The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

"Yes."

Gu Shi nodded, agreeing with Erlang's answer, and continued.

"For Death, who is used to group operations, being attacked from behind means that his comrades behind him have fallen. At this time, immediately turning around to force back the enemy behind you may result in injury to yourself, but the fallen comrades may not be dead yet, and there is still a chance to save them if they are handed over to a comrade who is good at healing."

"More than two hundred years of combat experience is enough to turn some habits into instincts. When he was suddenly attacked from behind, Asido probably didn't even have time to think before his body instinctively turned around to save his comrade."

Jiro's gaze toward Asido had somehow acquired a hint of admiration and approval; he felt that this Grim Reaper wasn't so bad after all.

"In other words, for the past two hundred years, whenever his companions were in danger, Asido has always chosen to risk injury or even death to rescue them without hesitation, which is how he developed such an instinct, right? No wonder the True Lord said you are a righteous person."

Tianpeng understood Gu Shi's meaning and gently stretched out his big paw to lightly stroke Asido's hair.

"You value your comrades so much, Ashido, you're really something."

Asido was feeling melancholy because Gu Shi's words reminded him of his comrades who could no longer fight alongside him. Suddenly, Tianpeng patted his head encouragingly like a child, making Asido feel extremely embarrassed. He quickly used a swift step to dodge away.

Regardless of whether being patted on the head by a Hollow is more terrifying or shameful for a Shinigami, the age difference alone would be enough to make Asido incredibly embarrassed.

Unlike the Shinigami, who are generally long-lived, the Hollows, being at the bottom of the Hollow horde, usually don't live long. They are far too fragile. Attacks from their own kind, Shinigami's attacks, the aftermath of battles between Hollows, or even just the footsteps of a Hollow passing by can kill them. As a result, their elimination rate is extremely high. Those who survive will generally evolve into Gillian within ten to twenty years.

As for Tianpeng, she has obviously not been a Gillian for very long. She has probably been a Hollow for no more than thirty years, which is less than a fraction of Asido's age.

Being comforted by someone who is more than 200 years younger than you by patting your head is just as embarrassing as being pitied by a three-year-old child.

Tianpeng was somewhat disheartened by the rejection of her well-intentioned words of comfort. Gu Shi glanced at her with amusement but made no attempt to console her.

Just kidding, what if I went up to comfort him at a time like this and he developed a habit of patting his head? Gu Shi didn't want Tianpeng to pat his head in the future.

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Chapter Seventy-Nine: Rebirth from the Ashes

Ignoring the grievance in Tianpeng's big eyes, Gu Shi looked at Asido seriously.

“Ashido, the fighting habits you’ve developed over the past two hundred years are proof of your excellent character, but I must say that since you’ve made the choice to stay in Hueco Mundo, you must understand that you no longer have any Shinigami companions to fight alongside you. It would be better to correct these fighting habits as soon as possible.”

When the conversation turned to serious topics, Asido suppressed the embarrassment of being patted on the head by a "three-year-old" and nodded solemnly.

Asito had already realized his own habits and had been actively trying to change them recently. However, the habits formed over two hundred years were too stubborn, and changing them in a short period of time was undoubtedly as difficult as "giving up breathing".

Sometimes, even when you're mentally trying to control yourself, your body just jumps out of your mind and does the work.

Seeing Axido's predicament, Gu Shi thought for a moment and felt that this was a good opportunity, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Ashido, it seems your efforts to change your habits aren't going very smoothly. In that case, I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?"

If it were just a few days after deciding to stay in Hueco Mundo, Ashido would have refused without a second thought. How could a Shinigami listen to the advice of a Hollow? But now he was hesitant.

During the time they spent together, Gu Shi had fully demonstrated his goodwill, and although Asido was unwilling to admit it, he had to say that this Great Hollow truly understood him.

For example, there was the issue of his combat habit of "turning around." He had exposed this problem during previous team training sessions, and the vice-captain gave him a severe scolding, criticizing him for making such a simple mistake. At the time, he did not feel wronged, nor did he even defend himself.

In Asido's view, this was indeed his own problem. If he worked harder and trained his fighting instincts to be stronger, he could switch between the two fighting styles at will, and the problem would be solved.

But now, a Hollow who should be on the opposite side of the Grim Reaper understands him and agrees with him. Ashido originally thought that he didn't care about other people's praise and recognition, as long as he did his best. But why does his heart beat so fast when he is recognized?

Is it because one's beliefs have been shattered, resulting in a vulnerability in one's mind, that one needs the approval of others to validate oneself?

[…Forget it, we've already decided to abandon that "Death Gods are justice, Hollows are evil" rhetoric, haven't we? Continuing to be sentimental at a time like this would just be too unseemly.]

For the first time, Asido showed a slightly relieved smile in front of Gu Shi and bowed solemnly to Gu Shi.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Your Excellency Gu Shi."

"No need to be so polite, then I'll just get straight to the point."

Zhao Hun smiled even more with satisfaction, as if he had already seen his first friend, the Grim Reaper, and continued speaking in a cheerful mood.

