Conqueror’s Haki Coating and the New Corporate Slave, Chu Yang

Urahara Shop.

After Kisuke Urahara returned, he kept replaying his fight with Chu Yang in his mind.

Aside from the terrifying strength that had shocked him, Chu Yang’s swordsmanship had also been remarkably impressive.

Setting aside the abilities of a Zanpakuto’s Shikai and Bankai.

Kisuke Urahara felt that Chu Yang’s swordsmanship could even crush that of most captain-level Soul Reapers.

It was a gap in pure technique.

"Where did someone so young learn such exquisite swordsmanship?"

Overwhelming curiosity left Kisuke Urahara lying on the tatami, scratching at his head in frustration.

At that moment, Tessai Tsukabishi lifted the curtain, revealing half of his burly body as he asked, "How was that person? Is there a problem?"

Kisuke Urahara nodded, his face crumpling. "More than a problem. He’s a massive problem."

Tessai Tsukabishi’s expression grew grave, even his walrus mustache curling upward. "Does it have something to do with Aizen?"

Kisuke Urahara shook his head. "No."

Tessai Tsukabishi was completely confused by him. Frowning, he said, "If it has nothing to do with Aizen, what problem could there be?"

Kisuke Urahara tapped the tatami with his fingers, looking troubled. "He’s too strong. So strong that I can’t make sense of where he came from. He’s clearly an ordinary human, yet he could stand his ground against me."

Only then did Tessai Tsukabishi understand. He froze in astonishment and asked incredulously, "You lost?"

"Cough, cough, cough!!!"

Kisuke Urahara coughed violently, immediately rolling over and sitting up. He said solemnly, "How can it count as a loss if I didn’t use Shikai or Bankai?"

Tessai Tsukabishi stared at Kisuke Urahara with contempt. "Using Shikai against a human? You really have fallen after spending so long in the World of the Living."

"What the hell do you know?" Knowing Tessai Tsukabishi was deliberately teasing him, Kisuke Urahara couldn’t be bothered to argue. He simply rolled over and turned his back on him.

Seeing that he refused to continue, Tessai Tsukabishi changed the subject. "It’s hard to imagine what he would become if he turned into a Soul Reaper."

Tessai Tsukabishi’s careless remark made every hair on Kisuke Urahara’s body stand on end.

Meanwhile, Chu Yang was also reviewing the sudden battle from that night.

He had held back at the very end partly because he was worried about hurting innocent neighbors, and partly because he had recognized Kisuke Urahara and sensed that the other man bore him no ill will.

In fact, ever since he had displayed part of his abilities before Rukia, Chu Yang had expected something like this to happen.

The chances of him clashing with Soul Reapers were not low. He just hadn’t expected Kisuke Urahara to be the first one he clashed with.

The other man had not used Shikai or Bankai, and the overall strength he displayed had not exceeded twenty percent of his full power.

It was only natural that Chu Yang had gained a slight advantage. He didn’t think it was anything to be proud of.

Most of the higher-ranked Zanpakuto possessed rule-level abilities in their Shikai and Bankai forms.

For example, Kisuke Urahara’s Zanpakuto, Benihime, had a Bankai—Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame.

Within the range of his Bankai, Kisuke Urahara could reconstruct anything touched by his Zanpakuto. The target could be an enemy’s body or his own.

The only ability Chu Yang possessed at that level was Conqueror’s Haki, but his Conqueror’s Haki was not yet powerful enough.

Next was Source Breathing, which was constantly improving and possessed terrifying potential. Perhaps it would eventually grow into a rule-level ability.

Even Chu Yang had not expected the Demon Slayer world, the world with the lowest combat power, to give him the greatest surprise.

If both Conqueror’s Haki and Source Breathing developed to a certain level, Chu Yang was confident he could defeat most captain-level Soul Reapers in the Gotei 13.

Ever since accepting the role of Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki had frequently been late or absent, and it was gradually becoming more common.

So that his studies would not suffer, and so that Ichigo could transform into a Soul Reaper on his own, Rukia gave him a Soul Candy.

The essence of a Soul Candy was a temporary soul, used to force Ichigo’s soul out of his body.

However.

The Soul Candy Rukia had obtained from Urahara Shop was defective. It did not contain a temporary soul, but an altered soul.

The day after obtaining the Soul Candy, the altered soul caused a huge commotion at school.

Chu Yang silently watched it all unfold.

This meant the time for him to enter Soul Society was drawing nearer.

One Piece world.

On an island somewhere in the New World.

