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

A richer, warmer, and more humid scent wafted over me.

"We've arrived, come in." Kirinji Tenjiro stepped in first, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

Liuchuan followed him in.

Several pools of varying sizes and shapes are scattered throughout the hall, with water of different colors. Some are crystal clear, shimmering with a faint milky white light; others are a deep crimson, steaming with heat, like magma.

Stone pillows, wooden spoons, and some other tools that Liuchuan didn't recognize, seemingly used for scraping, acupuncture, or massage, were casually placed on the platform around the pool.

The steam permeating the air, upon closer inspection, is not ordinary water vapor, but a highly concentrated spiritual mist with healing and nourishing effects.

This is the heart of the Kirin-den – the "White Bone Hell" hot spring, or rather, Kirin-ji Tenjiro's "healing workshop".

"Stop standing there staring, take off your clothes and get down."

Kirinji Tenjiro casually walked to the edge of a white hot spring pool.

As he spoke, he deftly began to untie the sash of his loose yukata, revealing his strong, muscular upper body covered in tiny scars yet exuding power, before stepping into the white pool without a care in the world.

With only his head sticking out, he comfortably leaned against a warm, black stone by the pool, closed his eyes, and seemed to be there for a bath.

Liu Chuan paused for a moment, then slowly immersed himself in the hot spring.

The moment the warm pool water enveloped his entire body, Liu Chuan felt countless extremely pure, gentle yet penetrating streams of spiritual particles, like countless tiny needles, gently piercing into every pore of his skin, drilling deep into his body along his spiritual meridians.

Wherever it goes, it brings a refreshing feeling.

At the same time, the pool water seemed to contain some kind of strange power, making him feel as if his soul was being cleansed by the warm water, becoming exceptionally clear.

"How are you feeling? If you can hold on, soak a little longer. If you feel something's wrong, yell for help. Don't try to push yourself until you pass out, or I'll have to get you out of there."

Kirinji Tenjiro closed his eyes and spoke lazily, but Yanagawa could feel that the other's sharp spiritual sense was like the most precise scanner, firmly locking onto every change in his body.

Chapter 34 Retsu Unohana's Past

The warm pool water continuously seeped into and washed over Liuchuan's body.

The waves of tingling, numbness, and swelling gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of ease and clarity that emanated from the depths of my bones.

He could clearly sense that some hidden injuries and fatigue within his body, which he himself had not even been aware of, were being forced out little by little by this warm yet domineering flow of water.

The flow of spiritual energy seemed to have accelerated slightly, and its trajectory was more smooth and natural.

"Can you feel it now? The wonder of this 'Hell of Bones'?"

Kirinji Tenjiro remained leaning against the pond with his eyes closed, but his languid voice carried clearly, as if he were lecturing Yanagawa.

"This pool of water looks gentle, but it is actually domineering. It can squeeze out all the things that should not be in your spirit and blood—accumulated injuries and impurities."

He paused, seemingly sensing the flow of the pool water, and continued:

"The principle is very simple: the rules of the pool water itself create a special 'reverse' with the spiritual pressure and blood in your body."

The pool water gently nourishes healthy, active spiritual pressure and blood.

The stagnant, inert parts, bearing the marks of 'injury', will be forcibly 'squeezed out' by this 'deficit' and excreted into the water through the pores and with the sweat.

So you see, isn't the water a little darker than before?

Liu Chuan looked down and, sure enough, the originally clear pool water around him, especially near his body, had a faint grayish tinge that was slowly spreading and dissipating in the water.

“If a seriously injured patient were to be brought in,” Kirinji Tenjiro’s tone carried a hint of a doctor’s coldness.

"The 'injuries' in his body will be squeezed out in large quantities and quickly, and the effect is very fast."

However, the side effect is that spiritual pressure and blood will also be consumed in large quantities.

If the soaking time or intensity is slightly off, or if the patient's constitution is too weak, they may be "squeezed" into an empty shell, leaving only bones at the bottom of the pool.

