Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

South Rukongai, the fiefdom of the Ryudoji family.

The walls of the underground chamber, made of murderous stone, gleamed with a cold, bluish-gray luster, effectively locking all spiritual pressure and sound within this enclosed space. The spiritual light hanging overhead emitted a pale glow, illuminating the figures seated on either side of the long table.

At the head of the long table, Ryudoji Soichiro, dressed in a black family head's robe embroidered with dark dragon patterns, stood ramrod straight, his hands clasped on the table. His face was hidden in the lamplight, only his tightly pursed thin lips and taut jawline were visible, and he exuded a heavy, oppressive aura of someone who had long held a high position.

On the other side of the long table, Nikita Deslock stood alone. Her bright gold high ponytail gleamed dazzlingly under the light, and wispy blue-green highlights framed her face, her white military uniform outlining her slender yet upright figure. The star and cross badge on the left side of her military cap reflected a cold light, mirroring the indifference in her eyes.

Seated on either side of the long table were six elders of the Ryudoji family and several core members, their gazes fixed on Nikita Deslock, their expressions varied. Some wore scrutiny and wariness, some concealed disdain and arrogance, while others' eyes gleamed with curiosity about an unknown power.

The young man sitting third from the left suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence of the secret room. He was Ryudoji Hideaki, the only son of the Grand Elder Ryudoji Motoyasu. Spoiled by his family since childhood, he had always been arrogant. He leaned against the stone pillar behind him, his fingertips casually twirling the jade pendant inlaid with red jade at his waist, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Tch, they only sent a woman to negotiate with us? Yhwach really doesn't take us seriously."

Nikita Deslock's fingers, hanging by her sides, suddenly tightened.

Silver-blue spiritual particles swirled rapidly in her palm, instantly freezing the previously calm air. She slowly raised her head, her icy gaze fixed directly on Ryudoji Hideaki, her voice devoid of any warmth.

"You disgusting noble young master, you are not allowed to address His Majesty by his given name."

Before she finished speaking, she loosely clenched her right hand.

The free-floating spiritual particles in the air seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, frantically converging towards her palm. The silver-blue light points spun, compressed, and recombined, emitting a faint hum. In an instant, a submachine gun gleaming with a cold light materialized in her hand, and a burst of gunfire suddenly rang out.

"Da da da da—"

Spirit bullets rained down like a storm, tracing silver-blue trails under the stark white light.

Before the mockery on Ryudoji Hideaki's face had faded, a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected this seemingly frail woman to dare to make a move on Ryudoji's territory. Before he could even draw his Zanpakuto, his body was pierced by a hail of bullets.

Blood exploded on the wall behind him, splattering dark red marks. His body flew backward, crashing heavily against the cold stone wall with a dull thud.

When he slid to the ground, his body was riddled with bullet holes. Warm blood flowed slowly through the cracks in the stone, pooling into a dark red puddle on the ground, and the air was instantly filled with a strong smell of blood.

The gunfire stopped abruptly.

Nikita Deslock flicked her wrist, and the submachine gun in her hand vanished into a shower of spiritual particles. Her face was expressionless, as if she had merely crushed an insect in her path.

"presumptuous!"

Elder Ryudoji Motoyasu abruptly stood up, his Zanpakuto flashing from its sheath. A tremendous spiritual pressure erupted from his body, stirring up rubble and blood. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Nikita Deslock, his killing intent almost tangible.

"How dare a mere Quincy kill someone in my Ryudoji family!"

As he spoke, he was about to rush forward. Several elders behind him also stood up, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their spiritual pressure weaving into a large net that pressed down on Nikita Deslock.

Just then, Ryudoji Soichiro raised his right hand upwards.

Without releasing the slightest spiritual pressure, Ryudoji Motoyasu's body instantly froze on the spot. He stiffly lowered his head, sheathed his Zanpakuto, and dared not take another step forward.

Ryudoji Soichiro remained seated in the main seat, not even glancing back at the corpse on the ground. His fingers tapped lightly on the stone tabletop, producing a rhythmic "tap, tap" sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent chamber.

"I apologize for not doing a good job in education."

His voice was flat and emotionless, as if the clansmen who had just died were of no importance. After speaking, he gestured with his chin to the guards beside him. Two guards immediately stepped forward, dragged Ryudoji Hideaki's body out of the secret chamber, and quickly cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground, as if the killing had never happened.

