Chapter 191: No Time for Sentiment Over Youha, the Next One Appears

"Uncle Zhan Shen, do you know Lord Yuan Liuzhai?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo stared, and the enraged Yuan Liuzhai Chongguo was instantly stunned; although he is usually rather blunt, at this moment he also noticed the fact that Yuan Liuzhai seemed to know his Zanpakuto spirit.

In response, Kurosaki Ichigo directly looked at his spirit and asked.

"Ichigo, listen to me…"

At this moment, the Queller power belonging to Kurosaki Ichigo, manifesting the image of Youha from a thousand years ago, seemed to still try to struggle, but before 'Youha' could speak, the furious Yuan Liuzhai abruptly cut it off.

"Kid, you're called Kurosaki Ichigo, right?!"

Yuan Liuzhai looked at Kurosaki Ichigo and asked of his own accord.

"Exactly."

Kurosaki Ichigo heard this and gave a slight nod.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, open your eyes wide and watch carefully: the fellow standing before you right now is not the Soul Reaper power inside you! You should know that the Soul Reaper's spiritual veins have a color different from ordinary humans and Quellers; within the Three Realms, a Soul Reaper's veins appear red, whereas the creature now before you, masquerading as your internal Soul Reaper power, has… white veins!"

Yuan Liuzhai said, and with his Zanpakuto he lifted a corner of Youha's black coat, revealing the white shirt hidden beneath, then tore off the shirt's strip, allowing it to revert to its most primal form—the spiritual veins! Indeed, as Yuan Liuzhai claimed, this being that calls itself the Zanpakuto inside Kurosaki Ichigo has spiritual veins that differ from Soul Reapers', not red but white…

"Uncle Zhan Shen, what on earth is going on?"

"Could it be that you're not my Zanpakuto?!"

Kurosaki Ichigo was stunned; he looked bewildered at the figure before him, who, using Urahara Kisuke's developed Transcendent Body, swaggered into his presence, trusted him deeply, and also claimed to be his Zanpakuto spirit, asking.

At this moment, Ichigo had already sensed that Uncle Zhan Shen was off.

"Sorry, Ichigo, although I had long foreseen this day, I never expected I would be exposed so early…"

"Ichigo! I originally wanted to protect you, protect you a bit longer, but alas my time has run out; on the road ahead, I may no longer be able to help you…"

Youha at this moment also knew inside that with Yamamoto this old tyrant present, he could no longer keep up the act; fortunately he was too lazy to pretend any longer, so he dropped the façade.

"Uncle Zhan Shen, what exactly are you saying? I don't understand!"

Ichigo heard this and showed a puzzled expression, his brows furrowed, and he shouted at Uncle Zhan Shen, "What are you talking about?"

"Ichigo! As Yamamoto Yuan Liuzhai said, I am not the embodiment of the Soul Reaper power inside you, nor are I the spirit of your Zanpakuto. What I told you before—that I was your Zanpakuto—was a lie! Those were false, and for that I must apologize! My true identity is not a Soul Reaper but a foe of Soul Reapers! In fact, I am the personification of the Queller power within you, and the form you see before you you should have heard of; my name is Youha Bah!"

Youha looked at Kurosaki Ichigo, his eyes tinged with regret.

"Youha… Bah?!"

Ichigo was naturally familiar with the name; it was the name his soul told him when he regained Soul Reaper power. He remembered his soul saying that he would use the Zanpakuto in his hand to behead the being called Youha Bah.

"Exactly so!"

Youha heard this and gave a slight nod.

"Who exactly is Youha Bah?!"

Ichigo furrowed his brows and loudly asked the one before him, who appeared in the image of Youha and inhabited the Queller power within him.

"That is, in this world, the progenitor of all Quellers! Also the sole king of Quellers! A millennium ago, leading an invincible army that conquered the entire 'Current World', a massive force called the Empire of Light, which invaded the Soul Society, a foe of Soul Reapers! It is also the being that the man by your side, Yamamoto Yuan Liuzhai Chongguo, defeated…"

Youha looked at Ichigo and said calmly.

"I don't understand! I completely don't understand…"

Ichigo's eyes were filled with bewilderment.

"Ichigo, you will soon understand everything!"

"However, the matters after this no longer need my explanation!"

