A Newly Forged Zanpakuto 13: Chapter 13: The Mysterious Hueco Mundo!
A Newly Forged Zanpakuto Inside Phoenix Palace at the Soul King Palace.
Lu Ming already had a clear idea of what kind of Zanpakuto he wanted to forge for Zhao Kongcheng.
If Zhao Kongcheng were to master the power of a Zanpakuto as quickly as possible, two factors were paramount: the compatibility between the blade and Zhao Kongcheng, and the similarity between Zhao Kongcheng and the Zanpakuto’s original wielder.
Though he had a clear target in mind, he had not yet begun forging.
Instead, a question nagged at his mind.
*How exactly are Zanpakuto materials calculated?* Back at the headquarters, there had been over a dozen mysterious corpses.
He had absorbed the corresponding soul from every single one of them, yet the process had yielded only two batches of Zanpakuto materials.
In other words, he currently had only two chances to forge a Zanpakuto.
According to the ratio where a single soul filled one-fifth of a Zanpakuto material bar, he should have possessed at least three forging materials by now.
Puzzled, Lu Ming reached out and touched the two materials.
The distinct sensations against his skin brought a sudden flash of clarity to his mind.
*Two materials, two soul textures.* Lu Ming realized something crucial.
Back in that morgue, he had seen only two types of mysterious creatures: the Ghostface he had previously collected materials from, and a completely new creature—the Rat-Man.
By absorbing the souls of these two types of creatures, he had ultimately gained two forging materials.
If it were truly calculated purely by ratio, the souls from the Ghostface alone would have been enough to yield two materials.
Therefore, the material calculation didn’t work the way he had initially assumed.
*Can the soul of a single creature type only be adapted into one Zanpakuto?* Every Zanpakuto possessed unique traits, so no two Zanpakuto would utilize identical souls.
Lu Ming arrived at this conclusion.
In short, the soul of a specific species of mysterious creature could only generate a single batch of Zanpakuto forging material.
This realization instantly shattered Lu Ming’s original plan of repeatedly shearing wool from a single creature type.
“Ah well, can’t be too greedy.” Lu Ming shook his head, picked up the Royal Guard forging tools, and prepared to forge his second Zanpakuto.
The blade he was crafting this time was vastly different from Senbonzakura…
*** While Lu Ming was engrossed in the forging process, far below the Soul King Palace in a hidden realm he knew nothing about, another domain—Hueco Mundo—silently opened.
Within Hueco Mundo, masked creatures crawled out from beneath the endless sands.
If Lu Ming had been there to see it, he would have been utterly shocked: the very Ghostface and Rat-Men whose souls he had absorbed were now appearing here.
Their forms had altered since death.
The Rat-Men now bore masks across their faces, and every creature had a pitch-black Hollow hole through its body.
Though they had belonged to the same species in life, the instant they emerged from the sand, they turned on one another in a bloodthirsty frenzy of slaughter and devouring.
A short while later, the surviving Ghostface and Rat-Men that had turned into Hollows scattered and fled, while those that successfully devoured their peers began to evolve, their power surging…
*** In the guest room of Hongying’s villa, Zhao Kongcheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
He desperately wanted to awaken a Forbidden Realm, but at his age, having failed to awaken thus far meant there was virtually no hope left.
Yet Lu Ming’s appearance had offered him a sliver of light.
To find himself tossing and turning at his age made Zhao Kongcheng feel that his state of mind still needed tempering.
*I should just get some sleep.
Lu Ming’s already resting, so what am I obsessing over!* Zhao Kongcheng chided himself and closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep.
Five minutes later, having thoroughly failed to fall asleep, he opened his eyes again.
He sat up, threw on his clothes, and decided to head to the living room or step outside for a walk.
If he didn’t vent this restless energy, he would go crazy.
Stepping into the living room, he found Leng Xuan sitting there, equally awake.
“Can’t sleep either?” Leng Xuan nodded.
Zhao Kongcheng said, “Let me walk with you outside.
I haven’t spent much time around Hongying’s neighborhood.” Leng Xuan nodded again, stood up, and followed him.
Starlight blanketed the night sky outside.
After walking a few paces, Zhao Kongcheng and Leng Xuan sat down on the swing set in the courtyard, swinging aimlessly out of sheer boredom.
