"Hoo…"
"Looks like my luck wasn't bad. I didn't run into too much trouble—
my zanpakutō has finally truly awakened…"
As the final wisp of spiritual particles faded away,
the chaotic land before Bai Chen gradually returned to calm, once again brimming with vitality.
"Wood Dragon…"
"That's the name of my zanpakutō."
Lowering his gaze to the thorn-covered blade in his hand, Bai Chen revealed a satisfied smile.
Through the blade's surface—where green light continuously flickered—
he could clearly sense a terrifyingly powerful energy flowing within.
Obviously…
It contained not only the power of Wood Release,
but also the tangible manifestation of the boundless spiritual energy granted by the Ultimate Sage Body.
"From now on, there are no more restrictions…"
"I can finally use Wood Release however I please!"
Filled with anticipation, Bai Chen began channeling reiatsu into his zanpakutō.
Then—
"Deep Forest Emergence!"
With a soft shout,
Without any overt movement from Bai Chen,
his reiatsu transformed into a source of life, causing the ground itself to tremble!
In countless fissures of the earth,
Massive trees formed from solidified reiatsu erupted violently, growing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
In just a few breaths—
An entire forest was created out of thin air, blotting out the sky!
"Not bad…"
"Even across such a massive area, I can still control every single tree—
down to each individual branch!"
Bai Chen discovered this with delight.
Without the slightest effort, he could manipulate everything at will.
Trees could be used for defense.
Vines and thorns could be commanded to launch large-scale attacks, creating unavoidable killing zones.
Binding.
Entangling.
Absorbing reiatsu.
All of it came naturally.
And this—
Was only one ability of his Wood-type zanpakutō.
Let alone the countless other Wood Release techniques!
To put it simply—
As long as Bai Chen's imagination was rich enough,
and backed by the endless reiatsu of the Ultimate Sage Body—
Attack, defense, support, suppression, control…
This Wood-type zanpakutō had no upper limit.
It was practically an all-purpose omnipotent weapon among zanpakutō!
Taking advantage of his abundant energy,
and while his mental strength had yet to feel strained,
After Deep Forest Emergence, Bai Chen continued experimenting:
Wood Clones.
Wood Bindings.
Hellish Entanglement.
Summoning massive wooden dragons.
He was extremely satisfied with every technique,
and his mastery improved naturally without him even noticing.
Finally—
As fatigue set in and his consciousness was about to withdraw from his inner world—
Bai Chen indulged in a bit of mischief, channeling his inner Yamato-like craftsmanship.
Using Four-Pillar House Technique, he constructed an entire villa complex out of thin air—
Fully satisfying his fantasy of becoming a real-estate tycoon.
It felt incredibly good.
The Next Day
The sun blazed overhead.
Early in the morning, after washing up,
Bai Chen put on his academy uniform and, carrying his newly awakened zanpakutō, headed straight for the classroom.
However—
The moment he stepped inside,
Aside from the homeroom teacher and his familiar classmates,
he spotted two unfamiliar figures.
"They are…"
"Shiba Isshin! Matsumoto Rangiku?!"
"What's going on?! Why are two members of the Tenth Division here at Shinō Academy?"
As Bai Chen entered the classroom and looked toward the podium—
Seeing the two figures clad in shihakushō, and recognizing them—
He couldn't help but feel stunned.
That's right.
At the front of the classroom stood two figures, side by side.
On the left—
A tall man wearing a captain's haori over his shihakushō.
On the right—
A voluptuous woman with fiery orange wavy hair,
a striking beauty mark by her lips, and curves impossible to ignore.
These two sudden visitors were also familiar figures from the story—
Shiba Isshin,
and his lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku.
At the same time—
While Bai Chen was still processing the shock—
Both Isshin and Rangiku sensed his presence immediately.
"Aha!"
"Good timing—didn't have to wait long at all!"
"So this is the legendary strongest genius…"
"Hello there, Bai Chen."
Standing at the podium,
Shiba Isshin turned his head toward Bai Chen and greeted him cheerfully.
Beside him,
Matsumoto Rangiku smiled and gave Bai Chen a friendly nod.
"They're… here for me?" Bai Chen was stunned.
He clearly remembered—
Unless someone had passed the graduation assessment,
captains normally don't recruit academy students directly inside the academy.
So then—
How could the sudden appearance of two captains be explained?
Seeming to read Bai Chen's confusion,
Shiba Isshin stretched lazily and announced with a playful grin, loud enough for the entire class to hear:
"No need to be confused, Bai Chen."
"We're not here on our own initiative."
"We're here on the old man's orders—completely by the book."
As he spoke, Isshin's smile widened, and he deliberately raised his voice:
"Starting today…"
"You won't be staying in Class One anymore."
"Instead—"
"You'll be training exclusively under the two of us!"
The moment those words fell—
The classroom exploded into chaos.
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