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

The "Shinigami Limit," which has troubled countless Shinigami and is considered an insurmountable barrier, lies within this "path of non-entry."

Utterly shattered!

It was as if a dam had collapsed, and the river had overflowed!

The spiritual and magical power within his body, which had already risen to an unbelievable level, surged in all directions like a flood bursting its banks, at an unimaginable speed and scale!

The soul seemed to break free of heavy shackles, becoming incredibly light and clear.

The limits of death have been broken.

It wasn't a clever breakthrough achieved by relying on the identity of "King Key" bestowed by the power of the Spirit King, but rather by forcefully breaking open that tightly closed door in the most domineering way!

The moment the breakthrough was completed, the scene before Liu Chuan's eyes suddenly changed.

We've reached the finish line.

Liu Chuan stopped and stood before the finish line. The powerful magic and spiritual energy returned to Liu Chuan's body, and the magic circuit dissipated.

He slowly lowered his head, looked at his perfectly sculpted upper body, and then clenched his fist.

Feel the boundless, surging power within my body.

He took one last look at the path behind him that he had conquered step by step, and then, without hesitation, took his final step toward the shimmering exit.

The figure disappeared into the light.

At this moment, outside...

The five members of Squad Zero are waiting patiently.

hum...

The silent entrance ahead suddenly trembled very slightly, instantly triggering a reaction from everyone.

Hyosube Ichibei's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened!

Almost simultaneously, Kirinji Tenjiro sprang up from the rock he was leaning against, his body brimming with healing spiritual energy ready to be unleashed.

Immediately afterward, under the watchful eyes of the five people, the central point of light rapidly expanded the entrance to the "Path of No Entry" and reopened!

Then, a figure stepped out from the light; it was Liu Chuan.

His upper body was bare, the previous magical circuits had disappeared, and his skin had returned to its normal color.

Only a faint glimmer of crystalline luster could be seen, as if it had been heated at high temperatures and then cooled down again.

What was most striking were his eyes. Those eyes, which were always calm and still, now seemed to have become even more profound, as if they had undergone this trial.

He simply stood there calmly, without deliberately releasing his spiritual pressure, yet he naturally exuded an aura of power.

That was something no captain-level Shinigami could possess, and it was even subtly different from the aura emanating from the Zero Division members due to their "King Key" bodies.

“Boy…you really…” Kirinji Tenjiro’s throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only managed to squeeze out a few words through his teeth.

He stared at Liu Chuan with a complicated expression, his gaze like the most sophisticated scanner, scanning him up and down to assess his condition.

"Ha! You're out! I knew you were tough as nails!"

Nimaiya Wang Yue slapped his thigh hard, letting out a loud laugh. His eyes behind his sunglasses gleamed, filled with undisguised excitement and curiosity.

"How was it? Was it fun inside? Did you see any interesting 'materials'?"

Only Hyosube Ichibei remained seated, his gaze calmly fixed on Yanagawa, his wise eyes reflecting the lingering echo of the limit barrier that Yanagawa had just broken.

His face showed neither joy nor sorrow; he simply nodded slowly.

Facing the gazes and greetings of the crowd, Liu Chuan showed little excitement, simply addressing them...

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. I... am back."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Kirinji Tenjiro, who could no longer contain himself, had already appeared beside Yanagawa like a ghost.

He didn't give Liu Chuan much time to react, and completely ignored the faint pressure emanating from Liu Chuan.

He reached out and grabbed Liu Chuan's wrist, while his other hand produced a simple, flat, stretcher-like object that emitted a soft white light and placed it on the ground.

"Stop talking nonsense! Lie down!"

Faced with Kirinji Tenjiro's kindness, Yanagawa readily lay down on the makeshift stretcher.

"Tenjiro! Be gentle!" Kiryuu couldn't help but say.

"A physical examination is the priority!" Kirinji Tenjiro didn't even turn his head. He was already squatting beside the stretcher, his ten fingers as skillful as the most nimble musical instruments.

With a faint crimson healing spiritual energy, the Returning Dao technique was used to rapidly press and probe various acupoints and spiritual nodes on Liu Chuan's naked upper body, limbs, and even head.

At the same time, he was muttering to himself, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps giving a simultaneous "diagnosis" to others:

"There are no obvious open wounds on the body surface, but there are multiple areas of subcutaneous spiritual particle accumulation and microscopic spiritual network tears caused by high-intensity pressure... Hmm, it is rapidly self-repairing, at an abnormally fast speed..."

"The width and resilience of the spiritual energy network... have increased at least three times! And the operating efficiency... is unbelievable..."

As he checked, he quickly took out several different tools and medicines from the first-aid kit that had been prepared at his feet.

He gently pierced a spiritual node in Liu Chuan's arm with a thin probe, the tip of which was inlaid with tiny crystals. The crystals immediately flashed with a complex spectrum of spiritual particles.

He dripped a few drops of a small bottle of pale golden liquid, which emitted a refreshing fragrance, onto Liu Chuan's forehead. The liquid quickly seeped into his skin and spread out as wisps of cool spiritual energy.

He even took out a spirit particle detector that resembled a stethoscope but had a more complex structure, and placed it on Yanagawa's chest and abdomen, listening carefully to something.

Yanagawa lay calmly on the stretcher, letting Kirinji Tenjiro do as he pleased.

