Tsunayashiro Tokinada was a valuable man.
At least, Aizen thought so.
Aside from his research value as a Captain-class Soul Reaper, the Kidō barrier he had developed was also incredibly precious.
By drawing analogies from it, Aizen's comprehension of trigger-type Kidō deepened significantly.
Beyond that, there was one crucial point—
The absolute power contained within the Kidō barrier.
Inside the giant enclosed space of the laboratory on Mount Koifushi.
Wearing anti-glare glasses, Aizen stared intently at the changes inside the container. A faint, fire-like substance contracted countless times in an instant, then rapidly expanded and spread.
In the end, it formed an existence akin to dust.
From a microscopic perspective, it seemed to contain an entire world.
Countless variations emerged from within, constantly colliding and bursting with wave after wave of light.
As precise as a piece of machinery, millions of changes converged into one spot, ultimately forming this speck of faint light whose profound mysteries were too complex for the naked eye to discern.
It burned, ascended, annihilated, advanced, halted, and exhausted every possible transformation.
It was simply a miracle.
Aizen lowered his gaze and turned off the equipment in front of him, concluding this research session.
It had been some time since they returned to the Soul Society from the Human World. Because their whereabouts couldn't be exposed, after putting Tsunayashiro Tokinada through the standard procedures, he was placed into a container in this private laboratory.
He was enjoying the exact same treatment as the former King of Hueco Mundo, Arturo.
Through his experiments and research over this period, Aizen had discovered the secret of this power.
To be precise, he was inspired by the data records of Tsunayashiro Taketori and Umino Unpei.
The reason Tsunayashiro Tokinada could create his exclusive Kidō barrier largely stemmed from the authority of the Spirit King's power.
Unlike Umino Unpei and Tsunayashiro Taketori, the power hidden within this exclusive Kidō barrier could be completely extracted.
It took Aizen quite some effort to extract the desired substance from his Zanpakutō, Enzō.
It was the constantly changing miracle inside the container.
Of course, these changes only occurred under the influence of external forces. In its normal state, the Spirit King's power appeared entirely unremarkable.
Driven by curiosity, Aizen began conducting various studies on the Spirit King's power.
The first thing he discovered was that the so-called Spirit King's power was actually fragments of the Spirit King's body.
The Spirit King, who should have been sitting high above, had his body carved up and his authority divided by the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans over the long course of history, leaving only an empty shell in the Soul King Palace.
Secondly, the Spirit King fragments possessed immense plasticity.
It seemed possible to reconstruct and mold them through special means to create a new Spirit King.
When he reached this conclusion, a thought suddenly popped into Aizen's mind: if a new Spirit King was truly created, what would happen to the one sitting in the Soul King Palace?
*Could I take his place?*
Although ordinary people would view such a thought as high treason, Aizen, who never liked following the rules to begin with, developed a profound interest in it.
*Create a Spirit King?*
A strange light flickered behind his plain lenses. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have discovered an entirely new path.
But before that...
He needed to acquire more Spirit King fragments.
"Master Fong, try attacking her lower body."
Inside Squad 2's exclusive dojo, two agile figures constantly clashed, erupting with high-pitched shockwaves.
"Hmph, even with outside help, it won't work!"
Yoruichi crouched slightly, her slender and well-proportioned muscles suddenly tightening layer by layer like precise machinery.
"Soifon, if you didn't listen carefully to my previous teachings, you're going to suffer a bit next."
"Shunkō!"
Highly compressed Kidō Reiatsu exploded from her shoulder blades, and a terrifying wave of white air surged outward, blowing away the dust on the nearby ground.
The ground shattered with a bang, and the agile, cat-like figure vanished instantly.
Soifon's pupils shrank. Without any hesitation, she immediately activated her still-unfamiliar Shunkō technique.
The same Kidō Reiatsu erupted, whipping up a fierce gale on her slender back, continuously providing a steady stream of power to her limbs and torso.
Seeing this, Yoruichi grinned, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.
In her spare time, one of her few joys was training the petite and cute Soifon.
Considering her identity in the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi had taught her Shunkō.
As expected of the most talented girl, she certainly didn't disappoint.
Although she couldn't master it proficiently yet, being able to use it in combat was enough to double Soifon's strength.
Her slender fingers brushed lightly as if plucking guitar strings, finally clenching into a fist. The moment her light footsteps stepped forward...
Soifon's thin fist carried a shrieking whistle through the air, bursting with air currents as it charged straight toward Yoruichi, who was above and behind her.
*Bang!*
Two petite yet powerful fists collided, kicking up a fierce hurricane, as if a bomb had instantly detonated.
With both of them activating Shunkō simultaneously, their strength and speed had increased by more than just a single level.
Exquisite Hakuda techniques were continuously displayed by the two of them. Their movements grew increasingly swift and fierce, constantly erupting with massive momentum.
They surged wildly, like a churning, turbulent tide.
Naraku Sora sat at the edge of the dojo, chewing on pastries specially prepared by Marechiyo and sipping top-grade Hagoromo tea, looking relaxed and content.
He offered a few pointers from time to time, trying to help Soifon last a bit longer.
Compared to the rough men in the Shino Prison hacking at each other and engaging in passionate brawls, the fight before him was much more visually appealing.
