The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

If it were Tianpeng operating it, he and the lid would probably be blown away by the enormous impact in an instant. But the one operating it here is Stark, who easily suppressed the impact with just a little effort.

Chapter 102 Farewell

"The passage has been opened, Urahara. I hope that when we meet again, we won't be enemies."

Tianpeng helped open the black chamber, and Gu Shi waved goodbye to Urahara Kisuke. Gu Shi was not surprised by this somewhat hasty parting.

A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. Having witnessed the terror of the Starks, Urahara Kisuke, unless he has lost his mind, will not be able to stay in Hueco Mundo. Moreover, before they have sufficient self-protection capabilities, Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihouin will most likely never set foot in Hueco Mundo again.

Furthermore, if Kisuke Urahara had reported Stark's information to the Execution Army or the 13th Division, it's likely that no Shinigami would have entered Hueco Mundo for a very long time to come.

Of course, the outcome could also be the opposite. Perhaps the Captain-Commander would see Stark as a threat that must be eliminated and form an unprecedented Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, mobilizing multiple captains to infiltrate Hueco Mundo in an attempt to kill Stark.

However, no matter how Gu Shi thought about it, he felt that the possibility was extremely small. The spiritual pressure that Stark had revealed in his voice when he spoke twice before not only made Urahara Kisuke realize his strength, but also made Urahara Kisuke see just how crude his control over his own spiritual pressure was.

The "Black Cavity," the passage from Hueco Mundo to the human world, has limited capacity to withstand pressure. Even a powerful Gillian entering the Black Cavity could cause it to collapse. At the Adjuchas level, one must suppress their spiritual pressure to enter the Black Cavity.

Stark's immense spiritual pressure, which was constantly leaking out, had no chance of entering the Hollow Chamber. To be more precise, the Hollow Chamber couldn't even open while he was around, so naturally, he couldn't go to the human world or the Soul Society.

Without knowing that Stark might become an Arrancar and thus gain proper control over his spiritual pressure, the Soul Society's higher-ups believed that even if Stark were left alone, he would have no chance to threaten the Human World or the Soul Society, and would only be able to harm the Hollows in Hueco Mundo. There was absolutely no need to risk losing a captain to subdue him.

"Oh dear, Gu Shi is so heartless. We have such a good relationship, how could we possibly become enemies?"

Urahara Kisuke had gradually gotten used to the way the Hollows communicated and was speaking more and more bluntly. However, after being terrified by Stark and almost being crushed to death before even seeing the enemy's face, he seemed to have become wary of the Hollows and the Hollow Circle again. At this moment, he reverted to the way he was when everyone first met him, with an unserious smile and pretending to be stupid.

"Urahara, your smile is awful."

Gu Shi could understand Urahara Kisuke's change, but Jiro clearly disliked his fake smile and expressed his disdain very bluntly.

As Kisuke Urahara became somewhat embarrassed, Jiro waved his hand impatiently.

"Never mind, it was my fault for not being considerate enough. If I don't laugh at you like this when we get back to Soul Society, things will probably get really tough."

"'Let's not talk about fame and fortune when we gather, but toast each other with wine to wish each other good health and peace.' Urahara, as a friend, I have a suggestion for you: if you feel too oppressed in Soul Society, why not go to the human world every now and then, find a secluded place to relax? If you keep it all inside, you'll eventually run into trouble."

After a moment's hesitation, Erlang added another sentence.

"...Don't come to Hueco Mundo again, it's really not safe there."

Hearing Jiro's sincere advice, Kisuke Urahara's fake smile began to falter.

To be honest, Hueco Mundo is really not a suitable place to live for a Shinigami. The frenzied spiritual energy in the air makes him feel slightly uncomfortable at all times. But during his time in Hueco Mundo, he was really happy and at ease.

There's no need to consider family responsibilities, no need to worry about the guardedness of higher-ranking nobles, and no need to fret over a single wrong word that could invite a barrage of hostility.

Most importantly, when he brings up the questions he has pondered for a long time for discussion, he doesn't have to face a bunch of blank, monkey-like, stupid faces.

Tianpeng could keep up with his train of thought, Gu Shi could discuss things with him, and even Erlang, who was focused on martial arts, was different from those Grim Reapers who had built their muscles into their brains; he could occasionally raise some meaningful questions.

Even if those questions seemed too simple to him and could be answered easily, it at least proved that Jiro was really thinking and genuinely wanted to create something.

Everything in Soul Society is solidified. Shinigami don't need to "think" normally. They can steadily climb the ranks in Soul Society's system by simply cultivating their spiritual power, communicating with their Zanpakuto, and practicing Kido.

Even the Grim Reaper captains rarely considered creating anything; they preferred to spend their time drinking, coaching their team members, and befriending nobles.

There's nothing wrong with that, of course. After all, in a stable and well-established system, acting within the framework of that system is the safest and least likely to lead to mistakes.

If everyone is focused on creating something new, they might end up creating something destabilizing, plunging the Soul Society into chaos and causing unnecessary losses.

