On the grassland, the wind suddenly stopped.
Leo's Nen surged violently around him like burning golden flames.
The grass beneath his feet flattened outward in a spiral, centered on him.
Netero raised his right hand and beckoned him.
Leo took a deep breath, the power surging within his body reaching its Peak at this moment.
Then—he moved.
The ground beneath his feet exploded with a boom, sending dirt and gravel flying!
Leo's figure turned into a golden stream of light, shooting straight toward Netero!
He covered the ten-meter distance in an instant!
With his right fist clenched, his golden Nen was highly compressed, condensing into a visible orb of light in front of his knuckles!
The energy inside that orb spun frantically, emitting a low hum like the roar of an ancient behemoth!
There were no fancy techniques.
It was just the purest, most violent punch!
Aiming straight for Netero's ribs!
The air was torn apart by this punch, letting out a piercing sonic boom!
Wherever the fist passed, space itself seemed to warp!
'Not bad!'
Netero praised inwardly, but his body was faster than his thoughts!
He seemed to casually turn his body slightly, a movement so small it was almost imperceptible.
Leo's punch, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, whistled past the edge of his clothes. The force of the punch exploded behind him, kicking up a wave of air!
The punch missed!
Leo's pupils slightly constricted, but his body's instinct already had him prepared to change his move—yet Netero's right hand had already moved.
Fast!
So fast it seemed to break through the limitations of space!
That withered palm, at the very moment Leo's fist passed by, had already clamped onto his wrist like an iron pincer!
At the same time, Netero's left hand shifted from a fist to a palm, moving as fast as a thunderbolt. A simple, unadorned palm strike containing terrifying penetrative power silently pressed against Leo's chest!
"Bang!"
A dull, heavy sound rang out!
Leo felt an indescribable force transmit from his chest—it wasn't pure impact, but a penetrative vibration that seemed to go directly through his muscles and bones, shaking his internal organs!
His entire being was as if struck by a giant hammer, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward!
Leo reacted extremely quickly; he forcibly twisted his body to adjust his center of gravity, maintaining balance amidst the inertia of flying backward.
Seeing he was about to hit the ground, he braced one hand against the earth and used the counterforce to flip himself upright!
His feet hit the ground!
"Screech—!"
He plowed two deep furrows into the grass, sliding back seven or eight meters before he could barely steady himself.
Leo looked down at his chest.
There was a faint palm print on his clothes, and the skin was slightly red.
But that was all—Netero's palm strike hadn't caused him much damage; his current physical strength was beyond imagination.
He looked up at the old man who still stood in place, as if he had never moved.
His chest still throbbed with a faint pain, but in Leo's eyes, the fire burned even more intensely.
"Again!"
He gave a low growl, exerted sudden force with his feet, and charged at Netero once more!
This time, his offensive was even more violent!
His fists were like a torrential downpour, accompanied by whistling winds, attacking Netero's upper body vitals!
Straights, hooks, uppercuts, jabs—every punch was enough to shatter stone tablets, and every punch sealed off Netero's room to dodge!
The shadows of his fists merged together, almost enveloping Netero completely!
However—Netero had both hands behind his back.
He moved with a leisurely pace, weaving through the airtight barrage of fist shadows.
A slight tilt of the body, a gentle turn of the head, a light tap of the feet on the ground—every movement was minimal to the extreme, yet perfectly avoided the range of every punch.
Every time, Leo's fists barely grazed the edge of his clothes.
"Hmm, both power and speed have improved quite a bit."
While dodging, Netero offered a relaxed commentary, as if he were merely instructing a Disciple in practice.
"Make the straight punch a bit faster. The movement when retracting your fist is too wide; it's not crisp enough."
Leo grit his teeth, and his punching speed suddenly jumped up another notch!
The fist shadows almost blurred into one, and the sound of breaking air became sharp and piercing!
This time, the range of Netero's dodging clearly increased slightly.
His footwork was no longer just small-scale shifts; he began to truly move.
Every step landed in the gaps of Leo's offensive, and every step perfectly maintained the distance.
But his gaze remained composed.
"Not bad, you're progressing quickly."
Netero nodded, a flash of approval in his eyes.
"To be able to adjust your power delivery so quickly, your Comprehension Ability is excellent."
Before his voice had even faded—Leo threw a right straight!
This punch was fast and fierce, the knuckles trailing a golden light, aiming straight for Netero's face!
Netero turned sideways and dodged.
Just as Leo's right fist passed by, at the moment he retracted it—his old strength was spent and new strength hadn't yet been generated, his center of gravity leaning slightly forward. It was an unavoidable, extremely brief opening.
Netero's right hand, which had been behind his back, reached out like a ghost!
Fast! So fast there weren't even afterimages!
That withered palm with unerring precision clamped onto Leo's wrist!
Leo's pupils snapped shut!
Seizing this fleeting gap, Netero's waist suddenly twisted!
His right leg whipped out like a steel lash, carrying a heavy wind pressure as it savagely swept toward Leo's head!
