Chapter 149: Araki: Sorry, I Only Recognize Mao

The Void Circle.

"I really want to follow the captains' direction and chase after them to watch!"

"Who wouldn't? I also want to go watch! But the chief captain won't let us go!"

"So sad, even this simple request the chief captain won't allow…"

"We have contributed to the Court Guard Thirteen Squad, shed blood for the Jingling Court! We are meritorious! In our whole lives we have no other demands, just want to closely behold Captain Gengmu's brilliance, that's all…"

The burly soldiers of the Eleventh Squad are now making faces at Chief Araki, acting cute and coquettish, trying to get Araki to lift their confinement order so they can chase after Gengmu and the others, run into the depths of the Void Circle, and closely watch the battle between Gengmu and Ku Wuxi…

Can't help it; as members of the Eleventh Squad, the combat squad, they have no real hobbies, just like to join the fun everywhere, eat some gossip, etc.

As for whether they'd get injured, they can't think that far right now! After all, it's a once‑in‑a‑thousand‑years battle between Gengmu Sword Eight and its challenger; ask the countless beings in the Soul Society, who wouldn't want to closely watch the top‑tier clash of the Jingling Court's elite forces?!

Unfortunately, Araki doesn't buy any of that; cute antics can't sway his cold heart, only make him unusually irritated! In this life, Araki only likes watching Mao Zhi Hua Lie…

Especially at noon, after Araki and Mao Zhi Hua Lie engage in fierce combat in the First Squad's leader's rear hall, whenever their fight reaches its peak, Mao Zhi Hua Lie's eyes slightly roll white, she gently parts her bright red lips, gasps for fresh air, and sticks out a pink tongue.

Honestly, after Mao Zhi Hua Lie first fell in Araki's battle, the stark contrast she showed, that delicate, coquettish look, truly made Araki unable to stop loving her, even his constantly drawn Zanpakuto felt a liberating pleasure at that moment.

As for the Eleventh Squad's coarse cuteness, it only makes Araki feel nauseous, wanting to vomit…

"Araki, those soldiers really want to go watch~"

Although Araki ignored the unreasonable clamoring of the Eleventh Squad soldiers beneath him, Mao Zhi Hua Lie couldn't. When she heard their shouts, her heart full of "benevolence", kind and graceful, she finally reminded Araki in front of her.

"Let them endure!"

"These Eleventh Squad soldiers, under Gengmu's training, have no discipline at all! Still want to chase Ku Wuxi and Gengmu, run into the Void Circle's depths to watch the two's battle up close?"

"Hehe! Do they even have the strength to watch Ku Wuxi and Gengmu's fight up close?!"

"Just eating the gossip, just want to know the outcome! If they really go, they'd probably get swallowed whole by Ku Wuxi's Zanpakuto before they even get the gossip!"

Araki heard that, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a mildly displeased expression.

"Makes sense~"

Mao Zhi Hua, hearing that, said no more.

"Hehe…"

Only Araki's master, Yuan Liuzhai, let out a disdainful chuckle.

Yuan Liuzhai stared at Araki, thinking silently: "This kid must think the discipline of the Eleventh Squad he once led was great, huh? Who knows how lax the Eleventh Squad's discipline really was?! Even the chief captain's orders were constantly ignored, let alone everything else. Compared with these little bastards now, it's just a case of the pot calling the kettle black; no one has the right to judge."

"As for those little bastards who plan to turn the entire Soul Society upside down, why did they stop causing trouble after following Araki to the First Squad? It's not that they've become mature and honest; they've simply grown older, lack the energy, and can't cause chaos anymore…"

One must admit, Yuan Liuzhai truly is Araki's teacher, and indeed a former chief of the Court Guard Thirteen Squad; he sees through all the Thirteenth Squad soldiers clearly.

While Yuan Liuzhai felt extreme disdain at Araki's words, Araki and Mao Zhi Hua Lie whispered to each other again, the two occasionally letting out light laughs, seeming to enjoy the conversation immensely.

Regarding this…

"…"

The old fool Yuan Liuzhai, seeing the pair flirting openly before him, just gave a casual glance and squinted his eyes…

At that moment, Yuan Liuzhai, being very tactful, chose silence; he remained wordless, like an ancient pine, standing quietly there, deliberately ignoring the two beside him.

Even though those two, strictly speaking, are his very close juniors…

"Master, don't envy the disciple here!"

"After some time, the disciple will certainly find in the Jingling Court an elderly lady of outstanding looks and fine figure, worthy of your status, to spend days with you~"

However, even though Yuan Liuzhai doesn't want to get involved in this 'right and wrong', that doesn't mean it won't come to him; Araki, seeing Yuan Liuzhai's refusal to engage, smirked and said slyly to him.

