NOVEL NEXT Chapter 172: Chapter 167: Research Interrupted Again!
Chapter 167: Research Interrupted Again!
"You, you, what are you trying to do!"
"Hey, hey, hey! We're already dead spirits! What's with you, man?"
"What are we waiting for? Run!"
The group of ghosts panicked after seeing Ishihara's predatory and desire-filled gaze.
Before, after their deaths, bullying ordinary people was fine for them.
If they were slightly bolder, even harassing some ninjas wasn't a big deal. After all, those ninjas couldn't detect them and could only roar helplessly.
But now, the monster in front of them not only saw them but also seemed capable of killing them!
"Wait! I have a way to send you to the Afterworld!"
Ishihara shouted, but none of the ghosts believed him. They all scattered like fleeing animals, leaving Ishihara standing alone.
After some thought, Ishihara decided to head out and see if he could find more ghosts. No matter what, he was determined to get himself into the Afterworld and fully transform into a Shinigami.
---
Not long after heading out, Ishihara quickly located new ghosts. Taking advantage of their inattention, he flashed forward and delivered a solid punch, knocking one out cold!
Yes, he knocked it out.
Now that his body could partially Shinigami-ize and he had his Shihakushō on, his attacks could indeed harm these souls.
Soon after, Ishihara dragged the ghost back to his laboratory. He began testing the ghost's properties, but no matter what he tried, nothing could interact with the ghost. Even covering a scalpel with spiritual energy had no effect.
It seemed these ghosts were quite special.
The ghost eventually woke up. When it opened its eyes and saw Ishihara holding a scalpel, it nearly died of fright—again.
"Big bro, who are you? Don't do this to me! I'm scared!"
"Big bro, please don't, don't, don't!"
However, when the ghost saw the scalpel pass right through its body, it paused for a moment.
Then, it regained confidence.
"Hahahaha! Are you serious? You can't even touch me! I thought you were powerful, but you're just here to scare people!"
The ghost's arrogance was palpable—until, the next second, smack!
Ishihara slapped it hard across the face, looking at the ghost disdainfully. If he weren't worried that using his Zanpakutō might directly send the ghost off for good, he would have dismembered it already.
"You... you slapped me?"
The ghost was dumbfounded, staring at the man before him. This guy was human, right? And yet, he hit me?
"It seems I really can't pierce through you. Guess I'll have to try something else."
Ishihara muttered to himself. He then transferred some spiritual energy into the ghost's body. Immediately, the ghost felt more substantial, even a little stronger.
Could these ghosts train themselves?
"I just wanted to leave a marker, but you directly absorbed it?"
Realizing this, Ishihara began devising a way to convert spiritual energy into a tracker he could leave inside the ghost's body. His goal was simple: spiritual energy was the only power that wouldn't immediately dissipate.
"Hey, how about you just let me go? Nothing's gonna come of this anyway. Boss, big bro, lord, father—just let me go!"
The ghost grew increasingly nervous as Ishihara focused more and more on his experiments. It started to genuinely fear that this monster might find a way to harm or torture it. After all, Ishihara had slapped it earlier!
A few minutes later…
"Finally! I figured it out."
Ishihara smiled as he sent a pulse of spiritual energy into the ghost. Instantly, a mental map of the ghost's location appeared in his mind.
"Alright, time to send you on your way."
With that, Ishihara grabbed his Zanpakutō and pointed it at the ghost.
"No, no, no! Don't kill me!"
The ghost began frantically thrashing, trying to break free, but it was futile. Ishihara had pinned it to the ground with his foot.
As soon as Ishihara's Zanpakutō touched the ghost, it began to dissolve. Gradually, the ghost completely disappeared, and Ishihara sensed that it had indeed reached the Afterworld.
But just as Ishihara was about to begin his research, the connection was severed!
"Sage of Six Paths!"
In that instant, Ishihara immediately knew that the Sage of Six Paths had intervened!
---
Afterworld
"Good thing I reacted quickly! That guy nearly found a way to the Afterworld. I barely stopped him in time."
After cutting the connection, the Sage of Six Paths breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, curiosity got the better of him.
"How did he even send those souls here?"
---
"Looks like trying to get into the Afterworld this way won't work."
Ishihara sighed in frustration, finally realizing the truth. Even if the Sage of Six Paths hadn't cut the connection, he'd still need to break a seal to proceed.
Entering the Afterworld with a Zanpakutō wasn't suitable for him. After all, he wasn't dead. And using a Zanpakutō required one to be dead and in a spiritual state.
"Guess I'll have to find another way. Looks like I need to study sealing techniques further."