Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Night had fallen, and the inky sky was dotted with sparse stars. The crescent moon cast its cool, silvery light upon the upturned eaves of Seireitei.

Within the Ghost Path Clan, Gen walked slowly along the cobblestone path, his boots crunching over the scattered cherry blossom petals, making a soft, rustling sound.

The Ghost Path members patrolling along the way stopped and bowed in respect upon seeing his return. Xuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then continued walking straight towards the underground training ground without stopping.

The discovery in the Great Spiritual Book corridor was like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, stirring up ripples in Xuanxin's heart that could not be calmed for a long time.

He raised his hand and placed it on the spot where his soul lay. The warm touch came through the fabric, and it was no different from the temperature of the rest of his body.

If it weren't for the personal verification using the spirit resonance scanning technology today, no one could imagine that this seemingly ordinary Death God's spirit body actually contains the Soul Sleep of the Spirit King.

The night breeze on the road ruffled the stray hairs on Xuan's forehead, and also dispelled some of the melancholy brought from the Great Spirit Book corridor.

Perhaps by sheer luck, Xuan happened to find a study closely related to himself in the catalog of the Great Spirit Book Corridor, and from it he was able to analyze a method to hide his own anomalies.

While this method is certainly unusable in combat, it is perfectly adequate for eliminating the risk of exposure in daily life.

Then, thinking that his spirit contained the soul of the Spirit King, several distant memories surfaced in Xuan's mind without warning.

Xuan Yuan's original spiritual power, like that of an ordinary Grim Reaper, emitted a deep blue light and had no difference in nature. After being refined into pure energy through the Taoist refining techniques, if it was not restrained, the new spiritual power would erode any matter it came into contact with, leaving only grayish-white powder.

If this is because Xuan's spirit body contains the soul of the Spirit King, then everything makes sense.

Xuan had learned about the history of this world in the library of Shifengyuan:

In the beginning, the world was a chaotic, undifferentiated state, devoid of life, death, progress, or regression, where the void, humans, and souls coexisted. The void grew stronger by devouring humans, souls, and other voids, gradually halting the entire spiritual particle cycle. If this continued, eventually all the souls would merge into a single, colossal void, ending the spiritual particle cycle and effectively killing the world.

The Soul King was born as the savior of the world. He possessed the power of annihilation, and thus, after destroying countless Hollows, their remains transformed into grayish-white spiritual dust that could not participate in the world's spiritual particle cycle. After the Soul King divided the world into three realms, vast amounts of spiritual dust accumulated, covering Hueco Mundo and becoming its boundless grayish-white desert.

Xuan boldly guessed that the reason why his refined spiritual power had similar properties was because he had the Soul Sleep of the Spirit King in his body, and the Soul Sleep was precisely the source of spiritual power generation.

There was also the battle between Gen and Unohana Yachiru decades ago. At that time, his strength was far inferior to what it is now, and he had not yet obtained his second Zanpakuto when he was injured.

Unohana's Zanpakuto, carrying a chilling killing intent, slashed open a wound on Gen's thigh. After a long period of physical and spiritual exhaustion and blood loss, as his consciousness began to blur, he used Binding Spell to urgently squeeze and close the wound, but blood still flowed out.

At that time, Xuan's Zanpakuto, Chingen, was in its Shikai state. He subconsciously mobilized his spiritual particles and was able to condense them into hair-thin spiritual threads to stitch up the broken wound and stop the bleeding.

At the time, he thought it was because he had controlled his spiritual power very precisely and unleashed his potential at the critical moment that he barely managed to save his life. But now, thinking back, the whole thing seemed suspicious.

Even if an ordinary Grim Reaper has mastered the art of manipulating spiritual power, they cannot repair their own spiritual tissues without special training; this is beyond the scope of a Grim Reaper.

As the anomalies of the past are reviewed, another detail that Xuan had long overlooked also comes to light.

In his initial state of release, relying on his enhanced ability to manipulate spiritual particles, he once developed a unique method for high-speed movement.

Unlike the Shinigami's Shunpo, which relies on the burst of spiritual energy within the body, this method involves manipulating external spiritual particles to create continuous spiritual particle footholds under the feet, thereby achieving long-distance high-speed movement and flexible turning.

He had always thought this was a technique he had created by combining Zhen Yuan's spiritual particle manipulation abilities. It wasn't until today, when he browsed through the Great Spirit Book Gallery and came across a record that vaguely mentioned the Soul King, that he realized this method of movement was completely consistent with the Quincy's Flying Kick principle. It was just that he hadn't come into contact with the Quincy for decades, so he hadn't been able to keenly recall this information.

Quincy are born with the ability to manipulate external spiritual particles, turning free-floating particles in the air into their own power. The Flying Leg is a footwork technique derived from this. Shinigami, on the other hand, derive their power from their own souls and cannot manipulate external spiritual particles with such precision to propel themselves. At most, they can only temporarily construct platforms in the air to land on.

