[send power stones please]
Not long after—
On the outskirts of Seireitei.
North of Sōkyoku Hill, directly beneath the execution apparatus itself.
"Huh…?"
"Captain… when did you even discover this place?"
"There's actually a hidden training base here?!"
Deep within the dense forest,
Matsumoto Rangiku's voice rang out in surprise.
Earlier, after finishing discussions with the homeroom instructor,
Bai Chen had left the academy under countless envious gazes,
following Shiba Isshin and Matsumoto Rangiku all the way here.
But the moment they reached the foot of the mountain, Rangiku couldn't help frowning.
Because—
This place was far too desolate.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but thick forest.
Not even a single spot suitable for resting midway.
To be honest,
If not for fulfilling Bai Chen's request,
Rangiku would much rather have chosen a location with better conditions.
However—
Faced with her dissatisfaction,
Isshin merely chuckled and said nothing.
Instead, he seamlessly slipped into the role of tour guide,
leading Bai Chen and Rangiku to their current location.
"Heh heh…"
"Rangiku, otherwise—why do you think you could never find me whenever I was slacking off?"
Isshin puffed out his chest proudly, his tone full of smug satisfaction.
Hearing this,
Even Bai Chen was slightly taken aback.
Because—
He recognized this place at a glance.
This hidden training ground was none other than the secret base built decades—nearly a century—ago in the original timeline,
Back when Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi had not yet defected from Soul Society.
He hadn't expected that—
Isshin Shiba would have found it.
After a brief moment of thought, Bai Chen quickly figured it out.
It was probably because of Shiba KūKaku.
After all,
By seniority,
Isshin—head of the Shiba branch family—was the uncle of Kaien, Kūkaku, and Ganju.
And KūKaku just so happened to be one of Yoruichi's closest friends.
So during some casual conversation with his niece,
Isshin likely learned of this secret base by chance.
All things considered, it made perfect sense.
Still—
Bai Chen didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he refocused his attention on the sign-in task.
"Ding!"
"Host has entered the sign-in area. Proceed with sign-in?"
At the sound of the system notification,
Anticipation surged within Bai Chen.
Up to this point, he had already signed in for:
Ultimate Sage Body
Monstrous Strength
No-Seal Regeneration
Wood-Release Zanpakutō
Mastery of the Shinigami Four Techniques
Whether it was reiatsu, Zanpakutō, or combat ability,
nearly every aspect of his power had been maxed out.
There was only one remaining gap—
Illusions.
In other words, the realm of mental and sensory manipulation.
It was the only weakness Bai Chen still possessed.
That was precisely why—
He was so eager for the system-enhanced version of Dark March.
After all—
This would be the first illusion technique he ever mastered.
"Ding!"
"Beginning sign-in process."
"Duration: five seconds. Interrupting midway will result in failure."
Very quickly,
As the countdown reached zero,
Bai Chen obtained his long-awaited reward.
"Ding!"
"Sign-in successful!"
"Reward obtained: Dark March Technique (Five-Sense Suppression)."
The instant the notification faded—
Clear, vivid memories of Dark March surfaced within Bai Chen's mind.
But—
What truly shocked him was just how terrifying the system-modified version was.
"Five-sense suppression…?"
"Isn't this basically Kaname Tōsen's Bankai?!"
"This is insane!!!"
After fully digesting the skill description, Bai Chen was ecstatic.
In his recollection,
The original Dark March Technique, one of the shinobi world's forbidden arts,
created absolute darkness—sealing vision and erasing all light.
But now?
After system enhancement—
Bai Chen's version didn't merely affect sight.
It directly blocked all five senses.
This was even more oppressive than Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi.
After all—
Tōsen's Bankai could be broken by grabbing the blade, instantly restoring the senses.
But Dark March?
The only way to escape it—
Was to interrupt Bai Chen himself while he was casting it.
And given Bai Chen's current combat power?
That possibility was laughably slim.
"This is way too good!"
"I just signed in for a technique on the level of a Bankai!"
"If I ever get the chance…"
"I have to use Dark March right in front of blind Kaname Tōsen."
Same darkness.
Same sensory deprivation.
But Enma Kōrogi was Tōsen's ultimate trump card—
One of the few moves he could truly rely on.
Meanwhile, for Bai Chen?
Dark March was just another ability among many.
A regular skill.
Which only went to show—
Just how terrifying Bai Chen's overall strength had already become.
◇ I'll drop one bonus chapter for every 10 reviews (leave a review/comment!)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon: patreon.com/KageNaruto