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

Hyosube Ichibei slowly opened his eyes, raised his hand, and gently tapped the nearly completed character in the air.

The characters rippled outwards like waves, eventually merging silently into the surrounding spiritual particles, as if they had never existed.

He then slowly turned around and faced Kirinji Tenjiro directly.

"Precisely because the opponent is a Quincy, Kirinji,"

Hyosube Ichibei's voice was loud and calm, carrying a calming power while containing an undeniable certainty.

"That's why we need Liu Chuan to appear."

"Huh?" Kirinji Tenjiro put his hands on his hips.

"What kind of riddle are you spouting, old monk? The Quincy disappeared for over a thousand years, then suddenly reappeared and caused such a commotion in Hueco Mundo. It's clearly aimed at our Zero Division!"

"Liu Chuan has only been here a few days. Even if he passed the 'Path of No Entry,' can his combat experience and understanding of Quincy compare to those Quincy who have lurked in the shadows for thousands of years?"

Hyosube Ichibei shook his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the barriers of the Soul King's Palace, reaching towards the distant Hueco Mundo:

"Precisely because they have been silent for a thousand years, they are now willing to risk being exposed prematurely in order to create trouble in Hueco Mundo."

Even… I suspect their goal might be to lure Liuchuan there; the scheme behind this is far from ordinary.”

Upon hearing this, Kirinji Tenjiro's expression hardened, his impatience subsided, and was replaced by the keenness and solemnity befitting a veteran of the Zero Division.

"Luring Liuchuan away? Is it worth them going to such lengths, even risking exposing themselves to target our Zero Squad... Could it be for 'Wang Jian'?!"

“Not bad.” Hyosube Ichibei nodded.

“Besides the ‘King’s Key’—the only ‘key’ to the Spirit King’s Palace—I can’t think of any other reason why they would risk such a dangerous move to alert the enemy.”

They probably received incorrect information, or they deduced from past experience that every new member of the Zero Division already had the 'King Key' embedded in their body.

And Yanagawa happens to be the only member of Squad Zero who resides permanently in the lower realm and is relatively easy to 'reach'.

"Wouldn't Yanagawa be even more dangerous then?!" Kirinji Tenjiro's voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised worry.

"Since the Quincy dared to take action, they must have had a meticulous plan and absolute confidence!"

Liu Chuan doesn't possess the King's Key at all, and the Quincy are even less aware of that! They'll only try to steal it, treating it as a 'key'! What if…”

"If he falls into the hands of the Quincy and they discover that he does not have the King Key, then the Quincy's plan will naturally fail."

Hyosube Ichibei took over Kirinji's words, his tone still calm, yet carrying a deep chill.

"But for us, this is also a battle we cannot back down from."

The Quincy have already made their move, their target being my Zero Division, and the very authority of the Soul King Palace.

If we cower in fear of risk, wouldn't that show weakness and embolden them?

This battle concerns the reputation of the Zero Division, and even more so, the Spirit King Palace's deterrent power in the lower realm.

He paused, his gaze becoming distant again, as if he saw that young figure walking alone in the pale desert of Hueco Mundo:

"Furthermore, don't underestimate Liuchuan, Qilin Temple. He is an 'anomaly' who was regarded differently by Lord Lingwang, and who, with his mortal body, stepped through the 'path of not entering the temple' and opened up his own path."

His potential and character far exceed our imagination. This trip to Hueco Mundo is both a crisis and a test for him.

Facing such a formidable foe as the Quincy is a true test of whether he can truly shoulder the responsibilities of the Zero Division. I... don't believe he will lose.

Kirinji Tenjiro fell silent.

He was not unaware of Hyosube's considerations. As a veteran of the Zero Division, he was even more aware of the enormous responsibility behind the Zero Division's extraordinary status.

The Quincy's return, targeting the Zero Division, is a serious provocation against the authority of the Soul King Palace.

The Zero Division must give the strongest and most direct response.

Yanagawa, as the only Zero Squad member currently outside and directly related to the incident, is indeed the most "suitable" candidate to carry out this mission.

It can represent the will of the Zero Division, but its "special" nature may also bring unexpected variables.

“On the other hand,” Kirinji Tenjiro took a deep breath, forcing himself to analyze the situation from a more composed perspective, his tone complex.

"Even if... I mean even if Liu Chuan really meets with misfortune, there is no Wang Jian in his body at all."

Despite all their scheming, the Quincy ultimately gained nothing.

Their plan was fundamentally flawed and doomed to failure.

"While we lost a promising junior, we also learned some of the Quincy's trump cards and movements..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: this was a cruel scheme.

They risked Liuchuan's safety to gamble on the Quincy's conspiracy and to protect the dignity of the Zero Division and the safety of the Soul King Palace.

From the perspective of the "big picture" and "duty", Hyosube Ichibei's decision was perhaps the most "correct" and the choice that best served the interests of the Zero Division.

Hyosube Ichibei stared at Kirinji Tenjiro for a few seconds, his all-knowing gaze seemingly able to see through the other's inner struggles and helplessness.

In the end, he neither admitted nor denied Qilin Temple's speculation, but simply nodded slowly.

