Yoriichi Tsugikuni's lips slightly parted, and he still wanted to say something more to persuade Yamamoto Genryusai.
Although he knew that persuasion might not have much effect, in his opinion, doing something was better than doing nothing.
Even Kenpachi had almost died once, all due to the mechanism of Hollowfication.
The stronger a Shinigami's own power, the stronger the corresponding Hollow would be.
Thus, the battle would become increasingly difficult, and the probability of losing control would skyrocket like a rocket.
Even if he could be saved after losing control, what would Yamamoto Genryusai think then?
He would resist one hundred percent.
After all, putting aside his identity as the former Captain-Commander, he was just an old man with a somewhat stubborn personality.
Yoriichi quietly gazed at Yamamoto Genryusai; however, before the words of persuasion could even leave his mouth, Yamamoto Genryusai directly interrupted him:
"This old man knows what you want to say, but his mind is already made up."
"A thousand years ago, Yhwach's The Almighty was sealed... If it weren't for you, this old man might never have known about this until his death."
"The Seireitei will be handed over to you next."
"It is precisely because I have resigned from the position of Captain-Commander that I can do what I want without restraint."
"Even if I fail, this old man will accept it calmly."
His tone was very open-minded, as if he had already disregarded life and death.
After speaking, Yamamoto Genryusai slowly took a bite of the roasted sweet potato, and the surrounding atmosphere returned to a brief tranquility for a moment.
Only the crackling sound of burning flames seemed to be narrating the current peace.
Seeing this, Yoriichi sighed helplessly.
He no longer spoke.
Because he understood in his heart that at this point, verbally, it would be impossible to persuade Yamamoto Genryusai to give up the idea of Hollowfication, no matter what.
Even with Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake, it would be the same.
Therefore, he could only make plans on the day of Hollowfication.
According to the information revealed by Kisuke Urahara, it should be in three days...
Time flew by, and three days passed in a flash.
Inside the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara stood beside a spherical machine.
He looked at Yamamoto Genryusai inside the machine, who indicated that everything was ready, then slightly turned his head and said helplessly to Yoriichi Tsugikuni beside him:
"You really don't have to worry so much."
"Regarding the Hollowfication experiment, we have perfected it many times over a decade ago."
"Think about it, you haven't been in contact with this thing for about thirty years, have you?"
"It's no longer like when Kenpachi Hollowfied back then."
Yoriichi nodded calmly:
"I know, but I still can't rest assured. You also said before that the success rate of anything can't reach 100%."
"What if this time it's that one in ten thousand?"
"How can there be such an 'if'...?" Kisuke Urahara subconsciously retorted.
But the moment the words left his mouth, he realized that he had indeed said something like that.
This...
"Forget it." He sighed, waving his hand helplessly, "If you want to come, then come. I believe in my technology."
How could Yoriichi not believe Kisuke Urahara's technology? But only by witnessing it with his own eyes could he truly feel at ease.
Yamamoto Genryusai was simply too strong compared to ordinary Shinigami.
Once he lost control, the destruction caused would be world-shattering.
To prevent the disaster from spreading, it had to be foolproof.
As the machine was activated, a faint humming sound arose, and the door at the entrance slowly closed.
Under Kisuke Urahara's operation, Yamamoto Genryusai's spiritual pressure was completely isolated.
The Hōgyoku at the top of the machine shimmered with a faint blue glow, and then, a dangerous aura rapidly permeated the laboratory.
This aura gave people an extremely cold and eerie chill, like water, yet it was bone-chilling as it brushed against one's skin.
Even Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but shiver.
He looked at the machine, secretly sighing, this situation had never happened before.
The spiritual pressure was isolated, yet it could still have such a strong impact on the surrounding environment...
As expected of the strongest of a thousand years ago, even in retirement, his strength was still there.
Perhaps Yoriichi's foresight was correct, but this was just the beginning; the coldness didn't explain anything.
On the other side, Yoriichi Tsugikuni also felt this eerie chill.
But the same situation felt different to different people; he just felt a little cold.
Seeing that the experiment had begun, he asked Kisuke:
"How long will it take to finish?"
"Is the process the same as before?"
