“Clang!
Clang!
Clang!” The sound of metal colliding echoed continuously throughout the Forest of Menos.
Lin Huang and the Centaur Hollow remained locked in a fierce battle.
As the fight dragged on, Lin Huang’s mastery over his Sword Scales became increasingly refined.
Meanwhile, the black short handled scythe fused to the Centaur Hollow’s right arm swung with terrifying precision, every strike carrying deadly killing intent.
During the intense exchange, Lin Huang’s Sword Scales carved seven or eight wounds of varying depths across the Centaur Hollow’s body.
Likewise, the opponent’s sinister black scythe repeatedly sliced open Lin Huang’s massive serpent body.
As more wounds accumulated, Lin Huang gradually noticed something was wrong.
His attack speed was becoming slower.
Even the circulation of Spiritual Pressure within his body had become sluggish, as though it were trapped inside thick mud.
“Poison…” Lin Huang’s vertical pupils suddenly contracted as his gaze locked onto the black liquid constantly dripping from the Centaur Hollow’s scythe.
Clearly…
The blade had been coated with a special Hollow poison.
“So you’ve finally noticed?” The Centaur Hollow laughed hoarsely, unable to conceal the smugness in his voice.
“You’ve already been poisoned.” “The longer this battle continues…” “The deeper the poison spreads.” “You can no longer defeat me, White Snake.” “I admit you’re strong…” “But arrogance always comes with a price.” Hearing those words…
Lin Huang showed no sign of panic.
Instead…
He slowly smiled.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of fear within his eyes.
Only an even fiercer fighting spirit continued to burn.
Rather than making him retreat…
The poison caused the blood coursing through his body to boil, pushing him into an unprecedented state of excitement.
Seeing Lin Huang actually smiling despite being poisoned…
The Centaur Hollow suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.
Without hesitation…
He swung the black scythe.
A crimson black Cero rapidly condensed at its tip.
Lin Huang responded without retreating.
Opening his enormous jaws…
He condensed a dark purple Cero of his own.
The next instant…
The two destructive beams collided head on.
Boom!!
A violent storm of Spiritual Pressure exploded outward in every direction.
The outcome was immediately decided.
Lin Huang’s dark purple Cero steadily overwhelmed the Centaur Hollow’s crimson black Cero.
There was only one reason.
Lin Huang possessed greater Spiritual Pressure.
The violent shockwave blasted the Centaur Hollow backward before smashing him heavily into a towering dead tree behind him.
Without giving his opponent even a moment to recover…
The Sword Scales at the end of Lin Huang’s tail burst with dazzling purple light.
Spiritual Pressure extended outward, forming an enormous blade several zhang long.
Like a bolt of lightning…
It swept across the battlefield.
Slash!
“AAAAAH!!” Amid the miserable scream…
The Centaur Hollow’s entire right arm, together with the black poisonous scythe, was severed cleanly at the shoulder.
Dark blood sprayed into the air.
Lin Huang refused to give him any chance to recover.
The Spiritual Pressure surrounding the Sword Scales intensified even further.
A blade of pure Spiritual Pressure shot forward.
Its target…
The Centaur Hollow’s neck.
It was Lin Huang’s strongest technique.
Sword Scale Slash.
Slash!
The purple blade flashed.
The Centaur Hollow’s head flew into the sky.
The battle was over.
Lin Huang emerged victorious.
However…
Victory hadn’t come without a price.
Several wounds remained across his body.
The poison still severely hindered the circulation of his Spiritual Pressure.
Activating Sonído…
He instantly appeared beside the Centaur Hollow’s severed head.
Using the Sword Scales on his tail…
He skillfully removed the Hollow mask before swallowing it whole.
The instant the Hollow mask entered his stomach…
The blockage within his Spiritual Pressure rapidly disappeared.
The poison was immediately purged from his body.
At the same time…
The enormous amount of reishi contained within the Hollow mask rapidly repaired every injury covering his body.
