You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Even though I'm the one who benefits, why do I feel this guilty feeling, like I've cheated... Ah, is it because the other person is too naive, and it feels like I'm fooling a fool?

Or did they shamelessly plagiarize the ideas of a poet or cartoonist and then feel uneasy about it?

Those of you who can confidently recite poetry and show off after traveling to ancient times must have incredibly strong minds, right? I'm so envious!

Although Iori has done similar things as a plagiarist, his modified works are all unconventional masterpieces like "Young Woman XX" and "Young Man A-B", which are aimed at benefiting the public and are not the same as those who seek fame and fortune!

Well, absolutely not!

Speaking of which, he's watched quite a few CGs during this period... Roughly calculated, since returning from the other world, he has earned over forty art style points in the apocalypse.

In just one or two months, his art style points were more than he had accumulated in the past year, far exceeding Iori's current spiritual pressure level, giving him a long-lost feeling that "training can't keep up with one's level."

Iori's art style score is already approaching 200, and with the added bonuses from the Third Law and the Soul Contract, and considering the energy conversion based on the proportions of the Bleach world... if we were to quantify her spiritual pressure, its upper limit would be close to 3000!

Of course, he hasn't raised his actual spiritual pressure to that level yet, because rapid progress requires a considerable amount of time to develop his soul power and allow his body to adapt to that level of spiritual pressure.

However, this is still a very important threshold, because the spiritual pressure of the next Captain-Commander, Kyoraku Shunsui, is about the same level, and even slightly higher than that of Unohana Yachiru.

Logically speaking, Iori's overall combat strength far exceeds her spiritual pressure level, so this shouldn't be taken so seriously, but Shunsui is an exception...

Of all the Gotei 13, Iori fears Yamamoto the most, who can literally destroy the world, followed by Kyoraku Shunsui.

To put it bluntly, in his opinion, none of the other team captains combined pose as much of a threat as Chunshui!

Because this guy's Zanpakuto plays by the rules, his Shikai is already troublesome, and his Bankai is even more of a cheating domain type, which can treat everyone equally and drag everyone down to consume spiritual pressure. All other techniques like Zanpakuto, Kenpo, and Oni are meaningless; it's just a simple contest of spiritual pressure!

Iori does possess an "infinite" Third Law, but he hasn't actually witnessed Shunsui's Bankai and doesn't understand its mechanism. He doesn't know if it's a simple one-to-one mass cancellation or a conceptual continuous reduction... If that mechanism can affect the Third Law, then even if Iori wins, he'll have suffered a huge loss!

Now things are different. Iori's spiritual pressure is equal to or even surpasses Shunsui's. Even if they are enemies, Shunsui would not dare to use Bankai on Iori in her prime. Iori happens to be in her "prime" state at all times. As long as Shunsui does not want to commit meaningless suicide, he will not rashly oppose Iori.

First, he removed the concept monsters from the Soul King's Palace. Now, apart from Yamamoto, no one in Soul Society can pose a life threat to Iori, which gives him a great sense of security.

If he takes just one more step forward, he could reach Aizen's level in the original work... Shouldn't we consider using the "Hogyoku"?

However, the main material for that thing is fragments of the Spirit King, and Iori has always been reluctant to be associated with the Spirit King... If there were more worlds like "Shadow Reality," and Iori could run a dozen or so dungeons, she wouldn't be so conflicted now.

...He had only been in "Shadow Reality" for a short time, but his strength had improved by leaps and bounds, making Iori want to stay there forever.

But reason told him that this was unnecessary:

In "Kagemi's World," only Japan currently possesses the conditions for large-scale art style enhancement, and the biggest wave has already been harvested. Next, let Minoru Kageno cultivate his power, and he can come back periodically to "plant in spring and harvest in autumn," which will suffice.

The next large-scale harvest of art style values ​​will probably have to wait until the Demon Tide strikes again... who knows how long that will take, maybe several years.

Fortunately, Iori, as a Shinigami and a creation of the Third Law, possesses an infinite lifespan and is not in a hurry... Enjoying the beautiful scenery during her travels and adventures is also very important!

Let's go back to Bleach for a couple of days... Otherwise, if we accumulate some more art style points and go back, the sudden surge in spiritual pressure will scare people to death!

Others might not be able to see through Iori's disguise, but now that old man Yamamoto has taken him as his disciple, if one day Iori gets interested in sparring with his little disciple and Iori loses control and scares the old man, then that would be going too far.

...In particular, don't scare Ryujin Jakka, otherwise it won't be good for anyone.

