By the side of the road, Zhao Kongcheng and Lu Ming sat on the curb, eating oden with listless expressions.
Just moments ago, Zhao Kongcheng had witnessed an unrecorded Forbidden Realm manifest on Lu Ming!
“Lu Ming, besides turning your sword into thousands of blades, does your Forbidden Realm: Senbonzakura have any other effects?” This was an entirely new Forbidden Realm.
As a witness, Zhao Kongcheng felt it was his duty to document it thoroughly.
“Hey, Old Zhao, mine is a Zanpakuto.
Got that?” “For now, Senbonzakura’s effect is just this: I can control the cherry blossom blade fragments it turns into.
According to what you said earlier, the higher my mental strength, the more blades I can control.” Lu Ming stuffed a piece of fish tofu into his mouth.
He was an orphan who usually ate at the school cafeteria.
It was rare to get late-night snacks like this, so he had to make the most of eating on someone else’s dime.
Zhao Kongcheng was much wealthier than he was right now, so he had no intention of saving the man money.
“Old Zhao, get me another portion!” Looking at the stack of empty paper cups beside Lu Ming, Zhao Kongcheng was speechless.
*Is this kid a starved ghost reincarnated?
He’s eaten so much already.* Too lazy to walk back to the stall, Zhao Kongcheng simply handed his half-eaten cup of oden to Lu Ming.
Lu Ming glanced at Zhao Kongcheng, showed no sign of disgust, and took it directly to continue feasting.
Zhao Kongcheng studied Lu Ming, his mind uncontrollably replaying the Forbidden Realm Lu Ming had used earlier.
The suspicion he had held toward Lu Ming had completely vanished.
In Zhao Kongcheng’s eyes, a Forbidden Realm of this caliber had to be an ultra-high-danger type ranked within the top 89.
According to Lu Ming, he had only mastered it today.
Once he became familiar with Forbidden Realm: Senbonzakura, Zhao Kongcheng felt this unrecorded ability might even rank within the top 30.
With Lu Ming being so young, even if the Church of the Ancient Gods had found a prospect like him, they certainly wouldn’t waste him as a mole.
From Zhao Kongcheng’s current perspective, Lu Ming possessed the potential to become at least a River Realm powerhouse like his captain in the future.
Although they had missed out on a Divine Realm tonight, discovering an unknown Forbidden Realm was a great consolidation prize.
Losing a horse only to gain a herd…
Zhao Kongcheng leaned back onto the cold ground, murmuring in a barely audible whisper: “Brat, I really envy you.” From time to time, car horns echoed from neighboring streets.
The quietness of this particular road stood out against the rest of Cangnan City.
Much like Zhao Kongcheng, who lacked a Forbidden Realm, stood out among the Night Watchmen.
Lu Ming’s right hand, holding a bamboo skewer, didn’t pause for a moment as he continued refueling.
At the same time, he muttered in a voice only he could hear: “The Life-Extinguishing Moon Flash that can only be used once in a lifetime is indeed pretty cool.
But since I’m here, I definitely won’t let you head toward your old ending.” According to the original story, Chen Muye failed to hunt down the Ghostface King tonight.
Zhao Kongcheng would inevitably cross paths with the Ghostface King in the future.
To change Old Zhao’s fate, there was only one way: make Old Zhao stronger.
And for the current Lu Ming, there was only one method to make Old Zhao stronger.
Forge a Zanpakuto specifically for Zhao Kongcheng.
*So what if you can’t become a divine proxy or awaken a Forbidden Realm?
Old Zhao, become a Zanpakuto proxy like me…
The power of a Zanpakuto isn’t inferior to a Forbidden Realm in the slightest!* Zhao Kongcheng, still sighing with regret, had no idea that from the moment he met Lu Ming tonight, his destiny had completely diverged.
…
“Old Zhao, where are the corpses of those two Ghostfaces?” A box truck slammed its brakes right in front of Lu Ming and Zhao Kongcheng, raising a cloud of dust.
A middle-aged driver with a cigarette dangling from his mouth poked his head out, blowing a smoke ring at Zhao Kongcheng.
“One’s up ahead, the other’s in the alley.
Old Wang, spare a stick!” Zhao Kongcheng freeloaded a cigarette from the logistics driver and lit it, smoking lazily as if his earlier envy and gloom had never existed.
“Alright boys, hustle up and get to work!” At Driver Wang’s command, seven or eight men in black clothes wearing face masks scrambled out from the back of the truck, nimbly lifting the nearby Ghostface corpse.
