Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

Chojiro Suzaku stopped in front of the imposing gate of the First Squadron's barracks and gestured to the side.

Liuchuan stepped across the high threshold alone.

The interior was slightly different from the serious and oppressive atmosphere he had imagined; it was more profound. The light in the vast space was calm, and the air was filled with a solemnity that had been accumulated over time and by powerful spiritual pressure.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did not sit in the high seat, but stood in the center of the spacious hall, which resembled a dojo, with his hands resting on his ancient cane, his back as solemn as a mountain.

"They've arrived." An aged yet deep voice rang out. Captain-Commander Yamamoto turned around, his face showing no unusual sternness, but rather as if he were looking at an old friend. "Yanagawa Kido Clan."

"Commander-in-Chief," Liu Chuan greeted politely, his posture respectful yet not subservient.

He quickly scanned his surroundings. Apart from the two of them, there were no other figures in the hall, not even the vice captain of the Sparrow Division.

"No need for formalities." Captain-Commander Yamamoto took a few steps closer, his gaze, weathered by a thousand years of history, landing on Yanagawa, and unexpectedly began a casual conversation.

"How have things been going for you, Kido? Maintaining the interdimensional gate and stabilizing the barrier are the foundation of Seireitei's operation. Your responsibilities are very heavy."

Liu Chuan felt a slight unease, but remained calm and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Captain. All my colleagues are doing their jobs as usual."

His answer was standard and proper, but a nagging doubt was growing in his mind. Yamamoto Shigekuni would never have the leisure to concern himself with the mundane affairs of someone in the technical department.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto slowly took half a step, ceasing his questioning, and instead changed the subject.

"I summoned you here today not because I have any urgent business to attend to."

Liu Chuan's heart skipped a beat; they had finally arrived.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on a corner of the hall shrouded in the shadows of massive beams, where light could barely reach. He said in a deep voice, "The one who wants to see you is this sir."

As if activated by a spell, the once empty, heavy shadow suddenly rippled outwards like waves.

It's not that someone emerged from the darkness, but rather that the "darkness" itself was gathering and shaping.

A vast aura, unlike any other Shinigami in Seireitei, more ancient, profound, and seemingly touching upon the very rules of the world, silently spread out and instantly filled the entire space.

The calm spiritual particles in the hall seemed to become viscous and docile under this aura.

The shadows faded, revealing the figure of a monk.

He was exceptionally tall and robust, dressed in simple clothes, with a huge dark rosary hanging around his neck. His face was rugged, but his eyes seemed to contain wisdom and vicissitudes.

He stood there as if he were in his own world. Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto's spiritual pressure, which was enough to suppress the Soul Society, seemed to become somewhat "ordinary" next to the aura that this man naturally exuded.

"The Yanagawa Oni-do Clan." The monk spoke, his voice deep and resonant, yet without any oppressive force; instead, it possessed a strange tranquility as he directly called out his name.

"And who are you?" Liu Chuan asked politely, but his mind was highly focused, and his spiritual energy flowed quietly within him like mercury to deal with any unknown changes.

The fact that the other party could appear so quietly in the core of the First Division and elicit such a reaction from Captain-Commander Yamamoto speaks volumes about their status.

"I am Hyosuga Ichibei," the giant dressed as a monk said slowly, his gaze calmly falling on Yanagawa. "From the Soul King Palace, Zero Division."

Zero Division! Soul King Palace!

Even though Liu Chuan didn't have a deep understanding of the high-level structure of this world, the transcendent status represented by these two terms was enough to shake him to his core.

It is a mysterious being that transcends the Gotei 13 and directly serves the "Soul King," the foundation of the world.

I am just an ordinary member of the Ghost Path, how could I have alarmed such a person to come in person?

"Surprised?" Hyosube Ichibei seemed to see through his confusion, a very faint, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.

"There is no need to doubt. I have come here not to interrogate or examine you."

He paused for a moment, but his next words caused a real crack in Liu Chuan's composure: "I am here on the orders of Lord Ling Wang to convey an invitation to you."

The Spirit King's... invitation?

Liu Chuan was completely stunned; this was beyond anything he had anticipated.

He had assumed that the most likely explanation was that some "outrageous" research had attracted the attention of the higher-ups, leading to warnings or investigations. He never imagined it would be an "invitation," and one that came from the supreme Spirit King!

Hyōjube Ichibei continued in that calm yet grand voice, "Why did Lord Rei-ō take a fancy to you? Well, even I, an old man, don't quite understand that."

He shook his head slightly, and the huge prayer beads around his neck jingled softly. "But the Spirit King must have his reasons. Perhaps you have something interesting about you that you're unaware of."

His gaze swept over Liuchuan from head to toe with great interest, as if he were admiring something new and unexpectedly discovered.

The amount of information was overwhelming. Liu Chuan was processing it at a rapid pace while thinking to himself: The Spirit King has noticed me. The reason is unknown. This world is indeed not simple. This Spirit King has quite the insight.

This world is indeed extraordinary; it seems that the Spirit King is truly exceptional.

Before he could even ask a question, Hyosube Ichibei began to speak in a casual tone, almost as if introducing his own unit:

"The Zero Division is independent of the Gotei 13 and is directly under the command of the Soul King. Its main duty is to protect the Soul King Palace. The members of the division are all people who have made some remarkable 'creations' in the Soul Society in the past and were promoted after being recognized."

"Creation?" Liu Chuan keenly grasped this key word.

"Not bad." Hyosube Ichibei nodded.

"For example, the invention of the Shinigami armor, the establishment of the basic theory of the Soul Society, the establishment of the communication technology system, or the creation of a crucial path of healing and recovery are all cornerstones that laid the foundation for the current form of the Soul Society."

Liu Chuan pondered silently.

He remained silent for a moment, not out of fear, but because after being extremely shocked, he quickly composed himself and weighed the situation.