The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

Chapter 104 Black Hole

Although he hadn't been away from the surface desert for very long, when the endless white sand reappeared before his eyes, Gu Shi had a strange feeling of reunion after a long separation, and that things had changed.

Gazing at the vast desert before him, filled with a sense of loneliness and desolation, Gu Shi's literary and artistic spirit suddenly kicked in. He closed his eyes, intending to quietly savor his current mood, indulging in a long-lost feeling of melancholy and reminiscing about spring and autumn, and perhaps even composing a couple of lines of poetry to suit the occasion.

Just then, the various smaller voids, suddenly feeling the pressure of the Great Void, emerged from the sand dunes beneath their feet and beside them like wild dogs that had broken free of their reins. They scattered and fled with the momentum that if they were a step too slow, they would be devoured by hyenas, stirring up a sky full of white sand.

In an instant, the desolate, pale desert transformed into a construction site in the afternoon. Gu Shi was the unlucky guy who was woken up from his nap by the sound of a power drill. He was so angry that he instinctively spat out a Cero.

The newly launched literary and artistic spirit was forced back down by harsh reality. Gu Shi shook his head helplessly, smiled brightly at the dumbfounded group, and unhesitatingly passed the buck.

"That little Hollow from the surface desert is so rude. We're not some kind of demon king, is it really necessary to run away in such a panic?"

Gu Shi felt guilty for shifting the blame, but Erlang agreed confidently and nodded vigorously in strong agreement.

"Exactly! Can't they learn from their kind in the Great Void Forest? Running away with their backs to us is just deliberately provoking our hunting instincts! If you're walking along a road and a rabbit suddenly jumps up and runs away in front of you, who can resist chasing after it and taking a bite?"

As a dog, Jiro certainly has such a hunting instinct, and he said this without any hesitation. As he spoke, his sharp eyes swept over his companions one by one, his eyes full of "seeking approval".

Feeling uneasy under Erlang's gaze, the big rabbit could only nod pitifully, secretly listing "turning its back on Erlang" as one of the most dangerous things it could never do in its life.

After a brief interlude, Gu Shi and the others found a small sand dune and set up camp.

Gu Shi casually grabbed a handful of sand and tried to make it float steadily using his own spiritual power. This was a method he had recently come up with to train his control over his spiritual power.

Stark's appearance served as a wake-up call for him. The spiritual power of the Hollows was too violent and difficult to control. Moreover, the stronger the Hollow, the more violent its spiritual power became. Even for the highest-ranking Hollows, controlling their spiritual power remained an undeniable weakness.

Gu Shi didn't want to end up like traditional Hollows, unable to control their spiritual power and surrounded by unconsciously leaking spiritual pressure wherever they went.

How many living souls can match the strength of those fleeing Hollows? Even the Hollows were frightened away by his spiritual pressure. If he were to go to the mortal world, wouldn't all the living people around him be scared unconscious or even to death?

In that case, how can he go into the real world and make friends with living people?

Besides, there's not much entertainment in the real world right now, so there's no loss if we don't go. If we're still stuck in Hueco Mundo when the internet comes along, wouldn't that be a huge waste?

Therefore, you must develop self-control.

Gu Shi started training like this, so Tianpeng and Erlang naturally followed suit.

There's no need to ask any reasons what Zhenjun/Gu Shi does; just follow along and you're sure to do the right thing.

Although the big rabbit didn't have this awareness, seeing everyone doing it, it also started practicing in a daze. Only Ashido, with bright eyes, looked around at the environment and thought about which direction he should start from.

The surface desert is much less dangerous than the Great Void Forest. Even though he is currently reorganizing his combat system and feels awkward and uncomfortable in combat, he doesn't need to worry about encountering any dangers here. He can fight the Little Void while exploring new combat methods that suit him.

Everyone had their own things to do, and soon they returned to their usual routines. During the day, they were busy with their own things, and at night they would gather together to listen to Gu Shi tell stories, then rest, and continue their regular lives the next day.

Only Tianpeng's life rhythm was slightly disrupted.

The surface desert lacked the necessary materials for alchemy like Kylian, and the gravelly terrain made it impossible to dig a pit to build an alchemy furnace. Gu Shi's small alchemy furnace was lost during her escape, so her alchemy practice could not continue.

However, after Erlang casually mentioned that the white sand on the surface of the desert was all fragments of the masks of the dead Hollows, and Gu Shi also confirmed this statement, she began to think about new pill formulas, trying to use these inexhaustible white sands to refine pills.

Since the materials are all taken from the Void, it doesn't make sense that a complete Void can be used for alchemy but a mask fragment cannot.

And so, the peaceful and regular life continued. A few days later, the taciturn Asido expressed his needs to Gu Shi for the first time, suggesting that they move the camp a little.

The nearby Hollows were either scared away by Gu Shi and the others' spiritual pressure or killed by Ashido. Ashido hoped to move his position slightly and find a place with more Hollows.