Ryudoji Motoyasu sat back down, his face pale, head bowed, not daring to speak. The other elders and descendants also withdrew their spiritual pressure, no longer daring to look at Nikita Deslock.

Nikita Deslock nodded slightly, accepting his apology. She walked to the long table, pulled out a chair, and laid out a map made of black parchment on it. The map clearly marked the terrain of Seireitei, the locations of the various divisions of the Gotei 13, the Central Chamber of 46, and the fortifications in various places.

"Ten thousand Quincy soldiers have assembled in the human world." She looked at the map of Seireitei before her. "His Majesty has opened the passage connecting the human world and the Soul Society. As long as you send the signal, the entire army can arrive in Rukongai within fifteen minutes and then launch a general attack on Seireitei."

Her tone was filled with unquestionable confidence, as if victory was already in her grasp.

"The Quincy's target is only His Majesty the Spirit King in the Spirit King Palace." Nikita Deslock raised her head, her gaze sweeping over everyone present. "His Majesty the Spirit King is imprisoned in the deepest part of the Spirit King Palace by so-called royal agents and the five noble families, reduced to a puppet. He endures endless suffering, yet cannot break free of his shackles. Your Majesty's journey here is to purge the court of corrupt officials and rescue His Majesty the Spirit King."

She paused, then traced her finger across the location of Room 46 in the center of the map.

"As long as the Ryudoji family launches the first attack and raids the Central Forty-Six Chambers, they can restrain the Gotei 13 and expose their weaknesses, allowing the Quincy army to take the opportunity to invade Seireitei. The captains of Seireitei and the high-ranking members of the five noble families will be dealt with by His Majesty's personal guard."

Nikita Deslock smiled faintly, her tone full of seduction.

"After this is accomplished, we will go to the Soul King's Palace together with the Ryudoji family, and together we will divide the three realms based on our merit in saving the king. The rule of the entire Soul Society will be completely handed over to the Ryudoji family. The Quincy only want Hueco Mundo and the Human World, and will never meddle in any power within the Soul Society."

After he finished speaking, the secret room fell silent.

Ryudoji Souichirou's gaze remained fixed on the map, his fingers still tapping lightly on the table. His eyes were deep and unfathomable; no one could discern his thoughts at that moment.

As the head of the Ryudoji family, his dissatisfaction with the five noble families' monopoly on power in Soul Society has been accumulating for over a century.

The five noble families control a great deal of resources. Although the Ryudoji family is a superior noble family, they always have to act according to the wishes of the five noble families and are constantly hindered.

For any family to gain a place in the Central Forty-Six Chambers, they must pay a price. Ordinary family members, despite being upper-class nobles, cannot enjoy life and are forced to conform to the rules and serve the five major noble families for the sake of the family.

Over the years, he watched as the Ghost Path sect grew stronger day by day. Those wandering souls and lower-ranking nobles who could only rely on the nobility gained a status on par with the Grim Reaper through the Ghost Path.

The power of Kido is simple to learn, but its strength should not be underestimated. Even those without Zanpakuto talent can gain powerful combat abilities by training Kido.

The Ryudoji family has spent decades cultivating a large number of Shinigami (death gods) and disciples proficient in the Kido (demon arts), many of whom have infiltrated the Kidoshu (Demon Arts Clan) and the Gotei 13 (Gotei 13).

Ryudoji Soichiro was getting old, and he had been waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to overturn the existing order and allow the Ryudoji family to ascend to the pinnacle of power.

The appearance of the Quincy gave him this opportunity.

Not long ago, a Quincy calling herself Nikita Deslock appeared silently on the Ryudoji family's territory. After demonstrating her Quincy powers, she hit it off with Ryudoji Soichiro.

Ambition, like a vine, spread wildly through Ryudoji Souichirou's heart, entangled his reason. He could almost see the flames of war engulfing the Soul Society, the banners of the five great noble families crashing down, and himself wearing a crown, standing atop the Soul King's Palace, overlooking the entire Three Realms.

"I wish us a pleasant collaboration." Ryudoji Soichiro extended his hand, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Nikita Deslock grasped his hand; her fingertips were icy cold.

