บท 30: Chapter 30: Bankai

The sword before him began to glow intensely, shooting out a powerful energy beam towards the dragon. The dragon swiftly dodged the attack, causing the energy beam to pierce through the mountain instead. The energy released into the air then coalesced into a massive tornado, shattering the cave's hallway. The dragon shielded itself with its wings, protecting against the falling debris. The mountain erupted in a violent explosion, and the energy tornado surged upward, piercing the heavens themselves. From above, the immense blue energy tornado expanded until it enveloped the entire mountain. The spinning tornado accelerated at an astonishing rate, pulling everything near the mountain into its vortex. Lightning crackled within the tornado, lashing out and striking the surroundings.

Across the Profound Sky Continent, various sects, clans, and sacred grounds detected the profound energy disturbance in the atmosphere. The disruption was impossible to ignore, interrupting even secluded cultivators in meditation.

Somewhere on the Profound Sky Continent, an elderly sage engaged in meditation atop a nearby mountain suddenly stood up, his gaze directed toward the source of the disturbance. "Could this signal the emergence of a prodigy?" The sage promptly dispatched a message to his sect, mobilizing their elders to seek out and recruit this exceptional talent. If an individual capable of creating such a phenomenon had appeared, their future ascent to legendary status and the realm of the Divines seemed inevitable.

In a snowy mountain region, numerous female cultivators and their sect master abruptly turned their heads toward the extraordinary energy signature.

"What is this energy?" "What kind of being could generate such a phenomenon?" "Could it be an unparalleled genius?" The blue haired sect master pondered. The sect master had stunning blue hair that flowed like a waterfall. Her eyes were a bright blue, showing both wisdom and determination. Her face was flawless, and her smile held a sense of mystery. She stood with confidence and moved gracefully, showing her authority as a sect master. Her outfit was both elegant and practical, highlighting her powerful position.

She already considering recruiting the genius responsible for this display of power. She promptly mobilized her seven guardians, dispatching them toward the energy's source with the purpose of locating and recruiting the prodigy, regardless of their gender. The energy disturbance also caught the attention of one of their most brilliant disciples within their sacred hall.

"This energy? Could it be…" A breathtaking young woman with lustrous black hair stood amidst a snowy landscape. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back, framing her exquisite face. Startled by a surge of immense energy in the distance, her captivating eyes widened in surprise. Her cheeks flushed with a mix of excitement and curiosity as she gazed towards the source of the powerful phenomenon. Despite the chill of the snow around her, her beauty radiated a warm allure that contrasted with the wintry surroundings.

Her lustrous black hair floated gently in the air as a shiver ran down her spine. Her exquisite features flushed with a radiant blush, accentuating her beauty. She recognized this energy all too well. Only one person in the world was capable of generating such energy.

The enchanting disciple was intimately familiar with this energy. Memories resurfaced of an event that had brought them together, an event when he had unleashed this very energy. Clutching her heart, her captivating eyes remained fixed on the source.

"So, you're growing stronger by the hour. Am I still worthy of being your partner?" she murmured softly before resuming her cultivation. Her focus wavered, however, as her gaze continually drifted back toward the direction of the energy fluctuation.

Upon a sect's mountaintop, Yun Che's transformation did not go unnoticed by a couple of observers hovering atop a cloud. "Master, this energy feels as if it rivals the heavens themselves. What sort of realm could birth such an extraordinary individual?" A female voice resonated from above, as if engaged in a conversation with another.

"I cannot say, but our mandate is clear: we are not to interfere in the affairs of mortals, my disciple. Even if this strength emerges to challenge the heavens." The figure responded to their disciple. Though she was curious herself, she abided by the rule from above, refraining from intervening, even if the realm itself were to shatter. This energy had the potential to rebel against the heavens one day.

"Challenges the heavens?" The disciple was taken aback. Though her curiosity urged her to explore further, she knew that if her master had forbidden it, she could only remain by her side and continue her cultivation. Her gaze remained locked on the direction of the energy, captivated by its presence.

The energy disturbance catches the attention of beings across the Profound Sky Continent, including both cultivators and nearby hollows, sparking their hunger for power and drawing them towards Yun Che's location. As the news spreads, ancient clans, sects, and sacred grounds mobilize their fastest means of transportation and skilled cultivators to reach the scene. Observing that fellow cultivators are already on their way, they prepare for potential confrontations.