If this kick landed solidly, it would be enough to make anyone lose consciousness instantly!
In this moment of crisis, Leo's instincts completely exploded!
He didn't dodge—he couldn't dodge.
He simply snapped his head back while frantically gathering all his Nen into his head!
"Ko"!
Then—he used his head to headbutt Netero's foot!
"Bang—!!!"
The heavy sound of the collision was like a war drum, echoing over the grassland!
A visible shockwave exploded from the point of impact!
The surrounding grass was shattered to dust, and soil went flying!
Leo and Netero both stumbled back several steps simultaneously!
Leo stood his ground, shaking his throbbing head vigorously.
Stars danced before his eyes, and his ears were ringing.
But he grinned.
That smile was filled with excitement.
Netero retracted his right foot and glanced down at it.
The top of his foot was slightly red and felt a bit numb.
He looked up at Leo, a hint of genuine surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Beautiful."
He praised sincerely.
"Even I didn't expect that strike."
Leo took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood.
He stared at Netero with burning eyes.
In that gaze, there was no retreat, only an increasingly fiery Battle Intent.
He spoke slowly, word by word.
"Chairman, I hope to witness your—'Hyakushiki Kannon'."
In the distance, Menchi and Buhara both cried out in shock.
"Hyakushiki Kannon?!"
"Has Leo gone mad?!"
Their faces were filled with disbelief.
As Hunters, they had naturally heard of that legendary ability—it was Chairman Netero's ultimate technique, the symbol of standing at the Peak of human martial prowess!
Satz didn't speak, but his hands tightened slightly, and a complex light flickered in his eyes.
On the grassland, Netero fell silent.
The playfulness on his face completely vanished.
Those seemingly cloudy old eyes now became incredibly deep, like two bottomless ancient wells.
He quietly watched Leo, watching the firm and yearning light in this young man's eyes.
A few seconds of silence felt like several centuries.
Then, Netero spoke.
His voice became lower than ever before, more serious than ever before.
"Then, are you prepared for death?"
The moment those words fell—a terrifying killing intent surged from Netero like something physical!
It wasn't a burst of Nen, nor the pressure of power, but something more primal and pure—it was a killing intent forged from countless life-and-death battles, truly belonging to a Peak powerhouse!
The world seemed to freeze.
In the distance, Menchi's group of three felt their hearts suddenly stop, their faces turning pale instantly.
That killing intent was like an invisible giant hand, tightly clutching their throats, making even breathing difficult.
And Leo, facing this killing intent directly—he didn't move.
He didn't retreat. He didn't tremble.
He just stood there, looking straight into Netero's eyes.
The fire in those eyes hadn't been extinguished; instead, it burned even more fiercely.
He grinned.
In that smile, there was no fear, no hesitation, only absolute confidence.
"Death?"
He asked back softly, and then—
"I won't die here."
His voice became incredibly firm, every word like a hammer blow.
"My goal is to become the world's strongest!"
Netero took a deep look at him.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Then, he smiled.
In that smile, there was relief, appreciation, and a trace of nostalgia.
"Very well."
He nodded, his voice returning to a state of calm.
"Your courage, I have witnessed it."
He slowly closed his eyes. Both hands slowly rose, the movement so slow it was like a movie in slow motion, every detail clearly visible.
Those withered hands traced a path through the air, and finally—pressed together in front of his chest.
"Clap."
A light sound.
At the very moment those palms met—a flash of pure golden light blossomed behind him!
The golden orb of light instantly expanded, illuminating the entire grassland!
Within the light, a massive, golden, multi-armed Kannon statue slowly condensed into form!
The Kannon statue was tens of meters high, entirely golden, solemn and sacred.
Countless arms unfolded behind it, the posture of each hand different—some were pressed together, some formed mudras, some were clenched into fists, and some were extended.
Those arms were layered upon each other like a blooming golden lotus, floating quietly behind Netero.
The wind on the grassland stopped completely.
Between heaven and earth, only that massive Kannon statue and the golden light it cast remained.
Leo looked up, gazing at the Kannon statue, and muttered to himself.
"Is this... the Chairman's Hyakushiki Kannon?"
Shock. Unparalleled shock.
It wasn't fear, but awe for power, a yearning for the Peak.
In the distance, Menchi, Buhara, and Satz were completely speechless.
They just stared blankly at the Kannon statue, at the elderly figure standing before it, their eyes filled with shock.
Leo withdrew his gaze and looked back at Netero.
He took a deep breath, his voice low and firm.
"This is the strength I have always been pursuing!"
The moment those words fell—an even more massive surge of Nen erupted from him!
The golden Nen flames shot into the sky, reflecting the golden light of the Kannon statue!
On the grassland, the two forces confronted each other silently, the air becoming as heavy as lead!
Leo raised his head, looking straight at the Kannon statue, straight at Netero in front of it.
In his eyes burned an unprecedented Battle Intent.
Come. Let him see.
Between him and this world's number one Nen User—just how far was the distance!