Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

Outside the entrance to the "Path of Non-Entry," time itself is a vague concept deep within the Spirit King Palace.

But at this moment, for the five members of the Zero Division who were waiting here, every second seemed to be stretched out invisibly.

The entrance ahead fell into complete silence after Liuchuan stepped through, with no sound or change in light or shadow whatsoever.

However, no one left.

The five beings who stand at the pinnacle of Soul Society are now quietly guarding this place.

Kirinji Tenjiro leaned against a nearby protruding rock, arms crossed.

Moreover, careful observation reveals that not far from his feet, several open, exquisite jade boxes have been neatly arranged, each containing different kinds of medicinal herbs, spiritual liquids, and bandages that emit different lights and auras.

There were even a few oddly shaped devices that were clearly used to fix bones or stimulate the meridians.

He had prepared a full set of top-of-the-line first-aid supplies in advance.

Do you really think he will succeed?

A cool, clear voice broke the frozen atmosphere of waiting.

It was Shutara Senjumaru. Her voice came clearly, addressed to Kirinji Tenjiro, who was fully prepared.

Her tone was not one of questioning, but rather closer to an inquiry based on pure reason.

Kirinji Tenjiro looked away from the entrance, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, a smile tinged with self-deprecation and uncertainty.

"Success?" He scoffed, but there was little joy in his voice.

"To be honest, I don't know. Even we had to go through a lot to get out of that godforsaken place called 'Don't Enter the Path of Contemplation' back then."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "But, Senjumaru, as you know, this kid... is, after all, someone personally chosen by Lord Rei-oh."

"The Spirit King's eyes see things differently than ours."

Kirinji Tenjiro's words revealed part of the truth.

The Soul King's will is the highest standard for the existence of the Zero Division, and it is also the most important factor in their assessment of Yanagawa's actions.

"A rational analysis," Shutara Senjumaru's aura rippled slightly as she continued, her voice remaining calm and even.

"The trials of 'not entering the path of enlightenment' are dangerous in every aspect."

"First, it is the extreme pressure on the physical body. Ordinary Grim Reapers, even those at the captain level, whose spirit bodies have not been modified by the power of the Soul King, are simply not strong enough and resilient enough to withstand the terrifying pressure deep within the trial."

"Bones will crack, spiritual energy will break, and the body composed of spiritual particles will disintegrate from the most basic structure. This is the absolute threshold at the physical level."

"Secondly, it's a brutal interrogation of the heart and will." Her voice seemed to grow even colder.

"Once you waver in your choice or feel lost about the path forward, you will be immediately caught and amplified by your environment, and then lose yourself in the illusions and despair you have created for yourself. The soul will sink into ruin, which is more thorough than the destruction of the body."

She turned slightly towards Kirinji Tenjiro and Hikifune Kiryu:

"You two did everything you could before he entered, using the top resources of the Spirit King Palace to stimulate his potential and regulate his condition."

This indeed greatly improved his "starting point" and "error tolerance".

However, this did not change the fact that he was a mortal.

Judging purely from probability and logic, I believe that the probability of him successfully completing the entire journey and breaking through the limits is less than 10%.

More likely, the spirit will collapse under the pressure, or the soul will dissipate due to loss of self. It's incredibly fortunate that a remnant of the soul was preserved and rescued in time.

Ten percent—this is the brutal assessment given by Shutara Senjumaru based on known information and cold logic.

"Hey, Senjumaru, you still can't say anything nice."

Wang Yue, who had been staring at the entrance, turned around upon hearing this, rolling her eyes behind her sunglasses.

"What's the point of saying all this now? He's already in jail. All this analysis here is pointless!"

He waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual nonchalant manner, but a barely perceptible tension lurked deep in his eyes:

"Just wait! If we can't get out..." He paused, his voice lowering.

"That only proves that Lord Spirit King may have misjudged the situation this time."

Kirinji Tenjiro remained noncommittal about Shutara Senjumaru's analysis; he simply bent down and checked the first-aid supplies at his feet once more.

After confirming everything was correct, he straightened up, dusted off imaginary dust from his hands, and spoke with an unwavering determination:

"Don't worry. I'm too lazy to calculate probabilities. But I can guarantee one thing—"

He looked towards the entrance. "As long as that kid has a breath left, I can bring him back to life!"

This is the promise of "Quan Tang Gui," and also his pride and responsibility as a doctor.

Everyone's gazes instinctively fell on Hyoninbe Ichibei, who hadn't uttered a word from beginning to end, but had simply sat quietly in the center of the open space, as if he had become one with the space itself.

He seemed to be in a meditative state, with his huge rosary hanging quietly in front of his chest.

He seemed oblivious to the conversations, anxieties, analyses, and promises around him.

Do not enter the pilgrimage route, as it is muddy, cold, and slippery.

Liuchuan's bare feet mechanically rose and fell, sinking deeper with each step, requiring more effort to pull them out.

The drizzle had somehow turned into a continuous, icy downpour, relentlessly lashing his bare torso.

My breathing was no longer even; each inhale felt like I was using all the strength in my chest to fight against the invisible pressure coming from all directions.

That oppressive feeling had long surpassed the physical weight, and began to penetrate deep into the soul, seeping into every wisp of spiritual particle and every inch of spiritual structure.

The spiritual pressure within the body, which had been abnormally increasing and surging under pressure, now seemed to have become part of the burden, thrashing about in the narrow meridians.

He was under pressure from both inside and outside, and his existence was being pushed to the brink of collapse from within and crushed from the outside.

My body is nearing its limit.

The body of the Grim Reaper, which had not been reshaped by the power of the Soul King, seemed to be about to touch the bottom line of the "not entering the path of enlightenment" trial, even after the extreme conditioning by Kiryu Hikifune and Tenjiro Kirinji.

However, at this very moment—

A jet-black power emanated from Liu Chuan's body; it was magic that did not exist in this world!

It comes from his past life, the power of Liuchuan's roots, a unique power system that he forcibly created in this life through ten years of painstaking research, fueled by the power of the Grim Reaper.

Sizzle—!

It was as if countless invisible carving knives were rapidly slicing across the surface of his naked upper body!

Accompanied by the surge of magic, a series of complex and mysterious "loops" slowly extend and intertwine, like living things.

It emerged from his chest, shoulders, arms and other key areas, and quickly spread throughout his body!

Ultimately, a "magical circuit" filled with ominous and powerful energy was formed on his upper body!

The pitch-black path glowed faintly, creating an extremely dazzling contrast with the pale gold, pale green, and pale purple spiritual light in the surrounding environment.

As he traveled back, the terrifying external pressure that was almost crushing him seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, and was cleverly "deflected" and "absorbed" in part!

In the depths of those eyes, a faint, dark, demonic light flowed.

He looked down at the black magical circuits on his chest and arms that pulsated slowly like living things, radiating a powerful aura.

This is his trump card, and also his greatest reliance on daring to refuse the power of the Spirit King and firmly believing in his own strength.