Just as Soi Fon finished her battle preparations, Hasumi Ren slowly let out a breath.
"However, one thing needs adjustment."
Hasumi Ren did not draw his blade.
On the contrary, he made a move that caught Soi Fon and the surrounding trainees by surprise.
He unfastened his Zanpakuto and placed it, sheath and all, gently on the ground at the edge of the training room.
"Since you said we're only using Hakuda..."
Hasumi Ren cracked his knuckles slightly, a calm and focused smile appearing on his face.
"Then I'll only use Hakuda as well."
As his words fell, the observing trainees immediately broke into an uproar.
"Did you see that? This kid is insane. He's so full of himself he doesn't even know where he stands anymore."
"Soi Fon's Hakuda is top-tier even within the Punishment Force. Even with suppressed spiritual pressure, it's not something a kid fresh out of the Spiritual Arts Academy can compare to."
"He's asking for it. Don't they know Soi Fon hates self-righteous guys like him the most?"
"There's a limit to arrogance..."
On the training field, Soi Fon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Looking at Hasumi Ren's serious expression, she felt no particular emotion.
Whether he used his Zanpakuto or Kido made no difference to her.
She didn't care.
"Are you ready?"
Hasumi Ren took a standard and steady Hakuda starting stance.
"Please advise."
In the next second, Soi Fon's figure abruptly vanished from her spot.
The Punishment Force focused primarily on Shunpo and Hakuda; Soi Fon's Shunpo was so exquisite that even the fluctuations of her spiritual pressure were nearly imperceptible.
Hasumi Ren's pupils constricted. Relying entirely on combat instinct, he slid to the right while raising his arm to block.
Bang!
Soi Fon's whip-like leg accurately slammed into his blocking forearm with staggering force.
Hasumi Ren felt his arm go numb as his body was suddenly forced low by the immense power.
"Good reaction."
Soi Fon's voice came from the left, but her figure instantly appeared behind his right side, delivering a low sweep aimed at his legs.
Hasumi Ren pushed off the ground, and Soi Fon's sweep grazed the soles of his shoes as he narrowly avoided it.
Seizing the moment, Hasumi Ren twisted his torso and launched a spinning kick to counterattack.
However, Soi Fon didn't dodge. She leaned her body and extended her left hand, using his own momentum to deflect the kick. Simultaneously, she closed the distance, her right hand forming a fist that hammered toward Hasumi Ren's chest like a lightning bolt.
With no way to dodge, Hasumi Ren could only cross his arms to block the impact.
Bang!
He was sent flying by the punch, stumbling back several steps before stabilizing himself. The blood in his chest churned from the force.
'She's strong.'
Even with their spiritual pressures suppressed to the same level, Soi Fon's Hakuda techniques, combat experience, and timing far surpassed his own.
What surprised him even more was that the power of her strikes was unnaturally high.
In the next moment, Hasumi Ren sensed the reason.
She was mixing unique spiritual pressure flow, similar to Kido, into her Hakuda to enhance the power of her strikes.
This system of physical combat that combined Hakuda with Kido suggested that Yoruichi and Soi Fon had already begun developing Shunko.
Yet, there was no fear in Hasumi Ren's eyes; instead, an even more intense fighting spirit ignited within him.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spirit Power Shards ×3, Spirit Pressure EXP +30]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Shunpo Insight ×1, Shunpo EXP +10]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Hakuda Insight ×3, Hakuda EXP +30]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insight ×1, Kido EXP +10]
System notifications flashed before his eyes.
At the same time, Hasumi Ren could feel the corresponding insights within his body growing rapidly.
He had found a treasure trove.
Watching Hasumi Ren's fighting spirit flare even brighter, a slight curve appeared on Soi Fon's lips.
She was naturally drawn to the strong; only those who possessed the qualities of a powerhouse would catch her attention.
It seemed this kid could actually provide some decent practice today.
Soi Fon gave Hasumi Ren no time to breathe, launching another fierce assault.
Her attacks were like a torrential storm—each strike simple, lethal, and delivered from the most cunning angles.
Hand knives, elbow strikes, knee thrusts, finger pierces... her moves became increasingly difficult to predict and more dangerous. The Punishment Force's Hakuda had no wasted motion; it consisted entirely of highly refined killing techniques.
Hasumi Ren struggled to hold his ground amidst the storm of blows, his body repeatedly being struck, but he grit his teeth and persisted. Between his evasive maneuvers, he even managed to counter once or twice.
More importantly, as the battle progressed, his way of responding to Soi Fon's attacks became more proficient.
His timing for blocks and dodges grew increasingly precise, and he even began to anticipate some of the variations in her techniques.
"Hmm?"
Soi Fon keenly noticed this change, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.
At some point, Hasumi Ren had gradually become quite difficult to handle.
And she, in turn, began to get serious.
Soi Fon's offensive suddenly accelerated. Her figure left behind several afterimages as she launched attacks from all directions simultaneously.
The pressure on Hasumi Ren intensified. Several more bruises appeared on his body, and the faint taste of blood filled his mouth.
Fortunately, the Hakuda experience he had accumulated in the Maggot's Nest finally reached its limit.
The next moment, a system prompt appeared.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Hakuda Insight ×3, Hakuda EXP +30]
[SYSTEM: Hakuda Level Up ↑]
[SYSTEM: Hakuda: LV5 (EXP: 10/8000)]
The system's notification felt like a clear spring washing over him.
Hasumi Ren felt the insights regarding Hakuda in his mind synchronize perfectly, as if his body had undergone countless sessions of training.
The most direct result was that he could now see the trajectory of Soi Fon's attacks much more clearly.
When Soi Fon's next hand knife strike came, Hasumi Ren did not block it head-on like before.
He tilted his body slightly, letting the strike graze his chest, while his left hand shot out like a venomous snake to seize Soi Fon's wrist.
Startled, Soi Fon twisted her wrist to avoid the grip, but Hasumi Ren's right hand had already lunged toward her ribs like a cannonball.
This punch was precise, ruthless, and incredibly fast. Soi Fon was unable to dodge and had no choice but to take the hit, her body stumbling back two steps.
She gasped for air, a burning pain radiating from below her right chest, causing her pupils to tremble.
This was the first time she had been hit since the start of the battle.
She grit her teeth, her heart filled with rising anger, and her face flushed slightly.
'This bastard, where does he think he's hitting...'
Beside the training ground, the observing trainees were dumbstruck.
"He... he actually forced Soi Fon back?"
"How is that possible? I couldn't even see his movements clearly!"
"Is this kid really that strong? Soi Fon couldn't be holding back, right?"
The trainees looked at each other, some with their mouths agape, shocked to the point of being unable to speak clearly.
On the field, Soi Fon stared intently at Hasumi Ren.
She had calmed down by now. Recalling his move just now, a look of disbelief flashed in her black eyes.
She knew very well that the strike just now was no fluke.
Hasumi Ren's reactions and timing were significantly better than when they started.
Had he been hiding his strength before?
No, that didn't seem right either.
Through their exchange, she could feel Hasumi Ren's progress and transformation.
It wasn't a hidden strength; rather, his level of Hakuda was rapidly improving during the fight itself.
"You..."
Thinking of this, a tremor appeared in Soi Fon's voice for the first time.
In truth, Hasumi Ren's test could have ended right then.
However, Hasumi Ren had no intention of stopping.
He took a deep breath and settled into a new stance.
"Again."
Hasumi Ren said in a low voice.
Soi Fon was stunned for a moment, then her pupils constricted and her lips twitched slightly.
After staring at Hasumi Ren for a few seconds, she suddenly laughed.
She laughed out of sheer exasperation.