Infinite Chimera Creation

Ikkyu retreated somewhat disheveled back into the Buddhist kingdom, panting heavily as he stared intently at the still composed Baregang, his heart filled with bitterness.

Before the actual confrontation, Ikkyu always believed that with his "Buddha power," which is "firm belief," even if he was no match for Barragan, he could leave calmly and go to Yuan Yuan with dignity, using his eloquence to obtain Yuan Yuan's help at the lowest cost.

However, after fighting Barragan, Ikkyu realized how naive his previous thoughts were. He firmly believed that the spiritual power was a qualitative change compared to ordinary spiritual power, but the spiritual power of Vastod was also a qualitative change compared to ordinary spiritual power.

Although the qualitative changes of the Vastodes are only secondary qualitative changes such as [obsession and sacrifice] and [obsession and loneliness], they cannot be compared with the qualitative changes of Ikkyu's [madness and unwavering belief].

However, with this secondary qualitative change in spiritual power as a foundation, and after narrowing the gap in spiritual power level with Ikkyu, Barragan, who had the advantage in physical strength, spiritual power, and combat experience, could easily defeat Ikkyu.

"I'm tired of this boring game, so let's end it."

Clad in a black imperial robe, Barragan suddenly waved his hand, releasing a cloud of pitch-black gas. The black gas rushed towards Ikkyu with an aggressive momentum, and everything in its path, whether it was Barragan's subordinates, Ikkyu's followers, or solid boulders, turned to ashes and scattered all over the ground as if it had been there for ten thousand years.

"Let it perish silently under the power of aging."

Amidst the billowing black mist, Barragán, clad in a black robe and wearing a decaying golden crown, appeared as if he were the master of death, controlling aging.

Not daring to come into contact with the black energy, Ikkyu activated his internal energy circulation and retreated without stopping for a moment in the direction away from the black energy.

Although Ikkyu's evasion was undeniably timely, how could Barragan's ace in the century-long battle of Hueco Mundo be so easily evaded?

While Ikkyu's attention was entirely focused on the rolling black mist, a wisp of black mist, so faint as to be imperceptible, quietly approached him from above.

Ikkyu, who originally had five heads on his shoulders, now only had four and a half. The head that grew from the center of his head, facing the sky, was now only half a head, and this half head was also rapidly disappearing under the influence of a wisp of black energy.

A flash of pain appeared in the eyes of all four heads at the same time. The heads facing to the sides turned around simultaneously, opened their mouths wide, and bit down, even tearing off the head facing upwards, and threw it into the distance.

His previously solemn gaze turned to terror. This time, Ikkyu truly felt fear. He sensed that if he had been even a fraction slower and allowed the black mist to spread to the other four heads, he would have died irrevocably.

"Well then, Master, are you now willing to become the King of Hueco Mundo?"

Just as Ikkyu was worried about his life, the golden eagle that was standing on his shoulder, which he thought had been completely brainwashed by "firm belief" and had broken free from Yuan Yuan's control, suddenly opened its mouth and spoke Yuan Yuan's voice.

In Jin Ying's eyes, there seemed to be a glint of mockery.

Chapter Seventy-Three: Unrestricted

Even after standing in this massive experimental complex, which Yuan Yuan named the Zero Special Research Institute and occupied the entire third level of Hell, for half an hour, Ikkyu still couldn't shake off the shock he had just experienced.

At that time, Ikkyu had already been driven to the brink of despair by Barragan. He didn't think much about why the Golden Eagle, who had been brainwashed by "Madness and Belief," would make Yuan Yuan's voice. His mind was already occupied by the fear of death, and he agreed to become the King of Hueco Mundo without the slightest hesitation.

While alive, Ikkyu was not afraid of death, for he had guarded that city for a hundred years. Even knowing there was no Buddha there, he still strictly adhered to the precepts, day after day, without a single day of slackening. At that time, he had no regrets and could calmly face death, peacefully kissing the flowers blooming in the land of the dead.

However, the Ikkyu of today cannot maintain the composure he possessed in life. Faced with death, he, like all ordinary people who haven't truly understood life and death, feels fear. This is because the grand vision Yuan Yuan envisioned for him—to become a Buddha—is not yet complete. With regrets, Ikkyu is no longer the old monk known as Buddha, who could calmly face death; instead, he is an ambitious man pursuing his own desires, no different from any ordinary person.

Unwilling to accept that his wish had not been fulfilled, Ikkyu, who bowed his head in fear of death, chose to admit defeat to Yuan Yuan.

[I want to become the king of Hueco Mundo, please save me.]

Without hesitation, he shouted those words. Only after the words left his mouth did he realize that the one speaking to him was just an ordinary Adjuchas controlled by Yuan Yuan. No matter how powerful Yuan Yuan was, he couldn't possibly defeat Barragan, a Vastod, with an Adjuchas and save his life.

Hope is false; despair has once again taken hold of his heart. Ikkyu has already envisioned his future as a pile of ashes.

