"Ultra Instinct?"
Su Li was speechless.
He hadn't expected that the frog cub's first trip would bring back something so incredible.
Ultra Instinct—one of the rarest divine techniques from another dimension. A mastery of movement and reaction beyond thought. Even Beerus, a being akin to the Soul King's level in his own realm, couldn't fully control it.
The essence of Ultra Instinct lies in separating thought from action. The body reacts instinctively—perfect reflexes that surpass reason. It removes all unnecessary mental processing from combat. As the gods say, "If each cell can think and move independently, danger can be avoided before the mind even registers it."
With this, Su Li wouldn't need to anticipate an attack—his body would simply react. No delay. No hesitation. Just immediate, perfect response.
This was no ordinary skill. It was god-tier. Something that made the impossible feel trivial. In battle, no matter how fast or overwhelming the opponent's strike, the user's body would respond and counter without a conscious command.
Without hesitation, Su Li absorbed the knowledge flooding his mind. He closed his eyes, silently digesting the divine reflexes.
When he opened them, his pupils shone with resolve.
He stepped into the courtyard, unsheathing his Zanpakutō with a metallic rasp. Picking up a loose stone, he flung it with force. It shot through the air like a bolt of Kidō lightning.
Su Li vanished.
In a flicker of speed, he appeared ahead of the stone's trajectory. His body moved instinctively. No conscious thought. His blade swung.
Slash!
The stone split perfectly in two.
The two halves spun backward at high velocity.
Su Li vanished again, even faster than before.
Slash! Another perfect cut.
Then again. And again.
Stone fragments shattered until nothing remained but dust.
Not a scratch touched him.
Su Li exhaled softly. His face radiated joy.
With Ultra Instinct, he could evade even Sui-Feng's Shunko strikes or dodge Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. So long as his stamina held, Ultra Instinct remained active—an impenetrable defense and flawless offense. A living combat algorithm.
He laughed aloud. Dominating the Soul Society didn't seem so far-fetched anymore.
But then, as if in bitter irony, his Zanpakutō let out a groan and—
Crack!
It shattered.
Fragments hit the ground in dull clinks.
"WHAT?!"
Su Li was stunned.
He had been too reckless. The immense pressure of Ultra Instinct, combined with raw spiritual power, had pushed his unreleased Zanpakutō past its limit. It had snapped under the burden.
In the Soul Society, broken Zanpakutōs weren't uncommon. Normally, a Shinigami could enter the inner world, communicate with their Zanpakutō's spirit, and restore the weapon using spiritual energy.
But Su Li had a problem.
He couldn't access his Zanpakutō's inner world yet.
And more critically—this was an era before Squad Zero existed. Ōetsu Nimaiya, the blade-smith of the gods and creator of Asauchi, remained high in the Royal Palace. A low-level student like him had no way of contacting such a being.
His Zanpakutō was essentially beyond repair.
"This is… really bad."
Su Li sat in silence, eyes fixed on the broken blade, trying not to weep. He eventually reassembled the pieces with glue, but it was useless. The spirit was silent. The blade, a husk.
Without a Zanpakutō, how was he supposed to fight? Use Kidō?
He wasn't particularly good at that.
"Don't tell me I'll have to become Soul Society's first male fist-fighter…"
He sighed, then sheathed the broken sword with solemnity. From now on, it was a decorative piece.
No Shikai. No Bankai. Just fists.
Fortunately, Su Li had trained in Hakuda for the past year. Combined with Ultra Instinct, his hand-to-hand skills were now formidable.
He turned and spotted the frog cub sprawled on the steps.
"What the—don't tell me it died?!"
Panicked, he rushed over.
If the frog cub broke too, he might really lose it.
Thankfully, it was just asleep.
The system confirmed: [Frog is resting after extended travel. Recovery Time: 5 Days.]
Su Li exhaled. Five days of rest for a month-long trip. That was fair.
He smiled and gently patted the frog cub's soft belly.
"Sleep well. I'll have something tasty ready when you wake up."
He returned the frog to the system warehouse and stood up. Even without a Zanpakutō, he couldn't afford to slack.
Now, training would shift from swordplay to martial arts. With Ultra Instinct enhancing his instincts, Hakuda would become his weapon.
No system could replace sweat and perseverance. That was Su Li's creed.
Talent without effort was just wasted potential. Only through relentless training could one truly surpass others.
A soft breeze rustled the courtyard as Su Li practiced late into the night.
---
Five days passed swiftly.
The final graduation assessment of the Spiritual Arts Academy had arrived.
From early morning, the training grounds were packed with students, their faces a blend of anticipation and anxiety.
Today wasn't just graduation—it was the selection exam for the Gotei 13.
Those with exceptional talent would be drafted into the thirteen divisions.
Others would be relegated to the Kidō Corps or assigned to the Onmitsukidō.
As the seated officers of the Gotei 13 appeared, the atmosphere boiled over.
Eyes locked in awe.
The students could hardly contain their excitement.
"That's… Captain Sui-Feng?!"
"Seriously? She's leading the assessment this year?"
"She's so beautiful… and terrifying…"
"Hey, that bald guy beside her—isn't that Madarame Ikkaku? The 11th Division's vice-captain?!"
"And the guy with the feathered lashes—that's Ayasegawa Yumichika! Third seat!"
Tension spiked across the field.
Su Li, standing among the crowd, clenched his fists in focus.
After several days of Hakuda and reflex training, he had full command over Ultra Instinct. His body moved like water, his strikes sharp as lightning.
He was ready.
On the stage, Sui-Feng stood poised, expression cold and commanding.
She looked across the crowd like one measuring prey—not students.
She spoke only one word.
"Begin."