Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The Seireitei in the early morning was filled with the bustling atmosphere of new life.

Xuan walked slowly along the outer wall, his gaze sweeping over the gates bearing the insignia of the squads, and finally stopped in front of the Ninth Squad's headquarters.

Two members dressed in black Shinigami uniforms stood upright on either side of the side door, holding Zanpakuto. Their faces were cold and their eyes, like those of hawks, swept over everyone who approached.

Xuan walked to the door and asked, "Is Captain Hisamii here?"

The two soldiers exchanged a glance. One of them stepped forward, his gaze lingering for a moment on the Kido Sect's haori on Gen's body. His tone was stiff but polite: "Please wait a moment." With that, he turned and walked into the room.

A moment later, the squad member came out and said to Xuan, "The captain said that if it's just a routine visit to the Great Demon Master, there's no need for that. The Ninth Squad's duties don't allow them to work with the Demon Cultists. If the Great Demon Master has any acquaintances in prison, he can visit them."

Xuan didn't say much, he just nodded to the two team members and turned to leave.

This was within his expectations. In later generations, the Ninth Division was responsible for prison management and patrolling the borders of the Seireitei. If they were only responsible for prison management at this time, then the Kido Clan should indeed not be too involved.

The Ninth Division's headquarters were adjacent to the Tenth Division's, and Xuan continued walking north along the street.

Unlike the heavily fortified 9th Division, the 10th Division's encampment was unusually deserted. The gate was tightly shut, and there were no guards stationed there; only a stone stood in front of the gate.

Xuan stepped forward and looked at the stone slab. There were words carved into it with a knife, the handwriting elegant and flowing: "I am not here. The Tenth Division has no intention of recruiting members at the moment. Unless on a mission, please do not disturb."

This is probably the handwriting of Wang Tuchuan Yuxu, the captain of the 10th Division. Xuan didn't pay much attention; it seems that since the establishment of the Gotei 13, Wang Tuchuan Yuxu has not recruited a single member.

Xuan didn't presumptuously use his spiritual pressure to sense the courtyard or barge in; instead, he turned and left.

It's unclear whether Wang Tuchuan and Yu Xuji felt that the 10th Division didn't need anyone else, or if he was simply a socially awkward person.

After being turned down twice, Xuan had no intention of visiting again.

Xuan looked up to confirm the direction; further away was the Eleventh Division's base.

The Eleventh Division is the purest combat division among the Gotei 13. Its captain, Unohana Yachiru, is an unprecedented villain in the history of Soul Society. He boasts that he has mastered all sword styles in the world and named himself "Yachiru".

Under her leadership, the entire Eleventh Division, from top to bottom, only recognized Zanpakuto that were direct-attack type, and despised all Zanpakuto wielders who were not direct-attack type, let alone those Kido-wielders who only used Kido.

Moreover, those who join the Eleventh Division are all battle maniacs who crave combat. It's likely that after the Kido Sect joins, the members of the Eleventh Division will only feel that the Kido Sect has stolen their prey, and it's impossible for them to develop a tacit understanding for coordinated combat.

Xuan turned and walked towards the direction of the Ghost Path Clan.

There's no need to visit the remaining Twelfth and Thirteenth Divisions.

The current Twelfth Division is not the technology development bureau of later generations, but a combat team for frontal assaults and positional breakthroughs.

Simply put, they are the kind of teams that charge into battle and draw enemy fire, which doesn't fit in with the Kido sect.

The Thirteenth Division is responsible for the soul burial and Hollow purification missions in the human world. The members all act alone, venturing into every corner of the human world.

This dispersed combat method requires even less cooperation from the Kido Clan. Moreover, the Kido Clan's total numbers are currently small, and their size cannot compare to the Gotei 13. Being able to coordinate with multiple squads is already close to their limit.

There is still some time before Yhwach leads the Quincy army to invade Soul Society, enough time for Gen to slowly make contact with Captains Zenjoji Yubin and Reikoku Saizo.

Gen retraced his steps. The morning mist had dissipated, and golden sunlight bathed the streets of Seireitei. More and more soldiers appeared on the road, casting curious glances at Gen's Kido haori.

Xuan ignored this and walked steadily through the crowd, returning directly to the Ghost Path Clan's encampment.

Xuan looked at the scene of the Ghost Dao Sect members training enthusiastically on the shooting range, and a faint warmth flashed in his eyes.

These people joined the Kido Clan instead of the Gotei 13 because they trusted him and possessed certain Kido talents.

They come from different places, with different pasts, yet they've gathered here for the same goal. Xuan has a responsibility to lead them to become stronger and survive the inevitable war that is destined to come.

Xuan did not interfere with the teaching of the newcomers by the elders of the Ghost Path, but went around to the living area and entered his room.

The room was furnished very simply, with a pine desk, a chair, a futon, and a bookshelf in the corner filled with notes on various studies and ideas about the Way of the Ghosts.

Xuan walked to the desk, sat down, took out the latest book from the drawer, and headed towards the underground training ground.

