Chapter 188: line with translation of chapter title

"Severed Border"

Worlds overlap each other, forming a special passage.

At the same time, it is also the necessary path for the Shinigami to travel between worlds.

At this time, Hēiqí Yīhù and the others passed through the World-Piercing Gate prepared by Pǔyuán Xǐzhù, and under the leadership of the Masked Army and Sìfēngyuàn Yèyī, they continually ran through the Severed Border; their goal for this trip was the legendary "Soul Society".

On the road ahead, everyone was silent, whether it was the members of the Masked Army or Ichigo and the others, their brows were tightly furrowed, as if everyone deep down had various worries and anxieties, each person seemed to be worrying about something.

""

During this period, Pingzi Zhenzi, who was good at reading expressions, after taking in everyone's expressions, gradually slowed his speed, retreating from the original leading position all the way to the side of Hēiqí Yīhù and the others, and greeted them: "Hey, the weather today is really nice, right? Hēiqí Yīhù~".

"Ha?!"

Perhaps because of Pingzi Zhenzi's tone of greeting, which was really stiff and awkward, even the thick-skinned Hēiqí Yīhù, after hearing Pingzi Zhenzi's words, his response was noticeably delayed by a beat, and for a moment he didn't react; Pingzi Zhenzi was speaking to him.

"Hello, beautiful young lady, I'm Pingzi Zhenzi. Are you interested in getting to know me? Perhaps you don't know me well, but I can sincerely tell you that I am devoted, I love pure love stories, I hate cuckolds, being with me will surely make you happy~".

Without waiting for Hēiqí Yīhù's response, Pingzi directly bypassed Hēiqí Yīhù, Yǔlóng, and Tàihǔ, and went up to Jǐngshàng Zhījī's side, smiling as he greeted her.

"Eh?! We're not that close~".

Jǐngshàng Zhījī heard this and showed a somewhat embarrassed and apologetic smile.

"It's fine, we're not close today, not close tomorrow, but we'll be close the day after~".

Pingzi was not discouraged by Jǐngshàng Zhījī's rejection; on the contrary, Jǐngshàng Zhījī's rejection successfully aroused Pingzi Zhenzi's desire to pursue, as he persistently put on his old face and openly expressed his love to Jǐngshàng Zhījī.

"Um..."

Jǐngshàng Zhījī heard this and showed an embarrassed smile on her face.

"You jerk, don't get in Orihime's way!".

Just as Jǐngshàng Zhījī didn't know what to do, the slow-to-react Hēiqí Yīhù finally came online, he grabbed Pingzi Zhenzi's neck with one hand, pulled Pingzi away from Jǐngshàng Zhījī's side to his own side, and said coldly.

"Hey, Hēiqí Yīhù, you finally noticed me, huh?!"

"I thought you were not only deaf but also had an eye disease, a person who is oblivious, arrogant, and a blind fool~".

After Pingzi Zhenzi noticed that Hēiqí Yīhù finally started talking to him, a smile appeared on his face, and he spoke to Hēiqí Yīhù with a grin.

"You jerk, don't go disturb others just because I ignored you!".

After hearing Pingzi's words, Hēiqí Yīhù finally reacted; the guy who seemed unsavory actually had meticulous thoughts, and was a smart person whose intellect was on par with Yǔlóng.

"Hehehe..."

"Well, since everyone has finally noticed me, I won't beat around the bush any longer; while we're still in the Severed Border and haven't reached the 'Soul Society', I'll give a brief overview for those who don't know about the 'Soul Society' and the 'Guardian Court Thirteen Squads'~".

After Pingzi Zhenzi gave a light chuckle, his expression gradually became solemn.

"Are you going to give us a rundown of the enemy's power structure?".

"This is indeed extremely important and very necessary!".

"As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles'; only by understanding the enemy can you defeat them; so I entrust you with the task of introducing the enemy~".

Upon hearing that Pingzi Zhenzi was going to introduce everyone to the Shinigami's power structure, Yǔlóng's expression immediately became serious, and he respectfully asked Pingzi Zhenzi.

