Chapter 155: Blue Dye: From Now On, This Is My Void Circle

The Void Circle.

Eradicators, Death Gods, and Voids—the three forces have now become a tangled melee.

All three sides are blood‑shot with fury, unable to tell friend from foe…

Among them, the Voids drawn by the bait the Eradicators deployed are the most frenzied!

Voids themselves are chaotic beings; they attack Eradicators and Death Gods alike, and even turn on their own kind.

To a Void, Death Gods, Eradicators, or any weaker kin are merely food—so in an instant, bright red blood drenched the battlefield, the three sides' blood mingling and staining the white sand of the Void Circle crimson.

"Counterattack! Counterattack!!"

After a brief setback, some Eradicators who regained their senses began trying to distance themselves from the Death Gods brandishing slaughter knives and the claw‑wielded Voids that sought to devour them, so they could counterattack.

"Don't let those Eradicators escape!"

"These Eradicators excel at bows and other ranged attacks. All Death God troops, obey the order: never give any Eradicator the chance to create distance and fire arrows…"

Unfortunately, the Death Gods—who clearly regard Eradicators as enemies and have thoroughly studied their combat style—refuse to let the Eradicators gain distance, denying them any chance to unleash their holy annihilation arrows…

Whenever an Eradicator attempts to leave the field, they immediately close in, forcing the Eradicators to abandon their bows and fight hand‑to‑hand. Many Death Gods, leveraging superior numbers, encircle the Eradicators and drag every one of them into a melee that favors the Death Gods.

For a moment, the Eradicators trying to create distance and the Death Gods clinging to them like leeches both found themselves in a scorching stalemate, with no clear winner in sight.

Yet everyone present knows one fact: the outcome of this battle is never decided by these low‑rank foot soldiers, but by the overwhelmingly powerful individuals.

On the other side…

When Zhi Cheng Shuangye acted himself and instantly slew a dozen seasoned Eradicators, he was singled out by a group of Eradicators: seven pure‑blood Eradicators bearing the Eradication Cross at their waists, leading over sixty formidable half‑blood Eradicators, who encircled Zhi Cheng Shuangye and drew their bows…

However, it was precisely Zhi Cheng Shuangye alone who restrained all the Eradicators' elite forces, and the actions of nearly a third of the half‑blood troops, that gave the squad he led—belonging to the Eradicator Special Ops unit—a decisive numerical advantage in the clash.

"You, you must be the captain of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad, right?"

"Your Thirteen Squad captains should be about as strong as you, right?!"

The seemingly overwhelmingly superior Eradicators made no immediate move to attack Zhi Cheng Shuangye, perhaps because they were utterly confident on their side and knew he could not flee, so they instead probed him for information about the Serene Spirit Court and the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad.

"Why are you asking so many questions?"

Zhi Cheng Shuangye, who had originally intended to strike, furrowed his brow after hearing the Eradicators' words, his meticulous mind sensing something amiss.

"Nothing, we're simply curious. A powerhouse like you in the Serene Spirit Court shouldn't be some obscure nobody, right?!"

As Zhi Cheng finished speaking, the Eradicators' expressions shifted slightly; a man bearing the Eradication Cross at his waist immediately responded with a smiling query to Zhi Cheng Shuangye.

"Heh, sorry to disappoint you. I'm not a captain of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad; I'm merely a deputy captain of the First Squad. Death Gods of my caliber are countless within the Serene Spirit Court!"

"As for the Death Gods who serve as captains of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad, to be blunt, each of them surpasses me! Some squad captains could instantly slay a Death God of my level…"

"If even a Death God of my level can be deemed strong in your eyes, then I advise you to put away those improper thoughts and obediently follow the commands of our Guardian Court Thirteen Squad; that would be best for everyone."

Hearing this, Zhi Cheng Shuangye gave the Eradicators before him a faint smile, his words dripping with contempt for them and admiration for the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad led by Araki.

"What a joke? Someone of your caliber can't even serve as a Thirteen Squad captain?"

"In other words, there are thirteen Death Gods stronger than you in the Serene Spirit Court?!"

The Eradicators froze in place upon hearing Zhi Cheng Shuangye; they hadn't expected that even someone as strong as him failed to meet the captain standards of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad.

"It's far beyond thirteen…"

Zhi Cheng, hearing that, corrected the flaw in their wording.

"Then now it's my turn to ask you…"

"You are so eager to inquire about the strength of our Guardian Court Thirteen Squad captains—what exactly are you after? Could you be plotting something dangerous?"