Ryudoji Soichiro watched Nikita Deslock leave, then returned to the secret room, never mentioning the corpse on the ground.

"The total strength of the 13th Gotei 13 is over 4,000 men, plus the more than 1,000 Kido, making a total of less than 6,000 men." He said, his voice still trembling with excitement despite his best efforts to control himself.

"The Ryudoji family has about three thousand private soldiers, all of whom have undergone rigorous military training and are proficient in swords and crossbows. The family has a total of more than one hundred and fifty Shinigami and Kido members, of whom thirty-two are infiltrating the Kido, seventy have joined the various divisions of the Gotei 13, thirty are core members of the family, and more than twenty are Shinigami servants who have followed the Ryudoji family for many years."

He paused, then pointed heavily at Room 46 in the center.

"Our goal is to use the power of the Quincy to eliminate the existing noble forces in Soul Society, remove the enemies for His Holiness the Soul King, and establish a new ruling system in Soul Society with the Ryudoji family at its core."

"The core strategy is to gather all the hidden forces, launch a preemptive strike on the Central 46 to create chaos, disrupt the deployment of the Gotei 13, and create an opening for the Quincy army."

After capturing the Central 46 Chambers, they will rely on its easily defensible terrain to defend and tie down the main force of the Gotei 13, holding out until the Quincy army arrives. At that time, they will launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, annihilating the Gotei 13's fighting force in one fell swoop.

As Ryudoji Soichiro spoke, he picked up the charcoal pencil on the table and quickly marked the map.

"All combat-ready forces are divided into four parts."

"I will personally lead the core assault team. It consists of thirty core Death Gods of the family, three high-ranking Ghost Path members, seven mid-ranking Ghost Path members, twenty-two low-ranking Ghost Path members, as well as attendant Death Gods and elite private soldiers. Their responsibility is to directly storm the Central Forty-Six Chambers, eliminate the internal guards, and control the core area."

"The internal support team consists of seventy people, all of whom are undercover agents infiltrating various divisions of the Gotei 13. There are twelve people in the 1st Division, ten in the 3rd Division, eight in the 4th Division, twenty in the 6th Division, and twenty in the remaining divisions. Their responsibility is to cut off communications before the battle, create chaos during the battle, delay the advance of reinforcements, and seize opportunities to attack the command system."

"The outer blocking force consists of 2,959 men, under the unified command of the Second Elder and the Third Elder, and comprises three blocking battalions and one reserve team."

"The First Blockade Battalion, numbering one thousand, is deployed on the main road leading from the Central 46th Chamber north to the First Division. They will destroy the stone bridges along the way in advance, set up roadblocks and traps, and rely on the buildings on both sides to engage in street fighting, with the main focus on blocking reinforcements from the First Division's elite troops."

"The Second Blockade, consisting of one thousand men, is deployed along the tree-lined path south of the Central 46th Chamber, leading to the 7th Division. They will use the high walls and dense buildings on both sides to create a crossfire network, slowing down the advance of the main force of the 7th Division."

"The Third Blockade, consisting of 500 men, is deployed in the alleyway leading to the Second Division from the north side of the Central 46th Room. They will utilize the complex terrain to conduct guerrilla warfare and harassment, focusing on striking the Second Division's covert mobile units and messengers."

"The reserve force of 459 men is stationed in the outer plaza of the Central 46th Gate. They are ready to support the heavily fortified blocking positions at any time, while also guarding against the 13th Guards Corps flanking and encircling them from other directions."

Ryudoji Soichiro put down his charcoal pencil, straightened up, and looked at everyone.

"The operation is divided into four phases."

"The first phase is pre-battle infiltration and preparation. The outer blocking force will be disguised as Rukongai merchants, craftsmen, and porters in batches, carrying weapons and materials for building obstacles, and will hide near the designated blocking positions. The internal support group will maintain normal duty, secretly transmit intelligence, and wait for the signal for the general offensive."

"The second phase: a lightning strike and seizing control of the core. The final assault will take place 15 minutes before the Quincy's final attack."

"After the general offensive began, the undercover agent in the First Division released Hollows captured alive at the execution ground, triggering an alarm that Hollows were attacking the Seireitei and attracting the attention of some of the guards in the First Division; at the same time, I led the assault team to storm the Seireitei, where the 46 Chambers resided. The Kido members released [Curved Light] to cover the operation, while our people inside helped open the door and detain the remaining members of the 46 Chambers."

