Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

He reached for the communicator, pressed the answer button, and Liu Chuan's voice came through the communicator, briefly reporting everything that had just happened in Jiaogu.

The ambush at Tokinada by Tsuna, the existence of Usumi Hikoya, the unusual behavior of the Gates of Hell, all suggest signs of manipulation, as does his decision to stop Hell from taking Usumi Hikoya away.

Hyonshube Ichibei listened quietly to Yanagawa's report and remained silent for a moment.

His face, which always wore a mysterious smile, now showed an unusual seriousness, and he murmured:

"I never expected... even Hell has changed?"

Hyosube Ichibei's voice was deep and resonant, as if it had traveled through time from the distant past.

He said slowly, "Liu Chuan, your judgment is correct. Hell is indeed unfamiliar to most Grim Reapers."

Because in the minds of most Shinigami, Hell is merely a place used to imprison souls of grave sinners, and it has little to do with the daily operations of the Soul Society.

But in reality, the existence of hell is far more complex than you realize.

He paused, then lightly tapped the Ichimonji in his hand on the floor, producing a crisp sound, as if awakening some dormant memory, and slowly said:

"Hell does not belong to any of the three worlds: Soul Society, the Human World, or Hueco Mundo."

It is an independent entity, existing outside the Three Realms, yet intimately connected with them.

The souls of those who have died in the present world will be sent to the Soul Society, the home of souls.

However, the souls of those who were extremely wicked in life will be unable to enter the Soul Society and will instead fall into Hell, becoming vengeful people.

They are bound in chains, condemned to eternal atonement in prison, with no hope of release.

"The Soul Society and Hell have always maintained a tacit understanding of non-interference between the two sides."

The Grim Reaper does not interfere in the affairs of Hell, and Hell does not meddle in the operations of Soul Society, at least not on the surface.

These are the fundamental principles governing two parallel systems, and the crucial cornerstone for maintaining global balance.

He abruptly changed the subject, his voice taking on a meaningful tone:

"Of course, all of the above is just the official explanation, the version written in textbooks and told to ordinary Grim Reapers and the general public."

But in reality, the true meaning of hell's existence is not simply to imprison sinful souls; it serves a far more important purpose.

Liu Chuan's brow twitched slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his silver-gray eyes. He pondered for a moment, then slowly asked, "An even more important function?"

Hyosube Ichibei nodded slightly and said slowly:

"You guessed right. There is a reason why hell can exist. It is part of the underlying rules of this world."

You should know a term, right? Throughout history, there's been a term in the Soul Society called 'Spiritual Might'.

Yanagawa was naturally familiar with "spiritual power," as there was a detailed explanation of it in the courses at the Shinigami Academy.

Spiritual power is a unit used to measure spiritual pressure concentration. The spiritual power level of an ordinary squad member is around level 20, the level of a vice-captain is between level 5 and level 4, and level 3 and above is the level of a captain.

When he was studying at the Shinigami Academy, Yanagawa had taken a test of his spiritual power and had a clear understanding of his spiritual power level.

Hyonshube Ichibei continued:

"The body of a Shinigami is composed of spirit particles. After death, the body will eventually turn into spirit particles and return to the earth of Soul Society."

This is the final destination of all death gods, and an important link in the soul cycle system.

However, the concentration of spiritual power above level three is too high to be naturally returned.

Those powerful spirit particles cannot integrate into the land of Soul Society like ordinary spirit particles; instead, they float in the space of Soul Society, causing an imbalance in the concentration of spirit particles.

And what helps these powerful spiritual particles complete the return ritual is the 'Soul Burial Ritual'.

Yanagawa naturally had some knowledge of the Soul Burial Ritual.

According to the "textbook" of the Soul Society's Shinigami Academy, the Soul Burial Ritual is a ceremony to send off powerful deceased Shinigami as spirit particles and return their souls to the earth.

The actual procedure is as follows: a Shinigami of the vice-captain level or above goes to the human world to capture a living Hollow, brings the Hollow back to the grave of the fallen captain, and kills the Hollow in front of the grave. Only then is the ritual considered complete.

This procedure has been practiced in the Soul Society for countless years and is regarded as a way to show respect and bid farewell to powerful figures who have passed away.

Hyosube Ichibei nodded, his tone carrying a meaningful undertone, as if hinting at some hidden truth beneath the surface:

"That's right, but that's just the surface story, the version told to ordinary Grim Reapers and the general public."

In reality, Shinigami with spiritual power of level three or higher cannot return to the Soul Society under any circumstances. This is determined by the laws of spiritual particles and cannot be changed.

However, excessively strong spiritual particles cannot be allowed to float in the Soul Society indefinitely, as this would cause an imbalance in the concentration of spiritual particles and affect the stability of the entire Soul Society.

Therefore, the soul burial ritual has another function..."

He paused, his voice lowering and becoming solemn:

"During the ceremony, the deceased captain will be sent to hell."

Therefore, all the captains who died throughout history, those powerful death gods whose spiritual power reached level three or above, were actually sent to hell.

This is the true meaning of Hell's existence; it is not merely a place to imprison sinful souls, but also the final resting place for those spirits who are too powerful to return to Soul Society.

This news surprised Yanagawa a little; so that's how it is.

This is the true meaning of Hell's existence, and the cruelest truth hidden in Soul Society.

Those captains who dedicated their entire lives to the Soul Society, they gave their lives to the Soul Society.

