Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 439 Rematch with Yang De (5k)

Humanity's known five hopes from the Dark Continent are:
An unmanned rock that generates electricity when submerged in water.

Herbs that can cure all diseases.

It can be used as the source water for all liquid concentrates.

A special alchemical plant named Merion.

And Nitrocellulose, a food that brings ultimate longevity.

For human society, whether at the individual or national level, the value of these five hopes is self-evident.

Byrond deliberately emphasized Nitromi's importance at this moment, not only to reiterate to Netero his determination to explore the Dark Continent.

He was also moved by seeing Netero and Lin Nie's old age.

His father, whom he once admired and worshipped, ultimately could not escape the erosion of time and fell heavily from the world's most powerful altar.

Faced with the words that Bynder deliberately emphasized, Netero simply sighed softly and made no attempt to respond.

He naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Yang De's words.

This criticism is directed at his decision to make the Dark Continent a taboo subject for the Hunter Association, and also at his obstruction of exploration efforts over the years.

That's why Nithrome was used as a verbal weapon at this moment.

It was as if it were saying: If you hadn't stopped me back then, or if you had been willing to lead the Hunter Association to march into the Dark Continent, with the experience of those two trips, you might have already obtained this item of immortality.

How could I have fallen to such a state of decline and decay?

Seeing that Netero had no intention of responding, Byand was unwilling to give up.

He threw off his cloak, strode over to Netero, and sat down without any hesitation.

His armor clanged with every movement, making him appear even more imposing.

"Humanity is still too insignificant in the face of the Dark Continent, but this time, I will bring back a glimmer of hope."

By Yangde, sitting with a bold posture and leaning forward, as if to exert pressure on Nitero, he spoke in an impassioned tone:
"If I succeed once, I will succeed a second time. One day, I will conquer the entire Dark Continent."

"..."

Netero remained silent.

He doesn't think Yang De is exaggerating.

The Dark Continent may be vast and boundless, but it holds countless strange hopes.

Indeed, it contains the possibility that humanity will be able to conquer that land in the future.

For example, Nitromethorphan could at least allow humans to have a longer challenge time.

But the premise is—

While seeking "hope," humanity must also possess the ability to cope with "disasters."

Without such capabilities, attempting to seize hope from the Dark Continent will only bring immeasurable disaster upon humanity.

This principle has always been clear.

This time, however, Netero was truly exhausted.

He no longer had the strength to repeat those long-useless admonitions.

They also lack the ability to impose even stronger shackles on someone more powerful than Yang De.

This is why Netero can only remain silent at this moment.

Just then, Lin Nie walked slowly from the kitchen.

She wore an apron and was short in stature, yet she exuded a chilling aura, like a master chef about to perform a precise dissection on fresh ingredients.

Yang De could clearly sense Lin Nie's undisguised hostility, but he didn't care at all.

His gaze remained firmly fixed on the ever-silent Netero.

“Silence will not solve the problem, my beloved father.”

The impassioned tone in Yang De's voice suddenly faded, replaced by a cold calm.

"Now you have two choices: remove the restraints on me, or... I'll kill you right here."

He paused slightly at this point, his eyes as still as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple.

Although he was given a choice, he knew perfectly well what was going on in his heart.

This stubborn old man, who had once left him helpless, would never compromise.

Even so, he still wanted to give it a try...

Let's see if the motivation that made Netero specifically seek out Lin Nie to recuperate can shake the long-standing control over him.

If Niteró is willing to back down.

Therefore, he didn't necessarily have to go down the path of patricide.

"..."

Yang De's response remained silence.

Byron looked at Netero, who remained silent, with a blank expression.

"I'll wait for you outside."

He said no more, suddenly stood up, and walked towards the door without looking back.

This dispute could have been avoided if Niterói had been willing to lift the restrictions.

Now it seems……

Ultimately, he was overthinking things.

An old stubborn person is still an old stubborn person.

They would rather give their lives to uphold a meaningless ideal than compromise in the slightest.

It's ridiculous and utterly meaningless.

Byand has confirmed Nitero's choice and knows what he should do next.

He will end his father's life here.

His resolve remained unwavering.

Conquering the Dark Continent has become the most important thing in his life.

Beside him, Lin Nie frowned, first glancing at Netero's profile, then looking at the back of Bjorn as he walked towards the door.

She knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Logically, as an old friend, what she should do most at this moment is to persuade Netero to lift the restrictions on Bjorn, thereby averting this imminent father-son deadly battle.

however……

Lin Nie, however, showed no intention of trying to persuade him.

She knows Netero too well.

Because she knew him so well, she chose to launch a sudden attack, striking directly at Yang De's back.

Despite her old age and frailty, she was still superior to Netero in his current state in both strength and Nen.

Moreover, her sneak attack was very sudden.

And when he made his move, he completely concealed his aura.

This is her basic skill as a top gourmet hunter.

By Yang Dezheng strode towards the door, his breath and pace unchanged, as if he were completely unaware of the danger approaching from behind.

