The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

Secretly raising his guard, Gu Shi grinned, swallowed the Cero again, and tilted his head back to unleash a vast shower of golden light.

"It's pointless. Your attacks can't keep up with my speed. In that case, why not just listen to me quietly..."

The starfish moved effortlessly through the rain of light, without a single leaf touching it, while still chattering incessantly to persuade Gu Shi.

Suddenly, the rain of light about to fall from the sky abruptly changed direction, with some shooting straight towards Da Haixing and others blocking the direction he could possibly dodge.

My movements were read? How is that possible?

The moment the thought crossed the sea star's mind, a torrent of light rain struck his body, transforming into numerous golden ropes that bound him tightly.

First, the spiderweb, mimicking No. 12 "Hidden Fire," was modulated to enhance the dynamic capture of objects within it. Next, the light rain, mimicking No. 4 "This Rope," was modulated for initial binding. And then…

Numerous golden light cones shot out from Gu Shi's mouth, precisely pinning each of the starfish's tentacles firmly into the ground.

Number Thirty Binding Spell: "Three flashes of the mouth."

Compared to the Hollows with their limited methods, the Shinigami, who possess a wide variety of Kido techniques with diverse effects, have a significant advantage.

With a silent sigh, Gu Shi instantly flashed to the side of the giant starfish. His scythe, still under the effect of the burn damage, swung rapidly, severing all eight tentacles of the giant starfish in the blink of an eye. Then, he cleaved the giant starfish in half from top to bottom thirteen times, cutting its body in half along the midline.

[...The battle is over? Wasn't that a bit too easy?]

Looking at the corpse at his feet, Gu Shi tilted his head in confusion.

However, the Adjuchas of the breeding faction may not have fought a bloody battle for hundreds of years, so it's not surprising that they are a bit weaker.

Just to be on the safe side, Gu Shi swung his knife again, smashing the mask, which had already been cut in half, to pieces.

Chapter 189 The Spirit King is undermining his own foundation?

"Erlang, come and eat!"

Having confirmed that the starfish wouldn't suddenly rise from the dead and give him a good beating, Gu Shi felt relieved and loudly called out to Erlang and the others who were watching from a distance.

Soon, Jiro and Ulquiorra arrived. Jiro's expression was slightly blank. He had never imagined that Cero could transform into various shapes. Gu Shi had never mentioned having such an ability before, which made his mind go blank for a moment, and he didn't react for a while.

Although Ulquiorra's expression remained unchanged, it was easy to see from the fluctuations in his eyes that he was not entirely at peace.

Seeing the two people's reactions, Gu Shi, unusually, felt a little boastful and introduced his "Virtual Flash Modulation" with a smile.

After listening to Gu Shi's explanation, Erlang still felt incredulous, but at least calmed down. However, Ulquiorra's emotional fluctuations seemed to be even more intense, and he took off his left eye with his backhand.

This eyeball records the entire process of Gu Shi using Cero to manipulate the battle. If you crush it, you can recreate the battle in the form of an image. After thinking for a moment, Ulquiorra swallowed the eyeball in one gulp.

The spiritual energy in the eyeball originally belonged to Ulquiorra, so it was easy for him to digest. However, after swallowing it, Ulquiorra tried to suppress his digestion speed, attempting to channel some of the spiritual energy into his body before the eyeball was digested into pure spiritual particles.

This process was not easy. Even though Ulquiorra deliberately delayed, his eyeball was completely digested in the blink of an eye. He was not disappointed. He took off his eyeball again, swallowed it, and repeated the process after digestion.

Gu Shi observed for a moment and confirmed that Ulquiorra's mental state was fine and that he was just experimenting with something, so he felt relieved and began to share the huge starfish with Jiro.

Ulquiorra has super regeneration; his eyeballs grow back as soon as he digs them out, so there's nothing to worry about.

Soon, Gu Shi and Erlang had devoured all eight tentacles of the giant starfish. At this moment, Nnoitra, who had been left far behind, finally caught up. Seeing the giant starfish that had been dealt with, he looked at Gu Shi with even more admiration.

However, at this moment, no one had time to pay attention to the little mantis. Everyone was busy with their own things. The little mantis did not feel slighted and obediently ran to Ulquiorra's side to begin practicing its spiritual power control.

Although it is hunting season, there is no need to rush the hunt.

"Erlang, how are you feeling?"

Gu Shi swallowed the last tentacle, closed his eyes, and savored the sensation for a moment before asking Erlang how he felt.

Erlang also knew that the focus of the first Adjuchas hunt was not on eating, but on feeling the changes in his body. He gently shook his head after hearing Gu Shi's question.

"I do feel that there is a reduction in some kind of restriction and repression that I had not noticed before, but the extent is very slight. If that is the fear of regression, the delay will probably only be a few days at most, less than half a month."

Gu Shi's experience was similar to Erlang's. He nodded slightly in agreement and then turned his gaze to the starfish mask that he had smashed.

Consuming an entire Adjuchas would only alleviate the fear of degeneration for less than a month. Given the number of Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo, this is undoubtedly unreasonable. The safe period that a single hunt can guarantee should be much longer.