Because he hadn't been in contact with Hollowfication for decades, his memory of Hollowfication was still of it being conducted within a barrier.
Suddenly switching to inside a machine... its safety was truly difficult to judge.
"The process is the same, but the time is uncertain."
Kisuke Urahara took a deep breath, composed himself, and walked to the control panel.
He gently tapped the desktop, pondered for a moment, then replied:
"According to previous cases, a strong person like the Captain-Commander would probably need about twenty minutes."
"Exceeding twenty minutes, the Shinigami's stamina will decline, and then the Hollow will gain the upper hand."
"And considering that Genryusai-dono is already old."
"The time left for him is probably only about ten minutes."
Ten minutes... To be honest, thinking of this, Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but start to worry.
It was too short. How easy was it to complete Hollowfication and suppress the Hollow within such a limited time?
Although he was confident that his instrument would not have problems, what if the problem was with the person?
Yamamoto Genryusai had been so confident before, that Kisuke Urahara also confidently believed that he would succeed.
Now, coming to his senses, Kisuke Urahara was somewhat troubled.
"Sure enough, am I treating Genryusai-dono like you?"
He turned to look at Yoriichi, with a hint of complex emotion in his eyes,
"If it were you, Yoriichi, you should be able to finish the battle within ten minutes, right?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni glanced at Kisuke Urahara but did not speak.
There were no 'ifs' in this world, and besides, this was Yamamoto Genryusai's own request.
In addition, the current situation was not entirely Kisuke's fault.
The old man wanted to fulfill a regret before he passed away; no matter what, the event would happen.
The only thing he could do at the moment was to be on constant alert to prevent Yamamoto Genryusai from losing control.
The two waited quietly, the chilling air growing even colder, subtly changing from dangerous to exuding the scent of a Hollow.
It seemed that Hollowfication had reached its most critical moment.
The power of Ryujin Jakka erupted and spread wildly like a surging tide in Yamamoto Genryusai's spiritual world.
All around was dead silence, the ground a bloody red, covered in countless graves.
With only one opponent in front, Yamamoto Genryusai could unleash his Bankai without any reservations.
It had been a very long time since he had experienced such an exhilarating battle.
Especially when facing an opponent who could use the same techniques as himself.
After just two clashes, Yamamoto Genryusai keenly sensed that the opponent in front of him was far more troublesome than he had imagined.
But he did not show any signs of retreat because of this.
In his opinion, as long as he could defeat the fellow in front of him, it would be equivalent to defeating his past self.
At this moment, Yamamoto Genryusai had to admit that his current aged self was indeed stronger compared to his younger days.
He was not clear about the reason, but in his opinion, it was probably a change in his mindset.
Boom.
Flames, like a scorching sun, mercilessly burned the earth.
The fierce battle continued, each clash of power causing the earth to tremble, the surface becoming riddled with holes, cracks spreading in all directions.
The release of power seemed to open some hidden valve within Yamamoto Genryusai's body, making him find a long-lost feeling.
And this feeling, like a catalyst, further boosted his spiritual pressure, causing it to reach its peak in a millennium within an extremely short period.
Crack...
The sound of something shattering continuously echoed in Yamamoto Genryusai's ears.
Outside.
Boom, boom.
The operating machine, like an overworked old ox, emitted quite a noisy sound.
A trace of scorching spiritual pressure transformed into a fiery snake, leaking out from the cracks, distorting the air.
Seeing this, Kisuke Urahara's expression suddenly changed.
He quickly checked the various parameters of the machine at the current stage and finally came to a conclusion.
The worst had happened; this machine could not suppress Yamamoto Genryusai's spiritual pressure and was about to be damaged...
"Do you need my help, Kisuke?"
Yoriichi spoke, though he didn't care about the noble suppression caused by the spiritual pressure leakage.
However, if the news of Yamamoto's Hollowfication spread and reached the ears of the Wandenreich due to the diffusion of information, it would be bad.
Through his clones, he knew that Yhwach had never truly taken Yamamoto Genryusai seriously.
Therefore, his attitude towards Yamamoto Genryusai was still the same dismissive one from a thousand years ago.