"Then the assault team quickly killed the stubborn guards of the Central 46th Chamber, while the first blocking battalion's outpost launched a feint attack to draw the fire of the remaining guards of the First Squad."

"The seven mid-level Ghost Daoists immediately activated the defensive barrier inside the central 46th chamber, sealing off all entrances and exits, leaving only the small door on the east side as the only passage to the outside."

"Under the banner of 'purging the emperor's inner circle and eliminating treacherous officials,' they claimed that the Central Forty-Six Chambers were controlled by the five great noble families and were causing chaos in Soul Society. This was intended to force the Gotei 13 into internal strife, making the other noble families hesitant to launch a full-scale attack for fear of endangering the Forty-Six Chambers."

"The third phase involves holding the line and awaiting reinforcements while launching a pincer attack from both inside and outside. The core assault team will construct a defensive system using the murderous stone walls of the Central 46 Chambers, while the remaining personnel will be divided into several small teams to prioritize striking the enemy's medics and messengers, disrupting their logistics and command systems. If discovered, they can hide in the residences of the Seireitei residents, as the Gotei 13 dare not easily raid the residences of nobles."

"The fourth phase is encirclement and annihilation. After the Quincy army enters Seireitei from Rukongai and encircles the Gotei 13, which is besieging the Central Chamber of 46, the entire army will launch an attack. The core assault team, which is holding the line, will break out from the inside and join forces with the blocking team and the Quincy army to attack from both inside and outside, annihilating the main force of the Gotei 13 in one fell swoop."

The Second Elder asked, "What will happen to the captains of the Gotei 13 before the Quincy arrive? None of us can stop them."

"Don't worry, we've taken the Central 46 hostage. They wouldn't dare disregard the lives of the Central 46. They're just loyal dogs of the 46." Ryudoji Soichiro said contemptuously.

Ryudoji Soichiro's gaze swept over everyone present.

"I know some people are worried that the Quincy might back out, and I've considered that as well." He spoke slowly, his tone steady. "If the Quincy want to monopolize the victory after annihilating the Gotei 13, their strength will definitely be greatly reduced. At that time, we will have the advantage of the Central 46 Chambers. As long as we hold our ground and don't come out, the Quincy won't be able to expend their strength to attack the Soul King Palace because of us."

"Once the Quincy and the King's agents are both severely weakened, we will lead our forces to attack, cooperating with the King's agents to annihilate the remaining Quincy forces, thus encircling the Quincy and maintaining our dominance over Soul Society."

These words completely dispelled everyone's concerns. The elders nodded in unison, their eyes blazing with a thirst for power. They seemed to already see the future of the Ryudoji family dominating the Soul Society, and themselves in high positions, wielding immense power.

Night was falling.

Ryudoji Soichiro climbed alone to the highest watchtower in his fiefdom. The night wind whipped his black hem, making it flutter. He stood atop the tower, gazing towards the distant Seireitei.

The night was deep, and the lights of the Seireitei stretched into a hazy halo in the distance, like a sleeping behemoth. The barracks of the Gotei 13 were scattered within this halo, quiet and peaceful. No one knew that a storm powerful enough to upend the entire Soul Society was quietly brewing beneath this tranquility.

Ryudoji Soichiro pulled a sake flask from his pocket, unscrewed the lid, and tilted his head back to drink it all in one gulp. The pungent sake burned his throat, but it only intensified the fervor in his eyes. He gripped the sake flask tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

For a thousand years, the five great noble families have held a high position, controlling everything in the Soul Society. Now, it's the Ryudoji family's turn.

He could almost hear the roar of war, the clashing of swords, and the dying cries of the five noble families. He could almost stand atop the Central Forty-Six Chambers, receiving the adoration of the people.

Ryudoji Soichiro threw the empty sake bottle away with a thud. The bottle arced through the night sky before disappearing into the darkness. He spread his arms wide, facing the howling night wind, and let out a low roar, his voice filled with long-suppressed excitement and fervor.

"The millennia-old order needs to be rewritten!"

"From this day forward, the Ryudoji family shall be the masters of Soul Society!"