And even without the blessing of his transcendent status, Uehara Shiroha still possessed the ability to perceive space and Observation Haki that could predict the future with remarkable accuracy.
No matter how fast or unexpected the attack, there was absolutely no way it could catch him off guard. He did not choose to dodge or block simply because there was no need to do so.
Although Uehara Shiroha appeared to be unable to react in time and avoid the incoming slash, Aizen remained completely focused and vigilant until he swung his blade and struck toward Uehara Shiroha's position.
Because he understood that Uehara Shiroha was not someone who could be defeated so easily through simple attacks. A transcendent was not an opponent that could be overcome through conventional means.
What's more, this battle was taking place on his opponent's home territory. This space called the Infinite Void World made him feel genuinely uneasy even in his enhanced state. This place was undoubtedly complicated and needed to be handled with extreme caution.
Ever since he had been almost driven to complete despair by Kurosaki Ichigo, he had regained his strategic thinking and returned to his calculating, methodical approach.
"BOOM!"
After a tremendous explosion, the terrifying slashing wave and concentrated reiatsu struck Uehara Shiroha directly. But rather than being injured, his opponent's body didn't even move at all and remained completely unaffected by the devastating attack.
In fact, the blade Aizen had swung down came within mere millimeters of hitting Uehara Shiroha, but then it struck an invisible barrier and could no longer advance even a fraction of an inch. This minuscule distance might as well have been an insurmountable chasm that could never be crossed.
"CRASH!"
The shattered remnants of the slashing waves washed over the surrounding ground, creating massive craters and gouges, which then slowly recovered and restored themselves under the influence of some mysterious force.
Seeing this incredible scene unfold before him, Aizen couldn't help but exclaim: "I knew it wouldn't be that simple, but I didn't expect it to work in quite this way. You completely ignored my slashing attack using only passive defense. What an amazing defensive ability."
"Uehara Shiroha, you really have no apparent flaws or weaknesses. It's truly exciting to be able to fight against someone like you!"
This defensive method was similar to advanced kido barriers, but it was far more flexible, sophisticated, and completely hidden from detection. Because Aizen had been completely unaware of its presence until his blade actually struck the invisible protection.
His full-strength attack from the Fourth Stage form had been blocked just like that, without any visible effort. He couldn't even shake his opponent's defensive measures in the slightest.
This shouldn't be an ability granted by this alternate space, but rather a power belonging to Uehara Shiroha himself. To be honest, he still had no idea how many hidden cards and abilities this extremely mysterious man possessed.
Uehara Shiroha's strength was beyond his wildest imagination, yet also somehow within his expectations. If his opponent didn't possess such incredible means and skills, it would be impossible for him to face Aizen's attacks while remaining so completely calm and untroubled.
This guy was the type of man who didn't play by conventional rules and possessed terrifyingly overwhelming strength. Even he, who had fused with the Hogyoku, had to acknowledge him as a genuine monster.
However, Aizen did not lose confidence or hope. Because he still possessed the Hogyoku's power. Because he could continue to evolve and become even stronger than before.
And this current evolution felt different from all previous transformations—it seemed to have become more potent and more perfect than ever. In a remarkably short period of time, he had not only crossed evolutionary distances that should have taken tens of millions of years, but had also completely surpassed both Shinigami and Hollow limitations.
Now, he had the opportunity to evolve even further beyond this solid foundation. From this realization, Aizen became increasingly convinced that the person who would eventually reach the absolute pinnacle would definitely be him, and only him.
Uehara Shiroha was merely a whetstone on his path to ultimate supremacy!
"The speed was quite good, but the power was still lacking." Uehara Shiroha commented with casual assessment: "It seems that you have developed the Hogyoku's potential quite well. Really impressive progress!"
Fourth Stage Aizen was finally no longer comparable to an insignificant ant. But when facing the Universal Barrier that provided near-absolute defense, his attacks were still insufficient to cause meaningful damage.
With the blessing of his transcendent status and the Universal Barrier that had been enhanced beyond perfection, even slashing attacks that could shake heaven and earth from Fourth Stage Aizen proved completely futile.
The defensive capability was simply that overwhelming.
"It seems that you are not particularly surprised that I managed to reactivate the Hogyoku." Aizen stared intently at Uehara Shiroha, a trace of growing concern flashing in his eyes.
At this point, his irises had changed to a light purple hue once again, but his hair had not grown significantly longer, and his pupils remained their natural brown color. In addition, his body surface was not covered with the white substance from previous transformations, but instead featured an additional piece of elegant white fabric similar to a noble's formal wear.
Purple tassels hung at the corners of his clothing, creating an appearance that was simultaneously gorgeous, noble, and filled with mystery.
This indicated that the Fourth Stage had become like a natural state for him and was not sufficient to cause any abnormal physical changes. His body's endurance had become dramatically stronger and his evolutionary process had become far more refined and perfect.
At this crucial moment, Aizen, who had achieved transcendent status, finally began to notice something genuinely unusual about his situation.
His evolution was proceeding abnormally smoothly, and the speed at which he was gaining power was also far beyond normal parameters. Everything was progressing so seamlessly and so perfectly, it almost felt like a dream or elaborate illusion.
Aizen had previously experienced the chaotic Fifth Stage form and had personally felt the sensation of being "overwhelmed and controlled by the Hogyoku's influence."
Therefore, he instinctively realized that there was something fundamentally wrong with his current strength improvement process. Compared with his previous Hogyoku evolution, his power had become stronger, purer, and more perfectly integrated.
This kind of comprehensive improvement and flawless evolution was exactly what every living being's instincts pursued at the deepest level. It was absolutely wonderful! It made him feel almost intoxicated with the sensation.
The strength of his current Fourth Stage alone was already comparable to his previous chaotic Fifth Stage. It was truly remarkable!