It really was not a fight in the same dimension!
One sword.
Zaraki Kenpachi had been struck a thousand times.
His clothes were entirely shredded. Only a single pant leg remained.
His entire body — from head to toe — was covered in fine cuts. If one didn't look closely, he appeared utterly naked.
Madarame had also been grazed by the sword qi. Both his arms were severed. Now he lay on the ground, staring at the woman who looked like a fox and a demon in utter despair.
At this moment, Hitsugaya Tōshirō also removed the mask from his face.
"Clean up the battlefield. Kill all who resist. The entrance is probably sealed now!"
"Understood."
Dongxian responded and the two began their sweep.
Like a tiger let loose among sheep, no one could withstand their assault.
Thousands fell in a short time. Captains like Jūnguru Chunshui and the seated officers — all were captured.
They were then sealed with spiritual energy and imprisoned.
"You... you must not die..."
Ise Nanao stared at the abused captain and couldn't help but curse.
In the end, Hitsugaya Tōshirō gagged her mouth with a towel.
Uozhihualie said to the two of them: "Move faster. I plan to offer a sacrifice to the gods soon. Don't be careless!"
"Yes..."
Soon, Ise Nanao and the others were transported to the Eternal Temple.
Along the way, they saw rejoicing people — a joy that had never been seen on Rukongai's streets. Everyone wore natural smiles on their faces.
When they caught sight of the arrested Shinigami, some even mocked them contemptuously.
"These self-righteous Shinigami should have been arrested long ago!"
"Finally..."
"A few years ago, I accidentally bumped into an aristocrat's son and nearly got killed."
"What is the Gotei 13? They're nothing but watchdogs raised by the nobles."
...
Not a single voice spoke in their defense.
Kuchiki Byakuya, in particular, had his face covered in shoeprints and saliva.
Don't underestimate the common folk's hatred for the wealthy.
Though the noble clans had contributed much to the Soul Society, they had treated the people with shameless cruelty.
Jūnguru Chunshui had closed his eyes, but still received several slaps.
In the end, they were all imprisoned beneath the altar.
Under Ise Nanao's gaze, the bodies of all the deceased were thrown onto this altar. Their souls were absorbed and vanished without a trace. The spirit bodies were transformed into energy and poured onto the altar.
How brutal!
But what truly shocked the Shinigami was yet to come. A great beast, roaring and emanating a depraved aura, was thrown into the purification pool.
In a short time, black smoke and roars rose from within.
Then, accompanied by splashing water —
A purified soul emerged.
That individual wore a horse-headed mask on his head, hooves instead of feet, and held a pair of dark chains in his hands.
The word "Sin" was branded on his back.
The front read: "Horseman."
"You have been purified. Go now and redeem your sins. When the mark of sin disappears, your redemption will be complete!"
"Yes, thank you, sir."
The Horseman spoke weakly, yet dared not waste time. He departed, clutching the iron chains.
Purifying the Empty?
Was this what Uozhihualie had meant?
Incredible.
---
On the other end — at the entrance to the Seireitei.
When all the troops had marched in, a group of mysterious bull-headed, horse-faced figures emerged from the dimensional rift.
They flicked their iron chains and brandished their forks.
The defense systems of the Soul Society were easily destroyed, and a group of beautiful female personnel were also seized in passing.
Soul Society was naturally unwilling to accept the attack.
However, when they tried to pursue, they found that the dimensional space had been completely thrown into chaos.
Even if the device were reactivated, precise coordinates could not be located.
"Damn it! We were deceived... that group was simply bait, luring us into a trap!"
Yumagawa Kenji slammed his fist into the ground and said furiously.
Captain Yamamoto kept rubbing his brows and sighed: "This time was my mistake. If I hadn't been so fearful of enemy attack, we could have pursued directly."
There was no intelligence left now.
Personnel were lost again.
The Shinigami, who had always been understaffed, had once again taken heavy losses.
Lan Ran sat on her knees, poring over the information in her hands, but her heart was quietly snickering.
The more cautious you are, the easier you are to trap. The Seireitei is our base — how could it be so easily invaded?
Pain is the best teacher. You'll disappear slowly...
Lan Ran pushed up his glasses, very pleased.
---
That day, news that the Gotei 13 had pursued the Eternal God Cult and suffered a devastating defeat spread like wildfire.
Even though Captain Yamamoto tried his best to suppress the story, he failed utterly.
As if someone had deliberately orchestrated it, within two hours, every Rukongai street in the southeast, northwest, and all four quarters was buzzing with rumors.
Moreover, the accounts were vivid and detailed.
Especially in the eastern district — someone had found Jūnguru Chunshui's Zanpakutō!
At this point, no amount of defense from the old man Yamamoto could salvage anything.
After all, the Zanpakutō was the lifeblood of the Shinigami — the very source of their power.
Now it lay sprawled on the ground, disgraced.
Something had clearly happened to Jūnguru Chunshui.
---
———
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