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

Ukitake was taken aback when he saw him do this: Do we have to be this careful even within the Fourth Division?

"Do you think I'm being overly cautious? But what I'm about to say really can't be told to anyone outside, not even the captains... not everyone can know."

Chunshui's eyes were deep: "The Second Division found the stone tablet that Shitan mentioned in the destroyed ruins. It has now been sealed and is kept in the Shihōin treasury. No one can access it."

"What does the stone tablet say?"

Upon seeing this, Ukitake naturally knew that this matter was of utmost importance.

"That's something between mythology and records, talking about things related to the Spirit King and the ancestors of the five noble families... but the details are very vague and have nothing to do with us, so don't worry about it too much."

However, besides these records, it also describes a method of 'evolution'.

"evolution?"

Ukitake blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Masked and Arrancar, Hollowfication and Shinigami transformation."

Chunshui composed himself and said, "If we compare the opposition between the Grim Reaper and the Hollow to 'yin and yang,' then the fusion of the two can create all things in the universe!"

Simply put, once a Hollow evolves into a Vasto Lorde, it has reached its limit and can no longer progress. However, it is still not perfect and must break through its boundaries and merge with the power of a Shinigami to transcend the constraints of the mundane world and become a "Transcendent"—and the process of a Hollow becoming a Shinigami is called "Arrancar."

Ukitake remained silent for a long time. Although he subconsciously wanted to refute this unorthodox behavior, as a veteran captain, he vaguely felt that it actually conformed to some kind of unspoken rule.

"So, correspondingly... a Shinigami who merges with the power of a Hollow can also become a 'Transcendent'... The process of Hollowfication is called 'Visor'?"

"As expected of Ukitake, he's as clever as ever."

Chunshui smiled, then composed herself. "Now you know why we had to keep the news under wraps, right?"

"You did the right thing, Chunshui!"

Ukitake said with lingering fear, "If this kind of thing gets out, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause? Although nothing might happen, the Seireitei can't afford to take any more risks right now... cough!"

"Calm down, your health is the most important thing."

Chunshui quickly helped him lie down, and after sitting down again, her eyes flashed, and she continued, "I have already verified this statement with Captains Shifengyuan Baizhou and Kuchiki Ginryo. Although they themselves are not very clear about it, after consulting some ancient books, they found that this statement is not fictitious, but has a factual basis."

In the past, Hueco Mundo did have special individuals that spontaneously broke through to the surface, which happened before the formation of the Thirteen Divisions... However, none of them were as powerful as the one we encountered the day before yesterday, and we managed to eliminate it after paying a price.

As for the Hollowfication of the Grim Reaper... even the records of the five great noble families on this matter are vague, and it is speculated that it would shake many things, so it was deliberately erased.

However, the Tsunayo family has kept the relevant information all along, and even conducted research on it in secret..."

Is this information accurate?

Out of caution, Fuzhu asked one more question, "Could it be that the stone tablet was deliberately left by Shitan to mislead us?"

"It has been authenticated as an antique with a long history, but it is difficult to determine the specific era in which it was made."

Chunshui stroked his stubble. "Shi Tan might certainly be up to something, but since the stone tablet has already been sealed away, no one will be guided to study the etherealization."

"That's good... cough!"

Ukitake breathed a sigh of relief: "Now we only need to consider the Hueco Mundo expedition."

"yes,"

Chunshui nodded. "We can't let Shitan get away, otherwise the Soul Society will never have peace. However, it will take some time for the Thirteenth Division to recover. Hopefully, it's not too late."

"...So the one we encountered the other day was the so-called 'Rogue'?"

"They're too strong. If we give Shi Tan time to create a second and a third, then Soul Society will be in real danger. So even if it's difficult, we must set out as soon as possible!"

“I understand you. The teacher thinks so too. The old man is very angry right now. You don’t need to worry. It’s Shi Tan who should be worried.”

Shunsui comforted Ukitake with a few words, then said thoughtfully, "On another note, what we saw that day might not have been an Arrancar; it could have been a Visored, a Hollowfied Shinigami."

"Varied--"

Ukitake, lying on the hospital bed, opened his eyes wide: "Shunsui, what do you mean? What we saw was undoubtedly a Hollow!"

"On the surface, that's how it seems, but if we follow the inscription on the stone tablet, the ethereal Grim Reaper would also appear in that state."

