Yun Che"s inner world was expanding rapidly once more. From his observation, his island was getting larger and larger the moment he entered a new realm of cultivation. Previously, his island grew larger once he entered Earth Profound Realm and his spirit tree sprout more leaves around it. In Sky Profound Realm, it was even larger than before.Yun Che gauge the size of his island now is around 25 kilometers in diameter. His spirit tree grew bigger and starting to sprout more and more leaves around it. Since his spirit tree grew larger, his Zanpakuto orbs didn"t orbit around the island anymore. They are now orbiting his spirit tree. Looks like his spirits didn"t want to move further and further away from the center.
Ever since he broke through to the Second Realm of the Great Way of the Buddha, his paG.o.da was getting bigger and taller as well. It was still silver, probably he needed another breakthrough before it could change its color as well. However, the land supporting it was getting bigger as well.
All of sudden, tremor surround the plains as water started to gust out from the area near his spirit tree. The flowing water slowly forms into a giant lake and when he looked closely, the water was shining and has purification aura in it.
[Ding….. The system had created a Divine Water Fountain at the middle of the lake. This water can be used to heal injuries, restoring spirit powers and removing fatigue. This water is essential to grow spirit animals at a rapid pace as well as grew spirit herbs in this world. Since the system had created the Divine Water lake, host can now plant herbs all over the inner world.]
Yun Che was shocked seeing the changes in his inner world. Especially the Divine Water lake. Looks like he didn"t need the Health and Mana potion anymore because the Divine Water had everything in it. However, he couldn"t bring this water into the real world. It could cause and spark chaos even for a drop. So he decided to use the Health and Mana potion for the humans in the real world. The lake was finally complete and the gushing water in the middle make it looked like a fountain. His inner world was bigger now and it"s about time for time to build a place for Jasmine to stay. He couldn"t let her stay with Shirayuki all the time.
Suddenly, he had an idea to build a manor he knew the perfect one for it. "System, can you build a manor just like the Kuchiki Manor in Bleach?"
[Ding…System can build it for 5000SP. Complete with everything including furniture]
"Well, then. Just deduct it. I don"t know how to spend the points anymore." With that, a giant manor suddenly appeared beside his spirit tree like a modded data from a video game. The manor he chose was from Kuchiki Byakuya"s manor where it was complete with a small lake, big courtyards and several ma.s.sive traditional j.a.panese house. The system built the manor near his spirit tree and closer to the lake complete without the walls surrounding the manor. This is his inner world and he didn"t need any walls.
When the spirits saw the modifications made by him, they were speechless as the manor was built in an instant. Without any of them aware of it.
Hebi clapped her hands in excitement. "As expected from the master, you really are awesome."
Yun Che softened his gaze and pats Hebi"s head. "Well, I couldn"t let you girls sleep on the gra.s.s all the time."
Saru puts her arm around Yun Che"s shoulder and said "We did go back to our own realm if we needed some rest but since there"s a manor here. We can stay here as long as we like."
Yun Che sighs at their antics and said "Why don"t you girls pick a room in the manor, I am sure there"s enough room for anyone in there. More than enough."
The excited Hebi then moves herself to the manor. "Then, we"ll explore the manor and call the first big rooms" She was followed by Saru who shouted "Ahhh, Hebi. No fair."
Looking at them, he sighs again. "*Sigh… Its like raising girls and I am not even a parent yet."
"That"s because everyone in here loves you. Milord." An alluring voice enters his ears and he turned around and saw Shirayuki with a sweet smile.
Seeing her behind him, he asked "Oh Shirayuki, still here?"
"Yes, Milord. It"s a rare moment I could be here. Alone with you. With Saru and Hebi in the manor and the little girls chasing that thing. I could have you all to myself." She slowly shift herself and rest her head on his shoulder enjoying the moment with him.
Yun Che pets her head affectionately. "Yes Shirayuki, I am here and I missed you too. But I am actually here for witness the arrival of a new family member."
She looked at him curiously and said "A new member?"