"Let me think—perhaps among you Eradicators there are those who aren't satisfied with the ultimate outcome of your invasion of the Soul Realm eight hundred years ago, which ended in defeat at the hands of our Death Gods…"

"So some Eradicators among you aim to rewrite history! Or more precisely, some of you are planning revenge against our Death Gods, plotting another invasion of the Soul Realm, am I right?!"

Zhi Cheng Shuangye, facing the surrounding Eradicators, first gave a cold smile, then, with an extremely calm and collected expression, analyzed the purpose behind their probing.

In fact, based on months of research into all Soul Realm records on Eradicators that he obtained from Araki, Zhi Cheng quickly deduced the intent behind their scripted questions.

Beyond their unrelenting scheming and plans to invade the Soul Realm, Zhi Cheng couldn't fathom why the Eradicators would ask him, their enemy, about the combat power of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squad.

"What?! How did you…"

As Zhi Cheng finished speaking, the Eradicators' faces changed; they could hardly believe that Zhi Cheng had inferred the Eradicators' motives merely from their seemingly casual questioning…

At the same time, from Zhi Cheng's demeanor they sensed he might have detected the Invisible Empire.

"Seems I guessed right."

Zhi Cheng surveyed every Eradicator's expression; most looked bewildered after his words, but the few pure‑blood Eradicators leading them clearly knew something.

"Damn, we've been duped!"

The Eradicators' brows knit tightly upon hearing Zhi Cheng; they finally realized he had been deceiving them, and their expressions already supplied the answer he sought.

"We can't let him leave alive!"

In an instant, the pure‑blood Eradicators exchanged glances, deciding that even at the cost of their lives they would keep this Death God, who had vaguely sensed the Invisible Empire's scheme, stranded in the desolate desert.

"Regrettably, you can't achieve that!"

Following his principle that if you can act, don't waste words; if you act, you might die, Zhi Cheng first unleashed his Soul‑Cutting Blade.

At first glance, Zhi Cheng's initial release looks almost identical to his un‑released Soul‑Cutting Blade—just an ordinary katana…

As for the ability of his initial release, it's brutally simple: he can compress all the spiritual pressure within his body, as well as residual spiritual pressure imprints on objects, into the edge of his Soul‑Cutting Blade…

Then he swings the blade, releasing the concentrated spiritual pressure like a wind blade, delivering a massive slash at the enemy.

"Boom!!"

As Zhi Cheng completed the initial release of his Soul‑Cutting Blade…

The massive spiritual pressure within Zhi Cheng surged toward the blade's edge, and as more pressure gathered, the silver‑shining edge grew ever brighter…

In the blink of an eye, Zhi Cheng's Soul‑Cutting Blade ignited like a torch in the night sky, radiating a dazzling, star‑like brilliance across the eternal night; the flickering specks of light were breathtakingly beautiful.

Unfortunately, the Eradicators felt no appreciation for the beauty; in their eyes, Zhi Cheng's blade was exceedingly dangerous!

"Fire!"

No one knows who gave the order, but the sky filled with Holy Annihilation Arrows, which flew upward and shot toward Zhi Cheng Shuangye.

Boom!

Zhi Cheng Shuangye looked up; facing the arrows that fell like meteors, he merely waved his Soul-Cutting Blade lightly, and at once a crescent-shaped slash sprang from the blade, shattering all the arrows in the sky…

Boom!

After that successful strike, Zhi Cheng Shuangye did not cease his movements; gripping his Soul-Cutting Blade, he swung a second slash toward the group of Eradicators before him.

In an instant, another crescent-shaped slash surged toward the Eradicators, and this second slash was even larger than his first.

Run!

The pure-blood Eradicators saw this and immediately used their Flying Lian Kick to dodge Zhi Cheng's slash, but the mixed-blood Eradicators behind them were not so lucky! In almost an instant, those who could not react in time were cleanly cut in half by Zhi Cheng Shuangye's slash.

Countless crimson stains seeped into the earth…

More than sixty mixed-blood Eradicators fell dead on the battlefield in an instant.

This is the gap between a Captain-level Death God and ordinary Eradicators.

Damn! That guy is a monster!

The fleeing pure-blood Eradicators, watching the ruthless Zhi Cheng Shuangye swing his blade, broke into a flood of sweat on their foreheads; in their eyes, Zhi Cheng Shuangye had become a humanoid demon beast, continuously devouring the lives of the Eradicators.

There's no other way, use the Eradicator's final form!

Finally, a pure-blood Eradicator facing the old man, after pondering for a long while, slowly spoke.

What?!

As the old man spoke, the faces of the surrounding Eradicators all changed.