This time, without the inconvenient earthen pit furnace, Gu Shi and the others had no objection to the relocation. Since they didn't have much luggage, they could just leave whenever they wanted.

The group randomly chose a direction and started moving, but stopped after a short while.

Before them, a pitch-black rift slowly opened.

"Haha, you stupid Grim Reaper, if you've got the guts, come and chase me! Do you dare chase me into Hueco Mundo?! You wait, I'll devour this brat's soul in no time, and maybe I'll even take pity on you and give you back an arm or two, so you can build a grave for this brat!"

Malicious and arrogant words came from the opened black cavity. A small, lizard-like creature, about three and a half meters long, burst out of the black cavity with its tail piercing through a little girl's shoulder, laughing wildly.

"You brat, keep crying! I love listening to people cry while I'm eating!"

The moment he burst out of the black cavity, the Hollow, thinking he was safe, turned his head and gave the little girl on his tail a ferocious smile. When he turned back, he saw four Hollows, each clad in black robes and over thirty meters tall, staring at him with terrifying blood-red eyes.

A short, sharp sound, like the mournful cry of a duck before its death, escaped his throat. Without thinking, Xiao Xu tried to rush back into the Black Cavity, but the next moment, a tiny Cero flash pierced through his head, turning his entire upper body to ashes.

Then another cold, sharp blade flashed, cleaving his remaining lower body in two.

With his Zanpakuto in one hand and Shunpo in the air, Ashido quickly caught the little girl who had slipped from the tip of the Hollow's tail with his other hand.

Chapter 105 Fullbring

As a Shinigami who served in the 11th Division, Ashido, like all the other Shinigami in the 11th Division, has a sentiment that "real men fight with real swords and guns, while those who use Kido are all sissies."

Therefore, although he had graduated more than two hundred years ago and was considered an experienced old Grim Reaper, his skill in the art of killing had not improved compared to when he first graduated; in fact, it had become quite rusty. At this moment, holding the girl whose shoulder had been pierced, he had no idea how to save her.

With his limited skill in healing, it would take him ages to treat a knife wound, let alone a fist-sized penetrating wound like this. It would be completely useless against him.

Moreover, the Resurrection Path developed by the Shinigami was originally intended to heal Shinigami, and its healing effects are concentrated on repairing the "soul." If it were used to repair the flesh and blood damage of the living, its effectiveness would be greatly reduced. To be able to heal the living, the Resurrection Path's level would have to be at least among the top ten of the Fourth Division.

Therefore, after instinctively saving the girl, Asido was dumbfounded. He held the girl he had rescued helplessly, unable to say the words, "It's okay, you're safe now."

"Ashido, before the black cavity closes, let's hurry and send him back to the real world."

Seeing Asido standing there in a daze, Gu Shi sighed helplessly and gave a rather displeased reminder.

Only then did Asido realize what was happening, and he quickly nodded vigorously.

"Yes, yes, there must be a way to save a living person. I'll send her out right now!"

While excitedly speaking, Asido rushed into the Black Cavity as fast as he could. When that little grotesque creature was provoking him earlier, it said that it was being chased into the Black Cavity by the Grim Reaper. As long as the girl is sent out and handed over to the Grim Reaper there, the Grim Reaper will definitely be able to find a way for the girl to survive.

Watching Asido rush into the dark chamber with hope in his heart, Tianpeng hesitated for a moment before revealing the cruel truth.

"That girl, is she beyond saving?"

"...Well, it seems there's no way to save him."

Although unwilling to admit it, Gu Shi knew that Tianpeng was right, so he could only nod slowly.

The current medical standards are still very backward. Various life-saving drugs have not been developed, and there are no antibiotics. An infection can be fatal, and treatment often depends on luck.

Judging from the girl's clothes, she was clearly not from a wealthy family, and it was uncertain whether she would receive medical treatment after being sent back.

Gu Shi asked Asido to send the girl back to the real world not because he believed the girl could be saved there, but simply to avoid the worst possible outcome.

If that girl had died in Hueco Mundo, in an environment filled with the frenzied spiritual energy of Hollows, her soul, without the protection of her body, would probably have been unable to survive for long before it turned into a Hollow.

If they are sent back to the human world, at least they can be buried by the Shinigami after death and sent to the Soul Society to continue living a normal life. If they are lucky, they can become Shinigami and maybe even live a better life.

Asido, with his muscular mind, clearly hadn't thought that far ahead, but Gu Shi didn't intend to explain it to him; he'd just let him believe that the girl would eventually be saved.

"...Ashido has been gone for quite a while. Could it be that the Grim Reaper on the other side is an acquaintance of his, and the two of them caught up?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit heavy, Erlang made a small joke in an attempt to lighten the mood.