The azure sky was cloudless for miles, yet flocks of seabirds flying overhead were struck by black lightning.

Then two masses of dark clouds rolled against one another high in the sky, their boundaries sharply divided.

It was as if the entire sky had been torn in half!

The terrifying pressure made the animals on the island tremble in fear.

A moment later, the dark clouds dispersed.

On the island, a red-haired man raised a jug as large as his head and gulped down liquor.

A frightening aura still radiated from his body.

Chu Yang sat at the edge of a cliff, recalling the sensation of his earlier clash of Conqueror’s Haki with Shanks.

The growth of Conqueror’s Haki required constantly confronting stronger Conqueror’s Haki.

With Shanks around, Chu Yang had improved rapidly after awakening Conqueror’s Haki. Shanks was like an unrivaled martial arts master from a wuxia novel, constantly feeding him moves.

"Conqueror’s Haki training is over." Shanks tossed the wine jug aside, drew Griffin from his waist, and looked eagerly at Chu Yang. "As usual, swordsmanship comes next."

After Chu Yang had used Sun Breathing sword techniques while fighting enemy pirates in one encounter, Shanks often proposed sparring with him.

As a great swordsman, Shanks found it difficult to suppress his delight at encountering a worthy opponent.

But to his surprise, after several matches, every one of them had ended in his complete defeat in terms of swordsmanship.

Shanks put away his disdain.

Gradually, the two went from competing against each other to tempering each other.

Shanks taught Chu Yang how to use Haki, while Chu Yang helped him refine his swordsmanship.

Chu Yang slowly rose from the cliff edge, a wooden sword suddenly appearing in his hand.

When he turned to look at Shanks, his gaze sharpened as well.

Armament Haki wrapped around the wooden sword in his hand, turning it into the likeness of a black blade.

Griffin likewise became a black blade, held in Shanks’s hands in a two-handed grip.

Shanks, whose arm had not been bitten off by the Lord of the Coast, had progressed rapidly in swordsmanship.

The two swung at the same time, sending slashes several meters long flying forth.

The slashes carved two enormous trenches into the ground before colliding.

They shattered into tiny sword energies that became a storm sweeping through the surroundings.

The sharp wind blades were like steel knives, shaving three feet off the ground.

Only after everything around them had been ravaged beyond recognition did Chu Yang and Shanks finish their simple probing and charge at each other simultaneously.

"Why have those two started again?"

Lucky Roux held a massive piece of roasted meat, took a fierce bite, then grumbled endlessly about Chu Yang and Shanks’s fight.

"Can’t be helped. There aren’t many people on the ship who like fighting with swords, and only those two are evenly matched in swordsmanship."

Yasopp wiped down his musket, glancing into the distance from time to time, wanting to know the result as soon as possible.

Because Chu Yang and Shanks sparred so often, the pirates aboard the ship had eventually started taking bets. Lucky Roux and Yasopp had wagered quite a bit. If they lost, the two of them would have to live broke this month, let alone eat roasted meat every day.

"When Yang first arrived, I only thought his Taijutsu was impressive. His Fish-Man Karate was as good as any Fish-Man’s. But only a few days later, this guy became a swordsman."

The ship’s doctor, Dego, shouted in his booming voice, "He hadn’t even held a sword for long, yet he got stronger by the day. He’s almost caught up to the captain."

Yasopp paused in wiping his gun and shot Dego a sidelong glance. "You got that wrong, didn’t you? When it comes to swordsmanship, Yang has beaten him several times already. It’s more like the captain is the one who’s almost caught up to him."

Dego glared viciously at Yasopp. "The captain will definitely win this time!"

Yasopp gave a cold laugh.

"You two placed bets. If you can’t judge it objectively, then shut up already." First mate Beckman stood nearby with a cigar in his mouth, exhaling smoke.

Yasopp and Dego asked in unison, "Who did you bet on, First Mate?"

Beckman answered without thinking, "Of course Yang."

Dego: "…"

While everyone on the ship noisily debated who would win.

The battle on the distant island had already reached its end.

Chu Yang had entered the Mark state, with Source Breathing running at full power.

Shanks also felt immense pressure and instinctively used the power of Conqueror’s Haki.

He did not even realize it himself…

He had coated Griffin’s blade with Conqueror’s Haki just like Armament Haki!

The two blades collided fiercely.

The black lightning erupting from Griffin slammed violently into the bands of light generated by Chu Yang’s Source Breathing.

Dazzling radiance instantly swallowed them both.

Countless people aboard the Red Force held their breath as they watched.