*Talk about tough, working overtime in the middle of the night!* Lu Ming waved away the smoke Zhao Kongcheng blew out, his brows furrowing slightly.
He was still a student, yet Old Zhao was smoking right in front of him.
“Smoking can give you lung cancer.” “Look at you, kid, acting so upright!
Fine, I won’t smoke.” Zhao Kongcheng raised an eyebrow, threw the cigarette butt to the ground, and crushed it thoroughly with his shoe.
“Then again, us Night Watchmen probably won’t live long enough to get lung cancer anyway…” Zhao Kongcheng sighed casually, making the atmosphere unexpectedly heavy once more.
Thinking about the mortality rate of the Night Watchmen over the past couple of years, Lu Ming suddenly felt that smoking was a form of relief for Zhao Kongcheng.
Looking at the ruined cigarette butt on the ground, Lu Ming turned, borrowed a cigarette from Driver Wang, and tossed it to Zhao Kongcheng.
“Smoke, smoke.
With your constitution, you won’t get lung cancer anyway.” As he spoke, he flicked open a lighter to light it for Zhao Kongcheng.
Zhao Kongcheng was stunned for a moment, then looked surprised.
He subconsciously put the cigarette in his mouth and leaned forward.
Having a transcendent with a Forbidden Realm light his cigarette was something worth bragging about.
If Lu Ming became a River Realm or Sea Realm powerhouse in the future, he could use this story for major bragging rights.
However, just as Zhao Kongcheng leaned over to get his light, Lu Ming froze.
His right hand jerked up as he suddenly shouted toward the logistics personnel: “Don’t move!” The flame instantly singed Zhao Kongcheng’s eyebrows, causing him to drop the cigarette from his mouth in pain.
*Is this brat getting back at me?
I didn’t force him to light my cigarette!* Zhao Kongcheng had no idea what Lu Ming had noticed.
He only saw Lu Ming dart past him, appearing beside the logistics crew in the blink of an eye.
*His speed is that fast too?
Fate really is biased.* Zhao Kongcheng clutched his singed forehead, wincing in pain, but his eyes remained glued to Lu Ming’s movements.
…
“Another pleasant surprise!” Lu Ming muttered to himself as he looked at the white light emanating from the Ghostface corpse.
He had originally thought that only mythical creatures slain by his own Zanpakuto would yield souls suitable for forging new Zanpakuto.
He hadn’t expected that the Ghostface killed by Lin Qiye’s blind cane would also produce material!
*In other words, regardless of whether a mythical creature is killed by a Zanpakuto or not, it can generate a soul for forging an Asauchi?
I’ll need to observe this further.* Lu Ming wasn’t entirely certain, but since a soul had appeared right before his eyes, he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.
He pressed the pommel of his sheath against the Ghostface’s mask.
The white soul was instantly absorbed by Senbonzakura and transferred into the Phoenix Palace within his spiritual world.
The materials needed to forge a Zanpakuto had increased by another fifth.
“Hey, kid, what are you doing?” Zhao Kongcheng, still clutching his head, watched Lu Ming prod the Ghostface corpse with his blade.
His face was full of suspicion, his gaze carrying a hint of judgment as if looking at a total freak.
Lu Ming was somewhat surprised.
“Old Zhao, you can’t see this white light?” Zhao Kongcheng retorted, “What white light?
All I see is you messing around with a corpse!
If you have some special hobby, can we do it when nobody’s around next time?
The logistics crew is watching!” Lu Ming’s expression stiffened, and he glared at Zhao Kongcheng.
What special hobby?
He wasn’t that twisted!
“Heh, as expected of ordinary-person Old Zhao.
It’s only natural you can’t see it!
This stuff I found is a treasure.
If you knew what it was used for, you’d be drooling.” Lu Ming sheathed Senbonzakura.
Since the Ghostface’s soul had been absorbed by his Zanpakuto, the corpse was useless now.
“Drooling?
Is it food?” Zhao Kongcheng curled his lip, not believing a word.
“I’ve seen plenty of Ghostface corpses.
I wouldn’t take one even if you gave it to me for free.” Zhao Kongcheng’s casual comment instantly reminded Lu Ming of something.
Squad 136 was executing an extermination operation against Ghostfaces tonight.
If the Ghostfaces killed by Lin Qiye yielded souls, then…
“Old Zhao, take me to find the other Ghostface corpses!
Quick, quick!
You’ll thank me later…”