A thousand years later, surpassing a Shinigami would surely give him a big surprise.
Upon hearing this, Kisuke pondered for a moment, then nodded:
"I'll leave it to you, Yoriichi. It seems I still underestimated the intensity of Genryusai-dono's spiritual pressure."
"Because the strongest Shinigami to undergo Hollowfication before was Kenpachi, I specifically enhanced the spiritual pressure limit that this machine could suppress by five times based on his data."
"But even so, Genryusai-dono still broke through it."
"This is truly incredible."
He sincerely sighed with emotion, while Yoriichi remained calm.
Only five times.
On one hand, Chōjirō Sasakibe's previous description of Yamamoto Genryusai's Bankai was based on his feelings from a thousand years ago.
On the other hand, this five-fold spiritual pressure setting was also based on Kenpachi from decades ago.
After so many years of development, it was reasonable for Yamamoto Genryusai's strength to have improved.
Yoriichi reached out and drew his Zanpakuto, deliberated for a moment, then suggested to Kisuke Urahara:
"Since the machine has a problem, would it be alright if I send it into Hell first?"
"Only there can spiritual pressure erupt without being perceived by outsiders."
Kisuke Urahara sighed, resigned to his fate:
"As you wish, it's just a pity that this machine will be scrapped from now on."
"However, exchanging the scrapping of one machine for Genryusai-dono's greater strength is a very worthwhile matter."
Kisuke Urahara vaguely felt that this "transaction" was not a loss at all; anyway, out with the old, in with the new.
With his ability, it was not impossible to create a more powerful machine in the future.
Eight Cold Hells.
Boom.
With the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, Yoriichi Tsugikuni passed through the Hell Gate and landed on top of the machine.
The machine smashed into the ground; although the sound was loud, it was perfectly intact, only leaking more and more spiritual pressure.
Fiery snakes freely roamed in the air, and wherever they passed, the temperature rapidly soared.
The thick ice and snow that originally covered Eight Cold Hells seemed to have met their natural enemy, beginning to show signs of melting.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't pay attention to these things. He jumped off the machine and looked around the surroundings, feeling much more relaxed.
Here, no matter how strong Yamamoto Genryusai became after Hollowfication, he would never be able to affect the Three Realms, and at the same time, his spiritual pressure could be suppressed.
"Although it's only a temporary measure, I still hope everything goes smoothly."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni murmured to himself, gazing at the machine with a focused and vigilant expression, his Zanpakuto never leaving his hand.
According to Kisuke Urahara, if Yamamoto Genryusai's Hollowfication failed, then the machine would spray a high concentration of potent tranquilizers.
These tranquilizers could effectively alleviate the side effects of Hollowfication-induced madness and reduce his strength.
Although for Yoriichi, whether his strength was reduced or not didn't matter.
But at least it would allow him to defeat Yamamoto Genryusai more quickly, and also prevent Yamamoto Genryusai from sustaining more damage during the battle.
After all, the situation a Captain faces when defeating an ordinary Shinigami is definitely different from a Captain defeating another Captain.
The former only requires one move, at most causing superficial injuries, while the latter could result in severed limbs, because the power of Zanka no Tachi is not to be underestimated.
Yoriichi was worried he wouldn't be able to hold back.
...
At the same moment Yoriichi Tsugikuni was waiting for Yamamoto Genryusai to finish his Hollowfication.
Nigotsugu Saizo, the warden of Eight Cold Hells, keenly sensed Yamamoto Genryusai's gradually rising spiritual pressure.
He slightly raised his head, his gaze sweeping towards the direction Yoriichi Tsugikuni was in, a subtle smile appearing on his ancient face.
"Hollow... Hehe, Yamamoto, Yamamoto, I didn't expect you to choose this path..."
He murmured in a low voice, his words echoing far in the silent Hell, "It truly is an eye-opener for this old man."
Nigotsugu Saizo initially thought Yamamoto Genryusai would take the path of Hell.
Because Yoriichi Tsugikuni was his disciple, if he chose Hell, he would certainly receive a lot of care.
At that time, let alone surpassing Shinigami, even approaching those few in Squad Zero would be no problem at all.