One must know that the current Eradicator's final form, though seemingly similar to the Perfect Saint Body used by Eradicators during the Blood War Period, is almost entirely different; both stem from the Eradicator's basic abilities, yet their power, speed, and side effects differ vastly…

When an Eradicator activates the final form now, it essentially declares a farewell to that Eradicator's career! For many who regard their Eradicator identity above all else, even above their own lives, this is utterly unacceptable…

"Shizumu Senpai, once you use the Eradicator's final form, our Eradication power will…"

Among those pure-blood Eradicators, one looked extremely hesitant, gazing at the old man before him, and spoke slowly.

"Now is not the time to worry about the Eradication power; even if it disappears, there is a chance to restore it!"

"But this particular guy right now must not be allowed to leave the Void Circle alive!"

"If he reports his speculation to the Pure Spirit Court, we would become the Eradicators' millennial sinners."

The old man furrowed his brows and coldly instructed those behind him.

"We understand…"

Following the old man's reprimand, the pure-blood Eradicators' expressions shifted repeatedly, and finally they each, before Zhi Cheng Shuangye, removed the Fragmented Gloves from their hands.

"Death God, honor! You will witness the true stance of us Eradicators!"

"Then, with gratitude in our hearts, go report to Hell!!"

As the pure-blood Eradicators finished speaking, their bodies were instantly enveloped by countless spirit particles…

For a moment, whether the white desert that forms the Void Circle's ground, the black dead trees dotting the desert, or the barren hills of piled rocks, all turned into pure spirit particles at that instant, drifting toward the pure-blood Eradicators who had activated the final form…

"Huh? The Void Circle's spirit particles being absorbed by these Eradicators?"

"These Eradicators can actually convert matter into basic spirit particles and then absorb them?"

"So does that mean, had I not first used the Initial Release to probe but directly used the Final Release against these Eradicators, I would have been in an extremely passive position?!"

Zhi Cheng Shuangye never imagined that these reasonably talented pure-blood Eradicators possessed the ability to directly decompose the matter of the Void Circle and the Corpse Soul Realm into basic spirit particles for absorption…

If, while battling these Eradicators, he inadvertently triggered the Final Release and chose to merge with the surrounding spirit-rich environment, wouldn't he be painfully killed by the Eradicators' current actions?!

Indeed, once Zhi Cheng Shuangye merges with the Void Circle's environment, the portion of the Void Circle he merges with becomes his own body…

And the Eradicators' current act of breaking down the Void Circle's matter into spirit particles for absorption is akin to carving flesh off Zhi Cheng Shuangye's bones blade by blade~

"No! These Eradicators must all die here…"

Thinking of this, Zhi Cheng Shuangye's complexion changed, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

At this moment, Zhi Cheng once again heard Araki's teaching echo in his mind, murmuring to himself: "According to Teacher Araki's first rule of risk avoidance! Never let your weakness be exposed to the enemy's hands; if it is already exposed, those who know my weakness must not be allowed to live."

"Although you Eradicators still do not know my weakness, according to the Emergency Risk Avoidance Act's third clause, once an enemy's ability is discovered and used to comprehensively suppress ours, we must strike preemptively and eliminate all such enemies to prevent the possibility of our weakness being exposed!"

"So sorry, dear Eradicators, the reason for your inevitable death has one more…"

While Zhi Cheng Shuangye was thinking, he had already raised his internal spiritual pressure to its peak.

Boom!

Just as Zhi Cheng Shuangye's mindset shifted from leaving an opening to leaving none…

The pure-blood Eradicators in the sky who had entered the final form had already begun attacking Zhi Cheng.

Unlike later perfected bodies, these Eradicators in the final form have not grown a pair of wings to freely soar; they possess only a single, extremely illusory wing…

Nevertheless, even so, the speed of these ordinary Eradicators was increased by several orders of magnitude.

Die!

The Eradicators shouted, accompanied by bursts of sound explosions, and rushed toward Zhi Cheng Shuangye.

"Not fast enough!"

Zhi Cheng faced these vastly strengthened Eradicators with an utterly calm expression, unflustered.

Although these Eradicators' strength and speed had increased by several orders, for him, who daily seeks upgrades under the blades of Mao Zhi Hua Lie and Araki, they were as slow as snails…

Boom!

Zhi Cheng instantly swung his Soul-Cutting Blade, several slashes cutting toward the Eradicators.

"Careful!"

The Eradicators diving toward Zhi Cheng immediately turned to evade; although their final form granted them great power, it did not endow them with bodies robust enough to ignore Zhi Cheng's slashes.

Boom!!

Zhi Cheng did not stop there; he cut several more times at the Eradicators in the sky.

Hahaha! Too slow!