Looking back now, the Soul King is the common progenitor of both Shinigami and Quincy, and the Soul King's Soul Sleep must also have the characteristics of Quincy power.

Gen has always lived in the Soul Society, surrounded by Shinigami (death gods), and naturally, he has followed the path of a Shinigami. Perhaps because his cultivation foundation, realm, and philosophy are based on Taoism, his spiritual power has the opportunity to manifest in ways different from that of a Shinigami.

Now, rethinking it, since I can use the Quincy's Flying Kick while in the state of Zhenyuan Shikai, can I also master the Quincy's other core ability—Blood Armor?

Once the thought arose, it spread wildly through his mind like vines. Xuan stood up and paced around the room.

He clearly remembered that Quincy's Blood Armor was divided into two types: Static Blood Armor and Dynamic Blood Armor. Static Blood Armor involved injecting spiritual particles into the veins to form an extra layer of spiritual particle protection, thereby greatly enhancing the Quincy's defense. Dynamic Blood Armor, on the other hand, involved injecting spiritual particles into the arteries. The spiritual particles penetrated deep into the muscle tissue like oxygen, providing explosive power for muscle contraction, allowing the Quincy to unleash speed and strength far beyond normal limits.

Xuan's power is concentrated in long-range ghost arts and illusions where all things are illusory. In close combat, he relies on Shunko, and his speed and attack power barely reach the level of a captain.

If he could master the Blood Armor, it would perfectly compensate for Xuan's weakness in close combat. The Still Blood Armor would increase his defense, preventing him from being severely injured in close combat; the Moving Blood Armor would enhance his speed and strength, and combined with his Instantaneous Strike, his close-combat power would undoubtedly reach a new level.

Xuan entered the underground training ground, raised his hand to light the ghost lamp on the wall, and the pale yellow light instantly filled the entire empty training ground. He walked to the center of the training ground, took a deep breath, and first calmed the spiritual power in his body.

The first step in attempting the Blood Armor is to sense the blood vessels of one's own spirit body. Although the spirit body of a Grim Reaper is composed of spirit particles, it has a nearly identical structure to the bodies of Quincy and humans, which are composed of protons. Blood vessels crisscross, flowing with the same bright red blood.

Xuan closed his eyes, spreading his consciousness throughout his body, gradually sensing the trajectory of blood flowing through his veins.

Warm blood flowed slowly through the blood vessels, like rushing streams, delivering spiritual energy to every corner of the body. Xuan carefully sensed the texture of the blood vessel walls, attempting to guide a wisp of spiritual energy from the meridians to seep into the adjacent blood vessels.

However, the first attempt ended in failure.

The spiritual energy felt like it had crashed into an invisible wall, firmly blocked by the walls of his blood vessels. Forcibly channeling the spiritual energy only brought a sharp, stinging pain; his blood flow instantly became erratic, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. Xuan abruptly opened his eyes, staggered a step, and steadied himself by grabbing the stone wall beside him.

He raised his hand and pressed his temples, waiting for the dizziness to subside. His previous attempt had been too hasty; directly using spiritual energy to impact the blood vessel walls was almost equivalent to being attacked from the inside. Fortunately, although it was unsuccessful, Xuan had used very little spiritual energy.

Perhaps the Quincy's blood armor doesn't forcibly inject spiritual particles into the blood vessels, but rather allows the spiritual particles to naturally merge with the blood, becoming part of the blood.

Xuan sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed in deep thought. He recalled the passage about the circulation of Qi and blood from the Daoist canon of his previous life: "Qi is the commander of blood, and blood is the mother of Qi. When Qi flows, blood flows; when Qi stagnates, blood stagnates."

Spiritual power is "qi," and the blood of a spirit is also "blood." The two are interdependent and not opposing entities. In fact, the blood of a spirit is composed of spiritual particles, but it is difficult to control, and controlling it can easily affect blood circulation.

To integrate spiritual energy into the blood, one cannot force it in; instead, one must allow the spiritual energy to permeate gradually, following the rhythm of blood flow, until finally achieving a state of harmony between qi and blood.

Having figured this out, Xuan adjusted his state again. He first slowed his breathing, allowing the spiritual energy within his body to circulate slowly along his meridians, deliberately adjusting the flow of spiritual energy to perfectly match the pulse of his blood. With each breath, the rhythm of spiritual energy and blood gradually synchronized, like two rivers flowing side by side, echoing each other.

Once the rhythm was perfectly in sync, Xuancai carefully guided a wisp of spiritual energy, which slowly overflowed from his meridians, seeping in like a trickle along the gaps in the blood vessel walls.

This time, the spiritual energy was not blocked.

The wisp of spiritual energy smoothly merged into the blood, flowing slowly with it. A faint warmth emanated from deep within the blood vessels, spreading throughout the body with the blood. Xuan was overjoyed, but dared not be distracted in the slightest, continuing to guide more spiritual energy into his blood vessels.

One strand, two strands, three strands...

