"Judging from the effects, if it's only used normally, its value isn't too high."
"Because the Reishi circulation in the Soul Society is very fast, once a weaker Soul Reaper dies, it won't be long before they completely enter the cycle and transform into another state."
"But it is surprisingly useful for Soul Reapers who have fallen into Hell."
A rare hint of excitement surfaced on Aizen's face. It had been a long time since he encountered a research project of this caliber.
Lately, he had been immersed in optimizing Soul Reaper Hollowfication, attempting to lower the mortality rate of the process.
Although he had made some gains, there was still a considerable gap before reaching his ultimate goal.
As he spoke, Aizen picked up the list provided by Naraku Sora again. It was filled with related Kidō formulas that could allow someone to learn the Impure World Reincarnation from scratch.
However, in his eyes, the contents looked more like illegible scribbles.
A massive amount of self-created Kidō formulas were forcibly mashed together with the existing Kidō knowledge system, giving it a completely disjointed feeling.
It would be absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to learn it.
Even for him, it would require a massive amount of time and energy.
The loss outweighed the gain.
A cluster of crimson flames ignited at Aizen's fingertips, instantly reducing the paper to ashes.
"Keep the matter of the Impure World Reincarnation a secret for now. Aside from Urahara Kisuke, do not reveal it to anyone, not even Head Captain Yamamoto."
"This matter involves Hell, and I am worried it will attract unnecessary attention."
"Now, let's proceed with the second experiment."
As his voice fell, a handful of ashes bloomed around Zommari's neck. Countless tiny fragments fluttered throughout the laboratory like gray snow.
"Hmm?" A trace of surprise flashed in Aizen's eyes.
Surprisingly, Zommari, who had taken a slash from him, did not die immediately. He did not even show any signs of dying.
His facial features merely twisted subconsciously before returning to normal.
"I'm not dead?"
He cautiously glanced at the two men, feeling fortunate to still be alive.
On the other side, Naraku Sora grinned and said smugly,
"This is the second thing I wanted to tell you. The dead resurrected by the Impure World Reincarnation gain a certain degree of immortality."
"Ordinary methods cannot kill them."
"Even you would only have the option to seal them."
Hearing this, Aizen raised an eyebrow. He stared at the fully recovered Zommari, thought for a few seconds, and nodded in understanding.
"I see..."
"Zommari's body is in a state of gathered Reishi. The cause of this effect is the formula and soul within him, which renders ordinary physical attacks completely useless."
"I understand."
The moment his voice fell, a flash of azure light seemed to dart across his eyes behind his glasses, like a leaping electrical arc.
Immediately after, the metal floor let out a scalp-tingling creak, desperately caving inward as if gravity had multiplied by dozens or hundreds of times out of thin air.
Naraku Sora's eyes widened, his face full of astonishment.
After testing that ordinary physical strikes did not work, Aizen opted for the simplest and most straightforward method.
Reiatsu.
The air let out an overwhelmed wail. The high-density Reishi even formed visible, distorted lines that scattered around Aizen.
There was no massive uproar, nor were there dazzling pillars of light.
It was purely crushing someone with raw stats.
Bang!
Zommari Rureaux instantly exploded like a balloon inflated to its absolute limit, scattering paper-like dust in all directions.
Without the support of a Gigai, the soul had absolutely no power to resist in the face of such terrifying Reiatsu. It could not even hold on for a single second before completely disintegrating.
Having completed the preliminary steps, Aizen stepped on the debris, his eyes so calm it was frightening.
Naraku Sora's mouth twitched.
He knew Aizen was strong, but he never expected him to be this strong.
Without making a sound, he had reached the apex of the Soul Society.
In terms of Reiatsu alone, he could even crush him.
He could only say that even among First-Class Spiritual Power, there was a gap.
"Looking at it this way, there is still an upper limit,"
Aizen said calmly. "As long as his soul is crushed with Reiatsu, he cannot maintain the state of the Impure World Reincarnation."
"Alright, the research can continue."
While speaking, he brought out a device of unknown purpose. After some simple adjustments, he connected it directly to the large screen in the laboratory.
The next second, countless green dots of light scattered across the screen.
"What is this?"
Naraku Sora asked curiously.
"A Reishi observation device,"
Aizen replied without looking up. "This was developed after the last Konso Festival, specifically to observe Zommari's changes."
"It can observe the state of third-class Reishi."
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow. "Are they these little green dots of light?"
"Yes." Aizen nodded. "Just as I predicted, after undergoing the Impure World Reincarnation, third-class Reishi can integrate into the world's cycle."
"The Konso Festival seems to have lost its meaning of existence."
"But the specific process still needs to be optimized. It would be best to research the underlying principles of the Impure World Reincarnation."
"Secondly, we need to evaluate the risks and any potential problems it might trigger."
"In short, you did very well."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora grinned.
"Sōsuke, you should finally acknowledge my status as the number one intellectual in the Soul Society now, right?"
"I easily accomplished something that even you couldn't do."
Aizen decisively ignored the man's nonsense.
If Naraku Sora was the number one intellectual, then the Soul Society truly had no future in sight.
After the two bantered for a few more sentences, Aizen kicked the shameless guy out and turned to look expressionlessly at the equipment displayed in the laboratory.
The real research had only just begun.
In the Noble District, within a luxurious mansion covering an unknown expanse of land.
In the courtyard directly facing the tearoom, water gurgled as it poured in, and the shishi-odoshi struck, echoing with a crisp sound.
On the lawn not far away, a boy with delicate features wearing a white short jacket was training diligently.
Weights were strapped to his slender body. His hands gripped a sword meticulously, his gaze fixed forward as he slashed fiercely, causing the air to erupt with a piercing screech.