In the sky, the Exterminators who danced like birds easily dodged Zhicheng Shuangye's slash, and taunted the Zhicheng Shuangye below: "Is that all your strength, Death God!!"

Heh...

Zhicheng Shuangye heard the taunts from the sky, smirked contemptuously, his eyes constantly flashing, and in an instant he caught the trajectories of those Exterminators' movements.

Boom!

Immediately afterward, Zhicheng Shuangye first, without panic, unleashed several slashes toward the sky, scattering those Exterminators, then leapt straight up into the high air and launched an attack against one isolated Pure-blood Exterminator.

Oh no! We've been tricked!

The remaining Exterminators, seeing this, all changed expression. Right now Zhicheng Shuangye is too close to that Exterminator for them to safely use Holy Extermination Arrows for support; a careless shot would hit their own comrades.

Ding!

However, the Exterminator locked onto by Zhicheng Shuangye didn't take it lightly; he actively approached Zhicheng Shuangye, and his body collided with Zhicheng Shuangye's Soul-Cutting Sword. Seeing that, a shimmering pattern flashed across the Exterminator's body, and he easily blocked Zhicheng Shuangye's Soul-Cutting Sword.

Huh?!!

Zhicheng Shuangye frowned, feeling that his slash didn't feel like human flesh at all, but more like hard steel.

Hahaha...

This is an ability innate to us Pure-blood Exterminators, called Still Blood Equipment!

This ability can make a Pure-blood Exterminator's defense become harder than steel in a short time!

Sorry, Death God, you're going to die here...

The Pure-blood Exterminator laughed maniacally and taunted Zhicheng Shuangye.

Swish!

However, before the Exterminator could finish speaking, Zhicheng Shuangye's blade had already sliced him in half.

How is that possible!!

The Exterminator fell like a kite with its string cut, scarlet staining the whole sky; with his last consciousness, he looked up at Zhicheng Shuangye in the sky, his expression filled with utter disbelief.

Make the skin harder than steel...

Sorry, cutting steel is something Teacher Huangmu passed to me, the most basic thing...

Zhicheng Shuangye looked at the Exterminator he had sliced in one blow and said calmly.

At the same time, Zhicheng Shuangye recalled what Teacher Huangmu had once told him: "Shuangye, listen well—never trust the 'lump of iron' I gave you; it's the most useless thing in the martial arts I taught you."

Upon this, Zhicheng Shuangye looked at the Exterminator he had slain and murmured: "Master's sincerity, he does not deceive me!"

Way of Binding Thirty-Three: Blue Fire Fall!

Thinking of this, Zhicheng Shuangye first lightly shook his head, then extended a finger, aiming at the Exterminator's corpse; he did not simply let the Exterminator collapse to the ground, but dealt a final blow to the Exterminator he had slain.

Indeed, Zhicheng Shuangye has no habit of leaving enemies half-dead without finishing them; on the contrary, he likes to completely annihilate those he kills, lest they pretend to be dead again...

Well, this Death God is strong, but overly cautious!

Six left!

Zhicheng Shuangye watched as that Exterminator was turned to powder by his Blue Fire Fall, and only then did he look up at the sky, where the remaining six Pure-blood Exterminators who had activated their final form were continually approaching him.

That Gamu guy got taken out...

Ha, that Gamu guy is such an idiot! Even after activating his final form as an Exterminator, he still got taken out by the Death God! It's basically an embarrassment for us Pure-blood Exterminators...

Hey! Don't say that about Gamu; although he's an idiot, his strength isn't weak. You all be careful, don't repeat the mistake of underestimating the enemy like Gamu did.

Relax! Our intellect is far superior to Gamu's...

In the sky, the remaining six Pure-blood Exterminators, regarding the Pure-blood Exterminator named Gamu whom Zhicheng Shuangye had slain, leaving not even scraps behind, constantly voiced their complaints.

These Pure-blood Exterminators felt no regret over Gamu's death; in their eyes, the guy slain by Zhicheng Shuangye was merely a disgrace to the pure blood flowing in their veins.

Faintly revealing a turbid emblem, the talent of an unruly, arrogant rebel...

Surge! Denial! Paralysis! Instant! Hindering eternal rest, the crawling steel princess, the continually self-harming mud doll, combine! Rebound! Extend to the ground, know your helplessness!

Zhicheng Shuangye paid no heed to these rebellious Exterminators in the sky; instead, before everyone's eyes, he simply began to chant softly.

Oh no! Quick, quickly stop him!

Among them, a quicker-reacting Exterminator, upon hearing Zhicheng Shuangye's chant, his expression suddenly shifted; he shouted loudly, hoping someone could stop Zhicheng Shuangye, but it was already too late...

