Chapter 127: The Hōgyoku's Price
A piercing wail tore from Huang Quan's throat as a horrific fissure split his abdomen open. The wound, crudely stitched together by his Dark Medical Ninjutsu, ruptured completely, revealing the hollow void within his torso.
A malevolent purple fluorescence flickered erratically. An evil aura spread outwards as the Sprite's soul, now detached, coalesced into a swirling cloud of violet mist.
In this moment, stripped of its physical shelter, the Sprite was at its most vulnerable. The instant Huang Quan's body fully failed, the Sprite's soul would dissipate into nothingness.
An unprecedented, primal fear gripped the ancient entity. Feeling the icy touch of true death, the Sprite, still puppeteering Huang Quan's failing body, shrieked in fury, "Damn you! You insignificant insect! You lowly soul! I will not allow you to ruin my designs!"
"I am a king from another world! I am an immortal master! My thousand-year empire is destined to rise upon this land!"
The being that was "Huang Quan" flailed its arms, a final, desperate struggle against an inevitable fate. But before the indifferent gaze of Aizen Sōsuke, its resistance was meaningless.
"The reason you are sinking into your thousand-year delusion," Aizen's voice was as cold and emotionless as frozen steel, "is because you refuse to acknowledge the 'new world.' It is said that when the final curtain falls, I will be the one to end everything with my own hands."
He held Kyōka Suigetsu steady and gave it another light, almost casual flick. A second arc of spiritual energy sliced through the air, piercing through Huang Quan's body once more.
Shing!
The sound of the blade was crisp and clean.
Huang Quan's already weakened body could not withstand a second blow. It crumpled to the stone floor.
A mist of blood sprayed into the air, the scarlet liquid staining the ground. Huang Quan, the man who had schemed for so many years, died as he had lived—filled with bitter resentment and regret, his grand ambition forever unrealized.
"Do you see the truth now, King of the Undead Legion?" Aizen intoned. "This is the new world you so foolishly resist."
"The weak are often incapable of perceiving the true nature of the world, and thus, many tragedies are born. Tell me, self-proclaimed noble Sprite, how does your fate differ from that of the 'ants' you so despised?"
Aizen waved Kyōka Suigetsu, shaking the blood from its blade. The droplets fell to the floor with a soft, rhythmic tick, tick, tick.
The situation was now entirely under Aizen's control. The Sprite was trapped, a fish caught in a net from which there was no escape.
"Aizen! I refuse to accept this! I will kill you!" the Sprite roared, its voice a distorted scream of pure hatred, a final, dying struggle.
"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. With righteousness and integrity, I hereby stand firm!"
"Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan!"
Five massive iron pillars materialized from the air and crashed down, pinning the remains of Huang Quan's body—crushing the head and each limb. The surface of the pillars thrummed with vigorous spiritual power, interweaving to form a potent spiritual barrier.
The completion of this barrier signaled one thing: the soul of the Sprite was now Aizen's captive.
For every measure of virtue, there is a measure of cunning. The mighty King of the Undead Legion had ultimately fallen into Aizen's hands.
Sealed by the overwhelming spiritual power, the Sprite was rendered mute. What panicked it even more was the sensation of that very spiritual power now invading its soul, forcibly occupying and dominating its very essence.
It was a magpie's nest being occupied by a dove!
'No! My end cannot be like this!'
Only endless fear remained in the Sprite's heart. Weakness spread through its spectral form, and the Sprite fell into utter despair.
Aizen's face was a mask of impassivity. No matter how desperate the Sprite's silent wails, they were nothing more than the buzzing of a fly to him.
He concentrated, channeling a continuous stream of spiritual power, methodically working to erase the Sprite's sentience and will. Once he obtained this purified soul, Aizen was confident he could use it to create a new Hōgyoku.
Feeling the true threat of annihilation, the Sprite finally cast aside its pride, sending out wave after wave of pleading, begging for mercy.
But the struggles of an ant are merely irritating dust in the eyes of a beast.
As time trickled by, the Sprite's power rapidly diminished.
Finally, only the last vestige of its consciousness remained.
It was at this precise moment that a long-dormant prompt echoed in Aizen's mind.
[Monster 'Sprite' captured. Hidden mission triggered.]
[Hidden Mission: Divine Artifact, The Hōgyoku!]
[Mission Content: Exchange for equivalent value. Use the captured Sprite soul to trade for an Incomplete Hōgyoku.]
[Exchange Conditions: The Soul of the Sprite. All accumulated Chakra.]
Aizen was momentarily taken aback. Even he had not anticipated the system activating again.
From the moment of his inexplicable transmigration, Aizen had been aware of this mysterious existence within him. Though he resented and resisted the system's presence, he had no choice but to accept its reality.
The system was ethereal and void, usually imperceptible. It only awakened when a specific, hidden condition was met.
This was only the third time it had appeared. The first was to join Konoha and regain Kyōka Suigetsu. The second was to comprehend the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique through his Zanpakutō's power.
And now, this third awakening was for a transaction concerning the Hōgyoku.
According to the system's prompt, by offering the captured Sprite soul, he could obtain a Hōgyoku. But the price was heavy: the complete loss of all the Chakra he had cultivated.
Due to the mutation of his spiritual seed, Aizen's progress in Chakra had been phenomenally rapid. In just two months, he had amassed reserves equivalent to a Jōnin.
This rate of growth was outstanding, even by the standards of the entire shinobi world.
Yet, to obtain this incomplete Hōgyoku, he would have to sacrifice this power entirely. For any shinobi, this would be tantamount to destroying their own future. In the Shinobi Continent, where strength was revered, losing one's Chakra was no different from becoming a worthless cripple.
The price was exorbitant.
Fortunately, Aizen's true identity was not that of a shinobi, but of a Shinigami.
Even if he sacrificed all his Chakra, Aizen felt no fear. The power he truly relied upon was his Reiatsu!
His gaze fell upon the gloomy, swirling soul of the Sprite, a flicker of calculation in his eyes.
To choose, or to refuse?
Even if he completed the transaction, the result would only be an incomplete Hōgyoku, perhaps not even a tenth as powerful as the one he once possessed.
The atmosphere grew solemn once more as Aizen pondered internally. Finally, his eyes hardened with resolve.
He would accept the deal.
With a reverse sweep of his hand, the Sprite's soul was compressed into a pure ball of energy, floating just above his palm. Holding the luminous sphere aloft, Aizen felt a sudden, profound emptiness within him. All the Chakra he had painstakingly accumulated vanished, flowing out of him and merging completely with the Sprite's soul.
CRACK!
A brilliant, blinding light erupted. The Sprite's soul vanished.
In its place, resting gently in Aizen's palm, was a single, beautiful gem that pulsed with a soft, light-blue fluorescence.
The Incomplete Hōgyoku.
💫 Liked the chapter?You can read 100+ extra chapters on Patreon, including the current
Patreon Chapter 228:Szayelaporro Granz
👉 Patreon.com/KudosNey
Your support helps me write more and update faster 💖And don't forget to drop a Power Stone ⭐ — it really motivates me!
Special thanks to All our patreon members : DCor,Joe Mamma,C99mnt,RobbieRay,BuddySchlym,aroachinmyroomsslut 😎
Thank you for reading and supporting! 🙌✨