"Yeah, a new Zanpakuto Spirit. But it was supposed to greet me here." All of a sudden, cold sensation started to surround the ineer world earning the attention of everyone in it. The cold air breezes the surrounding signaling a new arrival of a brand new ent.i.ty. For twenty levels he breakthrough and only now a new spirit will enter his family. How he waited for so long for this moment.
"Rooooaaarrr" From above, they could hear a roar coming from the system"s core. This is when amazement color their faces. Cold air pierces their skin once more as a long and large ice dragon suddenly emerge from the system"s core towards the gushing lake created before. The funny thing is the lake didn"t freeze with the presence of the ice dragon. Probably because of its divine properties. The dragon"s body was fully made of ice and had a pair ma.s.sive ice dragon wings extending behind its back.
When Shirayuki looked at the dragon. She suddenly frowns as she was. .h.i.t by a familiar feeling. The feeling she had lost for hundreds of years ago. She couldn"t shake off the feeling but continue to observe the situation.
Yun Che was unaware of Shirayuki"s situation but carry on as usual. "Ah right on cue,"
The ice dragon floats in midair flapping its ma.s.sive wings causing smoke of cold air surrounding the lake. When he looked closer, the dragon was really ma.s.sive and its body was made literally from ice. The dragon"s head slowly looked towards Yun Che and Shirayuki who was standing underneath it.
"Young one, are you the one who wishes to wield me?" An alluring voice suddenly heard from the dragon as it spoke to him. From the voice, he clearly knew the voice was actually female"s. But it kind of bothers him as Hyourinmaru"s original spirit was supposed to be a male. Then why is this one is a female?
As Yun Che was pondering. Shirayuki was holding her heart once more. She couldn"t shake the familiar feeling gushing into her. She was supposed to be normal to see a fellow ice spirit with her but she didn"t know why she was having this nostalgic feeling.
Yun Che looked at the dragon with determination in his eyes. "If you let me wield you, I promised to treat you the same way as my other Zanpakuto spirit. As family."
"Hmph, such a strange principle for such a young man as yourself. Then again. I look forward in living under your care." Then Hyourinmaru shift its gaze over to Shirayuki who was having an internal crisis right about now. "Strange, why do I have a sense of familiarity with you. Have we met before?"
Shirayuki shooks her head. "No, I am sorry. I never met a dragon before. But I did feel the same feeling as you."
"Familiarity? Shirayuki, you knew Hyourinmaru?" asked Yun Che.
Then, Shirayuki shooks her head once more. "I don"t. I don"t know why but I have a nostalgic feeling in her presence but I never gaze on this dragon before."
"So it seems, perhaps you never gaze on my true form. However, you probably knew my humanoid form." With that, bright light suddenly surrounds Hyourinmaru as she transformed herself into a human form of the dragon. When the bright light dies down, she suddenly emerged wearing an icy blue dress and had a small ice tiara on top of her head. She was wearing some kind of snowy white cloak covering her perfect body proportions. Her dress looked it is made literally from ice. Her pale lavender hair flow downwards from her head until it reaches the same level as her knees. Her icy blue eyes, her perfectly shaped nose as well as her lips really brings out the beauty in her. What was shocking is her white pale skin which shines her beauty everywhere she goes.
As for Yun Che, he was a little stunned at her beauty buthe did notice a few things from her. Similar things actually before slowly gaze towards Shirayuki. "Lavender hair and icy blue eyes. Don"t tell me….."
Shirayuki was slowly shaking as she gazes upon Hyourinmaru"s true humanoid form. When she saw her face, nostalgic feelings attacked her once more as tears slowly went out from her eyes.
Hyourinmaru looked at Shirayuki and she had the same feelings as well. "You… Who are you? Why did I felt like I"ve seen you before?"
Shirayuki was feeling distraught. This is impossible. It has been hundreds of years. She had seal those feelings a long time ago. This is why she was able to move on. To think that all of these emotions suddenly came down on her. Even if it was impossible, she subconsciously squeezes out the words that vanished from her mind a long time ago. The words she couldn"t use on anyone.
Her eyes slowly filled with tears and she covers her mouth unable to control the surging and resurfacing feelings of her. "Nee….sama?"
