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

His words were not hurried, but each one carried weight:

"That battle was extremely brutal; the Seireitei was reduced to scorched earth, and countless Grim Reapers perished in the battle."

They barely managed to win, but their Sternritter suffered heavy losses, with the remnants scattering and going into hiding.

A thousand years have passed, and everyone thought the Quincy were a thing of the past, but unexpectedly…

"It is no coincidence that the remnants of the Quincy have now appeared in Hueco Mundo and attacked the expeditionary force in such a high-profile manner."

Hyosube Ichibei's tone returned to its usual composure, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

"Liu Chuan, I believe it is most appropriate for you to investigate this matter."

He explained the reason, much like a senior entrusting an important task to a junior:

"Firstly, as a member of the Zero Squad, you have the authority and responsibility to handle events that could potentially shake the balance of the Three Realms."

Secondly, your keen observation skills might allow you to detect subtle clues that ordinary Grim Reapers would miss.

A hint of consideration flashed in his eyes.

"The Hueco Mundo environment is treacherous, and the Quincy's abilities are unpredictable, often producing unexpected results."

Hyosube Ichibei gave a final instruction: "In case of an emergency, you may make your own decisions and take appropriate action."

"Yes, Lord Hyosubu."

The communication ended, and the spiritual aura dissipated.

Hyosube Ichibei's request and the investigation into the mystery of the Quincy were indeed very attractive to Yanagawa.

Yanagawa had never witnessed the power of the Quincy since he came to this world.

Now that Quincy have appeared in Hueco Mundo, it's a good opportunity to experience it firsthand.

Furthermore, Yanagawa's new ideas about Kido are somewhat limited in Seireitei, so he'll test them out during this trip to Hueco Mundo.

Chapter 72 Heading to Hueco Mundo

After clarifying the mission objectives, Liu Chuan did not rush to set off.

Hueco Mundo is vast and boundless, with a harsh environment and limited information access. To search for the deliberately hidden remnants of the Quincy in that pale and desolate desert is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

This requires meticulous preparation, sustained patience, and a comprehensive plan to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations.

Yanagawa first used his authority to access all observational data related to the Quincy, Hueco Mundo, and the Expeditionary Force report.

Although publicly available records are scarce, there have been some scattered, inconveniently publicized records and analyses over the millennia.

Combining the attack report from Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he began to try to construct the characteristics of the Quincy's residual spiritual power and speculate on their possible action patterns and methods of concealment.

At the same time, he submitted a list of special supplies to the 12th Division of the Technology Development Bureau, including:

High-precision spirit particle detection device, spirit particle beacon for emergency communication and coordinate positioning.

"Oh dear, is Yanagawa-kun going to that boring place, Hueco Mundo, for a mission?"

In the captain's room of the 12th Division, filled with all sorts of strange instruments and specimens, Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke in his sticky, excited tone.

"No problem, the equipment will be ready soon! But I've already done enough research on ordinary Quincy..."

If you come across any 'interesting' Quincy samples, or any Hueco Mundo-specific 'materials,' remember to bring some back for me!

He not only quickly prepared all the items, but also "added" a few "gadgets" that he had recently tinkered with, euphemistically called "data collection for on-site testing in the virtual universe".

After all the supplies were prepared, he contacted Mayuri Kurotsuchi again, requesting that the "Black Hole" be opened to travel to Hueco Mundo.

The Black Cavity is an unstable spatial rift connecting Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, usually opened by a Hollow or a specific spatial ability.

The 13th Gotei 13 possesses relatively stable black cavity construction technology, which is mainly used for expeditionary force deployments and special missions.

The 12th Division is responsible for the maintenance and operation of this technology.

On the edge of Seireitei, a special place sealed off by multiple barriers.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi personally led several officials in operating the complex instruments.

Amidst the buzzing of spiritual particles, the space ahead began to violently distort and tear apart, and a crack with unstable, writhing edges and a deep, dark interior slowly opened.

"The passage is stable, and the coordinates have been set in a safe area near the expeditionary force camp."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi checked the instrument readings, licked her lips, and said, "Good luck, Yanagawa-kun. Remember my 'little request'~"

Yanagawa nodded to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, took one last look at the familiar scenery and sky of Seireitei behind him, and without much lingering, stepped into the surging darkness without hesitation.

His figure was instantly swallowed up, and the black cavity behind him slowly closed, as if it had never been opened.

Yanagawa's departure did not cause much of a stir among the upper echelons of Seireitei.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto and a few other captains who knew the inside story remained silent, but elsewhere, his departure secretly relieved some people, and even made them gloat.

Central Room 46, the underground council chamber.

"I heard... that Yanagawa from the Zero Division has left Seireitei?" A sage lowered his voice, a hint of barely perceptible ease in his tone.

"It is said that they went to Hueco Mundo to investigate the recent attack on the expeditionary force."

Another well-informed judge chimed in, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"Hueco Mundo is a dangerous place, teeming with Hollows, and the environment is harsh... Hmph, once he goes there, he probably won't be back for a while."

"It's best if they don't come back!" another sage, who hadn't been affected by the last incident but also harbored fear of Liuchuan, sneered, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"This kid acts eccentrically, disregards etiquette and law, and repeatedly tramples on the dignity of my 46th Chamber by relying on his status as a member of the Zero Division."