Way of Binding Ninety—Black Coffin!

When the Exterminators finally reacted, Zhicheng Shuangye had already released his Demon Way.

Boom!

Before these Pure-blood Exterminators could prepare, one who had activated his final form was instantly enveloped by a wall as black as a coffin; he gazed with near-desperate, helpless eyes at himself, the entire world, and his fellow Pure-blood companions, now completely cut off...

A few seconds later, when the Toad Coffin dissipated, a corpse covered head to toe in countless laceration-like wounds, drained of all blood, fell straight from the sky to the ground.

Five left...

Zhi Cheng looked at the pure-blood that he instantly killed with a single toad coffin, tilted his head, and said lightly.

"Eh..."

For a moment, the pure-blood Exterminators in the sky all felt a surge of fear in their hearts.

They were startled because, even after Zhi Cheng had activated all of their Exterminator ultimate forms, he could still calmly slay two of them; they feared that, although they had already activated their ultimate form, they were still no match for the grim reaper before them.

"Boom!"

At this moment, all the pure-blood Exterminators put aside their contempt for Zhi Cheng, distanced themselves from him, and unleashed one holy extermination arrow after another.

"Boom!"

Facing the sky-full of holy extermination arrows, Zhi Cheng continuously waved his Soul-Cutter Blade; the slashes emanating from the blade incessantly collided with the Exterminators' arrows, producing an incredibly fierce roar.

Zhi Cheng furrowed his brows, constantly seeking a breakthrough, trying to close the distance with the Exterminators, but unfortunately, as soon as he stepped forward, these Exterminators would retreat a step...

Zhi Cheng and the Exterminators continued advancing deeper into the Hollow Circle in this manner, while these five pure-blood Exterminators fully utilized their advantage of long-range attacks and mobility...

And Zhi Cheng, who kept slashing back, managed to hold his ground in this world of white sand everywhere!

However, every Eradicator knew in their hearts that a stalemate was not a long‑term solution…

After all, the final form of these Eradicators is time‑limited; once their bodies can no longer endure the feedback of external spirit particles, they will instantly lose all Eradicator abilities, becoming fish on a cutting board for Zhi Cheng to slaughter…

"Everyone hold on! I don't believe that Death God's spiritual pressure is infinite! He squanders his own pressure, using slashes to clash with our holy annihilation arrows; the one who falls first will surely be him!"

Just as the Eradicators felt despair, the oldest man among the pure‑bloods spoke with unwavering eyes, saying that they could still draw spirit particles from the surrounding environment to replenish their lacking spiritual energy…

But the Death God lacks the Eradicators' abilities; he can only use the spirit particles within his own body to attack, and by squandering them without restraint, he will eventually run out of internal spiritual energy.

Once his internal spiritual energy is exhausted, he will be at their mercy…

At present, whether it's Zhi Cheng Shuangye or the Eradicators, everyone is dragging!

One side waits for Zhi Cheng's internal spiritual energy to run out; the other side waits for the Eradicators' bodies to collapse.

Now we shall see who can outlast whom~

"Boom!"

Yet at the moment the Eradicators faced Zhi Cheng, a scarlet Void flash suddenly shot from behind the Eradicators toward the Eradicator in the sky, and in an instant a Eradicator fell dead on the spot.

"Void?!"

For a moment, both the pure‑blood Eradicators and the Death God Zhi Cheng Shuangye halted their attacks.

"Hey, hey, hey! This is my 'Void Circle'!"

"You Eradicators, or even Death Gods, don't be so arrogant!"

The newcomer was a man with short light‑green hair, wearing a gray robe, a weapon at his waist resembling the Death Gods' Zanpaku blades; if not for the white, bone‑like mask shaped like a 'Void' covering his right face, those present might have mistaken him for a Death God from elsewhere.

"What is that? A Death God? Void? I've never heard of a humanoid Void…"

For a moment, the Eradicators were all dumbfounded; they could not grasp what this man was. They had been hunting Void within the 'Void Circle' for decades, yet had never seen a 'Great Void' that looked human, let alone one whose appearance was indistinguishable from a human.

"A humanoid 'Great Void'?"

"So that's it—could you be the legendary Washi Tuo De‑level 'Great Void'?!"

"Your strength truly matches the danger described in Brother Ku Wushe's book…"

Zhi Cheng Shuangye stared at the figure before him, then suddenly a humanoid Great Void burst into the battlefield between him and the Eradicators; recalling what he had read in Ku Wushe's book, his brows furrowed before he asked aloud.

