"Ginjo, for a Soul Reaper, the power of their Zanpakutō accounts for nearly seventy percent of their overall strength.
The time I can spend teaching you in the living world is limited, so my instruction to you, aside from some basic combat training, will focus on the cultivation of your Zanpakutō.
Today, I will first teach you 'Sword Meditation'."
...
"Mr. Ailin, this 'Sword Meditation' training is so boring, let's do some combat training instead!"
After following Ailin's teachings for a few days, Kugo Ginjo could no longer endure the solitude of cultivating "Sword Meditation" and would often pester Ailin for a real battle.
It must be said that Ginjo’s combat talents were quite decent.
Under Ailin's guidance, coupled with Ginjo's own considerable spirit energy, Ginjo's current strength was no worse than some elite Soul Reapers.
However, perhaps because he had the ability to instantly unleash tremendous power, compared to the tedious "Sword Meditation" training, Ginjo preferred the strength improvements that came from actual combat.
"Ginjo, I recall previously telling you that a Zanpakutō's abilities account for nearly seventy percent of a Soul Reaper's strength. It seems you didn't really listen to those words..."
Initially, due to Ailin's teachings, Ginjo wanted to call him "teacher" or "master." However, since Ailin knew he could not teach Ginjo too much, he did not accept Ginjo's honorifics and simply had him call him "Mr."
"Hahaha..."
When reprimanded by Ailin, Ginjo could only scratch the back of his head without responding. However, his current behavior undoubtedly indicated that he truly did not wish to cultivate this so-called "Sword Meditation."
Seeing Ginjo's attitude, Ailin shook his head. "Ginjo, I once told you that if you properly cultivate Sword Meditation until you have fully nurtured your Zanpakutō, your strength will experience a tremendous increase.
A Zanpakutō's form and abilities are the 'spirit' cultivated by a Soul Reaper's soul through 'Sword Meditation.' By learning their Zanpakutō's name and conversing with it, calling out its true name, a Soul Reaper can receive its blessing and wield even greater power."
Clang!
Under Ginjo's gaze, Ailin drew the Zanpakutō from his waist.
"Calling out a Zanpakutō's name to control greater power is what we Soul Reapers call 'releasing' the Zanpakutō.
The first stage of release is called Shikai, allowing a Soul Reaper's spirit energy to increase three to five times.
The second stage of a Zanpakutō's release is called Bankai, enabling a Soul Reaper's spirit energy to increase five to ten times.
In Soul Society, the most basic requirement to become a captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is to achieve Bankai with one's Zanpakutō.
In other words, all thirteen captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads are experts who have cultivated their Zanpakutō to the level of Bankai.
Watch carefully, Ginjo. The name of this Zanpakutō in my hand is 'Tessaiga'. Next, I'll let you witness the might of a Zanpakutō's release."
Then, Ailin extended his hand and placed it on the blade, sliding it from the hilt towards the tip.
"Tear them apart, Tessaiga!"
Boom!
Tremendous spiritual pressure erupted from Ailin's body. The immense spiritual pressure even caused a white glow to emanate from around Ailin. This glow was the external manifestation of his potent spiritual power. And the Zanpakutō in Ailin's hand transformed into a massive white-glowing fang blade.
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"Watch closely, Ginjo."
"Wind Scar!"
With a casual wave of Ailin's hand, three massive wind slashes shot towards the sky, their enormous might seeming to tear apart the very heavens.
Boom!
Ginjo stared at the sky, mouth agape. With that single strike from Ailin, the entire sky was swept clean, the clouds obliterated by the raging slashes.
"How's that?"
"Mr. Ailin, I want to learn that!" Upon hearing Ailin's question, Ginjo's eyes lit up as he pointed towards the sky.
"Heh, you haven't even learned to crawl and you want to run? Wait until you've achieved the release of your Zanpakutō, then you can practice that technique!"
"Mmm."
In order to learn that cool striking technique, Ginjo no longer pestered Ailin for combat practice from that point on, instead devoting most of his time to cultivating "Sword Meditation."
Of course, to appease Ginjo's restless heart, Ailin also taught him the "Getsuga Tensho" technique of condensing spiritual pressure into slashes. As for how much power he could unleash, that depended on his practice and inherent spiritual energy.
One month later, when Ginjo successfully completed the "Sword Meditation" cultivation and could nurture his Zanpakutō with his own soul, Ailin ended his teachings and returned to the Seireitei.
