She snatched the bottle from Shi Hanfeng’s hand.
Then, under his gaze, she swiftly popped the ornamental stopper, tilted her head back, and chugged it straight from the bottle.
The gesture was less “absorbing essence” and more like downing ice-cold soda on a sweltering summer day.
Shi Hanfeng was stunned by this bold display.
It could be done this way? Orally?
“Hey! You—”
He tried to stop her, but Qianbian had already tossed the empty bottle onto the sand, smacking her lips in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, her cheeks flushed with unnatural red, eyes growing dazed, body swaying as if drunk, staggering with a drunken walk and muttering incoherently.
“Ugh… the taste… kinda weird… but feels strong…”
She burped, releasing a starry wisp from her mouth.
Shi Hanfeng was about to ask, “Are you okay?”
But then he saw Qianbian’s figure blur and transform into a stream of light, reverting to the Zanpakuto form and stabbing upright into the soft sand.
At this moment, the blade’s appearance remained the same as its original plain style, but the entire body buzzed softly, rippling with waves of light.
Inside, countless dreamlike shadows seemed to swirl and collide.
An arcane yet naturally ingrained phrase of release surfaced in Shi Hanfeng’s soul.
Following instinct, he gripped the hilt and chanted in a low voice:
“Dreams entwined—all become one. Manifest, Qianbian!”
A brilliant, gentle light erupted from the blade—not scorching like sunlight, but flowing like cool moonlight.
When the glow faded, the Zanpakuto in Shi Hanfeng’s hand had changed.
The blade grew longer, with a more elegant curve, appearing almost translucent blue like pure ice or crystal, dotted with starlight within.
The guard transformed into a delicate, ornate mandala pattern, centered by a tiny gem swirling like a spinning nebula.
The entire blade exuded a tranquil, illusory aura—staring too long blurred the lines between reality and dreams.
Shi Hanfeng swung it lightly.
Instead of a sharp whoosh, a faint, dreamlike whisper echoed from the blade, as if from the depths of slumber.
“Suc…success…”
Qianbian’s voice echoed in his mind, thick with drunkenness and slurred speech, like a tipsy little ghost.
“Transformation: Jinghua Shuiyue (Imitation). Ability effect… the range and number of targets are… limited—maybe a dozen meters? Three to five people at most…”
She reported haltingly, with occasional tipsy hiccups.
“The depth and duration of hypnosis also depend on the target’s willpower and your spiritual energy output… But for creating illusions, misleading senses, or deep hypnosis of single weak-willed targets, it’s enough… hic… don’t expect to hypnotize an entire city right now…”
“Enough. This is more than enough.”
Shi Hanfeng ran his fingers along the cool blade, feeling the power of dreams and illusion inside.
He focused, trying to inject the Path of Abundance energy into the blade.
In essence, Soul Reaper spiritual power and the Path of the Star God are both energy. It should be possible… right?
As the abundant, life-filled power slowly flowed in, the light around him seemed to warp and refract, the white sand beneath his feet rippling unrealistically, while the distant blue sea briefly inverted like a mirage.
He swung the blade at empty air.
An invisible wave carrying psychic ripples spread outward.
Not far away, an illusion identical to himself, constructed of light and will, silently emerged.
Though still somewhat fuzzy, the outline was clear, persisting for three or four seconds before popping and vanishing like a sunlit bubble.
“It’s still far from the full Jinghua Shuiyue that hypnotized the entire Soul Society, but this is just the beginning.”
Shi Hanfeng’s heart brimmed with anticipation as he gazed at the dreamy blade, seeing limitless possibilities ahead.
“With enough similar or higher-grade materials, letting you continuously understand and reconstruct, gaining greater power is just a matter of time. The future is promising.”
With this weakened Jinghua Shuiyue ability, his plan against Muzan could be even bolder.
Previously, many Upper Moons were left alone for fear of alarming the enemy or exposing strength. Now, he had more room for maneuver.
He could now use illusions to impersonate a Hashira, creating staged scenes of “fierce battle” and “mutual destruction” with Upper Moons.
“By the way,”
Qianbian’s voice echoed again—still a bit floaty but much clearer.
“Don’t forget, you’re still asleep in the Jizhou Hut. The Lower Moon One’s corpse outside is probably already dissolving. If you don’t wake up soon, someone might come over to check on you.”
Reminded by her, Shi Hanfeng realized time was still flowing in the real world.
Yan Meng had hypnotized him in reality, and though his core consciousness was drawn into the memory space and turned the tables, his body was likely still trapped in slumber.
“It’s time to return.”
He nodded, letting his awareness withdraw from the beach of memories.
Just before returning to his body, he took one last look at the blue coast and the dreamy Zanpakuto Qianbian in his hand.
Shikai of Zanpakuto—obtaining the power of transformation—this was undoubtedly a qualitative leap in his strength since arriving in the Demon Slayer world.
From relying on Immortal Boat physique and Breathing Techniques for physical enhancement to now possessing elusive mental abilities, his combat style and strategic options had greatly expanded.
The fact that Dream Essence, a material perfectly matching the core of Blood Demon Art, dropped from Yan Meng indicated that the loot from killing Upper Moons is closely linked to their core Blood Demon Art—likely a crystallization of their power.
Shi Hanfeng’s thoughts instantly turned to the Upper Moons.
Their bizarre, game-breaking Blood Demon Arts now looked like glittering treasure chests in his eyes.
If so, Upper Moons like Kokushibo, Doma, and Akaza, whose abilities are pure combat power, might actually be less valuable targets than those with weirder, more rule-based powers—especially the one who eventually replaced Hantengu as Upper Moon Four—Mingnu!
Recalling her Blood Demon Art that could freely manipulate the Infinity Castle—a strategic-level support—if materials with space attributes could be obtained…
The value might exceed Muzan and the other Upper Moons combined!
Thinking of this, he almost drooled from excitement.
With Qianbian’s awakening, the hunting game against Muzan had truly entered a phase of boundless possibilities.
The next moment, the clamor of voices, aroma of food, smoky scent of grilled meat, and solid texture of wooden tables and chairs returned around him.
Shi Hanfeng slowly opened his eyes, feigning just enough drowsy confusion.
He rubbed his temples, casually scanning the surroundings.
The Jizhou Hut was still bustling, guests drinking and chatting, with no one seeming to notice his brief trance.
In a distant corner, a small pile was quickly turning to black ash and disappearing.
He lifted his teacup and took a sip, calming his heart, lips curving in a faint, unnoticed smile.
The stage was set, actors in place, and he—the director behind the scenes—
Now not only possessed the Dust Song Pot as a superb stage, but also wielded Jinghua Shuiyue as a pair of editing scissors.
All that remained was to patiently wait for the big fish to bite, then reel in the net with precision.
“Looks like I’ll have to keep a closer eye on these Upper Moons.”
Shi Hanfeng spoke to Qianbian in his mind.
“Let’s hope our diligent boss Muzan sends out more capable subordinates like Yan Meng for strolls, providing us with even better props for our show.”
Qianbian’s laughter rang in his mind, filled with eager anticipation.
“No problem, Master! We’ll just need to write the script even more convincingly. Let Muzan believe his subordinates died in valiant battles, felled by attribute suppression or mutual destruction with Hashira, rather than by mysterious instant deaths or vanishing acts.”
“That way, he’ll feel more confident about sending more men. After all, losing a few in a reasonable way is much more acceptable to a paranoid boss than inexplicable disappearances.”
“Heh heh.”
“Heh heh.”
A tacit understanding on how to efficiently and sustainably harvest the enemy’s resources formed quietly between Master and Blade.