Death: Starting as the Guardian of Avici Hell

It's worth mentioning that although the Shiba family is currently in a slightly worse state than Shihouin and Kuchiki, they are still more than a hundred times stronger than Tsuna and Yayo.

Therefore, they still retain the title of nobles, and from time to time, minor nobles will visit them.

Life was significantly better than it was before the downfall of the Tsunayo family.

Greeting Naraku Sora and his companions was a middle-aged man named Shiba Mokuya, accompanied by a young boy who looked quite young but had a very composed expression.

She seems to be a little younger than Naraku, not yet old enough to go to school.

Considering that the Shinigami cannot judge age by appearance, Naraku has reason to suspect that this is a hidden old man from the Shiba family.

He might be older than Yamamoto, but he just looks young.

"Lord Shutara, the prison warden of Naraku, Captain Ukitake, and this gentleman..."

Shiba Moku was taken aback when he saw that there was one more person than mentioned in the intelligence report.

"He is Aizen's third seat in the Fifth Division. He has received permission from Lord Hyosube Ichibei to travel with us to the Soul King Palace."

The kind-hearted Jushiro Ukitake introduced it with a smile.

He had dealt with Shiba Mokuka many times, so the two were quite familiar with each other and it was easier for them to communicate.

Shiba Mokuya suddenly realized:

"Haha, I see. Aizen is really lucky to be the third seat."

"Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce him. This kid is called Shiba Isshin. He is the successor of the branch family in this generation. Because of his good spiritual talent, we are going to let him attend the ceremony."

"To prepare for learning the family's secret techniques later."

Upon hearing this, Naraku Sora looked surprised and stared at the boy who was half a head shorter than him.

This calm and collected kid, who's almost as composed as Aizen, is actually Ichigo Kurosaki's father?

It was completely different from the image he remembered.

What exactly triggered this guy to become so cynical and irreverent?

Noticing Naraku Sora's surprise, Aizen lowered his gaze slightly, a hint of curiosity creeping into his eyes as he looked at Shiba Isshin.

What's so special about this young man that has garnered such attention from a certain company?

Unlike other noble families, the Shiba family, one of the five great noble families, is dwindling in number, with even the branch family reduced to just a handful of members.

Therefore, Shiba Mokuya is very concerned about Shiba Isshin, who comes from a branch family.

Even secret techniques that only members of the main family can learn are not spared in the slightest.

Judging from the level of importance he attaches to it, it seems that he is wholeheartedly cultivating Shiba towards becoming the head of the family.

Led by Shiba Mokuya, the group arrived at the inner courtyard.

What comes into view is a towering, pitch-black cannon barrel, exuding a heavy sense of majesty.

Naraku Sora looked surprised.

This was the first time he had ever seen such an extravagant object.

Although I have a similar memory, it is completely different from what I saw in reality.

Aizen paused for a moment, considering the character's personality, and decided it was inappropriate to maintain his calm demeanor.

All I could do was mimic Naraku Sora and show a surprised expression.

Even now, he still doesn't know how to get to the Spirit King's Palace.

However, upon seeing the cannon barrel, I already had a bad feeling.

Hopefully, it's not what he thinks.

"This is the Flower Crane Cannon, a magical device specifically designed to launch the Heavenly Pillar Chariot."

Shiba Mokuya explained, "The Heavenly Pillar Carriage is the means of transportation you will be using. It can break through the barrier and go directly to the Spirit King's Palace."

Aizen: "..."

Is it too late for him to withdraw now?

The person who created this mode of transportation—sitting inside a cannon and being launched out—must be on par with Naraku Sora in terms of intellect, right?

Soon, under the control of Shiba Mokuya, the Heavenly Pillar Chariot rose from the ground, and as the hatch opened, everyone filed in.

The interior space is still quite spacious.

Naraku Sora looked around at the surroundings. Although it was dark, it wasn't crowded at all.

Shutara Senjumaru stood quietly beside him, her slender hands resting on his strong shoulders.

"Ichishin, watch carefully and learn well."

On the cannon platform, Shiba Mokuya solemnly gave instructions, then began to form hand seals. A surge of spiritual pressure poured into the ground beneath his feet, causing intricate patterns to appear on the Flower Crane Cannon.

Zhibo watched his uncle's every move with a serious expression, memorizing it all.

boom--

Amidst a deafening roar, the Heavenly Pillar Chariot burst from the cannon barrel and headed towards the sky!