***
Within the Kuchiki Manor, Ailin sat cross-legged in the courtyard, immersing his consciousness into his innate space.
A golden key hovered in his palm. This was a weapon created by Ailin using the spatial power of his "King's Seal" as the foundation.
Its name was—the Golden Capital. Of course, it was better known by another name. The King's Treasury of Gilgamesh.
Previously, because his innate world’s Unlimited Sword Creation ability partially overlapped with the King's Treasury, Ailin had not created it.
However, as his strength recently increased, he felt the ability of Unlimited Blade Works to project weapons outward was somewhat redundant in his eyes. So this time, while at leisure, Ailin went ahead and created this "weapon."
Yet after creating the key to this "Golden Capital", Ailin suddenly sensed a slight tremor from his Zanpakutō—not the Tessaiga at his waist, nor the Zanpakutō he had created, but rather his true Zanpakutō. The one Ailin had plunged into the summit of the sword hill after awakening the "Unlimited Blade Works" ability.
Buzz!
Sensing the disturbance from his Zanpakutō, Ailin instantly used Shunpo to appear at the summit of the sword hill.
"What's this?"
As Ailin approached his Zanpakutō, its trembling grew stronger. Not only that, but the "Golden Capital" key in Ailin's hand also began to vibrate.
"My Zanpakutō and the Golden Capital want to fuse?"
Although surprised that his Zanpakutō showed an inclination to fuse with the Zanpakutō he created, Ailin did not hesitate and brought the golden key close to his Zanpakutō.
Hunn...hunn...
As the vibration frequencies of Ailin's Zanpakutō and the Golden Capital gradually synchronized, the Golden Capital in Ailin's hand turned into golden powder and merged into his Zanpakutō.
Instantly, through his connection with the Zanpakutō, Ailin felt his reality marble being reinforced.
Ever since Ailin awakened the "Unlimited Blade Works" ability, each time he forged a new Zanpakutō, the space became more stable, giving Ailin a stronger sense of power.
A few years ago, he had sensed that his inner world had reached an extreme limit. Breaking through this limit would allow Unlimited Blade Works to grow even stronger.
Over the years, Ailin had created numerous weapons, and his own spiritual energy had continuously increased. However, this extreme limit of his inner world had never been breached.
Unexpectedly, by creating the "Golden Capital" today, this limit was instantly broken. At this moment, Ailin's Zanpakutō had turned completely golden.
With his Zanpakutō as the center, a golden radiance slowly emanated outward until this golden glow dyed the entire space gold.
Boom—
This breakthrough of Unlimited Blade Works caused Ailin's spiritual pressure to surge violently. Soon, Ailin's spiritual pressure surpassed even the level of his Shikai release, nearly reaching the level of his Bankai before gradually stabilizing.
In other words, Ailin's current base spiritual pressure had increased by at least eight times compared to before.
Under these circumstances, Ailin felt that even the "Kotetsu" he had encountered years ago could be shattered by his spiritual pressure alone.
Although he did not experience the same "limit of Shinigami" that Aizen had felt, Ailin knew that he had currently transcended the limits of a Shinigami and reached a higher realm.
This realm was perhaps only matched by the Royal Guards of the Soul Palace. However, those godly beings of the Soul Palace had reconstructed their own "bones" using the Soul King's power, allowing their "bones" to become the "bones of the Soul King" and granting them such tremendous spiritual energy.
Meanwhile, Ailin had forcibly broken through this limit by virtue of his inner world breakthrough alone.
After his breakthrough ended, Ailin did not immediately leave his mind reality but instead grasped his Zanpakutō, perceiving its abilities.
The Golden Capital—no, the "King's Treasury" possessed the ability to automatically collect and store all treasures belonging to a "king" in the world. Its level would increase as the number and quality of the collected treasures improved.
After fusing with his Zanpakutō, Ailin's inner space now possessed the properties of the "King's Treasury"—automatically collecting and storing all treasures of the world within his Unlimited Blade Works’ space.
However, due to Ailin's innate nature, this Unlimited Blade Works would only collect and store weapons of the world that embodied the concept of a "sword," enhancing the strength of Unlimited Blade Works.
The moment Ailin perceived this ability, the image that flashed in his mind was that of the current strongest being in the world of Soul Reapers—the Head Captain Ichibe Hyosube.
"Am I invincible now?"
Ailin blinked, hardly daring to believe that he now possessed strength comparable to Ichibe Hyosube.