The intense energy tornado gradually subsides, revealing a large opening in the mountain where the cave used to be. The dragon and the human now have a clear line of sight. With its wings spread wide, the dragon watches as Yun Che's transformation unfolds. As the energy disperses, Yun Che's full form comes into view. He is clad in a long-sleeved black coat adorned with red linings, the coat cinched at his chest and flowing into tattered ends. His once formidable blade now takes the shape of a compact, slender black Japanese sword with a cross guard resembling a manji. His pitch-black hair remains unchanged, and his eyes are marked by the two-tomoe Sharingan. His striking appearance captivates any onlooker, as the wind causes his coat and hair to sway gracefully.

"Tensa Zangetsu (Heaven Chained Slaying Moon)," Yun Che declares with deliberate slowness, signaling the completion of his transformation.

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[Ding…. Congratulations on unlocking the achievement 'Bankai.' Bankai unleashed for the first time.]

Rewards: 10,000 XP and 1,000 SP

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"Man, I'm feeling seriously cool right now. So, this is what using Bankai feels like. I've never actually used it during training with any of my spirits before. They always said that Bankai can only be unleashed in the real world," Yun Che thought to himself as he examined Tensa Zangetsu in his right hand. The blade, entirely black, felt incredibly weighty. For its size, it was surprisingly heavy, probably around a ton, but Yun Che's cultivation had enhanced his arm strength. Its hilt had the same red linings as a traditional Japanese sword, and a short chain dangled from the sword's end.

While Yun Che was absorbed in admiring his sword, Jasmine was once again stunned to her core. "This small thing is your Bankai?" she murmured incredulously. "Is it just a Zanpakuto?"

Yun Che had previously mentioned that a spirit's true name empowered them. Achieving Bankai meant that the spirit entrusted him with their true name, enabling him to fully unleash their power into the world.

Jasmine knew that the name 'Zangetsu' meant 'Slaying Moon' in her language. However, when Yun Che used Bankai, the name changed to 'Heavenly Chained Slaying Moon.'

The name seemed to challenge the very heavens.

She had assumed that Bankai simply altered the sword's appearance, but she hadn't anticipated that Bankai drew such immense power from Yun Che. If this Bankai was this formidable, she wondered what would happen if he used his other Bankais.

Although Yun Che's cultivation level hadn't changed, the transformation had drastically affected his spirit force. The destructive potential of his spirit force had upgraded significantly. He also had an additional 20% in his spirit force pool, allowing him to launch more attacks. His recent technique required 25% of his spirit force regardless of his total amount, meaning that the larger his spirit pool, the more potent his attacks could be. Furthermore, Tensa Zangetsu made him even faster, and his flash step techniques consumed less spirit force than before.

"ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?" the dragon questioned Yun Che after witnessing his transformation. Although his cultivation level hadn't altered, his capabilities were now unknown.

"Who knows? I'm not even sure myself," Yun Che replied, pointing Tensa Zangetsu at the dragon.

"System, how much time do I have before this place is surrounded?" Yun Che inquired mentally.

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[Ding…. The system has detected fast-moving signatures approaching. Based on their strength, they are likely at the Sovereign Profound Realm. The fastest one is ten minutes away.]

[Ding… Mission updated. Obtain the Evil God Seed of Fire.

Requirements: Defeat the Emperor-ranked dragon before the cultivators arrive.

Duration: 9 minutes and 58 seconds remaining.]

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"It seems I need to wrap this up within ten minutes. Those Sovereign cultivators might be a bit too much for me." He spoke internally knowing that a lot of those high level cultivators are on their way.

"Now the real battle begins, you oversized lizard," Yun Che taunted. He activated Burning Heart, boosting his combat capabilities to the level of the Spirit Profound Realm Second Level. Although tempted to use his Hollow's mask, he knew it only provided three minutes of enhancement, so he planned to save it for a critical moment.

"DON'T GET TOO COCKY, MORTAL!!" the dragon roared. It swung its arm in an attempt to smash Yun Che, who used Tensa Zangetsu's speed to easily evade the attack. The dragon followed up with a tail strike, but Yun Che dodged it just as effortlessly. Employing flash step, he darted around the dragon, striking it repeatedly while enhancing his weapon. With the spirit-enhanced Tensa Zangetsu, he managed to slice through the dragon's scales with ease, like a hot knife through butter. However, due to the dragon's immense size, he struggled to create substantial wounds.

"Let's give this move a try," Yun Che thought, employing flash step to encircle the dragon. Activating Broken Shadow Flash, he multiplied into clones – two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and finally sixty-four. Surprisingly, Tensa Zangetsu's spirit force consumption was minimized with flash step, making Broken Shadow Flash more effective in Bankai form. Combining this technique with Burning Heart's speed boost allowed him to surpass his clone limit. However, he needed to be cautious of his spirit force depletion.

