Hueco Mundo — Realm of the Hollows
Far beyond the Blue Pole Star and even the divine realms, there exists a place forsaken by gods and men alike—Hueco Mundo. Known as the realm of corrupted souls, it is a land where the dead wander without end, condemned to eternal hunger. For countless millennia, it has stood as a prison, a punishment for those spirits who refused the cycle of reincarnation, their sins too heavy to grant release.
Here, the moon forever opposes that of the Human World, locked in an eternal crescent of cold light. The world beneath it is an endless desert of white sand and jagged quartz, where not a single drop of water flows, and not a blade of grass grows. Black stone formations claw upward like broken fangs, while forests of petrified, crystal-like trees loom in silence. Night is unchanging, eternal, suffocating—a stillness so profound it seems time itself has forgotten this realm.
The very air is poison to mortals. Saturated with Reishi, Hueco Mundo feeds the Hollowed who dwell within its wastes. Even the weakest of these creatures can survive indefinitely, their hunger dulled by the very essence of the realm. But for ordinary humans, even those blessed with strength in life, to breathe this air is to invite death. Their fragile bodies would be undone within moments, torn apart by the spirit particles. Only beings born of spirit—Soul Reapers, Arrancar, or other entities of pure essence—can endure Hueco Mundo's oppressive atmosphere.
Souls that once rejected passage to the afterlife are claimed here, twisted and hollowed, becoming part of this land's eternal cycle of predation. Each wandering Hollow is both victim and predator, cursed to feed endlessly yet never be sated.
And yet, above even the endless sands, in the boundless black skies, there are whispers of beings greater still—silent overseers, embodiments of Hueco Mundo itself. They are the guardians of balance, the watchers who prevent the realm from collapse. For millions of years they did not stir, content to let the endless cycle of hunger and evolution grind on.
But two million years ago… something changed.
In the endless skies of Hueco Mundo, silence was torn apart.
A massive Garganta ripped open the void, black edges yawning like wounds across the heavens. From within, an enormous crimson eye emerged, its size so vast that even the dunes below seemed to shrink into insignificance. Around it writhed colossal tentacles, each thicker than mountains, their movements slow yet terrifying in their weight.
But the sky did not stop there. Two more Garganta split reality, vomiting forth a sapphire eye and a golden eye, each accompanied by their own abominable tendrils. Three eyes now loomed in the black firmament, staring down upon the desert realm they ruled.
The scale was incomprehensible—if mortals had been present, no human mind could grasp such enormity. To see the eyes alone was to court madness. For if a mere eye was larger than a city… what nightmare lurked beyond the veil, hidden in the darkness of the Garganta?
Then came the voice.
It did not echo from mouths—none of these beings had mouths. Instead, it reverberated within the air itself, a telepathic resonance that seemed to root itself directly into the soul. The red eye, vast and domineering, was the first to speak:
"Fellow Divine Rulers… how fares the new order?"
The weight of its voice pressed upon the land like a divine decree. Among the three, the crimson one was the strongest—the highest authority of the so-called Divine Hollows, sovereigns of Hueco Mundo. Their power stretched beyond even Vasto Lordes, their existence closer to divine forces than mere Hollows.
The blue eye answered next, its voice calm and resonant:"It progresses well. The new world order has proven fruitful. Its energy differs from pure Reishi, but it suffices. It nourishes us… it sustains."
The world they spoke of was none other than the Blue Pole Star, the realm where Yun Che—now Yuuki—walked.
Then the golden eye stirred, voice carrying a cruel satisfaction:"Contaminated souls flow to us like rivers unending. Since the first Garganta opened to that realm, countless souls pour into our desert. Each day, new Hollows are born. A world such as this… was a gift we never expected."
The crimson eye pulsed, its tone filled with delight that bordered on hunger:"After two million years of silence… we have finally found it. A world rich in corruption, overflowing with souls ripe for hollowfication. Our realm will thrive again. Our children will no longer starve."
The desert trembled under their unseen presence. Hueco Mundo itself seemed to pulse in rhythm with its masters—its gods.
The crimson eye pulsed again, its telepathic voice rumbling through the air."What kind of nourishment lies within that world?"
The blue eye answered, its tone measured yet edged with intrigue:"That world brims with a force the mortals call Profound Energy—the so-called 'Heaven and Earth energy' cultivated by its humans. When our Hollows devour them, they grow stronger, their power swelling rapidly. Yet… this energy carries side effects. Those who feed upon it gain physical form, but in turn, they become vulnerable to human strikes. Worse still, the mortals of that world can now perceive our kind… despite lacking true spiritual sight."
The red eye's voice sharpened."So the humans there are strong enough to oppose us?"
"They are cultivators," the blue eye replied. "Mortals who refine Profound Energy into strength. Many among them stand on par with our higher Adjuchas. Hollows who stray carelessly are often slain."
