Four days after the Hollow invasion, Captain Commander Yamamoto was holding his routine morning meeting at the 1st Division barracks.
In the center of the room, among the Captains, a sudden anomaly occurred…
The spiritual particles in the room rapidly converged, forming a gloomy noble young master with a black ponytail.
"How dare you! This is no place for an outsider to enter!"
The speaker was Suifeng, the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido.
With a stern and cold expression, she instantly appeared before Zhi Cheng, raising her leg in mid-air and kicking him.
The kick was swift and fierce, aiming directly for Zhi Cheng's face, but the moment it connected, Suifeng's eyes couldn't help but show surprise.
It was like kicking air; there was no physical sensation whatsoever!
The man's strangeness was somewhat beyond Suifeng's expectations.
Many Captains were also shocked. Among them, Retsu Unohana and Shunsui Kyoraku's pupils dilated.
Lin Feng stood to the side, his gaze becoming interesting.
After Captain Commander Yamamoto recognized the man, he slammed his cane heavily on the floor and shouted loudly.
"Zhi Cheng Sōya, you've actually come out of Muken, and you dare to appear here!"
Facing the Captain Commander's oppressive spiritual pressure, Zhi Cheng Jianba remained unhurried and slowly spoke.
"Captain Commander, long time no see. To save everyone unnecessary trouble, allow me to explain first—this body is only a small part of me; attacking it is meaningless."
"You voluntarily imprisoned yourself back then, and now you've escaped. Speak, what is your purpose!"
Captain Commander Yamamoto, with an indescribable sense of oppression, shook the surrounding air with his sharp tone and heavy presence.
However, facing such a heavy pressure imbued with scorching heat, Zhi Cheng merely brushed it aside, stating calmly:
"Everyone, as of now, I have no intention of disrupting the order of the Soul Society in the slightest."
"Do you think we'll believe you?"
Suifeng held her Zanpakuto with one hand behind her waist, looking ready to act at any moment.
Zhi Cheng's clone glanced at the weaker Suifeng, then said disdainfully.
"Believe it or not, it's up to you, but I don't want to engage in meaningless combat. I'll say it again, I have no intention of destroying the order of the Seireitei. My current goal is only one—to fulfill my duty as a Shinigami and annihilate all Hollows."
"If I can obtain that ability, it will bring immense benefits to the Soul Society and the Human World. Therefore, if possible, I hope to receive your assistance."
Hearing Zhi Cheng's unpleasant statement, Captain Commander Yamamoto gripped his cane and inquired:
"What benefits are you speaking of?"
Zhi Cheng answered without hesitation,
"Eradicating Hollows, and balancing the number of souls between the Soul Society and the Human World."
Zhi Cheng then went on to explain his method simply and concretely:
"While purifying Hueco Mundo, I will also modify a portion of modern humans' brains and souls, thereby eliminating all negative emotions such as greed and jealousy that cause people to transform into Hollows. Once completed, no one will ever fall into Hollows after death in the future!"
Zhi Cheng meticulously depicted a beautiful future without Hollows.
However, he seemed to have deliberately omitted unnecessary details in his explanation.
The Captains present discerned his evasiveness.
Because everyone had discovered the absurd underlying meaning behind his words—to externally alter the essence of humanity.
"Are you an idiot?"
Suifeng was the first to react, immediately refuting Zhi Cheng's statement with a sarcastic tone.
"Japan alone has tens of millions of people. How many can you modify in a day, ten or a hundred?"
However, Zhi Cheng retorted with an extremely serious tone:
"If I possess that Hollow's ability, I can modify ten million souls in a single day. I believe it won't be long before I can purify the entire Human World."
The peculiar nature of the Anti-Membrane was known only to Zhi Cheng and Lin Feng; no one else knew about it.
However, the Captains present understood one thing: Zhi Cheng intended to become the god of the Human World.
