BOOM—!!
Without any warning—
The moment Bai Chen's shout rang out, sharp and ringing—
Tessai Tsukabishi realized in horror that every spot his gaze swept over—air that had been completely empty—
Was now filled with countless dark crimson flames that had appeared out of nowhere!
The blaze raged wildly, roaring as it burned, exuding scorching heat.
Under its influence—
The temperature of the entire area instantly smashed past its previous boiling point—
Soaring straight up by over a thousand degrees!
"Sealing Kidō…"
"And these flames…"
"Bai Chen… what the hell did you just do?!"
As the temperature skyrocketed—
So did Tessai's blood pressure and emotions.
When that relentless heat surged in from every direction—
A heart-crushing dread far worse than shock exploded inside him.
With those emotions tangled together—
This former Grand Kidō Master finally cracked under the pressure, roaring hysterically.
"Tessai Tsukabishi…"
"Why ask when you already know the answer?"
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
"You're a Grand Kidō Master yourself. Don't tell me you don't know sealing Kidō."
"No need to act this surprised."
Tessai's panic and loss of composure were exactly what Bai Chen wanted to see.
Not just to intimidate him—
But also to prove, from the side, just how terrifying Four Red Yang Formation really was.
At present—
This was only the opening phase after activation.
And it had already made a Grand Kidō Master's mentality collapse.
By Bai Chen's estimate—
Every cluster of dark crimson fire spread through the air would continue heating as it burned.
Meaning—
The already frightening 1,000°C was merely the starting temperature before the seal fully formed.
So what would the final temperature be?
Three thousand?
Five thousand?
Or even—
Ten thousand degrees?
Anything was possible.
After all, after the system's strengthening and the local conversion into reishi—
The power of any "ninjutsu" depended entirely on Bai Chen's own reiatsu.
As long as his reiatsu could support it—
The flames could keep climbing.
Meanwhile—
Under Tessai's terrified gaze—
Before he could even catch his breath—
The scattered flames began to sway, gathering and converging.
In less than a moment—
They linked end to end, forming a crimson curtain—
Then erupted upward from the ground!
BOOM—!!
In an instant—
The land beneath Tessai seemed to suffer a magnitude-ten earthquake.
The shaking was so violent—
That even Tessai, hovering in midair, stumbled out of balance, almost falling straight down.
"Damn it…"
"This is ridiculous!!!"
"A sealing barrier of this scale—how can one person create it out of thin air?!"
Tessai's heart spasmed.
His face, reflected in the firelight, looked corpse-pale.
As the former commander of the Kidō Corps—
Across centuries of Shinigami life—
He had led the Kidō Corps under Yamamoto and Central 46's orders, establishing massive barriers in countless places across Soul Society.
To construct a large-scale barrier comparable in scope and power to Four Red Yang Formation—
First, it required hundreds working together.
Second, time-wise, it would take days, if not longer.
But now—
Tessai could feel it by instinct:
The strength of Four Red Yang Formation was beyond any large-scale barrier he had ever encountered.
And yet it formed in moments—
While Bai Chen's expression didn't change.
His breathing stayed steady.
He didn't even sweat.
It was as if building a massive barrier—
Was no harder than stacking toy blocks.
Then Bai Chen suddenly spoke again.
"By the way…"
"Tessai, there's something you're probably worried about, right?"
Bai Chen lifted his gaze off Tessai—
And looked up at the reishi wall overhead: the dome-like barrier Tessai had activated earlier.
His dark eyes swept it casually.
Then Bai Chen spoke bluntly, directly naming Tessai's concern.
"If you're afraid the reishi wall you've spent years maintaining will be blown apart by my Four Red Yang Formation…"
"And that you'll lose your concealment and expose your location…"
"Don't worry."
As he spoke, a sly glint flashed in Bai Chen's eyes.
He brought his hands together sharply.
Reiatsu surged again.
"Barrier—Fix!"
With that single command—
Under Bai Chen's perfect control—
The Four Red Yang Formation, which had been rising like a pillar of fire meant to scorch the sky—
Abruptly halted at the exact moment it was about to collide with the white reishi wall.
Its size and height locked instantly.
Even the flames licking along its surface—
Their highest tongues of fire stopped just below the reishi wall's lower edge.
The precision was absurd.
And it ensured the reishi wall suffered no damage at all.
Watching Bai Chen do that—
Tessai fell silent.
His mood sank straight into the ground.
Bai Chen was right.
Tessai had been worried the reishi wall would be pierced.
But he wasn't naïve enough to think Bai Chen had done this to "help" him.
On the contrary—
Bai Chen had deliberately created a flame prison.
It blocked outside interference—
And trapped Tessai inside, surrounding him with fire that continuously scorched him.
As the flames grew fiercer—
Negative emotions would spike, layer by layer—
Until his mental defenses collapsed completely.
That was the horror of Four Red Yang Formation:
A fire cage that no one could escape from internally—
Unless Bai Chen ended it himself.
"Bai Chen…"
The temperature continued to rise.
It was no longer just 1,000°C.
It was pushing toward 2,000°C.
The heat was so monstrous that Tessai began sweating like a waterfall, rivulets pouring down his body.
His vision blurred from the distortion and sweat—
Sometimes clear, sometimes hazy.
When he looked at Bai Chen again, it felt like torture.
"At this point…"
"I have to admit it."
"Whether it's the raw power of your Kidō…"
"Or your control over it…"
"In every aspect, even at full strength, I've been completely suppressed by you."
Tessai's eyes dimmed.
He lowered his head, exhausted, and let out a tired sigh.
Then, with deep reluctance, he admitted:
"I hate it."
"And I'd like to keep going."
"But to avoid something even worse…"
"I have to admit it…"
"In this fair Kidō duel… I lost."