So, is the answer really the mask?

Gu Shi picked up a fragment of the mask and put it in his mouth. His body trembled slightly. The oppressive feeling that symbolized the fear of regression subsided to a great extent. In terms of physical sensation, it lasted for at least three to five months. The effect was several times that of the tentacles he had just received.

Indeed, if simply devouring flesh and blood can avoid the fear of regression, then wouldn't it be possible to exploit a bug by having several Adjuchas gather together and periodically share each other's flesh and blood?

Even without the talent of super-fast regeneration, the Hollows' self-healing ability is strong enough. If they only lose some flesh and blood, they can easily recover by eating a little something, so there is no need to fight for it.

Therefore, the only thing that can delay the time limit of Adjuchas's degeneration is the mask.

The mask is crucial to Adjuchas; once it is damaged, it can no longer evolve. At this stage of Adjuchas, "evolution" not only means greater power but also the opportunity to completely escape the fear of regression, which can be considered a vital form of redemption.

Therefore, the Adjuchas might not mind sharing each other's flesh and blood, but they would never allow anyone to covet their masks.

This means that if the Adjuchas want to postpone the arrival of the degeneration deadline, they can only hunt each other, and there is absolutely no possibility of peaceful cooperation.

Gu Shi had anticipated this possibility and was not surprised. He divided the mask fragments on the ground, gave half to Erlang, and then frowned and pondered as he ate his half.

Long ago, Tianpeng had made an attempt to peel off the flesh and blood of the Great Void from the mask. The resulting pills were purer and of better quality. Therefore, he proposed the conjecture that "the mask is likely the most 'filthy and impure' part of the Great Void."

Furthermore, Gu Shi had long ago determined that long-term consumption of Tianpeng's pills (pure spiritual energy crystals) without directly ingesting the flesh and blood of the Great Void could indeed largely eliminate the various negative instincts of the Great Void.

Based on this, even if they occasionally eat some Hollow flesh, their instincts will not rebound. However, if they eat a Hollow mask, their Hollow instincts will show signs of rising within a period of time. Therefore, they have not eaten a Hollow mask for a long time.

Now, having become Adjuchas, in order to avoid regressing back to Kyrians and becoming mindless zombies, they must periodically consume the masks of other Hollows to actively activate and enhance their Hollow instincts.

Gu Shi couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Perhaps, before we evolve into Vastodes and no longer need to consume masks, Jiro and I should avoid going to the mortal world to avoid triggering our cannibalistic instincts.

but……

Judging from this phenomenon, if Adjuchas wants to evolve upwards, what it needs to accumulate may not only be the amount of spiritual power, but also this thing that only exists in the mask and can enhance the instincts of the Hollows.

The Void arises from the fall of souls, and its origins are diverse. Its predecessor can be human, bird or beast, or even fish and insects with naturally powerful souls.

The essence of the evolution of the virtual class may be to continuously eliminate these "original" characteristics from their predecessors and constantly strengthen the concept of "virtual" in the soul.

The mutual devouring during the Adjuchas phase is a way of plundering and accumulating this "empty" characteristic.

Perhaps, the Vastod, standing at the end of the void, although they still appear to be souls, in essence, their concept no longer contains "soul," but is purely "void."

So, perhaps the Arrancar, who break the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows, are giving Hollows a new concept of a soul?

...Thinking about it this way, it feels like the Arrancar are the product of a struggle between some great will and the concept of "Void".

It should be noted that a pure "Void" is capable of devouring the world, and the Soul King was very likely conceived by the world to deal with the first Void.

...So, this great will is the Spirit King?

He saw a future where the souls would not perish and the Hollows would not completely disappear. So, in order to avoid the extreme path of annihilating all souls, he abandoned the Quincy path of eliminating Hollows and instead went into hiding behind the scenes, supporting the Shinigami and secretly undermining the Hollows.

The Soul King's willingness to remain unrestrained in the face of his noble ancestors' betrayal stemmed from a desire to strengthen the Shinigami, waiting for some sufficiently curious individual to create the Hogyoku and establish the Arrancar. His plan was to then allow these powerful, no longer purely Hollow entities to rise to the top of Hueco Mundo, thus completely severing the possibility of the purest Hollows ever appearing.

If this speculation is true, then Stark, who is closest to the pure concept of "Hollow" in the Bleach storyline, and Ulquiorra, who has unlimited potential, is a natural Vasto Lorde, is pure by nature, and can release his second form after being an Arrancar, their inexplicable and autonomous Arrancar might also be the result of the Soul King's intervention.

Especially Ulquiorra's transformation process, where he saw a white bush, walked in, and automatically transformed, was really inexplicable. If someone had helped him from behind, it would seem to make a lot more sense.

...Tsk, it makes sense, but without evidence, it's just speculation.

However, since I have this idea, I must wait until I evolve before breaking through to the other side.

After all, the stronger the concept of "hollow" within the body when the masked person is awakened, the stronger the concept of "soul" cast by the Soul King will definitely be. The opportunity to fleece the Soul King cannot be missed.