After the radiance faded.

The wooden sword in Chu Yang’s hand had already snapped into two pieces.

"Ahhh!!!"

"How did he lose?!!!"

"I bet all my living expenses for the month!"

"Could Yang be throwing the match?!"

Beckman and Yasopp looked like wilted eggplants, completely dejected. In contrast, Dego, who had bet on Shanks, grinned so widely that his mouth nearly reached the back of his head.

Lucky Roux patted Yasopp on the shoulder, wearing the resentful expression of a fellow sufferer.

On the island, Shanks stared blankly down at Griffin.

Conqueror’s Haki Coating meant Shanks’s strength had officially stepped into the level of an Emperor of the Sea.

Chu Yang also gained an insight. He closed his eyes and carefully recalled what had just happened.

If he could also comprehend Conqueror’s Haki Coating, his strength would surely rise by a huge margin.

Shanks raised Griffin again and slashed down with force, black lightning bursting from the blade.

"Hahaha!!!"

Shanks threw back his head and laughed, boundless pride surging from his heart.

He could clearly feel his Conqueror’s Haki growing stronger.

Chu Yang abruptly opened his eyes and clenched his fists. Black lightning also curled around them.

Shanks’s laughter came to an abrupt halt!

He stared wide-eyed at the Conqueror’s Haki wrapped around Chu Yang’s fists.

Bleach world.

Recently, a spirit medium named Don Kanonji had appeared on television and was all the rage. The students in class were all copying his signature pose.

It made the whole thing look like some cult preaching its doctrine.

Even Chad, with his thick brows and big eyes, was having a blast joining in.

Tonight, Don Kanonji was going to livestream an exorcism at an abandoned hospital. Chad had even asked Chu Yang if he wanted to go watch, but Chu Yang decisively refused.

He had no interest in that half-baked guy.

Chu Yang wanted to visit Urahara Shop and ask Kisuke Urahara about Soul Reapers, but no matter how he questioned Rukia, she stubbornly refused to tell him where the shop was.

Kisuke Urahara seemed to be avoiding him.

But that was fine. At the current pace of events, Kisuke Urahara would soon have nowhere left to hide.

With that thought, Chu Yang turned his gaze toward a classmate named Uryu Ishida.

This one of the few remaining Quincy in the World of the Living would soon cause a huge commotion in Karakura.

The Quincy were a group of people capable of absorbing spirit particles from the surrounding environment and shaping them into weapons to destroy Hollows.

Unlike Soul Reapers, Quincy completely destroyed Hollows and erased them from the world, while Soul Reapers purified the sins of Hollows.

The spirit particles of completely destroyed Hollows would vanish entirely as well. They would not enter the cycle between Soul Society and the World of the Living, thereby affecting the balance of souls.

Therefore, two hundred years ago, the Soul Reapers had slaughtered the Quincy.

In the end, only a handful remained to carry on to the present.

Uryu Ishida was one of the last Quincy in the World of the Living.

That was the Soul Reapers’ version of events.

But the truth of that account remained questionable.

Because a thousand years ago, the ancestor of the Quincy, Yhwach, had once led the Quincy in an invasion of Soul Society, causing enormous turmoil.

But Yhwach failed to fulfill his ambition and fell beneath the Zanpakuto of the Gotei 13’s founder and Captain-Commander—Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

Otherwise, Soul Society might now belong to the Quincy.

Perhaps the Soul Reapers had ruthlessly exterminated the Quincy because their existence posed a hidden danger.

As for the real reason, perhaps only the person who gave the order knew.

As one of the remaining Quincy, Uryu Ishida was an extremely important character.

Chu Yang had been silently keeping an eye on him.

The next day.

Ichigo and the others’ rampage at the abandoned hospital the previous night made it onto television, and they were summoned to the Headmaster’s Office for a harsh scolding.

Throughout the entire day, Uryu Ishida’s gaze remained fixed on Ichigo Kurosaki.

A few more days passed.

After school, Chu Yang sat in the classroom, quietly waiting.

Seeing him alone, Chad asked, "Yang, it’s not your turn for cleaning duty today. Why aren’t you leaving?"

Chu Yang shook his head. "I’ll sit a little longer."

Chad looked somewhat puzzled, nodded, then turned and walked out of the classroom.

At that moment, Orihime Inoue tilted her head and glanced at Chu Yang. More than half the semester had passed, yet she had never spoken to him.

"Orihime, what are you still looking at? Hurry up and come on."