"If you'd admitted that earlier, wouldn't the misunderstanding have been cleared up?"
Bai Chen's smile carried a hint of teasing.
"A little later and your clothes would've burned right off."
He was thoroughly satisfied with Four Red Yang Formation's power.
Just this much had forced Tessai to raise the white flag—
And this was with Bai Chen intentionally limiting it to avoid complications.
Meaning—
Its true scale and heat were far beyond what Tessai had just endured.
If Bai Chen stopped holding it back—
A full-power Four Red Yang Formation could pierce the heavens—
Cover half of Karakura Town—
And it still wouldn't be surprising.
After Tessai surrendered, Bai Chen didn't press further.
He released the technique.
The crimson flame curtain began dissolving from top to bottom.
But—
From behind, in another direction—
A light, playful laugh suddenly rang out.
"Ohohoho…"
"What a wonderful Kidō duel."
"For it to end so easily… that's honestly a little unsatisfying."
The sudden voice shattered the atmosphere.
It immediately drew Bai Chen's attention.
"Finally showing yourself?"
Bai Chen turned leisurely toward the source.
Even before his eyes landed there—
He already knew who it was.
"…Urahara Kisuke."
The moment Bai Chen looked over—
He saw him clearly.
Under the green-and-white fisher hat, Urahara wore a relaxed smile, looking entirely at ease.
The sparse stubble on his chin gave him a faintly weathered look.
"Shopkeeper! You did it on purpose, didn't you?!"
Tessai also looked over.
But his gaze was full of grievance and resentment.
"Be honest!"
"How long were you hiding your presence and watching from the side?!"
Tessai's tone was sharp.
With his knowledge of Urahara—
This man wasn't "just arriving."
He had been quietly observing nearby for a while.
"Tessai, are you complaining that I didn't step in and save you just now?"
Urahara stepped forward in geta sandals, unhurried.
As he spoke, he pulled a wooden folding fan from his sleeve.
He didn't answer Tessai directly.
Instead, he turned to Bai Chen, gently fanning himself.
"Two-on-one to bully a guest…"
"That kind of disgraceful behavior, Bai Chen-kun, you probably don't like it either."
"Of course."
Bai Chen responded calmly.
"And when dealing with a guest who came from far away—one should be polite."
"Exactly…"
"So I'll apologize on Tessai's behalf for his earlier rudeness."
Urahara's tone shifted smoothly.
"Also—if I may be so bold…"
"Would you like to come inside and have a chat?"
Bai Chen raised an eyebrow.
He was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected Urahara to invite him after meeting only once.
"Did he sense something?"
Bai Chen met Urahara's gaze steadily.
In those emerald-green eyes, he felt a trace of sincerity—and a little curiosity.
Urahara was clearly interested in him.
And whatever Urahara wanted to discuss—
At least it didn't come with obvious malice.
"How about it, Bai Chen-kun?"
Urahara smiled lightly.
"You won't refuse my invitation… will you?"
"…Let's go."
Bai Chen nodded after scanning the surroundings.
"This place really isn't suitable for a conversation."
He lowered himself to the ground, then followed behind Urahara toward the distant shop.
Truthfully—
Bai Chen's original goal in coming here was simply to complete the sign-in and claim the reward.
He hadn't planned to get involved with Urahara or Tessai at all.
He intended to leave immediately after obtaining Four Red Yang Formation.
But since fate had thrown them together—
And Urahara had unexpectedly invited him—
Refusing outright would be socially clumsy.
More importantly—
Bai Chen preferred to use this chance to gain something useful from Urahara.
After all, the man in wooden sandals was one of the sharpest minds in the entire world of Shinigami.
He was also one of the "Five Special War Powers" whose intellect even Yhwach took seriously in the Thousand-Year Blood War.
If Bai Chen built a relationship with Urahara—
Even if nothing else—
When trouble came, Urahara truly could help.
And at worst?
Bai Chen could "borrow" a few black-tech gadgets.
Before long—
Inside Urahara Shop.
Deep within a secret room covered by barriers—
Bai Chen, Urahara Kisuke, and Tessai sat on cushions in a triangular arrangement.
In front of each sat a cup of steaming hot tea.
Bai Chen lifted his cup and took a small sip.
A clean, refreshing tea fragrance spread across his tongue.
"Didn't expect it…"
"So you've been paying attention to me since half a month ago."
"Hehe…"
Urahara removed his hat and tidied his slightly messy hair.
Then he lowered his voice deliberately, looking at Bai Chen with a heavy, measured tone.
"Bai Chen-kun, forgive me for being direct…"
"Commoner background. Blank history. Ordinary identity…"
"Under normal circumstances, souls like that are everywhere in Rukongai. Nothing special."
"But why is it…"
"That you alone stood out…"
"And possess Third-Class Spiritual Authority or higher?"
"That's not something an ordinary soul should ever have."
His fingers tapped the tabletop in a steady rhythm.
Urahara's words were filled with confusion and shock—
As if hinting at something deeper.
"So…"
"You want to know my secret?"
Bai Chen folded his arms.
He held Urahara's gaze without flinching.
If Urahara intended to dig relentlessly—
Bai Chen would stand up and leave immediately.
But to Bai Chen's surprise—
Urahara shook his head.
"Bai Chen-kun, you misunderstand."
"Everyone has secrets that belong only to themselves."
"Even if I'm curious, I won't rudely invade your privacy."
After that simple clarification, Urahara continued calmly.
"If even I would pay attention to you because of this…"
"Then that man…"
"Absolutely wouldn't be able to sit still."
When Urahara said those words—
His expression slowly became serious.
"That man?" Bai Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Exactly."
"Not long ago… he even met you face-to-face."
"The man who has deceived everyone…"
"That hypocritical—"
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