Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

A few days later, in Seireitei, there was an izakaya (Japanese pub) built along the river.

As evening fell, the sunset painted the river a warm gold, casting a cozy glow over the small shop.

The shop had been booked in advance, and a wooden sign that read "Temporarily Closed" was hanging outside the door.

Inside the shop, the atmosphere was lively and noisy, a stark contrast to the tranquil river view outside.

Long tables were pushed together and laid out with all sorts of food and drinks, their aromas mingling with the rich fragrance of sake, filling the air.

Those sitting around were Yanagawa's classmates from his time at the Shinigami Academy.

Renji Abarai was still the loudest one, holding a sake bowl in one hand, his bright red hair particularly striking under the light, shouting loudly:

"Hahaha! Liu Chuan! I'm going to get you completely drunk today! Otherwise, once you're in heaven, it'll be hard to find you for a drink!"

As he spoke, he refilled Liu Chuan's glass, the liquid almost overflowing.

Hinamori Momo sat on the other side of Yanagawa: "Yanagawa-kun, Shiro told me I must thank you."

When Hitsugaya Toshiro was mentioned, her eyes lit up, clearly grateful to Yanagawa for saving her childhood friend.

Kira Izuru raised his wine glass, his posture as meticulous as ever:

"Congratulations, Yanagawa-kun. Although we may not have many chances to meet again in the future," he always spoke so formally, but the sincerity in his eyes was undeniable.

Hisagi Shuhei also held a sake glass, his usually composed face showing a hint of emotion:

"Yanagawa, thanks to you in this incident, Zero Squad... is indeed a more suitable stage for you. Take care."

As the vice-captain, he understood even better what distance Zero Division represented.

Rukia Kuchiki sat quietly a little further away, with only a cup of tea in front of her.

Shiba Isshin was another one who stirred up the atmosphere. He laughed heartily, kept drinking with Renji, and didn't forget to tease Yanagawa:

"Hey, Liu Chuan! Once you're at the Spirit King's Palace, don't forget your old buddies on the ground! If you have a chance to come down, remember to bring back some local specialties!"

Faced with everyone's sincere blessings and enthusiastic teasing, Liu Chuan sat in the main seat, responding to each one with a calm smile.

However, looking at these familiar faces and listening to their regret that he had "gone to the Spirit King's Palace and would never see them again," a truth was quietly pressed down in his heart—

He will not reside permanently in the Spirit King's Palace.

Hyosube Ichibei's special permission means that he will continue to spend most of his time in Seireitei.

He will still live here, and perhaps he will occasionally run into them on the streets or during missions.

But at this moment, faced with the heartfelt emotions of his classmates and friends—their joy at his "promotion" and their reluctance to "part"—Liu Chuan chose to keep it a secret for the time being.

"Thank you all." Liu Chuan raised his glass again, his gaze sweeping over each familiar face, his voice clear and gentle.

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

The once bustling Seireitei has fallen into its deepest slumber, broken only by the footsteps of patrolling Grim Reapers and the faint sound of distant wooden clappers, which rhythmically punctuate the stillness of the night.

The area of ​​the Ghost Path Clan was already secluded, and Yanagawa's room was simply furnished and filled with books and calculation papers.

The windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn tight. Only an old lamp on the corner of the table emitted a steady and soft white light, illuminating the desk.

The warmth and excitement of the farewell party seemed to linger in the air, carrying a faint smell of alcohol.

But Liu Chuan's face was no longer showing any signs of drunkenness. He sat behind his desk, with several scrolls of drawings he had made himself, filled with complex runes and spiritual energy flow patterns, as well as some notes recording dense data and deduction processes.

But his attention was not on these external things at the moment.

He slowly closed his eyes, his breathing becoming deep and even, as if he had merged with the surrounding silence.

The spiritual energy within his body, the power belonging to the Grim Reaper, flowed slowly like a calm lake under his guidance, in an extremely subtle way, unlike any known Grim Reaper cultivation method.