Hearing her friend call her, Orihime Inoue hesitated for a moment, gave up on the idea of greeting Chu Yang, and left the classroom.

However, not long after she left, Chu Yang sensed an unusual Reiatsu appearing within the school.

But he did not move. He merely circulated his Breathing Technique, entering a state of Total Concentration Constant.

The Hollow that had appeared at the school would eventually be dealt with by Orihime Inoue after her Fullbring awakened. There was no need for him to intervene.

More importantly, he had no interest in it.

Like the Hollow that had once been a murderer some time ago, this one could not withstand him testing the power of Source Breathing.

After a while.

A crack suddenly appeared in the sky.

The crack continued to widen and spread, like a shattered mirror.

A massive number of Hollows fell from the crack, descending upon Karakura Town.

The corners of Chu Yang’s mouth lifted slightly, revealing an excited smile.

"It’s finally here."

To prove that Quincy were stronger than Shinigami and that this world did not need Shinigami, Uryu Ishida had drawn in countless Hollows.

But as more and more Hollows appeared, he gradually found himself unable to keep up.

Uryu Ishida realized that his own strength was insufficient.

Ichigo Kurosaki urged him to put aside his prejudice and join forces to eliminate the Hollows.

Otherwise, all of Karakura Town would be in danger.

In the end, Uryu Ishida chose to cooperate with Ichigo Kurosaki.

Both of them were powerful, and their very first collaboration displayed astonishing coordination. The Hollows that had descended upon the World of the Living were being destroyed at a visible rate.

If things continued smoothly, everything would soon return to normal.

Unfortunately…

Things did not go as they wished.

The crack in the void suddenly split open. A pair of enormous hands reached out from within, gripping the edges of the rift and pulling with force.

The sky was like a sheet of paper torn apart from the middle, exposing a vast hollow.

From deep within that hollow, a Hollow hundreds of meters tall poked out its head and stared intently at Ichigo Kurosaki and the others.

Though its face was covered by a mask, Ichigo Kurosaki could not shake the feeling that the giant Hollow was laughing—laughing wildly and wantonly.

Uryu Ishida was trembling.

As a Quincy for so many years, he had exterminated no small number of Hollows.

But he had never seen one so enormous.

Not just him.

Even Rukia, who had been a Shinigami for decades, had never seen one before. She had only briefly encountered it in a textbook while studying at Shin’o Academy.

A Menos Grande!

If a Hollow continuously devoured other Hollows and reached a certain number, it would evolve into a Menos Grande.

Menos Grandes usually existed within Hueco Mundo and were divided into three stages.

The first stage was called a Gillian, the lowest rank. They were characterized by their immense size, sluggish movements, and intelligence comparable to that of beasts. Most of the time, they were driven by instinct.

The second stage was the mid-ranked Menos Grande, known as an Adjuchas. Their combat power was several times that of Gillian, and they possessed greater intelligence. They commanded large Gillian packs as leaders.

The evolution method of an Adjuchas was still similar to that of a Gillian: it needed to continuously devour its companions.

After becoming an Adjuchas, if it did not continue devouring Hollows of the same rank, it would begin to regress. An Adjuchas that regressed into a Gillian could never evolve again.

An Adjuchas that had devoured to its limit would not necessarily continue evolving. It might remain in its Adjuchas form.

Only an extremely small number of Adjuchas could complete their transformation, break through their limits, and become high-ranked Menos Grandes.

High-ranked Menos Grandes, the third stage of Hollows, were called Vasto Lorde.

Compared to the first two stages, Vasto Lorde were far smaller. The higher a Hollow’s rank, the stronger it became, and the closer its body size was to that of a human.

Hollows at this level possessed combat power equal to, or even above, that of a Shinigami Captain.

The enormous Hollow emerging from the crack in the sky was a Gillian.

Its body was huge and its intelligence low, but its destructive power was astonishing.

The Reiatsu produced by the fusion of several hundred Hollows alone was enough to suppress everyone present.

Rukia intended to go help, but Kisuke Urahara held her in place and told her not to make things worse.

A mass of red light appeared before the Gillian’s mask, looking very similar to the state in which Tailed Beasts in the Naruto world used Tailed Beast Bombs.

Cero!

A beam formed by concentrating Reiatsu to an extreme degree, possessing tremendous destructive power.

The power of that Cero could directly destroy the park where Ichigo and the others stood.

The red light gradually became dazzling.

Just as Ichigo was about to rush forward and take the attack head-on, a figure appeared before the giant Hollow.

Chu Yang, gripping a wooden sword, charged excitedly toward the Gillian.

