In a tent, rigorously protected by numerous barriers, Uehara Shirayuki glanced at his panel.
As expected, his 【Substitute·White Album】 had advanced from Mastery to Great Completion.
S-ranked abilities were comparable to Zanpakuto Bankais.
Whether it was 【Universal Barrier】 or 【White Album】, they would easily crush even a Gillian.
Ordinary Zanpakuto Shikais couldn't achieve this level, and even some Bankais couldn't either, such as 【Bankai·Iron Fist Breaking Wind】 and 【Bankai·Dragon Gate Ghost Light Ball】.
A Great Completion S-ranked ability wouldn't be as powerful as the old man Yamamoto's Residual Flame Slash, but it would definitely not be weaker than Kyoraku Shunsui's Bankai at the start of the story.
…
Waking up early the next morning, Uehara Shirayuki first completed his daily routine.
He simply greeted the two Shinigami guarding him and received the reward of 【Spirit Pressure +1, Universal Barrier +1】.
The two Shinigami were somewhat surprised. They hadn't expected such a big shot like Uehara Shirayuki to be so approachable.
Then, Uehara Shirayuki saw Ise Nanao, who looked full of energy and showed no sign of fatigue.
Looking at Nanao who was eager to try, Uehara Shirayuki shook his head: "Nanao, do you remember the basic techniques of spiritual energy control I mentioned?"
"Uehara-sensei, of course I remember. It's to imagine a circle in your mind, filling it with the thickest, deepest color, and then merging your spirit into the center of that circle."
"Try it now."
"Yes!" Nanao tried confidently.
Compared to before, she felt her strength had increased significantly. After experiencing the trials of the battlefield, there was no reason for her to fail in basic techniques.
Nanao habitually entered a meditative state, followed by a burst of agitation.
She opened her eyes with doubt, looking at Uehara Shirayuki nervously.
"This technique is the key to all Kidō. Go and practice it a hundred times."
Uehara Shirayuki knew the reason for this situation was ultimately because Nanao's strength had increased too quickly, resulting in an unstable foundation.
Simply put, she wasn't mature enough.
This could only be solved by more practice and accumulation, there was no other way.
Instantly, Nanao suppressed all her joy and self-satisfaction, respectfully saying: "Yes, Uehara-sensei!"
…
After making arrangements for Nanao, Uehara Shirayuki arrived at the battlefield from yesterday.
Since so many Gillians could gather quickly here, it meant that there should be an entrance to the Great Hollow Forest nearby.
Sure enough, Uehara Shirayuki soon found a hidden entrance in the distance.
After passing through a thick layer of sand and rock barriers, Uehara Shirayuki arrived at a very wide stone passage.
The dark and deep passage slanted downwards, leading into the depths of the earth.
After walking along the passage for a while, Uehara Shirayuki felt an ominous malice wrapping around him, making the surrounding air become cold.
At the same time, he heard a series of deep and terrifying roars.
These sounds were all different, but without exception, they were all filled with chaotic, violent, and abnormal emotions.
Uehara Shirayuki remained relaxed and continued walking along the passage towards the depths of the earth.
After a few Shunpos, he reached the end of the passage and found himself in a rocky cave.
Outside the cave, a vast underground world stretched out, boundless.
Moist rock formed walls, dividing the entire underground world into sections.
Numerous huge stone trees grew straight up, penetrating the ceiling, forming an impenetrable forest.
Grey-green moss and mushrooms of various colors covered the corners of the rock walls and the tree roots.
This was the Great Hollow Forest, the nest of Hollows.
The vast majority of Hollows that appeared in the human world lived here.
This place was also where all Gillians roamed and stayed.
The danger level of such a place was needless to say.
Facing the endless onslaught of countless Gillians, even Captain-level Shinigami wouldn't be able to handle it.
At the same time, Uehara Shirayuki keenly noticed…
Beyond the dense stone forest, something enormous was wandering and gathering.
As his spiritual awareness reached out, the powerful Hollow spirit pressure surged over like a tidal wave.
Amidst the crashing waves of spirit pressure, Uehara Shirayuki stood firm.
He held on for a while, and before the enemy appeared, the system prompt came first.
【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing Special Mission (9) - Finding the Great Hollow Forest. Reward: A-ranked ability Seven Flash!】
【Seven Flash】
Rank: A-ranked
Mastery: Beginner
Type: Magic Technique
Ability: Simultaneously slashes out seven steel wires, instantly shredding all surrounding objects. Upon complete mastery, it can even release Kidō and barriers through the slashes.
Description: 1. Seven Flash is the ultimate technique of the female Saint, Kamijou Touma, from 《A Certain Magical Index》, capable of killing seven people in an instant. It's the essence of the Necessarius Church.
2. Obtained after completing 【Complete Special Mission (9) - Finding the Great Hollow Forest】.
3. No matter how good your swordsmanship or how long your legs are, you'll be a fool forever without a brain.
Seeing the ability description, Uehara Shirayuki's eyes lit up.
Simultaneously performing seven slashes, this instant-kill technique was indeed quite good, but at most only B-ranked.
However, the ability to release Kidō and barriers through special slashes was excellent. It was considered quite good even among A-ranked abilities.
Ordinary Kidō didn't matter, but if he could release top-tier Hadō, then the power would be formidable.
In the Soul Society Rescue Operation, the old man Yamamoto, in order to destroy Aizen, sacrificed an arm to release the top-tier Hadō 【One-Shot Fire Burial】.
As long as Uehara Shirayuki could raise 【Seven Flash】 to the level of Mastery or Perfect Completion, he would be able to release the true 【One-Shot Fire Burial】, or even simultaneously release seven 【One-Shot Fire Burial】s.
If he could master the kind of targeted Kidō sealing like that of Kisuke Urahara, then the threat of 【Seven Flash】 would become even stronger.
Uehara Shirayuki also had an impression of Kamijou Touma.
This Kamijou Touma was not only a Saint but also a former leader of a religion, with a noble status, a cool temperament, and long legs.
It's just that her brain wasn't very good. She knew very well that the leader, Laura, was a "fox", but she was fooled by her in a few words and chased after Index to attack her.
Facts have proved that if you are poorly educated, people will not only cheat you but also cheat you to death.
With 【Seven Flash】, Uehara Shirayuki was more confident.
However, it was rare to visit the Great Hollow Forest. He could imitate the "Sword God of Ten Mile Slope" and brush up some proficiency, improving the level of his abilities.
Thinking about this, Uehara Shirayuki looked at the Gillians slowly gathering, and the invisible flames suddenly ignited in his Broken Void:
"The training dummies are here!"