"I didn't expect to be able to draw weapons from other worlds."
Da Shenchen was thrilled and couldn't wait to hold the Sword of Promised Victory.
The moment he gripped it, a surge of knowledge instantly entered his mind.
Sword of Promised Victory: Host can freely wield this Noble Phantasm. The required energy for activation has been converted from mana to spiritual power. This Noble Phantasm possesses techniques such as Wind King Barrier and True Name Liberation. It can also be stored in the system space when not in use.
"As expected, it's a top-tier reward."
After reviewing all the information, Da Shenchen was visibly excited.
Although his Zanpakutō couldn't even activate Shikai, he had now obtained a weapon that rivaled any fully awakened Zanpakutō.
Forget Shikai—this sword's power was far beyond even most Bankai.
"If I can continuously obtain high-level rewards like this, then neither Aizen nor Yhwach are threats to me."
Motivated by that thought, Da Shenchen began to study the survival system again.
After asking for all kinds of detailed information, he finally understood how the so-called survival difficulty was calculated.
Survival difficulty was determined by several factors: the level of danger in the environment, hostility from surrounding individuals, whether powerful beings were targeting you, and more.
All of these combined to define Da Shenchen's survival level, which in turn influenced the probability of drawing rewards.
"In other words, the more dangerous the situation, the higher the odds of getting powerful items."
Da Shenchen pondered. While that made sense, he also needed to make sure he stayed alive.
Otherwise, he could expose Aizen right now and instantly max out his survival difficulty, but he'd die before ever getting to draw a reward. That would just be suicide.
"Let's start with the seat test for now."
…
In the blink of an eye, it was morning.
The Shinigami of the Sixth Division gathered at the training field, their expressions mixed.
Some were worried about losing their seats. Others were full of confidence, eager to climb the ranks.
A number of them kept stealing glances at Da Shenchen's location, whispering among themselves.
Da Shenchen, of course, noticed. It was obvious the noble kids were gossiping about yesterday's incident.
Humiliated by a mere commoner in public, how could the two Kuchiki youths let that go?
They had likely spent the night spreading the story among their circles, and today was supposed to be the grand act—watch them publicly humble the "arrogant" commoner Shinigami.
Even without listening in, Da Shenchen could basically guess what was coming.
"Quiet down."
The calm voice of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki echoed from the top platform.
"The seat test is about to begin. The vice-captain will explain the rules."
After his brief statement, Renji Abarai stepped forward and addressed the crowd.
"Although it's the same as every year, I'll repeat the rules for the newer members."
"The seat test is completely different from the Spiritual Arts Academy exams. This isn't about forms or theory. It's about real combat power."
"Candidates will engage in actual battles on the training field. You may challenge specific individuals, and the seats will shift depending on who wins."
With that, Renji raised his hand and brought it down in a swift motion.
"This year's seat test officially begins."
Nearly 300 members of the Sixth Division moved into formation and entered the field in an orderly manner.
From the summit platform, Byakuya and Renji observed each fight, offering assessments and evaluations.
"The Sixth Division hasn't made much progress this year. Some have even regressed."
Renji spoke with a hint of disappointment.
"Captain, I told you not to recruit so many nobles. Do they even know how to fight?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Renji looked awkward. Byakuya was, after all, one of the Four Great Noble Clan heirs.
Byakuya replied calmly, "I recruited commoners too, but none of them stood out."
"Yeah, that's true."
Renji shook his head as the next challenger stepped onto the field—it was Kuchiki Takuto.
"I challenge Da Shenchen."
His loud voice caught the attention of both Byakuya and Renji.
"Just after we talked about nobles versus commoners, and now we get an actual match between them. What a coincidence."
Renji chuckled, then glanced at Byakuya.
"Captain, who do you think will win?"
Byakuya looked at Da Shenchen from afar.
"Don't ask meaningless questions. The outcome is obvious."
Renji let out a resigned sigh.
"Well, even the weakest of noble heirs have inherently strong spiritual power. Commoners can't compete."
Byakuya even closed his eyes, uninterested in a battle he believed was already decided.
Down in the arena, Da Shenchen could feel dozens of eyes fixed on him.
Most of the other members had already heard about Takuto's challenge and were anticipating a dramatic humiliation.
Da Shenchen faced his opponent calmly.
"Just a word of advice. Choosing me as your opponent was the kind of mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."
"Haha, getting cold feet already?"
Kuchiki Takuto grinned smugly.
"Too late for that. Nobles don't take responsibility when they crush lowborn trash like you."
"You talk too much."
Da Shenchen shook his head, raised his arm, and reached into the empty air.
The spectators were stunned. What was Da Shenchen doing? Was he grabbing at thin air?
"Die!"
Kuchiki Takuto drew his Zanpakutō and charged.
"Wind, roar—"
Da Shenchen whispered.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept through the training ground.
"Whoa! What's happening?!"
"Why is the wind so strong?!"
"Is this… Da Shenchen's Shikai?"
Even Byakuya opened his eyes again, and Renji stared in disbelief.
In Da Shenchen's hand, a golden holy sword materialized—majestic and radiant.
"That's… a Zanpakutō?"
Renji's eyes went wide. He had never seen a Zanpakutō like that.
Even compared to Sode no Shirayuki, known as the most beautiful Zanpakutō in Soul Society, this golden sword was something else entirely.
"I will end this battle in an instant."
Da Shenchen's cold voice echoed across the field as he gripped the Sword of Promised Victory in both hands.
Golden particles of light rose around him, all flowing toward the shining blade.