Beneath the red glow, Source Breathing erupted with brilliant silver light.

Chu Yang was like a meteor cutting through the night.

The next second.

The Gillian abruptly retreated a step, seeming ready to flee directly back into Hueco Mundo.

It had no intelligence, only the instincts of a Hollow.

Its instincts were afraid!

However.

Its immense size made the Gillian’s movements extremely slow.

Before it could even retreat halfway, Chu Yang had already reached it.

The Gillian could only unleash its Cero with all its strength.

As the Cero’s light reached its peak, red radiance filled the sky and bore down over Chu Yang’s head!

Chu Yang gripped his sword with both hands and slashed upward!

From below, the dazzling silver light soared like a flood dragon leaping into the heavens, crushing through the red glow formed by the Cero!

A band of light like the Milky Way spiraled upward around the Gillian’s body!

"ROAR!!!"

"AAAH!!!"

Hundreds of different screams came from within the Gillian’s body. Some sounded human, some sounded like beasts. There were men and women, young and old.

All kinds of voices intertwined together.

Countless people wailed beside your ears, making your scalp crawl.

"What is going on?"

Even Kisuke Urahara was stunned by the scene before him.

Hollows were either slain or purified in an instant. Such a scene of them being tortured by pain had never occurred before.

Unless it was in Hell…

"What kind of pain could make a Hollow cry out like that?"

Rukia’s whole body trembled, her eyes filled with fear.

Even those two were like this, let alone how horrified Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida felt.

After spending more than half a semester together, Ichigo looked at Chu Yang’s back and found it utterly unfamiliar.

The Gillian was collapsing and breaking apart.

Countless Hollows flew out from its body.

Each Hollow was wrapped in bands of light. Looking around, it was as though the sky were filled with stars.

The Gillian failed to escape back to Hueco Mundo.

Its massive body gradually vanished like foam scattered by a violent wind.

"His attacks seem to inflict extreme pain on spiritual bodies."

The earlier wails seemed to still echo in his ears. Kisuke Urahara’s expression was grave. Again and again, Chu Yang overturned his understanding of him through his actions.

"What kind of impact will this guy have on Soul Society in the future?"

Along with his concern, Kisuke Urahara felt an irrepressible curiosity toward Chu Yang.

He decided to have a proper talk with this human.

Late that night.

Kisuke Urahara took the initiative to find Chu Yang.

This time, he knocked before entering.

Before Chu Yang could ask his purpose, Kisuke Urahara spoke first.

"Young man, are you interested in making a deal with me?"

"Even after transmigrating, I still couldn’t escape the fate of being a wage slave…"

Dressed in a black suit, Chu Yang stood on the rooftop terrace of the company building with a cup of coffee in hand. With a miserable expression, he complained, "Ha, I forgot they don’t call them wage slaves here. They call them Corporate Slaves."

The weather was quite nice today. The sunlight shone warmly upon his body, but Chu Yang’s heart was cold because he still had not received his salary for last month or the month before that.

"As expected, you’re here again." A deep, weathered voice sounded behind Chu Yang. Its tone was calm, as if indifferent to everything.

Chu Yang turned around and saw a blond man wearing glasses walking toward him.

He waved weakly and replied listlessly, "So it’s Senior Nanami. You scared me."

Senior Nanami walked to Chu Yang’s side and gazed at the bright weather with him before saying, "Good weather is irritating…"

"Hahaha." Chu Yang could not help laughing.

In the entire company, only this man was somewhat interesting.

Senior Nanami asked, "Since you hate your current life so much, why not just leave?"

Chu Yang stretched and sneered. "Senior, other companies are pretty much the same. You’d only be jumping from one cesspit into another."

Senior Nanami nodded. "Well said. They’re all piles of shit."

Chu Yang scratched his head. "Senior, you really do like using shit to describe everything."

Senior Nanami said impassively, "Going to work is shit. Labor is shit too."

Chu Yang asked curiously, "Senior, you seem to hate work even more than I do. Why are you still in this line of work?"

Senior Nanami answered sincerely, "The financial industry makes good money. I want to earn enough before I’m forty, then move to a country with low prices and enjoy life."

Chu Yang commented noncommittally, "That dream really suits you."

Senior Nanami glanced at Chu Yang, then prepared to leave. Before going downstairs, he finally said, "If you aren’t planning to jump off the building or change jobs, you should get back to work soon."

With that, he left without looking back.

"That guy looks cold, but he’s warm-hearted. He came up here because he was afraid I’d jump, didn’t he?"