"Washi Tuo De‑level 'Great Void'?!"

"Could it be that this guy is the legendary top‑tier 'Great Void'?!"

The Eradicators, hearing Zhi Cheng Shuangye's words, were all taken aback, their faces showing utter shock as they spoke.

"Huh? Since you know my identity, you still dare to act recklessly before me?!"

The light‑green‑haired man, after hearing the crowd, arrogantly confirmed his identity. In his eyes, whether Eradicators or the Death God before him, they were all merely his prey.

"What top‑tier Great Void? Go die for me!"

"Whether it's Washi Tuo De or a captain‑rank Death God, I'll kill them before your eyes!"

Just as the atmosphere among them began to grow tense…

One pure‑blood Eradicator who had activated his final form let out a deafening roar, then transformed into a flash of light, charging toward the light‑green‑haired top‑tier Great Void.

"Huh? There's an idiot in the crowd?!"

Washi Tuo De, with his light‑green hair, stared at the Eradicator rushing at him, then his figure instantly vanished from sight, heading straight for that Eradicator…

Honestly, after so many years living in the 'Void Circle', he had encountered many prey—some who collapsed upon seeing him, some who fled at lightning speed; today was the first time he saw a prey who chose to seek death.

"Gone!"

When Washi Tuo De's form vanished, both Eradicators and Zhi Cheng Shuangye felt their pupils twitch slightly, because the terrifying spiritual pressure continuously emitted by the Great Void disappeared along with him, leaving those Eradicators and Death Gods who rely on spiritual pressure to locate enemies feeling inexplicably uneasy.

"Bad, that's a resonance shift!"

"Watch out for the opponent's ambush!"

Among the pure‑blood Eradicators, one who was extremely experienced in hunting Great Voids, upon seeing Washi Tuo De disappear, immediately thought of something and kept warning the lone Eradicator.

Unfortunately, it was already too late…

"What, this is a resonance shift?"

When the warned Eradicator turned to the voice behind him, a light‑green figure had already arrived at his back—yes, the newcomer was that arrogant Washi Tuo De‑level 'Great Void'.

"What?!"

For a moment, the Eradicator was stunned, terrified by the terrifying spiritual pressure released by Washi Tuo De behind him.

He hovered mid‑air, motionless, his whole body trembling with cold…

"Puff!"

Before the Eradicator could speak, the green‑haired Washi Tuo De thrust from behind, piercing the opponent's heart.

Accompanied by a spray of bright red, a beating fresh heart was ripped from the Eradicator's chest by Washi Tuo De, and in front of everyone he crushed the heart into powder.

"Ambush? Don't joke!"

"Do I need an ambush to deal with this trash?"

After brutally injuring that Eradicator, Washi Tuo De roared at the crowd,

"Puff…"

As for the Eradicator whose heart was taken by the arrogant Washi Tuo De, his lifeless eyes fell from the sky.

Clearly that Eradicator was already beyond saving! With the powerful 'Washi Void' appearing, within a few minutes the already dwindling pure‑blood Eradicators lost two more…

"Damn!"

The other Eradicators, seeing the scene, furrowed their brows in disgust at Washi Tuo De's cruelty; two of them immediately moved to retrieve the corpse of the pure‑blood Eradicator whose heart had been taken. In their eyes, every Eradicator slain by a Great Void was glorious.

"Whoosh! Boom!"

But before the others could advance, a scarlet flash exploded the Eradicator's corpse mid‑air, shattering it into countless fragments that turned to dust and fell onto the white sand below…

"Bastard!"

The Eradicators all looked up at Washi Tuo De in the sky and roared.

Hoo~

Hahaha~

All that could be seen was that the Vasto Lorde lightly blew on his own smoldering finger, and he revealed a wicked smile.

"I've gathered enough information about the Quincies..."

"Now is not the time to fight that unknown Vasto Lorde ahead; it seems time to temporarily withdraw."

On the other side, upon seeing that powerful Vasto Lorde, Zicheng Shuangye decided to temporarily lead his troops back to the Soul Society.

If he were alone right now, he'd probably be stubborn like this, choosing to clash head-on with that Vasto Lorde ahead! Even if he couldn't defeat that Vasto Lorde, at least he could obtain enough information about the Vasto Lorde!

After all, the Soul Society's research on Grandes, especially Vasto Lorde, is severely lacking; all data on Grandes come solely from that year's observation log of the Kurou Residence...

It's just a pity that he brought many troops with him to Hueco Mundo this time; as their captain, he must be responsible for their lives, absolutely cannot let them fall into danger and carry out meaningless sacrifices.

Swish!

