Looking at the banner 'Welcome to Shiba Kukaku Mansion' hanging on the two arm-shaped pillars in front of him, Kurosaki Ichigo's eyes were filled with speechlessness.
"What's wrong with you here, bastard?"
Shiba Kukaku retorted angrily, "Is this the long-lost greeting? Careful if I don't help you launch it?"
"Launch...what?" Kurosaki Ichigo curled his lips slightly, looking confused.
"This is it!"
The monk on the side chuckled and pointed at the Tianzhu Chariot behind him. "I blame the Tianzhu Chariot for not being able to return to the Spiritual Palace on its own!"
"Why do you sound so proud? This is not something worthy of praise, okay..." Kurosaki Ichigo complained speechlessly, "Didn't we agree that there is a so-called super spiritual art in Soul King Palace? Even this kind of
Can’t do anything?”
"That's right! The Soul King's Palace has a unique super-spiritual technique, but it still can't do this kind of thing!" The monk was still confident.
"That's enough...I've already said that this is not something to be proud of..." Kurosaki Ichigo covered his face, wondering why he now feels that the guys in Team Zero are not very reliable.
"Okay, it's about to launch, hurry up and get on it!"
Shiba Kongkaku, who was on the side, watched the two chatting and reminded him angrily.
"Oh oh oh--"
Then, amid a burst of exclamations from Ichigo Kurosaki, the Tianzhu Chariot was launched and disappeared into the sky like a rocket taking off.
"Are you leaving? Sister."
After Kurosaki Ichigo followed the Zero Squadron people and disappeared in the Tenzhu Chariot, Shiba Ganjiu scratched his head and stepped forward and asked, "Speaking of which, the Zero Squadron guys are really relieved, knowing that we are also the ones
Men under men.”
If Ichigo Kurosaki were here, he would probably be surprised to find that there are several people following Shiba Iwajiu at this moment.
This is Ginjo Kūgo and his companions who were supposed to be taken to the new world by Xuanhao.
I don't know when it started, but the forces of the New World seem to have penetrated the entire Soul Society.
"So what if I know? The Soul King is just that man's pawn..." Shiba Kukaku sighed as he looked at the sky without looking back, "Even if I know, there is only one way to go."
············
boom--
With a loud noise, the Tianzhu chariot returned to its original position in front of the Lingwang Palace.
There are many similar pillars standing on both sides of the road in front of the door. It seems that they are just ordinary decorations for the Soul King Palace.
"Come out, Kurosaki Ichigo!"
The monk urged, "We are here!"
"Is this...the Spirit King's Palace?"
Kurosaki Ichigo came out of the open door of the Tianzhu chariot and looked at the floating palace in confusion.
It is completely invisible from below. This palace seems to be located in another dimension different from Soul Society.
"Yes! Be proud! No ordinary god of death has ever been able to set foot here." The monk laughed, "But you don't seem to be an ordinary god of death..."
Kurosaki Ichigo ignored the other party's joke, but looked at the palace doubtfully.
He remembered that this was the place where Aizen wanted to make a key to enter even if he did not hesitate to destroy the entire Karakura Town. He did not expect that he could get in so easily.
key……
"Wait... wait! Didn't you say that you can't set foot in the Spirit King Palace without the King Key? Did you use something similar just now?"
Kurosaki Ichigo asked doubtfully. He had never seen these people take out anything similar to a key from the beginning to the end.
"hey-hey--"
The monk smiled and rolled up his sleeves, making fists to show off his strong muscles, "This is it!"
"!?" Kurosaki Ichigo looked confused.
"The so-called 'King Key' is actually the 'Bone of Ours' that was rebuilt with the power of the Soul King when he was selected as the Zero Division." The monk explained calmly.
Shutara Senjumaru on the side nodded slightly and continued: "Therefore, there are only two ways to enter the Soul King's Palace.
One is to enter with our permission, but to enter with us.
Sosuke Aizen wants to create the 'King Key', in other words, he wants to use his own spiritual skills to create us. Creating life and conquering the king, no matter which of them are areas that mortals cannot touch, it is simply an attempt to replace the gods.
.
Aizen Sosuke, it can be said...he is even evil!