"Hehe, it seems there are also smart people among you~".

Pingzi heard this and immediately smiled.

"First, you need to know that the main structure of the 'Soul Society' is divided into two parts! One part is the core of the 'Soul Society', also the place where the Shinigami and nobles reside, called the 'Tranquil Spirit Court'.".

"The other part is the place where the most ordinary wandering souls in the 'Soul Society' reside, as well as the souls of those who died naturally in the 'Living World' and were sent by the Shinigami to the 'Soul Society'; it is called the 'Wandering Souls Street', and our goal this time is to enter the core area of the 'Soul Society', that is, the 'Tranquil Spirit Court'.".

Pingzi first introduced the regional structure of the 'Soul Society'.

"Where is Lùqíyà?".

Hēiqí Yīhù doesn't seem interested in the structure of the 'Soul Society'; he only wants to know where Lùqíyà, who was taken away by Báizāi, is right now?!.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Lùqíyà is currently in the core area of the 'Soul Society', that is, the 'Tranquil Spirit Court'~".

Pingzi heard this and explained.

"Then we must storm the 'Tranquil Spirit Court'.".

Hēiqí Yīhù lightly nodded, making a conclusion.

"Hehe, Hēiqí Yīhù, things are far from being as simple as you think.".

"You should know that as the core of a world and the most important area, the entire region of the 'Tranquil Spirit Court' is surrounded by high walls and enveloped in a huge barrier, making it impossible to enter from either the sky or the ground.".

"If we truly want to enter the 'Tranquil Spirit Court', the only way is through the four main gates on the east, west, south, and north sides of the high walls surrounding it; however, outside these four gates are powerful guardians, and they are not as easy to break through as you might imagine.".

Pingzi looked at Hēiqí Yīhù, who wore a calm expression as if he didn't take the 'Tranquil Spirit Court' to heart, and silently thought, "Ignorance is fearlessness; a newborn calf fears no tiger", then continued to explain to Hēiqí Yīhù and the others.

"In short, if we defeat the guards, we can enter the Tranquil Spirit Court, right?".

"Leave the guards to me; I'll take care of them all.".

Hēiqí Yīhù didn't take the guards that Pingzi mentioned to heart at all.

"The point isn't those four guards outside the Tranquil Spirit Court gates; the point is the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads protecting the interior of the Tranquil Spirit Court! Those responsible for guarding the gates of the Tranquil Spirit Court, rather than saying they protect the Tranquil Spirit Court, it's more like they protect those who lack strength and still plan to invade the Tranquil Spirit Court...".

"Those gatekeepers are actually the mercy of the Captain-Commander of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads toward the enemy! They are telling the world that if you can't even defeat the gatekeepers, you shouldn't even think about invading the Tranquil Spirit Court, because once you get in, it's a dead end, period.".

Pingzi Zhenzi sighed and continued.

"So, the so-called Captain-Commander of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads is also quite reasonable~ It sounds unexpectedly kind; maybe if we explain the situation with Lùqíyà to him, he might release her?!".

After hearing Pingzi Zhenzi's words, Jǐngshàng Zhījī pondered for a moment, then smiled and spoke to everyone present.

"This is a good idea!".

Hēiqí Yīhù heard this and gave Jǐngshàng Zhījī a thumbs-up.

"Hehe, this method also relies on you guys thinking of it!".

Pingzi Zhenzi heard Hēiqí Yīhù's words and his eye twitched slightly.

"Is it not possible?".

Hēiqí Yīhù looked at Pingzi Zhenzi in confusion and asked.

It's not a matter of whether we can or cannot, but whether we can actually see General Commander Araki! I should have already told you this: within the Soul Society, there are exactly thirteen Shinigami divisions, collectively called the Gotei 13……

Among them, General Commander Araki is not only the commander-in-chief of the thirteen Shinigami divisions, but also concurrently serves as the captain of the First Division, and the headquarters of the First Division lies at the very heart of the Soul Society! In other words, no matter which gate we enter the Soul Society from, we must pass through five checkpoints and slay six generals before we can possibly reach the First Division's headquarters, and only upon reaching the First Division does everything truly begin.