Shunsui pulled his hat down, gazing at this colleague he had known for a year.
Two hundred years of confinement in Muken had drastically changed Zhi Cheng's character, making him more eccentric, prejudiced, and even arrogant.
"The duty of a Shinigami is to balance the number of souls between the Soul Society and the Human World. Therefore, you have no reason to object to such a change."
Zhi Cheng spoke in a pragmatic manner.
But Captain Commander Yamamoto slammed his cane on the floor and roared:
"From your thoughts and actions, old man, I feel not an iota of respect for this world! This act is tantamount to trampling upon the justice accumulated and established by the ancestors of the Soul Society!"
"Captain Commander Yamamoto, respect is meaningless. A Shinigami only needs to be a cog in the continuous operation of this world!"
Zhi Cheng took Captain Commander Yamamoto's terrifying spiritual pressure, which was enough to make an ordinary Shinigami faint, then turned to glare at Lin Feng, and finally looked at the surrounding Captains.
Zhi Cheng's face immediately turned ugly as he noticed these Captains.
Not a single one of them agreed with his statement.
Why?
Why couldn't these Shinigami understand him? Zhi Cheng's heart grew agitated, but quickly became peaceful again.
Then, this clone dispersed into spiritual particles in the air.
...
As the news of Zhi Cheng Jianba's escape from Muken spread, the nobles were all alarmed.
The Forty-Six Chambers immediately convened an emergency meeting. The forty sages and six judges unanimously determined that Zhi Cheng's abilities were sufficient to overturn all situations in the three realms.
An order was immediately issued: Seireitei was to enter a state of complete lockdown, and all personnel were forbidden from leaving without permission. At the same time, the 13th Division was tasked with fully apprehending the extremely dangerous criminal who had escaped from Muken.
Although the incident was sudden, the Captain Commander still dispatched four strong units to capture Zhi Cheng Jianba.
As the Captain of the combat unit, Lin Feng naturally assumed the main role in this capture operation.
Lin Feng led all three hundred Shinigami of the Eleventh Division, forming a mighty procession filled with vicious-looking thugs, like a yakuza parade.
"Lin Feng, what's the story behind Zhi Cheng Jianba, the one we're going to capture? Why is there such a big commotion?"
Matsumoto Rangiku suddenly Shunpoed in front of Lin Feng, hooking her arm around his. A mature Onee-san smile bloomed on her face.
Springtime warmth wafted between the Onee-san's brows. Her plump little hand continuously explored Lin Feng's chest.
It was not surprising for the blonde Onee-san to react this way; handsome Lin Feng could charm many girls with just his looks. Their relationship had been rapidly warming up these past few days, and given Rangiku's naturally bold personality, it was already good that she didn't directly reach for Lin Feng's lower regions.
The male squad members around them were green with envy over their Captain's popularity with women.
Lin Feng frowned, grabbing Rangiku's mischievous little hand. "The fugitive we're capturing this time is Zhi Cheng Jianba, also known as the Eighth Kenpachi."
"The Eighth Kenpachi?!" Matsumoto Rangiku was stunned for a moment. She remembered that the current Lin Feng was the Eleventh.
And the title of Kenpachi could only be inherited by killing the previous holder. This meant that all Kenpachi before the Eleventh should have died.
Lin Feng saw a lot of confusion in Rangiku's eyes. This was understandable, as it had been more than 200 years ago. So Lin Feng briefly explained that Zhi Cheng Jianba had been stripped of his Kenpachi title by the Forty-Six Chambers because he had attempted to transform Rukongai residents into war machines.
The Ninth Kenpachi was then filled by a Lieutenant. The Tenth, Ghost Rock Castle, was able to become Captain so easily because the Ninth was too weak.
Rangiku looked at the relaxed Lin Feng, feeling a bit lost again. "They say Zhi Cheng Jianba is very powerful, so why don't you seem worried at all?"