Hyourinmaru"s eyes were widen as she slowly floats and stood in front of Shirayuki. She refused to believe it. Then, she slowly gazed on Shirayuki"s lovely face as she was trying to controlled herself from becoming a sobbing wreck. She gazed on her face as slowly memories started to resurface. It wasn"t deep but she saw flashes after flashes of images in her head.
Slowly putting her hands on her cheeks, tears were slowly gushing out from her eyes as she slowly muttered. "Shira..yuki?"
The final dam that was holding her emotions intact come crashing down as Shirayuki finally cried her heart out as she hugs Hyourinmaru. The whole inner world was in silence as Shirayuki"s cries of happiness were heard across the realm. Hebi and Saru arrived to see what is going on but it didn"t take them long for them to register what happen. In the end, they decided to stay at the manor"s yard watching everything unfurls.
Mizu and Kaze arrived with Kon on the phoenix"s back but they didn"t make any sounds. At first, they wondered what happen to their big sister to cried loudly. But old man Zangetsu arrived beside them and hold them off. Since he was like an uncle to them, he was able to explain their situation causing them to cry as well.
Shirayuki was bawling her eyes out. Her tears and cries of happiness were m.u.f.fled by Hyourinmaru"s cloak as she pours all of her suppressed emotions. For too long, she had been all alone and sometimes cried in her own realm while remembering the exact day that fateful tragedy happened. She was cool and cold on the outside but on the inside, she was having trouble suppressing all of that emotions. For hundreds of years of suppressed emotions, all come crumbled as she finally met the person she was longing for from the day she died. Her own elder sister.
Yun Che watched the whole situation and decided to keep quiet. From the moment he saw Hyourinmaru"s humanoid appearance, that"s where he noticed the similarities between them. To think that Hyourinmaru is actually her elder sister.
This is impossible, Hyourinmaru was supposed to be a male Zanpakuto like the previous anime but why did it turned into a woman. A different one at it. From what he remembered, both of them have no reaction whatsoever when they met each other. To confirmed his suspicion, he decided to ask the system about his doubts and the answer shocks him.
From the system, Benihime"s spirit merged with Hyourinmaru prior to his advancement to Spirit Profound Realm. The merging results a new spirit born from the merging of two Zanpakuto spirit. The new spirit resulted from the fusion give birth to a new Hyourinmaru. However, the process didn"t actually create a new spirit but it restored back Hyourinmaru to its original spirit. From his understanding, this new spirit is actually the original Hyourinmaru. The ice dragon in Hitsugaya Toushirou"s soul was the one before the merging. So the merging restored Hyourinmaru back to her original form.
However, one thing that bothers him the most. "But how? Zanpakuto spirits are born within their Shinigami. So technically, Sode No Shirayuki was born from Kuchiki Rukia. So how on earth did she have an elder sister?"
[Ding…. Replying to the host, Kuchiki Rukia did give birth to Sode No Shirayuki from her soul. However, both of them were born way before she became Kuchiki Rukia"s Zanpakuto.]
Yun Che decided to keep observing the reunited sister. He could feel her longing and her pain hiding underneath that sweet smile of hers. For too long she wanted to see her sister again but now she had that moment. The moment came when both of them didn"t expect it.
The two reunited sister hugged each other nearby the lake. The water from the lake didn"t stop them from crying in each other"s arms. Yun Che decided to give them a moment while feeling happy for them. The two long lost sisters finally found each other once more.
Their moments of sadness has finally come to an end when Shirayuki suddenly turned to him and said.." Thank you, thank you Milord, for bringing my sister back to me."
Yun Che smiled and just said "Nature works in a mysterious way Shirayuki. The system brought her to you." He suddenly thought the day he obtained Benihime. If he chose to get Benihime back then, would any of this happen? He really glad he didn"t press on in obtaining Benihime back then.
Hyourinmaru turned her head towards him. "Then, I am grateful to you as well Milord. Thank you as well for reuniting me with my sister. How long I"ve been waiting for this moment. For my sister to trust you with her life then I decided to do the same as well." She lowers her head while Shirayuki still hugging her. Her trust means she accept him as her master.