"…"

Yuan Liuzhai heard his disciple's words, yet gave no reply; he remained calm, standing in place, expressionless, staring into the distance, though the faint blue veins on his forehead revealed his inner emotional fluctuation at that moment.

"Hold back! Hold back! Don't fall for it…"

Yuan Liuzhai kept muttering; in truth he knew Araki was deliberately provoking him. If he truly got angry now, he would lose. Dealing with the brat Araki, his strategy was to completely ignore him— the more he ignored Araki, the more Araki's aura dimmed; the more he responded, the more Araki became arrogant…

"Master Yuan Liuzhai, why ignore me? Do you think even finding you a lady isn't enough?!"

"You should've said it earlier! I knew that finding one for you, Master Yuan Liuzhai, is never enough! After all, you're an extremely greedy old man~ So let's do this! I'll arrange it here for you! After Gengmu and Ku Wuxi's battle ends, I'll find you ten!"

Araki, seeing Yuan Liuzhai ignoring him, kept rambling at him.

"Scram!"

Yuan Liuzhai's hand gripping his Zanpakuto tightened unconsciously; after gathering his breath, he finally spat out a big "Scram" at Araki.

"Mmm, that hits the spot!"

Araki, after seeing Yuan Liuzhai lose his temper, finally breathed a sigh of relief; honestly, Yuan Liuzhai's constant restraint had made him extremely uncomfortable. Only when Yuan Liuzhai suddenly swore did Araki slightly relax…

Mmm! That's the taste!

His dear Master Yuan Liuzhai speaks just like that~

On the other side…

"Be careful, the power of my Bankai is immense, even I can't fully control it!"

After Ku Wuxi performed Bankai in front of Gengmu, he coldly said to Gengmu.

"Huh? You've already Bankai'd?"

The other who also Bankai'd, with twin horns like a demon sprouting from his forehead, his whole body blazing red with scorching vigor, wielding a shattered broken sword, looked like a hellish demon—Gengmu—wearing a puzzled expression as he stared at Ku Wuxi, having seen Ku Wuxi's sword disappear; theoretically the opponent should have Bankai'd, but five seconds had passed and he still hadn't discerned Ku Wuxi's Bankai ability.

"Of course!"

Ku Wuxi, hearing that, answered Gengmu's question with a slight smile.

"Where is your Bankai?"

Gengmu, hearing Ku Wuxi's answer, asked in confusion.

"Hehe…"

Ku Wuxi, upon hearing that, didn't answer directly; instead, in front of Gengmu, he smiled and extended a finger, lightly pointing at their feet.

"Hm?!"

Gengmu, after seeing Ku Wuxi's movement, slightly furrowed his brows and immediately looked down at his feet.

At the very moment Gengmu looked down, countless bead‑sized cold sweats broke out on his forehead, a deep sense of danger turning into a chilling cold that surged straight to his Heavenly Spirit Crown,

"What is this?!"

Gengmu stared at the white sand beneath his feet sinking further, his pupils gradually widening.

"Devour, begin!"

In response, Ku Wuxi simply uttered five words calmly.

The next second, with Ku Wuxi and Gengmu at the center, the earth began to tear apart; countless trees, forests, hills, even mountains that pierced the clouds were continuously swallowed downward at that moment…

"Roar!!"

During this, innumerable Great Voids fled in all directions, but their speed was still too slow compared to the widening of the fissure!

Anything shrouded by that pitch‑black fissure would be pulled into the endless abyss, then torn, destroyed, and shattered into the most basic spirit particles, only to be completely devoured.

The fissure's radius spanned several spirit li, its diameter far exceeding ten spirit li! Its area alone could easily obliterate dozens of present‑world Kongzuochengs!

"What is that?!"

It was also after Ku Wuxi revealed his Bankai that the group still striking poses to attract Araki's attention, seeking permission to go to where Ku Wuxi and Gengmu had departed and watch their battle up close— the soldiers of Division Eleven— stared directly at the massive abyss, eyes widened.

"Snap~"

Araki, standing in the sky, snapped his fingers lightly so that those below could see more clearly; the white desert beneath the soldiers turned into ordinary spirit particles, then formed a huge platform that lifted the Division Eleven soldiers up.

When the Division Eleven soldiers reached the high altitude, they finally saw the gigantic abyss devouring everything; the abyss resembled a colossal jaw of some creature, whose unknown form now opened its gaping maw, fully indulging in today's gluttonous feast.

Among the dishes of its feast were trees, hills, mountains, and the constantly wailing Great Voids!

"Is this hell?!"

When the members of Division Eleven stared at the scene, their minds went blank for a few minutes before they whispered in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's wingbeat.

"Does anyone still want to watch Ku Wuxi and Gengmu's battle up close now?"

