Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

A baby was born into the world.

He cannot see, cannot hear, cannot make a sound, and is unable to move.

People around the baby treated it like a treasure, because anyone who touched the baby would have something missing in themselves. For example, people with lung disease would be cured, lonely people would feel their hearts filled, timid people would gain courage, and even disabled people would have their limbs restored.

This child possesses the ability to share souls. Conversely, the knowledge and abilities gained by those whose soul fragments have filled their gaps will return to this child's body along with the soul fragments upon death.

Those who have touched children do not live long. Even so, they will still gather around the children, and the children's eyes and ears will gradually return to normal because of the return of their souls.

The child discovered that people called him by a miraculous name, and he knew that it was the name of the god that mankind worshipped, and that name was Yhwach.

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Around 800 AD, Yhwach, with his first royal guard, successfully led the Quincy and established a base in Northern Europe called the Empire of Light, where he was addressed as His Majesty.

People thought peace was on the horizon, but His Majesty Yhwach founded the Sternritter, recruited talent, and prepared to march into the Soul Society.

Yhwach's goal was not to unify the world. Expanding his territory and unifying the Quincy were all for the purpose of accumulating talent and increasing his strength.

In 999 AD, a man claiming to be a monk appeared alone in the Empire of Light.

The monk had a shiny bald head, thick, dark, angry-looking eyebrows, an extremely thick, long black beard, a tall and robust build, and a string of giant, deep red Buddhist beads around his neck.

The monk said he came from Soul Society and was looking for Yhwach.

The waiter said that His Majesty, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, already knows and is waiting in the hall at the end of the corridor.

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The spacious stone hall stretched endlessly into the depths, with three tall, arched floor-to-ceiling windows side by side on the left. Dazzling white light poured in from outside, casting three sharp, narrow rectangular spots of light on the smooth, cold marble floor, extending all the way to the feet of the negotiating table.

Several thick, square stone pillars stand on either side of the main hall, their shafts sharply divided into two distinct halves by light and shadow, further emphasizing the grandeur and imposing presence of the space. The depths of the hall are completely shrouded in dark shadow, with only two diamond-framed banners hanging symmetrically on the dark wall at the back. The Quincy's three-pronged cross is clearly printed in the center of each banner, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the dim light.

In the center of the main hall is a minimalist rectangular stone table, with a high-backed stone chair at each end.

At one end of the long table sat a monk, wrapped in a wide white haori. His figure was as imposing as a mountain, and only his broad back and the outline of his face, which was obscured by the high back of the chair, could be seen. He sat steadily and motionless, exuding an ancient and heavy sense of oppression.

At the other end of the long table sat Yhwach, dressed in a pure black cloak. He was tall and straight, his face hidden in the heavy shadow cast by the back of his chair, only a blurry silhouette visible. He exuded a cold aura that kept people at a distance.

To Yhwach’s left, along the edge of the hall near the window, stood four Quincy soldiers in identical white uniforms, their posture upright and their hands hanging down in a military stance.

They were Yhwach's original personal guard. From left to right: Hubbard Alexander Cleisch, Nikita Deslock, Johann Saidlitz, and Algra Lalau.

"I suggest this: as the mediators of the Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo—these three realms—we propose that the Soul Society and the Empire of Light enter into a non-aggression pact. We, the Shinigami, will protect the world; you can simply celebrate the Empire's prosperity to your hearts' content."

The monk's eyes were wide open, his arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his wide sleeves completely covered his front. From his words and actions alone, one could tell that his attitude was like that of a child playing house.

"Of course, we won't interfere with the Empire of Light's unification of the Quincy. This alliance is beneficial to you, so you have no reason to refuse, right?"

The monk, who considers himself the adjuster of the "Three Realms," did not explicitly mention that he would not allow the Empire of Light to continue expanding in the present world, which also tacitly approved handing over the present world to Yhwach for rule.

"You're lying." A deep, magnetic voice came from His Majesty Yhwach of the Empire of Light.

Yhwach did not buy it, neither agreeing to the alliance nor disagreeing, but simply denying what the monk had just said.

The monk made a questioning "hmm" sound with his nose.

"You think I'm an ignorant baby? You're underestimating me," Yhwach said calmly again from his high-backed stone chair.

