Ignoring the incessant chatter of the eccentric old man, Lin Huang walked straight ahead to the strange instruments embedded with crystal balls.
"How do I test?"
"Ha... just place your hand on it!"
The black-robed old man answered slowly while yawning.
Hearing this, Lin Huang did not hesitate. He approached the nearest instrument and pressed his right palm onto the crystal ball.
Instantly, the originally transparent crystal ball burst forth with a dazzling purple light.
The weary expression on the black-robed old man's face froze immediately, followed by a nod:
"Qualified!"
Under normal circumstances, a slight glow from the crystal ball would indicate that the examinee possessed the aptitude to become a Shinigami.
The fact that Lin Huang could stimulate the crystal ball to such an extent clearly showed that his spiritual pressure far exceeded the passing line.
The next moment, a spiritual light rose, and a clear Arabic numeral '6' slowly emerged on the oval screen in front of the crystal ball.
"You are actually... Sixth-Rank Spirit Power?!"
Seeing this scene, the grey-robed old man, who had been lounging sloppily on the ground, suddenly jolted to his feet and stared blankly at the number displayed on the tester.
The number 6 meant that Lin Huang's human spiritual body's spiritual pressure had reached the level of Sixth-Rank Spirit Power.
Although the color of the number was light, indicating he had only just crossed the threshold of Sixth-Rank Spirit Power, it was still genuine high-level spiritual pressure!
It should be noted that in the Gotei 13, reaching Third Rank Spirit Power is considered true Captain-level spiritual pressure.
Beings who reach this realm will not have their consciousness completely dissipate even upon death; instead, they are taken in by Hell, which in a sense can be called a form of alternative immortality.
Fourth to Fifth Rank Spirit Power is standardly classified as Lieutenant level.
And this Sixth-Rank Spirit Power is nominally sufficient to serve as a lieutenant.
In reality, the vast majority of active Lieutenants in the Gotei 13 start at Fourth Seat Spirit Power, while Fifth Rank Spirit Power is common among high-ranking lieutenants.
Sixth-Rank Spirit Power is common among lower-ranked Lieutenants and elite Shinigami squad members who have mastered Shikai.
"Sixth-Rank Spirit Power, huh?"
Lin Huang murmured to himself.
The spiritual pressure carried by his human spiritual body was roughly equivalent to a Gillan.
The result of just entering Sixth-Rank Spirit Power was entirely within his expectations.
Therefore, in the eyes of the black-robed old man, as long as Lin Huang with his initial Sixth-Rank spiritual pressure didn't fall prematurely, he would at least be promoted to lieutenant level in the future, and might even hope to challenge the Captain's realm of Third Rank Spirit Power after a hundred years of bitter cultivation!
Thinking of this, the black-robed old man's gaze toward Lin Huang instantly became like that of someone examining a precious treasure.
"Good! Good! Good!
It's been decades since a soul with such innate Sixth-Rank Spirit Power appeared! I'll finally be able to claim a large reward this time!"
However, before he could finish speaking, he saw Ichimaru Gin slowly walk forward and press his small palm onto the tester to the right of Lin Huang.
Instantly, a blue spiritual light even more dazzling than Lin Huang's previous one surged up!
On the screen, a clear Arabic numeral '5' stood out strikingly:
"Fi... Fifth Rank Spirit Power?!"
Seeing this scene, a flush of excitement actually appeared on the scrawny old man's face.
"I'm not dreaming, am I?"
After saying that, he gave himself a hard slap to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
He scrambled up and eagerly approached Ichimaru Gin and Lin Huang with a face full of smiles:
"Congratulations to you both for passing the spiritual pressure assessment! Next, you can go and select an 'asauchi' that resonates with you!"
Hearing this, Ichimaru Gin walked joyfully toward the dozens of sword racks made of black iron ahead.
Ichimaru Gin looked around for a while, and finally, after several minutes of deliberation, he took a fancy to an extremely special sword in a corner.
It wasn't a standard length Zanpakuto, but a short blade less than half the length of a regular Zanpakuto.
Clang—
He drew the sword half an inch out of its scabbard, looked at the sharp blade, nodded with satisfaction, and then hung the short sword at his waist.
