Chapter 145 : Seireitei welcomes the reunion of master and disciple after a century
In the central plaza of Seireitei, the pristine white flagstones gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
A towering stone sculpture, a statue of Li Yu, stood in the center of the plaza, its lines sharp, its expression majestic.
Below it, offerings were piled high.
Some newly-born Shinigami (or Soul Reapers) squeezed in behind the crowd, watching the solemn expressions of the four great clan founders in front, as surprise and shock surged like waves in their hearts.
They had read in ancient texts that Lord Ade, the founder, had an incredibly powerful divine master.
The birth of Shinigami, the appearance of Hollows, and even the awakening of Lord Ade's abilities were all intimately connected to this divine being.
But in their eyes, these were merely ancient myths; since their birth, they had never seen an existence stronger than Lord Ade, who was the god in their hearts.
Even with Li Yu's statue in the plaza, they only took it as a memorial to their ancestor, never imagining that the legendary god would truly descend.
Just then, a terrifying pressure from beyond the heavens suddenly enveloped the entire Seireitei, and it was rapidly intensifying!
Reishi (or spirit particles) in the air pulsed uneasily, tiny pebbles on the ground defied the laws of physics, slowly floating upwards, and even light seemed to be distorted by this pressure.
All Shinigami instantly fell silent, instinctively looking up, their gaze focused on the sky above the statue.
The clouds there were rapidly dissipating, revealing a pitch-black void.
Ade was the first to step out of the crowd; he wore a white robe embroidered with golden patterns, his dark hair falling to his shoulders, and stood before the statue, quietly gazing at the stone carving.
Behind him, the founders of the four great clans—Shiba Enjo, Tsunayashiro Kyogen, Kuchiki Kyo, and Shihouin Yoru Hana—stood side by side, their faces a mix of surprise and reverence.
Hyosube Ichibei and Oetsu Nimaiya, these two core members of the future Zero Squad, followed closely behind the four great clan founders.
The other Shinigami, like a black torrent, lined up in the plaza; their black and white shihakusho (Shinigami uniform) and the Zanpakutō (Soul Slayer) at their waists formed a solemn and dignified picture.
Without any warning, a golden pillar of light, pure to the extreme, suddenly tore through the thick clouds, like a spear of judgment cast by a god, accurately striking the open ground in front of the stone statue!
The dazzling golden light instantly engulfed the entire plaza, and a Cosmo, vast as a collapsing star sea, carrying divine majesty, erupted like a tangible tide!
The intense light and pressure caused most Shinigami to involuntarily take a step back; weaker newly-born Shinigami were even forced to their knees, supporting themselves with their hands on the ground, barely able to stand, their Zanpakutō emitting an uneasy hum in their sheaths.
Only Ade, the four great clan founders, and the Zero Squad members remained standing; their robes fluttered in the energy fluctuations, but their eyes were filled with shock and reverence.
Ade straightened his back, his four eyes bursting with scorching light, showing no fear, only endless anticipation and filial devotion.
This power fluctuation, he could never be mistaken! It was his Master!
Though they hadn't met in a hundred years, his Master's power was still so immense.
The golden light gradually receded, and a figure slowly appeared in the halo.
It was a young man dressed in a simple white linen robe, his figure tall and straight, his face calm; though unarmed, he exuded a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation.
Ade's eyes widened in excitement; his Master had actually descended in person this time...
Li Yu stood quietly before the stone statue, as if he had existed there since ancient times; the cold divinity, the vast Cosmo, and the destructive aura of lightning perfectly merged within him, forming a unique pressure.
Ade could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart; he stepped forward, knelt on one knee, his voice choked with an indescribable emotion.
"Master, you've finally returned!"
Behind him, all the Shinigami, including the founders of the four great clans and Hyosube Ichibei, bowed their proud heads before this undeniable miracle and pressure, and shouted in unison.
"Welcome, Lord God!"
Their voices were uniform, echoing like thunder across the plaza.
Li Yu turned around, his gaze falling on Ade.
The middle-aged man before him had a refined and handsome face, a slender figure, and was no longer the naive youth of a hundred years ago; his eyes now held a bit more composure and a sense of experience.
He then swept his gaze over the Shinigami army behind Ade, who covered the sky like ants, and couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy.
For him, it had only been a few months; for Ade, it had been a hundred years.
The only constant was the unwavering respect and awe in Ade's eyes.
"Ade, it's been a long time."
Li Yu's voice was calm yet warm, breaking the silence of the plaza.
Ade forcibly suppressed his emotion; he was now the leader of the Bleach World, and even if his heart was excited, he needed to remain calm.
He looked back at the crowd, beckoning.
"Lei Yu, Zhi Tong, come over and greet your Grandmaster!"
Two young people, a boy and a girl, emerged from the crowd and approached Li Yu with a hint of unease.
The boy's face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Ade, and his eyes also had unique double pupils; he exuded a nascent but powerful Quincy power.
The girl was as beautiful as a flower, with an ethereal temperament, and her eyes revealed gentle Reishi fluctuations.
The two exchanged glances with Li Yu, then quickly lowered their heads and knelt in unison.
"Greetings, Grandmaster!"
"Rise, both of you; there's no need to cling to mundane etiquette."
Li Yu raised his hand, and a gentle force, irresistible, helped them both to their feet.
He thought for a moment, then took out ten bottles of crystal-clear potions from his space, divided them into two groups, and slowly floated them towards the young boy and girl.
"First meeting, I don't have anything particularly good, but these potions, as long as a person still has one breath left, can pull them back from the brink of death."
Lei Yu and Zhi Tong's eyes instantly widened, their faces filled with disbelief; a potion that could bring the dead back to life was already a legendary divine medicine!
And Grandmaster gave them ten bottles...
The two looked at the potions floating before them, momentarily hesitant to reach out and take them.
Ade smiled and shook his head.
"If Grandmaster gives them to you, then you should accept them."
Only then did the two react, thanking him repeatedly before carefully putting the potions into their embrace, their eyes full of cherish.
Li Yu looked at the two children, feeling a slight sense ofemotion (emotion).
Ade's children had already grown up; he could clearly sense the powerful Quincy power within them.
But he suddenly remembered that there seemed to be no record of the Soul King's children in later generations, which added a hint of doubt to his mind.
He looked at Ade and asked softly.
"Both children are excellent. Who is their mother?"
Ade's eyes instantly dimmed, and a trace of unconcealable sorrow flashed across his face.
"Their mother was named Yumiko. She died in a Hollow attack; by the time I arrived, her soul had already been devoured by the Hollow, and not even a trace of her remnant soul remained..."
Li Yu's gaze flickered slightly; even if Ade was the Son of Destiny of the Bleach World, destined by the world's consciousness to be the Soul King, he could not retrieve a dissipated soul.
He turned around, gazing at the distant chaotic dome, his tone calm.
"Everyone else, disperse. Ade, you come with me."
Before he finished speaking, their figures gradually faded, dissipating as if merging into the air.
The next second, they appeared in the wilderness outside Seireitei.
Large numbers of Hollows of various forms roamed here; upon seeing Ade, not only did they not attack, some conscious Hollows even knelt in salute, then slowly retreated.
Li Yu watched these Hollows with interest and asked.
"Did you convert all of these?"
"Not entirely."
Ade shook his head, his tone thoughtful.
"Ever since Kaositer was purified, newly-born Hollows have taken on this appearance. I think it might be that the laws of heaven and earth in this world have already formed, and Hollows are no longer pure destroyers; they also have their own consciousness and order."