Yun Che shows her his famous grin. "The honor is mine Hyourinmaru. If you don"t mind, can I ask one question?"
Hyourinmaru looked at him curiously and said "It is an honour to answer your question. What is it, Milord?"
Yun Che took a deep breath and chooses his words carefully. "You can answer this question if you wish or just answer it later. Its…"
"You want to know how I become Shirayuki"s elder sister?" Hyourinmaru seems to guess him correctly.
"If you don"t mind for me to know." As he said that, the other spirits arrived next to him including old man Zangetsu and his little Phoenix. Everyone wanted to know how a single type Zanpakuto had an elder sister. Shirayuki nods at Hyourinmaru indicating she didn"t mind telling everyone. Both of them are now reunited and she trust her master with her life. It"s time for them to know the truth.
She took a deep breath and began "The truth is both of us are a rare dual spirit Zanpakuto. Both of us were born during the first era of the Shinigami. At that time, our master wielded both Ice and Snow are considered the strongest Zanpakuto combination. However…." Hyourinmaru suddenly went quiet and slowly her body was shaking recalling those memories.
Yun Che raised his hands immefiately. "If you"re not ready, you don"t have to…"
"Jealousy." The one said it was Shirayuki.
"Shirayuki." Hyourinmaru slowly said but Shirayuki nods at her and continued. "At that time, the hidden order of the Shinigami known as Central 46 considered our master to be dangerous just because she wield the strongest and rare twin type Zanpakuto. So they have her executed before the both of us could mature. Nee-sama at that time seal away my soul to prevent myself from being killed off by them. Nee-sama put up a desperate fight to counter the central and able to destroy almost all of their forces. In the end, she was killed from being bombard by fire based Kido.
She slowly closed her eyes and continued "I slowly watched as Nee-sama slowly crumbled under those attacks. She died with a smile knowing I was saved. When a Zanpakuto spirit died, her soul will never be reincarnated into another Shinigami. As for me, I was reincarnated to my new master. Hundreds of years went by as I waited for the day Nee-sama would come back. However, when I heard another Hyourinmaru was reincarnated. It was different one and I was devastated. But, I still hold the promise Nee-sama made to me. One day, we"ll be together again."
Then, she looked Yun Che with a warm and bright smile. "And now, I was reincarnated to you Milord. I was really happy on how you treated me. Your actions remind me of Nee-sama back then. But when I saw Nee-sama was reincarnated to you. I owe you my grat.i.tude milord. Once again, thank you for bringing Nee-sama back to me."
"It"s okay, Shirayuki. Shinigami and humans are the same as back then. No one can escape the true nature of it. As long as I am alive. I will never let you two be separated again. Mark my words." He said with eyes of determination earning a warm gaze from Hyourinmaru."Thank you, thank you for bringing me back. Milord. This ice dragon, now owes you her life."
She continued "Ahhh, Hyourinmaru. This is my new name from now on. This ice dragon will protect youyou"re your family from now on Milord. As repayment for reuniting me with my sister. I shall entrust my name to you."
Yun Che pondered for a while and slowly said "You know, Hyourinmaru is kind of long for me to p.r.o.nounce casually. Why don"t I give you a nickname? Something easier for me to call you."
She tilted her head sideways. "Nickname?"
"Yeah, Hyourinmaru is still your Zanpakuto. Just like I give all my spirits. Except Shirayuki though because her name was already perfect." Shirayuki blushed furiously as Yun Che mention he name was perfect. She lowers her head into her sister"s bosom once more. Hyourinmaru looked at her and sighs immediately. This sister of hers really does have feelings for their master. What did she see in him for her to like him this much?
He finally got something and said "Then, I decided. If your sister is Shirayuki and I decided to nickname you Kuroyuki. Fitting name for the snow sisters."
"Kuroyuki, then I will accept the name you have given me." Hyourinmaru accepts the nickname given to her. She also set to get to know the man who stole her sister"s heart. Maybe one day, she"ll share the same feelings as her sister.
