Chapter 29: Que Bu: I killed Araki?! Araki: Don't be shameless!

Que Bu Changjiro and Araki's sparring spot was near the Eleventh Division soldiers' training hall, only a wall away. Thus, the moment Que Bu Changjiro and Araki set foot on this ground, they were already spotted by a group of Eleventh Division soldiers! As Que Bu Changjiro and Araki faced off, those soldiers had even leaned against the wall's edge, forming a human wall, and through the light-transmitting windows on that wooden wall, they kept peeking outward.

"Wow strong! Captain Araki defeated the First Division's Vice Captain Que Bu with just one strike! He hasn't even drawn his Soul-Cutting Sword at his waist so far..."

The soldier who saw Que Bu and Araki's fight through the window repeatedly exclaimed. They never imagined that Araki, who had joined the Eleventh Division and rarely even showed his face a few times, actually possessed such strength!

"As expected of the man who defeated Captain Unohana, he's incredibly strong!"

A soldier, hearing this, let out a sigh.

"Irima soldier, you weren't saying that last time..."

"I vaguely remember when Captain Araki first joined, you complained that he defeated Captain Unohana through underhanded means, and thanks to his relationship with Commander-General Yamamoto, he became the new Eleventh Division captain! You even said you would never acknowledge Araki's captaincy..."

However, before that soldier could say more, someone interrupted.

"Cough cough, I just wasn't very familiar with our Captain Araki, was I?"

"That's not my fault! Who made our captain always so mysterious!"

"If it weren't for the First Division's Vice Captain Que Bu visiting, I might have forgotten what Captain Araki looks like."

The soldier called Irima, hearing this, instantly felt a bit embarrassed, but he stubbornly retorted.

"Really? I don't believe it..."

Unfortunately, the person who rebutted the Irima soldier completely didn't believe what Irima said.

"You..."

Irima instantly felt like he had a bone stuck in his throat, not knowing what to say.

"Don't say more, Vice Captain Que Bu has stood up again!"

At the moment when Irima and a few Eleventh Division soldiers were arguing, the several seated officers standing on top of the human wall built by Irima and dozens of soldiers voiced their dissatisfaction.

"Er..."

Upon hearing this, Irima and a few soldiers immediately shut their mouths.

At the same time, outside the Eleventh Division's swordsmanship dojo, on the clearing cleared by Unohana Retsu...

"Really? With your current strength, Araki, you're already strong enough to handle an opponent like me without even drawing your Soul-Cutting Sword at your waist?"

Que Bu Changjiro lay on the ground panting for a moment before staggering to his feet. He looked at the Soul-Cutting Sword that Araki had plunged into the soil beside him and gritted his teeth.

""

Araki watched Que Bu Changjiro climb up from the ground, his expression indifferent, arms crossed before him, without saying a word, for he knew Que Bu's strength was certainly not just this.

"It seems that since long ago, you, Araki, have shone like the sun!"

"Those contemporaries of yours, no matter how dazzlingly talented, after meeting you, become stars used to contrast the sun, tasked with embellishing the pitch-black background..."

"I still remember back then, all the instructors at Genjuku were saying that seeing you was like seeing General Instructor Yamamoto in his youth! I didn't understand back then..."

"Only after observing for a long time did I realize how similar you are! Both of you, wielding just a single Soul-Cutting Sword, suppressed all the geniuses of your era..."

Que Bu Changjiro looked at Araki, his expression showing a hint of nostalgia, as if time had returned to long ago...

Back then, Commander-General Yamamoto was still serving as chief instructor at Genjuku, and Araki had just obtained the Gen Ryu Menkyo Kaiden certificate from Yamamoto's hands; that was also the first time he saw Araki.

Que Bu still remembered that upon first seeing Araki, he knew he was no match for this man, but he refused to accept it—Que Bu always rises to the challenge! Araki was merely a holder of the Gen Ryu Menkyo Kaiden; what could he do? He was supposed to stand beside General Instructor Yamamoto! Then Araki slapped him to the ground with one palm, and Quebu recalled that Araki hadn't even used his Soul-Cutting Sword then, so he submitted! Thinking of this, Que Bu's voice continued:

"At that moment I understood! If I had become a disciple of Lord Genryūsai and become one of the instructors at Genjuku, I would spend my life at your feet, Araki! I am unwilling! I absolutely refuse to stop here!"

"So I refused Lord Genryūsai's invitation to me, refused to become his disciple! I will not follow Lord Genryūsai under the banner of a Genjuku instructor; instead, I will follow in his footsteps as his 'shadow'."

"Even if from now on I can never emit my own light, I would still consider it worthwhile! Because I believe Lord Genryūsai is worthy of such loyalty from me!"

"However, today, for the Lord Genryūsai I respect! To keep catching up to Lord Genryūsai's steps, I will once again unleash this thunderous light! Araki, look up—this is the confidence that lets me stay by Lord Genryūsai's side!"

Que Bu's voice grew ever louder, like heavenly thunder, emitting rumbling roars.