The power of Hell was inexhaustible, and afterward, he just needed to capture and imprison more criminals.
Such a broad road lay before him, yet Yamamoto Genryusai chose Hollowfication...
Nigotsugu Saizo gently shook his head, letting out a sigh: "What a pity."
Of course, he probably also knew the reason for Yamamoto Genryusai's choice, which was nothing more than his strong self-esteem.
It was one thing for a teacher to be unable to defeat his student, but to gain strength by relying on his student's power...
Which teacher could bring himself to do that?
A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and Nigotsugu Saizo slightly narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then began to walk, preparing to go and see.
Regardless of Yamamoto Genryusai's experience, he respected his choice, after all, they were old friends.
Upon nearing Yamamoto Genryusai, the ice and snow on the surrounding ground had completely disappeared, revealing the reddish-brown earth.
The air was somewhat dry, and although a cold wind continuously blew, there was no sign of a single snowflake.
The closer he got, the more intense the scorching sensation became.
Until even the cold wind seemed to be dispelled by the high temperature, and cracks even appeared on the ground, like the parched lips of the earth.
Nigotsugu Saizo paused at this sight, vaguely, he saw the shadow of Burning Hell here...
--Changing the weather?
Truly remarkable.
To be able to transform the environment of this place to such an extent, Yamamoto Genryusai's spiritual pressure at this moment must have surpassed the limits of a Shinigami.
One must know that even some first-class spiritual pressure could only melt a little ice and snow here.
With a hint of emotion, Nigotsugu Saizo continued to approach, and soon he saw Yoriichi Tsugikuni standing in front of a machine, waiting for something.
He didn't see Yamamoto Genryusai, but his spiritual pressure was continuously emanating from within the machine.
This is...?
Nigotsugu Saizo was a little confused, just about to ask, but Yoriichi discovered him first.
He raised his eyes, intending to say hello.
The next second.
"Bang!"
The machine roared open, accompanied by a violent tremor, a large amount of steam rose around it, engulfing the surroundings in a white mist.
And within this white mist, Yamamoto Genryusai slowly walked out, wearing a white mask.
Ryujin Jakka by his side had transformed into the appearance of a black katana.
It was the Bankai form—Zanka no Tachi.
A majestic and dangerous aura rapidly permeated the air with his appearance.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni quickly withdrew his gaze, his slightly solemn eyes carefully scrutinizing Yamamoto Genryusai.
For a moment, it was difficult to tell whether this was a success or a failure.
"Old..."
Yoriichi had just uttered a word, intending to test whether Yamamoto Genryusai currently possessed clear consciousness.
But the next second, Yamamoto Genryusai suddenly transformed into a blurry shadow, instantly disappearing from his original spot.
He held Zanka no Tachi and swung it at Yoriichi Tsugikuni with lightning speed.
This strike made no sound, like a silent assassin, the scorching heat approaching instantly, Yoriichi's gaze instinctively sharpened.
Fortunately, Yamamoto Genryusai's speed at this moment did not exceed his reaction limit, so he lightly raised his sword and easily blocked it.
Shhh...
The expected metallic clang did not occur, but rather a barely audible burning sound.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni held the hilt of his sword, suddenly seeing his Zanpakuto inexplicably missing a piece.
At this moment, Yamamoto Genryusai let out a low cry:
"Zanka no Tachi • East — Kyokujitsujin!"
As he spoke, a large amount of spiritual pressure instantly condensed into high heat at the tip of the blade, and as he gently pushed forward, that high heat directly burned away the blade of his sword.
The black, seemingly ancient yet oppressive blade tip of Ryujin Jakka then slashed towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni's chest.
One could imagine what the consequences would be if this strike connected.
As the first technique of Zanka no Tachi, Kyokujitsujin could erase all tangible objects, a strike that discarded flames and extremely enhanced lethality.
However, Yoriichi Tsugikuni showed no surprise at all.
He did not continue to swing his sword to block, but instead directly unleashed his spiritual pressure.
That powerful spiritual pressure was like an invisible wall, directly stopping Yamamoto Genryusai's Ryujin Jakka three inches from his skin, unable to advance.
Everything seemed to return to how it was back then.
