ALL NOVEL Chapter 39: 39
At this moment.
**Seireitei.**
**The Shihōin Clan.**
Renowned as one of the oldest and most prestigious four noble families in Soul Society, the Shihōin Clan held dominion over various "divine artifacts," earning them the title of *Heavenly Armory*.
However—
In the serene courtyards of the Shihōin estate, adorned with pavilions and corridors, a young man was lazily lying down.
Beside him stood a dark-skinned beauty, accompanied by a petite, serious-looking girl, both of whom looked at the wine-intoxicated Bai Ye with helpless expressions.
"You're sure you didn't sustain any injuries?" Shihōin Yoruichi's eyes were filled with doubt.
Earlier—
After hearing about Bai Ye slaying Kiganjō Kenpachi, she invited him to the Shihōin estate as a guest, hoping to uncover the methods he used in that battle.
Most importantly—
Bai Ye's act of killing the current Kenpachi could potentially provoke a response from the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 Chambers.
Now, in the safety of the Shihōin estate, even if Captain-Commander Yamamoto himself arrived, he would be unable to act recklessly.
"I'm fine."
Bai Ye took a sip of his wine and shook his head slightly.
After drinking with Rangiku and the others, he had received Yoruichi's message. He was well aware of her intentions.
Although Bai Ye wasn't afraid of the Gotei 13 or the Central 46, he appreciated Yoruichi's concern. Besides, it had been some time since he had visited the Shihōin Clan.
"You… That slash of yours—rumor has it that it tore through space itself. Can you tell me how you did it?"
Yoruichi's curiosity was ablaze at this moment.
In Soul Society, techniques or powers capable of manipulating space weren't uncommon.
But for someone to tear through space using nothing but their Zanpakutō? And to harness the raw, destructive force of spatial rifts in battle? Bai Ye was the only one capable of such a feat!
It was a power worthy of being recorded in history.
"Sure."
"If revealing it has any negative implications, it's fine if you'd rather not," Yoruichi added.
After all—
Everyone had their own secrets, especially when it came to their combat abilities.
Behind her, Soi Fon also looked at Bai Ye curiously. Because of Yoruichi, she had met Bai Ye a few times.
Initially, she thought he was just a drunken fool.
But recently—
He had defeated Ichinose Maki.
He had slain Adjuchas-class Hollows.
He had taken first place at the Academy and killed Bai Ye.
And now, he had even slain Kiganjō Kenpachi.
At this point, Bai Ye had become a prominent figure in Seireitei!
And yet, despite his achievements, he spent his days drinking, standing in stark contrast to those geniuses who buried themselves in rigorous training.
In response to Yoruichi's question—
Bai Ye simply smirked lazily. "Pour me a drink, and I'll tell you."
"You…"
Yoruichi's face darkened. She initially wanted to refuse, but her curiosity got the better of her. She poured him a cup of wine and brought it to his lips.
After taking a sip, Bai Ye nodded in satisfaction.
"Now, can you tell me?" Yoruichi pressed.
"Cheating." Bai Ye replied nonchalantly.
Hmm?
Cheating?
Yoruichi's lips twitched, and her fist clenched involuntarily.
Clearly, this was a perfunctory answer. Who would believe such nonsense?
With a cold snort, Yoruichi turned her head away.
Beside her, Soi Fon looked at Bai Ye as if he were a fraud.
Not long ago, Captain Unohana and Yoruichi had discussed preparing a gift for Bai Ye to celebrate his breakthrough to third-level spiritual pressure.
The preparations were nearly complete.
But Bai Ye dared to brush Yoruichi off with such nonsense?
"Ah…"
"Lady Yoruichi, you're really pitiful," Soi Fon sighed inwardly as she looked at her mentor.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye remained unbothered. He had told the truth—whether Yoruichi believed it or not was none of his concern.
**[Ding.]**
**[Congratulations, Host. For getting Yoruichi to feed you wine, your spiritual pressure has increased. You've reached 30% of third-level spiritual pressure.]**
**[Through continuous drinking, you've obtained 'Heart of the Divine Blade.' Your swordsmanship has become razor-sharp, capable of severing all forms of control!]**
A breakthrough in spiritual pressure.