Just as Que Bu's words fell, the sky over the Eleventh Division suddenly darkened, endless clouds blocking the radiant sun shining in the sky.

"Shining stars cannot compete with the blazing sun!"

"Only heavens-covering dark clouds can block the fierce sun!"

"Bankai! Yellow Blazing Stern Spirit Detached Palace!!"

Que Bu Changjiro pointed his Western sword high toward the sky; like lightning, golden spiritual pressure shot straight up from the tip of his sword into the sky, into those heavens-covering clouds.

The next second, endless golden lightning filled the cloud tops, like a noble's sliding cover, shooting downward and encircling Que Bu Changjiro! Those lightning pillars totaled eleven, like a wall; from afar, it looked as if Que Bu Changjiro had summoned a palace built entirely of lightning.

This is Que Bu Changjiro's Bankai, Yellow Blazing Stern Spirit Detached Palace!

"An excellent Bankai."

Araki faced the oncoming lightning, attaching spiritual pressure to his surface to block the fluctuating static electricity.

After all, Araki differs from the balding Shan Laotou; he has a beautiful head of hair, and if he didn't resist with spiritual pressure, his hair would surely stand on end in this lightning, turning into a messy, unsightly explosion head...

"Bankai, Vice Captain Que Bu actually can use Bankai?!"

On the other side, the Eleventh Division soldiers who had been peeking in the dojo were now shocked beyond words by the heavens-covering lightning outside; they never imagined that the seemingly easygoing and polite First Division's Vice Captain Que Bu Changjiro would actually use Bankai, and that it could control the weather.

"What? Bankai?!"

"Let me see too..."

"Don't crowd! We can't stand!"

"Ouch!!"

As the soldiers guarding the wall and forming the human wall continually wriggled and crowded, the human wall eventually toppled toward the wall, directly knocking down the wooden wall of the dojo with windows onto the ground...

Now, finally, no one needs to crowd; everyone can clearly see the outside scene!

"Heaven! The heavens have changed color!"

When the soldiers lay on the outside ground, feet pointing skyward, gazing at the heavens, they were all stunned speechless by the heavens-covering dark clouds.

"Araki! Please instruct me!"

Just at the moment when the soldiers were stunned by Que Bu Changjiro's Bankai...

Que Bu Changjiro finally moved! Seen gripping his Western sword, he swung at the golden lightning pillars that had formed a 'palace column' around him!

At the next instant, the thunder pillar struck by Sparrow Division Chief Jirou's Western sword became fully affixed to the edge of his blade! In that moment, endless lightning erupted from Jirou's body, and with each sip and peck, the thunder energy released by heaven and earth was added to him…

"Be careful!"

Having said that, Jirou transformed into a golden bolt of lightning and lunged at Huangmu.

In the flash of lightning, before the members of the Eleventh Squad could react, Jirou's great sword had already pierced Huangmu's body…

"I—I killed Huangmu?!"

Jirou stared at the Huangmu he had pierced, his eyelids twitching; he had never intended to kill Huangmu. How now could he explain this to Squad Leader Shanben?!

"It's over, completely over! I—I have slain the future of the Thirteenth Guard!"

Jirou's voice trembled slightly, his face turned deathly pale.

Since the Yuanzi Academy days, having constantly followed Yuan Liuzhai, earning countless merits and never committing any mistake, he now stood rooted, bewildered; Jirou wore a confused expression, not knowing how to face the fact that he had "slain" Huangmu with a single sword.

"Snap~"

Before Jirou could think further, accompanied by a familiar palm wind, he was slapped away by the very Huangmu he had already "slain".

"Huang—Huangmu, are you okay?!"

Division Chief Jirou collapsed to the ground, ignoring his own swollen cheek, he stared at the Huangmu with a long sword lodged in his chest and shouted nervously.

"Kill me? Don't be shameless…"

Huangmu looked at the fallen Division Chief Jirou and pulled the sword from his own chest in one swift motion.

One must admit, Jirou's strike was truly fierce; even the old mountain man would likely suffer a setback against it…

Thus Huangmu directly used the ability of spirit‑child manipulation to partially "vaporize" the part of his chest that would be pierced by Jirou, much like the partial "elementalization" of Katakuri, Kuzan, and others in One Piece.

Honestly, this precise partial vaporization of a body that would be struck by an enemy is something even Dao Yune A'ula, whose soul contains the Spirit King Lock Knot, cannot achieve!

Yet Huangmu, possessing Advanced Perception Color, coincidentally met every condition required! One could say Huangmu's Advanced Perception Color, together with the Perfect Manifestation Technique's soul‑like elementalization and spirit‑child manipulation, is a perfect match.

"Great!"

On the other side, after confirming Huangmu was indeed fine, Jirou slowly exhaled, honestly admitting he had been at a loss moments ago.

"Hehe…"

As for Huangmu, he held the Zanpōtō he had snatched from Jirou's hand and gave a cold smile.

The previous one as shameless as Jirou, Huangmu recalled, was named Lu Jin…

Next update! Brothers, seeing my diligence, please give me votes~

(End of Chapter)