"Why don"t you two catch up while I returned to the real world. When you"re ready, let"s start training." The sisters are just reunited. If he starts training right now, then the sisters would hate him as Zanpakutos tend to hate forceful masters. He"ll take it easy when it comes to his Zanpakuto. Right now, he wanted to end the trial to return back to the real world. His girls might handle themselves but he was worried about his hunch from before. He wanted to return as soon as possible so he can confirm it before the girls got hurt.
[Ding… Hyourinmaru and Sode No Shirayuki had merged back into twin spirit type zanpakuto. Host can now use both Zanpakuto at the same time.]
Yun Che looked back as his spirits rushed over to Kuroyuki and wanted to get to know her. Everyone here is family and he knew the spirits would treat her nicely.
He slowly walked the plains as he saw Kon was sitting on a rock crying from hearing Shirayuki"s story just now.
He sweat dropped and said "You"re crying?"
Kon wipes out his tears with his plushy paws. "No, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Lions never cried."
He rolled his eyes at his statement. "Yeah right. Come let"s go back before Jasmine roast our a.s.ses later."
"Ehh? Do I have to?" Kon really like his inner world but he was too busy getting chased all the time to enjoy it.
He fight the urge to laugh after seeing Kon was chased by the phoenix along with Mizu and Kaze. "Unless you wanted getting chewed by the Phoenix again."
Kon remembered his recent chase and jumped on his shoulders. "Then, let"s go man. What are you waiting for?"
"Hold your horses, I am getting there. Jinzen log out." With that he dissappeared from the inner world. Kuroyuki looked at his back before he dissapeared as she looked forward to know the man who shook her heart alongside her sister as well. Looks like she wasn"t aware that she was in love at the first sight.
Arriving back at the arena, he and Kon saw Jasmine was conversing with the spirit. Looks like she really curious about the purpose of this trial.
Jasmine saw Kon reappeared and Yun Che was waking up from.his meditation. "Oh…you"re back?"
"Yeah, well…" He slowly narrates what happening in the inner world earning Jasmine quite a shock. Especially on the part about his inner world, the lake and his latest addition Kuroyoki. He didn"t forget about the part where a phoenix was reborn in his inner world. She"ll make sure to introduce herself once she reentered the inner world.
Thinking about his manor in the inner world. She said with her usual tone. "Looks like I finally able to sleep on a proper bed this time. I was going to ask you to build me one but forget about it."
He pat her head earning him a warm look from her. "Well, at least everything is now over and I can focus back on cultivating again." Jasmine was slowly opening up to him. She didn"t get annoyed as often as before when he pat her head.
Thinking everything was complete. He asked the spirit once more. "Hey Phoenix Spirit. The trial is now done and can you send me back to the real world?"
The spirit pondered for a while and replied. "Its impossible."
"How is it impossible.?" Yun Che asked it.
"Only failures are ejected immediately to the real world. Since you pa.s.sed the test, you are given the time to cultivate for a month. However, even with you cultivate the arts instantly. But you still have to stay here for a month." The statement from the phoenix seals his way out now. Looks like he had to stay for month in this place.
"d.a.m.n it, I am stuck here for a month? Hooray… perks for being too OP." He sighs again. He just hope his hunch wasn"t right about those hollows.
Jasmine was done with her questions and sits near him "So, what are we going to do for a month?"
"Let me think…We could…" He suddenly stopped and direct his gaze to Kon. Kon felt an uncomfortable gaze was on him and he felt something bad is going to happen.
Still looking at him, he said "Hey, phoenix spirit. Can you conjure weaker opponents in here?"
The phoenix spirit widen its fiery eyes. "I could conjure some for you. What do you need them for?"
"Hey Jasmine, remember when I said I want to train Kon?" He slowly forms a sinister smile followed by Jasmine as both of them looked Kon sinisterly.
With that Kon shouted while being chased by Yun Che. "What do you both want with me?" No..no.. I won"t do anything funny anymore. NOOOOOO!!!!!" His shout marks the beginning of his h.e.l.lish lion training for a month.