"Since Ichigo now knows my identity, according to my pact with him I will soon fall into endless slumber! Perhaps this will be our final meeting, who knows! Before I fall asleep I have one last thing to remind you…"

"Ichigo, in the near future you will certainly meet a man who looks exactly like me and will cause your heart to develop unconditional attachment. Ichigo, you must remember that the person you meet is both me and not me; never trust him! Moreover, if possible, once you see that man, do not hesitate a moment—kill him immediately, or else the one who dies will be you!"

Youha looked at Ichigo with a loving gaze; after all, he is not the true Youha Bah, merely appearing in Youha Bah's image, inhabiting the pure‑blood Queller power within the Kurosaki family! As the Queller power, he inherited not only Youha's strength and memories but also the memories of every generation of the Kurosaki clan, including Kurosaki Masaki's deep love for Kurosaki Ichigo.

Undoubtedly, this being who presents himself in the thousand‑year‑old Youha Bah image harbors a deep love for Ichigo in his heart…

"Uncle Zhan Shen, where are you going?!"

After hearing Youha's words, Ichigo suddenly panicked; although he didn't grasp what Youha was saying, he understood the farewell, which made him want to seize the Youha before him.

"Before I fall asleep, I have one more gift for you! I hope that while I am asleep, this gift can stand in for me and protect you well…"

Youha finished speaking, and without waiting for Ichigo to reply, his finger lightly tapped Ichigo's forehead. After doing so, Youha slowly vanished before Kurosaki Ichigo, and before departing he still smiled at Ichigo.

"Buzz!"

Exactly the second after Youha vanished, Ichigo's rigid body suddenly glowed with a radiant sheen; his veins filled with a massive influx of spirit particles, greatly boosting Kurosaki Ichigo's defense, making his body harder than steel.

"That's the Queller's Silent Blood Garb?!"

Yulong looked at Ichigo's shining aura and exclaimed in surprise.

"So indeed Kurosaki Ichigo also possesses the talent to become a Queller?"

After Yulong's brief surprise, he said softly with absolute certainty.

After all, Yulong is no longer the clueless youngster he once was; he has already witnessed Kurosaki Ichigo's mother as a pure‑blood Queller, and during the ten days Yulong trained under Kurosaki Masaki, he clearly grasped Masaki's overwhelming Queller power, making him certain that, given Masaki's talent, Ichigo, as Masaki's child, could never be a mere mediocre talent.

"What on earth happened?!"

"Why did that guy who always suppresses me suddenly fall into slumber?"

"Forget it, never mind! Since he's asleep, the rest is my domain! Even with only half the power, it's enough for me to cause a big ruckus. Do you think I'm right, my dear king~"

At the very moment the Queller power representing Youha Bah within Kurosaki Ichigo fell into slumber, a man who looked exactly like Ichigo, entirely white in color and speaking with a string of electronic tones, appeared before Ichigo, swaggering arrogantly and asking.

"Who are you? Where did Uncle Zhan Shen go?"

Ichigo stared at the newcomer, his eyes utterly bewildered.

"Huh? Zhan Shen? I am the Zhan Shen you speak of!"

The man, all white and identical in appearance to Ichigo, after hearing Ichigo's words, slightly lifted the corner of his mouth, loudly declared his true identity to Ichigo, and without giving Ichigo a chance to speak, brandished his Zanpakuto and swung at Ichigo.

"You…!"

Ichigo looked at the charging 'White Ichigo', his expression tinged with displeasure, and instinctively raised his Zanpakuto to block the incoming blade.

"Clang!"

With a light clang, the Zanpakuto in White Ichigo's hand collided instantly with the Zanpakuto in Ichigo's hand, erupting a series of dazzling flames…

White Ichigo's and Ichigo's strength seemed evenly matched, and the two gripped their swords tightly, beginning a prolonged struggle; however, when their power is equal, victory is decided by other factors, such as the mass of the Zanpakuto.

It should be noted that White Ichigo's sword is intact, whereas the Zanpakuto in Kurosaki Ichigo's hand has already shattered once; it was Yuan Liuzai who haphazardly pieced together fragments of Ichigo's broken Zanpakuto…

In other words, the two swords differ greatly in mass.

"Die, king!!"

White Ichigo keenly noticed this; hearing a roar from his mouth, Ichigo's sword instantly shattered to the ground.

"Damn! That's so bullying…"

Seeing his sword gone, Ichigo immediately stopped fighting and fled backward.

"My sword's gone! How am I supposed to fight now?"

