The sixth day.
The seventh day.
The eighth day.
The ninth day.
Every day, Leo was making progress.
Every day, he was getting closer to Netero.
But every day, just as he reached a certain point of proximity, Netero would ramp up the intensity, forcing him to recognize the gap between them once again.
Netero never grew tired of this.
The lake of his heart, which had been dry for years, was stirred into wave after wave of long-lost ripples by this young man's stubborn fists and unyielding gaze.
It wasn't just simple pleasure, but a revival—the hot blood of martial arts and the passion for seeking the Dao flowed once more through a body over a hundred years old.
He had waited for too long, far too long.
Now, an opponent who was truly chasing him, even attempting to surpass him, was flourishing right before his eyes.
Was this "fulfillment" not a supreme enjoyment for him?
It was an endless pursuit that both sides found thoroughly delightful.
Leo also enjoyed it immensely.
The tenth day, morning.
The final day of the Fourth Test.
On the grassland, the massive Hyakushiki Kannon's golden light illuminated the entire world.
Netero stood before the Kannon statue, hands pressed together, his gaze locked onto Leo ten meters away.
Leo's body was covered in black stripe patterns, and his aura was more than a level stronger than it had been ten days ago.
He panted slightly, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth.
Ten days.
For ten whole days, he had been dueling the strongest man in the world day and night.
Every time he fell, it was an inquiry into his limits; every time he rose, it was a transcendence of self.
Pain was transformed into fuel, and the gap between them burned like a raging fire.
"Come,"
Leo said softly.
Netero slowly pressed his hands together in prayer.
The Hyakushiki Kannon moved!
Golden palm shadows poured down like a deluge!
Leo moved!
His speed was so great that he left afterimages, weaving through the dense palm shadows!
Sidestepping, ducking, rolling, jumping—every movement was perfectly timed, every dodge executed with absolute precision!
One palm missed!
Two palms grazed past!
Three palms, four palms, five palms!
Five consecutive attacks were all neutralized by his minimal and precise movements!
The sixth palm arrived silently.
This palm came from a tricky angle and at an even higher speed, sealing off all his movement trajectories and striking directly for his shoulder blade!
Leo's pupils constricted slightly.
Switch!
The black patterns on his body instantly writhed; defense was reinforced, while agility, strength, and recovery were lowered!
Bang!
He tanked the hit head-on! His body swayed slightly, but he did not retreat!
The next second—
Switch!
Agility increased, defense decreased! Seizing the moment after tanking the blow, he lunged forward!
Seven meters! Leo dodged a hand-blade strike!
Six meters! He avoided another palm strike!
Five meters!
He successfully closed in to within five meters of Netero!
A flash of surprise crossed Netero's eyes.
This young man... actually used this method to break through the blockade?
The black patterns on Leo's body had long since turned completely dark red.
All damage was being stored synchronously within these patterns.
Damage storage had reached its limit.
At that very moment, a new round of attacks from the Hyakushiki Kannon descended!
Several golden palm shadows struck simultaneously, sealing off all his space to evade!
Leo grinned.
In that smile was excitement, madness, and the satisfaction of finally being able to release ten days of pent-up frustration.
He raised his right fist.
The dark red patterns on his body suddenly erupted with a blinding red light!
An incredibly massive and terrifying amount of Nen gathered frantically into his right fist!
The light grew brighter and more intense, finally almost solidifying into a dark red orb of light over two meters in diameter at the tip of his fist!
The surrounding air was distorted by this power, emitting a low hum!
In the distance, Menchi and the other two felt as if their hearts were being gripped by an invisible hand, and even breathing became difficult!
"Final Strike—!!!"
Leo roared and threw a punch!
The moment the dark red energy left his fist, it expanded and took shape, turning into a massive, solid phantom of a fist.
With the momentum to destroy everything, it collided head-on with the golden palm shadows!
Boom—!!!!!!!
A world-shaking explosion!
Golden light and dark red light collided, intertwined, and exploded in mid-air!
The shockwave spread outward like a tsunami; wherever it passed, the ground was overturned layer by layer, grass was torn to shreds, and the gale forced the three onlookers to retreat repeatedly!
Crack—
A clear sound of shattering rang out.