They protected the order of Seireitei and defended the balance of the three realms; many of them even sacrificed themselves in the battle against Hollows.

However, after their deaths, their souls not only do not find peace, but are also sent to hell to suffer its torment and torture.

The so-called "soul burial ceremony," the ritual described in textbooks as "the return of the soul to the earth," was, from beginning to end, an elaborate deception.

It is not a ritual to send the dead to rest in peace, but a ritual to send them to hell.

No wonder they had to keep this information a secret, Yanagawa thought to himself. If the captains of the Shinigami knew about this, the entire Soul Society would probably be plunged into unprecedented turmoil and chaos.

If those captains who worked for Soul Society their whole lives knew that they would not only not find peace after death, but would also be sent to hell to suffer, who could bear that?

Chapter 259 The Monk's Decision

Hyosube Ichibei continued, his voice carrying a solemnity as if he were assigning an important task:

"However, according to your description, something seems to have changed in Hell."

After taking Tsunayoshi Tokinada away, the Gates of Hell actually attempted to forcibly take away the child named Usumihikoya. This behavior is inconsistent with Hell's usual operating logic.

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "This indicates that some unusual changes may have occurred inside Hell."

As the Zero Division, we naturally cannot stand idly by. If something unexpected happens in Hell, it will have a huge impact on the three realms.

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a final decision: "Liu Chuan, you will go to hell and investigate the truth of the matter."

Upon hearing this, a thoughtful glint flashed in Liu Chuan's eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke slowly, his tone tinged with caution and concern:

"As far as I know, hell seems to have its own will, or rather, it is an independent entity with a certain degree of self-awareness."

It's an independent space with its own rules and will. Would it be inappropriate for me to go there so abruptly?

He paused, then added, his tone carrying a hint of vivid metaphor:

"It's like coming to your neighbor's house without saying hello. Even if we mean well and want to help them solve their problems, the abrupt intrusion itself might cause resentment and wariness from the neighbor."

On the other end of the communicator came Ichibei Hyobu's loud laughter.

"Hahahaha—!" Hyōsukebe Ichibei's laughter echoed in the monk's hall, as if the concerns raised by Yanagawa were no problem at all in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Yanagawa! You're a member of our Zero Squad, and you even have the title of 'Strongest Shinigami'."

Your purpose in going to Hell is not to cause trouble, but to solve Hell's own problems.

I think the will of hell will not only not stop you, but will actually grant you some privileges. After all, even the will of hell wouldn't easily offend a powerful Shinigami from the Zero Division.

His laughter subsided slightly, and his tone became a little more serious, but it still carried that relaxed feeling as if he were discussing an ordinary matter:

"However, a thorough investigation is not something that can be done in a short time. Hell has a complex structure with many levels, and countless secrets are hidden within it."

You might spend a long time in hell and experience a unique kind of life there, like helping manage the wicked people in hell.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chuan's lips twitched slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helpless complaint:

"Isn't that just like the warden's life?"

Hyosube Ichibei laughed again:

"You're not wrong to call me that! Warden, it sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it? Anyway, I'm counting on you this time."

Even if the truth behind the anomalies in Hell is never uncovered, I believe that as long as you are in charge of Hell, you can ensure its stability.

With you there, I feel more at ease. After all, with your abilities, even if something unexpected happens in Hell, you're more than capable of handling it.

Hyonshube Ichibei continued:

"As for what you just mentioned about the aftermath of the Shinonomi Hikoya and the Tsunayo family, the Zero Division will get involved and handle all the follow-up matters personally. You don't need to worry about it."

He paused, his tone carrying a sense of trust and expectation for Liu Chuan: "In short, the matter of Hell is entrusted to you, that's all."

As soon as he finished speaking, a crisp hang-up tone came from the other end of the communicator.

Liu Chuan put down the communicator, slowly raised his head, and glanced at this special space that was formed by resentment and lost souls. It was now completely unrecognizable.

The ground was covered with deep craters and cracks left by the battle, and the air was filled with the lingering effects of spiritual energy and the atmosphere of scorching heat.

The hordes of souls controlled by Ryudoji Genryu had all been wiped out under the iron hooves of the death knights summoned by Yanagawa, leaving not a single one behind.

Meanwhile, Ryudoji Genryu himself was lying on a cracked patch of earth, his body covered in blood and his breath faint.

His eyes, once filled with ambition and calculation, were now filled with boundless despair and emptiness. His proud army of the Soul-Binding Warriors, and everything he had staked on the future of his family, had vanished before Liu Chuan's eyes.

The remaining members of Ryudoji Temple also lay sprawled on the ground, all unconscious and completely incapacitated.

Liu Chuan withdrew his gaze and turned to the purple-haired girl, Qian Shizuku, who was standing not far away.

Her long purple hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, and she still held the Zanpakuto named "Mirokumaru" in her hand, but her posture was much more relaxed and no longer as tense as before.

Liu Chuan asked in a calm tone with a hint of inquiry, "Ms. Akane Shizuku, what are your plans for the future?"

Akane Shizuku paused slightly, then slowly raised her head to look at Yanagawa. Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying a sense of relief as if she had just found the answer:

"Originally, I wanted to return to the present world and find my past memories, those fragmented pieces, those blurry faces, those past events that seemed to belong to me but were not entirely mine."

I want to know who I am, where I come from, and the meaning of my existence.