With the sound of tearing silk, the target in front of him split apart.
A smooth cut was displayed on the cross-section, highlighting the boy's solid foundation in Zanjutsu.
"Lord Naraku, how is Byakuya's talent?"
The elderly man held a teacup, quietly watching the hardworking boy on the lawn, a satisfied smile radiating on his face.
Although his son, Kuchiki Sōjun, also had quite good talent, he was hindered by congenital physical limitations, causing his strength to stagnate.
Even though he had received Naraku Sora's help to cure his illness.
He had merely recovered his health and would be unable to shoulder the heavy burden of the family in the short term.
Fortunately, his grandson was very promising.
Not only was his talent astonishing, but even his willpower was far ahead of the vast majority of Soul Reapers.
This firm mindset alone was enough to lay the foundation for him to become a powerhouse.
Kuchiki Ginrei was very gratified by this.
"He's so-so."
Naraku Sora sat cross-legged by the tea table, casually grabbing an apple and eating it.
With the genius Sōsuke before him, and monsters like Kisuke and Kenpachi after, his standards had been infinitely raised.
Compared to ordinary Soul Reapers, the boy on the lawn could indeed be considered a genius, but compared to the people around him, he seemed somewhat ordinary.
However, no matter how ordinary, he would still become a Captain-level powerhouse in the future.
For no other reason than his name being Kuchiki Byakuya.
Hearing Naraku Sora's words, Kuchiki Ginrei was not anxious. He merely said in a deep voice,
"Although it is a bit presumptuous, I ask that Your Excellency, for Kōga's sake, provide him with a little guidance."
Others might not know, but as the head of one of the Five Great Noble Families, Kuchiki Ginrei was very clear on the matter.
He heard that Shino Prison was recently organizing some new Gotei 13, and the majority of the batch about to serve as new Captains were picked up by Naraku Sora.
Training and guiding them from the very basics, in less than a few short years, they had become independent powerhouses.
This method of education surpassed even that of his teacher, Yamamoto.
In Kuchiki Ginrei's eyes, Naraku Sora was the one who had truly inherited Yamamoto's mantle.
If such an existence could properly guide his grandson, it would definitely allow Byakuya's talent to be fully displayed.
"Guide this kid?"
Naraku Sora narrowed his eyes. He had wondered why this old fox Ginrei suddenly thought to invite him to the Kuchiki family as a guest; so this was what he was waiting for.
However, for Kōga's sake, and given Kuchiki Ginrei's sincere attitude, giving him a little guidance was no big deal.
"It's not impossible."
"But at his age, shouldn't he be studying at the Spiritual Arts Academy?"
Kuchiki Ginrei frowned.
"The teachers at the Spiritual Arts Academy are mostly retired Soul Reapers. Their abilities should be limited."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora sneered disdainfully.
"Never underestimate the Spiritual Arts Academy."
"You nobles just have your eyes fixed too high, completely unwilling to lower yourselves to train alongside commoners."
"Is education the important part? It's the environment."
"When placed in a highly competitive atmosphere, the diligent will naturally train hard and strive upward."
Kuchiki Ginrei suddenly understood and nodded.
"I have been narrow-minded."
"But in the current Spiritual Arts Academy, are there any students with decent talent?"
Naraku Sora nodded.
"There are, there are. They can definitely batter little Byakuya until his skin is torn to shreds and he doubts his very existence..."
"Ahem, I mean, they can stimulate his fighting spirit to work desperately hard."
Kuchiki Ginrei cast a suspicious glance at the man, feeling that the guy beside him harbored ill intentions.
Thinking about it carefully, although Lord Naraku seemed somewhat unreliable, strictly speaking, he could be considered the savior of the Kuchiki family.
Whether it was Kōga or Sōjun, he was the one who stepped in to save them.
This favor alone was enough for the Kuchiki family to remember for all eternity.
Kuchiki Ginrei pondered for a moment. "Since that is the case, we will follow Lord Naraku's words."
When leaving the Kuchiki family mansion, Naraku Sora already had an extra follower by his side.
Kuchiki Byakuya naturally did not harbor any feelings of rejection toward this great benefactor who had saved the Kuchiki family.
On the contrary, he was very grateful for everything Naraku Sora had done for his elders.
Furthermore.
Every time Kōga returned home to visit, he would hear a few stories about Lord Naraku.
It could be said that Byakuya was full of admiration for this Lord Naraku, whom he rarely met.
The two soon arrived at the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Because he wore the haori symbolizing his status, their path was completely unhindered.
Naraku Sora led Byakuya into the campus. The air of youth was everywhere. Walking along the streets and watching the students coming and going, he felt as if he had grown much younger himself.
Even though it hadn't been long since he graduated.
Walking along a small path, the two arrived near rows of neat student dormitories.
On the flat grounds, groups of three to five students were conducting after-school training.
Naraku Sora waved at the crowd. Soon, a boy with short light-purple hair came up to the two of them.
"Lord Naraku!"
Seeing the visitor, a sincere smile appeared on the boy's face.
He had genuine respect for this person who had changed his entire life.
"It's been a while, Gin."
Naraku Sora smiled and pulled Byakuya, who was beside him, to the front.
"I came this time to introduce a friend to you. For the next period of time, he will be training alongside you at the Spiritual Arts Academy."
Kuchiki Byakuya curiously observed this boy who looked to be about his age.
He was quiet and peaceful, yet faintly exuded a trace of danger, like a hibernating snake.
Hearing Naraku Sora's words, the boy showed no rejection. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he said softly,
"Nice to meet you. My name is Gin, Ichimaru Gin..."