Just as the Division Eleven crowd felt their bodies turn icy and tremble at Ku Wuxi and Gengmu's displayed power, Araki's voice suddenly rang in their minds.

"Goo-dong~"

The Division Eleven soldiers, hearing Araki's words, all swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Captain Araki, please stop teasing us; this is not a battle we can watch up close!"

"We overestimated ourselves; thank you, Captain Araki, for your lifesaving grace."

As Araki finished speaking, the Division Eleven soldiers immediately expressed their gratitude to him.

"Hmm…"

Araki, hearing this, simply nodded lightly.

"Hey hey hey! The power of Ku Wuxi's Bankai is truly outrageous! Even the strongest foe can be forced to reverse the situation and bring victory through his Bankai, right?"

At the same time, Jing Yue also witnessed Ku Wuxi's Bankai; as Ku Wuxi's drinking companion, he knew a bit more about the Bankai than others…

Jing Yue also heard Ku Wuxi say that his Bankai had been sealed by the sages of Room 46, and that Room 46 explicitly ordered Ku Wuxi not to unleash his Bankai within the Jingling Court!

At that time, Jing Yue thought Room 46 was making a mountain out of a molehill, since even his teacher Araki and the master Yuan Liuzhai's Bankai had never been sealed…

Only after actually seeing Ku Wuxi's Bankai today did Jing Yue understand why Room 46 issued such an absurd seal—it was because Ku Wuxi's Bankai was truly over‑the‑top in power.

"I didn't expect this big guy to be so strong; seems I still underestimated him…"

"Since Ku Wuxi possesses this emperor‑level Bankai, doesn't that mean he already secured an invincible position with his Bankai before fighting us?!"

Ye Yi, at this moment, puffed out her cheeks in anger, jealous of Ku Wuxi's Bankai.

"Such a Bankai is far beyond the specifications!"

"I think he must have some weakness we don't know…"

On the other side, even Lan Ran, who had been hiding his form, could no longer ignore it; revealing himself, he stepped before Jing Yue and Ye Yi and asked.

In fact, the moment Lan Ran spotted Araki, he realized his concealment was meaningless; confident he could evade Jing Yue, Ye Yi, even Ku Wuxi, Gengmu, and the twin eyes of Maozhihua Lie, he could not escape his teacher Araki's keen eyes.

"Yo, Junior Brother Lan Ran, you're here too~"

Hearing the voice, Jing Yue instinctively turned his head; upon recognizing the newcomer, surprise flashed in his eyes, then he waved a hand toward the person behind him.

"Senior Brother Jing Yue Chunshui, and Senior Sister Ye Yi of Sifengyuan, greetings! This is our first formal meeting; I am a newly recruited disciple of Captain Araki, and my name is Lan Ran Souyusuke!"

After noticing that Jing Yue had already spotted him and greeting him, Lan Ran immediately smiled and respectfully addressed Jing Yue and Ye Yi.

"So you're the disciple Araki took in over a hundred years ago!"

After hearing Lan Ran, Ye Yi surveyed him from head to toe and then showed a look of realization.

"Senior Brother Jing Yue, I think Ku Wuxi's Bankai must have a weakness, right?"

"I think a Zanpakuto this perfect shouldn't exist in this world!"

Without waiting for Ye Yi or Jing Yue to speak further, Lan Ran, with a warm, sun‑like smile like a curious child eager for knowledge, asked Jing Yue.

"Just as Junior Brother Lan Ran said, Ku Wuxi's Bankai is far from perfect…"

"In fact, Ku Wuxi's Bankai has major flaws; these flaws can barely be called a few weaknesses of his Bankai~"

Jing Yue, clearly knowledgeable about Ku Wuxi's Bankai, thought for a moment after hearing Lan Ran's question and then replied.

"Not a weakness of a weakness."

Lan Ran's eyes lit up the instant he heard Jing Yue.

At that moment, Lan Ran's interest was piqued.

"First, after Ku Wuxi activates his Bankai, he cannot finely control it; in other words, once his Bankai is unleashed, all targets within its range are determined by the Bankai itself, not by Ku Wuxi. Typically, Ku Wuxi's Bankai indiscriminately attacks everyone within its area, which is why Room 46 explicitly forbids him from using Bankai inside the Jingling Court."

"Second, once Ku Wuxi releases his Zanpakuto's Bankai, the Zanpakuto enters a cooldown lasting about six months. During that period, Ku Wuxi cannot even perform a Shikai, let alone Bankai. As you know, Ku Wuxi's Zanpakuto is like a huge mouth; after each Bankai it devours a full meal and then digests it, a process taking roughly half a year…"

Jing Yue explained Ku Wuxi's Zanpakuto's weakness to Lan Ran and Ye Yi.