Only then did Yoriichi Tsugikuni have time to carefully examine Yamamoto Genryusai in front of him, then he sighed helplessly:
"Teacher, can you stop messing around? I've already seen it, you haven't lost consciousness, have you?"
"You're just pretending to be unconscious to spar with me, attacking recklessly."
...Silence spread, a few seconds passed.
"Hmph."
A displeased snort slowly emanated from beneath Yamamoto Genryusai's mask.
Yamamoto Genryusai slowly retracted Zanka no Tachi, his tone somewhat displeased:
"Therefore, this old man absolutely detests your ability called Transparent World."
"Not only can it detect lies, but it can also see through things, directly judging whether this old man has killing intent."
"Is it because this old man had no killing intent that I was exposed?"
"Of course not." Hearing Yamamoto Genryusai admit his actions and confirm his clear consciousness, Yoriichi breathed a sigh of relief,
"I just thought that if you were replaced by a Hollow, then you shouldn't be unaware of my strength."
"If it were me, I would definitely use Tenchi Kaijin at the first opportunity."
Tenchi Kaijin is Zanka no Tachi's strongest attack, it combines the high temperature of Kyokujitsujin and enhances its long-range capability.
It could be said that, under Yamamoto Genryusai's operation at this stage, even the Monk of Squad Zero, if caught off guard in front of him, would be forced to have their defenses broken.
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto Genryusai became even more displeased.
"You say it so easily, even this old man cannot use Tenchi Kaijin many times."
"If it injures you, that's fine, but if it doesn't, where would this old man put his face?"
The mask on his face gradually disappeared, and Yamamoto Genryusai's spiritual pressure also gradually receded.
He changed Zanka no Tachi back to its Ryujin Jakka form, and was about to continue speaking when he suddenly saw Nigotsugu Saizo not far away.
Yamamoto Genryusai slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Oh? Nigotsugu, you're here too? Could this be Hell?"
"It's been over a decade, why has your spiritual pressure weakened?"
It's not that my spiritual pressure has weakened, it's clearly that you've gotten stronger...
Nigotsugu Saizo muttered to himself, completely not expecting that Yamamoto, after Hollowfication, would actually be stronger than himself.
He felt like his hundreds of years in Hell had been wasted.
Sighing, Nigotsugu Saizo said:
"Perhaps, you truly have taken in a good disciple, Yamamoto."
"In just a few decades, he was able to make you, the'Sword Demon,' look like this."
"How does Hollowfication feel?"
"Average." Yamamoto replied, truly average, because it couldn't even break Yoriichi Tsugikuni's defense.
However, this answer, upon reaching Nigotsugu Saizo's ears, left him somewhat speechless.
What was going on with this master-disciple pair? It was one thing for the disciple to be so low-key, but how did even Yamamoto Genryusai become like this?
There was no point in talking anymore, if surpassing the Shinigami limit was considered average, then what would be considered excellent?
He opened his mouth, then closed it, Nigotsugu Saizo sighed again.
He could no longer tell whether the teacher had corrupted the student, or the student had corrupted the teacher.
Seeing that the other party had nothing to say, Yamamoto Genryusai ignored him and continued to converse with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It wasn't until the two left Hell, several minutes later, that the surrounding area returned to its state of endless wind and snow.
This showed the extent to which the commotion just now had affected the environment of Eight Cold Hells.
...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned to Seireitei and immediately permanently sealed the news of Yamamoto Genryusai's Hollowfication, instructing Kisuke Urahara to strictly prohibit any leaks.
Everything had to wait until Yhwach's resurrection before being made public.
Although Yoriichi knew that Hollowfication might not be able to defeat Yhwach, at least it could fulfill an old man's wish and regret.
Time flew by rapidly after this incident, and in the blink of an eye, a special day arrived.
Matsumoto Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin, after a century of companionship, were finally getting married.
And at the same time, in the Human World, some unexpected events also occurred within Seireitei.
Affected by some special factors.
Komamura Sajin challenged Love Aikawa, the Captain of the Seventh Division.
Immediately after, Zaraki Kenpachi, unwilling to be outdone, also challenged the current Captain of the Eleventh Division, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.