Chapter 112: The Elusive Way of the Sword and the First Clash with Saitama!
Chu Yang set up an arena to accept challenges from his squad members, and the news spread throughout the Seireitei in no time.
"The simplest and most effective method," remarked Shunsui Kyōraku with a smile as he sipped tea with his friend, Jūshirō Ukitake.
"That's only possible with a foundation of immense strength," Ukitake nodded, his expression complex. He couldn't bring himself to like this newcomer Shinigami, Chu Yang.
In many ways, Chu Yang bore too much resemblance to Aizen...
"With his strength, earning the respect of his squad is only a matter of time. But I suspect there might be an unexpected troublemaker today," Kyōraku said suddenly as he stood up, seemingly about to leave.
"Where are you going?" Ukitake asked, surprised.
"To watch the show!" Kyōraku grinned, donning his hat and striding off.
"A troublemaker? Could it be...?" A figure flashed in Ukitake's mind, and he quickly followed Kyōraku's steps.
The other captains who heard the news, except for those occupied with official duties, also chose to watch Chu Yang's arena matches. Curiosity got the better of them. After all, compared to ordinary squad members, even the captains didn't know much about Chu Yang.
---
Before long, the matches neared their end. The disparity in strength was too great. Most challengers couldn't even break through Chu Yang's Armament Haki.
Not all Shinigami were brash fighters. Upon seeing Chu Yang easily defeat challengers without even using his Zanpakutō, their enthusiasm quickly waned. By the end, only the top five officers of the squad dared to challenge Chu Yang. The results were the same: none even got to see Chu Yang's Zanpakutō before being knocked out with a few punches.
It was only now that Chu Yang's subordinates truly submitted to him.
Just as everything seemed to settle, an unexpected guest arrived. The man confidently walked to stand directly opposite Chu Yang, making his intentions clear: he wanted to challenge him.
Gasps filled the air.
The Fifth Division members widened their eyes in disbelief.
Because the visitor was...
Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division!
"Why is the Eleventh Division Captain here?"
"He looks like he's going to challenge our Captain."
"But why? Do they have some sort of grudge?"
While the crowd was shocked and confused, Zaraki's voice broke through: "I heard you're skilled in swordsmanship. I missed seeing it last night, which was a pity. Mind showing me today?"
Hearing this, the crowd instantly understood. Zaraki was here for a fight! The Soul Society's number one battle maniac lived up to his reputation.
"Among the captains, it seems only you and I don't know Bankai. That makes this a fair fight," Chu Yang remarked casually. He also saw Zaraki as a potential whetstone to hone himself and accepted the challenge without hesitation.
"Good." Zaraki set down Yachiru Kusajishi, gripped his Zanpakutō, and his aura changed instantly.
Chu Yang, not underestimating him, also gripped Fengdu in his hand. The two locked eyes, tension thick in the air.
---
"Captains fighting without permission is against the rules. Are you two looking to get yourselves expelled?"
A voice rang out as a white-haired boy walked toward them. Hitsugaya Tōshirō had arrived, intending to stop the fight. As the Captain of the Tenth Division, responsible for patrol and security, preventing internal conflicts among Shinigami was part of his duties.
Both Chu Yang and Zaraki frowned at the interruption, clearly displeased by the timing.
"Captain Hitsugaya, this isn't a personal grudge but an arena challenge. Just turn a blind eye," Shunsui Kyōraku chimed in as he arrived late, eager to watch the impending battle. Ukitake followed in silence.
Before long, more captains and vice-captains arrived, their curiosity piqued. Even the aloof Kuchiki Byakuya showed up, though Rukia was absent, having been dispatched to the Human World on a mission.
Hitsugaya, visibly unhappy, muttered, "Don't go too far," before reluctantly standing aside. Despite his protests, he too seemed interested in watching.
With so many captains present, the atmosphere turned increasingly intense. Hundreds of Shinigami murmured among themselves in hushed tones.
---
Unable to contain his excitement, Zaraki attacked first. He swung his blade, releasing a golden slash formed by concentrated spiritual pressure. The heat was so intense it seemed to ignite the reishi in the air.
Chu Yang responded with his own slash. Unlike Zaraki's, his was blue, devoid of any spiritual pressure, relying purely on strength and technique. The blue slash shattered the golden one, dispersing the spiritual pressure and creating a whirlwind that sent nearby Shinigami flying.
Terrified, the onlookers quickly retreated.
"Why aren't you using the abilities you showed last night?" Zaraki asked, seemingly annoyed. His spiritual pressure grew more menacing.
"I'm waiting for you to remove your eyepatch," Chu Yang replied with a yawn.
Zaraki grinned, his eyes gleaming red as the ground beneath him cracked. His eyepatch, a creation of the Technology Development Bureau, suppressed his spiritual pressure to match his opponent's, allowing him to enjoy the thrill of battle. Without it, weaker opponents would crumble under his overwhelming presence.
Clearly, Chu Yang wasn't a weak opponent.
---
With a laugh, Zaraki tore off his eyepatch. The air vibrated as his spiritual pressure surged to an incredible level.
"Everyone, retreat immediately!" Hitsugaya shouted. The spectators scrambled to get away, but it was too late. Zaraki's spiritual pressure whipped up a storm, sweeping away those too close.
Chu Yang chanted a spell and cast a levitation technique, using his magic to catch the Shinigami caught in the storm and gently set them down.
"Thank you, Captain!" they stammered in gratitude before fleeing.
Chu Yang turned back to face Zaraki, who was now cloaked in golden spiritual pressure.