However, Kurosaki Ichigo, you are just like him now."
Whether it's Aizen, Yhwach, or a transcendent who wants to make you a 'new king', their purpose is to create a 'god'.
The only difference...is that the Spirit King seems to have approved the approach of the 'Transcendent' and believes that imparting the 'Throne' to you will be beneficial to the development of the world."
"Am I also...evil?"
Kurosaki Ichigo was slightly startled when he heard this.
"In our eyes, anyone who attempts to replace the spiritual king we serve and become a god is evil." The monk said lightly, "But the final result is not determined by our will after all. I just hope that you will not become someone else in the end.
They are just pawns to control the world."
"As far as I know... that man doesn't seem to be interested in controlling the world. He is just doing this for Inoue..." Kurosaki Ichigo murmured in reply.
"In order for a girl to live an ordinary life? It's such a ridiculous but reasonable reason... It's the best, but you and I have to witness it with our own eyes to know the final result."
"Okay, stand still."
The speaker, Kurosaki Ichigo, has been pushed to stand on a prestigious platform.
"What are you doing standing here?"
Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the retreating people with confusion, then looked at the platform under his feet, feeling a bad premonition arise in his heart.
"Just stand still! Are you ready? You're going up! You can fly! Don't move around, otherwise you will accidentally lose your life——"
On the side, Tenshiro of Kirin Temple roared and reminded, and then made a gesture to slap the switch next to him with both hands.
"preparation--"
"Hey, hey! Wait! Fly?"
Kurosaki Ichigo was slightly startled when he heard this, "Isn't this already in the sky? Where else are you going to fly to?"
"Idiot, what nonsense are you talking about with your eyes open?"
Tenshiro of Kirinji Temple pointed angrily at a higher place and reminded, "Look up and see clearly, we are only on the Soul King Palace Omotesando now. This is the entrance to the Soul King Palace main hall!"
"Uh?" Kurosaki Ichigo raised his head again after hearing this, and then realized that there were several taller buildings above his head. This Spirit King's Palace was far larger than imagined. It should be said that it is worthy of ruling the world.
The palace where the 'king' is?
"Then I will go to the Spiritual King's Palace to see the Spiritual King next?"
"You don't have that qualification yet! We have to wait until you pass the test of the five of us!"
As he spoke, Kirin Temple Tenshiro pointed to the five palaces suspended next to the magnificent main hall in the sky.
"The five cities floating around are the 'Lingban Lidian' under the jurisdiction of our Zero Squadron!"
"city……"
Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the five cities that seemed to be even larger than the Seireitei alone, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
These seem to have been created by the Spirit King, and according to what the monk just said, the Spirit King also has the ability to reconstruct life.
Is this the power of the King of the World?
In his impression, that man seemed to have the same ability.
Now he seems to understand.
This is a chess game in which the 'Transcendent' and the 'King' plan to create a better world.
The only difference between the Soul King and that man is probably that he doesn't have a particularly clear sense of self, so he seems to be being used by the other person.
But in fact, this kind of development may be the wisest path for the Soul King?
"Okay, get ready, this time it's really going to start."
Kirin Temple Tenshiro reminded, "The first place you want to go is one of these five separate halls! My uncle's 'Kilin Hall'!"
············
The screen changes.
Kurosaki Ichigo was soaking in the hot spring with a towel on his face with a confused look on his face.
"Didn't I agree that I have to pass your approval? Then there should be a test? Why did you suddenly soak in the hot spring?"
"So this is the test, idiot."
Kirin Temple Tenshiro answered confidently.
At this moment, a shadow emerged from the water next to him.
"Ah! No, it actually floated!"
He reached out his hand and pressed it down as if nothing had happened.
Although it was only for a moment, Kurosaki Ichigo could clearly see the face of the figure that emerged from the water.
"Byakuya!? Wait! Wait! Why do you have to push him down? He will drown, right? By the way, when did you bring Byakuya in?"
"The chirping is so annoying..."
Kirinji Tenshiro sighed helplessly, then reached out and grabbed the water. Renji Abarai was pulled out of the water by his hair like he was pulling out a carrot, and then he pushed him down again.
"It's not just Byakuya."
"Holy shit! Renji!"