Lin Feng merely smiled knowingly, offering no reply. He strode towards the Senkaimon.
Although Zhi Cheng's ability allowed for countless fusions, the objects he fused with had to possess spiritual power.
Zhi Cheng couldn't fuse with things like Sakki-seki. Furthermore, if he were completely blocked by Sakki-seki, the individual with more power would become the dominant entity, and other weaker individuals would directly dissipate into spiritual particles.
Therefore, for Zhi Cheng Jianba to leave Seireitei, he had to gather all his consciousness together to pass through the Senkaimon and escape to the Human World.
"Where do you think you're going, Zhi Cheng Jianba?"
When Lin Feng arrived at the Senkaimon, he happened to see Zhi Cheng talking to the air, with a twisted expression.
"Does he have a problem in his head?"
Matsumoto Rangiku whispered in Lin Feng's ear.
Zhi Cheng Jianba completely ignored the busty Matsumoto Rangiku. Instead, he glared at Lin Feng, who was standing nearby.
"You inherited the title of Kenpachi, yet you indulge in pleasure and lack ambition, Lin Feng, you are not worthy of being this Captain!"
Beneath Zhi Cheng Jianba's cold exterior, he actually placed great importance on various 'strongest' titles. And the title of Kenpachi held a special weight in his heart.
He absolutely detested seeing someone like Lin Feng bear the title of Kenpachi.
"Boy, do you want to die?! Ah!"
"Watch me skin you and pickle you in a vinegar jar!"
The Eleventh Division's seated officers immediately flew into a rage upon hearing Zhi Cheng's provocative declaration.
Lin Feng merely smiled indifferently at Zhi Cheng's accusations, then calmly said, "I didn't expect you to have an interest in peeping into other people's lives. But I have no intention of listening to your lectures."
Subsequently, Lin Feng told Rangiku and the other squad members to step back, appearing ready for a major confrontation.
After all, Lin Feng had been planning for two weeks to deal with this peeping tom. Naturally, he wouldn't let Zhi Cheng escape.
"I also dislike meaningless conversations."
Zhi Cheng narrowed his eyes. With a thought, a portion of the air he had fused with drifted into Lin Feng's body.
He intended to use the same method he used to defeat Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, directly causing destruction from within Lin Feng's body.
However, as he tried to extend a portion of himself from Lin Feng's mouth into his lungs...
A soul-tearing pain swept through Zhi Cheng's entire body. His power was actually being disintegrated!
Zhi Cheng Jianba, suffering from the backlash, immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
Yoru Takura's ability was not invincible; when the spiritual particles of the substance fused with Zhi Cheng were absorbed, Zhi Cheng's soul would suffer tens of times the damage.
Wait a minute... This... Is something this absurd possible...? This man in front of me actually has the ability to eliminate air!?
This must be a mistake somewhere!
Zhi Cheng Jianba's heart was filled with confusion, and his fearful expression made him look particularly distorted.
"You are merely a mortal who hasn't met me yet. Farewell, Zhi Cheng Jianba!"
Lin Feng tapped his toes and leaped towards Zhi Cheng Jianba. No matter what the opponent fused with, as long as Lin Feng touched it, it could be devoured by his skin.
Not good!
Zhi Cheng Jianba couldn't care less about anything else; he immediately dispersed into the air, vanishing instantly before everyone's eyes.
Rangiku's eyes widened in shock, exclaiming in disbelief. What kind of Zanpakuto was it that could make someone disappear in an instant?
Of course, Lin Feng knew the ability of Yuyin and was not surprised by Zhi Cheng's escape.
And just at that moment, a large rift tore open in the sky of Seireitei—this was a Garganta opened by a Hollow!
Zhi Cheng, who had turned into air, immediately surged towards the Garganta.
Of course, Zhi Cheng Jianba wasn't so naive as to think the Hollows would kindly save him, but facing Lin Feng, who possessed bizarre abilities, he had no other choice.