Chapter 190 Senior, You Don't Have to Be "Alone"

"Senior is truly a genius; the Zanpakuto's abilities are so useful."

With a sour fruit dangling from his mouth, Urahara Kisuke praised someone in a sarcastic tone, which earned him a raised eyebrow from the sarcastic Aizen, who casually tossed the uneaten fruit in his hand onto Urahara Kisuke's head.

"Kisuke, it's not a good habit to make fun of your senior. I'll get angry."

He said he would get angry, but as soon as he said it, Aizen couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, let's have a quick quiz, Kisuke. Tell me about the Zanpakuto of each type and the personality traits of their wielders. If you get them all right, I won't hold your previous comments against you."

Kisuke Urahara rubbed his head, glanced at the dozen or so Hollows digging below, and, happy to play a quiz game with Aizen to pass the time, sat up a little straighter and said with a smile.

"Let me make it clear beforehand that I absolutely did not mean to be sarcastic towards you, senior. I was just sincerely praising you. Your misunderstanding has really hurt me. Wait, stop smashing things, stop smashing things. I'm about to start answering the questions."

"Ahem, first of all, there are enhancement-type Zanpakuto. Whether it's enhancing physical functions or enhancing mental perception, in short, the wielders of these Zanpakuto that directly affect combat are mostly straightforward and warlike."

After finishing discussing the Enhancement Technique, Kisuke Urahara paused, waiting for Aizen-sensei to "grade the paper." Aizen nodded in agreement and offered his comments.

"Simple-minded."

Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but roll his eyes, slap his forehead, and let out a wail.

"Damn it, senior, do you have to be so sharp-tongued? Where did that gentle and kind senior go? Give him back to me right now!"

Since returning from his "world tour," Aizen has become more and more blunt and sarcastic every day. To be honest, Urahara Kisuke doesn't dislike Aizen like this, but the problem is that every time Aizen "goes bad," everyone thinks it's his fault!

Before he took leave to leave, even Yoruichi's mother, the current captain of the Second Division, had heard about his "feat." During dinner, she teased him, saying that recently everyone in Seireitei was talking about a brat named Urahara Kisuke who had corrupted a super good student. She said that if anyone was going to send their child to the Shinigami Academy for the next six years, they should tell their child to stay away from that guy named Urahara Kisuke.

He was unjustly branded as a villain, becoming the public enemy of all parents and expectant parents. Even when passing by the gates of some noble houses, if there were children playing outside, the servants would quickly pull the children home to hide from him.

Don't be so exaggerated!

Urahara Kisuke's mind exploded, but Aizen's smile widened. He casually tossed out a No. 1 Devil Code, "Slam," which hit Urahara Kisuke on the forehead, reminding him to continue answering the question.

Kisuke Urahara rubbed his forehead, helplessly continuing to recite the personalities of the masters corresponding to each type of Zanpakuto. Every time he mentioned a type, Aizen would give a sharp and sarcastic comment with a smile, and Kisuke Urahara could only roll his eyes in protest.

"...Finally, there is the indirect weakening type. This type of Zanpakuto does not directly contact the opponent or cause direct damage. Instead, it interferes with and weakens the opponent through various special methods. The owners of this type of Zanpakuto are mostly calm and cautious, and they will not easily throw themselves into the battlefield without being fully prepared."

Aizen nodded slightly, offering another scathing critique.

“Weak and cowardly.”

"...Senior, you said it yourself, I absolutely didn't mean it that way."

Kisuke Urahara's expression was stiff, but Aizen's smile remained unchanged. He touched the Zanpakuto stuck to the side, and looked down at the Hollows struggling to dig in the mist below, his eyes seemingly revealing a kind of ambiguous irony.

"Kyoka Suigetsu, a Zanpakuto of the Flowing Water type, can create illusions through the reflection of mist and water, interfering with and controlling enemies, and inducing them to kill each other. A Zanpakuto is a reflection of the mind, and this ability means that I do not have the courage and determination to fight the enemy head-on. I only dare to hide in a safe place and observe the battle, which shows my cowardice and timidity."

Kisuke Urahara was silent for a moment, then took another bite of the sour fruit. His face contorted with embarrassment as he grinned and teased.

"Is that so? But if I were to interpret it, I would say that the ability of Kyoka Suigetsu symbolizes that you are arrogant and think that all your enemies are just pawns that you can play around with, and that they are not worthy of fighting you face to face. Interpreting the personality of the wielder through a Zanpakuto is just a far-fetched thing, like fortune telling. You don't need to take it too seriously, senpai."

After saying that, Kisuke Urahara paused for a moment, patted the Zanpakuto at his waist, and gave a bright, exaggerated smile.

"Is it possible that someone at school has been gossiping about your Zanpakuto, senior? Why don't you tell me their names so that I, a first-year student, can assess these 'brave and strong' seniors and see if they truly have the strength to live up to their courage?"

If you don't have the strength, just shut up. Even the most timid elephant can easily crush a brave and belligerent toad.