Kurosaki Ichigo was in a mess. He looked around, and sure enough, he found black shoulder-length hair and a round butt floating on the water behind him, and his old face suddenly turned red.
"Even Rukia..."
"Shut up and go soak in the hot springs."
Tenshiro of Kirinji Temple leaned angrily on the stone beside the pool and explained calmly, "The traumatized spiritual pressure will be squeezed out by the spring water along with the blood."
"What do you mean?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked still confused.
"See that red pool over there?"
Kirin Temple Tenshiro calmly raised his hand and pointed to another pool on the side.
"How come I don't see a hot spring but a blood pool hell written on it?"
Kurosaki Ichigo felt ashamed.
That's right, he looked in the direction of the man's finger and saw only a pool of blood with thick smoke, which looked like a scene from hell.
"Stop blabbering, it's like this...throw Byakuya, who is exhausted from being squeezed here, into the Blood Pond Hell!" Tenshiro of Kirinji Temple fished out Byakuya Kuchiki from the bottom of the pool without any explanation.
Throw it into the hell-like pool of blood.
"Wow!" Kurosaki Ichigo was horrified when he saw this, "What on earth do you want to do!? Byakuya's life is hanging by a thread! Something is very wrong with your pool!"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Tenshiro of Kirin Temple pointed at the pool they were soaking in angrily and explained, "Drain the blood in this 'Bone Hell' and then throw it into the 'Blood Pool Hell' to replenish it! This way
Repeated several times, finally every drop of the rotten blood and spiritual pressure in the body was replaced with my hot spring water! This is my method of treatment!"
"What kind of treatment is this?"
"Have you...did you ever take a dip in a similar pool at that fellow Urahara Kisuke's training ground?"
"Um? You know this too?"
"Of course, that guy's pool is an inferior product that I tried to imitate after analyzing my hot spring temple." Kirin Temple Tenshiro stood up proudly, "Shut up and take a good dip. You don't have to worry about a minor injury like yours.
In just one night, you’ll be more alive than before!”
"So...don't I need your approval? What about the trial?"
"It's so long-winded. They say this is a trial." With that said, Qilin Temple Tenshiro waved his hands and left with an impatient expression.
"Yeah……"
Kurosaki Ichigo looked at the other person's back as he left.
This was obviously just helping him treat his injuries.
This grumpy guy seems to be a nice guy?
············
"Dong dong——"
On the other side, inside the Seireitei after Ichigo Kurosaki left.
Ise Nanao knocked on the captain's room where her captain was.
"Captain, I'm coming in."
Seeing no one responded, she opened the door and walked into the room to check, "I'm sorry."
What surprised her was that Kyōraku Shunsui was clearly in the room.
"Really, Captain! Since you are here, please respond to me properly!"
"Xiao Qixu..."
What was unusual was that in the face of Ise Nanao's complaints, Kyoraku Shunsui did not quibble this time, but said in an extremely solemn tone, "Maybe we... have to separate."
"Uh?" Ise Nanao was slightly startled when he heard this, looking a little at a loss.
"Look at this..."
Kyōraku Shunsui did not explain, but turned around with a wry smile and handed a document in his hand to the other party, "This is the letter of appointment from the Zero Division. Really... spare me, those guys are so called to rebuild the Gotei Ten."
It turns out that the third team just re-appointed the captain..."
That's right, the appointment letter clearly stated that he was to serve as the captain of the Gotei 13 and the captain of the First Division.
"Are you an idiot?" Ise Nanao looked at the appointment letter in his hand, which was full of black lines. "You said something that made me think that you were not going to die soon! It was like life and death! Soul Society is very short of manpower now.
Ah! Look carefully at the back!"
"Um...is that so? I was careless..."
Kyoraku Shunsui scratched his head in embarrassment and took back the appointment letter. Sure enough, it said on the back, "Ise Nanao was promoted together with the captain Kyoraku Shunsui."
The affairs of the chief captain are far busier than those of other division captains, especially under this situation, so the presence of the deputy captain is indispensable.
Therefore, the Zero Squadron took this into consideration and very humanely allowed Ise Nanao to be promoted to assist.
"Ah, we don't have to separate anymore, Nanao-chan! This is fate!"