Chapter 182: “Soul Society”
Soul Society.
This is a world where Shinigami and the souls of those who died in the World of the Living reside together.
If one must describe what kind of place this is, then it can only be said that this is a world with an extremely profound hierarchy.
It resembles an era when samurai still roamed the earth freely—the buildings are somewhat old-fashioned, with a sense of age, the streets are rarely paved with stone and are mostly well-maintained dirt paths, and the people on the streets are mostly dressed in kimono, making one feel as if they have returned to the Taishō era, or even an earlier time.
Of course, this is merely the area where ordinary souls reside.
Soul Society is generally divided into two parts—one is Seireitei located at the center, and the other is Rukongai, which spreads outward surrounding Seireitei.
Seireitei's residents are Shinigami, nobles, and the main ruling class of Soul Society.
Rukongai's residents are ordinary souls, divided into four directions: east, west, south, and north. Each direction is further divided into eighty districts. District 1 is the closest to Seireitei, with the best public order, while District 80 is the farthest and therefore has the worst.
Every soul sent to Soul Society by the Shinigami is randomly placed into one of the districts in Rukongai. There, they seek out a suitable family, gathering together to live as relatives.
Because of Soul Society's rules, even souls who died at the same time and place rarely end up in the same district. Thus, most families in Rukongai are newly formed for mutual support, not relatives who lived together in life.
Naturally, as a place where ordinary people live, life in Rukongai is not prosperous—rather, it is relatively poor, and the farther from Seireitei, the poorer it becomes.
There is generally only one way to leave Rukongai and live in the affluent Seireitei.
That is to possess Reiryoku and enter the only educational institution in Soul Society with training capabilities—Shin'ō Academy.
Shin'ō Academy was established a thousand years ago by the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, to train future members of the Kidō Corps, Onmitsukidō, and Gotei 13—an educational institution that allows ordinary souls to gain power and become Shinigami.
Its gates are always open and have long welcomed enrollment. Even those from Rukongai may enroll if they pass the entrance exam, and study here to become a Shinigami.
Among Seireitei's ranks, nearly all Shinigami who originate from Rukongai are graduates of this academy. Whether it is the Gotei 13 who protect the Soul Society and the World of the Living, the Onmitsukidō who carry out top-secret missions, or the Kidō Corps responsible for opening passages, erecting Kekkai, and sealing dangerous items, there are many Rukongai-born graduates among them.
Its registration site is also completely public. It is located in the west district of Rukongai in Soul Society. From the Hakutō Gate used to enter Seireitei, head south for 100 meters, then turn right to arrive.
Today, an entrance examination is being held enthusiastically at this registration point.
"Spiritual Pressure Level 21! Qualified!"
"Spiritual Pressure Level 23! Qualified!"
"Spiritual Pressure insufficient! Failed!"
"Failed!"
"Failed!"
Amid loud voices, those gathered here to take the entrance exam showed varied expressions—some with joy, some with sorrow, some nervous and uneasy, others calm and composed. The full range of human emotions was on display.
A group of people in neatly dressed white robes, clearly personnel from Shin'ō Academy, were organizing the entrance examination.
The test was very simple—measuring Spiritual Pressure.
Spiritual Pressure refers to the concentration of Reiatsu within the Reitai. It was originally a unit used by the nobles.
Anyone with Reiryoku will have it in varying strengths.
Reiatsu refers to the density of the soul.
The greater the density of the soul, the stronger the Reiatsu. Its relationship with Reiryoku is like that of water to water pressure, or air to air pressure.
The stronger one's Reiatsu, the more Reiryoku they can wield. As for control, that depends on individual ability.
Spiritual Pressure is what measures the upper and lower limits of Reiatsu. The higher the Spiritual Pressure, the greater the potential Reiatsu that individual can manifest. Thus, Spiritual Pressure has become the entry standard for Shin'ō Academy.
To study at Shin'ō Academy, one must at least possess a Spiritual Pressure of twenty-five.
If one's Spiritual Pressure does not reach twenty-five, they will be denied entry to Shin'ō Academy.
The higher the Spiritual Pressure, the more attention one receives at the academy.
Unfortunately, up to this point in the entrance exam, no one had reached even a Spiritual Pressure of twenty.
Spiritual Pressure twenty is the usual standard for past graduates of Shin'ō Academy and also the normal level of Reiatsu for ordinary Squad Members in the Gotei 13.
If a student appears with a Spiritual Pressure of twenty before enrollment, it is generally certain that they can study through to graduation.
As for those with a Spiritual Pressure above ten, they are bona fide prodigies—even within the Gotei 13, such individuals can become Seated Officers.
