Under the oppressive weight of the spiritual pressure, Moryo lay sprawled on the ground in a shameful posture.
"This is... Could it be…" It struggled to lift its head, looking at Naruto in shock, a dawning realization in its eyes. "You're from the Pure Land?!"
The Hollow mask successfully materialized, and Naruto's entire aura changed drastically. He extended his right index finger, and a Cero erupted, engulfing Moryo. Amidst a piercing shriek, the light dissipated, revealing an incredibly battered Moryo. Black blood flowed from all over its body, which was riddled with wounds; the parts dragging behind it were mangled beyond recognition. It no longer resembled a humanoid form at all.
Naruto reached up with his right hand, grabbed the Hollow mask, and shattered it, then looked calmly at Shion. "It's all yours."
Shion leaped down from the rock merrily, bouncing over to Naruto's side. Her small, delicate feet, stepping onto the scorching earth, were already turning a faint red. "Hmph, hmph, prepare to die!" she huffed, drawing her pale purple Zanpakuto.
"This is…" Moryo stared in astonishment at the shimmering purple Zanpakuto, a sense of dread washing over it. From this Zanpakuto, it actually sensed an aura of the same origin as itself.
"Night Parade! Hyakki!" Shion's expression turned solemn as she intoned the Shikai release command. Instantly, the pale purple glow of the blade began to transform into black. An extreme, bone-chilling cold emanated from the sword's body. The blade then merged into the air, and a large, black gate abruptly appeared before Shion.
"This is it!" Naruto's eyes widened, no longer able to suppress the excitement welling up inside him. "Is this the gate to the Pure Land?"
"That's right. This is a gate that can lead to the Pure Land, but I can't open it right now," Shion said, looking gravely at the remains of Moryo. "I have a premonition… if I devour this thing, perhaps I'll be able to open this gate."
A hazy, black demonic shadow materialized behind Shion, its features savage, its fangs prominent. Under Moryo's terrified gaze, the demonic shadow approached and took a massive bite out of Moryo. Moryo's latter half was exposed to the air, thrashing violently as it fought for its last moments of life.
Gulp. The demonic shadow completely devoured Moryo, its crimson eyes radiating an astonishingly cold aura.
A decent Shikai. If the demonic shadow that had formed behind her also possessed combat strength… Moryo itself was likely a part of the shadow's power, hence it couldn't resist at all. Shion's strength should have reached Jonin level now, Naruto thought calmly, his expression returning to normal.
After absorbing Moryo, Shion could feel the abundant power within her body. The missing strength had finally returned, and her purple eyes became even brighter. She looked at Naruto, only to find, with a start, that the oppressive feeling from him remained. His surging Reiatsu made even her Hyakki feel a sense of fear.
Naruto-kun's Zanpakuto is so strong… As expected of him… Shion's face turned a little red. She paused for a moment, then said, "I think… I can open the gate to the Pure Land now."
"Then I'll be troubling you," Naruto smiled, his eyes gentle.
Creeaak. Under her control, the gate to the Pure Land slowly began to open.
"Opening Gate, open!"
"Rest Gate, open!"
"Life Gate, open!"
"Is this all the strength you have? Too weak, far too weak!!!" Rock Lee roared with laughter, his figure blurring into several afterimages. He instantly appeared before one of Moryo's minions, his right leg snapping upwards in a kick to the opponent's chin. The immense force sent the minion flying skywards like a rocket. At the same instant, Rock Lee appeared behind the minion, his bandages unraveling to tightly bind the enemy until he resembled a mummy, sending it plummeting straight down.
Boom! Dust and debris flew everywhere. The bandages returned to Rock Lee's body, and he instantly reappeared near several other minions, sending them flying with extreme speed.
Aburame Neri's fighting style was not as overwhelming as Rock Lee's. She skillfully entangled her opponent for over a dozen exchanges. Just when the opponent thought they had figured out Neri's strength, her insects launched a sneak attack, instantly freezing the enemy's body from the inside out.
Dealing with these four Moryo minions took less than fifteen minutes. When the battle ended, the area was a complete wreck, pockmarked with craters. Cracks were visible everywhere on the ground. The ninja from the other villages all wore expressions of astonishment.
"So this is a Konoha ninja? Truly strong," a ninja from a smaller village sighed, feeling a sense of defeat.
Rock Lee and Aburame Neri exchanged a glance and then hurried off in the direction Naruto had taken. As long as Moryo wasn't dealt with, the mission wasn't over. The ninja and subordinates following them soon lost sight of Lee and Neri, wandering aimlessly in the forest like headless flies.
When Aburame Neri and Rock Lee arrived at the sealing grounds, a searing wave of heat washed over them. As her feet touched the soft, scorching earth, the insects around Neri immediately succumbed to the high temperature and retreated into her body. Rock Lee's expression remained normal. The temperature of the sealing grounds made them somewhat uneasy.