However, just as Ikkyu was about to fight to the death, a terrifying spiritual pressure swept across the entire battlefield. Its immense power even caused him to unconsciously retreat, while Barragan was also suppressed by this spiritual pressure and unable to move.

Ikkyu couldn't imagine what kind of being could possess such terrifying spiritual power.

"Hey, you four-headed gentleman, please come with me."

A lazy voice rang out, and a middle-aged man dressed in leather, with a long, jade-green sword at his waist, suddenly appeared between Barragan and Ikkyu. Scratching his head, he seemed to suddenly remember something, revealing a smile as languid as his voice.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Koyatai Stark, a Hellman."

As he spoke, the middle-aged man shook the pale chain hanging on his arm, making a jingling sound.

The words "Hell Person" and the white chains confirmed to Ikkyu that the person in front of him was Yuan Yuan's subordinate, but this only shocked him more.

When did Yuan Yuan acquire someone capable of suppressing Vastod?

"Old man, can't you be quiet for a second?"

Seemingly helpless, Stark stretched out his right hand and slapped away the black mist that was reaching towards his face.

This action made Ikkyu's eyes widen in disbelief. Even Barragan, who was just a skeleton and couldn't see any expression, was clearly taken aback by the action.

Although he had only come into contact with a wisp of it, Ikkyu understood how terrifying this black energy was. Even with spiritual energy defense, this black energy could age and eliminate spiritual energy, and this aging process was extremely fast. The fact that such a small wisp of black energy could break through Ikkyu's protective spiritual energy defense before he could even react, directly damaging his body, showed just how fast this energy was.

However, Stark actually dispersed the black energy that seemed like a shockwave with a single palm strike, which greatly surprised Ikkyu.

However, the person who started this was completely oblivious to the fact that they were pushing everyone's eyes to their limits, and remained nonchalant.

"I hate pointless fighting, so could you please stop, sir?"

Although the Starks have proven their strength, the Hollows are not a race that would hesitate to act simply because they know their opponent is powerful. Their instinctive ferocity allows them to extend their claws and attack their enemies even when they know they are doomed.

As the Hull King Barragan, it was even less likely that he would let a sinner who had offended his dignity go unpunished simply because of a single word from Stark. Ikkyu killing the giant beetle in front of him without his consent was the greatest offense to his dignity.

"So, language wasn't created for mutual understanding, but for mutual harm?"

Stark lowered his hand from his hair, looked helplessly at Barragan, and sighed softly.

"In that case, we have no choice but to take action."

The moment he finished speaking, Stark pointed his right hand at Barragan, and from his fingertip, a barrage of Cero flashes—which usually take a long time to recover after a single use—pouring out like a torrential downpour.

"Cero Flash, unlimited."

Stark softly uttered the name of the move, then approached Ikkyu. Without even asking for his opinion, he opened a gap, threw Ikkyu inside, and then went in as well.

Barragan's men watched helplessly as Stark calmly left, but none of them dared to move an inch.

Even though Stark's control over his spiritual energy had greatly improved after the Arrancar, although he still couldn't completely control it, the amount leaking out had been greatly reduced. And that tiny bit of leaked spiritual energy was enough to suppress the Hollows, rendering them unable to move.

After the rift closed, the dust kicked up by Stark's Cero slowly settled. Barragan, the target of the attack, was unharmed. As mentioned at the beginning, Stark hated meaningless battles and meaningless killings.

Although Barragán's body was unharmed, his black imperial robes and the decaying golden crown on his head had vanished without a trace. Standing there was only a huge, naked skeleton.

Boundless rage brewed in his dark eye sockets. Barragan stood trembling, not because of the Cero bombardment that had just killed him, but because of the humiliation.

As the king of Hueco Mundo, to have survived only because of the mercy shown by his enemies was an unbearable disgrace for Barragan. Rather than endure such humiliation, he would rather choose death to uphold his dignity.

In fact, if Stark hadn't deliberately increased the spiritual pressure he was suppressing on Barragan, this stubborn king certainly wouldn't have silently waited for Stark to leave in the dust, but would have attacked Stark with a death wish.

"Well then, welcome to the third level of Hell and visit the Zero Special Research Institute. Lord Yuan Yuan is still conducting experiments, please wait here for a moment."

After saying that, the lazy middle-aged man decided to find a place to take a nap.

There was no way around it; right after he was awakened, he was so excited because he could control his spiritual pressure that he ran all over Hell, talking to different people for five days and five nights. Now that the novelty of being able to talk to others had worn off, his habit of sleeping in when he was alone had resurfaced.

After taking a few steps, as if suddenly remembering something, Stark stopped and looked at Ikkyu seriously.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention earlier. Because the Zero Special Research Institute is the main research institute, it has the most comprehensive defenses of all the research institutes. With the Zero Special Research Institute's defense capabilities, even if Vastod dared to wander around here, he definitely wouldn't survive. So don't act like an idiot and run around everywhere. Otherwise, there will be dead people everywhere, and it will be a lot of trouble to clean up."

"Yes, that's what Lord Yuan Yuan said, so you'd better take care of yourself."

