Lingqing examined the massive pure white monster before him.
The creature stood approximately five meters tall, and because it crouched in a semi-prostrate position like a reptile, it would likely be even taller if it stood upright.
Unlike conventional animals, it had no fur or skin—only white bone-like armor covering its body. Its ten fingers were extraordinarily long and sharp, with claw-like tips extending about twenty centimeters, razor-sharp like blades.
Most incredibly, where its heart should have been—a vital organ—there was instead a gaping hole, so large that one could see straight through to the scenery behind it.
The entire monster was uniformly white—a single color throughout.
White typically evokes feelings of purity, beauty, or justice, standing in opposition to darkness. However, when this color completely covered the monster without a trace of any other hue, it conveyed something entirely different: turbidity, viscosity, madness, and... emptiness.
"You—are you a Soul Reaper?!" the massive creature exclaimed in shock, backing away while warily studying Lingqing. However, Lingqing noticed that its attention was focused more on the sword in his hand.
Lingqing's blade had been obtained from a Soul Reaper's corpse, so it was natural for the creature to associate the weapon with a Soul Reaper upon seeing it.
The appearance of this monster answered one of Lingqing's lingering questions.
In this Soul Society, where only a select few could become Soul Reapers—beings who served as embodiments of violence—what exactly did Soul Reapers fight against? Were they battling members of other organizations? Yet despite his extensive inquiries, Lingqing had heard of no other profession that opposed the Soul Reapers.
In other words, this Soul Society appeared to be exactly as it seemed to Lingqing: a society with relatively backward systems and highly centralized power.
This raised the question: if only Soul Reapers existed as a profession with special powers, what were they fighting against?
Now, what might not be a completely correct answer appeared before Lingqing's eyes.
"No, I'm not a Soul Reaper," Lingqing replied to the monster's question without any intention of disguising himself as one.
The moment Lingqing had blocked the creature's attack, he realized that despite its massive size, it wasn't particularly formidable. After all, he hadn't even needed to use both hands to deflect its strike.
Perhaps the creature hadn't used its full strength since it was only trying to kill a child, but the fact that such a large being's attack could be easily blocked by Lingqing using just one arm suggested it wasn't as powerful as it appeared.
If Lingqing had initially felt he couldn't defeat it, he would have already fled with the child rather than standing here talking.
After observing for a while and confirming the nature of the fleeing child, Lingqing decided intervention was necessary. Initially, he had planned a hit-and-run strategy—save the child and retreat immediately.
But now Lingqing had changed his mind.
Therefore, there was no need to use a Soul Reaper's authority as a facade.
A slight smile crept across his lips.
Something fervent within him seemed to awaken—the joy of battle.
Frankly speaking, in terms of pure power, this monster was the strongest opponent Lingqing had encountered since arriving in the Soul Society.
Unlike the street thugs he could cut down with a single stroke, this creature seemed capable of withstanding multiple attacks.
Lingqing raised his sword, positioning it in an unusual stance with the blade tip pointing toward the monster near his face, while his right hand protected his left side like a guard.
With a smile, Lingqing answered calmly, "Just a meddlesome stranger, nothing more."
"Are you... mocking me?!" the massive creature responded with rage.
"A soul with a scent like yours couldn't possibly belong to an ordinary spirit! I can't wait... I can't wait to devour you!"
Its mask-like face split open, revealing a large tongue that licked its lips. The massive monster's eyes filled with greed.
The moment Lingqing appeared before it, the creature had completely forgotten about the child it had been pursuing just half a minute earlier. Now, only Lingqing existed in its vision.
It couldn't wait to tear Lingqing's body apart, to feast on his flesh, to drink his blood with pleasure!
"I don't care if you're a Soul Reaper or not—die!"
Unlike its initial composure, the monster now seemed completely consumed by greed. Saliva dripped from its mouth, indicating it wasn't merely speaking—it truly considered Lingqing's soul an irresistible feast.
Its beast-like body suddenly burst into motion, leaping high into the air toward Lingqing, even blocking out the sun and casting a massive shadow over both Lingqing and Yuteki behind him.
"Heh."
Letting out a soft laugh, Lingqing surprisingly ignored the massive creature lunging at him, instead turning slightly to glance at Yuteki behind him.
He appeared completely relaxed, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll with Yuteki rather than facing a terrifying monster in battle.
"Things might get dangerous here. If you still have strength, find somewhere safe to hide."
Before Yuteki could respond, the massive creature had already descended.
A thunderous crash erupted. It was impossible to see what happened in the instant the monster landed, but the accompanying explosion shattered the ground like a cookie, creating a crater several centimeters deep.
Dust and debris filled the air following the explosive impact.
Yuteki, who had no time to react to the sudden turn of events, was thrown across to the other side of the stream.
Grateful he hadn't landed in the water—since even shallow water would have been beyond his current strength to escape—Yuteki desperately lifted his head to look toward the source of the explosion.
The wind through the forest stirred the dust, gradually dispersing it. Blurred figures slowly became visible within the settling debris.
Yuteki widened his eyes.
What appeared before him was not the image of the suddenly appeared man being torn apart by the monster like his father had been.
Instead, it was the figure of someone who had blocked the monster's massive body and attack with nothing but the thin blade in his hand, standing heroically and unmoved like a pillar of strength.
However, the same scene looked entirely different through the Hollow's eyes.
It was stunned by what had occurred.
"This... this is impossible!"
"Did you even try?" Lingqing asked, looking up at the massive creature's face with a mocking gleam in his blue eyes as he effortlessly blocked the Hollow's attack with his sword.
"Or perhaps the threat of death might make you more serious?"
In an instant, something changed.
It wasn't anything physical, but rather a sensation.
With Lingqing as the center, an invisible yet irresistible aura began spreading from him throughout the entire world.
An absolute presence manifested around him.
While the massive Hollow held the clear advantage in terms of size, it was actually Lingqing who dominated the battlefield!
"This... this can't be!" the Hollow shrieked.
This terrifying presence, this oppressive force that made even the Hollow want to submit—it had only encountered this once before, from one other being.
But Lingqing had no intention of wasting words with it. He let out a cold snort, and the sword that had been holding back the Hollow's massive claws suddenly erupted with force, violently deflecting the creature's attack.
This created an opening for his strike.
Accompanied by a humming sound like wind being sliced, his movement was swift as a gale—but his sword was even faster!
Silver-white light flashed like a streak cutting through space.
Like a blooming silver flower, brilliant silver petals formed by countless slashes burst forth at the point where the Hollow was struck.
More importantly, an irresistible force suddenly struck the Hollow, sending its massive body flying like a baseball!
The enormous Hollow crashed through countless trees, carving a straight path through the green forest before finally coming to a stop.