In past entrance exams, any person with a Spiritual Pressure above ten immediately became a sought-after talent.
But such individuals are far too rare—sometimes several classes go by without one appearing.
However, today, the history of Shin'ō Academy was destined to be etched with a heavy mark.
"Zing——"
When a blinding light akin to a burst of radiance appeared on one of the devices used to measure Spiritual Pressure, the entire crowd instantly fell into shock and silence.
A young man who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen stood before the device, with one hand placed upon it, bathed in that dazzling light.
Beside him, a white-robed Shin'ō Academy staff member was so stunned by the intense light that he was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he stammered out:
"Sp-Spiritual Pressure... Level Two!"
Level Two Spiritual Pressure!
This phrase exploded in the minds of everyone present, leaving them dizzy.
After a long while, an uproar erupted, followed by a massive commotion.
...
Soul Society, Seireitei.
As the center and key stronghold of Soul Society, this place was a completely different world compared to Rukongai.
It was vast, with an area of approximately 418,327 square Reishi miles, and a radius of about 365 Reishi miles. It was laid out in a circular formation composed of massive streets—walking around it on foot would take about forty days.
The environment within Seireitei was also extremely beautiful, with large grasslands and low, rolling mountains. Most buildings were made of stone, with tiled roofs and pleasing appearances.
Compared to this, Rukongai was completely like a slum.
The surrounding walls of Seireitei were built from Sekkiseki, which could block Reiryoku. These Sekkiseki released waves that decomposed Reiryoku, forming a spherical protective barrier that extended from the sky to underground, safeguarding Seireitei. Souls with ordinary Reiryoku simply could not breach it, marking an exceptionally clear separation between classes and commoners—an extreme manifestation of hierarchical structure.
But today, many voices in Seireitei were discussing residents of Rukongai.
"Did you hear? This year at Shin'ō Academy, a student appeared with Level Two Spiritual Pressure!"
"Apparently from Rukongai? And from one of the outermost districts..."
"No way? Level Two Spiritual Pressure?"
"Isn't that Captain-level Reiatsu?!"
"How could such a genius come from a place like Rukongai?"
"Level Two Spiritual Pressure... that's a level not even some Captains have reached. A commoner from Rukongai actually possessed more Reiatsu upon entry than some Captains?"
"That has to be a joke, right?"
"It's true. I heard even the Captains of various Squads have been alarmed. Many in the Squad Barracks are discussing it."
"They say even the Captain Commander has been disturbed."
"This really is..."
One by one, Shinigami wearing black kimono and carrying Zanpakutō at their waists were either walking through the streets or appearing in buildings, gathering in small groups and all discussing the same topic.
Many were surprised by this incident—more were outright shocked.
No helping it—Level Two Spiritual Pressure was simply too terrifying.
One must understand, within the Gotei 13—tasked with protecting Seireitei's safety and maintaining order in Soul Society and the World of the Living—Shinigami capable of reaching Level Two Spiritual Pressure were extremely few.
The Gotei 13, as the name suggests, consists of thirteen Squads, with all members being Shinigami and ranks strictly defined.
Each Squad has one Captain, one Lieutenant, and multiple Seated Officers. The Seated Officers are usually ranked by strength, with lower seats assisting higher ones.
The Lieutenant assists the Captain; the Third Seat assists the Lieutenant; the Fourth Seat assists the Third, and so on. Each Squad typically has over 200 Squad Members at the base level.
Among these many Shinigami, the ordinary Squad Members typically have around Level Twenty Spiritual Pressure. Level Ten and above qualifies one to be a Seated Officer. The Lieutenants usually have Level Four or Five, and even Captains generally possess only Level Three.
Level Two Spiritual Pressure?
What does that mean?
And from a newly enrolled student?
What does that mean?
In short, the entire Seireitei was in an uproar—even the high-and-mighty nobles were alarmed. All factions began verifying the authenticity of this news. Some even left their residences to head for Shin'ō Academy.
And in the Squad 1 barracks of Seireitei, inside the Captain Commander's room of the Gotei 13, an old man sat there.
He was a dignified and solemn old man, with a hint of kindness in his demeanor.
The old man was bald, his face heavily wrinkled, with protruding cheekbones and a cross-shaped scar on the right side of his forehead. He had long eyebrows and beard, a silver-white beard tied with a purple cord that hung to his waist. His body was sturdy, and he wore a deep purple Haori.
At that moment, on the document before the old man lay the information of a certain individual.
"Kaiser..."
Gazing at the name on the document, the old man fell into thought.
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Author's Note: Like the new cover? xD
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