"Actually, your biggest problem, Ashido, isn't those little habits, but that your entire combat system is no longer applicable. All your past combat skills were developed based on group combat, right? Although you're not incapable of fighting alone, without teammates to cooperate with, how much of your strength can you unleash?"

"So if you ask me, instead of racking your brains to correct those little habits that have become like instincts, you should completely overhaul your combat system and start from scratch to develop a set of combat skills that are more suitable for solo combat."

[...Completely overturn the original combat system?]

Asido admitted that Gu Shi's words made sense, but rebuilding the combat system was easier said than done. If the old system was overthrown and a new one was not established, wouldn't he be practically useless? His strength would probably be even less than it is now.

"If you don't break, you won't stand!"

As Ashdo hesitated, a loud, excited shout suddenly came from the side. He turned his head in surprise and saw that Jiro, who had always been somewhat hostile to him, had suddenly become excited for some reason, and his eyes were so passionate that they seemed to be spitting fire.

Before Ashido could figure out what was going on, he saw Jiro's eyes meet his, and his enthusiasm intensified. Jiro clenched his two big claws into fists and let out an excited roar.

"No destruction, no construction! No life, no death! This is so classic! Dissipating one's cultivation and starting anew! Rebirth in the flames! I never thought I would witness such a scene with my own eyes!"

...?

A question mark slowly appeared above Asido's head. He couldn't understand what Jiro was saying at all, but...

[No destruction, no construction; rebirth from the ashes, right?]

It must be said that upon hearing Jiro shout these words with such passion, Asido felt a surge of pride rising within him as well.

[That's right! If I valued my life, why would I stay in Hueco Mundo? Rather than being weak and struggling to survive even when hunting Hollows, I might as well fight to the death. Even if I fail, I'll just die!]

Suddenly, Asido seemed to return to two hundred years ago, to the time when he had just graduated and joined the Eleventh Division, his heart filled with an inextinguishable passion.

This passion, which had been gradually worn away by the frustration of stagnation after he became the ninth seat more than a hundred years ago and could no longer advance, has now returned to his heart.

"Alright! I'll do as you say! I'll rebuild my own combat system!"

With his fists clenched, Asido seemed to exude a youthful spirit that was uniquely his own, and his smile was confident and dashing.

"Mr. Gu Shi, could you please..."

Asido looked at Gu Shi, hoping to get help from this intelligent Hollow in the process of rebuilding his battle system. However, before he could finish speaking, Jiro next to him roared again, seemingly even more excited than him. His claws, as big as two people, excitedly slammed down on Asido's skull, or rather, his shoulder.

"That's right! That's the kind of spirit we need! Asido, you really are a good person. You can rest assured and start over after dispersing your cultivation. If you need any help during this period, just let me know. If I, Erlang, even frown, I will be unworthy of the name 'Erlang the Madman'!"

Asido quickly used Shunpo to escape the range of Jiro's giant claws, completely baffled as to what this Hollow was thinking and what this "Jiro Madman" was all about.

Despite being rejected by Asido's chivalrous "pat on the shoulder," Erlang's enthusiasm remained undiminished. He stared at Asido with excitement, as if he were seeing a "jianghu" (martial arts world) come to life.

The smile on Gu Shi's lips, hidden behind his mask, widened even further, showing his extreme satisfaction with how things were unfolding.

Since Asido has decided to rebuild the combat system, he will definitely start from the most basic parts. In this process, whether Jiro and Gu Shi participate in it under the guise of "helping" or "advising", they will definitely hear a lot of combat knowledge and skills that are only passed down among the Grim Reapers in their discussions with Asido.

This will greatly help Erlang and Gu Shi improve their combat skills and develop "martial arts".

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Chapter Eighty Battlefield

"We're here! This is it!"

The big rabbit's voice became shrill with excitement. Standing on Tianpeng's palm, it pointed to the ground not far away and shouted happily.

"Those really hard stones are buried over there!"

Following the direction the big rabbit pointed, what came into view was a horrifying blackness. Nearly two hundred Kylians were gathered in a towering stone forest, swaying and wandering aimlessly in circles.

"...Alright, around two hundred, not a large number. Let's get started and get it done as soon as possible."

Gu Shi paused for a moment, feeling a sense of unexpectedness yet also reason. In this godforsaken place, the Great Void Forest, finding a place that wasn't occupied by the Kylian tribe was probably harder than having someone with OCD personally spill a bowl of beans on the ground.

Gu Shi swung his neck left and right and strode towards the Kylian group. Erlang clicked his tongue indifferently and followed.

Tianpeng put the large rabbit in his hand down, told her to find a good place to hide, and then looked at Asido, who seemed to be planning to follow him. He quickly put his fingertips on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait a minute, Ashido. Hunting Hollows is different from hunting Lesser Hollows. Don't rush to make a move. Observe how we operate. It's not too late to make your move when you are confident."

Asido was someone who listened to advice. Although he had some doubts, he released his Zanpakuto upon hearing this and decided to observe quietly for a while.

Because of this slight delay, by the time Tianpeng hurriedly caught up, Gu Shi and Erlang had already begun their attack.