Hirako Shinji looked at Kurosaki Ichigo's eyes as if he were looking at an idiot.

Then let's just beat down all the enemies!

Kurosaki Ichigo didn't mind; he seemed full of confidence in himself.

You bastard, should I say you're fearless through ignorance, or that you're overconfident? Do you really know the combat strength of the Gotei 13?

Let me put it this way! The night Rukia Kuchiki left, you should have fought a pompous bastard, right? That pompous bastard is Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of one of the divisions in the Gotei 13.

And I can tell you plainly here: that bastard Byakuya is extremely young in seniority among all the captains! As you've heard, there are twelve others who are as strong as Byakuya, or even stronger, aside from General Commander Araki's First Division, within the Gotei 13!

Hirako Shinji spoke to Kurosaki Ichigo helplessly.

Those who are as strong as that bastard Byakuya number twelve in total?

Kurosaki Ichigo naturally knows how strong Byakuya Kuchiki is, after all, it was after he obtained Shinigami powers that he first tasted defeat, and was instantly killed by him!

Originally Kurosaki Ichigo thought that Byakuya Kuchiki should be the strongest Shinigami in the Soul Society, but it turned out that there are twelve more who are as strong as Byakuya, or even stronger, within the Gotei 13.

This is just the other divisions within the Gotei 13! Next I will introduce to you the First Division led by General Commander Araki, which is also famed as the strongest division in history!

The First Division is altogether divided into nine squads: the first squad, the Patrol Squad; the second squad, the Communication Squad; the third squad, the Kido Corps; the fourth squad, the Hollow Subjugation Squad; the fifth squad, the Quincy Assault Team; the sixth squad, the Living World Ability Users Detention Squad; the seventh squad, the Internal Inspection Squad; the eighth squad, the Special Equipment Management Squad; and the ninth squad, the Emergency Relief Squad……

These nine squads take direct orders from General Commander Araki and are not subject to the regulations of the Gotei 13! Moreover, there are rumors that each of the nine squad commanders under the First Division possesses combat power comparable to, or even surpassing, that of a Gotei 13 captain! Adding the invincible General Commander Araki, it follows that the strength of just the First Division alone exceeds the combined strength of all the other divisions~

Hirako Shinji told Kurosaki Ichigo the information about the First Division that Urahara Kisuke had investigated; as for the true state of the First Division, even Urahara Kisuke doesn't know much, and he merely told him that the squad leaders of the First Division are all monsters, such that even Urahara Kisuke himself might not be able to win in a one-on-one fight against them.

Quincy Assault Team?!

When Ishida Uryū heard the name of the Fifth Squad of the First Division, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the gaze behind his glasses flickered with a hint of ruthlessness.

In other words, in the worst case, our enemies would total twenty-two who are a match for Byakuya Kuchiki, or even stronger than him?!

As for Kurosaki Ichigo, at this moment his mind is full of Byakuya Kuchiki.

Only then did beads of sweat appear all over Ichigo's forehead; from Hirako Shinji's words, he felt for the first time the immense strength of the Soul Society!

Just thinking about it, Ichigo felt that upon entering the Soul Society he would have to face over twenty Byakuya-level opponents simultaneously, making his head feel like it would explode; even if he burned his brain cells to ash, he couldn't imagine how to deal with twenty Byakuya at once.

However, what Kurosaki Ichigo didn't expect was that Hirako Shinji's earlier words were still conservative! After Ichigo arrived in the Soul Society, he discovered that the Gotei 13 could be described as 'crouching tigers, hidden dragons'! Even saying that walking around with 'third-class spiritual pressure' would make vice-captain-level fighters seem like dogs is completely appropriate.

At this moment, Kurosaki Ichigo's confidence wavered slightly; he closed his mouth and fell into deep thought. As for Ishida Uryū standing beside Ichigo, his mind kept analyzing the meaning of the words 'Quincy Assault Team'. Meanwhile, Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora, seeing the silent Ichigo and Ishida, although they didn't know what had happened, said nothing and simply stood quietly beside Ichigo and Ishida.