After seeing too many eye-burning scenes, occasionally coming to Squad 2 to cleanse his eyes was a pretty good choice.
Although the young girl was exceptionally talented in Hakuda, she was still a bit lacking compared to Yoruichi.
After all, how many of those who could become Soul Reaper Captains were mediocre?
Although he often joked about her being a unit of measurement for combat power, that was only because the opponents she fought were too strong.
If it were an ordinary Soul Reaper soldier or seated officer facing Kensei Muguruma, they would only be instantly killed without the slightest room to struggle.
It didn't take long for Soifon to fall at a disadvantage. She could only retreat step by step amidst Yoruichi's hearty laughter until she was completely defeated and pinned firmly beneath her.
Feeling the soft suppression on her face, Soifon flushed red and mumbled softly, "Lord Yoruichi, I... I yield..."
Hearing her concede, Yoruichi laughed out loud and released her restrained limbs.
The young girl stood up from the ground. She first dusted off Yoruichi's clothes, then patted her own.
Then, she raised her gaze to look at the spot that had just suppressed her, and looked down at her own chest. Soifon's expression couldn't help but stiffen.
No matter which aspect it was, she had lost miserably.
"Haha, Sora, now that I've mastered Shunkō, I'm invincible! There's nothing in this world that can stop me anymore!"
Yoruichi's posture of laughing with her hands on her hips made Naraku Sora feel a bit familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but thinking carefully, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
However, arrogance was not a good habit.
As the live-in son-in-law of the Shihōin Clan, he had an obligation to properly correct her.
Thinking of this, Naraku Sora waved at Soifon.
The young girl subconsciously walked toward him, but halfway there, she seemed to suddenly think of something. Her small face immediately tensed up, and she turned to look at Yoruichi.
But obviously, Yoruichi didn't care about these minor details.
Naraku Sora shoved his removed haori into Soifon's hands, then skillfully took off the upper half of his Shishakushō and tied it around his waist, revealing his lean, muscular torso.
The perfect muscle lines made Soifon a little dizzy.
"Let me have a go with the invincible Master Yoruichi."
Naraku Sora grinned. Without even erupting his Reiatsu, he just walked straight over.
Yoruichi directly chose to strike first.
Anyone who frequently sparred with Naraku Sora knew that if they didn't seize the rhythm at the very beginning, the rest of the battle would be extremely miserable.
Flash Step flickered.
Yoruichi crossed the distance between them like a streak of light. Her body leaped high into the air, and her plump thighs erupted with powerful force, chopping downward like a battle axe.
*Bang!*
The explosive sound of physical collision echoed through the dojo, and the sweeping gale was even more massive than before.
However, such a fierce strike still couldn't make Naraku Sora take a single step back.
He merely raised his right hand and caught that slender ankle between his five fingers.
When a sneak attack failed to gain the upper hand, what followed was merciless torment.
Out of respect for Yoruichi, Naraku Sora didn't hold back too much.
This also caused Yoruichi to fight an exceptionally difficult battle. No matter what kind of offensive she launched, the other party would neutralize it in an effortless manner.
Even when she pushed the intensity of her Shunkō to the absolute limit, she still couldn't bring him a trace of pressure.
Ten minutes later.
Yoruichi was panting heavily. Sweat soaked her temples and dripped from her smooth jawline.
It blended into her sleeveless Shishakushō, soaking the collar and dyeing it a darker shade.
"I don't understand..."
"Why is your proficiency with Shunkō even higher than mine?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "Want to learn? I'll teach you."
Hearing this, Yoruichi froze for a moment, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
He had originally planned to impart a few techniques regarding Shunkō and then leave, but unexpectedly, Yoruichi dragged him to an extremely hidden cave.
Steaming hot air filled the inside; it appeared to be a hot spring.
"Let's set the teaching location here," Yoruichi said casually. "This is a private collection of the Shihōin Clan. Various herbs have been added to it, which can relieve physical fatigue after intense training."
"Other people don't have the qualifications to come here."
"Learning while soaking in a hot spring is also a new way of training."
Naraku Sora briefly sensed his surroundings. The concentration of Reishi in the air was indeed much higher than outside the cave.
Aside from the smell of sulfur, a unique medicinal fragrance also permeated the air.
He could only say that the foundation of the Five Great Noble Clans was simply too profound. Anything they casually pulled out was something ordinary Soul Reapers could only dream of.
While the two were talking, Soifon had very thoughtfully placed their bathrobes neatly on the stone platform, then said respectfully:
"Lord Yoruichi, Lord Naraku."
"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."
Hearing this, Yoruichi tilted her head. "Where are you going?"
"It's hard-won teaching time, are you going to stand guard outside?"
"But..." Soifon hesitated.
Before she could speak again, Yoruichi had already placed a hand on her shoulder. The young girl turned her head, her eyes meeting Yoruichi's.
Despite the faint mist, Soifon could still clearly see the malicious intent in those eyes, and a strong sense of crisis instantly rose in her heart.
"Lord... Lord Yoruichi, wait, I..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a wicked hand reached out. Amidst a scream, Yoruichi ruthlessly threw the petite figure into the hot spring.
Splashing water filled the air.
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