Ichigo leaves and takes up residence in Soul Society!

Ichigo unconsciously uttered his catchphrase.

Seeing his utterly shocked expression, Aizen's mischievousness seemed to be satisfied, and his smile deepened.

"Let me state upfront that I am not joking."

“You’ve been with Shinomiya every day, and with his observation skills and intellect, he should have some understanding of your situation. In addition, the teachers at the Spirit Arts Academy are not incompetent, yet they haven’t offered any useful advice. Clearly… in their eyes, your situation is unsolvable.”

"Kurosaki-kun, your spiritual pressure is too strong, too strong to control, so when you use Kido, you can't control its power and it causes you to self-destruct."

"Of course, I have ways to avoid this situation, but that would present another problem."

"what is the problem?"

Ichigo hurriedly pressed for an answer.

"It's because it's too powerful, right?"

The Four Palaces Lord reacted extremely quickly and guessed the answer immediately.

"Yes."

Aizen adjusted his glasses, first confirming the Fourth Prince's assessment, then slowly explained:

"Even if I can successfully use Kido, the fact that my spiritual pressure is too strong and out of control has not been improved."

"Imagine the scene where you intend to use 'Hado I: Rush' to knock the sword out of the enemy's hand, but instead you shatter the sword, the arm, or even half of the body."

"..."

Ichigo seemed to have imagined that scene, and his somewhat unwilling expression became much more serious, showing that he was resistant to uncontrolled violence.

If such a tragic situation is inevitable, he would rather abandon the path of the demons and fight with only the sword in his hand.

"However, looking at it from another angle, 'returning to the path' seems like a good option as well."

Aizen suddenly changed the subject.

"Huh? 'Return'?"

Ichigo's brain almost couldn't process it.

Shinomiya-sama was able to easily follow Aizen's train of thought.

"What the teacher means is that since the destructive power of the Ghost Path is uncontrollable, we might as well focus on the 'Return Path'."

"The stronger the performance of a technique that focuses on healing, the better. Not only can you heal yourself in battle, but you can also save your teammates in an emergency. It can be considered as finding a suitable place for your powerful spiritual pressure that has nowhere to go."

"What Shinomiya-kun said is exactly what I wanted to express."

Aizen nodded happily.

"Although he abandoned Kido, he has Zanpakuto, sword techniques, and even hand-to-hand combat, which are sufficient. In addition, the 'Return Path' technique, which can be activated directly without incantations, provides healing, making it a unique combination of offense and defense."

"Even if your opponent is far stronger than you, it will still take a lot of effort to defeat you. It is a rather tricky battle mode."

That's not the case.

There is currently only one Shinigami in Soul Society who can heal himself while cutting down people like this.

The Four Palaces Master couldn't help but think to himself.

“I understand the principle, but as far as I know, ‘Returning to the Dao’ is not easy to learn…”

Ichigo hesitated.

The Academy of Spiritual Arts offers a course called "Return to the Path," but it is extremely difficult and, being a healing technique, is generally considered to be of no benefit in combat, thus becoming an unpopular elective.

“I understand your concerns, but they are unnecessary. You may not have noticed, but you are very talented in controlling spiritual energy.”

“Normally, your spiritual pressure would have been out of control to the point that it would have to be sealed away, but the fact that you can still stand here means that your power is still under your control. With sufficient training, you could make fuller use of your power.”

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be confident in helping you solve the problem, because in this situation, any experience and skills would be useless.”

Aizen's words gave Ichigo immense confidence.

"I understand! 'Return to the Source,' right? I will definitely master this technology!"

"Next, I will teach you some practical Kido techniques, along with the Kido Power Recovery Room to improve efficiency. Kurosaki-kun's problem will be solved soon."

"Next, you'll learn the basics of 'Return Path' through the Spirit Arts Academy. After you get the hang of it, I'll recommend you go help out at the Fourth Division's Comprehensive Medical Center to gain experience. As for Shinomiya-kun..."

Aizen looked at the seemingly insignificant Shinomiya-no-Tsukai with a kind smile and a sincere tone.

"As the best freshman in the history of the Spiritual Arts Academy, I don't think anything can stump you."

"But witnessing and helping the younger generation grow is also my mission as the captain of the Gotei 13 and a lecturer at the Spirit Arts Academy. So, whether it's Kido or anything else, you can ask me for advice anytime you're willing."

"really?"

The Four Palaces Lord was somewhat surprised. This attitude was far too kind. Did they want to recruit him into their ranks and have him join the great rebellion?

"Of course, I sincerely hope that you will go further and further down the path of death."

Aizen's cheerful remarks left Shinomiya Takagi somewhat puzzled.

But he didn't care about any of that.

Just like what I told Luntang back then, ideas aren't important, what's important is how to do them.

"Well... I look forward to your guidance from now on, teacher."

The four palaces lords bowed solemnly.

Upon seeing this, Ichigo, remembering that he had also received great care from the other party, quickly straightened his posture and bowed in respect.

……

In a blink of an eye, it was dark.

Aizen personally escorted the two out of the barracks, watching their young figures gradually disappear into the distance, before returning to his own room.

Outside the doorway, a slender, thin figure leaned against a pillar, placing himself in the shadows where the moonlight did not reach.

