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The shattered mask crumbled into dust and slowly vanished.
The face beneath the mask became clearly visible, revealing Li Yuanli.
"Your Majesty!" He strode forward with a look of panic on his face, and rushed to Qin Yi's side.
"Yuanli, do you know him?" Urahara Kisuke asked, feeling puzzled.
"Mm-hmm," Li Yuanli nodded gravely, studying Qin Yi's condition with intense focus. After a long moment, his expression darkened considerably.
"What happened to him? How did he get so badly injured?"
In Li Yuanli's memory, Qin Yi had always been the epitome of elegance and refinement, a true Expert in every sense of the word. He had never seen him so grievously wounded before.
Lifting his head, Li Yuanli's gaze locked onto Kenpachi Zaraki with unwavering intensity.
"That brat killed Kenpachi Chengdui," Zaraki growled.
These words sent a shockwave through the assembled group. Everyone knew exactly who Kenpachi Chengdui was: the Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei Thirteen! His combat prowess was renowned throughout the Soul Society, placing him among its most formidable warriors.
"Are you serious, Zaraki? Don't joke about this." Urahara Kisuke asked, his voice stunned.
Of everyone present, Kenpachi Zaraki undoubtedly understood the madman's true strength better than anyone else. Having lost to Kenpachi Chengdui eighteen times, Zaraki had a profound grasp of his capabilities.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Zaraki replied in a grave voice as he glanced at Qin Yi lying on the ground.
A faint image flashed before his eyes: that man's frenzied, defiant, and domineering sword swings. The reckless abandon with which he pursued his goals, disregarding even his own life, was enough to shatter any obstacle in his path.
If not for that insane, berserk drive, the man would never have won that battle.
"And it's precisely because of that madness that he ended up like this! Urahara, he's incredibly strong!" Zaraki repeated earnestly.
Urahara Kisuke's expression grew grave. He took a few steps forward, knelt beside Qin Yi, and began examining his injuries.
"Mr. Urahara, please, you must save him!"
"He... he is my King!"
The moment Li Yuanli saw Qin Yi, he had already suspected something was amiss. After Kenpachi Zaraki finished recounting the events, Li Yuanli's heart trembled.
He understood perfectly: Qin Yi was lying here entirely because of him.
The dying message he had sent had not deterred His Majesty; instead, it had driven him to recklessly charge into this world.
The Emperor's wrath had been unleashed to avenge the deep-seated grudge against his enemy! At that moment, Li Yuanli's heart surged with conflicting emotions. His hands trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Every king is born into solitude. The weight of their position forces them to constantly calculate and consider every angle. As they grow, their isolation deepens, their hearts grow colder, and they rarely entrust their full devotion to others. Yet here was his King, avenging a mere subject like himself.
From the moment he sent the message, Li Yuanli had already braced himself for being abandoned. He never imagined Qin Yi would rush into this world for his sake.
Now, Li Yuanli's heart trembled. His sense of loyalty and belonging toward Qin Yi had reached an indescribable level.
"Qin Yi," He said, his voice thick with emotion. "From this day forward, I will be your eternal Royal Subject!"
Clutching Qin Yi's hand tightly, Li Yuanli's vision blurred with tears. In all his life, no one had ever gone to such lengths for him. Qin Yi was the first!
Urahara Kisuke observed Li Yuanli's expression; causing his curiosity to be piqued, but he kept his questions to himself.
Their acquaintance had been purely coincidental. One day, they happened to encounter a Hollow, and Li Yuanli had intervened to help him, forging their connection. Not long ago, Urahara had found Li Yuanli lying in a pool of blood and had intervened again, saving his life.
It could be said that Li Yuanli's survival was entirely due to karmic cycles, a mysterious and inexorable destiny.
"His body is in quite a dire state!" After examining him for a moment, Urahara Kisuke's gaze narrowed slightly. "He's lost far too much blood. An ordinary person would have died long ago… And look at this!"
Slowly lifting Qin Yi's robes, Urahara revealed a horrifying array of gaping wounds across his abdomen, chest, and shoulders, it was truly a truly chilling sight.
Kenpachi Zaraki's pupils constricted. He had personally witnessed Qin Yi, despite these grievous injuries, forcibly slaughter Kenpachi Chengdui before finally collapsing unconscious.
"Mr. Urahara, please! Save him!" Li Yuanli pleaded urgently.
"The only way now is to transform him into a Shinigami, just like you," Urahara replied gravely.
Kushida Kisuke narrowed his eyes and said, "Shinigami!"
Li Yuanli froze, taken aback.
Strictly speaking, becoming a Shinigami hadn't changed much about his fundamental nature. In fact, now that his soul and body were separated, he could easily accomplish things he never could before. He had even gained a Zanpakutō and the ability to use Hollow Masks for short-term combat boosts.
But this was a path he had chosen willingly, the only way for him to survive.
He had no choice!
After this transformation, his body became just an Gigai(Faux Body), a mere vessel. Whether he kept it or not made no difference; it was more of a hindrance.
"But... can't his physical body be healed?" Li Yuanli hesitated, feeling deep down that retaining their King's body might still have some advantages.
"It could be healed, but he must survive first," Kushida replied. "His body is barely clinging to life. If it dies, his soul will perish too. Then he'll truly be gone forever!"
Urahara Kisuke spoke urgently, "Transform him into a Shinigami!"
Li Yuanli hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and made his decision. No matter what, surviving first was the most important thing.
"Then I'll need to extract his soul first," Urahara Kisuke said.
He moved his hand, preparing to reach into Qin Yi's body.
But at that very moment, Qin Yi, who had been lying motionless on the ground with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. His gaze was chilling, filled with a bloodthirsty madness.
"This emperor... can still be saved!"
"Huh?"
Everyone present was stunned, but Li Yuanli was overjoyed.
"Your Majesty!"
Urahara Kisuke reacted swiftly. "Your physical body is on the verge of collapse! And haven't you noticed your soul already beginning to transform into a Hollow?"
Qin Yi's gaze turned colder, his pupils now crimson. A bone-white substance was materializing across his soul form, gradually encasing it.
This was undeniable evidence of his soul's progression toward becoming a Hollow.
"Then let me complete my transformation into a Shinigami within this body!"
"No! It's too dangerous! If you fail to become a Shinigami, you'll become a frenzied, ravenous Great Hollow! Moreover, a being with such potent King's Aura, upon transforming into a Hollow, would undoubtedly become the most formidable Hollow King! The risk is far too great!"
Urahara Kisuke declared loudly, his gaze piercingly sharp. His eyes clearly saw the Hollow's bony armor thickening on this man, the ominous aura growing stronger.
This man was on the verge of losing control.
Yet even so, Qin Yi's eyes remained cold and utterly domineering.
"Tell me the method for transforming into a Shinigami!"
"Whether it's the power of Hollows or the power of Shinigami..."
"I will claim both!"
(End of Chapter)