If a master skilled in the ways of the ghosts or spiritual perception were here at this moment, they might be able to vaguely sense the unusual and peculiar trajectory of the spiritual energy within Liu Chuan's body.

Instead of flowing along the conventional meridians or soul pathways, it undergoes a kind of incomprehensible "transformation" in an almost peculiar way.

This is not any Kido, Hakuda, or Zanpakuto training method from Soul Society.

This is unique to Liu Chuan, based on his profound foundation as a "genius mage" in his previous life, combined with his in-depth research on the nature of spiritual power for ten years and countless secret experiments in this life.

The "transformation" that was made possible by this.

As his thoughts deepened, the death god's spiritual power, as calm as a lake, began to undergo an extremely subtle yet fundamental change at a certain "node" deep within his soul.

A wisp of pure, azure light, imbued with a cold rationality and a sense of order, is like ore thrown into a furnace, being forged by an invisible "hearth" and reconstructed by a "formula".

Gradually shedding some of the characteristics of "spiritual particles" belonging to this world, it became stained with a deep, dark "black" that seemed to absorb all light.

This "blackness" is not nothingness, but a highly condensed essence containing a power different from the rules of spirit particles.

It is closer to "mystery," carrying a strange quality that is subtly repelled by the Soul Society's spiritual environment, yet forcibly restrained and controlled by Yanagawa—magic.

Yes, magic. From a past life, the source of power belonging to the mage Yanagawa.

In this world filled with spiritual particles, it should have been rootless and without origin, unable to arise. But Yanagawa found the "path".

He used the refined Death God power within him as a foundation, his own soul as a base, the "magical circuit" reconstructed from knowledge of another world as a converter, and the "equivalent exchange formula" derived from a deep understanding of the rules of this world as a bridge.

Forced "mass-energy conversion" to transform "spiritual power" into "magical power"!

This process was extremely difficult and inefficient, and it placed a considerable burden on his soul, but it truly allowed him to regain his own power in this world, a power completely different from the local power system.

At this moment, as the transformation proceeded, that deep, dark magic, like an awakening undercurrent, slowly flowed through his reconstructed magical circuits.

Unlike the harmonious resonance between spiritual power and the spiritual particle environment, wherever magic passes, the free spiritual particles in the surrounding air seem to be subjected to invisible repulsion and compression, causing them to vibrate slightly and escape, resulting in extremely subtle and abnormally thin areas of spiritual particle concentration in the room.

Even the light from the spirit lamp on the corner of the table seemed to dim almost imperceptibly for a moment because of this.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Liu Chuan's forehead, and his face looked somewhat pale under the lamplight.

This transformation is by no means easy; each step is a test of one's self-control and the resilience of one's soul.

But there was no pain in his eyes, only the extreme focus of a researcher facing successful experimental data.

Finally, the transformation reached a critical point of stability, and Liu Chuan slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, a deep, dark light flashed and disappeared from the depths of his eyes.

He clenched his fist slightly, but within his palm, a condensed, restrained, yet seemingly capable of distorting common sense and interfering with the "abnormal," profound power flowed quietly beneath his flesh and blood.

This power does not belong to the Grim Reaper, nor to the Hollows, nor even to any known power system in this world.

It is Liu Chuan's deepest hidden trump card, the core proof of his identity as a "visitor from another world," and his greatest reliance for daring to explore the unknown and even challenge certain established rules.

Feeling the magical power within him, which, though far less abundant than his vast spiritual power, possessed a more "peculiar" and "autonomous" quality, Liu Chuan let out a long, silent sigh.

Transformation also requires accumulation over time.

He looked at the transcribed records of the Spirit King Palace spread out on the table, and the neatly folded Zero Division haori placed to the side.

The Soul King's Palace, the pinnacle of Soul Society, the residence of the Soul King, and the base of the Zero Division. In a few days, he will officially set foot on that supreme place.