In the courtyard of the First Squadron barracks.

Yamamoto stood under the eaves, looking up at the pillar trailing a tail of flames, a hint of solemnity flashing in his slightly closed eyes.

I hope everything goes well on this trip...

Chapter 187 The Visitors Are Not Friendly

The launch process was not smooth; in fact, the experience was extremely poor.

The moment the Heavenly Pillar ascended to the heavens, Naraku felt as if he had been thrown into a washing machine. The surrounding environment spun wildly, and he had to rely on his spiritual pressure to stabilize his body.

"To be honest, it's a bit different from what I expected."

Jushiro Ukitake's face was somewhat pale. He didn't understand why the Soul King would suddenly summon him and Naraku, but he had a vague guess that it might be related to Lord Mimihagi inside his body.

Hopefully, this won't implicate my junior brother.

"No wonder the big shots of the Zero Division rarely come down to Soul Society. Such a bizarre way of traveling. If it were me, I would rather stay at home."

Naraku shook his head, looking disappointed.

Although I had some understanding before entering the Tianzhu Carriage, I realized how far off my previous memory was when I actually experienced it.

The Heavenly Pillar Chariot was flying very fast. After sensing a slight obstruction from the outside world, it indicated that it had entered the barrier area of ​​the seventy-second layer.

Aizen lowered his gaze slightly, responding in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

However, Jushiro Ukitake, with his kind and gentle nature, softly comforted him:

"Aizen, don't be nervous. The seniors of the Zero Division are quite easy to get along with."

Aizen raised his eyes, looked at the benevolent-looking Jushiro Ukitake, forced a very weak smile, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

To outsiders, it's understandable that Aizen, having finally managed to get close to Naraku and board the direct route to the Soul King's Palace, would be nervous.

After all, he was only a third-place seat.

But in Naraku's view, this guy was clearly calculating the distance between the seventy-two layers of barriers, trying to measure the exact location of the Spirit King Palace through mental calculation.

One day, perhaps he will be preparing to re-enter the Spirit King's Palace under a different identity.

At that time, we will truly be standing on the top of the sky.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.

If Aizen were to embark on that forbidden path once again, what choice would he make?

betray?

I'm a little reluctant to let him go. Whether it's Yamamoto, Senjumaru, or Unohana Retsu, they've all been very good to him.

So, should one choose to stand against Aizen?

I don't know why, but just thinking about that scene always makes me feel a little scared.

Others may not know, but Aizen knows him all too well.

However, the current Aizen is somewhat different from the one in his original memories, so it's hard to say whether he can return to the original path.

Senjumaru narrowed his eyes, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping over the group.

She had a strong feeling that this trip to the Spirit King's Palace might be even more interesting than she had originally anticipated.

Just as everyone was pondering their own matters, a heavy rumble came from outside, and the Heavenly Pillar Chariot suddenly landed, exploding out a circle of air waves.

As the door opens, the first thing that catches the eye is the bright, warm sunlight and the clear, jewel-like blue sky.

The enormous cylindrical building stands atop the sky, like the center of the world; even just looking at it gives one a sense of heaviness that is hard to describe.

The residence of King Ling, the Great Inner Palace.

Below them were three giant circular buildings, each the size of a city, from which faint spiritual pressure fluctuations could be sensed.

Aside from the members of the Zero Division, the Soul King Palace is not lacking in other souls.

At the bottom, there is an endless expanse of ground, with houses scattered throughout, which, in terms of style, seem to be no different from Seireitei.

From a distance, one can even see residents coming and going on the street.

It was completely different from the deserted scene I remembered; it was still quite popular.

"By the way, were those people also selected from Soul Society?"

Naraku Sora pointed to the street at the end of the approach to the Spirit King Palace and asked with some curiosity.

Senjumaru looked in that direction, shook his head, and was just about to explain when a flippant voice came from afar:

“The Spirit King’s Palace is a supreme place. How could ordinary souls enter our dwelling place at will?”

"The inhabitants below have existed since the birth of the Spirit King Palace, continuing generation after generation to this day, just like us, whose duty is to protect the Spirit King."

"Kid, there's something off about your smell."

Upon hearing the sudden sound, everyone instinctively turned to look.

A golden streak of light flashed across the horizon and arrived before them in the blink of an eye.