Under the crushing pressure of the Final Strike, several of the Hyakushiki Kannon's golden arms actually shattered!
They turned into countless golden specks of light and dissipated into the air!
Meanwhile, the dark red fist, though significantly dimmed, still carried its residual power as it shot toward Netero!
Netero's pupils constricted slightly.
This was the first time in ten days that he was truly moved.
He tapped the ground lightly with his feet and leapt backward into the air!
The dark red fist grazed past him and shot toward the distant mountains behind—
In his field of vision, the mountain was suddenly covered in dense, deep black cracks like a shattered mirror!
An indescribable twisting power erupted!
Boom!!!
The entire mountain, along with its Foundation and silhouette, was erased from the world as if by an invisible eraser, leaving only an abrupt void.
In mid-air, Netero slowly raised his hands, pressed them together, and then formed a unique hand sign in front of his chest—Ninety-Nine.
"Ninety-Ninth Hand!"
The moment the words left his lips—
The Hyakushiki Kannon's remaining dozens of arms moved simultaneously!
They weren't slow chops, but rather like a machine gun, pouring down toward Leo on the ground with speed impossible for the naked eye to capture!
Bang bang bang bang bang bang—!!!
The golden palm shadows merged into a single sheet, like a torrential rain, completely submerging Leo's position!
The ground continued to cave in! Dust soared into the sky! The deafening roar was continuous!
The moment the palm shadows descended, Leo had already pushed Shivering Soul to its absolute limit!
Defense was reinforced to the maximum!
Strength, agility, and recovery were all reduced to their lowest points.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest as his Nen poured out frantically, forming a layer of Ken over his body!
At the same time, he activated Ryu, concentrating all his defensive power into his arms and torso!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every palm that landed felt like a ten-thousand-pound hammer smashing into him!
His arms were trembling!
His bones were groaning!
His Nen was being consumed at a terrifying rate!
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
A full minute!
Netero's attack lasted for a whole minute! He had not held back!
When the final palm fell, he slowly descended to the ground, and the Hyakushiki Kannon behind him began to dissipate.
The dust slowly cleared.
A massive crater had appeared on the grassland—over thirty meters in diameter and more than five meters deep.
The bottom of the pit was filled with spiderweb-like cracks, and the soil at the deepest point had been pounded as smooth as glass.
And in the center of the pit, a figure knelt on one knee.
Leo was covered in blood, his muscles were torn, and his clothes were in tatters, revealing his scar-covered body beneath.
His arms hung limply at his sides, trembling slightly, clearly having reached his absolute limit.
But he did not fall.
He knelt there on one knee, head bowed, panting heavily.
Blood dripped from his forehead, soaking into the soil beneath him.
A few seconds later.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Netero at the edge of the pit.
In those eyes, there was no pain, no frustration, only—excitement.
Pure, burning excitement.
"Ha..."
He laughed, the sound faint and raspy, carrying flecks of blood.
"Haha... hahaha..."
Netero stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at the blood-soaked young man who was still laughing.
He was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he laughed too.
In that smile was appreciation, relief, and a hint of... kindred spirit.
In the distance, Menchi, Buhara, and Satz were completely stunned.
The jerky in Buhara's hand had fallen to the ground at some point without him noticing.
Menchi's mouth was open wide enough to fit an egg.
Satz raised his cup, only to find his hand was trembling slightly.
A long time passed.
Menchi finally spoke with difficulty, dryly squeezing out two words.
"...Monsters."
Buhara nodded mechanically and repeated her.
"Two... monsters."
Satz did not speak, but simply looked at the figure still kneeling in the pit, his eyes filled with awe.
They understood that what they had witnessed was not a simple battle, but the prelude to the passing of an era—the birth of a "monster" truly capable of shaking the Peak.
On the grassland, the wind blew, kicking up clouds of dust.
The ten-day battle drew to a close at this moment.
But for Leo—
This was only the beginning.
And for Netero, this hearty "prayer" and the joy brought by a long-awaited, respectable opponent...
Made his life, which had been dedicated to martial arts and the prayer of life, seem to glow with a new, expectant radiance.
He had waited for it, and that was enough; the future was even more worth looking forward to.