GENERAL
Soul King Palace (霊王宮, Reiōkyū) is the official residence of the Soul King, located in a separate dimension within Soul Society.
Overview
The Soul King Palace consists of several layers, with one layer suspended above the other. The lowest level is comprised from many buildings of the same style to that of Seireitei. From this, a large stairway leads upwards to a wide and flat expanse, with both areas at the base and top of these stairs being lined by rows of huge, circular pillars. Floating above are five discs with numerous buildings on each, while suspended higher still is a large cylindrical structure that has a conical top and bottom.
Defenses
The sekkiseki walls that surround Seireitei are ordinarily intended to protect the Soul King Palace, instead meant only to fall down to Seireitei in times of emergency. However, if emergencies occur in succession, they remain in place around Seireitei indefinitely until things are returned to normal.
The Soul King Palace is further protected by 72 barriers between it and the Seireitei. Should these barriers be forced open via clothing constructed from an Ōken, they cannot be closed off for 1 hour and 40 minutes due to the sheer defensive power of the clothing.
Admittance
The route to the inner dimension in which the palace resides can only be opened with "a key", fittingly named the Ōken (王鍵, Royal Key), the location of which is kept secret, only being passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 Captain-Commander to the next. There are only two ways to enter the Spirit King Palace:
With the permission of the Royal Guard. They don't have to be there physically, they only need to want the person to enter. Make a Royal Key by creating a Royal Guard.
A Royal Guard can also open up a Chōkaimon (超界門, Super World Gate) to send someone directly to the human world, and use the same gate to send said "someone" back, but to do so requires syncing the arrival and departure times.
Transportation
The only known method to get from section to section of the Soul King Palace is to be catapulted into the sky, in the direction of the intended destination.
Soul King Palace Layout The Spirit King Palace Layout Location Name Location Information Location Picture Vestibule-Road (霊王宮表参道, Reiōkyū omote sandō) The main entrance into the palace is the surface path which consists of a long paneled path suspended in the air, leading to the inner portion of the Palace itself.
Greater Soul King Palace (霊王大内裏, Reiō daidairi) The large floating cylindrical structure at the end is the actual palace, Greater Soul King Palace. This is where the Soul King resides.
The five giant floating discs are the Royal Guard Headquarters. On each disc there is a city, which the Soul King entrusts to each individual member:
Tenjirō Kirinji's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Tenjirō Kirinji. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. One of the buildings "Kirinden" (麒麟殿, Kirin Palace) has within it a large underground area that encompasses healing hot springs.
Kirio Hikifune's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Kirio Hikifune. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. One of the buildings "Gatonden" (臥豚殿, Lying Pig Palace) has a large area for food preparation, presentation and dining.
Ōetsu Nimaiya's City It is the floating city that is the headquarters of the Royal Guard member Ōetsu Nimaiya. It has multiple buildings that make up the city. The principal building is called the "Hōōden" (鳳凰殿, Fenghuang Palace). This is a small and simple shack near the edge of a cliff. There is also a larger building called the Galaxy Hōōden, which is a flashy building for parties and entertainment.
The Royal Guard, also known as the "Zero Division", are the protectors of the Soul King Palace and its residents, particularly the Soul King. Though they commonly remain within the palace, when the Royal Guard do need to travel, their preferred method of transportation takes the form of a huge pillar called the Tenchūren (天柱輦, Heavenly-Pillar Palanquin). While this pillar is able to freely exit the inner dimension, it is unable to return to the palace on its own and is instead entirely reliant on outside assistance to do so, such as Kūkaku Shiba's Kakaku Hō (花鶴砲, Flower Crane Cannon).