More and more spiritual energy flowed into the blood, gradually tinging the originally bright red blood with a faint dark color. These dark spiritual particles floated and flickered in the blood, being transported to every corner of the body with each heartbeat.

The warmth grew stronger and stronger, from a trickle to a raging river, surging through his veins. Xuan could clearly feel that every drop of blood contained spiritual power, and his muscles almost simultaneously felt an immense force.

Xuan exerted force with his feet, and his figure disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Only a faint afterimage remained in the training ground, the sound of air being torn apart barely rang out. Because the Grim Reaper's Instant Step relies heavily on physical attributes, Xuan's speed was nearly 30% faster than his normal Instant Step, thanks to the Bloodstained Armor, and his movements were also lighter and more agile.

However, Xuan doesn't want to try activating the Bloodlust Armor and Instantaneous Burst simultaneously yet, because maintaining both requires a lot of effort, and the spiritual particles within his body are too active. Xuan worries that having both at the same time would put a heavy burden on his body.

If you're in the Still Blood Armor state, Xuan wouldn't mind trying to use Instant Burst at the same time. Firstly, the Spiritual Particle Cycle is slower after the Still Blood Armor is activated, and secondly, the Still Blood Armor enhances the body's defense, making it more suitable for testing compared to the Moving Blood Armor.

Xuan removed the Blood Movement Armor and, following the successful approach from before, tried the Blood Stillness Armor again, controlling the spiritual particles to slowly enter the veins.

Having learned from the experience of the moving blood armor, the still blood armor was quickly mastered as well. Xuan raised his arm, only to find that the still blood armor reflected on his arm had black patterns.

Xuan did not become complacent about the successful use of the blood armor, because he knew that there were always people more skilled than him.

Ichigo Kurosaki, the original protagonist of Bleach, was not good at manipulating spirit particles, but he was able to quickly master the Blood Armor in instinctive combat and apply it to actual battles. That is what makes him a true genius.

To verify the actual effect of the Bloodstained Armor, Xuan raised his left hand and whispered to his right arm, "Hado #31, Crimson Fire Cannon."

A ball of intense heat condensed in his palm, then exploded with a deafening roar, slamming into his right arm. The violent explosion echoed throughout the training ground, and a wave of heat swept across the entire space.

As the flames subsided, Xuan looked down at his right arm. There was only a shallow burn mark on his arm, the skin not even completely broken. Even though Xuan hadn't used his full strength, the test was still conducted while his Shikai amplified his Kido.

Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The defensive effect of the Bloodlust Armor far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing his anticipated performance.

With this layer of defense, when facing close-range attacks, you no longer have to rely solely on Kido or Shunpo to dodge as before, providing an extra layer of solid protection.

Xuan removed the Blood Stasis Armor, and the black markings on his body disappeared, leaving him feeling exhausted. This was his first time simultaneously trying both the Blood Stasis Armor and the Blood Stasis Armor, which had consumed a tremendous amount of his spiritual and mental energy. Furthermore, his control over the Blood Armor was still not proficient enough, resulting in a significant waste of his spiritual energy.

Since it was already quite late when I returned from the Great Spirit Book Corridor today, instead of trying to combine the Bloodlust set with the Instantaneous Burst, I should rest first and try it again the next day.

As Xuan recovered his spiritual energy, he summarized his previous attempt. The Static Blood Armor and the Dynamic Blood Armor cannot be activated simultaneously; switching between them requires a short buffer period, which is the biggest weakness of the Blood Armor.

Furthermore, he currently cannot maintain the Blood Armor for extended periods, even in the Zhenyuan Shikai state, he cannot activate it at will. However, these issues can be resolved through further practice. Once mastered, the Blood Armor will undoubtedly become one of his most powerful trump cards.

Thinking of this, Xuan's eyes became even more determined. The fragments of the Spirit King were a unique gift. The Shinigami's Kido and Zanpakuto, the Quincy's Spirit Particle Manipulation and Blood Armor, combined with the Taoist cultivation theories from his previous life, would surely lead to an unprecedented path.

However, Gen also knew very well that this ability should never be easily exposed to others, especially in the war between the Quincy and Soul Society that would soon follow. The Quincy Blood Armor and Flying Leg could only be used in situations where killing was certain or death was inevitable.

Moreover, the Tsunayoshi family has been secretly searching for fragments of the Spirit King. They possess spirit particle resonance scanning technology, and if they discover that Xuan possesses Quincy abilities, the consequences would be unimaginable if the Tsunayoshi family suspects that Xuan has the Spirit King's soul within him. Even the five great noble families are beyond Xuan's ability to contend with.

Xuan left the underground training ground.

The day Yhwach leads the Quincy army to invade Soul Society is drawing ever closer, but no one knows when it will arrive.

Gen couldn't predict the exact number of casualties on either side. Even with the presence of the Kido sect on the Soul Society side, if Yhwach wasn't ambushed from behind by Chojiro Sasakibara, who was hiding among the dead, as in the original story, the outcome of the war remained uncertain. All Gen could do was maximize his strength before the great battle began.