When Erlang said that, Gu Shi and Tianpeng also realized that with Asido's Instant Step speed, he could have made four round trips in that amount of time, yet he still hadn't returned. Even if he wanted to instruct the Grim Reaper on the other side to take good care of the girl, this time was a bit too long.

After all, Ashido's stay in Hueco Mundo can only be defined as "defection" in the Soul Society. If he didn't want to be hunted down by the Execution Army, he should have avoided contact with other Shinigami as much as possible.

If he stays in contact with the Shinigami for too long and leaves a clear and deep impression on him, when the Shinigami returns to Soul Society to report on his work, he will be exposed when the Shinigami describes his appearance to his superiors.

“…Tianpeng, reinforce the black cavity.”

A passage like the Black Cavity cannot exist stably for long and is at risk of being destroyed by a powerful attack. Gu Shi couldn't understand what had happened to Asido, and as a Hollow, he couldn't go and check on it himself. He could only ask Tianpeng to maintain this retreat passage so that Asido wouldn't find that his way back was gone when he wanted to return.

After waiting a while, there was finally some movement in the dark chamber. Ashido rushed out somewhat disheveled using his Instant Step and carried the girl back.

However, at this moment, not only did the girl's shoulder injury disappear, but she also became full of energy, continuing to wave her fist on Asido's shoulder and roaring loudly at the other end of the black cavity.

"Come on over here if you dare, I'll smash your head into your stomach! Uncle, put me down, I'm going to beat him to death!"

Such a strange scene left Gu Shi with a question mark slowly appearing above his head. Tian Peng was also a little confused, wondering how the little white rabbit, who was just on the verge of death, had turned into a grumpy little wildcat.

Asito, who had just burst out of the black cavity, gasped for breath. He was about to put the girl on his shoulder down and give her a lecture when she angrily opened her mouth wide. A ball of crimson, frenzied spiritual energy gradually condensed in her mouth before suddenly bursting open, and a blinding red light shot into the black cavity.

...Cero!

...A living person?

Even Jiro and the big rabbit were dumbfounded. When did the Great Hollow's exclusive techniques become so worthless that even living people could use them to play with?

Asido was clearly startled as well, and quickly took the girl off his shoulder. He stared in disbelief at her face, which had no mask, and almost thought he had saved the wrong person and brought back a Hollow.

Gu Shi was initially taken aback, but then realized that the girl was using "Full Luminization".

As the Bleach storyline progressed, some settings became bizarre. Among the initial companions of the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, Chad and Orihime Inoue both possessed special abilities as living people. In the early settings, their abilities were granted by the Hogyoku.

Later, as the Bleach universe expanded, the concept of "Fullbring" was introduced, and the abilities of these two characters were also classified as Fullbring.

Initially, Fullbring was designed so that if a pregnant woman came into contact with a Hollow and did not die, the Hollow's spiritual power would invade the fetus inside her body. If the fetus did not die, it would naturally possess a power similar to that of the Hollow after birth. Once activated, it could draw out the spiritual power from objects it "deeply loved" and use those objects as a medium to form various unique abilities.

Orihime Inoue's medium is her own hair clip, while Chad's medium is his own strong arm (?).

After that, the concept of Fullbring was further supplemented and linked to the biggest bug, the Spirit King. It seems that only people with fragments of the Spirit King in their souls can awaken Fullbring.

The constantly updated settings have made the "Fullbring" concept increasingly complex, and Gu Shi still doesn't understand why a variant of Hollow power can be associated with the Soul King, who is strictly opposed to Hollows.

But in any case, if a living person can use power similar to that of a Hollow, it must be Fullbring.

Therefore, this child should be a living, breathing Fullbringer.

That's really rare.

Chapter 106 Trust

"Alright, little guy, calm down."

Seeing that the girl was being put down by Asido and was about to rush back into the dark chamber to fight the Grim Reaper on the other side, Gu Shi directly slashed down with his claw.

The huge difference in size made Gu Shi's clenched claws feel like a huge cage to the girl, trapping her inside.

The girl paced back and forth a few times in Gu Shi's loosely clenched fist, forcefully tapping Gu Shi's claws, leaving several clear bloodstains on the pale and sharp bone claws. Seeing that she couldn't find a way to escape, she finally covered her torn fist, panting heavily, and quieted down.

At the same time, Tianpeng also shut down the black cavity in time, cutting off the girl's chance to rush back to the real world and fight desperately.

"I know I was wrong! Please let me out! It's too dark here!"

The girl, who had a somewhat volatile temper, was quick to back down, loudly apologizing to Gu Shi and begging for forgiveness.

"Shut up and be quiet for a moment, Ashido. Explain yourself, what exactly happened?"

Gu Shi didn't intend to release the person directly. He turned his gaze to Asido, who looked confused and helpless. Erlang and the others nodded in agreement. The situation was developing too fast, and they were all curious about what had happened. So they all stared at Asido, waiting for him to give an answer.