The red eye hummed darkly."Then… this Profound Energy not only strengthens our kin but grants them flesh? They emerge not from departed souls… but from the living?"
The blue eye pulsed once."Correct. The Hollows prey not on wandering spirits, but on living cultivators. By consuming their vitality and Profound Energy, they bind themselves into physical form. As a result, our realm has shifted. Cannibalism among Hollows has waned; instead, they hunger for the humans of that world. Strangely, once they ascend, they no longer waste their hunger on the weak. Only strong cultivators are devoured."
A low tremor spread as the yellow eye gave a rasping laugh."No wonder. In but a year since the first Garganta was torn open, this realm has birthed Menos at a pace unseen in eons. Give it a few more years, and Hueco Mundo will swarm with Adjuchas and perhaps… even Vasto Lordes in numbers the gods themselves have never witnessed."
The vast desert below seemed to shiver, as if echoing their sinister prophecy.
The giant red eye swiveled toward the blue one, its tentacles shifting like restless shadows."Tell me then… how did you stumble upon that realm at all? Countless worlds drift beyond this darkness. To find one fit for us is like seeking a grain of sand in an endless desert."
The blue eye flickered, answering with a calm resonance:"We detected a surge of Reiatsu emanating from that world. It drew our gaze like a beacon. Our scouts entered, searching for the source, yet found no cultivators of our kind. And yet… the spikes continued. Twice more, great waves of Reiatsu flared across that world."
The red eye's voice rumbled with disbelief."Reiatsu? Impossible. Beyond ourselves, no such beings should remain. The last cultivators of that power perished… two million years ago."
"Perished?" the crimson overlord pressed, its vast memory slow to stir.
The yellow eye answered with a tone like cracking stone:"When their Human Realm collided with their Spiritual Realm, both were annihilated in an instant. That collision shattered the gateways connecting our worlds. Since then, Hueco Mundo has drifted without anchor, unable to siphon sustenance from any suitable realm. That ancient catastrophe erased them all… or so we believed."
The red eye pulsed, its tone shifting, almost contemplative."And yet… survivors. Carriers of Reiatsu walk that world still. Unthinkable."
Silence rippled for a long moment, as if even the air of Hueco Mundo held its breath.
At last, the blue eye spoke again."There is no denying it. The traces are real. Reiatsu cultivators live once more. But whether they are remnants… or something newly born of that realm's Profound Energy… is beyond us. We have opened the path. The Hollows feed. Our task as overseers is fulfilled. The rest… is for the realm itself to decide."
The endless desert shifted restlessly below, as if Hueco Mundo itself whispered of storms yet to come.
The yellow eye pulsed again, its voice swelling with pride."With the humans of this realm lacking purification powers, our Hollows' reincarnation will be unending. Soon, Hueco Mundo will thrive again—just as it did two million years ago."
But the blue eye cut in, its tone edged with unease."Do not be so certain. We have observed something troubling. Some Hollows dispatched to that world… were purified. And when purified, even if reincarnated, they return stripped of all strength. Forced to begin cultivation anew."
The yellow eye recoiled, its vast form trembling as if struck."Purified? That cannot be! Only the Soul Reapers possessed that accursed power. They perished with their realms in the cataclysm. To think… they still exist in that world?"
The red eye loomed silent for a time, its gaze unblinking, before speaking in a low, resonant echo."If purification exists there, then Soul Reapers walk that world as well. Whether remnants… or something born anew… it matters not. What matters is that our Hollows face a predator unlike any cultivator they have known."
"Even so," the blue eye rumbled, "we must not interfere further. Observe the cultivators. Each Hollow that falls will be replaced in time. We have already opened the path, secured nourishment, and sown the seeds of rebirth. The rest… is for the new generation of Hollows to decide."
Their titanic forms loomed in silence, three divine overseers suspended in the dark skies. Then, as one, the eyes and their writhing tentacles withdrew into the vast Garganta, the rifts snapping shut behind them.
Once more, the desert of Hueco Mundo was calm—yet the air carried an unsettling weight, as though the realm itself awaited the storm to come.
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Blue Pole Star – Present Time
The explosion and the roiling dark sky had not gone unnoticed. From distant sects and nearby cities, experts looked on with wary curiosity. The phenomenon spoke of power far beyond the ordinary—a clash of forces that could alter the balance of regions.
Though hesitant to approach too soon, cautious elders from small clans and sects dispatched scouts toward the source. If fortune favored them, they might encounter a reclusive master, or perhaps two. If such individuals could be recruited, their sects' standing would change overnight. But none dared step too close, for to intrude on a battlefield of such magnitude was to court death.
Yun Che, meanwhile, finally let himself collapse back onto the ground. His breathing steadied, though his frustration simmered beneath the calm. The system's message echoed in his mind, like shackles clamped onto his spirit:
Until he reached the Illusory Demon Realm, his cultivation would stagnate. No Emperor Profound Realm. No new Zanpakutō. No further wisdom cubes—except the single one he possessed.
