Sokyoku Hill.
The highest execution ground in the Seireitei, rarely visited under normal circumstances.
The massive Sokyoku towered at the edge of the cliff, casting a sinister shadow under the moonlight.
But few knew that beneath this hill lay a massive underground cavern.
Urahara led Hasumi Ren through a hidden passage into this space.
The cavern was incredibly spacious, easily the size of several football fields.
"This is a place I excavated in my early years. Sometimes I come here to spar with friends," Urahara said. "I've also set up a barrier around the perimeter to isolate spiritual pressure. It's hidden enough, and we won't disturb anyone else."
Ren nodded, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
It was indeed a suitable location.
Urahara took a few steps back, creating some distance between them.
"Come on, let me see what the power inside your body truly looks like. You can control it, right?"
Ren took a deep breath, then nodded.
This was his first time actively displaying this power in front of someone else.
Although Urahara already knew a bit about it, seeing it with his own eyes was a completely different concept from just hearing about it.
Ren closed his eyes, sensing the dormant power within his body.
The Hollowfied spiritual pressure had always been lurking deep within his soul.
Most of the power had been taken away by his clone earlier, but this remaining portion should be enough for him to achieve Hollowfication.
He opened his eyes.
Dark red spiritual pressure surged from his body.
The power was violent and freezing, carrying the brutal aura unique to Hollows.
It swirled and condensed around Ren, then slowly covered his face.
A bone-like mask materialized from nothing, gradually taking shape.
It was a pure white mask with no complex patterns or terrifying designs, only the simplest of outlines.
However, the amount of Hollowfied spiritual pressure was slightly insufficient, so the resulting mask only covered half of his face.
But that aura, that oppressive presence, was undeniably real.
Urahara Kisuke's pupils shrank sharply.
He stood frozen in place, staring at Ren. Despite his efforts to remain composed, he couldn't hide the excitement and curiosity burning in his eyes.
"So this... is Hollowfication..."
Complete, controllable, and perfectly integrated.
A successful Hollowfication that shattered the boundary between Hollows and Soul Reapers.
Urahara's hands trembled slightly.
He had researched the Hogyoku for so many years and conducted countless experiments, yet he had never succeeded on this path.
But the young man before him had done it.
And he had done it so perfectly.
Ren looked at his expression, his voice carrying that distinct, echoing double-timbre.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Urahara snapped back to reality.
He took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself down.
"Let's test it out. Let me see what this power can bring you."
Ren nodded. "How do you want to test it?"
Urahara Kisuke drew the Zanpakuto from his waist, the corners of his mouth curling up uncontrollably.
"Through the most direct method, of course. Combat."
Hearing this, Ren stretched his body, feeling the changes brought about by the Hollowfication.
Spiritual pressure boiled within him, his strength significantly greater than usual.
His perception had become sharper, and all five of his senses were enhanced.
His body felt lighter, as if he had broken free from some invisible restraint.
Even though it was only the lowest level, Lv.1 Hollowfication, the boost was already quite substantial.
Ren looked at Urahara. "Are you ready?"
Urahara assumed a fighting stance, a flash of excitement in his eyes. "Bring it on."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ren vanished from his spot.
Urahara's eyes lit up as he sidestepped to dodge.
Ren's fist grazed the edge of his clothes, whipping up a gust of wind.
"Very fast. Not bad," Urahara evaluated while dodging.
Ren didn't speak, continuing his assault.
Fists, feet, elbows, knees.
Every strike was fast and ruthless, but Urahara always managed to evade them perfectly.
He wasn't fighting; he was observing.
Ren didn't mind.
He knew Urahara's true strength went far beyond this.
Since he wanted to see, Ren would let him see to his heart's content.
Ren suddenly changed his tactics, retreating while muttering an incantation.
Urahara's eyes lit up. "Kido?"
Over the past two months, Ren had grinded this skill to the max.
The next moment, Urahara heard two different incantations echoing from Ren's mouth simultaneously.
One was a Hado, and the other was a Bakudo.
Meanwhile, Ren himself was still moving at high speed.
Urahara's pupils contracted slightly.
"Double Incantation while moving?!"
Urahara was stunned.
Before his words even faded, the two Kido spells were unleashed simultaneously.
A Bakudo shot toward Urahara's feet to bind him, while a Hado blasted straight for his face.
Urahara used Flash Step to dodge, simultaneously raising his hand to summon a red light shield that blocked the Hado.
However, a look of sheer astonishment had already appeared on his face.
"The execution of the Double Incantation is nearly perfect. You kid, you've put way too much effort into Kido..."
He looked at Ren, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
This young man was far more formidable than he had imagined, actually mastering Kido to such an extent.
The next moment, Urahara suddenly drew his blade.
"Your Kido is good, but I wonder how your Zanjutsu fares?"
The Zanpakuto transformed into a red blade of light, slashing toward Ren.
Ren's eyes lit up.
He dodged sideways and drew his sword at the same time.
The two Zanpakuto clashed, emitting a piercing screech of grinding metal.
A moment later, Urahara Kisuke realized something was wrong.
This young man's swordsmanship far exceeded his expectations.
His strikes were fierce and came from tricky angles. Every slash aimed straight for vital spots, making it somewhat difficult for him to parry.
In just a single exchange, before Urahara could fully react, two slits were actually cut into his clothes, nearly wounding him directly.
*What the...?*
*Where did Ren learn his swordsmanship? How is it this troublesome to deal with?*
If it weren't for the fact that his base stats were much higher right now, purely in terms of technique, he—who wasn't particularly specialized in swordsmanship—would have almost had the floor wiped with him by Ren.
Amidst the exchange of blows, Urahara Kisuke asked, "Hey, Ren, your Zanjutsu is a bit terrifying. How did you train it?"
"Captain Unohana taught me."
"Unohana... taught you?"
Urahara Kisuke froze for a moment.
*Unohana, the first generation Kenpachi from a thousand years ago, taught Ren Zanjutsu??*
*Why?*
Urahara didn't have time to think deeply about it, because Ren's offensive was growing increasingly fierce.
Blade lights flashed, and sword aura crisscrossed the air.
The two moved at high speeds within the cavern, their Zanpakuto constantly clashing and sparking a series of fiery trails.
The longer they fought, the more alarmed Urahara became.
This young man's swordsmanship had already reached quite a high level.
It wasn't some flashy sword technique, but a true, battle-tempered killing sword.
Every slash and stance was clean and decisive.
Urahara suddenly sheathed his blade and stepped back a few paces.
"That's enough," he said.
Ren halted his assault and looked at him.
Urahara looked back, his eyes full of complex emotions.
"Was your swordsmanship really taught by Captain Unohana?"
Ren nodded. "Yes."
Urahara took a deep breath. "No wonder..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already obvious.
To be personally taught Zanjutsu by Unohana was an acknowledgment in itself.
And this young man had clearly not let that acknowledgment down.
Urahara fell silent for a moment, then walked to the side and pulled out a notebook from a corner.
Comparing it to Ren's normal abilities, he began to take notes.
"In the Hollowfied state, spiritual pressure increases by approximately thirty percent."
"Flash Step speed increases by over thirty percent."
"The execution of Kido Double Incantation is near perfect. It can be cast while moving, and its power is somewhat enhanced."
"..."
He looked up at Ren, his eyes carrying the unique focus of a researcher.
"From what I can see so far, the enhancement isn't bad."
Ren dispelled the Hollowfication, and the mask slowly vanished.
He walked over to Urahara's side and glanced at the notebook.
"But it seems... it's not that strong, is it? Are you disappointed, Third Seat Urahara?"