Passing through a tunnel, their vision suddenly brightened. They could see a cliff, and below it, scalding, boiling magma. Bubbles constantly rose from the roiling magma; an accidental splash to the face would mean instant disfigurement. Even though Lee was confident his body had been tempered to withstand blades, he dared not casually touch the magma.
At the cliff's edge, a white-haired figure stood barefoot, a massive shadowy figure behind her, and before her, a deep, eerie black gate. Hearing the footsteps behind her, Shion turned.
"Are you the priestess?" Rock Lee asked uncertainly, looking at the white-haired Shion before him. Her hair flowed down to her waist, swaying behind her, and her expression was icy. Although Shion's appearance hadn't changed, she gave off a completely different feeling—from a somewhat aloof young girl to an icy, domineering queen. This transformation made Lee fail to recognize her at first glance.
"Be careful," Aburame Neri said, taking a step back to hide behind Lee, squeezing the words out through gritted teeth. In her line of sight, the shadowy figure behind Shion revealed its ferocious face—terrifying fangs, fierce eyes, and an aura that spoke of extraordinary power.
Strange, isn't Shion's ability to prophesize and seal Moryo? Why is there a ghostly shadow? Could it be! Is that Moryo?!
Strange… where's Naruto? Could it be… Naruto's dead!! Aburame Neri's eyes widened, filled with suspicion and alarm. Although she didn't want to admit it, Naruto was indeed a cut above her in combat. If even he had died, then she would definitely be no match for Moryo. If things looked bad, she would turn and flee without hesitation.
Rock Lee also noticed something amiss now. His muscles tensed as he looked at Shion. "Where is Naruto?" he roared, his eyes filled with confusion and panic. He was terrified of hearing from Shion's lips that Naruto was dead. After all, Naruto was his only pillar of support now!
"He went to the Pure Land," Shion replied icily, the deep black gate behind her providing the answer. Shion didn't want to be so cold. But for some reason, after her Shikai, it was as if all her emotions had been buried; except when facing Naruto, she no longer felt any emotional fluctuations.
"This is the gate to the Pure Land," she stated woodenly, pointing to the terrifyingly imposing gate. It was mysterious and profound, like the gaping maw of an abyss, capable of swallowing any living thing.
"How did Naruto go to the Pure Land?!" Rock Lee's expression changed drastically. From what he had learned earlier, no one could return alive from the Pure Land. Without hesitation, he immediately dashed towards the gate.
Shion felt her vision blur, and in the next moment, she saw a figure disappear through the gate. A rare flicker of astonishment crossed her cold, beautiful face. Ordinary people will die if they go in, but Naruto isn't an ordinary person.
Aburame Neri's feet seemed rooted to the spot. She warily eyed Shion, then glanced at the mysterious black gate, subconsciously taking another step back. Just because Rock Lee liked to court death didn't mean she was willing to do the same. Although Naruto was someone she would need to obey in the future, it didn't mean she was willing to die for him. She still had a lot of research she wanted to do. She couldn't die here so obscurely.
Rock Lee, Naruto, may you rest in peace. I will live on for your sakes.
Having firmed her resolve, Aburame Neri felt a deep sense of sorrow and regret. If only she had found a way to collect some 'scriptures' from Naruto back in the Land of Demons, it wouldn't have affected her subsequent experiments. And now… she had no more material!!
Inside the Pure Land.
The moment Naruto entered the Pure Land, he could feel an environment completely different from the ninja world. Reishi particles were abundant everywhere, filling almost every corner, leaping and dancing vivaciously like sprites. He took a deep breath, and the pores of his body opened, like a drowning person encountering oxygen, frantically absorbing the Reishi. He greedily breathed it in; the environment of the Pure Land was so wonderful to him.
Voom. The Zanpakuto at his waist hummed softly as Reishi also converged upon it.
Indeed, just as Aizen-sensei said, everything in the Pure Land is composed of Reishi. After Reishi enters the body and is absorbed, it can be converted into Reiatsu, Naruto thought.
He took a step forward, treading on soft desert sand. Looking around, he realized that the current Pure Land was a desolate desert. It stretched endlessly, with occasional storms stirring up sand that obscured vision. There was no sun above, yet it was as bright as day. Many small orbs of light wandered aimlessly in the desert. These should be souls.
Naruto stepped forward and cradled an orb of light in his hand. It had no temperature, no tangible feel, yet it would rise as his palm rose. Looking closely, he could vaguely see an extremely blurry face within the light orb. It wore a Konoha headband, its expression pained.
Naruto tried infusing it with Reiatsu. In the next moment, the orb of light transformed into the soul of a Konoha ninja lying on the ground, its face contorted in pain. The Reiatsu catalyzed negative emotions, and white mist appeared. Soon, the ninja's soul transformed into a Hollow.
Shhhk. Kyoka Suigetsu pierced through the Hollow's head, taking its life.
Naruto could no longer suppress the excitement welling up inside him. He spread his arms wide and let out a laugh. "Here… this will be my Hueco Mundo!"