He exhaled sharply, running his hand down his face before brushing the fragments of his hollow's mask aside."So that's it, huh? Trapped until I reach that place…"
His gaze darkened, thoughts drifting toward Hoyuu. If he wanted to unlock the next stage—Adjuchas mode, full hollow form—he would have to confront that monster again. To defeat Hoyuu even with the Evil God Arts at his disposal… would take more than a battle. It would take a year of relentless training. A year of walking the line between survival and madness.
Still, the system's words weren't without silver lining."At least when this lock is gone, everything I've gained will hit me at once. A leap straight to the peak, huh?"
He propped himself up on one arm, eyes narrowing as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. For now, patience would be his only weapon. Patience… and preparation.
Yun Che sat cross-legged, resting Tensa Zangetsu across his lap. His gaze swept over the wrecked battlefield, but his mind wandered elsewhere."Still… the Illusory Demon Realm is far. And the arc with Feng Xu'er and the Primordial Profound Ark won't start for another two years. Ah, whatever. I'll just stockpile experience. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll jump straight into Tyrant—or even Sovereign—Profound Realm when the lock lifts."
Before he could sink deeper into his own muttering, a familiar voice rang crisply inside his head."Quite a mess you caused."
Yun Che nearly flinched. "Jasmine? You're awake?"
"Of course. Both I and the spirits saw everything through your inner world's projection." Her tone was dry, though not without a trace of grudging admiration. "I'll admit— that hollow was powerful."
Inside, the spirits stirred. Hoyuu, in particular, gave an audible sigh of disappointment. He had waited, hungering for release, only to be ignored again.
Yun Che exhaled slowly. "Strong? Maybe. But that was just a low-level Adjuchas. If a true high-level one shows up, I won't stand a chance as I am now."
Jasmine's brows furrowed in his mindscape. "You gained plenty of experience points from that fight. Why would you say that?"
With a grimace, Yun Che relayed what the system had told him—his cultivation frozen until he reached the Illusory Demon Realm. He kept silent about the events two years in the future but revealed enough for Jasmine to understand the lock.
"I see…" She released a sharp breath. "This system of yours really is… infuriating. So, you need to reach this Illusory Demon Realm. Where is it?"
"Other side of the planet," he replied. "Practically another continent. From what I know, that's supposed to be my next destination… in two years. Which means, until then, I'm stuck."
Her voice cooled, as if weighing his options. "And how do you plan to get there?"
Yun Che tilted his head back, staring at the clearing sky. "Hard part, that. Flying or flash-stepping across an ocean would take months. Until I find a better way, I'll train another trump card. Something that'll let me stand against Sovereign Profound cultivators when the time comes."
A pause. Then Jasmine's voice cut in, laced with annoyance."Or just let Hoyuu take over once in a while. That maniac's been simmering too long—he's practically gnawing at the bars."
In the depths of his inner world, Hoyuu chuckled darkly.
"That's a desperate plan, though," Yun Che muttered, his voice heavy. "Hoyuu's strength is limitless in battle, but when he takes over… it's indiscriminate. He carries not just my will, but a hollow's instincts. Maybe he wouldn't harm the people I care about, but innocent lives?" He shook his head, remembering the Fire Bead Heist—the rampage against the Emperor-ranked dragon. "Even then, he protected you, Jasmine. But if I ever unleash a full takeover, I can't guarantee what he'll do. Once the instincts kick in, destruction becomes his only law."
Jasmine's eyes widened in his mindscape. She'd always known the inner hollow was dangerous, but not to this extent. "You mean… that irritating fiend is actually that strong? How powerful would you become in a full hollow takeover?"
"I haven't reached it yet," Yun Che admitted. "To unlock it, I need to defeat Hoyuu another fifty times in the inner world. He learns everything I do, so it's like fighting my own darker self again and again. But if I manage it… the full takeover boosts my strength by an entire realm. My body would transform into something closer to an Adjuchas—a hollow given flesh. Mask, armor, claws… monstrous."
Jasmine imagined it and shivered. To her surprise, his humanity would still remain, yet his form would scream of corruption. "So… that's your strongest transformation?"
Yun Che's gaze grew distant. His tone softened to a whisper. "Not quite. There's… one more."
Her breath hitched. "Another?!"
"Yes," he said quietly. "It requires me to sync my mind completely with Hoyuu. Not suppress him, not resist—but accept. If I do, my strength would surge by two entire realms, no matter the gap. But…" His jaw tightened. "If Hoyuu ever initiated a limitless takeover in that form, I wouldn't just lose control. I'd become a calamity. Something this world isn't ready to face."
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only when a familiar, gentle voice called out behind him.
"Young master?"