Kisuke Urahara could understand those Shinigami, but he couldn't bring himself to stop thinking and integrate into their lives, living a routine life like an ordinary Shinigami. He made becoming a captain his lifelong goal, and once he became a captain, he began to enjoy life in peace, waiting for the day he would die in battle or retire when he was no longer able to fight.

He can't help but think about many things.

What exactly is the difference between Shinigami and Hollows?

Spiritual power is one of the cornerstones of the world. So, by manipulating spiritual power, can we reliably manipulate time and space? And reverse life and death?

Everything about a Shinigami is made of spiritual energy. If the spiritual energy of one Shinigami is extracted in batches and injected into the body of another Shinigami, will the two Shinigami merge? Or will one replace the other?

If the spiritual energy composition of a Shinigami's entire body were analyzed and replicated using unclaimed spiritual particles, would a Shinigami identical to the sample be created? If so, would their memories and emotions be different?

Both Hollow-type spiritual power and Shinigami spiritual power are spiritual power. If the composition of Hollow-type spiritual power is analyzed and the spiritual power structure within a Shinigami's body is altered to become a Hollow-type spiritual power structure, will the Shinigami become Hollow-type? Or will it acquire Hollow-type characteristics while remaining a Shinigami?

Kisuke Urahara had too many questions in his mind, and he was extremely curious about the world, but he never dared to voice these questions in Soul Society, not even to his best friend Yoruichi Shihouin.

Kisuke Urahara knew how unconventional, crazy, and illogical many of his ideas seemed to ordinary, normal people.

Kisuke Urahara believed that even if Yoruichi knew about his thoughts, she wouldn't break off their friendship because of it. However, he also believed that after learning about these thoughts, Yoruichi would earnestly persuade him to give up those ideas and stubbornly try to pull him back to the "right path."

As a friend, Yoruichi would believe him, but she wouldn't understand him.

However, Gu Shi is capable.

Although he never told Gu Shi about his dangerous ideas, Urahara Kisuke believed it wholeheartedly because Gu Shi had mentioned concepts like cloning and transplantation more than once when explaining cells and genes to him.

One side approaches things from the perspective of flesh and blood, while the other uses spiritual power as the foundation of their thinking. However, they share many commonalities in their thoughts, and they can certainly understand each other.

As a Shinigami, during his discussions and mutual learning with Gu Shi, Kisuke Urahara had the thought "I should belong here" more than once.

He knew that this kind of thinking was wrong and should not be, so he suppressed these "distractions" time and time again, pretending that he was not abnormal, and immersed himself in the joy of discussing and exchanging ideas with Gu Shi and Tian Peng.

His decision to say goodbye to Gu Shi and return to Soul Society was only partly due to the threat posed by that terrifying monster. More importantly, in the calm that followed his initial shock, he finally realized that if he continued, he might actually betray Soul Society for the sake of "understanding" and remain in Hueco Mundo.

This shouldn't be the case.

So, even though I'm reluctant to part ways, I have to say goodbye.

Suppressing the complex emotions surging within him, Kisuke Urahara put on his flippant smile again, his eyes narrowing into slits as he waved vigorously, not letting the reluctance in his eyes betray him.

"I'll accept your suggestion, everyone. Farewell!"

After speaking, Kisuke Urahara turned and walked into the shady area without any hesitation.

Chapter 103 White Sand

"That Urahara guy, he really made a grand exit."

Watching Kisuke Urahara's retreating figure, Tenpung shook her head with a touch of emotion. This was the first time she had ever experienced parting with someone she knew well, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

Compared to Tianpeng, Erlang seemed much more dashing, and he curled his lip in disdain.

"Wouldn't it be better if he were more carefree? It would be too much of an eyesore to see him looking like he's crying all the time."

"That's true, it's better to say goodbye with a smile."

Imagining Urahara Kisuke's teary-eyed appearance, Tianpeng's worries vanished instantly, and he burst out laughing. He nodded in agreement and laughed for a while before turning to look at the silent Asido.

"Ashido, I haven't shut down the shady spot yet. Aren't you planning to leave with Urahara?"

Asido was taken aback when the topic suddenly turned to him, then nodded firmly.

"Well, I'm not leaving."

Looking at Asido's stubborn appearance, Jiro admired him in his heart, but his face showed a disgusted purse.

"Tsk, you're really fearless. That monster might come knocking again in a couple of days. Be careful not to get crushed by its spiritual pressure then."

"I'm not afraid."

Asido's expression remained unchanged. The monster's spiritual pressure had indeed instilled fear in him, but he had long ago made up his mind that even if he died, he would die in Hueco Mundo. As long as he could kill even one more man-eating Hollow before he died, he would not have lost out.

"Alright, alright, whatever you want. Gu Shi, should we move again?"

Jiro's lips unconsciously curled up slightly. Compared to a rational and intelligent person like Urahara Kisuke, he still preferred a stubborn fool like Asido. To avoid his happiness being noticed, he quickly changed the subject and asked Gu Shi for his opinion.

Gu Shi nodded decisively without any hesitation.

