Li Yuanli strode forward in large steps and, in the blink of an eye, had already charged into the ranks of the Shinigami.
His arrival immediately caused the Shinigami's expressions to turn fierce as they rushed toward him.
"Time rings in chaos and emptiness; filth, disorder, lamentation, the formless and the formed weave together into a long elegy."
"This is the tragic song of space-time, the mournful cry of life itself."
"Bear the weight of time and space."
His Zanpakutō slowly swung through the air. The silver rings hanging from it swayed and drifted in the wind as ripples spread outward in expanding circles, producing eerie syllables that were neither fully sound nor silence, like a hidden god chanting a sorrowful hymn in the darkness.
"Clink-clink, sob-sob, rustle-rustle."
The soundwaves trembled outward and entered the nearest Shinigami. His rapidly moving body instantly became utterly still. Grief, pain, and despair spread across his face. Then, after a brief daze, his stature shrank, his skin softened, and his body became smaller. In mere moments, he had transformed into a child of seven or eight years old.
Rippling waves surrounded him, as though he had been isolated from normal space-time and trapped alone within the time of his childhood.
"No… what is happening?!"
The Shinigami cried out in terror, panic written all over his face.
But no one answered him. The surrounding Shinigami, witnessing the scene with their own eyes, were filled with shock. Cold sweat appeared on their foreheads as awe overtook them.
The power of time, this was the most unfathomable of all abilities.
The years were like blades, cutting silently into every person, sending them unknowingly toward decay and death. Everyone had moments of ultimate weakness: birth and old age. If forced back into either of those states, anyone would become utterly powerless.
But Li Yuanli did not pause. His Zanpakutō flashed, its blade slicing through the body of the now-childlike Shinigami.
Pfft!
Bright red blood sprayed through the air as the corpse collapsed to the ground.
"The silver rings chant time's lament; the blade of time harvests the heads of the fearful."
He stepped forward again. As the silver rings vibrated once more, another Shinigami's body twisted and transformed into a frail old man, trembling so badly he could scarcely move. Li Yuanli cut him down with a single slash as well.
Advancing step by step, Li Yuanli left a trail of Shinigami corpses behind him, shocking everyone who witnessed it.
"A space-time type Zanpakutō… a blade never seen before."
"Little Lili's power is terrifying, he's practically unbeatable in a one-on-one fight!"
Urahara Kisuke muttered with narrowed eyes as he cut down the enemy before him.
This was the Blade of Time and Space, an invincible sword. Who could possibly survive even a second against it?
More than ten breaths later, corpses littered the area around Li Yuanli. He stood there holding his blade, eyes cold and severe.
Usually composed and restrained, he had never displayed such overwhelming dominance before. At this moment, he truly possessed the aura of a king. Standing there alone, not a single Shinigami among the thousands dared step forward for a time.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi Zaraki had fallen into a stalemate. He was being held back by five Captain-class Shinigami, yet his immense Reiatsu allowed him to leave wounds on all of them despite fighting one against five.
It was obvious that although the Shinigami army of the Nie Kingdom possessed both quality and numbers, they had only recently arrived and still lacked familiarity with their own powers.
The eight members of the Masked Legion had also been dragged into the enemy's sea-of-men tactics. Every one of them was powerful, but compared to the vast Shinigami army of the Nie Kingdom, they still seemed somewhat insignificant.
Across the entire battlefield, the most eye-catching place was where Li Yuanli stood.
He alone dominated the field. No opponent facing him could withstand even a single move.
"Ten of us together!!"
A Shinigami possessing Third Seat–level Reiatsu shouted loudly from the battlefield.
Together they roared:
"Shikai!"
Their Zanpakutō released into Shikai, Reiatsu surging upward. Leaning forward, they sprinted ahead in large strides. The ten attacked from different directions, forming a shrinking circle around Li Yuanli.
One-on-one combat was hopeless. Even taking turns attacking would change nothing. So what if they increased the number attacking simultaneously?
Squads upon squads had already formed ranks around Li Yuanli, preparing coordinated follow-up assaults.
"Time chants, body mourns, soul cries out!"
"This blade… is the blade of my very being!"
Seeing the ten approaching, Li Yuanli suddenly tightened his grip on the Zanpakutō and violently stabbed it into the ground before him.
CRACK… CRACK… CRACK!
An immense Reiatsu erupted instantly, accompanied by that haunting melody once again. The ten charging Shinigami were all caught within the turbulence of distorted time and space.
But even after becoming children or elderly men, the ten retained wills as hard as steel. They still raised their blades and charged forward with absolute determination.
"Draw the blade, sever the soul!"
Li Yuanli's gaze turned icy as he gripped the hilt embedded in the ground and abruptly pulled out the Zanpakutō, Time's Cry.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that instant, Time's Cry erupted with light. More than a dozen streaks of radiance condensed into silver crescent-shaped slashes that shot outward in an instant.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Moments later, the crescent-shaped beams scattered apart, forming a ring as they directly sliced through the ten charging Shinigami.
"You think trash like this can harvest the life of this king?"
"You truly underestimate the power of me, King Yuanli!"
Li Yuanli swept his long blade through the air and stood proudly in place as he spoke coldly.
The red-haired Shinigami narrowed his eyes.
"Ten Captains. Move out immediately."
"My time is precious. I won't waste it here."
The moment his order was given, ten figures burst forward while the other Shinigami retreated and cleared the battlefield.
"King Yuanli, we admit your space-time powers are strange and terrifying."
"But we are not weaklings either."
"Today, you will undoubtedly die!"
The cold voices entered Li Yuanli's ears, causing his gaze to become even sharper.
Pointing his blade forward, he let out a low sneer.
"Then come."
At that moment, the aura around him grew even denser. The Reiatsu surrounding him became heavier and more immense.
Even stranger, the silver rings that had once hung from the blade transformed into strands of silver light that wrapped around the sword itself, turning into savage barbs.
"This blade is my blade; this moment is my time!"
"By the decree of a king, I command you…"
"Shine like the blazing sun!"
A low chant emerged from Li Yuanli's mouth. The terrifying aura suddenly pouring from him shocked everyone present.
"Move! Stop him!"
"This presence… it's become even more horrifying!"
The ten Captain-class Shinigami of the Nie Kingdom changed expressions. Waving their Zanpakutō, they immediately rushed forward.
But the moment they came within five meters of Li Yuanli, shock appeared on their faces.
"This is?!!"
Crack… crack… crack…
A bone-white mask spread across Li Yuanli's face at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly taking the shape of a terrifying skeletal mask.
At the same time, an astonishing aura exploded from his body. The violent Reiatsu and ominous pressure instantly shattered the ground beneath his feet, while dust spiraled outward like a tornado in every direction.
"Little Lili has infused the power of time and space into himself!"
"He still hasn't fully mastered his Mask, but by turning himself into the strongest possible version of his current self, he can completely control this kind of power!"
"What a genius!"
Urahara Kisuke exclaimed in admiration.
(End of Chapter)
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