"Just because you could suppress the old man's Ryūjin Jakka doesn't mean you can suppress me. Let your guard down, and you might die," Zaraki bellowed, his voice so loud that even distant spectators heard him.
The crowd gawked at Chu Yang in shock.
"This brute!" Kyōraku groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We've all been keeping quiet about last night's events, and he just blurted it out."
---
Before anyone could react, Zaraki charged. His dual-handed slash, imbued with terrifying spiritual pressure, bore down on Chu Yang like a tidal wave.
"Way of the Sword: Two Severings!" Zaraki roared, his attack so powerful it seemed to freeze the air.
Chu Yang met the strike with both hands, wielding two swords: Fengdu and Tianque.
Origin Breathing: First Form – Sun and Moon Rotation.
Fengdu's black blade shimmered with moonlight, while Tianque's white blade shone with sunlight. The sun and moonlight alternated, each cycle amplifying their power.
The golden slash and spiritual pressure collided with the radiance of the sun and moon, only to be ground into nothing by the rotating light.
"He blocked it!"
"And without using his Zanpakutō's ability or even emitting spiritual pressure!"
"This is pure swordsmanship!"
Zaraki's eyes widened in realization. Chu Yang's mastery of the sword far surpassed his own.
The captains, including Kyōraku, shared the same revelation, their pupils contracting in shock.
"Why aren't you using the ability from last night? Am I unworthy in your eyes?" Zaraki growled, his excitement giving way to anger.
"I heard your Zanpakutō was something you picked up on the battlefield," Chu Yang replied.
"Because your spiritual pressure is too strong, it's stuck in a semi-Shikai state. You don't know its true name or its abilities."
"So you want a fair fight?"
"How naïve. That kind of thinking will get you killed on the battlefield," Zaraki sneered.
"Alright, then here's the truth: you really aren't worthy," Chu Yang said with a mocking smile.
Zaraki froze, then burst into laughter. The more he looked at Chu Yang, the more he liked him.
"Fine, then I won't hold back. Don't blame me if you embarrass yourself in front of your subordinates."
After speaking, Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure erupted like a tsunami, surging uncontrollably around him without restraint.
The terrifying spiritual pressure even caused dark clouds to gather above the Seireitei.
The clouds churned ominously, covering the sky and blocking out the sun, creating a deeply unsettling atmosphere.
Chu Yang knew this wasn't Kenpachi Zaraki's limit. His subconscious was still suppressing his power—it wasn't something that could be fully unleashed just by removing the eyepatch.
Even so, Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure at this moment was already among the top-tier of all captains.
"At the very least, this is currently his strongest state," Chu Yang thought, taking a deep breath. Kenpachi Zaraki was strong, but still not strong enough for his standards.
He wanted Zaraki to be stronger!
As strong as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto!
After a brief silence, two overwhelming spiritual pressures clashed, splitting the ground into two distinct halves.
Clear and unmistakable.
No trickery or deceptive strategies.
Only the raw collision of spiritual pressure and swordsmanship!
A clash of primal power!
Heart-stopping!
Blood-boiling!
The observing Shinigami squad members were mesmerized, their hearts racing as they fantasized about one day becoming one of the combatants on the field.
However...
As the intensity of the battle escalated, the affected area quickly began to expand beyond the Fifth Division's grounds.
The captains' expressions turned grim.
The unrestricted battle between the two far exceeded their expectations in ferocity.
Even Shunsui Kyōraku, who had been watching with a casual attitude, now wore a solemn expression.
"If this continues, one of them might actually die," he muttered.
"Prepare to intervene and separate them."
"Flower winds rage, flower god cries, heavenly winds whirl, heavenly demon sneers—Katen Kyōkotsu!"
Shunsui softly chanted the release incantation and activated Katen Kyōkotsu's Shikai, ready to disrupt the fight at any moment.
"You always find a reason to meddle in others' battles. Can't you change that habit?"
Jūshirō Ukitake commented, half-jokingly, as he prepared to release his own Zanpakutō, Sōgyo no Kotowari.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō glared coldly at the two of them. If looks could kill, he would have torn them apart by now.
From the beginning, he had wanted to stop the fight between Chu Yang and Kenpachi Zaraki.
It was these two who were stirring up trouble, watching as if it were entertainment!
Just as the captains were preparing themselves for intervention, the situation on the battlefield shifted again.
Chu Yang changed his combat style.
He began to demonstrate a swordsmanship that the Soul Society had never seen before.
Suddenly, a Taiji Yin-Yang symbol appeared beneath Chu Yang's feet.
He and Kenpachi Zaraki each stood at the black and white focal points of the diagram.
Chu Yang's sword movements were extremely slow, yet carried an inexplicable aura, as if everything around him had fallen into near stasis.
Taiji Swordsmanship!
A supreme technique of Zhang Sanfeng from Wudang Mountain, transcending countless worlds, now shining brilliantly in the Soul Society.
Kenpachi Zaraki felt an overwhelming sense of suppression, as if countless invisible restraints had suddenly bound his body.
He tried to leap out of the strange diagram but was drawn back by Chu Yang's sword movements, his speed visibly slowing.
It felt like sinking into a quagmire.
Kenpachi's muscles bulged as he unleashed a burst of spiritual pressure, swinging his Zanpakutō with all his might. Yet his attacks visibly slowed as if time itself resisted him.
He pushed himself to the limit, slashing desperately a few times.
Chu Yang, standing in the center of the Taiji Yin-Yang diagram, traced an intricate trajectory with the tip of his sword, Fengdu, effortlessly redirecting Kenpachi's slashes.
The attacks spun in midair a few times before gradually dissipating.