The Second Phase  

"Ordinary, Soul Reaper?"

"That's right, an ordinary Soul Reaper."

Ailin walked step by step towards Byakuya Kuchiki, the Zanpakutō in his hand dragging on the floor, producing "swish" "swish" "swish" scraping sounds.

"After over two months of battles between life and death, you've basically completely digested the foundations you'd built up over the past ten plus years. From now on, no matter how much I raise my strength to pressure you, the benefits to you will be very limited."

"Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō, Zanpakutō, these constitute a Soul Reaper's strength. For the first phase, you've done very well in cultivating the four Soul Reaper techniques, laying down a solid foundation for your future stronger self."

"Foundation?" Byakuya Kuchiki pursed his lips.

The struggles he experienced between life and death over the past two months were merely the foundation?

This was the first time Byakuya Kuchiki realized the difference in perspective between himself and Uncle Ailin.

However, seeing Byakuya's expression, Ailin misunderstood and thought Byakuya felt that he hadn't taught him anything more powerful. Hence, Ailin knocked on his own head and explained to him.

"Byakuya, under normal circumstances, for ordinary Soul Reapers, when we cultivate one of the techniques to a certain level, we recognize that they possess Captain-class strength. 

For instance, casually slicing apart mountains with swordsmanship, blasting down high-rise buildings with Hakuda, dodging all attacks with Shunpo, casting Hadō spells above number Eighty without incantation while retaining over half of its might, raising one's Zanpakutō to Bankai... As long as one can accomplish one of these, we can recognize that this person possesses Captain-class strength."

"Among these, no matter if it's Zanjutsu, Shunpo, Hakuda or Kidō, wanting to raise any of them to a 'Captain-class' level has tremendous difficulty. One would need talent, perceptiveness, as well as several hundred to over a thousand years of hard work before reaching such a realm."

Byakuya Kuchiki secretly rolled his eyes in his heart. If Byakuya remembered correctly, the last time Uncle Ailin brought him to the Rukongai to demonstrate the might of the Soul Reaper techniques, he sliced apart mountains with a swing of his sword, traversed thousands of meters in an instant with Shunpo, blasted apart high-level defensive Kidō spells, and fired off a level Eighty-Eight Destructive spell... All of which corresponded to the "Captain-class" level Uncle Ailin spoke of.

Uncle Ailin looked to only be in his fifties... To accomplish in a few short decades what others needed several hundred to over a thousand years of hard work, was Uncle Ailin boasting about himself?

"In comparison, utilizing Jinzen to give birth to one's Zanpakutō and complete its initial release is much simpler."

Of course, no matter if it was Ailin or Byakuya Kuchiki, they both knew that this "simplicity" was still relative.

The Soul Society had existed for tens of millions of years. In its near two thousand years since Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto founded the Gotei 13, even if one counted the number of powerful figures who reached a "Captain-class" level, it wouldn't break a hundred.

"Among the Captains of the 13 Divisions, some belong to the group who only cultivated their Zanpakutō to Bankai. Captains like Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi of the 3rd Division, Shinji Hirako of the 5th Division, Love Aikawa of the 7th Division, Kensei Muguruma of the 9th Division, Isshin Shiba of the 10th Division, they're all this kind of people."

"They rely heavily on their Zanpakutō for their strength. Once they encounter opponents with abilities that counter their Zanpakutō, the probability of them losing is very big."

Byakuya Kuchiki was somewhat puzzled. These were the Captains of the 13 Divisions, standing at the apex of the Seireitei's might. But from Uncle Ailin's tone, Byakuya could still feel that Uncle Ailin looked down quite a bit on the people he just mentioned?

However, listening to Ailin evaluate these Captains, Byakuya Kuchiki actually felt that Uncle Ailin made sense.

Perhaps for the people singled out by Uncle Ailin, Bankai represented the greatest boost to their strength from their Zanpakutō's abilities.

But for Byakuya who had the four Soul Reaper techniques cultivated to a certain level under Uncle Ailin, the greatest boost Bankai brought to him was probably the 5-10 times increase in Reiatsu.

The might of high level Kidō or powerful Zanjutsu, Hakuda, need not lose out to the destructive power after Zanpakutō Bankai.

Tremendous Reiatsu coupled with formidable Soul Reaper techniques could let a Soul Reaper's strength rise to a truly horrifying degree. It was hardly an exaggeration to say it was double the strength.

"Byakuya, don't think that you didn't learn anything from me over the past two months with countless battles between life and death. You've already integrated the four Soul Reaper techniques into your 'instincts', laying down the foundation for you to raise the four Soul Reaper techniques to Captain-class in the future."

"Throughout Seireitei's history, all who cultivated the four Soul Reaper techniques to Captain-class could complete their Zanpakutō's Bankai. However, for Captain-class Soul Reapers who only completed their Zanpakutō's Bankai, nearly none could cultivate the four Soul Reaper techniques to Captain-class. Do you know why this is so?"

"Why?"

Ailin flicked the Zanpakutō in his hand with a finger. "Byakuya, to complete Zanpakutō Bankai requires materializing one's Zanpakutō before making it submit to yourself. For Soul Reapers possessing Captain-class Soul Reaper techniques, completing Zanpakutō Bankai isn't difficult at all."

"And those Soul Reapers who went through trials and tribulations to complete Bankai, upon suddenly gaining tremendous power, would only seek to unlock more of their Zanpakutō's potential, few would quietly devote themselves towards cultivating the Soul Reaper techniques."

"This is an issue with mindset. Of course, mixed among them are also those whose talents are lacking, unable to make much progress despite cultivating the Soul Reaper techniques for hundreds of years."

"I understand now." Byakuya Kuchiki nodded. "What about the training for the second phase, Uncle Ailin?"

"Oh? Didn't I say so earlier? A Soul Reaper's strength consists of the combination of Zanjutsu, Shunpo, Hakuda, Kidō and their Zanpakutō. The first phase was the training of an ordinary Soul Reaper, fusing the four Soul Reaper techniques into your instincts. Then the second phase is naturally developing and utilizing your Zanpakutō's abilities."

"Developing and utilizing my Zanpakutō's abilities?" Byakuya Kuchiki looked doubtfully at Ailin.

If he remembered correctly, Uncle Ailin had intentionally or unintentionally instilled the notion that the four Soul Reaper techniques were superior to Zanpakutō on many occasions over the grueling two months of training. Why was he saying to train his Zanpakutō's abilities now?

Slap!

Feeling that Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze towards him lacked some respect, Ailin directly gave him a slap.

"What rude thoughts are you thinking, you brat? As a Soul Reaper's weapon, birthed from the Soul Reaper's soul, the Zanpakutō is equal to the Soul Reaper's 'other half'. If the four Soul Reaper techniques represent a Soul Reaper's baseline, then the Zanpakutō represents the Soul Reaper's limits."