Sigh……

Yoruichi Shihōin, who had been running ahead all along, noticed that Ichigo's confidence seemed to have been shaken a little, and she let out a soft sigh! No one knows the current strength of the Soul Society better than she, the disciple of the incumbent commander‑commander! Rather than let Ichigo arrive in the Soul Society, encounter an unbeatable opponent, and fall into despair, it's better to prepare himself mentally for defeat beforehand, which will also aid Ichigo's growth.

We've arrived……

After a while, amidst everyone's silence, they finally ran to the end of the Dangai, which was also the destination of this journey—the Soul Society!

Boom!!

When everyone passed through that shining gate, what appeared before their eyes was a blue sky with white clouds, undoubtedly a world extremely similar to the Living World! And the silhouettes of Ichigo and the others instantly appeared in midair……

That damn merchant! I knew he was unreliable!

Damn, we're actually in midair?!

Hey, look ahead, that looks like a city!

Since everyone present is not a mortal, they felt no fear at the height; they merely cursed Urahara Kisuke a few words, then the sight before them utterly shocked them—a city wrapped in massive white walls, brimming with an ancient, rustic atmosphere~

This is too exaggerated, isn't it?! Such a city is practically a miracle!

Although everyone had already braced themselves mentally, when Ichigo, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue, seeing the Soul Society for the first time, beheld this enormous city, they couldn't help but utter a word of praise!

In the eyes of Ichigo and the others, the city before them is something that, even if one exhausted all human effort in the Living World, could not be produced! After all, this city is even larger than some nations in the Living World! Ichigo and company cannot imagine how much time and manpower it would take to build such a city!

Precisely as everyone was awestruck by the city's grandeur, they successfully landed on the soil of the Soul Society, kicking up countless floating specks of dust~

How beautiful~

After Orihime Inoue stood on the ground, she gazed at the vast, pure white wall before her and couldn't help murmuring to herself.

Take a good look— the city before you, encircled by those massive white walls, is our destination for this trip—the Soul Society!

Yoruichi Shihōin gracefully landed on the soil of the Soul Society and explained softly.

So the houses behind us are the Rukongai?!

Ishida Uryū turned sideways, looking at the scene opposite the massive city ahead—less grand and magnificent, though it looks clean and orderly, it is plainly no match for the architecture inside those white walls, just an ordinary, unremarkable ancient street, he said softly.

Exactly so.

Yoruichi Shihōin nodded lightly after hearing Ishida Uryū's words.

Hehe! The Soul Society really is a place of stark wealth disparity~

Hearing that, Ishida Uryū's face showed a hint of a mocking expression, and he let out a soft chuckle.

Pant……

In short, if we want to see Rukia, we have to go in there, right?

If that's the case, then let's not waste any more time—let's hurry in! The longer we delay, the more dangerous Rukia's situation becomes……

At the moment Ishida Uryū was gazing at the stark wealth disparity between the Soul Society and the Rukongai, separated by a massive wall, Kurosaki Ichigo let out a long sigh from his mouth, fixed his gaze firmly ahead, and earnestly addressed those present.

Yo~ Ichigo! Looks like you've pulled yourself together again~

Hirako Shinji laughed after hearing Ichigo's words.

Who do you think I am? I'm not so easily discouraged!

After hearing Hirako Shinji's words, Kurosaki Ichigo spoke earnestly.

Hahaha……

As long as you can pull yourself together, that's good!

If that's the case, then let's happily begin our invasion of the Soul Society~

Speaking of which, if nothing unexpected happens, the place we landed should be West Rukongai, right? That means the gate ahead is the White Way Gate? The guard currently stationed at the White Way Gate should still be that fellow Jidanbo, right? Speaking of which, how many years has he been working as a gatekeeper at the White Way Gate?

Pingzi Zhenzi said, lightly pressing his own hat on his head, holding his Zanpakutō in hand, he walked on his own toward one of the four great gates guarding Seireitei, the White Way Gate.