"Don’t worry. I’m not that fragile. This is nothing!"

Chu Yang grinned, stretched, and tossed away the paper cup in his hand.

After work.

Once everyone else had left, Senior Nanami suddenly appeared beside Chu Yang’s desk.

Chu Yang was extremely surprised.

Normally, Senior Nanami always left the moment work ended.

After all, his motto in life was never to work overtime.

"Yang-kun, I’m planning to resign."

"Don’t joke around, Senior."

"It’s true. Before I leave, I want to tell you this: if you can’t take it anymore someday, just leave. The outside world is also shit, but at least you can find a pile of shit that looks agreeable."

"Senior, why so suddenly…"

"Yesterday, as usual, I went to the bakery to buy bread. The clerk there had sore shoulders, so I helped her out."

"And then?"

"She said thank you to me."

Chu Yang looked at Senior Nanami. After a long silence, he finally asked cautiously, "Senior Kento Nanami, are you planning to work at a massage parlor?"

Kento Nanami: "…"

"Hmph!" Kento Nanami snorted coldly, turned, and left.

He now knew that his concern for Chu Yang had been unnecessary. This guy was much stronger than he looked.

"Resign…"

Chu Yang sat there for a while, thinking about those words, his heart growing more and more restless.

In the end, he grabbed his briefcase and rushed downstairs.

"Senior Nanami, which massage parlor are you going to? I want to check it out too!"

Kento Nanami, who had already reached the company entrance, heard Chu Yang’s voice and his eyelids twitched in anger.

He suddenly looked up, ready to curse him out, only to discover that Chu Yang’s presence had abruptly vanished.

Kento Nanami’s expression changed, and killing intent flashed through his eyes.

One hand loosened his tie while the other threw down his briefcase and reached toward his waist.

"Though I haven’t officially returned to being a Jujutsu Sorcerer, it’s already past working hours. What I hate most is overtime!"

Kento Nanami pulled a weapon wrapped in cursed bindings from his waist and strode back into the building with imposing force.

Elsewhere, Chu Yang was still heading downstairs.

His calves had begun to ache, yet he still had not reached the bottom.

The staircase suddenly seemed endless.

Chu Yang sensed that something was wrong. He slowly stopped and leaned halfway over the railing to look down.

Below him, the stairs spiraled downward in endless loops.

"Our company only has five floors…"

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Chu Yang turned around and started back up, muttering, "It’s still early. I might as well go back and work some overtime to cultivate my character."

One floor…

Two floors…

Three floors…

Chu Yang counted silently in his heart. Soon, he had passed the fifth floor, yet he still could not see his familiar workstation and remained trapped in the stairwell.

"Fuck!"

"Did I seriously run into a goddamn ghost?!"

Chu Yang was on the verge of tears, his entire body beginning to shake. At the same time, the surrounding temperature seemed to be dropping. Ripples appeared across the stairwell walls, and a massive Black Shadow gathered on the wall.

Then, a pair of hands stretched out from the rippling wall and landed directly on Chu Yang’s shoulders.

Chu Yang trembled and took a deep breath.

Rather than turning around like those suicidal movie protagonists, he lowered his head and ran downstairs.

The reason was simple: running down was easier than climbing up. With his stamina, he could keep it up for a long time.

Chu Yang ran like mad.

Even when he missed a step and twisted his ankle midway, he did not pause for even a second.

The shadowy monster in the wall pursued him relentlessly!

"You motherfucker!"

Exercising violently in such extreme terror made it feel as though his organs were about to leap into his throat. He was about to throw up.

Gradually, the hand reaching out from the wall was about to touch Chu Yang’s shoulder.

Chu Yang kept running as his consciousness began to drift.

It was as though his soul had flown out of his body and drifted somewhere far away.

When Chu Yang came back to his senses, he found himself standing inside a magnificent palace!

When he turned around, he saw thrones everywhere behind him!

Some shone brilliantly, while others were utterly dilapidated!

Where was this?

Just as Chu Yang was completely bewildered, surprised voices rang out in the distance.

"Yo! Another newcomer!"

"Let me see… he’s actually a white-collar worker!"

"Who cares what his job is? As long as he isn’t a student!"

"There’s finally an adult among us!"

As Chu Yang watched unfamiliar figures continuously appear before him, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and closeness.

"Haha, it’s normal to be confused. You’ll soon understand what’s going on." A youth wearing somewhat familiar wizard robes patted him on the shoulder.