"Tsunayoshi and that idiot certainly deserve to die, but if it weren't for him... how could my 46 Chambers have suffered such a humiliating defeat! With him gone, the Seireitei will be much quieter."

"That's right, it's best to stay in Hueco Mundo forever, perish in a Hollow belly, or be killed by those weird Quincy!"

Someone cursed viciously, but kept their voice lower, as if afraid of being overheard by some unseen force.

"Be careful what you say!" A relatively older and cautious sage frowned and stopped him.

"Yanagawa is, after all, a formal member of the Zero Squad. The previous example of Tsunayoshiro is still fresh in our minds. Even if we are unhappy, we must not allow any more leverage against him."

His departure is good for everyone, but we just need to wait and see.

These words calmed down many of the sages who were eager for Yanagawa to die in Hueco Mundo.

The brutal consequences of the forced substitution and the bloody end are still fresh in our minds, and the lingering effects of the bipolar system remain.

Their disgust and fear of Liuchuan were genuine, but it was precisely because of this fear that they dared not act rashly.

They could only silently hope that the dangers of Hueco Mundo and the enigmatic nature of the Quincy would "solve" this major threat for them.

Let them reclaim their repeatedly trampled, supreme authority.

When Yanagawa arrived in Hueco Mundo, the solid ground beneath his feet did not feel like the firm earth of Seireitei, but rather soft, pale gravel.

The "wind" that rushed towards us was dry and biting, mixed with a thin, slightly corrosive flow of spiritual particles, which was completely different from the relatively mild and orderly spiritual particle environment in Soul Society.

As far as the eye can see, there are endless, undulating pale sand dunes that stretch to the gray-white horizon that is difficult to see.

Liu Chuan steadied himself, and his spiritual senses spread out instantly like the most sophisticated radar, covering the surroundings.

Apart from the subtle life reactions in the sand beneath our feet and the chaotic flow of spiritual particles in the air, no large-scale or suspicious spiritual pressure fluctuations have been detected so far.

He looked up at the sky and confirmed his direction—the flag representing the expeditionary force was not far to his northeast.

He didn't use Flash Step to create too much noise; he simply attached spiritual energy evenly to the soles of his feet and took a step.

They moved swiftly toward the camp in a way that seemed slow but actually allowed them to easily cover several meters with each step.

The pure white haori doesn't stand out against the pale background; instead, it creates a peculiar sense of harmony.

As he moved, he continuously scanned the surrounding spiritual environment and sand composition using the Mayuri Spiritual Analyzer.

On the instrument screen, data streams cascaded down, being processed, memorized, and analyzed at high speed.

The distance of three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) can be covered in no time with Liuchuan's mode of travel.

After crossing a relatively gentle sand dune, the expeditionary force's camp came into view.

It was not the fortified fortress or high-walled camp one might imagine, but rather a semi-underground complex cleverly constructed using several massive rocks.

Most of the buildings are low and have rough surfaces, with a camouflage color that blends in with the desert.

There was no outer wall; instead, there was a ring of pale white stone pillars buried according to a specific pattern, with a faint, flowing light blue barrier visible on the surface of the pillars.

It is a warning and defense barrier.

Several slightly taller watchtowers were built on the top of the giant rock, their bodies low and concealed, with the figure of Death draped in a gray-white cloak at the top.

This is the camp of the Soul Society Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force located in this area.

It is not large in scale, but it exudes a sense of resilience honed by the trials of war.

Chapter 73 Expeditionary Force Camp

Yanagawa's arrival was clearly noticed.

When he was still hundreds of meters away from the camp, the spirit fence at the camp entrance slid silently to both sides.

Three Grim Reapers dressed in the grey and white cloaks of the Expeditionary Force were waiting inside the entrance.

They didn't get close, but maintained a distance that was neither too distant nor too incompatible with being able to respond to any unexpected situations, their eyes all fixed on Liu Chuan.

The leader was a middle-aged male Shinigami with a resolute face, skin that appeared somewhat rough due to long-term exposure to Hueco Mundo's environment, and an old scar on his left cheek.

He stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave a standard expeditionary salute, his voice steady and powerful, carrying the seasoned experience of a veteran:

“The Third Seat of the Expeditionary Force, Kasahara Heihachi, leads the team to welcome Lord Yanagawa of the Zero Division. Temporary accommodations and necessary support have been prepared for you at the camp. Please follow me.”

His attitude was respectful, but not overly obsequious, maintaining a military-like simplicity and distance.

Clearly, the expeditionary force maintained the highest level of courtesy towards this suddenly arriving member of the Zero Division, but also showed a hint of instinctive scrutiny and caution.

The Zero Division's personal visit to Hueco Mundo is a rare occurrence in the history of the expeditionary force.

Yanagawa nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Kasahara Sanke. I was ordered to come and investigate the previous attack. I apologize for any inconvenience caused."

“It is my duty, please.” Kasahara Heihachi stepped aside to make way, and the other two Shinigami immediately parted to the sides as well.

Liuchuan stepped into the camp. The interior was more spacious than the outside, with crisscrossing passages connecting stone chambers that were partially embedded in the rock or underground.