As someone who respects the elderly and cares for the young, Iori doesn't intend to cause Yamamoto-sensei too much trouble until he has enough power to sweep through Soul Society.

Come to think of it, even though he had become Yamamoto's apprentice, he hadn't received any benefits from him...

Now that my art style is far superior to my actual spiritual pressure, it's time to train hard and maybe take advantage of the old man's resources!

Chapter 224: The Magnanimous Yuan Liuzhai (5K)

"It's rare for you to take the initiative to ask me questions."

In the dojo of the First Division barracks, Captain-Commander Yamamoto changed into his instructor's uniform of white shirt and black pants and sat cross-legged opposite Iori. A rare look of kindness appeared on his usually serious face.

"It's been a while since I last saw you, and your momentum has increased considerably. It's truly remarkable that you can still make such rapid progress after mastering Bankai."

"This is all thanks to Mr. Yamamoto—"

"Let's skip the formalities. We both understand what this master-disciple relationship means. Your current level of development has little to do with me."

Yamamoto stroked his beard: "Of course, now that I've taken you under my wing, I should take on the corresponding responsibility until your strength surpasses mine—if that day ever comes."

"I am truly terrified!"

Iori bowed slightly to show her respect, and when she looked up, her eyes were filled with utmost seriousness: "Teacher's realm is beyond my reach. Let alone surpassing it, just being able to see your back in this life would be enough for me."

"You're belittling yourself too much, Iori."

Upon hearing this, Yamamoto was not pleased but rather displeased. He opened his narrow, squinting eyes a crack, revealing a hidden glint that made everyone hold their breath involuntarily.

Do you really think I'd get carried away by such flattery?

"of course not."

"Whether as a pioneer or a teacher, I naturally hope that my students can surpass me. The title of 'the strongest death god in a thousand years' is a great honor, but it is also an inspiration to you."

This means that in the past thousand years, no Shinigami in Soul Society has been born who can surpass me... How tragic!

As someone who comes after you, you and everyone else should take this as your goal and work even harder in your practice!

"I understand, Captain-Commander... no, Mr. Yamamoto!"

"Hmm~"

Yamamoto nodded slightly in satisfaction, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to soften a bit.

Although he said that, he knew that his request was somewhat unreasonable:

In the power system of "Death God", talent plays a very important role. The strength of one's innate soul can determine many things, and most people will stop at their own "upper limit".

Combat, cultivation, spiritual technology... can help people raise their potential, but they are essentially still unfair.

To use the analogy of cultivating immortality, both involve taking pills, but for someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, one pill is equivalent to five pills for someone with a Heavenly Spiritual Root—a certain Han Paopao practically ate Foundation Establishment Pills like candy to break through.

The same applies to this world; geniuses like Aizen and Shiro can progress at an alarmingly fast pace when they train.

The starting line is closer to the finish line, and the acceleration is miles ahead of everyone else. How can you compete like that?

In other words, those like Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Urahara, who combine advanced technology and ruthless skills, can somewhat level the playing field.

As for Yamamoto, the strongest Grim Reaper, despite his advanced age, he is actually a standard genius. He has been making rapid progress since his debut, and although he has encountered setbacks, he has become stronger with each battle.

Talent, mindset, experience, and skills are all at their peak, which is what makes him such a powerful figure, second only to the "Transcendent." Even if an ordinary Grim Reaper trains like crazy, he would still be far inferior to him.

But he had very high expectations for Iori!

Eight hundred years after the war with Yhwach, the Shinigami Academy had been established for seven or eight hundred years. During this time, he had trained countless Shinigami, and it was not uncommon for him to have the idea of ​​finding a qualified successor among them.

Among them, Shunsui and Ukitake are his two proudest "works". Unfortunately, Ukitake has inherent shortcomings, and Shunsui has been unable to cross that transparent ceiling to reach his level.

Of course, generally speaking, Shunsui's strength is enough to keep things in check, so Yamamoto is not too worried about the leadership transition.

Over the years, Yamamoto only knows two people who truly have the potential to become the next "strongest in a thousand years".

First, there's the barbarian who severely injured Unohana Yachiru back then... Let's not even talk about him; Yamamoto must have been out of his mind to choose him as Captain-Commander.

The second one is Aizen Iori right in front of us!

The reason he is given such high praise is that his growth is so astonishing that there is no suitable reference in the entire history of Soul Society.

Of course, Iori is still young, especially compared to the long lifespan of a Shinigami. He has a long way to go. Will he continue to advance until he breaks through the ceiling and reaches Yamamoto's level, or will he stop slowly after achieving Bankai like Shunsui? No one can predict that.