His gaze returned to the boundless Spirit King's Palace outside the hall, a palace seemingly composed of crystal and light, and his voice was deep and firm:

"The duty of the Zero Division is paramount. I trust Yanagawa, and I also believe... Lord Soul King will not misjudge people."

Kirinji Tenjiro said no more. He knew that regardless of whether he agreed or not, Hyosube would not change his mind once he had made a decision.

He took one last look at Hyosuga's steady, mountain-like back, and then glanced in the direction of Hueco Mundo.

Worry and determination mingled in his eyes, finally culminating in a barely audible sigh as he turned and strode away from the Temple of the Eye Monk.

He needed to go to the hot spring palace to do something, at the very least, to ensure that if Yanagawa returned seriously injured, he would have the best possible treatment.

Silence returned to the hall. Hyosube Ichibei sat alone, the huge "Ichimonji" had somehow returned to his hand.

He reached out and gently stroked the pen, where faint, mysterious patterns flashed by.

Chapter 80 The Open Left Eye

Wang Jian... the key to the Spirit King Palace... the Zero Squad members' bodies were reshaped... I see.

Some of the doubts in Liu Chuan's eyes suddenly became clear.

No wonder the Quincy, after hiding for a thousand years, risked exposure to create trouble in Hueco Mundo and even precisely lured him there.

Their goal was never simply to provoke or eliminate a certain Shinigami genius, but rather his body, which had just been promoted to the Zero Division and should theoretically be reshaped into the "King Key"!

What they want is the "key" to open the gates of the Spirit King's Palace!

Unfortunately, their intelligence was wrong; they didn't have the so-called "King Key" inside their bodies.

Liu Chuan thought to himself, his spiritual senses spreading out silently like the most intricate spider web, capturing every unusual movement of spiritual particles in the air.

Since the target is oneself, and this complex environment has been chosen as the battlefield, then... the game of hunting and counter-hunting has officially begun.

Just then, Lijer Barrow's figure drifted backward like a ghost.

After disappearing into the dappled light and shadow of the giant quartz tree, its aura vanished completely, like a drop of water falling into the sea.

Not only was it visually difficult to capture, but its spiritual pressure was also reduced to almost nothing, perfectly blending with the chaotic void spiritual pressure and decaying plant scents around it.

Liu Chuan stood still, knowing that his opponent was a top-notch sniper, skilled in stealth and one-shot kills.

In this dimly lit underground forest filled with obstacles, the opponent's advantages were magnified to the extreme.

Time seemed to stretch out, with every second filled with invisible pressure.

Only the distant, faint roars and the rhythmic dripping of liquid broke the deathly silence.

Sudden--

Without any warning, a pure white beam of light, with a straight trajectory, precisely targeted Liu Chuan's back!

However, just before the beam of light hit him, Liu Chuan's figure seemed to blur slightly.

puff!

The beam of light pierced through "Liuchuan's" body without any hindrance, and even continued its momentum, passing through the branches of several quartz trees behind it, leaving behind smooth-edged holes that exuded a scorched aura.

But there was no blood.

The "Liuchuan" that was pierced through, like a reflection in water scattered by a pebble, quietly transformed into faint spiritual afterimages, slowly dissipating in the dim light.

This is a visual afterimage that lingers briefly, created using ultra-high speed and exquisite spiritual particle manipulation!

The real Yanagawa had already used his senses and reflexes to escape using Shunpo before Lijie Barrow pulled the trigger!

What he left behind was merely a "bait"—a wisp of spiritual energy that mimicked his own aura and form to confuse his opponent.

Almost at the same time the afterimage was shattered, Liuchuan's real body appeared like a ghost behind Lijie Barrow!

He had drawn "Tianzhen" without anyone noticing; the silver blade drew a cold arc in the darkness, silently.

It slashed straight at Lijer Barrow's body!

From being sniped to counterattacking, it was all over in an instant. It showed Yanagawa's almost precognitive intuition about the crisis, his terrifying speed, and his extremely calm combat wisdom.

Lijer Barrow was clearly taken aback as well.

He didn't expect his sniper shot to be so easily "predicted" and avoided, and he didn't expect the opponent's counterattack to be so fast and so tricky!

It was too late to completely dodge or parry with a gun.

laugh--!

The sharp blade of Tianzhen cleaved solidly into Lijie Barrow's shoulder and neck!

Did they succeed? Liu Chuan's eyes narrowed.

However, in the next instant, something unexpected happened!

Instead of showing pain or shock, Ridge Barrow, who was being slashed, displayed an almost mocking, inhuman calm.

At the same time, his left eye, which had been tightly closed and bore an "X"-shaped crosshair tattoo, suddenly opened!

Even more shockingly, as his left eye opened, Liu Chuan clearly felt that the blade that had pierced his opponent's body did not convey the tangible sensation of cutting into flesh, but rather...

It felt like cutting into some kind of mud!

Meanwhile, no blood flowed from the wound on Lijer Barrow's shoulder, which should have been deep enough to expose the bone.

The wound disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if it had never been struck!

Liu Chuan was somewhat surprised and retreated quickly without hesitation, instantly creating a ten-zhang distance between himself and his opponent.