Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 424 Everyone couldn't believe it
Why is Netero so powerful?
In Zeno's view, it was Netero's "thought" that was so silent as to be terrifying.

No one can guess his next attack intention based on the direction of his mental energy flow.

The reason he lived so long was that his mental state had reached the level of a plant.

Even though Zeno is now in his seventies, he will never forget his childhood memories of Netero being an old man.

But if we're talking about Netero's true strength in combat, it has to be the "Hundred Style Kannon" move.

This is a kind of...

A move that no one can refuse.

Even if you can see its existence, at most you can only imprint its form in your consciousness.

But what Zeno saw was Moro "rejecting" the palm strike from the Hundred-Style Guanyin, which seemed to carry a sense of compassion.

How exactly should I describe how I feel right now?

For Zeno, it might be equivalent to their "faith" being shattered.

This is not a matter of personal faith in Netero, but rather because the unavoidable and rapid attacks of the Hundred Style Kannon are essentially like a faith that brooks no refutation or questioning, making it virtually unbreakable.

But now, Moro crosses the shattered golden faith and steps onto Netero's death line.

Will the battle end in an instant...?

Of course not.

The sudden appearance of the golden chains indeed prevented Netero from performing his next "prayer."

But true prayer is always done with sincerity.

When the form is accurately depicted, the image will transform into thought, and thought will bear fruit.

This is the essence of Zero Palm.

However, it can also be applied to other palm postures of the Hundred Styles of Guanyin.

Netero's spirit and consciousness flowed into the realm of "Heart Drop Fist Listening" like water. With his unparalleled skill, he controlled his abilities to the extreme, so that when the Hundred Styles of Guanyin broke and reassembled, only one arm appeared in front of him.

It was a forward palm strike.

This completely blocked all angles of attack from Moro coming from the front.

This is the only correct palm position at this moment.

If you choose other palm techniques such as chopping or parrying, the battle will end at this moment.

The most powerful aspect of "Heart Drop Fist Listening" is that it can extend thinking time, which in turn extends the space for reaction.

So while Netero was caught off guard, he was able to choose the right palm strike at crucial moments thanks to the margin of error provided by "Heart Drop Fist Listening".

A massive golden hand, as thick as a city wall, pushed towards him, but Moro suddenly rose higher under the pull of Kuroko Mai's mental strings.

The palm strike just barely grazed his feet.

Moro had already soared through the air like a bird and landed above Netero's head.

The question of whether "Starlight Condensation - Black Spot Dance" could rival the Hundred Styles of Guanyin has now been answered.

However, this warm-up match will not end because of this test result.

Moro struck out with lightning speed from a distance, aiming his palm at Netero's head.

In an instant,
A burst of energy erupted from his palm, striking Netero like a powerful palm strike.

boom!
The column of air pierced through the top and crashed down, carrying Netero's body as it crushed the rocky mountain and continued to press down.

Suddenly, rocks collapsed and mountains split open, and smoke and dust billowed into the sky.

Until the entire pillar mountain completely collapsed, Netero was forcefully pressed into the ground by this palm strike that released his ki.

However, Moro showed Netero the utmost respect, and even though he precisely timed his counterattack, he did not easily remove the ability of "Starlight Condensation - Black Spot Dance".

This limits the amount of manifest energy he can mobilize when attacking Netero.

Therefore, even if the power was enough to shatter a columnar rock mountain, Netero, who only manifested one Guanyin hand, was still able to withstand the attack by relying on most of the manifested energy he had left on his body.

Netero did indeed withstand Morrow's energy strike, and he was also aware of the drawbacks of Morrow's abilities.

That is, in order to maintain the power of that Starburst attack, more of the manifested energy needs to be released outside the body, which results in the limited power of the attack.

Based on this, Netero can confidently focus on offense rather than defense when attacked.

So, as the landslide caused rocks to fly and dust to billow into the sky, Netero swiftly retaliated.

"Hundred Styles of Guanyin - Zero Palm"

Golden palms appeared in the air and came together towards Moro.

No need for prayer, no need for location.

This is the strongest move of the Hundred Styles of Guanyin.

When Netero used this move, he naturally didn't intend to follow up with a merciless roar.

Because in a battle at the human level, the moment Guanyin's palms envelop the opponent is enough to end the fight.

of course.

The prerequisite is that this so-called sure-hit strike can accurately capture Moro's body in the palm of one's hand.

