The sky over the Seireitei seemed particularly high and clear due to the continuous emergence of geniuses.
Kuchiki Byakuya, as a "once-in-a-century" peerless genius, had joined the Sixth Division as the fifth seat. This was still a hot topic of conversation within noble circles and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, yet to fully settle as an established legend, when a new shock followed closely behind.
The Seireitei Academy, the cradle for training Shinigami in the Seireitei, once again exploded with heavy news sufficient to shake the nerves of the Soul Society's upper echelons—
In the same class, less than two months after Kuchiki Byakuya's induction into his squad, two more freshmen were actually measured to possess Grade 6 Spiritual Pressure!
The entire Seireitei was in an uproar!
One of them was, naturally, Shiba Kaien.
While this result was amazing, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Although the Shiba Clan had declined and been expelled from the noble ranks, the foundation of their ancient Four Great Noble Clans bloodline remained; the potential flowing in their descendants' bones was not to be underestimated.
The powerful talent hidden beneath Shiba Kaien's sunny and cheerful nature was now like a new bamboo shoot breaking through the soil, instantly awakening memories of that once-glorious family.
His talent, in a sense, could be seen as proof of a "bloodline resurgence."
However, the name that truly made all factions dumbfounded and their minds active was another—Isayama Yomi.
This name was a complete blank on the rosters of the various great noble families! A thoroughbred "wild grass" from the Rukongai!
Yet it was this seemingly unremarkable wild grass that, on the Spiritual Pressure testing stone during enrollment, burst forth with a solid and undeniable Grade 6 light, equal to that of the Kuchiki and shiba descendants!
Her existence was like a sharp-edged meteorite smashing into a meticulously constructed noble garden, completely shattering the inherent perception that "great power must be rooted in noble blood," emitting an unignorable, savage, and pure dazzling potential.
The news was delivered to the Captain Commander of the First Division's desk at maximum speed.
Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni, the majestic Captain Commander, allowed a rare trace of gratification to flicker across his usually impassive face as he reviewed the report.
His calloused fingers paused for a moment on the two newly added "Grade 6 Spiritual Pressure" records.
The Thirteen Court Guard Squads were currently facing a talent gap, with over half of the Captain positions vacant (leaving only seven including himself); this predicament had always been a hidden worry in his heart.
The two names before him—Shiba Kaien and Isayama Yomi—were undoubtedly like a shot of adrenaline injected into a withered body.
As long as they could grow smoothly without dying young, in time, they would surely become pillars capable of shouldering the heavy responsibilities of a Captain. For the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, which urgently needed to replenish top-tier combat power and stabilize the situation in the Soul Society, this was absolute good news.
The old man's brow seemed to relax a bit, and a sliver of pressure seemed to lift from his heavy shoulders.
At the same time, the news also quickly reached the ears of Kuchiki Byakuya, who was meditatively practicing in a quiet dojo somewhere in the Sixth Division Barracks.
"Shiba Kaien... Isayama Yomi... Grade 6 Spiritual Pressure..."
The young man's cold and aloof figure stood in the center of the dojo, the tip of Senbonzakura pointing diagonally at the ground, but the air around him seemed to instantly freeze and grow several degrees colder.
Just a few days ago, amid discussions mixed with wonder and awe, he had been bearing the heavy expectations and scrutiny of being the "future light of the Kuchiki Clan" based on his performance in the seat officer challenge (where he lost honorably and was promoted on the spot to fifth seat by Hiroki).
In the blink of an eye, before the title of "once-in-a-century" genius could even warm up, two people followed closely behind, reaching the height he once thought he held alone among his peers at the same point in time!
He had heard of that Kaien from the shiba family; as a former member of the Four Great Noble Clans, the explosion of such inherited power was unexpected but within reason.
Byakuya's innate pride could still understand that.
However, "Isayama Yomi"? An unknown commoner from the Rukongai? This was like an invisible whip, fiercely lashing against his mental defenses built on noble glory and singular self-confidence.