Ichigo, gripping only a hilt of his Zanpakuto, asked the onlookers, Si Feng Yuan Ye Yi and Yuan Liuzai Chongguo,

"This is your battle; we cannot intervene~"

But Ye Yi and Yuan Liuzai, after hearing Ichigo, merely shook their heads lightly, continued to watch, and Yuan Liuzai even sipped tea, looking as if the upcoming events had nothing to do with him.

"You bunch of lecherous bastards! Get me a sword right now!"

Ichigo heard the words, his expression froze, then he roared in anger. At that moment, Ichigo suddenly realized that the seemingly gentle Yuan Liuzai might not be a good person at all; ever since his appearance, misfortune seemed to follow him.

From Ichigo's perspective, the rotten old man Yuan Liuzai was downright wicked! He first indiscriminately destroyed Ichigo's Zanpakuto, then used a mouth‑technique to cause the Zan God Uncle, who had been fine, to inexplicably fall into a deep sleep, and after the Zan God Uncle slept, he released a completely incoherent madman who bore an identical face to his…

Later, when he needed help and a weapon to fight, Yuan Liuzai told him it was his own battle and they could not intervene. If they could not intervene, why then drive the Zan God Uncle away? This series of actions would drive the naturally hard‑of‑hearing Kurosaki Ichigo insane! He now just wants to ask Ye Yi and Yuan Liuzai what on earth they were thinking, bullying him so mercilessly!

At the same time, whose fault is it that, lacking a suitable Zanpakuto, he fell at a disadvantage in the fight against the opponent who seemed like an uncommunicative madman?!

"Sword? The sword you speak of, Ichigo—do you mean the one in my hand, the one I just shattered, or perhaps the ones stuck in the ground…?"

After hearing Ichigo, White Ichigo did not act immediately; instead, he waved his hand, and the ground instantly filled with countless oddly shaped Zanpakuto. As White Ichigo said, these swords were all Ichigo's Zanpakuto bodies.

"What's this? What's happening?"

Ichigo stared at the swords on the ground, his pupils narrowing slightly.

"Ichigo! Fight! Keep fighting with me!"

White Ichigo gave Ichigo no respite; gripping his Zanpakuto, he kept slashing at Ichigo. Yet the seasoned Ye Yi and Yuan Liuzai could see that each of White Ichigo's strikes avoided Ichigo's neck, heart, head—any fatal points. Clearly, White Ichigo was training Ichigo, albeit in a rather wild manner…

"Damn! Damn!"

Ichigo kept pulling swords from the ground, battling White Ichigo.

However, each sword he drew was as flimsy as a tofu‑scrap construction; a light touch against White Ichigo's blade caused it to shatter instantly…

"These swords can't be used to fight!"

"Where on earth did my sword go?"

Ichigo ran while shouting and wailing.

"Ichigo! Turn around, open your eyes wide, feel with your heart—where is your Zanpakuto?!"

Just as Ichigo was being forced backward repeatedly by White Ichigo, nearly driven into a corner, a completely flat voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Ichigo recognized it; the voice told him the name of his Zanpakuto and the name Youhabah. Upon hearing it, Ichigo instinctively turned his body.

"Die!"

As Ichigo turned, he saw White Ichigo, sword in hand, swinging the Zanpakuto at him; at that moment, Ichigo finally saw clearly the sword in White Ichigo's hand.

"So that's it—my sword has been here all along…"

A flash of realization crossed Ichigo's face; at that moment he seemed to finally understand!

He smiled, reaching out with his bare hands toward White Ichigo's sword.

"Swish!"

In an instant, countless drops of blood rained down from the sky.

"Ichigo!"

When White Ichigo's sword struck Ichigo's chest, Inoue Orihime and the others immediately voiced concern for Ichigo, but before they could approach, Yuan Liuzai and Ye Yi blocked them.

"You all stop interfering with Ichigo!"

"This is Ichigo's own battle…"

Ye Yi stopped Orihime, saying.

"But Ichigo is injured; he needs me now!"

Orihime retorted immediately.

"Orihime, look closely—did Ichigo really get injured?"

Ye Yi, after hearing Orihime, replied lightly.

"Hm?!"

Ye Yi's words sparked a hint of doubt in Orihime's mind; she looked up toward the direction where Kurosaki Ichigo stood.