That's why it's called 'Hell of White Bones,' it's not just meant to scare people.

"You don't have any major injuries now, but over the years, you've inevitably accumulated some hidden injuries and impurities. This treatment will allow you to be in the best possible condition to face the trials to come."

He turned his head and pointed with his chin to a pool not far away where the water was an eerie dark red, resembling thick blood plasma:

"Look, that over there is the 'Blood Pool Hell'. Its function is the opposite of this one; it 'pours' blood into it."

Through the skin, it is forcibly injected into the body of the person being immersed, rapidly replenishing spiritual pressure and blood, and can even stimulate the spirit to regenerate itself.

"A guy who's severely injured, bleeding, and depleted of spiritual pressure—just throw him in there for a while, and as long as he's not completely dead, he'll be brought back to life."

Liu Chuan listened silently, gaining a more direct understanding of the methods employed by this "Hot Spring Demon."

This is by no means a simple hot spring therapy, but an art of precise control over the boundary between "treatment" and "destruction".

Beneath its brutal and direct exterior lies unparalleled control.

“I’ve heard,” Yanagawa interjected, steer the conversation toward another topic that interested him, one of the rumors circulating in Seireitei.

"Kirinji-senpai is the developer of 'Return Path'? The current Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana learned 'Return Path' from you?"

Mentioning "Kaido" and "Unohana Retsu" seemed to rouse Kirinji Tenjiro. He shifted to a more comfortable position, resting his arms on the smooth black stone by the pond, and opened his eyes.

"Hmm, that system of returning to the Dao was indeed originally compiled and created by me. As for that guy Unohana..." He clicked his tongue, seemingly recalling something.

“She did study with me, and she learned very quickly and very well.”

He paused, looked at Liu Chuan, and his eyes held a hint of amusement:

"What, interested in her? Of course, you must have seen her down there. Now, with that gentle, life-saving doctor demeanor, it's hard to imagine that she was once 'Kenpachi' from the original Gotei 13, who enjoyed fighting and was known for mastering all the martial arts styles in the world, right?"

Liu Chuan nodded; this was exactly what he was curious about.

The stark contrast between the records in the Great Spiritual Library and the reality of Seireitei has always been a question in his mind.

Kirinji Tenjiro remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in distant memories. The steam from the hot spring made his face appear somewhat blurred.

"It was a long time ago when she first came to me to learn about the Tao."

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a rare, ancient touch of reminiscence.

"At that time, she had just returned from the 'Zaraki Ward' of Rukongai. She was badly injured, not just with physical wounds, but her spiritual essence and sword heart had been nearly destroyed."

"Zaraki Ward?" Yanagawa's heart skipped a beat. That was the most chaotic area of ​​Rukongai, known for its chaos and the emergence of powerful figures.

“Yes, Zaraki Ward,” Kirinji Tenjiro confirmed, his tone somewhat complicated.

She didn't elaborate, but it was implied that she... lost there, lost to someone.

Her proud 'Yachiryū' swordsmanship, a style she boasted of mastering all sword techniques under heaven, was utterly shattered before that person.

He could almost see the scene: the incredibly proud first Kenpachi, dragging his broken body, finding him only to learn the Dao of "healing" and "salvation".

"It's hard to imagine, isn't it? Kenpachi, who is so eager for battle, actually lowered his head to learn how to save people."

Kirinji Tenjiro gave a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, whether in mockery or a sigh was unclear.

"But she did it anyway, and she studied it very seriously, almost obsessively."

I suspect that defeat not only broke her spirit, but also made her fundamentally question the path she had pursued in the past and the meaning of her existence.

The sword is no longer just for killing and victory; perhaps... it can be for something else entirely?

"As for who she lost to..." Kirinji Tenjiro shook his head.

"She remained tight-lipped and never revealed the identity of her opponent to anyone."

