Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

The warm pool water continuously seeped into and washed over Liuchuan's body.

The waves of tingling, numbness, and swelling gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of relaxation and clarity that emanated from the depths of my bones.

He could clearly sense that some hidden injuries and fatigue within his body, which he himself had not even been aware of, were being forced out little by little by this warm yet domineering flow of water.

The flow of spiritual energy seemed to have accelerated slightly, and its trajectory was more smooth and natural.

"Can you feel it now? The wonder of this 'Hell of Bones'?"

Kirinji Tenjiro remained leaning against the pond with his eyes closed, but his languid voice carried clearly, as if he were lecturing Yanagawa.

"This pool of water looks gentle, but it is actually domineering. It can squeeze out all the things that shouldn't be in your spirit and blood—accumulated injuries and impurities."

He paused, seemingly sensing the flow of the pool water, and continued:

"The principle is very simple: the rules of the pool water itself create a special 'reverse' with the spiritual pressure and blood in your body."

The pool water gently nourishes healthy, active spiritual pressure and blood.

Those stagnant, inert parts, bearing the marks of "injury," will be forcibly "squeezed out" by this "deficit," flowing out through the pores and into the water along with sweat.

So you see, isn't the water a little darker than before?

Liu Chuan looked down and, sure enough, the originally clear pool water around him, especially near his body, had a faint grayish tinge that was slowly spreading and dissipating in the water.

"If a seriously injured patient were to be brought in," Kirinji Tenjiro's tone carried a hint of a doctor's coldness.

"The 'injuries' in his body will be squeezed out in large quantities and quickly, and the effect is very fast."

However, the side effect is that spiritual pressure and blood will also be consumed in large quantities.

If the soaking time or intensity is slightly off, or if the patient's constitution is too weak, they may be "squeezed" into an empty shell, leaving only bones at the bottom of the pool.

That's why it's called "Hell of White Bones," it's not just meant to scare people.

"You don't have any major injuries now, but over the years, you've inevitably accumulated some hidden injuries and impurities. This treatment will allow you to face the trials ahead in the best possible condition."

He turned his head and pointed with his chin to a pool not far away where the water was an eerie dark red, resembling thick blood plasma:

"Look, that over there is the 'Blood Pool Hell.' Its function is the opposite of this one; it 'pours' blood into it."

Through the skin, it is forcibly injected into the body of the person being immersed, rapidly replenishing spiritual pressure and blood, and can even stimulate the spirit to regenerate itself.

"A guy who's severely injured, bleeding, and depleted of spiritual pressure, just throw him in for a while, and as long as he's not completely dead, he'll be brought back to life."

Liu Chuan listened silently, gaining a more direct understanding of the methods employed by this "Hot Spring Demon".

This is by no means a simple hot spring therapy, but an art of precise and ultimate control over the boundary between "treatment" and "destruction".

Beneath its brutal and direct exterior lies unparalleled control.

"I've heard," Yanagawa interjected, steer the conversation toward another topic that interested him, one of the rumors circulating in Seireitei.

"Kirinji-senpai is the developer of the 'Return Path'? The current Fourth Division Captain, Retsu Unohana, learned her Return Path from you?"

Mentioning "Kaido" and "Unohana Retsu" seemed to rouse Kirinji Tenjiro. He shifted to a more comfortable position, resting his arms on the smooth black stone by the pond, and opened his eyes.

"Hmm, that system of returning to the Dao was indeed originally compiled and created by me. As for that guy Unohana..." He clicked his tongue, seemingly recalling something.

"She did study with me, and she learned very quickly and very well."

He paused, looked at Liu Chuan, and his eyes held a hint of amusement:

"What, interested in her? Of course, you must have seen her down there. Now, with that gentle, life-saving healer demeanor, it's hard to imagine that she was once 'Kenpachi,' the original Gotei 13 who reveled in battle and claimed to have mastered all martial arts styles, right?"

Liu Chuan nodded; this was exactly what he was curious about.

The stark contrast between the records in the Great Spiritual Library and the reality of Seireitei has always been a question in his mind.

Kirinji Tenjiro remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in distant memories. The steam from the hot spring made his face appear somewhat blurred.

"It was a long time ago when she first came to me to learn about the Tao."

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a rare, ancient touch of reminiscence.

"At that time, she had just returned from the Zaraki Ward in Rukongai. She was badly injured, not just physically, but her spiritual essence and swordsmanship had suffered a near collapse."

"Zaraki Ward?" Yanagawa's heart skipped a beat. That was the most chaotic area of ​​Rukongai, known for its chaos and the emergence of many powerful figures.

"Yes, Zaraki Ward," Kirinji Tenjiro confirmed, his tone somewhat complicated.

She didn't elaborate, but it was implied that she... lost there, lost to someone.

Her proud "Eight Thousand Styles" of swordsmanship, which she boasted of mastering all sword styles under heaven, was utterly shattered before that person.

He could almost see the scene: the incredibly proud first Kenpachi, dragging his broken body, finding him only to learn the Dao of "healing" and "salvation".

"It's hard to imagine, isn't it? Kenpachi, who's obsessed with battle, actually lowered his head to learn how to save people."

Kirinji Tenjiro gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, whether in mockery or a sigh was unclear.

"But she did it anyway, and she studied it very seriously, almost obsessively."

I suspect that defeat not only broke her spirit, but also made her fundamentally question the path she had pursued in the past and the meaning of her existence.

The sword is no longer just for killing and victory; perhaps... it can be for something else entirely?

"As for who she lost to..." Kirinji Tenjiro shook his head.

"She remained tight-lipped and never revealed the identity of her opponent to anyone."

"Since then, Retsu Unohana's personality has changed. She has toned down all her sharpness and turned to studying healing arts and medicine, eventually becoming the captain of the Fourth Division. Now, she is the most respected healer in Soul Society."

Liu Chuan listened quietly, his heart filled with curiosity.

Retsu Unohana's past indeed concealed a shocking secret. A defeat from Zaraki Ward that utterly crushed the first Kenpachi led her to abandon the path of killing and instead seek salvation.

Speaking of which, isn't the current captain of the Eleventh Division surnamed Zaraki? There might be some connection between the two, Yanagawa secretly noted.