There was no blood spilling from Ichigo's chest, only countless crimson spirit veins symbolizing the power of the Soul Reaper…

"You…"

White Ichigo watched Ichigo catch the Zanpakuto with his chest, his brow furrowing.

"Hey! You just said that, right?"

"You're the Zan God…"

Without giving White Ichigo time to think, Ichigo reached out, seized White Ichigo's wrist, and lifted his head, revealing a wildly ferocious expression as he asked White Ichigo.

"Puhahaha…"

"Just because I said something casually, you believed me?"

"Aren't you scared? I, like that guy just now, am deceiving you, aren't I?"

White Ichigo looked at Kurosaki Ichigo and sneered.

"No! You won't deceive me; the Zan God Uncle didn't deceive me either. You all haven't deceived me! You are my power, right?!"

Yi Hu seemed to finally understand something; he looked at Bai Yi Hu and spoke.

Hehe, haha……

You're really interesting! I suddenly have some expectations for you~

If I'm not mistaken, you summoned me to learn Final Release, right? If so, take my name and use it!

Now you should already know what my Final Release's name is, right?! No need for me to tell you anymore!

Bai Yi Hu looked at Yi Hu and asked.

En! I understand……

Yi Hu, hearing that, lightly nodded.

Hehe, I'll be waiting for your good news! Please enjoy pleasing me~

Bai Yi Hu said, his body turned into countless white fragments, drifting into Hei Qi Yi Hu's body, gradually merging with him.

At the same time, Hei Qi Yi Hu's hand also gained an intact Soul-Cutter Sword……

This sword is exactly the one Bai Yi Hu just held, but it was ruthlessly snatched from Bai Yi Hu's hand by Hei Qi Yi Hu! The moment Hei Qi Yi Hu gripped this sword, which originally belonged to Bai Yi Hu, the blade's color instantly inverted, becoming the original appearance of Yi Hu's Soul-Cutter Sword, now taking the form of Hei Qi Yi Hu; to be precise, even Bai Yi Hu has become the form of Hei Qi Yi Hu……

Mister Ye Yi, and Elder Yuan Liu Zhai!

I have learned the Final Release of the Soul-Cutter Sword.

Hei Qi Yi Hu gripped the Soul-Cutter Sword and gave a light smile to Yuan Liu Zhai and Ye Yi.

Probably, after the wind cleared and the rain stopped, with the help of someone named Huang Mu who didn't want to reveal his name, Hei Qi Yi Hu painstakingly learned Final Release, and then felt capable again~

Hei Qi Yi Hu, you've finally learned Final Release; you're now stronger! Don't hesitate, go rescue Lu Qi Ya~

Ye Yi looked at the self-proclaimed Final Release learner Hei Qi Yi Hu and immediately laughed.

I don't know if it's Shi Yu Long's illusion, but he always feels that beneath Ye Yi's seemingly sunny smile lies endless schemes and plots; at the same time, Ye Yi's words also made Shi Yu Long feel a strange déjà vu, as if being told 'you've become stronger, hurry up and go die!'

I hope I'm overthinking.

Shi Yu Long sighed and muttered to himself.

Oh!

In contrast, Hei Qi Yi Hu had no hesitation, he directly charged out of Ye Yi and Pu Yuan's training ground, then leapt down from the Hill of Double Punishment.

Wait for me, Rukia! I'm coming to save you…… That's exactly after Hei Qi Yi Hu leapt from the Hill of Double Punishment, he then realized something extremely important: 'Speaking of which, where exactly has Xiu Mu Lu Qi Ya been imprisoned?!'

Indeed, Yi Hu has been intruding into the Tranquil Spirit Court for a whole day; he's completely like a blind cat hitting a dead mouse, and now he doesn't even know where Lu Qi Ya is……

Meanwhile, the Xiu Mu residence.

Lu Qi Ya, this morning an invasion by the Hollows occurred in the Tranquil Spirit Court; among them was a boy with orange spiky hair, wearing a Shinigami uniform, and carrying a huge Soul-Cutter Sword on his back—you should know this boy, right?!

Xiu Mu Bai Zai gazed at the confined Lu Qi Ya and spoke lightly.

Indeed, Lu Qi Ya, thanks to the joint efforts of Xiu Mu Bai Zai and the Shi Bo family, was merely punished with confinement by the Forty-Six Chambers, and is still detained in the Xiu Mu mansion……

This is no different from how Erlang Shen once confined his sister, the Holy Mother of Mount Hua, in the Mount Hua dojo; it's basically just for show to outsiders……

Brother-in-law, elder brother! Those Hollows are Hei Qi Yi Hu, right?!