Shoo...shoo…shoo…shoo…

Blow after blow, Yun Che's clones struck the dragon's skin, but he had to be mindful of his spirit force consumption, as creating too many clones would drain him before the fight concluded.

"PERSISTENT ANT!" the dragon roared angrily, its wounds causing it to bleed profusely despite their size. Furious, it enveloped itself in flames.

"Che, now I wish I had equipped Sode No Shirayuki," Yun Che muttered as he halted his flash step movement and distanced himself. Observing his spirit force at around 70%, he decided to unleash his new signature attack against the dragon.

"GETSUGA!" A massive upward slash materialized in the air, the attack now transformed into black due to his Bankai.

"TENSHOU!" A diagonal slash followed, supporting the previous strike as it too transformed into an 'X' shape directed at the dragon.

The dragon, recognizing the attack from earlier, hastily used its wing as a shield. While the slash managed to injure the dragon's wings, it failed to penetrate its tough skin.

"System, how much time do I have left?" Yun Che inquired mentally.

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[Ding…. Time remaining: 7 minutes and 21 seconds.]

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"Damn, I haven't caused enough damage. The dragon has been playing defense the entire time, easily blocking any long-range attacks with its wings. Moon Star Destruction Arrow might not work. However, the more it uses its wings to block, the more injuries it will sustain. I could toy with it for another hour until it succumbs to its wounds, but I have only seven minutes."

Even with his increased speed and destructive power, Yun Che's strength was still lacking. He could handle Sky or early-stage Emperor cultivators, but the dragon's tough hide resisted his slashes. Sending a Getsuga through the wounds wouldn't be effective, as the dragon could discharge energy to counter it. To destroy the dragon from the inside, he needed to cripple its dantian first before bombarding its body with Getsuga attacks.

"How can I cripple its dantian?" Yun Che pondered. Then, a bright idea struck him.

"Hoyuu," Yun Che mentally called.

"Yo, what's up, King?" Hoyuu's voice responded.

"I need your help with this. When you possess me, your strength isn't restricted. Can you deal with this dragon for me?"

"Sure thing, King. It's been a while since I had a good exercise. You haven't summoned me to the real world since you broke through." The eerie voice replied.

Yun Che justified "The opponents were weak, so I didn't need your help. But now, I need you to cripple the dragon's dantian. Your attacks can penetrate its skin, and once the dantian is crippled, I can fight the dragon and send barrages into its body."

"Hahaha, if not for this damn system, I'd grind this lizard to dust in five minutes. I only have three minutes now, you bastard. After that, you're on your own," Hoyuu replied.

While Yun Che conversed with Hoyuu, the dragon seized the opportunity to launch a wind attack at him. Jasmine, sensing the danger, pushed him aside, taking the hit herself. She was wearing a faux body, so her soul remained unharmed, but the pain was intense.

"JASMINE!!!" Yun Che rushed to her side.

"I'm all right. If my strength weren't suppressed, I could have easily sliced this dragon in half. I'm okay, but being thrown like that hurts," Jasmine groaned as she stood up with Yun Che's help.

"ANOTHER MORTAL??!! DIEEE!!!!" The dragon attempted to attack Yun Che and Jasmine. He swiftly moved, grabbing Jasmine by the waist and flash stepping to dodge the dragon's strike. Jasmine was about to comment on Yun Che's grip, but she pushed aside the thought.

"Hoyuu, where are you?" Yun Che urgently called out in his mind.

"Hold on, King. I'm ready," Hoyuu replied lazily.

A familiar notification appeared before him, one he had seen when letting Hoyuu hunt down demon beasts for him.

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[Ding... Zangetsu wishes to take over your body for 3 minutes. Be warned that Zangetsu's strength is limitless during his takeover. Host must be absolutely sure about this.]

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"Yes, I'm sure. Hoyuu might be a pain, but he's my comrade and my soul. I'll deal with the aftermath."

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[Ding…. Administrator permission acquired. Initiating Hollow takeover.]

[Warning…Hollow possession imminent.]

Yun Che suddenly ceased avoiding the dragon's attack, perplexing Jasmine.

"Idiot, why are you stopping?" she asked, observing his Sharingan eyes slowly reverting to their normal state with a yellow pupil surrounded by black eyes. He drove his sword into the ground.

"DIE, MORTALS!!!" The dragon's claws swiped toward them. Just as the claw neared them, white particles began to envelop Yun Che's eyes, and his smile took on a more sinister quality.

"Pssshhh," echoed an eerie voice.