After several days of flight, Beyond and his entourage finally touched down in the city housing the Hunter Association Headquarters.
The moment he stepped onto solid ground, he remarked with a sense of nostalgia, "By my count, it's been about twenty years. Ever since I made that pact with the old man, I haven't set foot here. Everything looks more or less the same, aside from the technology getting a bit more advanced."
"This is no time for wistful sighs. Don't forget, we're still wanted men. Especially you, the V5 has issued a warrant for your arrest, dead or alive," reminded the man beside him, who wore glasses and long, curly hair.
"Hahaha! Don't worry. I guarantee there will be only one interceptor: Allen. But he won't choose to move in a crowded place like this. He'll be waiting for me right at the gates of the Hunter Association headquarters."
As he spoke, Beyond's eyes shimmered with excitement and anticipation. The name "Beyond" itself carried the meaning of surpassing. His lifelong goal had been to surpass his father, Isaac Netero. He lived by the philosophy his father often preached in his youth: "The day one stops challenging themselves is the day their life truly ends."
It was for this reason that he had collaborated with the Kakin Royal Family to create the Chimera Ant Queen, infused with human genes, as a final "gift" for his father's life.
However, he hadn't expected Allen to emerge as a dark horse during the Chimera Ant extermination. Allen had displayed an unbelievable rate of growth and personal strength, to the point where those within the Association viewed him as "Netero 2.0"—undeniably the strongest Nen user in the human world.
To Beyond, this was unacceptable. He was the son of Isaac Netero, the powerhouse who inherited that great spirit of challenge. He was the explorer and conqueror destined to surpass his father and carve his name into a new chapter of human history.
Therefore, he had to defeat Allen to prove he was the strongest. This was both a lingering obsession and a hurdle intentionally left behind by Chairman Netero before his death. Faced with this challenge, Beyond had no desire to retreat, nor could he.
With absolute confidence in his victory, he and two of his strongest team members took a black taxi directly to the gates of the Hunter Association. The moment he pushed the door open and stepped out, an overwhelming pressure enveloped the three of them.
The source of this Aura was Allen, who was sitting on the steps of the headquarters. Clearly, Allen had received accurate intelligence from the V5 the moment Beyond landed.
"Dammit! You called it perfectly," the man with glasses sighed helplessly. If possible, he truly wished to avoid this fight. Unfortunately, life is full of such disappointments. Often, the thing you fear most is exactly what comes to pass.
"No. You don't understand. This is destiny!"
Beyond instinctively clenched his fists. Chest out and head held high, he walked forward alone with steps that were slow yet incredibly steady. As for his two helpers, they were intercepted by Bodoro and Baise on either side.
After exchanging looks, the four selected their opponents and retreated to the plaza without a word. Before the staff entering and exiting the building could realize what was happening, the two sides collided without warning.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BOOM!
Instantly, dust flew across the small plaza in front of the building. Even the paving stones shattered and scattered under the force of Nen-enhanced attacks. Within seconds, a dozen craters of varying sizes marred the ground and walls.
Bodoro, clad in heavy armor, was particularly devastating. Every shield bash he delivered caused such terrifying destruction that his opponent didn't dare block it head-on, forced into a constant state of dodging and retreating.
Despite the chaotic battles between these two pairs, neither Beyond nor Allen spared them a single glance. Their eyes were locked solely on each other.
When the distance between them closed to a mere dozen meters, Beyond finally stopped. He was the first to speak, his voice slightly raspy. "When the old man died... you were there, weren't you?"
"Yeah. I was there," Allen nodded slightly.
"What did he say to you?" Beyond pressed, his curiosity piqued.
"He told me... that without an equal opponent, I must be very disappointed and lonely. He said: 'In that case, let me become your enemy too!'"
Allen didn't hide anything, directly repeating Netero's final words.
"Hmm? What does that mean? Could it be..." Beyond froze for a moment. He immediately connected the dots, and his expression turned grim.
Allen stood up from the steps, brushed the dust off his trousers, and a massive, golden Guanyin statue materialized behind him. He smiled and replied, "Exactly. Congratulations, you guessed right. He had the King of the Chimera Ants eat him, allowing the enemy to acquire the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva just so I could experience a bit more joy in battle. Unsurprisingly, I defeated the King and reclaimed the ability. Now... are you ready to experience once again the terror of your father's dominance? The despair and humiliation of being beaten without being able to strike back?"
"Dammit! I knew that old man would leave me a massive challenge after he died! But I didn't expect it to be this troublesome," Beyond muttered, staring at the all-too-familiar statue with a voice full of helplessness.
No one knew the horror of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva better than he did. Especially at this range, one could essentially do nothing but brace for the beating.
"Let me take Chairman Netero's place and give you, the unfilial son, a good lesson! You should know that parricide is a grave sin under any circumstance. Combined with the history between us, I'm afraid you're going to die here today."
As the last word left his lips, Allen pressed his palms together at a speed that transcended physical limits.
The next second...
BOOM!
A massive golden palm descended from the heavens, slamming Beyond deep into the dirt. But it didn't end there! Within the next 0.1 seconds, Allen struck over a dozen times, giving Beyond zero opportunity to counter-attack or create distance. Every strike was a downward smash—he used no horizontal sweeps or knockbacks.
When the round of pummeling ended, Beyond was covered in wounds. He struggled to crawl out of the deep crater, his face contorted in a snarl. "Dammit! You actually use the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva more proficiently than the old man!"
"You're wrong. It's not that I'm more proficient than Chairman Netero; it's that my neural reflexes are far faster than his. From the moment my brain conceives an attack to the signal reaching my muscles, I am at least ten times faster than he was. If you have any trump cards left, play them now. Otherwise, you won't get the chance," Allen explained with a cold laugh.
Undeniably, the act of pressing palms together to trigger the Guanyin transcended physical common sense and could not be sped up further. However, the difference in individual physique and the speed of neural transmission from brain to muscle was where the disparity lay.
As long as his reactions were fast enough, no one entering the reach of the Guanyin would ever have a chance to escape, unless their movement speed exceeded 100 meters per 0.01 seconds.
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