"Blitzkrieg"

Moro's figure vanished into thin air.

The decision to show Nitro the utmost respect and not easily remove "Starlight Condensation: Black Spot Dance" proved its worth at this moment.

Moreover, Moro was very familiar with Netero's Zero Palm technique.

The Hundred-Style Guanyin's palms were ultimately a step too slow, only able to gather a little air into her palms.

This ultimate move that has never failed...

Just like Nitero, who could not withstand the passage of time, it eventually withered away.

Moro teleported across the billowing dust and landed next to Netero in an instant.

The hand, brimming with surging spiritual energy, was like a sharp blade, firmly pressed against Netero's neck.

At the moment the power was revoked, all the manifested energy returned to Moro.

As a result, a surge of energy rose up, pushing the billowing smoke and dust into the distance.

Zeno, who was watching from the sidelines, hadn't yet recovered from the clash between "Hundred Styles of Guanyin - Ninety-Nine Palms" and "Starlight Condensation - Black Piece Dance" when he witnessed Moro pressing his palm blade against Netero's neck.

too fast.

From the start of the confrontation to its conclusion, everything happened in the blink of an eye.

So fast that even he, as an observer, didn't have time to process all the information at hand.

Zeno's face was filled with disbelief.

Since he mastered Nen, he never imagined that a monster of Netero's caliber would be defeated by a young man.

But this scene actually happened right before my eyes.

He couldn't help but believe it.

"..."

Netero stared at the palm blade pressed against his neck, silent, yet without the sense of defeat one might expect after a loss.

When exactly did it start...?

As a martial artist, every battle I faced on the path of pursuing the ultimate in "martial arts" was utterly dull and uninteresting.

What he wanted was not the kind of surrender and conceding defeat that his opponent would show after a crushing defeat.

What he wanted was a formidable opponent with whom he could fully immerse himself in battle, a true powerhouse who could surpass the Hundred Forms of Guanyin and stand before him.

right now,

His long-held pursuit has finally come to a conclusion.

Although the exchange was quite brief, within the realm of "Heartfelt Fist Listening," he had already engaged in an incredibly intense clash of techniques and strategies with Moro.

Every decision he made, whether on defense or offense, was flawless.

But the same is true for his opponent, Moro.

Both sides can see through each other's strategies and countermeasures in offense and defense, and then choose the most correct path from among many possibilities.

How could one regret such a result?

"Hehe..." Netero suddenly grinned.

Moro withdrew his palm strike and slowly suppressed the surging aura emanating from his body.

In fact, when Moro implanted the "star" into Netero, he could have chosen a more secure way to win.

That is to directly use "Blitzkrieg" to create distance, and then use the power multiplication mechanism of "Deceptive Star" to perfectly utilize the advantage of the Lv.97 displayed energy level.

This is consistent with Moro's usual style.

In every battle where the weak are outnumbered and the strong are outgunned, we are cautious and meticulous, striving only to achieve the final victory.

But just now...

Perhaps it was the sheer fighting spirit of Netero that inspired them, or perhaps they felt that if they had taken a step back at that moment, even if they had won the battle...

Perhaps all that will remain for him is the shell of a "strongman".

Therefore, Moro did not choose the retreat strategy of winning by deceiving the flying stars, but instead chose the advance strategy of winning by "blitzkrieg".

In this direct clash of spirit and will, he forcefully broke through the Zero Palm of the Hundred Forms of Guanyin.

This result,

This greatly strengthened his confidence that he could defeat the Ant King.

…………

The day before the selection day.

The members of the extermination team gathered in the four-dimensional apartment.

What should have been a time to rest and recuperate took a subtle turn with the arrival of Netero and Zeno.

According to the original battle plan, Netero only assigned them to contain his personal guards and promised to accurately enter the battlefield at "zero hour".

Knowing that Netero wanted to conserve his strength as quickly as possible, the members of the expedition team naturally accepted this arrangement.

But given the current situation, the battle plan seems to have changed.

"Regarding the original opponent arrangements..."

Netero lightly scratched his temple and, under the questioning gazes of the crowd, slowly said, "The Ant King will be dealt with by Morrow."

"what?"

Mo Laowu and the others were all taken aback upon hearing this.

Should the Ant King be handed over to Moro?
Why change the plan at the last minute?

Nob frowned and was the first to question, "I admit that Moro is quite strong, but I don't think he is more suitable to fight the Ant King than you."