Thinking this, Zicheng Shuangye took advantage of the standoff between that Vasto Lorde and the Quincy, and used Instant Step to leave.

Hmph...

On another note, that Vasto Lorde in the sky, namely the newly acquired Twelve Divine Generals of Huangmu, the 'Immortal King' Arturo Platido, upon seeing Zicheng Shuangye leave, merely snorted coldly and did not choose to pursue.

As Arturo, a Divine General under Huangmu, he naturally knows Zicheng's identity; he came this time not to fight Zicheng, but to personally exterminate the Quincies invading Hueco Mundo...

If left to let the Quincies and Soul Reapers wreak havoc in Hueco Mundo, those arrogant fellows might even think their Hueco Mundo is deserted?! Today he intends to tell all the strong of the Three Worlds that his Hueco Mundo is not a place where those so-called strong can come and go as they please...

"Hey! You three, ready to go to hell?"

After seeing Zicheng Shuangye off, Arturo coldly said to the three pure-blood Quincies beneath him:

"This guy..."

The three pure-blood Quincies, upon hearing that, instantly assumed a stance as if facing a great enemy.

Boom!

Before anyone could think much, Arturo's attack fell instantly.

The scarlet Hollow Flash illuminated the entire night sky...

At the same time...

Zicheng Shuangye had also successfully rendezvoused with his troops.

At this moment, Zicheng's troops were still entangled with the Quincies; these mixed-blood Quincies, although not as strong in combat power as pure-blood Quincies, nevertheless possessed a fighting will that was strongly terrifying...

In the hearts of these mixed-blood Quincies, there seemed to be an unprecedented belief that supported them in battle against the powerful Soul Reapers.

"Die here!"

Seeing this, Zicheng Shuangye calmly drew his Soul-Cutter Sword; at the moment he descended from the sky, he used his sword's ability to unleash countless slashes, cutting all the Quincies still resisting into fragments.

In Zicheng's view, the Quincies' belief is meaningless; before absolute power, any resistance is meaningless, merely the difference between dying early or late.

"Captain! The captain has arrived!"

"Hahaha! We've won!"

"The captain is invincible..."

"These damned Quincies are still arrogant! Our captain has arrived!"

When those who had fought the Quincies to the death for several hours, the Soul Reapers who were highly focused mentally and tormented, upon seeing this heavenly descent that resembled a savior, who with a wave wiped out all the Quincies, Zicheng Shuangye, they raised their voices to the heavens and inwardly acknowledged Zicheng Shuangye as their captain.

"The mission in Hueco Mundo is over; immediately open the World-Penetrating Gate..."

"Let's go back! Return to the Soul Society."

Zicheng Shuangye said nothing more, only ordering the opening of the World-Penetrating Gate and having everyone return to the Soul Society.

"Yes, sir!"

The troops under Zicheng Shuangye's command, upon hearing that, all nodded in agreement.

Soon, the mobile World-Penetrating Gate developed by the Technical Development Bureau, after some operation by those Soul Reaper troops, slowly opened within Hueco Mundo, appearing before Zicheng Shuangye's eyes.

"You go in first!"

Zicheng Shuangye looked at the glowing World-Penetrating Gate ahead and calmly told the surrounding troops:

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing Zicheng Shuangye's words, these troops immediately proceeded in an orderly manner into the World-Penetrating Gate.

Not long after, within the vast Hueco Mundo, only Zicheng Shuangye remained; he did not directly enter the World-Penetrating Gate, but silently gazed into the distance...

In the direction Zicheng Shuangye gazed, that arrogant Vasto Lorde-grade Grande continually sneered at him, with three skulls placed at his feet—those skulls were precisely the three remaining pure-blood Quincies.

The gap between these pure-blood Quincies and that Vasto Lorde-grade Grande is truly immense—so great that even if they unleashed their Quincy final form, sacrificing their lives to bombard that Vasto Lorde, they still could not injure it in the slightest.

Hehe~

Because Arturo had Huangmu's orders, he did not choose to actively attack Zicheng Shuangye; instead, he provocatively hooked a finger at him and wore a teasing expression.

Just like Ā'ěrtǔluó was saying to Zhìchéng Shuāngyě, I'm right here; if you have the ability, come get me…

"Idiot!"

Zhìchéng Shuāngyě silently stared at Ā'ěrtǔluó for a few seconds, then gave a disdainful smile.

Immediately, Zhìchéng Shuāngyě walked into the Interworld Gate without looking back, leaving the Hollow Circle.