As for the "Arrancar"... firstly, we haven't found a Hollowhole, though it's possible it's somewhere we can't see. But what's more troubling is his way of using weapons... it seems very familiar with fighting humanoid creatures.

"That's right... Almost all Hollows are in beast form. If they were born in Hueco Mundo, they certainly wouldn't have developed such combat skills."

"During the on-site investigation, it was a captain from the Second Division who found the stone tablet and pointed out that, according to previous research, Hollows evolve by becoming more and more similar to humans in appearance. If it is an 'Arrancar' that has fused with the power of a Shinigami, then theoretically it is already almost indistinguishable from a real human and would not have such obvious features as a mask covering the entire face."

"Is that why they're called 'the Broken Face'? That makes perfect sense."

Ukitake exclaimed in surprise, "The Second Division's commander has such insights?"

"A very interesting young man. Although he seems carefree, I think I might have to deal with him a lot in the future... Oh, he holds a high position in the Second Division, so he must be a retainer or confidant of Shihouin."

Chunshui thought for a moment and said, "His name is 'Urahara Kisuke,' and he wants to study the stone tablet further, but given his status, that's naturally impossible."

"What are the plans of the Tsunayo family?"

Fukutake then asked another question he was concerned about. Patients like him are really not suited to thinking too much. He hadn't said more than a few words before his face turned red, but he held back from having an attack.

Chunshui could tell that he was forcing himself, but knowing his friend's personality, he didn't give a perfunctory answer. Instead, he gave a concise and clear explanation.

"He categorically denied what Shi Tan said."

Although some traces were found at the shrine, there's no way to actually accuse them... especially given the current state of affairs.

"Ugh!"

Ukitake sighed and shook his head.

This incident was essentially a trap set by Tsuna, almost dragging half of the Thirteenth Division into it... but it will be difficult to settle accounts afterward.

It's not that they're afraid of Tsunayo's power. After all, this has involved very fundamental issues, and neither Captain-Commander Yamamoto nor the other major families would tolerate it. Even if Tsunayo is powerful, she can't fight against such a force.

What truly left Team Thirteen at a loss was... the deaths of most of the high-ranking members of the Tsunayo family!

As the saying goes, the dead can't testify, and now no one knows who the culprit is or who to hold accountable!

It's impossible to expel the Tsunayoshi family from the list. Putting aside their status as one of the five great noble families, even a fair judgment wouldn't warrant such a complete annihilation.

After all, it's true that Tsunayoshi enjoys scheming and plotting, and is willing to harm others for her own benefit, but to say that they intend to destroy the Seireitei and dominate the Soul Society is pure nonsense.

Therefore, Yamamoto and other high-ranking officials still believed that only Tokinada, not the entire Tsunayoshi, had truly betrayed Soul Society. However, they also demanded that Tsunayoshi hand over all related research, thus stripping him of his authority in this area.

However, the answer given by the Tsunayo family was "I don't know".

They had no idea what "phantomization" meant, nor did they know the contents of the stone tablet!

—That's not surprising, after all, he's taking the blame for someone else.

Interestingly, despite being completely bewildered, Tsunayo did not deny her crimes outright, but simply claimed that the data was lost, which was tantamount to admitting that her family had conducted related research.

The main reason is that all the evidence currently points to them...

Even Tsunayo himself felt that this was likely a bomb planted by their ancestors, which was eventually found by Tokito in their generation!

They even suspected that some of the elders knew about it all along and were even cooperating with Shitan. After all, there were many branches of the Gangya family, and it was hard to guarantee that some of them had bigger ambitions... Fortunately, everyone was dead, so they could just pretend that nothing had happened.

In short, the Tsunayo family took the blame, even feeling that it was originally theirs, and didn't question it much...

"Even if the specific person responsible cannot be found, it is inevitable that Tsunayoshi will suffer a major blow, and it will be a question whether he can maintain his status as one of the five great noble families from now on."

Chunshui pursed her lips: "And this time, many positions in Room 46 have been vacated... I feel like some people are about to get restless."

Ukitake nodded, looking much more relaxed. Now that he knew Tsunayoshi was under control, he felt relieved.

As for the power struggles within Room 46, he didn't care at all.

……

"That was a really great job!"

In the backyard of a small shop in Rukongai, Yuuki sat on the corridor, her white-socked feet resting on the warm bluestone, leisurely sipping tea.