"Is it okay to just go straight through like that?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo looked at Pingzi Zhenzi, who was even more carefree than him, and at the masked troops members who were explosively flamboyant, then lowered his gaze to Yoruichi Shihoin and whispered his question.

"Just leave it to them~"

Yoruichi Shihoin, hearing that, merely gave a light smile.

"Yo! Doudanbo, come out quickly—I've already seen you~"

At the same time, Pingzi Zhenzi had already arrived beneath the White Way Gate; he looked at the gate before him and spoke with a hearty laugh.

"Boom!"

As Pingzi Zhenzi's words fell, a huge shadow suddenly descended from the sky, landing on its own before him while kicking up a violent gust that blew the hat on Pingzi's head up into the sky.

"How many years! I've never seen anyone dare to enter Seireitei without a pass! But no matter who you are, your good luck ends here. I am Doudanbo, one of the heroes of Soul Society! I have guarded the White Way Gate for three hundred years, never letting anyone intrude……"

Doudanbo gripped two huge axes, speaking to Pingzi Zhenzi on the ground with overwhelming arrogance. In fact, Doudanbo was trying to make Pingzi Zhenzi retreat knowing the difficulty; he had his own principle: if he could avoid using violence against others, he would.

"Oh dear, what a shame~"

"Doudanbo, you actually forgot me—this breaks my heart!"

After hearing Doudanbo's words, Pingzi Zhenzi lowered his head on his own and spoke bluntly.

"Huh?! This voice, I seem to have heard it before!"

After hearing Pingzi's words, Doudanbo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Is that so? If it sounds familiar, then it's right……"

"So now, Doudanbo, you might as well take a close look at my face and make sure exactly who I am."

Pingzi smiled, then lifted his head, stared straight at Doudanbo, and said.

"You? Your face? No, it can't be?!"

"Could you be Captain Pingzi Zhenzi?!"

Doudanbo looked at Pingzi's cheek, his expression instantly stunned.

The next second, Doudanbo suddenly recalled events from over a hundred years ago; the face of Pingzi Zhenzi before him gradually overlapped with the face of Pingzi Zhenzi from a hundred years ago, wearing the captain's haori, causing Doudanbo to gasp in shock and exclaim to Pingzi.

"Doudanbo, open the gate quickly!"

"We don't want to make things difficult for you……"

Just as Doudanbo was surprised by Pingzi Zhenzi's arrival, the other members of the masked troops also walked up to his side; everyone knew Doudanbo, so they had no intention of making things difficult for him, and instead spoke to him softly.

"You? You are the Sixth Division Captain Liùchē Quánxī, the Fifth Division Captain Fēngqiáo Lóu Shíláng, the Third Division Captain Àichuān Luówǔ, plus the lieutenants Rìshìlǐ, Shǐméngwán, Jiǔnánbái, and the Vice Captain of Kidō Yǒuzhāotián Bóxuán?! Have you all come back?"

Doudanbo said, his eyes shimmering with a few tears.

The people present were all captains who had treated him well back then,

"Hn! This time we've come to collect a debt~"

Pingzi Zhenzi shouldered his already-drawn Zanpakutō and gave Doudanbo a light smile.

"Although I cannot enter Seireitei to help you due to my duty!"

"But I sincerely hope you can succeed!"

"I know you were all framed back then……"

"Let me lend you a final hand and help you open this gate!"

Doudanbo said, then tossed aside the two huge axes in his hands, walked on his own to the White Way Gate he guarded; one could see his forehead veins bulging, his whole body summoning all its strength, as he bent over, shoved his hands into the dirt, fingertips pressing hard against the gate's base, then heaved with all his might— the immensely massive White Way Gate, weighing over hundreds of tons, was lifted by him relying solely on pure brute strength.

"Everyone, hurry in while I'm holding up the gate……"

Midway through Doudanbo's words, his complexion changed.

Beyond the White Way Gate stood a man wearing a white haori, with short silver hair, silently watching Doudanbo.

"Doudanbo, do you really know what you're doing?"