This is a specially built training ground for advanced Kido (demonic arts). The surrounding walls are all made of thickened killing stone, which can completely isolate spiritual pressure leakage and sound. Even if Captain-level Kido clashes, it will not disturb the nobles and other squads of Seireitei.

It was for this reason that the 46th Chamber approved the proposal to build an underground training ground using killing intent stones with great arrogance.

The reason Xuan is now developing a new ghost path is simply this: his spiritual power has improved once again.

In yesterday's sparring match with Shikaku Hakunsai, both sides did indeed use deadly moves several times, but both managed to hold back and successfully escape dangerous situations.

Gen hadn't expected that a battle where he neither used Shikai nor frequently employed Kido would cause his previously calm spiritual pressure to fluctuate again.

Xuan's spiritual power is now approaching the upper limit of the fourth level, and he is about to break through to the third level of spiritual power, reaching the true captain level.

The corresponding captain-level Kido is number 90 and above, so it's time to develop [Hado No. 88: Flying Dragon Strike Thief Thunder Cannon].

In this life, Xuan's cultivation time has exceeded that of his previous life, and his understanding of the Dao is more profound, pointing directly to its essence.

I didn't have a deep understanding of Taoist magic before, and I thought that the Palm Thunder was really invoking the Thunder God, so I only developed [Breaking the Dao Fourth: White Thunder] through the Grasp Thunder Formation.

It’s different in the past.

The book "Lei Shuo" states: "If a person can gather the Qi of the Five Elements to form the Five Thunders, then the Thunder Magic is the innate way, and the Thunder God is my god."

【Binding Path No. 77 - Heavenly Void】 has already proven this point. Although the chanting mentions the Thunder God, it is actually about using thunder magic to perceive heaven and earth and borrowing the power of heaven and earth.

The Dao Fa Hui Yuan records: "When the primordial energy is harmonious and returns to its root and life, it exists continuously in all actions, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. This is how one cultivates one's vast and righteous spirit. When applied to the Dharma, one uses one's true energy to unite with the creation of heaven and earth, thus being able to exhale as clouds and rain, and laugh as thunder."

Through quiet meditation, one can harmonize and unblock the primordial Qi within the body, returning to the origin of life. In daily life, one should maintain gentle, long, and seemingly effortless breathing and mental focus, cultivating one's righteous Qi in this way.

When this inner true energy is used in Taoist practices, one can integrate one's own true energy with the creation and operation of heaven and earth, and the wind, clouds, thunder and lightning of heaven and earth become an extension of one's own body and mind.

Using one's own true qi to trigger energy changes in the corresponding areas of heaven and earth—like a needle gently plucking a giant bell.

Thus, Xuan raised his palm, and the release of the thunder in his palm was a natural consequence. Or rather, it was [Breaking the Dao - Chapter 88: Flying Dragon Strikes the Thief - Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon].

Lightning emerged from Xuan's palm, instantly expanding to a width of ten feet, and struck the killing intent stone at the edge of the training ground. Then, the lightning lost its momentum and slowly dissipated.

Xuan stepped forward to inspect and confirmed that the killing intent stone wall's property of isolating spiritual power dispersed the lightning attribute spiritual power of [Breaking the Dao - Eighty-Eighth - Flying Dragon Strikes the Thief and Shakes the Heavens with Thunder Cannon] across the entire wall surface, just like the surface tension of water.

However, the killing intent stone could only isolate spiritual power, but could not ignore the impact force, and it was still blasted into a dent.

Xuan nodded slightly, quite satisfied with its power.

Ordinary attacks have little effect on the Killing Stone. This attack has already reached the level of a captain, enough to severely injure an unsuspecting third-class Spirit Might Death God; if it hits a vital spot, it can even kill directly.

Now that this idea has been realized, it's time to conduct the next test of the Ghost Path.

Xuan flipped through a few pages of the notebook containing his ideas and inspirations for the Ghost Path. It read: "[Binding Path No. 79: Nine Luminaries Binding]".

Binding techniques are always more complex than breaking techniques. To prevent injury during the development of Kido, Gendo always ensures that his spiritual power is far above the minimum required to release Kido before he actually begins testing.

Before his spiritual power reached the required level, Xuandu recorded all his ideas in a book so that he could test them after his spiritual power reached the required level.

The hand gestures and effects of 【Binding Technique 79 - Nine Luminaries Binding】 are very clear: the right hand is placed in front of the chest, palm facing outward, as if grasping something in the void. Then, black spiritual energy orbs appear in nine directions around the target: above, below, left, right, upper left, lower left, upper right, lower right, and in front of the chest, sealing the enemy.

Xuan had felt familiar with this binding method for a long time, but he never knew where that sense of familiarity came from.

It wasn't until he was taking a medicinal bath that his mind was clear and he suddenly remembered the "Nine Netherworld Hell Lamp" in Volume 30 of the Lingbao Yujian.

