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Chapter 405: Transformation of Underworld
With Kai's arrival, everything changed.
The responsibility of maintaining the world's balance, once held by the Zanpakutō, now rested on his shoulders. He was preparing to make a significant move, one that would reshape the very foundation of existence.
In his hand, he held his Zanpakutō, a blade forged from the depths of his heart. To his eyes, the cold steel appeared soft, almost alive. He reached out and gently caressed its surface, feeling the connection between them. This Zanpakutō was the result of immense effort, born from his deep understanding of the material soul and spiritual particles.
Its power was deceptively simple: the ability to transform the matter and souls of this world into spiritual particles. This was no small feat, it was a force capable of altering the very essence of a world.
Not long after creating the spirit, Kai had placed her within this realm. The structure of this space was designed for transformation. Compared to reshaping physical matter, his Zanpakutō found it easier to manipulate energies aligned with the spiritual realm. Over time, a portion of this alternate dimension had already been transformed.
And now, Kai stood at a critical juncture, joined by Unohana Retsu. This moment presented a rare opportunity to reshape this alternate dimension within the Underworld. The catalyst for this transformation was the evolution of Unohana Retsu's Zanpakutō.
Not long ago, a fierce battle had taken place between Giada and Artoria. Following that clash, Unohana Retsu traveled to the Corti Kingdom and challenged Artoria under the guise of a friendly competition. The battle was nothing short of spectacular, its impact reverberating far and wide.
As a result, Unohana Retsu amassed tens of millions of reputation points, elevating her Zanpakutō from S-level to SS-level. This upgraded Zanpakutō bore a resemblance to Ichigo's final Getsuga Tenshou state from the anime Kai recalled from his previous life, a form where the Zanpakutō merged with its wielder. However, while Ichigo's power was a complex weave of multiple forces, Unohana Retsu's Zanpakutō was pure, its strength unadulterated. Comparing the two was difficult, as their powers were distinct in nature.
With Unohana Retsu's Zanpakutō now enhanced, Kai used it as a reference to advance his own spirit, Ling Ji, to a higher level. This upgraded spirit gained the ability to stabilize the newly forming world.
"Retsu, watch closely!" Kai said in a confident voice, his eyes gleaming with purpose. "This power will transform this world."
He smiled warmly at Unohana Retsu, and his Zanpakutō began to glow, dissolving into a radiant white light that shimmered and melted in his hand.
Unohana Retsu returned his smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "That sounds thrilling, Kai-kun," she replied in a soft but excited voice.
Kai's gaze lingered on her smiling face. He reached out and gently touched her cheek, his fingers brushing against her skin with care. Under his tender caress, a faint blush spread across Unohana Retsu's cheeks. Chuckling softly, Kai lifted a strand of her hair, twirling it gently between his fingers.
"Then, let's begin," he said in a calm but resolute voice.
As his words echoed, the world around him began to shift.
Centered on Kai, a transformation unfolded. White light radiated outward, spreading like a tidal wave. It enveloped the palace first, then the barren, rust-red earth and the ink-black river of Underworld. Countless souls, their consciousnesses frozen and curled into tight clusters, were caught in the light's embrace.
In that moment, the boundless light stretched across the heavens and earth, piercing through the entire underworld.
Click! Click!
Kai's thoughts swirled, guiding the transformation. The underworld began to reshape itself.
Rumble! Rumble!
The vast underworld, nearly as large as the pirate planet, was divided by an immense force into four distinct realms—two large and two small.
Buzz! Buzz!
Kai focused his power on the two smaller realms first. In one, buildings and city walls began to rise at the center. Rows of houses and pristine streets formed, their surfaces gleaming white and spotless. The sky above turned a vibrant blue, dotted with soft, drifting clouds. This world could even reflect the true sun and moon from the outside.
This realm was modeled after the Soul Society from Kai's memories, and he named it as such.
In the other smaller realm, patches of white sand spread rapidly across the ground. Strange, dry trees resembling quartz sprouted from the barren earth. The landscape became a desolate white desert, illuminated by a single moon hanging in a perpetual night sky. This was Hueco Mundo, crafted by Kai's hand.
Boom!
After an indeterminate amount of time, the transformation of the two smaller realms was complete. They aligned perfectly with their designated places in the cosmic structure.
The area where Kai stood was torn upward, forming a small pocket of alternate space suspended between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. He named this space the Spiritual Palace.
As for the two larger realms, their landscapes remained unchanged—rust-red earth, ink-black rivers, and a gray, desolate appearance. These areas would continue to serve as the underworld, drawing in the souls of this world.
When souls arrived here, the faint spiritual particles drifting through the underworld would filter them, identifying those most suited for transformation into spiritual bodies. These souls would then be sent to either Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, depending on their nature.
Why not transform all souls? The reason was simple.
Kai sought diversity in the souls he shaped. While the spiritual particle system was ideal for many, it wasn't the only path. For instance, the demons created by Ryomen Sukuna didn't require the spiritual particle system. Even after a demon's death, if its soul remained intact, its negative energy could still serve as a core for cultivation, much like Hisoka's nen. Similarly, Orochimaru's mythical beast abilities, Giada's familiar beast, and the magical essence of the true ancestor all held mysteries that rivaled the soul's domain.
Thus, Kai chose not to confine all souls to the spiritual particle system.
To achieve this, he created another realm, equal in size to the new Underworld, and named it Hades.
Under Kai's power, Hades began to transform. Mountains, lakes, rivers, and vegetation emerged, reshaping the once-barren underworld. After an unknown span of time, Hades became distinct from Underworld. It now contained mountains, rivers, lakes, and trees, all constructed from the pure souls of this world. Though darker and devoid of living creatures, it resembled the real world in many ways.
This was Hades—a twin to the new Underworld, designed to house souls shaped by various systems. In the future, it would become a melting pot of diverse soul types.
Rumble!
As the radiant light in the sky slowly faded, the world settled into a new calm. The underworld, now imperceptible to the living world, had been divided into four overlapping realms: Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, Hades, and the Underworld.
Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were the smallest, while the Underworld and Hades were a hundred times larger. After all, the Underworld might one day give rise to new worlds for souls of different systems—worlds distinct from the spiritual realms of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.
As for the Underworld, the eternal home of all souls in this world, its vastness was unmatched.
Buzz! Buzz!
As Kai withdrew his focus, white light drifted from his body, and his Zanpakutō reformed in his hand.
Click!
He sheathed the blade back into the jade table.
The transformation of the world was complete.
( End this chapter )