His expression turned lazy again, and he let out a big yawn before staggering toward his room.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Fanaticism

Although the Zero Special Research Institute has numerous laboratories, even occupying the entire third level of Hell, most of these laboratories are allocated to outstanding researchers. Only a very few rooms bear Yuan Yuan's name.

Among these few rooms, a laboratory with a sign that reads "Trespassers will be killed" is undoubtedly the most special.

Before the laboratory door, whether it was the ten weapon-wielding figures with their swords drawn, the swarms of writhing insects crawling densely across the ceiling that gave off a strong sense of unease, the blood-red vines covered in sharp thorns growing in the walls that occasionally twisted and turned, or even West standing before the laboratory door with his cold and murderous expression, all of them clearly conveyed the same meaning as the four words on the sign on the door.

"Trespassers will be put to death."

Suddenly, the ground beneath West's feet trembled slightly, and a blood-red vine, with crystalline eyes as beautiful as emeralds that allowed it to see clearly even underground, emerged from its tip.

Her jewel-like eyes met West's gaze, the vines twisting and turning, emitting a high-pitched, thin female voice.

"Lord West, that Ikkyu has been standing there for three days now, and Lord Yuan Yuan's experiment is still not over. I was wondering if we should take him somewhere to rest? After all, he was already seriously injured when he came. What if Lord Yuan Yuan comes out after his experiment and finds that the person he specifically requested to be brought here has died from his injuries in this place with the best medical facilities in the world..."

Despite being a vine, it trembled in an extremely human-like way, as if it had thought of something extremely terrifying. The blood-red vine continued to emit human-like sounds in an unknown manner.

"Won't it be difficult to explain?"

After listening quietly to the vine's words, West's expression remained cold, but he reached out and gently stroked the vine as if petting a cute little animal.

"There's no need to worry so much. You've only been created by Father for a short time and don't know Father well enough, which is why you have such questions."

Since Father sent the newly recruited Stark to pick up Ikkyu, it proves that Father had already anticipated that Ikkyu would inevitably fight Barragan and be at a disadvantage.

In this situation, since Father only issued the order to "bring our King of Hueco Mundo," without specifying "bring him and then treat him," the meaning is quite clear: "Bring him and then leave him hanging."

The vine swayed gently, its voice carrying a hint of admiration.

"Lord West, you know Lord Yuan Yuan so well, you're amazing."

West smiled, about to say, "Does understanding Father's meaning mean you're good?", when he suddenly remembered the question buried deep in his heart, "Does Father really need subordinates who are willing to sacrifice their sexual abilities?", and the smile on his face turned bitter.

Do I really understand my father?

Before West, or rather, "the dog," could continue agonizing, the expression on his face turned into an extremely mocking one, and "the snake" spoke.

"Enough, you dog! I really can't help but want to kill you. You've doubted Father's words again. Father said we are his children and don't need to sacrifice our abilities, so we don't need to. If you dare to doubt again, I'll kill you."

Then, West's hand, which had been gently stroking the vines, suddenly clenched under the snake's will.

The vines, strong enough to withstand the tearing and biting of ordinary Adjuchas without breaking, were easily snapped in two by West, spraying out a blood-smelling red liquid.

"And you, little guy, get back to your seat and focus on defense. Don't think you can slack off in front of me just because you have two-headed dog blood."

The vines emitted a sharp, pained sound, curling up their fallen eyes and retreating back underground.

For a moment, the area in front of the laboratory was once again filled with an eerie silence. The only sound in the corridor leading to the laboratory was the occasional rustling of the twisted insects on the ceiling moving their limbs.

With his body taken over by the snake, West regained his cold and murderous demeanor. No one knew what the now silent dog was thinking.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yuan, who was conducting the experiment, was unaware that one of the children he trusted most had begun to feel confused and question the meaning of his own existence.

After three days of arduous preparations, he was about to begin the experiment, his face now brimming with a long-lost fervor.

Since leaving the previous world and arriving in this world abundant with soul power, Yuan Yuan has conducted extensive research on the soul in order to complete his own soul and gain full control over the massive body that slumbers outside this world. However, apart from the experiments on [Research-based Ghoul Creation] and [Development of Human Superpowered Individuals], none of the other experiments have allowed him to recapture the excitement he felt when he first modified Karim.

Although Yuan Yuan knew that these studies, which failed to arouse his interest, were essential, and he did not slack off in these areas, the prolonged uninteresting experiments still prevented him from developing a strong interest in research.

Until he successfully developed [Arrogance], the inspiration sparked by the characteristics of this special spiritual power allowed Yuan Yuan to once again truly feel the research desire that came from [Pleasure].

Now, what he needs to do is bring the pleasure to its peak.

On the large lab bench were numerous bottles, jars, and various instruments. Just looking at them was dazzling; one could only imagine how complex it would be to conduct experiments using all of these things.

In fact, Yuan Yuan had been working tirelessly for the past three days, using these tools to complete the complex and highly precise preparatory work.