Seeing that Ichimaru Gin had already chosen a sword, Lin Huang remained unmoved.
"Young man, aren't you going to choose a sword?"
The black-robed old man asked in confusion.
Hearing this, Lin Huang flicked his wide sleeve, and the Zanpakuto with the purple hilt he had obtained in Rukongai District 80 appeared in his palm.
Although he had obtained this sword by accident, Lin Huang felt that he was very compatible with it, so he did not intend to pick an additional new asauchi.
Seeing this, the grey-robed old man said no more.
It was not an exceptional case for noble children in the Soul Society to obtain a Zanpakuto early through other channels.
Seeing that both of them already held an asauchi, the old man continued to speak slowly:
"In the coming years, this asauchi will be completely permeated by your spirit particles, at which point it will transform into your own Zanpakuto.
Whether you are in the Shino Academy or after you graduate in the future, it will accompany you for a lifetime and fight alongside you.
As long as you have a breath left, no matter how much this sword is damaged, its original blade and Shikai form will be restored along with your spiritual pressure."
At this point, the old man paused.
Thinking that Lin Huang and Ichimaru Gin had heaven-defying talent and might not lack the chance to comprehend Bankai and step into the Captain's realm in the future, he offered another reminder:
"But if you one day step into Third Rank Spirit Power and comprehend Bankai, becoming a Captain-level powerhouse, you must protect the blade while in the Bankai state.
Bankai is the manifestation of your soul's origin; if it is damaged in the Bankai state, it will be permanent and can never be restored to its original state."
Listening to the grey-robed old man's words, the young Ichimaru Gin fell into deep thought. Clearly, this knowledge was all new to him, and he carefully etched these top-secret points into his heart.
As a transmigrator, Lin Huang was already well-acquainted with these Zanpakuto settings, so he did not show any expression of surprise.
After a moment, the old man snapped his fingers, and a doorway at the back of the secret room opened once more:
"I will now take you to collect your school uniforms and then lead you to report to Class 1 of the First Term!"
The black-robed old man looked at Lin Huang and Ichimaru Gin with a face full of smiles, as if he could already foresee these two shaking the Soul Society in the future, while he himself would benefit from his keen eye for talent.
The two followed the black-robed old man through the doorway, walked down a long veranda, and after many twists and turns, finally arrived at a house built entirely of solid wood.
This house was extremely spacious, with wooden racks and wooden dummies placed all around. A faint spiritual light shimmered on the walls, clearly indicating that a special barrier had been set up.
This was a dojo used for martial arts training.
In the center of the dojo, a young Shinigami wearing a shinigami uniform and sporting a center-parted hairstyle stood holding a sword.
The black-robed old man introduced him to Lin Huang and Ichimaru Gin with a smile:
"This is Kimura-san, the Third Seat, and he is the swordsmanship instructor for the first-term students of the Shino Academy!"
He paused and added:
"At the same time, he also serves as the Third Seat of the Fifth Divsion.
For the next six months, he will be responsible for teaching you swordsmanship."
Hearing this, Lin Huang was slightly taken aback and looked at this Third Seat of the Fifth Division.
If he remembered the original plot correctly, this Kimura Third Seat seemed to be... killed by Ichimaru Gin with a single strike a year later, and his position as the Third Seat of the Fifth Division would be taken over by Ichimaru Gin.
At the moment he saw the man with the center-parted hair, the signature smiling expression on Ichimaru Gin's face did not change, but his right hand hidden in his sleeve instinctively clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
"It was him... who took away Rangiku's power!"
Ichimaru Gin clearly remembered that a few months ago, it was this very Shinigami who used some kind of special instrument to forcibly extract something from the body of Matsumoto Rangiku, with whom he depended on for survival.
Since then, Matsumoto Rangiku had been constantly weak.
He had hidden in the shadows and witnessed all of this with his own eyes.
His sole purpose for coming to the Shino Academy to learn and become a Shinigami was to seek revenge for his beloved Rangiku!
At this moment, the fire of rage in Ichimaru Gin's heart had burned to the limit.
However, his face still bore that harmless smiling expression, and even his own spiritual pressure did not fluctuate in the slightest upon seeing his enemy.
This was only because he knew that he was still weak and did not yet possess the ability for revenge.