"Oh dear, I actually spent the whole day training with those two kids. Is Captain Aizen planning to find some colleagues for me and me? Although they are very smart kids, it seems like they won't be of much use for me anytime soon."

"Are you trying to say I'm wasting my time, Gin?"

"I didn't say that~ Captain Aizen has his reasons for doing this, but it feels a bit different from Captain Aizen's usual style, so I'm just a little curious."

The person in the shadows spread their hands, their seemingly frivolous tone devoid of any emotion, like a snake or fox, cold no matter how they moved, and cunning no matter how they looked.

"My style... it seems you're very observant, Gin."

Aizen's smile was playful.

"Understanding your boss's preferences is key to being a good subordinate!"

"Then you should put in more effort."

"..."

Gin Ichimaru was slightly taken aback.

"If you really know me well, then you should remember what I once said—that unplanned developments can also be described as gains that exceed expectations."

Aizen raised his head, his indifferent gaze fixed on the moon on the horizon. The moonlight was blocked by his thin glasses, but the dark clouds were just like the thoughts surging in his eyes.

"I feel a force of fate pulling me towards the dead Ichigo Kurosaki and the unexpectedly born boy whose potential is no less than his."

"But undeniably, this joke is far more interesting than this disappointing world, making one eager to do something about it. If you say I'm not like my usual self, then that's probably why."

"..."

Gin Ichimaru frowned. He couldn't understand Aizen's words. Even though he was a genius, he still couldn't comprehend Aizen's feelings at this moment.

This is also inevitable.

Those who abandon their companions and carry everything alone are destined to be unable to empathize with those who have been alone from the very beginning.

I cannot understand the surprise and delight the latter feels when encountering someone similar to themselves.

I can't understand the feeling of someone who, through their unintentional actions, gained a companion to walk alongside them, thus avoiding walking alone.

Chapter Ten: The Mushroom Girl's Inner World

Fifth Division, Demon Power Recovery Room.

The gleaming floor was like a mirror, reflecting the flesh and blood of the person sitting cross-legged on it.

The four noblemen held the calligraphy scroll in their hands, stared at the picturesque characters for a long time, and then closed their eyes.

The calligraphy copybook was written by his own hand.

Before each use of the Ghost Power Recovery Chamber, without any hesitation, I write down the first word based on my intuition.

Then, wholeheartedly sketch the things described in the words in your mind.

Do it with the determination to "make it a real thing".

There can be no wavering whatsoever.

Shiba Ganju once said that imagination is the fundamental key to the path of the demons.

Dohane Aura also proved through his actions that the manipulation of spirit particles and souls is the essence of the Kido.

Therefore, we can draw a conclusion.

The so-called "Death God's Way" is the process of using one's own will to control one's soul and spirit particles, thereby creating all sorts of incredible spiritual phenomena that resemble supernatural occurrences.

So where should the focus of spiritual practice be placed? The answer is already obvious.

The practice of the Four Palace Masters encompasses everything.

— Writing and gazing at words is an attempt to activate one's instincts and resonate with them.

Imagining words in your mind to form the things they represent is a comprehensive exercise of your brainpower.

— Prolonged visualization, ostensibly to improve one's concentration, is actually for self-control, thus making it easier to "drive one's soul (oneself)".

—Then, the mental energy expended in this process is a test of personal will.

Even the only thing not involved is "the use of spirit particles".

None were overlooked.

The environment of the Ghost Power Recovery Room is very magical. When you are inside, it feels as if an invisible power is seeping into your body from the air.

It not only alleviates the burden on the body caused by mental exhaustion, but also quickly restores mental energy during the tedious and boring ordeal, allowing the practice to continue for a long time.

It can also act like a chain reaction, affecting spiritual pressure and activating it on the body's surface, seemingly responding to the master's will at any time and manifesting things along with imagination.

It's almost exactly like the preliminary steps for activating the Ghost Path.

It just didn't come true because it lacked incantations, spiritual power, and a catalyst.

It's entirely conceivable.

Once the mind and body adapt, and remember the feeling.

When using the Demonic Path, it will become very smooth.

He had the air of an expert.

"The hope that even those who are not geniuses can become strong is the support that keeps the team members' emotions stable."

This statement shows that Aizen was not speaking carelessly.

The secret he imparted had such an effect.

It is worth mentioning that.

A simplified and improved version of this secret is also recorded in the sixth-generation textbook of the Spirit Arts Academy, and is regarded by Ise Nanao as the timeless truth of the way of the devil.

After all, without a ghost power recovery room, doing this kind of training is just harming oneself, and it's completely not worth it.

Because of a lack of instinct or talent in calligraphy, even the members of the Fifth Division basically use a simplified version of a lower grade.

……

The white sky appeared exceptionally murky, like mixed concrete.

The Four Palace Master blinked, his gaze shifting from the sky to the earth.

The ground was cracked and barren, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Countless umbrella-shaped... mushroom-shaped wonders, like trees and flowers, stand in a riotous array.

The Four Palaces Lord felt somewhat uneasy. If this were a painting, it would certainly be a rather eerie one. The painting only depicted mushrooms covering the mountains and fields, along with a murky white background, a monotonous yet unsettling scene.