Then, countless memories began surfacing in Chu Yang’s mind.

"So your world is Jujutsu Kaisen!" Magic Chu Yang patted Jujutsu Chu Yang on the shoulder and sighed. "The timing of your entry into the Soul Palace was truly critical."

Jujutsu Chu Yang let out a long breath and smiled. "I really envy you for getting a normal start. You didn’t have to go through something so exciting."

Soon afterward, the other Chu Yangs also gathered together.

They began sharing their recent memories, along with their noticeably improved abilities.

"Conqueror’s Haki Coating!"

Hokage Chu Yang looked at Pirate Chu Yang in surprise. "You actually comprehended Conqueror’s Haki Coating? Doesn’t that mean our strength has reached the level of the Four Emperors?"

Pirate Chu Yang laughed. "How could it be that exaggerated? My Haki is still far behind them in terms of strength."

"Just wait. Now that there’s another person, Haki will improve even faster. Maybe after some time, we’ll be able to catch up to the Four Emperors."

Demon Slayer Chu Yang patted Hokage Chu Yang on the shoulder and smiled. "Didn’t you gain plenty too? You learned so many secret techniques."

"The Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique, Puppet Technique, Hozuki Gengetsu’s Steaming Danger Tyranny, and so many Lightning Release Ninjutsu…"

Hokage Chu Yang sighed. "It’s a pity I couldn’t get Dust Release. That thing is the true ultimate weapon."

"Maybe next time." Magic Chu Yang spread his hands and mocked himself. "Now that I’ve learned the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique, my Flying Broomstick will probably just gather dust from now on."

Hokage Chu Yang asked curiously, "Can you break down the principles behind Flying Broomstick flight, add in the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique, and optimize it? I think it could have remarkable effects."

Magic Chu Yang sighed. "As expected of the same person—we had the exact same idea. If spells weren’t so difficult to cast without a wand, I’d even want to break them down alongside Ninjutsu and try combining them into spells of our own."

Shinigami Chu Yang leaned in at that moment and said, "I’m about to enter the Soul Society. I plan to find a way to stay there and become a Shinigami. Then we can try adding Kido into the mix."

Magic Chu Yang said in surprise, "Become a Shinigami? Isn’t that a little too dangerous?"

"I can’t help it." Shinigami Chu Yang said helplessly, "At first, I also planned to avoid the Soul Society and choose a more stable life, but now there’s no avoiding it."

"I overlooked one issue: my soul is an abnormal existence in the World of the Living."

"As more and more newcomers join, my soul’s Reiatsu will keep growing. My very existence will naturally restrain Shinigami. If I don’t become one, the Soul Society will eventually treat me as a Hollow and deal with me."

Magic Chu Yang suddenly understood, then smiled. "Becoming a Shinigami is not a bad choice either."

Pirate Chu Yang frowned. "If you choose to become a Shinigami, what will you do about the Thousand-Year Blood War? You aren’t planning to bet your safety on Ichigo Kurosaki, are you?"

Shinigami Chu Yang shook his head. "Of course not. I won’t entrust my life to anyone, so I need your help."

At those words, every Chu Yang focused their gaze on him. Shinigami Chu Yang looked toward Hokage Chu Yang and said solemnly, "I need the power of the Six Paths!"

Hokage Chu Yang frowned. "The power of the Six Paths? Do you mean the power of a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki?"

Shinigami Chu Yang teased, "Can you get your hands on the Ten-Tails right now?"

Hokage Chu Yang rolled his eyes. "Keep dreaming!"

Pirate Chu Yang joined in. "Set a small goal. If we somehow achieve it, everyone can retire immediately."

Demon Slayer Chu Yang smacked his lips. "I’ve already retired. What should I do?"

"Stop messing around." Shinigami Chu Yang shook his head with a laugh. "I’m not talking about the Sage of Six Paths at his peak. You can think of it as Naruto’s state in the later stages."

Magic Chu Yang thought for a moment and said, "A special state where Sage Mode activates the Sage of Six Paths’ Chakra. I remember that in that state, one can use Yang Release."

"Creating all things from nothing and granting them life—it’s far more terrifying than Wood Release."

"The nine Tailed Beasts were created by the Sage of Six Paths using Yang Release."

"That’s right." Shinigami Chu Yang explained, "If the Ten-Tails isn’t counted, that was almost the Sage of Six Paths’ strongest state. As descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, we can trace that power back through our bloodline."

