right. Isn't the cross-shaped spear the long weapon you use?"

"That weapon is called the Cloud Thunder Halberd. It's somewhat similar to the Cross-Character Spear, but it has a wider range of uses," Xuan explained.

Excitement gleamed in Shirokuji's eyes. "Next time, bring your Cloud Thunder Halberd, and we'll spar again. This time doesn't count."

"Alright, I'll go back and have someone forge one before we fight again." Xuan said goodbye to Lu Qu Ba Yun Zhai, "It's getting late, I'll head back now."

Xuan turned and left the Eighth Division.

He walked along the streets of Seireitei, the setting sun casting a long shadow over him. He was still thinking about the sparring match they had just had, about Shikatori Hakunsai's appearance after taking off his glasses, and about his fellow disciples and master from his previous life.

As Xuan walked, he suddenly stopped.

broken.

His purpose in coming to the Eighth Division was to discuss with Shikatori Hakunsai the matters concerning the collaborative training between the Kido Sect and the Eighth Division. However, he was so engrossed in their sparring earlier that he lost focus and completely forgot about his important business.

Xuan shook his head helplessly and turned to walk towards the Eighth Division.