Gu Shi walked to the side of a Killian. The Killian, which had no self-awareness, instinctively judged through its spiritual senses that what was in front of it was its own kind, not food like Death. It didn't bother with Gu Shi at all and continued to sway on its own, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Without hesitation, Gu Shi raised his paw and covered the mouth of the Killian. Then, he swept the base of the creature with his foot and used the hand covering its mouth to exert force, easily knocking the 30-meter-tall behemoth to the ground.

Only then did the fallen Killian realize he had been attacked. Instinctively, he tried to open his mouth wide to fire a Cero in retaliation, but Gu Shi's hand remained firmly pressed against his mouth. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open his mouth or condense a Cero.

Many Hollows around looked over at the commotion caused by the Gillian falling to the ground. However, they were surrounded by their own kind, with no enemies or anyone attempting to attack them. They simply glanced at it and then turned away, continuing to wander around on their own.

At this moment, after several attempts, the fallen Killian finally realized that he could not fire a Cero. So he gave up this strongest attack method and raised his claws to try to fight back with brute force. However, just as he was about to make a move, Gu Shi's other hand clenched into a fist and slammed it hard on his head.

The immense force slammed Killian's head into the ground, but the seemingly powerful attack was ineffective. With the Hollow's defense, a blunt weapon like a fist, even if it hit the head, was unlikely to cause any significant damage.

Gu Shi ignored all of that, still covering his mouth with one hand and throwing punches repeatedly with the other. Finally, when he had smashed most of the Killian's head into the ground, a "crack" sound rang out, and the long nose on the ordinary Killian's iconic clown mask was broken off at the root.

Normally, the word "nose" is not used to describe anything too long or too big, unless it is used to describe elephants or tapirs. However, considering that the Kylian is 30 meters tall, its pointed nose, which still looks long on its head, is actually quite long.

Most Killian bream have noses that are over four meters long, but the Killian that Gu Shi specially selected has a nose that is even more prominent than its kind, measuring over five meters long.

Having successfully knocked the nose off, Gu Shi grabbed the sharp, long nose and held it in his hand like a dagger, then stabbed it into the hole in the eye area of ​​the Killian mask.

There's not much to say about what happened next. Having obtained the weapon, Gu Shi easily dealt with the Killian and got up to find his next target.

Asito watched from the side, vaguely grasping the difference between "hunting down Hollows" and "hunting down Hollows" that Tianpeng had mentioned.

The Great Hollows have significantly improved their vitality and defense compared to the Lesser Hollows. Unless one has an overwhelming advantage, even if one completely suppresses the opponent like Gu Shi, it is difficult to kill them with a single blow.

If the attacker fails to kill the Hollow in one strike, the Hollow will not hesitate to use Cero. The power of Cero will definitely affect the surrounding Hollows, and those Hollows will also choose to unleash Cero. At that time, the entire Gillian Group will probably be detonated.

The thought of nearly two hundred Hollows simultaneously unleashing Cero is enough to send chills down one's spine. Therefore, Gu Shi kept his prey's mouth tightly covered the entire time, preventing it from having a chance to condense Cero.

After summarizing what he had seen, Asido realized with some frustration that he probably couldn't help in this battle. Without the size and brute force of Gu Shi and the others, he couldn't cover the prey's mouth, and naturally, he couldn't stop the opponent from firing Cero. A rash attack would probably directly detonate the entire Hollow swarm.

This strengthened Asido's resolve to rebuild the combat system and improve his own combat capabilities, and he looked towards Jiro again.

Jiro was clearly eager to try out the "martial arts" he had recently developed. He was practicing his punches and palm strikes on a Killian, and whenever the opponent tried to condense a Cero, he would quickly strike the opponent's mouth to shatter the uncluttered Cero, and then continue testing his moves on the opponent.

It seemed that Erlang wouldn't be able to kill his prey anytime soon, and his moves were so simple and crude that they were unbearable to watch. Ashido shook his head and turned to look at Tianpeng's battlefield. Unlike Gu Shi and Erlang's fighting style, which considered moves and techniques, Tianpeng's battlefield was clearly more in line with Ashido's impression of Xu.

Tianpeng bit down directly on the neck of a Killian. Although she couldn't break the prey's neck due to the thick skin of the Hollows, the terrifying bite force still squeezed the Killian's neck into a thin sheet.

Of course, Tianpeng's prey did not die easily. Its powerful vitality allowed it to still have the strength to fight back. However, with its neck tightly bitten, the prey could hardly do anything, whether it condensed a Cero, tore or bit, or to stab with its long nose. The only way it could fight back was to scratch with its claws.

However, Tianpeng was also a genuine Great Void, possessing the basic qualities of being thick-skinned and tough, so much so that even the claws of his prey could not tear through his black robe.

Finally, Tianpeng persevered, biting hard several more times, and finally managed to remove the prey's head.

Asito stared in disbelief at the battlefield where Tianpeng displayed extreme violence, unable to understand why the seemingly gentlest Hollow would fight in the most savage and ferocious manner.