"Since then, Retsu Unohana's personality has changed. She has toned down all her sharpness and turned to studying healing arts and medicine, eventually becoming the captain of the Fourth Division. Now, she is the most respected healer in Soul Society."

Liu Chuan listened quietly, his heart filled with curiosity.

Retsu Unohana's past indeed concealed a shocking secret. A defeat from Zaraki Ward that utterly crushed the first Kenpachi led her to abandon the path of killing and instead seek salvation.

Speaking of which, isn't the current captain of the Eleventh Division surnamed Zaraki? There might be some connection between the two, Yanagawa secretly noted.

Chapter 35: The Trial Begins

Deep within the Spirit King's Palace lies an absolute domain shrouded in ancient majesty.

This place no longer belongs to any specific palace, and it doesn't even resemble a "space" in the conventional sense of the Spirit King's Palace.

An indescribable heaviness and sanctity permeated the air; the spirit particles were no longer lively, but rather stagnant like pilgrims.

This is the entrance to the trial grounds for those who "do not enter the path of enlightenment".

On the open ground, the five members of Squad Zero stood solemnly waiting.

Hyosube Ichibei stood at the very front center, his huge rosary beads motionless. His face was calm, his eyes deep and unfathomable as he silently gazed at the entrance to the temple.

Kiryuki stood to his left, his usual warm smile gone, replaced by undisguised worry and solemnity.

All five people wore solemn expressions, and an invisible, heavy pressure filled the air.

They knew all too well what "not entering the path of death" meant. It was the final hurdle for members of the Zero Division to gain formal recognition and break through the limits of a Shinigami. Only those who had experienced it firsthand could truly understand its danger and difficulty.

Liuchuan, an anomaly who rejected the power of the Spirit King and chose to challenge this path with his pure "self," is full of unpredictable variables and extreme dangers.

Footsteps sounded, unhurried, landing on the solid spiritual ground with a steady, soft thud.

Kirinji Tenjiro led Yanagawa to the edge of the open space and stopped in front of the Zero Division members.

Liu Chuan was visibly at his peak. His complexion was rosy, his breath was calm and long, and the immense power within him was perfectly contained, yet could not be completely concealed, like a peerless blade in its sheath, ready to be unleashed.

"This is it." Kirinji Tenjiro stepped aside, gesturing with his chin to the chaotic area ahead, his voice low and deep.

"The entrance to the 'Path of No Entry'. The rules are simple: it is a sacred place. To enter, you must walk barefoot, remove your clothes, and bring only your will and your Zanpakuto."

Liu Chuan nodded, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Zero Squad members standing solemnly in front of him, finally settling on the entrance that exuded a heavy aura.

Hyosube Ichibei slowly stepped forward, his wise eyes fixed on Yanagawa, his voice loud yet calm, like a final judgment and confirmation:

"Yanagawa, ahead lies the 'Path of No Entry,' a place of extreme danger. Since the founding of the Spirit King Palace, only members of the Zero Division, with their 'King Key' bodies reshaped by the power of the Spirit King, have had a relatively high chance of stepping into it, completing the trial, and breaking through the limits of the Grim Reaper."

He paused, his gaze piercing, as if trying to penetrate Liu Chuan's soul:

"You have one last chance to choose. If you are willing to accept the power of the Spirit King to reshape your body and become a 'King Key,' sharing the same origin as the Spirit King Palace, then this 'Path of Non-Entry' will be a safe path to advancement for you."

If you insist on your own way and step into this realm with your mortal body… once you fail, your very existence, including your power, memories, and soul, will be utterly crushed and assimilated by its rules, turning into a speck of dust in the long river of history of the Spirit King Palace, forgotten and unknown to all. Have you… thought this through?”

The final ultimatum was also a final act of mercy. Hyosube Ichibei gave Yanagawa one last chance for a "safe" choice before he walked down a dead end.

Liu Chuan listened quietly, his face remaining unmoved.

"No need, Your Excellency, Minister of War." His voice was steady, echoing in the solemn space.