Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

Chapter 73 Heading to Hueco Mundo

After clarifying the mission objectives, Liu Chuan did not rush to set off.

Hueco Mundo is vast and boundless, with a harsh environment and limited information access. To search for the deliberately hidden remnants of the Quincy in that pale and desolate desert is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

This requires meticulous preparation, sustained patience, and a comprehensive plan to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations.

Yanagawa first used his privileges to access all observational data related to the Quincy, Hueco Mundo, and the Expeditionary Force report.

Although publicly available records are scarce, there have been some scattered, inconveniently publicized records and analyses over the millennia.

Combining the attack report from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he began to try to construct the characteristics of the Quincy's residual spiritual power and speculate on their possible modes of action and methods of concealment.

At the same time, he submitted a list of special supplies to the 12th Division of the Technology Development Bureau, including:

High-precision spirit particle detection device, spirit particle beacon for emergency communication and coordinate positioning.

"Oh dear, is Yanagawa-kun going to that boring place, Hueco Mundo, for a mission?"

In the captain's room of the 12th Division, filled with all sorts of strange instruments and specimens, Mayuri Kurotsuchi said in his sticky, excited tone, "No problem, the equipment will be ready soon! But I've already done enough research on ordinary Quincy—"

If you come across any interesting Quincy samples or Hueco Mundo-specific materials, remember to bring some back for me!

He not only quickly prepared all the items, but also "added" a few "gadgets" that he had recently tinkered with, euphemistically called "data collection for field testing in the Hueco Mundo."

After all the supplies were ready, he contacted Mayuri Kurotsuchi again, requesting that the "Black Hole" leading to Hueco Mundo be opened.

.

The Black Cavity is an unstable spatial rift connecting Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, usually opened by a Hollow or a specific spatial ability.

The 13th Gotei 13 possesses relatively stable black cavity construction technology, which is mainly used for expeditionary force deployments and special missions.

The 12th Division is responsible for the maintenance and operation of this technology.

On the edge of Seireitei, a special place sealed off by multiple barriers.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi personally led several officials in operating the complex instruments.

Amidst the buzzing of spiritual particles, the space ahead began to violently distort and tear apart, with an unstable edge writhing...

The deep, dark crack inside slowly opened.

"The passage is stable, and the coordinates have been set in a safe area near the expeditionary force camp."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi checked the instrument readings, licked her lips, and said, "Good luck, Yanagawa-kun. Remember my little request~"

Yanagawa nodded to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, took one last look at the familiar scenery and sky of Seireitei behind him, and without much lingering, stepped into the surging darkness without hesitation.

His figure was instantly swallowed up, and the black cavity behind him slowly closed, as if it had never been opened.

Yanagawa's departure did not cause much of a stir among the upper echelons of Seireitei.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto and a few other captains who knew the inside story remained silent, but elsewhere, his departure brought a secret sigh of relief to some, and even some who were secretly delighted.

Central Room 46, the underground council chamber.

"I heard—Yanagawa from the Zero Division has left Seireitei?" A sage lowered his voice, a hint of barely perceptible ease in his tone.

"It is said that they went to Hueco Mundo to investigate the recent attack on the expeditionary force."

Another well-informed judge chimed in, a slight smirk playing on his lips, "Hueco Mundo is a dangerous place, teeming with Hollows, and a harsh environment—humph, once he goes there, he probably won't be back anytime soon."

"It's best if he doesn't come back!" Another sage, who was not affected by the last incident but also had reservations about Yanagawa, sneered, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes. "This kid acts eccentrically and does not follow the rules. He has repeatedly trampled on the dignity of my 46th Chamber by relying on his status as a member of the Zero Division."

"Tsunayoshi and that idiot certainly deserve to die, but if it weren't for him—how could my 46 Chambers have suffered such a humiliating defeat! With him gone, the Seireitei will be much quieter."

"That's right, it's best to stay in Hueco Mundo forever, perish in a Hollow's belly, or be killed by those strange Quincy!"

Someone cursed viciously, but kept their voice lower, as if afraid of being overheard by some unseen force.

"Be careful what you say!" A relatively older and cautious sage frowned and stopped him. "Yanagawa is, after all, a formal member of the Zero Squad. The previous example of Tsunayoshiro is still fresh in our minds. Even if we are not happy about it, we must not give any more ammunition to him."

His departure is good for everyone, but we just need to wait and see.

These words calmed down many of the sages who were eager for Yanagawa to die in Hueco Mundo.

The brutal consequences of the forced substitution and the bloody end are still fresh in our minds, and the lingering effects of the bipolar system remain.

Their disgust and fear of Liuchuan were genuine, but it was precisely because of this fear that they dared not act rashly.

They could only silently hope that the dangers of Hueco Mundo and the enigmatic nature of the Quincy would "solve" this major threat for them.

Let them reclaim their repeatedly trampled, supreme authority.

When Yanagawa arrived in Hueco Mundo, the solid ground beneath his feet did not feel like the firm earth of Seireitei, but rather soft, pale gravel.

The "wind" that rushed towards us was dry and biting, mixed with a thin flow of spiritual particles that had a slight corrosive quality, which was completely different from the relatively mild and orderly spiritual particle environment in Soul Society.

As far as the eye can see, there are endless, undulating pale sand dunes that stretch to the gray-white horizon that is difficult to see.

Liu Chuan steadied himself, and his spiritual senses spread out instantly like the most sophisticated radar, covering the surroundings.

Apart from the subtle life reactions in the sand beneath our feet and the chaotic flow of spiritual particles in the air, no large-scale or suspicious spiritual pressure fluctuations have been detected so far.

He looked up at the sky and confirmed the direction—the flag representing the expeditionary force was not far to his northeast.

He didn't use Flash Step to create too much noise; he simply attached spiritual energy evenly to the soles of his feet and took a step.

They moved swiftly toward the camp in a way that seemed slow but actually allowed them to easily cover several meters with each step.

The pure white haori doesn't stand out against the pale background; instead, it creates a peculiar sense of harmony.

As he moved, he continuously scanned the surrounding spiritual environment and sand composition using the Mayuri Spiritual Analyzer.

On the instrument screen, data streams cascaded down, being processed, memorized, and analyzed at high speed.

The distance of three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) can be covered in no time with Liuchuan's mode of travel.

After crossing a relatively gentle sand dune, the expeditionary force's camp came into view.

It was not the fortified fortress or high-walled camp one might imagine, but rather a semi-subterranean complex cleverly constructed from several massive rocks.

Most of the buildings are low and have rough surfaces, with a camouflage color that blends in with the desert.

There was no outer wall; instead, there was a ring of pale white stone pillars buried according to a specific pattern, with a faint, flowing pale blue barrier visible on the surface of the pillars.

It is a warning and defense barrier.

Several slightly taller watchtowers were built on the top of the giant rock, their bodies low and concealed, with the figure of Death draped in a gray-white cloak at the top.

This is the camp of the Soul Society Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force located in this area.

It is not large in scale, but it exudes a sense of resilience honed by the trials of war.