Heart of the Divine Blade.
Bai Ye examined the system's description of the Heart of the Divine Blade.
A sharp swordsmanship that severs control.
This ability addressed Bai Ye's greatest weakness.
Direct combat and Shunpo were no longer his shortcomings, but he had always been vulnerable to control-type abilities.
Abilities like Aizen's *Kyōka Suigetsu*, Shinji's *Sakanade*, or other Zanpakutō with strong control powers would have been challenging for him to counter.
Even certain binding spells could catch him off guard if he wasn't careful.
But with the Heart of the Divine Blade, he had overcome this flaw.
Severing all control!
Even the strongest illusion-type Zanpakutō, *Kyōka Suigetsu*, was now nothing but a joke to him!
Even forbidden Kidō techniques like *Bankin Taihō* were rendered utterly ineffective against the Heart of the Divine Blade!
"Not bad," Bai Ye muttered contentedly.
In the early stages of the story, control-type abilities were especially troublesome. Now, Bai Ye was completely immune.
Moreover—
Bai Ye's eyes narrowed as he studied the Heart of the Divine Blade.
In the later stages of the story—during the Fullbring or Wandenreich arcs—control-type abilities gave way to rule-based powers. This Heart of the Divine Blade still had room for growth!
In the original story, Kyōraku Shunsui was able to stabilize Soul Society after Yamamoto's death and assume the role of Captain-Commander. His rule-based Zanpakutō, *Katen Kyōkotsu*, was a key factor.
If Bai Ye continued drinking and upgrading the Heart of the Divine Blade, he might even become immune to rule-based abilities in the future!
But—
That was a matter for another time.
"System panel," Bai Ye thought, and a translucent interface appeared before him.
**[Host: Bai Ye]**
**[Zanpakutō: Ryūfū Kaisetsu (Shikai unlocked)]**
**[Spiritual Pressure: Third Level (30%)]**
**[Shunpo: Captain Level (Forbidden Technique: Great Void Step)]**
**[Swordsmanship: Captain Level]**
**[Hand-to-Hand Combat: Captain Level]**
**[Kidō: Fully mastered up to Level 50, instant casting without incantation (Forbidden Technique: Dual Incantation)]**
**[Special Ability: Heart of the Divine Blade]**
At this stage—
Bai Ye had fully risen to the level of a Gotei 13 captain!
Coupled with his various forbidden techniques, he was comparable to the elite among captains!
At the same time—
Elsewhere in the Shihōin estate, two figures, a man and a woman, watched Bai Ye and Yoruichi from a distance, nodding in satisfaction.
They were the current heads of the Shihōin Clan: Shihōin Shunyan and his wife, Shihōin Shunhime—Yoruichi's parents.
"What do you think about Bai Ye joining the Shihōin family as a son-in-law?" Shunhime asked with a smile.
Despite Bai Ye's humble beginnings in Rukongai, his close relationship with Yoruichi and his extraordinary talent made him an exceptional candidate.
If Bai Ye and Yoruichi were to marry, it would benefit not only Yoruichi but the entire Shihōin Clan.
"Let's leave it up to them," Shunyan replied softly.
He didn't want to interfere in Yoruichi's choices, but it was hard to ignore everything she had done for Bai Ye lately.
She had leveraged the clan's influence to pressure the Gotei 13 and the Central 46.
Now, she had brought Bai Ye to the Shihōin estate to shield him from any consequences stemming from the Kiganjō Kenpachi incident.
Although all of this was done with their tacit approval, Bai Ye was now undeniably associated with the Shihōin Clan.
Or perhaps—
The Shihōin Clan and Bai Ye were already tied together.
Just then—
"Master, Mistress, Captain-Commander Yamamoto has arrived. We're unsure of his purpose," a servant reported anxiously.
After all, this was the strongest combatant in Soul Society, visiting in person!