All I can say is that, as things stand, Iori still holds a lot of potential.

Beyond his strength, this little guy also has a good reputation. Yamamoto has always believed that a person's performance on the battlefield is the most authentic reflection of himself, and all the comrades who fought alongside Iori have praised him highly.

Judging from her demonic arts skills and her usual words and actions, Iori's intelligence and emotional intelligence can also be guaranteed.

To be honest, Yamamoto sometimes couldn't help but wonder how such a "perfect" individual could exist in this world.

But with such a living person as Iori right there, he couldn't help but believe it.

Yamamoto's high regard for him was mainly due to the fact that his personality was not seriously flawed, which was very rare in Seireitei. After all, the stronger a person is, the more flaws they have—this was almost a consensus in Soul Society.

“However, there’s one thing the teacher said that I don’t agree with,” Iori said calmly to Yamamoto, causing the Captain-Commander to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"what is it then?"

“You said that my current state of being has little to do with you.”

Iori carefully considered her words before saying, "I don't think that statement is appropriate."

"Oh?" Yamamoto scrutinized Iori intently. "Tell me your reasons."

“I’m an orphan… well, although most people in Rukongai are ‘orphans’.”

Iori smiled, then composed herself and became more formal.

"My sister and I are both from the working class. We work in our mother-in-law's clothing store. We have to do everything we can to make ends meet. Logically speaking, we shouldn't have any access to spiritual cultivation methods, let alone becoming a Grim Reaper..."

It was the Shinigami Academy, founded by Captain-Commander, that accepted students from both Rukongai and Seireitei equally, giving people like my sister and me, who came from humble backgrounds, the opportunity to improve. I felt that was my starting line.

My current status and strength are not the result of a single effort, but rather the result of accumulating knowledge and experience step by step from the most basic things. And this so-called 'basic' is undoubtedly the educational policy you set for the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy, which is the training system for the Fist of Slaying and Ghost Walking.

It can be said that I have been training myself in accordance with the principles of 'Yuanliu' and have gradually come to where I am today.

There is an old Chinese saying: "Everything has a beginning, but few things have an end."

Many things start well, but it's difficult to stick with them and see them through to the end. That's why many things start strong but end weakly and are abandoned halfway through.

But for those of us from Rukongai, the 'end' is a luxury. Most of us don't even have the chance to 'begin' and spend our days in a daze.

What broke this silent despair was the educational mechanism you established.

Teacher, to me, 'Yuanliu' is my 'beginning'. How can I say that my growth to where I am today has nothing to do with you?

My greatest wish is to complete my martial arts journey from beginning to end, and today I am fortunate to continue my training under your tutelage… I am truly overjoyed!

After speaking, Iori paused, and without looking at Yamamoto's reaction, she lowered her head deeply.

"I was momentarily carried away; please forgive me."

“…Yeah, that’s alright.”

Yamamoto's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care about these words, but simply told Iori not to be so polite.

"Today I am here to instruct you on the methods of combat and cultivation. How can a strong person bow down to others so easily? Especially since you may be entrusted with the great responsibility of the captain in the future, you must always be mindful of your status."

Humility and gentleness are invaluable virtues, but you must find the right balance in these qualities. Don't let your teammates look down on you, understand?

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, teacher."

Ding!

[CG included]

Children of the Balrog

Type: Bond

Quality: Legend

Grade: C

Rewards Overview:

Physical Strength - Minor Improvement

Toughness with slight improvement

Spiritual Micro-Enhancement

Mobility: • Minor Improvement

Hit chance slightly increased

Avoidance & Slight Enhancement

(Note: Successfully establishing a bond with the "Flame Demon" will increase the CG level and grant more attribute points as the bond deepens.)

-

Hey!

This is a rare all-around attribute boost; it really fits the old man's character description!

Iori straightened up without changing her expression, looked at Yamamoto's old face—a face whose emotions were impossible to discern—and suddenly found it somewhat amusing:

This arrogant old man must be so happy he can't help but dance inside, and he's really putting on a good show!

However, it's understandable that many people focus on Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's Zanpakuto, his spiritual pressure, and his battle record, seeing him as a god of war and treating him as a top-tier tool like Gojo Satoru.

However, they overlooked the fact that his long life was divided into several different periods, and his personality also underwent significant changes.

In his youth and prime, he was indeed a ruthless sword demon who killed without hesitation. Even Unohana Yachiru was subdued by him and willingly submitted to his command... His mental state was probably no better than that of Kenpachi Zaraki.