“Leng Xuan, do you think we can really gain a Forbidden Realm?” Even though Lu Ming had agreed to forge a Zanpakuto for him, a quiet anxiety lingered in Zhao Kongcheng’s heart.
If even a Zanpakuto forged by Lu Ming couldn’t help him awaken a Forbidden Realm, he really wouldn’t know what to do with his future.
Leng Xuan looked at Zhao Kongcheng earnestly.
“Lu Ming said before that becoming a proxy for a Zanpakuto requires immense willpower and obtaining the blade’s recognition.
Old Zhao, with an attitude like this, even if you do get a Zanpakuto, you might fail to meet his standards.” Zhao Kongcheng smiled bitterly.
He had always considered himself a man of steadfast resolve, yet at this moment, he couldn’t help worrying about gain and loss.
“Leng Xuan, I wish I could be as calm as you.” Leng Xuan fell silent.
A moment later, he said in a heavy voice, “Old Zhao, I envy you even more.
I envy your personality, and I envy the way you get along with the rest of the team.” “Still, just as Lu Ming said, every Zanpakuto has its own power, and every blade is unique.
Just like us—we are all different, and for us, who we are right now is the best version of ourselves.” “Old Zhao, every single one of us is indispensable to this team.” Leng Xuan was never one for long speeches, but before Zhao Kongcheng, he spoke straight from the heart.
Zhao Kongcheng looked at Leng Xuan, knowing that Lu Ming’s arrival today had deeply affected both of them.
He gave a firm nod.
For a man of his age to need comfort from Leng Xuan…
he had truly lived all these years for nothing.
What was he rushing for anyway?
So what if Lu Ming was sleeping?
How could a Forbidden Object be crafted so easily?
Lu Ming naturally needed to rest up and recharge his spirit.
Just then, Lu Ming walked out through the villa’s front door, letting out a long yawn.
Seeing two grown men sitting on a swing set in the middle of the night, he looked utterly speechless.
“Dead of night, and you two sure have the leisure to go swinging.” At the sound of Lu Ming’s voice, Zhao Kongcheng and Leng Xuan turned around simultaneously.
“Kid—I mean, Lu Ming!
You’re finally awake!
How is it?
Fully rested?
Do you have time to forge the Zanpakuto now?” The mental composure Zhao Kongcheng had just built shattered the moment he saw Lu Ming.
He simply wanted to gain a Forbidden Realm as soon as possible, to hold a Zanpakuto in his hands as soon as possible.
Hearing Zhao Kongcheng’s frantic questions, Leng Xuan kept nudging him with his elbow, silently urging him to pipe down.
But Old Zhao couldn’t help himself, jabbering away until Lu Ming’s face visibly lengthened.
*Good on you, Old Zhao.
I worked my fingers to the bone in the Soul King Palace forging a Zanpakuto, and you just assumed I was sleeping!* Seeing Lu Ming’s face darken, and feeling Leng Xuan continually elbowing him, Zhao Kongcheng was completely bewildered.
“Leng Xuan, what are you doing?” Zhao Kongcheng asked in a whisper.
“Look at the Zanpakuto in Lu Ming’s hand yourself.” Leng Xuan felt it was completely impossible to carry Zhao Kongcheng.
“Is there something wrong with it?” Zhao Kongcheng still hadn’t noticed.
Not everyone possessed Leng Xuan’s keen eye for detail.
Leng Xuan couldn’t even be bothered to remind him further; he had noticed the abnormality in the Zanpakuto the moment Lu Ming appeared.
“Look at the tsuba of the blade Lu Ming is holding…” Zhao Kongcheng peered closely.
The handguard was a clipped-corner rectangle, completely different from Senbonzakura’s.
“Th-This isn’t Senbonzakura!
Could it be…” Disbelief washed over Zhao Kongcheng’s face.
Looking at the smirk tugging at the corners of Lu Ming’s mouth, his inner suspicion turned into absolute reality.
“Catch.
Your Zanpakuto is done.” Lu Ming tossed the weapons forward.
Zhao Kongcheng caught them in a panic, and only when they landed in his hands did he realize it wasn’t just a single sword.
A long katana and a shorter wakizashi—a paired set.
*Is this…