"Oh dear, I didn't underestimate you." The monk's expression remained unchanged. "But you truly know nothing."

"Then let me ask you. The world was once a single entity. Who divided this eternal peace into multiple realms, separating life and death?"

"It is His Majesty the Spirit King."

Who is responsible for instilling a fear of death in the public?

"Also, His Majesty the Spirit King."

Yhwach closed his eyes: "I can hear the painful cries of souls returning to me, and I can also hear people's resentment at the fear of death and their attachment to the brevity of life."

And is this how you're going to answer me? Hyoninbe Ichibei!

The answer to the second question is not the Soul King. The Soul King merely divided the three realms, concentrated the Hollows in Hueco Mundo, released the living into the mortal world, and incorporated the dead into Soul Society, but he did not inform the living in the mortal world that everything is meaningless after death.

Most rogue spirits in Soul Society do not need to eat and have long lifespans. If people in the mortal world, who are busy struggling for three meals a day, knew this, many might commit suicide and be reborn in Soul Society.

This imbalance in the number of souls across the three realms would lead to the destruction of the world. Therefore, in order to consolidate the existing order, the God of Death instilled "fear of death" in the people of the mortal world.

The monk named Hyosube Ichibei blamed King Rei for the crime, which greatly angered Yhwach, who knew the truth.

Yhwach is actually quite similar to the Monkey King; his companions inevitably die of old age, while hundreds of years have passed since he was born into this world.

Therefore, he gathered troops and was determined to invade the Soul Society and bring immortality to the world. However, what he received was the sincerity of the self-proclaimed world balancer: just stay in the human world and be a king of the human world, and have no other thoughts.

But even this sincerity is fake.

Hyonshube Ichibei's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was the same as before as he said, "Don't call me by my name without permission."

But the atmosphere between the two was no longer the same as before.

"Where in the three realms can one find peace?" Yhwach opened his eyes, revealing two pairs of pupils.

"I saw it all." / "I'll show you."

Yhwach and Hyosuga Ichibei spoke at the same time, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Hyosube Ichibei suddenly stretched out his left hand, which was tucked into his sleeve, and opened his palm. Suddenly, a crack appeared horizontally in his palm, and the flesh inside began to writhe, as if something was about to come out.

The guards who had been waiting nearby made their move.

Huber Alexander Claych drew his rapier from his waist, while Nikita Deslock drew upon the surrounding spiritual energy to materialize a submachine gun in her hand, unleashing a hail of bullets at Hyosube Ichibei.

Hyosube Ichibei continued to stare at Yhwach, his right hand now gripping a huge calligraphy brush in reverse. The bullet struck the tip of the brush, but it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, creating ripples in the air.

Hundreds of bullets were fired instantly, but all were blocked. As the shockwave subsided, a pale blue sphere, compressed from hundreds of spiritual energy bullets, was visible at the tip of the brush.

This astonishing scene startled Nikita Deslock, who was holding a gun. She blinked in disbelief and stopped moving. Behind her, Hubbard Alexander Kleich, who was holding a rapier, also stood frozen in place with a grim expression.

Just then, the spiritual energy bullets that had been compressed into a ball at the tip of the brush suddenly shot out along their original trajectory at the same speed, so fast that they left a blue trail in the air like the tail of a comet.

Algra Ralau lunged forward, shielding the two men and catching the returning psionic bullets with his back.

Just then, the crack in the palm of Hyosube Ichibei's left hand, hidden in his wide sleeve, suddenly opened up and down, revealing a single eye with a pair of pupils!

Those eyes met Yhwach's gaze directly, and in an instant, an immense spiritual pressure appeared, compressing the air into a gale that howled directly towards Yhwach.

As Yhwach's four eyes met the single eye with the double pupil in the palm of his left hand, memories of the Soul King surfaced in Yhwach's eyes and then quickly passed by.

The original world was like a chaotic sea. The Spirit King used his power to separate the three realms. Subsequently, most of the Spirit King's body, including his limbs, heart, and locks, fell into the three realms. The Spirit King, who was left with only his head and part of his body, and looked like a human pig, lay in the arms of a person—Hyoushube Ichibei.

These are the Soul King's memories. Yhwach instantly understood.

