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"Although I don't know the specific level of authority, I can at least order these guards to do some basic chores."

This will make moving around in Hell much easier; this trip to Hell is much more interesting than I imagined.

Chapter 265 The Captain from a Thousand Years Ago?

Liu Chuan continued to wander around for a while, his pace neither hurried nor slow. He passed through one cubic building complex after another, carefully observing the environment and ecology of Hell along the way.

He noted that the spatial structure of hell is not static.

But the deeper one goes, the higher the concentration of miasma in the air becomes, and the inhabitants of the entrance area are generally weak, with dull eyes and slow movements, and have virtually no fighting ability.

Most of them are weaker souls, assigned to the highest level of hell, where they suffer relatively "mild" punishments.

Of course, this "mildness" is only relative to the deeper levels of hell.

For them, being eaten and resurrected several times a day by their guards remains an inescapable nightmare.

Liu Chuan stopped beside a huge white stone pillar, took out the dark red token from his pocket, and examined it carefully from the back.

The back of the token features a rough map; although the lines are coarse, the hierarchical structure of hell and the distribution of its main areas are roughly discernible.

Based on the route he had taken while strolling around, and referring to the markings on the map, he roughly determined his current location.

The entrance area to hell, which is the topmost layer.

This area is vast, but the inhabitants are generally weak, making it the "safest" area in the entire hell.

The map shows that there are many areas below hell, extending downwards layer by layer.

According to the map's annotations, the more powerful the sinner, the deeper the guilt of the soul, the more deeply it is imprisoned.

Those Shinigami who possessed captain-level spiritual pressure in their lifetimes, those ancient Hollows who committed heinous crimes, those forbidden beings forgotten by history.

They were all imprisoned in the deepest part of hell, enduring the cruelest punishments.

Liu Chuan put away the token, a thoughtful glint in his eyes, and began to ponder:

"Therefore, in order to investigate the truth behind the anomalies in Hell, we must go to the area below."

The information in the entrance area is of limited value; the truly valuable clues should be hidden deeper inside.

Liuchuan then began to take action, preparing to find the entrance to the next level.

The wandering bastards continued to linger among the stone pillars like zombies, showing no reaction to him, the outsider.

The miasma in the air was still thick, but for Yanagawa, who had already adapted to the hellish environment, it was no longer as uncomfortable as it had been when he first entered.

Just then, a figure slowly emerged from behind a huge stone pillar and silently blocked his path.

Liuchuan stopped in his tracks.

She was a woman with a long, high ponytail, a tall and slender figure, and a pair of round-framed glasses perched on her nose. Her eyes behind the lenses were clear and sharp, a stark contrast to the empty, numb eyes of the other people.

Several chains of hell were wrapped around her body, a mark of her sinful nature, proving that she was indeed a soul imprisoned in hell.

But unlike the other saviors, she held a long-handled naginata tightly in her hand, the blade slender and elegant.

It gleamed coldly in the dark red light, and a faded purple ribbon was tied to the end of the hilt.

That was clearly the Zanpakuto she used when she was alive.

The moment Liu Chuan saw her, he keenly sensed that she was different from everyone else.

Her stance was steady and composed, and her grip on the knife was natural and skillful, clearly a combat instinct honed through countless trials.

More importantly, Liu Chuan could clearly sense that her seemingly slender body contained extremely powerful strength.

Although the spiritual pressure was somewhat restrained by the hellish environment, its essential strength was at least at the captain level, or even higher.

This raised a question in Liu Chuan's mind.

According to the information he obtained, the levels of hell are divided according to the power of the sinner and the depth of their sins.

The more powerful and guilty a person is, the deeper they are imprisoned in the highest levels.

The vengeful spirits in the entrance area are generally weak, but the further down you go, the stronger they become.

The woman in front of me, who clearly possesses power at the captain level or above, is imprisoned at the highest level of hell, which is obviously illogical.

As Liu Chuan pondered this, the woman was also carefully observing him.

Her gaze swept over Yanagawa's white haori and black shihaka, the standard attire of a captain of the Gotei 13.

A hint of nostalgia and curiosity flashed in her eyes: this young man seemed to be a Death Captain, just like she had been.

But what caught her attention even more was another detail: Liu Chuan was not bound by any hellish chains.

There are no chains.

This means that he is not a culprit, nor is he a soul imprisoned in hell.

This was something she had never heard of before, having lived in hell for countless years.

The gates of hell are only open to the dead; the living cannot enter unless they possess some special privileges.

In either case, the young man in front of them was no ordinary person.

Out of curiosity, she broke the silence first. Her voice was clear and crisp, yet carried a hint of age, as if it had been tempered by the passage of time: "You seem to be a Grim Reaper as well, don't you?"

She paused, then introduced herself:

"My name is Shikatori Hakunsai. I was once a Grim Reaper. I wonder if you've ever heard of me?"

Liu Chuan paused for a moment, then slowly began to recall the name.

Rokuto Hakunsai? The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it right away.

He searched his memory for a moment, and then he remembered.

He had indeed seen this name when he was researching the history of Soul Society in the Great Spiritual Arts Corridor.

The records document the names and deeds of the first thirteen Grim Reapers appointed as captains.

On that list, the position of captain of the 8th Division was clearly written as Shikato Hakunsai.

"You are Shikato Hakunsai, the first captain of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13?"

Upon hearing this, the composed expression on Lu Qubaiyunzhai's face was instantly replaced by a look of surprise.

She never expected that this seemingly very young Grim Reaper would actually recognize her name and accurately state her identity.

A smile appeared on her lips, a smile tinged with emotion, and a warmth that seemed to come from a thousand years ago, as if she had finally been remembered.

"I never thought that after so many years, someone would still remember me. I thought my name had long been forgotten by the people of Soul Society."

Looking at the first captain of the Eighth Division in front of him, Liu Chuan couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.

He had only been in Hell for a short time, and before he had a chance to explore it thoroughly, he encountered the captain from a thousand years ago.