He could sense that beneath the other person's seemingly rough movements lay an extremely precise and efficient examination.

The spiritual particles and medicines that entered his body carried powerful healing and detection effects, but they did not cause his own power to reject them at all. On the contrary, they seemed to be helping him calm the surging power in his body after his breakthrough.

He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing accordingly, and looked inward at himself, adapting to and assessing this brand-new body that had broken through his limits.

Nimaiya Oetsu curiously moved closer, seemingly very interested in Kirinji Tenjiro's tools and Yanagawa's physical data.

Shutara Senjumaru's aura silently "watched". Hyosube Ichibei also slowly stood up, walked closer, and observed in silence.

About fifteen minutes later, Kirinji Tenjiro finally stopped what he was doing and put away his tools.

He let out a long breath, and his usually impatient face showed a rare hint of relief, as well as... an undisguised astonishment.

"How is it, Tenshiro?" Hikifune Kiryu asked eagerly.

Kirinji Tenjiro did not answer immediately, but instead looked carefully at Yanagawa's calm face, as if confirming something, before slowly speaking, his voice carrying the solemnity of a physician announcing a major discovery:

"Physically... I'm basically fine. Apart from the deep exhaustion caused by excessive consumption of spiritual energy and mental strength, which requires rest and recovery, there's no damage that threatens my very existence. No, it's not just that I'm fine..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Hyōsuke Ichibei's face, and said, word by word:

"His body has undergone a complete sublimation, far exceeding the theoretical limits of the category of 'Death'."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Liu Chuan successfully passed the "path of not entering the temple," and without relying on the power of the Spirit King, he truly broke the limits of the Grim Reaper on his own!

The open space was silent. Only the eternal radiance of the Spirit King's Palace quietly shone upon the young man on the stretcher, who was resting with his eyes closed but had already undergone a complete transformation.

Hyosube Ichibei slowly revealed a smile, a smile that contained approval, expectation, and a deeper glimmer of light, as if he had seen some interesting future.

"Yanagawa, welcome to Squad Zero! Now, go and rest."

Before this, even though he was personally "named" by the Soul King, even though he demonstrated his ability and wisdom by resolving the "Twin Hyōrinmaru" incident, even though he was wearing this Zero Division haori.

In the eyes of these five true members of the Zero Division, he was perhaps more like a "special junior favored by the Soul King".

After all, the honor and responsibility of the Zero Squad are built upon "irreplaceable creation" and absolute strength. Without corresponding achievements and proof, simply being "chosen" is not enough to convince the public.

But now, things are different.

The result of "not entering the path of enlightenment" is the most irrefutable proof.

He proved the "hardness" of his strength, the "tenacity" of his will, and even more so, the "path" he chose, possessing the potential and value to be on par with the Zero Division, or even to open up new possibilities.

This is no longer an identity "given" to us, but a qualification "obtained through our own strength".

Weariness overwhelmed him completely, like a tidal wave.

He fell asleep, not in a light sleep, not in a breath-regulating state, but in a deep sleep of complete relaxation.

Every cell in the body, every wisp of consciousness in the soul, is immersed in the deepest repair and rest.

The newly awakened and surging power within his body was slowly calming and settling in this absolute tranquility, undergoing the most thorough integration with his mind and body.

Chapter 38 Spirit King

a few days later.

When Liuchuan woke up, all her fatigue had vanished, and her mind was clear and bright, as if she had been washed by the purest spring water.

Within his body, the power that had broken through the limits in the "Unentering the Path of Enlightenment" had now completely settled, like a vast and deep ocean, calm and still, yet containing boundless potential that could unleash raging waves at any moment.

He slowly opened his eyes, and what came into view was the guest room of the Sleeping Pig Palace, which was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Beneath me was a fluffy, comfortable blanket, and the air was filled with a blend of calming spices and the subtle sweetness of food.

Instead of getting up immediately, Liu Chuan first quietly introspected on his body while lying on the couch, confirming that his condition was better than ever before, even more fluid and natural than when he first emerged after his breakthrough.

Then, he sat up and stretched his muscles.

Just then, the sliding door to the room was gently pulled open a crack, and Kiryu's face, with a warm smile, peeked in.

"Oh my, Yanagawa-kun, you're awake? How are you feeling? The medicine that Tenjiro gave you, it worked well, didn't it?" Her voice was light and cheerful, as if she was afraid of disturbing him.

"Thank you for your care, Kiryu-senpai. I have fully recovered and am in great condition."

"That's good! That's good!" Kiryu patted his chest, looking relieved.

"The monk Bingzhu said that once you wake up and recover, go to the Yan Monk's Hall to find him. He has something important to tell you. Wash up and change your clothes first; breakfast will be ready soon!"

Liuchuan nodded, and after a quick wash, he changed into a pure white Zero Division haori.

After enjoying the ever-delicious and spiritually enriching breakfast prepared by Hikifune Kiryu at the Watun-dono Hall, Yanagawa bid farewell and headed towards the Eye Monk Hall along the familiar corridor.

Inside the temple, Hyōshūbe Ichibei stood with his hands behind his back in front of a huge window, gazing out as if deep in thought.

Hearing Liu Chuan's footsteps, he slowly turned around.

"Yanagawa, how's your recovery going?" Hyosube Ichibei asked with a gentle smile, his tone more casual than when he was speaking to a true colleague.

"He's out of danger," Liu Chuan replied.