"Ah—" A very faint sigh escaped his lips, the emotion within unclear whether it was astonishment or感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions). Yhwach lowered his head and said, "This is... the Soul King..."

"See? You know nothing, don't you? We are protecting this crumbling world together with His Majesty the Spirit King." The monk still pointed his left hand at Yhwach.

"How pathetic, how... pathetic!" Yhwach suddenly looked up, glaring angrily. His face was covered with spiritual particle patterns like circuit boards, which were the moves that spread spiritual particles throughout his blood vessels to unleash powerful defensive capabilities—the Blood Stasis Armor.

Yhwach's double pupils are not just for show, but represent the power of "omniscience".

It was through these eyes that Yhwach was able to see the future. From the very beginning, he saw Hyosube Ichibei's arrival, saw through Ichibei's lies, and foresaw that Ichibei would launch a surprise attack on him at this moment.

Hyosube Ichibei let out a soft "hmm," the first time his expression had changed during this trip.

Taking advantage of the moment when Hyosube Ichibei was stunned, Yhwach suddenly stood up, instantly bridging the ten-meter distance. Yhwach's right hand, also covered in the Bloodstained Armor, had already grasped the wrist of the left hand with the double pupil and single eye.

"I saw everything you said, Hyosube Ichibei!" As he spoke, the spirit spread along the point where his two hands touched, like an erosion, and his left hand gradually became covered in blood.

Thanks to the Quincy's extremely strong control over spirit particles, even with severed nerves, they can still easily control their bodies using their Blood Armor. Moreover, the Quincy King—Yhwach—can directly and forcibly control others' bodies using his Blood Armor.

"Do you really think you can kill me with this hand? A father's hand is merely an offering to his child; it can only give life, never take it away!"

It turns out that the left hand hidden under Hyosube Ichibei's wide sleeve was actually the dismembered left hand of King Rei, which allowed Yhwach to see King Rei's memories.

Yhwach was extremely cautious. Even though he controlled his left hand through the Blood Armor, he still spoke, using words to restrain Hyosube Ichibei, buying time to gain complete control of the left hand.

"Your eyes are truly troublesome," Hyosube Ichibei said, his tone still tinged with mockery. "However, your eyes cannot see through the Spirit King."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Spirit King's left hand, which had a single eye in its palm, instantly swelled up. The fleshy mass churned and transformed into a gigantic hand, with each finger as large as a human.

As Hyosube Ichibei clenched his left fist, the enormous left hand with the single eye moved in perfect sync, its five fingers covering Yhwach's body before clenching into a fist.

With a gust of air, the Spirit King's left hand vanished without a trace, as if what had just happened was all an illusion.

"What did you say?" As the Soul King's left hand disappeared, Yhwach's double pupils gradually merged into one, returning to the appearance of a normal human eye.

"Did you think I gave you the Soul King's arm for nothing?" Hyosube Ichibei put his hands back into his wide sleeves, crossed them in front of him, then stood up and walked out of the hall.

The crisp sound of the wooden clogs on the ground startled the other members of the royal guard who were checking on Algraa Lalau's injuries.

But Hyosube Ichibei ignored him and said to himself, "Your eyes are ruined, and you will never open them again until you die. Live a life of caution and careful speech."

He then stepped into the darkness outside the palace and left the Empire of Light.

Yhwach sat down again in the same high-backed stone chair.

He thought he could see the future and knew that Hyosube Ichibei was not a persuader but an assassin, but still could not defeat himself; but he did not expect that he could not see the future of the Spirit King, not even the Spirit King's physical structure, and that Hyosube Ichibei would use the Spirit King's left hand to secretly attack him.

"I am so glad that my eyes are destroyed, so that I will not have to see you being humiliated, King of the Soul," Yhwach said, seemingly to himself.

Yhwach recalled the memories of the Spirit King he had seen before. He only knew that the Spirit King was divided into three realms, but he never imagined that the Spirit King had been dismembered and survived by becoming a wedge that stabilized the existence of the three realms.

"I have given you a new mission: to give you a new life, to make you a living being worshipped and turned into a horrible lump of flesh."

Yhwach sat in the shadows, his face obscured: "Disappear with the world; you will become the tombstone of the three realms."