"I see…"

After hearing Jing Yue, Lan Ran narrowed his eyes slightly, seeming lost in thought.

"That's about right!"

As for Yeyi of the Four Maple Hall, she exaggeratedly displayed a slightly relieved look.

After all, from Yeyi's perspective, if Ku Wufu's Bankai truly had no restrictions, that would be truly over the top.

Since the Bankai is followed by a six‑month dormancy, overall it isn't necessarily stronger than her Wu Weng Hammer! Hmm, Yeyi decides to counsel herself; life isn't a big deal, just keep self‑counseling!

"Six months? If so, Ku Wufu's rate is insufficient…"

Meanwhile, after Lan Ran heard Jing Le's remarks concerning the weakness of Ku Wufu's Zanpakuto Bankai, a faint smile tugged at his mouth, and in his mind he crossed Ku Wufu's name off his dangerous red list.

Elsewhere, the Washi Tod‑class Great Voids of the Void Circle also cast their eyes toward the battlefield where Ku Wufu and Geng Mu were fighting…

"Both of those people's Zanpakuto are quite dangerous!"

"How detestable! Are these young Shinigami all monsters?"

"Why can't our Void Circle spout as many strong ones as the Soul Society?"

Bai Legang, the nominal administrator of the Void Circle, was very displeased with the quantity of Voids in the Void Circle.

"So strong! Even I wouldn't dare say I could definitely defeat any one of those two monsters."

Lilinette, far more mature than she was centuries ago, wrapped her arms around herself and silently gazed at the distant, intense battlefield where terrifying spiritual pressure constantly reverberated.

"If only my mouth could open that wide, that would be great…"

His own angle was oddly unique, and he envied the massive mouth that Ku Wufu's Zanpakuto Bankai showed.

"Interesting, truly interesting…"

"It can actually swallow all the spirit particles within a range!"

"Then the gestation notice I envisioned would serve no purpose~"

"Seems I still need to keep figuring out how to improve my ability…"

"Come to think of it, I could use my clone to test those two monsters' strength~"

Sal Apollo used his machinery to continuously analyze the abilities of Ku Wufu and Geng Mu's Bankai.

"Recording…"

As for the spider‑shaped sister Luo Jia standing before Sal Apollo, who looked like a 'Luo Xin Niang', she kept recording the information Sal Apollo required; her mission was to document everything he needed.

"Lady Nilu, that side is really terrifying~"

Elsewhere, a Washi Tod‑class Great Void that resembled a centaur—its upper half a young girl, lower half an antelope—was using its spiritual pressure to raise a shield, protecting the two Voids behind it, a frail being trembling in the spiritual pressure storm.

"It's okay, I've got everything covered~"

The Washi Tod named Nilu spoke to his subordinates with utmost gentleness.

"Has a new monster appeared in this Void Circle?"

"Is it a Shinigami? Or a Great Void? Or some other weird thing? That place is too far from me to be sure!"

"Anyway, whatever it is, it's dangerous…"

Elsewhere, toward the far east of Xu ye gong, a Washi Tod‑class Great Void with a human form, wheat‑colored skin, voluptuous figure, and beautiful long golden hair muttered to herself after sensing Ku Wufu's and Geng Mu's spiritual pressure.

Perhaps because Ku Wufu's and Geng Mu's spiritual pressure is both violent and obscure, it feels more like a Great Void than a Shinigami…

Or perhaps because the battlefield where Ku Wufu and Geng Mu fight is too distant for her, causing her to misjudge them as clashing Great Voids, or maybe this blond Washi Tod's perception of spiritual pressure is so poor that she cannot ascertain what Ku Wufu and Jian Ba actually are.

"Spirit King Palace".

"These two guys are strong!"

The monk, via his small TV, looked at the fully Bankai‑ed Ku Wufu and Geng Mu and said softly.

"Indeed…"

Wang Yue and the others, after hearing the monk, immediately echoed, saying they were also shocked by Geng Mu's and Ku Wufu's power; for ordinary Shinigami, the two are definitely impressive~

Elsewhere…

"Geng Mu, concede!"

On the battlefield, Ku Wufu watched Geng Mu, who was constantly being torn, and said calmly.

"Concede? Don't joke!"

"The battle has only just begun…"

The blood‑soaked Geng Mu, looking like a Shura, after hearing Ku Wufu's words, gave a faint smile and then raised his Zanpakuto high.

"If I can completely shatter your Bankai, that would count as my victory, right?"

Geng Mu said, gathering all his spiritual pressure onto his Zanpakuto.

"Could it be that…"

Ku Wufu watched Geng Mu's movements, eyes wide open, and suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

"If you want to eat, then eat my big sword!"

"Ahahaha…"

Before Ku Wufu could think further, Geng Mu laughed wildly and swung his blade straight into the abyssal maw below.