Chapter 289: You Cannot Surpass Me

Ten days had passed since H'el had slain the spider Hollow.

In the backyard of the Unahara house, the weather was sunny, and a cool breeze made the red maple leaves sway, resembling a sea of fiery red flames.

Under the eaves, on the moon-viewing platform, Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto sat cross-legged with their eyes closed. The breeze brushed against the fine hairs on their faces, making Rangiku feel ticklish, and she couldn't help but scratch her face.

After scratching, Rangiku opened one eye cautiously, peeking in H'el's direction.

"Focus completely, use the breathing techniques I taught you to tap into your body's potential," H'el said lazily, basking in the warm sun beside them. "You have far greater potential than I do."

With a loud snap, H'el smacked Rangiku's restless thigh with his sword sheath, turning the exposed skin, visible through her shorts, bright red.

"Ah!" Rangiku gasped, grimacing in pain. H'el had not held back; the strike was forceful, and it hurt a lot.

"If you want to continue living a precarious life like before, just ignore what I taught you," H'el said indifferently, closing his eyes and lounging on the moon-viewing platform as if half-asleep.

Meeting him might have already changed their destinies, and the future was uncertain.

Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto had great potential, naturally predisposed to becoming captain-level Shinigami.

It would be a shame to waste such potential.

Since H'el hadn't brought his original powers into the Shinigami world, he needed to plan how to become strong again. Inevitably, he would encounter trouble, and Gin and Rangiku could become excellent allies for H'el.

"I understand," Rangiku said, rubbing her thigh gently. She knew H'el was doing this for her own good. Once the pain subsided, she responded seriously with her eyes.

Now that she had an opportunity to change her life and escape the precarious existence of the past, Rangiku treasured it deeply.

However, her carefree nature and lazy, wild personality made it hard to sit still and focus. Yet, she was diligently practicing the breathing techniques H'el had taught her, making good progress overall.

"Do I really have greater potential than H'el?" Gin Ichimaru controlled his breathing, slow and steady, with an intensity that stimulated his internal organs. He resembled a tiger lying on a rock, exhaling with a powerful, intimidating force.

But with his fox-like, smiling demeanor, it created a dissonant feeling for Rangiku.

"Yes, Gin, the power you possess is beyond your imagination," H'el replied.

From what H'el recalled, the strength Gin displayed among the Shinigami was among the top in all the squads.

His talent had always been outstanding; he graduated from the Shin'o Academy in just a year and killed a third seat officer while still a child.

Whether it was talent, emotional intelligence, or control over his emotions, in H'el's eyes, Gin Ichimaru was a perfect existence.

H'el most admired Gin Ichimaru's rationality.

Sitting cross-legged on the moon-viewing platform, Gin Ichimaru extended his palm, smiling. Spiritual particles began to dissipate from the skin of his arm, converging into his palm, forming a small ball of spiritual energy, about the size of a ping-pong ball, which floated in his hand.

As a gentle breeze blew past, the spiritual energy ball in Gin's hand wavered.

"Gin, you did it," Rangiku said, her eyes wide with both admiration and a bit of shock.

Gin had started receiving H'el's guidance at the same time as her, but now he had successfully guided his internal spiritual energy, manipulating it to form a spiritual energy ball. He had taken the most challenging first step.

Squinting his eyes, Gin looked at the spiritual energy ball in his hand and said slowly, "H'el's breathing technique is truly remarkable. I can feel the spiritual energy within me."

The spiritual energy ball in his hand began to move under his control, rotating slowly and passing through his fingers. Rangiku, watching from the side, was both amazed and envious.

Comparisons can be infuriating. Gin could generate spiritual energy from within himself, manipulate it to form a ball, and let it traverse through his fingers, while she couldn't even maintain the correct breathing rhythm to tap into her own potential.

"The breathing technique I taught you will continue to be effective in enhancing yourselves until you can control your body cells and spiritual energy at a molecular level," H'el said.

This breathing technique was developed by H'el through his understanding of microscopic particle interactions and applying it to his body, to unlock his spiritual potential. It wasn't particularly difficult.

The upper limit of this breathing technique, based on its portrayal in the Shinigami world, would be roughly equivalent to the level of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.

It's quite impressive in this world.

It can rapidly unlock the true potential of a genius.

But for H'el, it's just average.

This breathing technique requires a genius among geniuses, someone with extraordinary potential and character, to handle it and quickly develop their body's potential.

H'el's own body, apart from gaining a negligible increase in spiritual energy during growth, had little potential.

Gin Ichimaru, being a true genius, would benefit far more from this technique.

This is a breathing technique for top-tier geniuses to develop their power.

Gin Ichimaru also felt that this breathing technique was gradually deepening the development of his physical capabilities, allowing him to harness his own power more effectively and control his spiritual energy with greater ease.

"With such strong potential, will I eventually become stronger than H'el?" Gin asked with a meaningful, mischievous smile as he smoothly manipulated the spiritual energy ball, making it smaller and more focused.

H'el, unusually, opened his lazy eyes, glanced at Gin, and sighed, "Unfortunately, no."

Gin, after all, was limited to the Shinigami world. To be stronger than H'el, even if he became like the Soul King, it would be difficult to compare to H'el.

The breadth of H'el's journey was beyond Gin's imagination.

"Oh, why not, H'el? Didn't you say my potential was much greater than yours?" Gin asked, genuinely puzzled.

H'el stood up, picked up his sword, and gestured for Gin and Rangiku to follow him outside. "Come with me. Let me show you the power of a Shinigami."

"No matter how great your potential is, you cannot surpass the future me."

"Even if you stand at the pinnacle of this world, you cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with me because I am beyond the heavens."

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