"You're letting criminals wanted by the Forty-Six Chamber enter Seireitei without authorization! In Soul Society, that's a serious crime~"

"Then let me punish you here~"

The comer was none other than the current captain of the Third Division, Ichimaru Gin, who gave Doudanbo a narrow-eyed smile and drew his Zanpakutō.

"Oh no!"

Upon seeing Ichimaru Gin draw his Zanpakutō, Doudanbo felt as if a venomous snake had locked onto him, rendering him completely immobile.

"Swish!"

The next instant, a brilliant white light flared before Doudanbo's eyes, that piercing silver gleam seeming to slash the heavens; merely seeing it made Doudanbo feel as if his heart had been pierced.

"Ding~"

However, at that crucial moment, a yellow figure dropped down before Doudanbo and blocked Ichimaru Gin's slash with a single blade.

"Huh?"

Ichimaru Gin looked at the newcomer, slowly opening his narrowed eyes.

"Are youngsters nowadays all this violent?"

The one who blocked Ichimaru Gin's slash was naturally Pingzi Zhenzi, who lightly touched the wound on his cheek inflicted by Ichimaru's Zanpakutō and muttered to himself.

"Pingzi Zhenzi~"

Ichimaru Gin looked at the comer and said with a grin.

"Rozes, this is unprecedented!"

"This guy seems to be the captain of the Third Division~"

"In other words, he's your junior, right?"

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded behind Ichimaru Gin.

Ichimaru Gin turned his head to look, only to see that behind him had appeared a girl with golden-yellow short hair tied in twin tails; at that moment, the girl was pointing at the "Third Division" insignia on the haori of a similarly golden-haired, somewhat artistic-looking young man beside her, and said with a grin.

I've come in~

Just as Ichimaru Gin was about to say something, people kept entering from behind the White Dao Gate into the "Tranquil Spirit Court".

Eh~

Looks like I need to quickly report to the captain-commander; the White Dao Gate, which had never been breached in three hundred years, has just been breached~

Seeing this, Ichimaru Gin spoke with a grin.

You'd better think about what you're going to do next.

At the moment Ichimaru Gin's words fell, a silver dagger had already been placed at his neck; unbeknownst when, a burly man with silver short hair had already appeared at his side and drew his Soul-Cutting Sword against Ichimaru Gin.

At this point, Ichimaru Gin was undoubtedly completely surrounded by the Masked Forces; before him stood the grinning Pingzi Zhenzi and Aichuan Luowu, behind him stood Yuanshi Rishili and Fengqiao Lou Shilang, on his left and right stood Liuchē Quanxi and Jiunan Bai; this combination of four captains and two vice-captains seemed to have completely sealed off Ichimaru Gin's path.

You're Captain Liuchē Quanxi, right? I suppose Captain Dongxian, hearing that you've returned to the "Soul Society", must be delighted~

Ichimaru Gin showed no sign of worry about this; he turned his head and, with a grin, spoke to Liuchē Quanxi beside him.

Dongxian?

Upon hearing the familiar name, Liuchē Quanxi's expression flickered with a hint of loss.

Swish!

Exactly while Liuchē Quanxi was momentarily dazed, Ichimaru Gin disappeared from amidst the Masked Forces' encirclement and appeared on a distant beam.

So fast!

Ichimaru Gin's move was too fast; it left the Masked Forces members present unable to react for a moment, and everyone was momentarily stunned by his speed.

Impossible, we have four captains here, yet he still managed to escape?

Aichuan Luowu's face changed, his pupils twitching slightly.

Hehe! Don't be too surprised; after all, your era has long passed with the passage of a hundred years! The current "Guardian Thirteen Squads" captains' strength, compared to yours, is fundamentally different!

Simply put, with your current strength, you would be unfit to hold the rank of captain in today's "Guardian Thirteen Squads"—the times have changed, old-timers! Before you lies the so-called strongest "Guardian Thirteen Squads" in history~

Ichimaru Gin stood on the beam, softly laughing at those Masked Forces members who had just lost their composure; he seemed to completely disregard those Masked Forces members.