Magic Chu Yang froze for a moment. "You aren’t planning to imitate Madara Uchiha…"

Shinigami Chu Yang nodded. "He was able to obtain the Rinnegan through a portion of Hashirama Cells, which proves that my idea is feasible. And we can do it even better than he did."

Hokage Chu Yang asked in confusion, "What makes you say that?"

Shinigami Chu Yang pointed at Pirate Chu Yang and smiled. "Because Lineage Factor technology can be found in the One Piece world. Whether it’s Vegapunk or Sanji’s father—Vinsmoke Judge—they’re both better at this than Orochimaru."

The Chu Yangs from the other worlds all sucked in a breath.

Pirate Chu Yang widened his eyes. "You really dare to think big!"

Shinigami Chu Yang looked around. They were all the same person, so they could guess what each other was thinking just by looking at their expressions.

Everyone was tempted!

A smug smile appeared on Shinigami Chu Yang’s face.

"We can absolutely give it a try."

As the strategist and logistics researcher, Magic Chu Yang was the first to nod in agreement.

One Chu Yang after another voiced their agreement.

Only Pirate Chu Yang said with a bitter face, "Lineage Factor technology isn’t so easy to get. The Vinsmoke Family wanders around everywhere like vagrants, with no fixed residence. As for Vegapunk, don’t even mention him—he’s a core researcher of the World Government!"

Shinigami Chu Yang waggled his eyebrows at him. "Shanks has an unusual background. If necessary, use his back door."

"Fuck off! Why don’t you use his back door?"

"We’re the same person. If you use it, doesn’t that mean I used it too?"

"I’m not interested in that. If anyone’s using it, it’s you."

"You two had better be talking about a legitimate back door."

Everyone chimed in with teasing remarks.

The plan was still decided upon. After all, the power of the Six Paths was right there—who would not crave it?

As the pinnacle of power in the Naruto world, the Sage of Six Paths had already surpassed that world’s power system and touched upon the level of the soul.

He stood on the same level as the Bleach world.

He himself had even transcended reincarnation. His true combat power was impossible to estimate, and if the Ten-Tails’ power was added to the equation, it was truly unimaginable how strong he would be.

They just did not know who was stronger: the Sage of Six Paths at his peak, or Gotei 13 Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

But one thing was certain: if Shinigami Chu Yang obtained Six Paths Sage Mode, then combined it with Source Breathing and Conqueror’s Haki Coating, he would be stronger than most Shinigami Captains.

He should have no problem protecting himself during the Thousand-Year Blood War.

"I really envy you all. Your lives are so full and interesting."

Marvel Chu Yang sighed.

"If it really doesn’t work out, why not join my logistics team?"

Magic Chu Yang grinned.

The two of them both had relatively ideal research environments: one at Hogwarts and one at Stark Industries. One represented magic, while the other represented technology.

"Magic combined with technology sounds even more promising?"

Shinigami Chu Yang’s eyes lit up, and his imagination began running wild again!

"My side isn’t exactly stable either." Marvel Chu Yang scratched his head. "Nick Fury has his eye on me. He keeps trying to recruit me into S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been completely infiltrated by Hydra. What, am I supposed to imitate Captain America, go in, shout ‘Hail Hydra,’ and play spy?"

Magic Chu Yang reminded him, "I’ve already found a substitute formula for wand cores. Once I learn the Unforgivable Curses, you can use the Imperius Curse to control Hydra."

Marvel Chu Yang immediately became interested.

Unlike the other worlds, the Marvel world had many ordinary people.

They could not resist the Imperius Curse.

Using the Imperius Curse there would not bring any consequences either, though it might attract the Sorcerer Supreme’s attention afterward.

The Cruciatus Curse was likewise unrestricted.

"Let’s talk after you learn the Imperius Curse. I don’t want to wade into that mess right now." Marvel Chu Yang said, "Learning is more important at the moment, especially knowledge about Iron Man suits and Arc Reactors."

Magic Chu Yang grinned. "I saw what you looked like in college through the memories. It seems pretty nice."

Marvel Chu Yang shrugged. "About the same as you being at Hogwarts."

Magic Chu Yang said, "Here’s a little suggestion. Once you really get the chance to control Hydra, find a way to get the Tesseract and the Mind Scepter."

"The Tesseract’s energy can create a Captain Marvel, while the Mind Stone inside the Mind Scepter can create Vision. We can absolutely make use of such powerful forces."

"We can ignore the other Infinity Stones, so we don’t draw Thanos over ahead of time."

Marvel Chu Yang nodded.

At that moment, mist rose throughout the palace, and everyone knew it was time to leave.