"The Nine Netherworlds are the central palace of the Eight Trigrams, which corresponds to the division of the Nine Provinces. Each is guarded by the God of the Land. In the heavens, they are the Nine Heavens; on earth, they are the Nine Palaces. They take the form of the Nine Netherworlds. They have nine names, all of which are the result of the collective and the result of a single thought."

The nine black orbs of spiritual energy are actually nine hells, located and named as follows: Eastern Netherworld, Southern Netherworld, Western Netherworld, Northern Netherworld, Northeastern Netherworld, Southeastern Netherworld, Southwestern Netherworld, Northwestern Netherworld, and Central Netherworld.

【Binding Path No. 79 - Nine Luminaries Binding】This is all there is to it. It only requires the power of binding and sealing, and does not have the core "breaking the prison" part, so it is quite simple.

After unleashing two high-level demonic arts in succession, Xuan's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He rested for a while, drank some cool boiled water he had brought into the underground training ground, and waited for his spiritual power to stabilize before preparing to develop the final move—[Binding Arts No. 81: Severing the Void].

Its lyrics are already known, and it is not difficult to deduce the underlying principles.

The core of breaking through the void lies in condensing one's own essence, energy, and spirit, using spirit to govern energy, and energy to control essence. Only when the three are united can a barrier that isolates everything be formed.

Xuan took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the ground, and closed his eyes to concentrate again. He first mobilized the innate Qi in his body, allowing it to circulate slowly and endlessly in his meridians, this was "Dragon's Movement"; then he condensed his spiritual will, transforming it into an invisible decree, governing the spiritual power around him and giving it a clear direction, this was "Lion's Roar"; next, he stimulated his physical potential, converting all his acquired essence into energy as fuel for the entire technique, this was "Tiger's Roar"; finally, he condensed the essence, Qi, and spirit into an invincible torrent, ready to be unleashed, this was "Wolf's Strike".

After Xuanjie assisted in chanting to coordinate his essence, energy, and spirit, a transparent barrier suddenly appeared in front of him, seemingly spanning heaven and earth, dividing the entire underground training ground in two.

The air was completely cut off on both sides of the barrier, and even the flow of spiritual particles came to an abrupt halt, forming two completely independent spaces. Xuan stretched out his finger and gently touched the barrier. His fingertip felt a cool, hard touch, like the texture of resilient glass.

The original work states that [Binding Path No. 81 - Severing the Void] can completely defend against Bhados below No. 89, but the [Bhado Path No. 88 - Flying Dragon Strike the Thief Thunder Cannon] that Gen used is essentially a palm thunder, so its power still needs to be tested in practice.

Xuan retreated dozens of meters, put on custom-made earmuffs and sunglasses, and unleashed the [Hado No. 88 - Flying Dragon Strike Thief Thunder Cannon] with all his might towards the center of the barrier in front of him.

"boom--!"

The deafening roar echoed through the underground training grounds, but Xuan, who was prepared, was not greatly affected.

The blue lightning slammed into the transparent barrier, erupting in blinding flashes of light that were impossible to look at directly. Violent energy raged across the barrier's surface, like an enraged beast attempting to tear apart this seemingly fragile defense.

A few breaths later, the energy ripples dissipated, and the broken barrier still stood in the center of the arena. Xuan removed the broken barrier, walked behind it, and confirmed that apart from a slight increase in temperature, it had not been affected in any way.

The test results had one bad news and one good news.

The bad news is: [Hado No. 88 - Flying Dragon Strikes the Thief with Heavenly Thunder Cannon] cannot penetrate [Bakudo No. 81 - Sky-Severing].

The good news is that [Binding Spell No. 81 - Sky-Severing] blocked [Hado Spell No. 88 - Flying Dragon Strikes the Thief with Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon].

Xuan left the training ground and took out medicinal herbs such as Albizia julibrissin, Polygonum multiflorum, Bupleurum chinense, and Paeonia lactiflora from the warehouse, which he then poured into the completed stone bath.

Considering that Yhwach's Quincy army could attack Soul Society at any time, Gen's savings were almost exhausted, most of which were used to purchase expensive medicinal herbs, so as to convert resources into an increase in strength as much as possible.

The night outside the window was already deep, the sounds from the training ground had long since disappeared, and the entire Seireitei was quiet.

Xuan lowered the spiritual pressure fluctuations, gathered the water vapor in the air and poured it into the medicinal pool, and then used [Hado No. 26: Crimson Flame Plug] to heat the water.

Xuan looked up through the skylight at the night sky. The dark sky was studded with stars, and a crescent moon hung in the sky. The cool moonlight shone on the earth, covering the entire Seireitei with a layer of silver frost.

Soon, the Quincy army will arrive, and Soul Society will become a living hell filled with blood and fire.

Xuanpao clenched his fists in the medicinal pool, which had a calming effect.

He cannot change the past, nor can he foresee a future without him. All he can do is seize the present.

Increase your own strength, and increase the strength of the Ghost Path Clan. Before that war arrives, become strong enough to protect those you want to protect, strong enough to fight for a chance of survival for yourself and those around you during that catastrophe.