"Of course we need to move. Let's leave the Great Void Forest for a while and live in the surface desert."

Whether it's to avoid being confronted by Stark again, or to prevent the Soul Society's higher-ups from making a rash decision and creating a Hueco Mundo expedition after Kisuke Urahara sends back information, and being caught in the crossfire, Gu Shi has no intention of staying in this dangerous place any longer.

"...Uh, are we going to the surface desert? We'll definitely go hungry then, right?"

Tianpeng had no objection to the relocation; she also wanted to get away from that terrifying monster as soon as possible. However, the destination she was to be relocated to made her hesitate.

All the Killian in Hueco Mundo are concentrated in the Forest of Menreiki. Only some small Hollows are active in the surface desert. If they leave the Forest of Menreiki, given their size and appetite, they would probably have trouble even getting enough to eat, let alone the fact that they are traveling in groups of four, which would definitely increase their food requirements.

Gu Shi certainly didn't overlook Tianpeng's concerns. However, the Starks had obtained the formula for the corrupted Hogyoku and had probably already started manufacturing it. If the Starks really created the corrupted Hogyoku and intended to use it to complete the Arrancar, who knows what would happen?

In various martial arts and fantasy novels, when such a "breakthrough in realm and leap in life" occurs, phenomena such as "temporary loss of control and spread of aura and pressure" are inevitable.

Although this was probably just a scene arranged to highlight the character's strength, it actually makes some sense when you think about it. After all, it's not surprising that one's power suddenly expands and changes after a breakthrough, and it's not easy to lose control of it.

If Stark were to experience a similar out-of-control spiritual pressure spread during his Arrancar transformation, then remaining in the Forest of Menreiki might very well result in him being affected and killed by the spiritual pressure.

After all, that's the strongest of the Hueco Mundo faction. Who knows how wide his spiritual pressure would cover when he loses control? Even if his spiritual pressure could cover the entire Great Hollow Forest, Gu Shi wouldn't be surprised.

Therefore, as long as they remain in the Great Hollow Forest, there is a possibility of being affected by Stark's spiritual pressure, so they must run as far away as possible.

If he could, Gu Shi would love to hide in the real world. Unfortunately, the black cavity opened by Tianpeng was too small, and the 30-meter-tall Killian couldn't squeeze in at all.

Therefore, we can only make do with hiding in the surface desert for now.

"It's alright. The Great Hollows only eat to absorb the spiritual energy needed for evolution. Even if they don't eat for a long time, they won't starve to death. It's just that their evolution speed will be a little slower."

Gu Shi didn't intend to reveal the matter of the Arrancar's transformation at this time, so he didn't explain his intentions, but simply offered a few words of comfort to dispel Tianpeng and the others' concerns.

"Don't worry, we're not going to settle down in the surface desert. Just think of it as a trip to rest and have some fun. After about a month, no, two months, we can go back to the Great Void Forest."

It only takes Tianpeng a few hours to refine a batch of pills. If Stark learns Tianpeng's pill-refining method, even if he has to keep trying and practicing, a month should be enough for him to produce a finished product.

By then, whether or not what they've learned can help Stark achieve the Breakers, they should be able to get results within a month.

Therefore, returning to the Great Void Forest two months later should not be a problem.

Upon hearing that it was only a two-month trip to the surface desert, Tianpeng visibly breathed a sigh of relief. When Gu Shi mentioned that she would be going to the surface desert for "a period of time," she had thought she would be away from the Great Void Forest for decades. If it was only two months, compared to the lifespan and evolutionary cycle of the Great Void, this period of time was indeed insignificant.

The difference in their understanding of "a period of time" is proof that Gu Shi has not yet fully adapted to his identity. He still retains the concept of time as a human being and as a short-lived species, and he is meticulous about time, feeling that two months is already a considerable period of time.

After all, the human body ages constantly after adulthood, so people naturally become more sensitive to the passage of time.

However, the Hollows are different. Their bodies may not change significantly for decades, hundreds of years, or even centuries. The desolate environment of Hueco Mundo remains unchanged for thousands of years. Therefore, the Hollows are "insensitive" to the passage of time.

It is precisely because of this "dullness" that the spirits of the Hollows do not age as easily as humans. Many Hollows who have lived for hundreds of years can still be as energetic and frenzied as young people.

With Tianpeng free of his worries, Erlang unconditionally supported Gu Shi's decision, and the Big Rabbit's opinion was unimportant. The group easily reached a consensus and began searching for a passage to the surface desert.

There are actually quite a few of these passages. After all, many of the annoying little Hollows in the Great Hollow Forest, who are as numerous as ants, come down from the surface desert. Except for unlucky ones like Gu Shijiro who fall down directly, most of the little Hollows walk down.

Before long, the four found the first passage, but it was too narrow. The Hollow could walk through it without any problem, but for Killian to pass through was just a pipe dream.

After another long search, the four finally found a barely usable passage. They then had Big Rabbit, the burrowing expert, widen the passage before they were finally able to reach the surface of the desert.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Great Hollow Forest, Stark finally completed his first "alchemy".