“I agree with Nob’s opinion.”

Mo Laowu glanced at Norbu and, seeing that the other had spoken his mind, immediately chimed in.

If Moro were to face Ooyapof alone, they would accept the arrangement given their trust in Moro's abilities.

But the Ant King is not a direct bodyguard.

Neither strength nor importance can be taken lightly.

People like Nakuru, Shuto, Grachan, and Gailu shared the same opinion and couldn't understand Chairman Netero's change of heart just before the battle.

Faced with everyone's doubts, Netero simply lowered his hand and calmly said, "The reason for the change of plans is simple: Moro's strength... is above mine."

"What??!"

Mo Laowu and the others were stunned again, almost thinking they had misheard.

What a joke...

Didn't you just knock Moro unconscious in the 4D Apartment not long ago to resolve the dispute?

That fierce battle even nearly shook the spatial mechanism of the four-dimensional apartment.

How long has it been? And you're already saying that Moro's strength is already above yours, and that you'll even have to change your opponent because of this?
Seeing that the members of the expedition team still looked unable to accept it, Zeno, who had been standing in the corner like an observer, had no choice but to raise his hand at Netero's prompting.

After all, the sooner the changes to the operational plan are determined, the more beneficial it will be for subsequent execution.

"Before we met up here, Netero and Moro had a fight, and I was there the whole time."

After attracting everyone's attention, Zeno slowly lowered his hand, his tone calm but undeniable: "Judging from the outcome at the time, Moro almost killed Netero, so his strength is indeed above Netero's."

"..."

Even with Zeno's personal testimony, the crowd still found it hard to accept, and even felt it was somewhat absurd.

Especially Gai Lu, who is one of the twelve Earthly Branches.

They have always admired Netero to the core, which is why they consciously made their image and style conform to that honor because of the titles Netero created.

The root of this behavior lies, to some extent, in the mentality of admiring the strong.

This is why Gail is caught in an extreme contradiction: on the one hand, he believes that Netero would not joke about such a serious matter, but on the other hand, he cannot believe such a statement.

Netero knew that this was tantamount to violently shattering everyone's deep-rooted beliefs, and he couldn't help but glance at Moro, who had remained silent throughout.

That look seemed to say: How about another fight?
Moro instantly understood the meaning in that gaze and decisively turned his head away.

The final battle is almost here, why are we still fighting?
If I accidentally break your old bones, who will deal with Neferpitou?
In Moro's opinion, only that old man Netero would act so recklessly, and of course he wouldn't play along with his nonsense.

Seeing this, Netero could only regretfully turn his gaze away.

If he could have another chance, he would already have a plan to deal with that "teleportation".

Unfortunately, Moro didn't take the bait, so he had no choice but to give up.

The battle plan was changed with the arrival of Netero and Zeno.

It was decided that Morrow would deal with the King Ant, while Netero would be responsible for dealing with Neferpitou.

The final boss, Oyapuf, was dealt with by others working together.

However, some preparations still need to be made before officially storming the palace.

The Republic of East Godot, with its capital at Peijing.

The expeditionary force, led by Moro, arrived in Peijing City.

Neferpitou and Zeno were not among them; their target this time had changed to Neferpitou, so naturally they had to make other preparations.

………………

On top of the tower-like building in the central area of ​​the palace.

Neferbitt, who was sitting cross-legged here, suddenly changed his expression and subconsciously stood up, looking towards the direction of Peijing City.

"So fast, this feeling... is so strange."

The puppet army of ability users that she sent to Peijing City is dwindling at an alarming rate.

The loss of these puppets alone wouldn't have caused her even a moment of panic.

She simply had a vague, almost intuitive, sense of foreboding.

"what happened?"

Oyapuf's voice came from the side.

Even without using his abilities, he could sense the panic in Neferpitou's aura.

This surprised him.

Neferbitt raised his hand to touch his inexplicably accelerating heartbeat, as if a shadow was quietly lurking within it, just like the surging black clouds overhead.

"What about Peijing..."

"your face?"

Just as she was about to explain, she heard Xiao Yapu's surprised and doubtful voice.

This made her stop speaking abruptly, and she looked at Xiao Yapuf with some confusion.

Xiao Yapu frowned slightly, pointed to her cheek, and said, "You have... a star-shaped mark on your face."

"Ok?"

Neferpitou instinctively touched his face.

mark?

Could this be the source of our unease...?

(End of this chapter)