"To be able to think so far ahead and make the whole plan go so smoothly as if it were a masterpiece, your wisdom is truly eye-opening."

"Oh, no, it's all thanks to my older sister's excellent teaching!"

Iori stood to the side, leaning against a pillar, and said, "I was just going with the flow."

"I don't remember teaching you anything like that."

Yuuki glanced at him: "Unlike you, I'm an upright person."

"Without me, it's uncertain whether you could still be 'upright'," Iori smiled slightly.

"If it were my older sister, she would definitely perform even better than me."

"Hmph~ That's true, but you really are excellent... Come here, let me pat your head as a reward~"

"I'm not a child anymore. Besides, who's really rewarding whom here?"

"Or a hug would be nice."

"Where's the kiss?"

Iori laughed and said, "Just kidding."

"..."

Yuuki's temple throbbed slightly, but seeing how happy Iori was, she couldn't help but smile too.

Indeed, I'm in a good mood. After all, this time, the two siblings have truly manipulated the entire Seireitei!

Captain-Commander Yamamoto possesses unparalleled fighting prowess, while Shunsui and Ukitake are both intelligent and courageous individuals. Like Yoruichi, Zaraki, and Hikifune, they are all heroes of their time, despite their flaws.

But isn't it something to be proud of? Isn't it something to be joyful about that this group of people can only follow the script designed by the siblings?

Yuuki and Iori were just like before, teasing and making fun of each other in a silly way...

"Ok?"

Holding a large bouquet of wildflowers, Yinmeng, who seemed to have just returned from an outing, skipped and hopped into the backyard, only to find the siblings sitting together, looking very close. Iori had his head resting on Yuki's lap, while Yuki was intently manipulating a slender wooden stick, cleaning Iori's ears.

"Alas!"

When Yinmeng saw this scene, she blinked. For some reason, she felt a little sad, but she quickly adjusted her mindset and even joked about it.

'What a cheesy pair of in-laws! And they're my parents! I'm doomed now!'

~~~~~

Chapter 325 Why was Tsunayoshi preserved...?

boom!

A granite boulder, twice the height of a person, shattered amidst a thunderous roar, leaving a gaping scar across the land like a rough blade as the wind swept across it...

Iori, who had assumed a fighting stance, slowly withdrew her fist, dissipating the residual spiritual pressure on it. She turned back and smiled slightly at the brown-skinned beauty: "Do you understand?"

"What the hell do you understand!"

The young lady of the Shihōin family gave him a strange look that seemed to say, "What are you talking about?"

Do you really think everyone is like you, able to learn it after just one viewing?

"I think the movements are slow enough..."

"It's not a matter of speed! The key is the conversion and control of demonic power!"

Yoruichi clenched her fist and lightly tapped her forehead, puzzled. "I still don't understand how you can extract the power of the Kido, convert it into lightning attribute, and still output it stably... Doesn't that mean you have to multitask?"

When I use Instant Heal, maintaining that state for a long time requires complete concentration. If I also have to consider attribute changes... tsk! What's wrong with your brain?

"Nothing special, it's just a matter of practice makes perfect. I also practiced for a long time before I could master it."

Iori shrugged and offered Yoruichi a few words of comfort, but made no attempt to reveal the secret of the "mark".

It wasn't that he was hoarding his knowledge and unwilling to share with others, but rather that this method wasn't suitable for Yoruichi.

He uses "imprints" to activate many skills, including Instantaneous Harassment, which is essentially a borrowing of the magic imprinting technique from Type-Moon, writing specific spells into his body's circuits.

It's like turning your physical body into a magic circle or scroll, allowing you to automatically perform complex spells with simple operations, thereby increasing efficiency.

But this thing isn't a tattoo, where you can just put the design on. To make it effective, you have to modify your magic circuits and completely transform them into the "shape" of the corresponding spell, which means you permanently occupy the space.

In online game terms, it means your skill bar is permanently locked to a specific spell, and you can't reset your skill points.

Iori is so indulgent because of his special physique. His soul materialized body means that his "skill bar" is almost infinite. Moreover, he can discard these fixed spiritual circuits at any time and create new ones whenever he wants.

Furthermore, he has quantum computers to help store data, so he doesn't have to worry about getting his thinking wrong and being unable to revert to the original technique.

In other words, he cheated; he could reset his skill points even with a save file.