“As expected…” “The Hollow mask of a Mid Adjuchas truly contains astonishing amounts of reishi.” Lin Huang couldn’t help sighing in admiration.
Compared to his enormous serpent body stretching dozens of meters…
The Hollow mask resembled nothing more than a small biscuit.
Yet…
The reishi contained inside it exceeded the combined amount found within the more than one thousand Gillian Hollow masks he had devoured previously.
Feeling both his injuries recovering and his Spiritual Pressure steadily increasing…
Lin Huang let out a satisfied breath.
Nearby…
Grimmjow stared longingly at the Centaur Hollow’s corpse.
Lin Huang noticed immediately.
“You can eat it.” “But stay away from that severed arm.” “The poison is still there.” Without wasting another moment…
Lin Huang and Grimmjow divided the remains of the fallen Adjuchas and devoured them.
Several days later…
The two entered another territory within the Forest of Menos.
This region happened to be ruled jointly by two Adjuchas.
One possessed a humanoid body covered with countless writhing tentacles.
The other resembled a gigantic manta ray.
Neither of them approached the strength of the Centaur Hollow.
Both were merely Lower Adjuchas.
However…
Together they commanded more than six hundred Mindless Gillians.
After briefly discussing the situation…
Lin Huang and Grimmjow quickly formed a plan.
Grimmjow, whose Spiritual Pressure had increased significantly, would lure away the Gillian army.
Meanwhile…
Lin Huang would rely upon Stealth to launch a surprise attack, eliminating one Adjuchas before the pair could cooperate against him.
Just as they finished preparing…
Lin Huang suddenly sensed violent Spiritual Pressure fluctuations erupting ahead.
Someone was already fighting.
Looking into the distance…
They saw the two Adjuchas commanding their hundreds of Gillians while surrounding a lone humanoid figure.
The figure wore an old gray cloak.
A strange bone mask covered part of his face.
Long reddish brown hair flowed behind him.
“No…” “That’s not a Hollow.” Lin Huang immediately noticed the difference.
There was no Hollow Hole anywhere on the figure’s body.
Beneath the weathered cloak…
A black uniform was partially visible.
It was unmistakable.
The standard uniform of a Shinigami.
In his hand…
He held a Zanpakutō radiating a chilling gleam.
More importantly…
The Spiritual Pressure released by that Shinigami far surpassed Lin Huang’s own.
“Ashido…” “Today is your end!” The tentacled Adjuchas standing atop a giant tree coldly declared.
Beside him…
The manta ray Adjuchas roared loudly.
Receiving the command…
Hundreds of Gillians simultaneously opened their mouths.
One Cero after another rapidly condensed.
Hundreds of crimson black beams fired toward the lone Shinigami.
The next instant…
A dazzling sword light flashed.
Silence followed.
Every Gillian…
Together with every Cero they had just fired…
Instantly disintegrated into countless spirit particles before vanishing completely.
Only the two Adjuchas remained standing.
Frozen in absolute horror.
Hidden within the darkness…
Lin Huang and Grimmjow silently witnessed the entire scene.
“A Shinigami…” “Why would a Shinigami appear inside the Forest of Menos?” “Could it be…” “A member of the Gotei 13’s long lost expeditionary force?” Having knowledge of the original story…
The moment Lin Huang saw that distinctive reddish brown hair…
A familiar name surfaced inside his mind.
Ashido Kanō.
Feeling the overwhelming Spiritual Pressure radiating from the man…
One that greatly exceeded his own…
Lin Huang immediately confirmed the identity.
This was undoubtedly Ashido…
A Shinigami possessing Captain class combat strength.
Without the slightest hesitation…
Lin Huang immediately activated Stealth.
His enormous tail wrapped tightly around Grimmjow before both of them silently retreated at maximum speed.
At his current level…
He had absolutely no qualifications to confront a Captain class Shinigami head on.
As for those two Lower Adjuchas…
Actually daring to lead several hundred Gillians into battle against someone of Captain class…
There was only one possible outcome.
Certain death.