Upon hearing that, Lu Qi Ya looked at Xiu Mu Bai Zai with an excited expression and asked.

In fact, Lu Qi Ya doesn't know why Yi Hu came to save her; could it be that not saving her would let her live better? Give her some time, and once the commotion dies down, she can go out!

Of course Lu Qi Ya doesn't blame Yi Hu either; it's just that this situation has become somewhat self-defeating—while Lu Qi Ya herself is safe, as a Hollow Hei Qi Yi Hu and her classmates in the Living World are uncertain, causing Lu Qi Ya endless worry.

Yes, and that orange-haired boy claiming to come save you—doesn't he know you're just under house arrest? Maybe he wants to elope with you! He's just a yellow-haired punk; utterly unforgivable……

Lu Qi Ya, rest assured; I will personally kill him……

Xiu Mu Bai Zai gently advised Lu Qi Ya. Bai Zai could absolutely not allow the excellent adopted sister he raised, using the Xiu Mu family's resources, to be snatched away by a mere Living World yellow-haired punk! Even if he allowed it, his wife Fei Zhen would absolutely not allow it; even if Fei Zhen allowed it, Lu Qi Ya's childhood friend Lian Ci would not allow it……

Speaking of Lian Ci, Bai Zai's brows furrowed even deeper; Lian Ci is basically a red-haired punk, and Bai Zai simply cannot tolerate a tattooed man marrying into the Xiu Mu family—it would be a disgrace to the clan.

At this moment, Bai Zai seems to have understood: when his father and grandfather saw that he would marry no one but Fei Zhen, they felt a suffocating feeling! The throwing star he once flung out somehow came back to strike him—this really feels heart-wrenching.

Lu Qi Ya, could she possibly like a punk?

Or let Fei Zhen persuade her; punks are no good……

Bai Zai, thinking this, then left on his own.

Elder brother? Brother-in-law? Please don't go!

Lu Qi Ya wanted to know more information about Yi Hu, but no matter how she shouted, Bai Zai had no intention of turning back; Bai Zai had more important things to do.

Meanwhile……

When Hei Qi Yi Hu, Shi Yu Long, Chadu Taihu, and Jing Shang Zhi Ji left Ye Yi's training ground, they walked through the Tranquil Spirit Court, continually gathering information about Lu Qi Ya of the Xiu Mu family, trying to find where Bai Zai had imprisoned her……

Unfortunately, time ticked by second by second, and the group never obtained useful intel; after all, the Lu Qi Ya matter concerns the Xiu Mu family's reputation, and the family itself stepped in to suppress public discussion……

It's all Hei Qi Yi Hu's fault, you!

You should have asked Mister Ye Yi and Elder Yuan Liu Zhai for information about Lu Qi Ya before setting out! Now we can only blindly search in the Tranquil Spirit Court—when will this ever end?!

Shi Yu Long kept complaining to Yi Hu.

I know! I know……

This matter is indeed my oversight; alright then?!

Hei Qi Yi Hu, hearing Shi Yu Long's grievances, spoke helplessly.

Just knowing is fine!

Upon hearing that, Shi Yu Long said viciously.

Boom!!

Just as Hei Qi Yi Hu and the others, wearing Shinigami uniforms, swaggered down the streets of the Tranquil Spirit Court, showing no intention of hiding themselves and continually asking passing officers about Lu Qi Ya's information, a towering black shadow descended from the sky amid a surging spiritual pressure, enveloping them……

Which of you is Hei Qi Yi Hu?!

After Yi Hu and the others blocked the blast and steadied their stances, they saw a tall, bear-like man coldly questioning them.

You……

Yihu and the others saw the jacket the man was wearing, and their expressions instantly panicked.

However, before they could speak, a small head suddenly appeared on the back of the tall figure; it was an extremely cute girl. After the girl's dark eyes swept over Yihu and the others, she pointed at Yihu and said, "Little sword, this guy is the strongest!"

"Understood!"

As the girl's words fell, the tall figure instantly drew the Soul-Cutting Sword at his waist and slashed toward Heiqi Yihu.

"Boom!"

Defenseless, Yihu was blown straight into the sky by the man's strike!

No time to mourn the sleeping Youha; the next to appear is Gengmu Jianba!