Zhìchéng Shuāngyě remained completely calm; he utterly disregarded Ā'ěrtǔluó's provocations, instead continually provoking Ā'ěrtǔluó. If this Vasto Lorde were to take the bait and, via the Interworld Gate he left behind, arrive in Soul Society, then Zhìchéng wouldn't mind bringing his fellow disciples and, right in front of Ā'ěrtǔluó, staging a righteous group beating.

"Heh…"

Ā'ěrtǔluó merely gave a cold smile as he watched Zhìchéng Shuāngyě leave; how could he fall for such a low-level provocation?

"…"

Ā'ěrtǔluó just silently watched the Interworld Gate until it dissipated, then he prepared to leave.

After all, the task Huāngmù left for him was to ensure that no clueless Hollow would use the Soul Reaper's Interworld Gate to leave.

"I see, you're the legendary Vasto Lorde-level Grande Hollow, aren't you?!!"

Just as Arturo was about to leave on his own, heading back to the depths of Hollow Circle to kill a few of Birago's underlings to vent his anger, a hoarse, magnetic male voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Huh?!

Upon hearing the voice, Arturo immediately turned around and saw a person with the brown short hair he disliked, wearing a pair of plain glasses on his face, revealing a smile that looked sunny but was actually extremely sinister, dressed in a black Shinigami uniform, with a Soul-Cutting Sword at his waist, a classic Thirteen Squads Shinigami's attire, quietly looking at him.

Who the hell are you?

Arturo looked at the newcomer and asked doubtfully.

In his view, this Shinigami before him must be an idiot who missed the retreat of the main Shinigami force.

Aizen Sosuke.

The Shinigami squad member, smiling, answered Arturo's question.

Forget it, whoever you are, just go die...

Arturo said that, then instantly appeared behind the Shinigami with a sharp turn and pierced his chest with a palm strike.

Sure enough, a mere grunt.

Just as Arturo pulled out the Shinigami's heart and crushed it,

The Shinigami's voice suddenly sounded again in his ear: "Looks like you really like pulling out people's hearts from behind, huh~"

Huh?

Upon hearing this, Arturo's pupils contracted sharply; he looked in surprise at the unharmed brown-haired Shinigami before him.

You weren't already killed by me?

Arturo frowned, asking the brown-haired Shinigami before him, namely Aizen Sosuke.

Well, I've been standing in the same spot all along, I haven't moved~

Take a good look at the heart in your hand, whose is it~

Aizen Sosuke chuckled in response to Arturo's words.

Huh? This heart is obviously yours...

Arturo said while looking at his own hand, but then he trailed off, unable to finish, as he saw the corpse at his feet had at some point turned into a headless Quincy, and the heart in his hand naturally belonged to that Quincy.

Arturo was certainly familiar with that headless corpse; it was exactly the Quincy he had just killed, one of the three Quincies, and he now wondered why he had confused that corpse with the brown-haired Shinigami.

What's going on?

After thinking for a while, Arturo still had no answer, and he immediately asked, filled with doubt.

Hehe, before answering your question~

First, let me introduce my Soul-Cutting Sword, its name is Mirror Flower Water Moon...

Anyone who sees the release of my Soul-Cutting Sword named Mirror Flower Water Moon will have all five senses completely under my control! In other words, the me you just killed was merely an illusion I wanted you to see.

Aizen Sosuke, upon hearing this, politely replied to Arturo.

Hah? You're joking; I don't recall ever seeing the release of your Soul-Cutting Sword.

Arturo looked at Aizen Sosuke and spoke angrily.

Hehe, when did you get the illusion that you haven't seen the release of my Soul-Cutting Sword?

Aizen Sosuke, after hearing Arturo's words, spoke with a smile.

Well, could it be that...

Upon hearing this, Arturo's pupils contracted sharply.

Hollow Circle is really a great place, huh~

Not only are there strong ones like you, but also incredibly abundant resources~

However, to completely turn this place into my Hollow Circle, I'll have to put in some thought~

Then, mighty unnamed Vasto Lorde sir, would you be willing to become my guide, help me unify the entire Hollow Circle, and turn it into an impregnable fortress?!

At the moment Arturo's heart was shaken, Aizen Sosuke, with a smile, lightly said to him.

After arriving in Hollow Circle, Aizen Sosuke had already made a decision……

From today onward, this place shall become Hollow Circle belonging to Aizen Sosuke.

And Aizen Sosuke will use the entire Hollow Circle as a stepping stone to reach even higher skies……

If Aramaki were to hear Aizen Sosuke's inner voice at this moment, he would surely dote on him endlessly, gently patting his head, then speaking in a kind tone: 'Silly child, this is absolutely not your Hollow Circle; from the very beginning, this Hollow Circle has been mine!'

Twelve thousand~