A strong sense of frustration mixed with extreme unwillingness and a trace of subtle annoyance instantly churned in his heart.
He slowly sheathed his sword, the movement still impeccably standard, his thin lips pressed tight, and his delicate jawline tensed extremely hard.
Deep within his dark brown eyes, beneath that cold lake surface, were surging waves he was struggling to suppress.
And the undercurrents of the entire Seireitei indeed surged because of these two names.
Shiba Kaien's position was relatively clear.
Even though his family was weak, the shiba blood flowing in his body and his natural sunny leadership qualities gave him a certain inherent inclination.
Many noble factions were interested in recruiting him, but they all knew well that the relationship between the shiba and the currently powerful Kuchiki (through the proxy Shihōin Hiroki) and Shihōin was complex and subtle; the cost of rashly intervening might be huge, and the results might not be as desired.
Furthermore, news had spread that the Captain Commander intended to invite Shiba Isshin, from a branch of the Shiba Clan, to serve as the Captain of the Tenth Division.
Consequently, almost all eyes and burning ambitions were focused, without exception, on the other "blank slate"—Isayama Yomi.
This genius girl from the Rukongai who had appeared out of nowhere had a life story as "clean" as paper and a background so "pure" that all factions saw infinite possibilities and... immense investment value.
For a time, dark tides surged within the manors of the various noble families:
The nobles were excited: if they could be the first to bring such a seedling with infinite potential into their family lineage (whether by adopting her as a foster daughter, through marriage, or as a high-ranking retainer or guest official), it would undoubtedly be a god-given opportunity for their family's strength to leap forward!
Imagine a possible future Captain-level powerhouse coming from their own clan? This temptation was enough to make them fight tooth and nail.
The high-ranking nobles had even longer-term and colder perspectives.
They quickly assessed Isayama Yomi's value—an excellent chess piece with strong malleability and no roots.
If they could control her and cultivate her carefully, once she grew up, she would not only greatly enhance their influence within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads but also add a heavyweight weight to future complex power games.
Their subordinate organizations had already begun to act, gathering all information on Isayama Yomi and pondering the best way to recruit her.
Unfortunately, the nobles' overt recruitment was blocked outside the academy by the Captain Commander.
The Captain Commander was, after all, the nominal principal of the academy.
At the same time, the various departments of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were equally moved.
The squads that were short on talent and had long-vacant Captain positions (such as the vacant Third, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Divisions, as well as the Twelfth Division's Vice-Captain and member slots) all had their eyes light up.
Who wouldn't want to pre-order such an extraordinarily gifted unpolished gem?
They were all rolling up their sleeves and using all their resources, trying to grease the wheels with the Seireitei Academy in advance, or preparing to send capable officers to showcase their squad's "unique charm," all just to get a head start in the future distribution of graduates.
Even some factions that were neutral or inclined toward Central 46 began to calculate how to bring Isayama Yomi within their sphere of influence.
For a time, the enrollment season of the Seireitei Academy seemed to turn into the edge of a silent battlefield. The name Isayama Yomi was like the center of a storm, drawing countless visible and invisible greed, expectations, calculations, and schemes.
However, no matter how noisy the outside world was, the center of the storm—the interior of the Seireitei Academy—still followed its inherent rhythm.
The freshmen, dressed in brand-new student uniforms, shed sweat in rigorous training, dull theory, and arduous spiritual power cultivation.
Shiba Kaien was as warm and cheerful as ever, mingling with his peers and not paying much attention to those undercurrents behind the scenes.
As for the girl who had become the focus—Isayama Yomi—she quietly immersed herself in her own world, dealing with each training class with focus beyond ordinary people, as if those monstrous floods rushing toward her were yet unable to reach the steps where she currently stood.
According to the Seireitei Academy's strictest processes and rules, from enrollment to graduation, even at the fastest, it would take a full year of time to learn, settle, and transform.