His completely unguarded posture allowed Lin Nie to easily send the poisoned thorn, which was between his fingers, to a point where it posed a direct threat to him.

This poisonous thorn was taken from a poisonous substance.

Lin Nie has exceptional culinary skills; he can not only turn many ingredients into treasures, but also use his remarkable techniques to process some toxic ingredients.

If you know how to remove the toxins, you can bring out the therapeutic value of the ingredients.

The poisonous thorns that had been removed from the food at this moment became Lin Nie's most threatening weapon.

Regrettably……

The sharp tip of the venomous stinger suddenly stopped several tens of centimeters away from Yang De, unable to advance even an inch further.

Judging from this scene, it doesn't seem like the thorn was pierced by an invisible barrier, but rather like a pair of unseen hands firmly holding the poisonous thorn between Lin Nie's fingers.

"Have you gotten senile too, Lin Nie?"

Bi Yangde paused, but did not turn around.

In his view, the man behind him, who had traveled to the Dark Continent with Netero and was arguably the most senior Gourmet Hunter in the Hunter Association, posed no threat whatsoever.

In the end, he was just an old man.

"He even concealed his aura before making a move... Was he afraid I would react too slowly, so he reminded me like that?"

Leaving behind a slightly sarcastic remark, Yang De did not pursue Lin Nie's sneak attack and walked towards the door without looking back.

Lin Nie slowly opened his slightly cloudy eyes, his brows furrowing even deeper.

At this moment, her entire right arm seemed to be firmly bound by an invisible force, and a strong sense of restraint came over her, making it difficult for her to break free even slightly.

She knew this was beyond Yang De's capabilities.

A thorny ability that is difficult to detect and even more impossible to interrupt.

When she was younger, she could rely on instinct or intuition to sense the trajectory and react in time.

But now she's old, and her senses have become dulled...

Against someone with Yang De's abilities, he probably wouldn't even last three rounds.

That sneak attack was arguably her only chance to resolve the trouble for Netero.

But in the end, she couldn't hold on to it.

Nitero was also walking towards the door at this moment.

As he passed by Lin Nie, he raised his withered, rotten-wood-like arm and gently patted Lin Nie's shoulder.

He then calmly followed in B. Yangde's footsteps.

“Isaac…”

Looking at Netero's old and frail figure, Lin Nie couldn't help but call out his name.

Before she could continue, Netero waved his hand with his back to her.

"..."

Lin Nie hesitated, then finally let out a soft sigh.

They've lived for so long already...

In the end, he's still just a power-enhancing idiot.

Lin Nie lowered his head slightly and could feel that the binding force on his arm had disappeared, but for some reason, he was unwilling to retract his straight right arm.

After a while.

When she composed herself and came outside the wooden house...

What came into view was Nitro and Bayonde facing off on the grassy shore of the lake.

Lin Nie was powerless to stop this from happening. In her view, given Netero's current condition, there was absolutely no way he could withstand BYYAND's offensive.

She could even guess that BYYANGD had seized this opportunity to approach Netero.

Lin Nie stared intently at Bi Yangde.

That disgusting guy...

Still so cautious and cunning, yet so ruthless.

They always stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

"Isaac, wouldn't it be better to make some concessions and compromises?"

Lin Nie's gaze shifted to Netero's deep-set eyes, but he couldn't detect even a trace of light within them.

All he had to do was follow the choice Yang De gave him...

Just as Lin Nie was feeling sorrowful, on the lakeside, the auras of Netero and Bayonde suddenly surged, and then collided from a distance.

The two attacked almost simultaneously.

But that golden light was still faster.

Even though Netero's body is now severely depleted, the speed of the Hundred Style Kannon has never let him down.

In the instant the golden light flashed, the palm strike had already reached Yang De's front.

Bang!
A deafening roar, like a muffled thunderclap, exploded on the lakeside.

A layer of visible white air waves exploded in front of Yang De.

But the golden light accompanying the palm strike within that shockwave shattered like glass, turning into specks of starlight.

The palm strike did hit.

But Yang De's figure stood upright like a mountain peak, completely still.

"Nothing exists outside the mind"

This is the ability to interfere with reality through will.

Once applied to combat, it's like condensing one's will into an energy body that exists outside of reality.

It's like a pair of large hands that no one else can see or interfere with.

They only suddenly reveal themselves when attacking or defending.

At this moment, Byangde used this power to resist the palm strike of the Hundred-Style Guanyin, and the effect was remarkable.

But the fundamental reason is that Niterói's current condition is far from what it used to be.

Despite being able to consistently maintain the speed of the Hundred Styles of Guanyin through its ability mechanism.

However, the weakening in strength and power is something that the mechanism cannot compensate for.

"Weak and powerless".

Yang De's expression was indifferent.

This match brought him no sense of accomplishment whatsoever.

He came not to defeat Netero, but simply to remove the restrictions that prevented him from traveling to the Dark Continent.

This is more important than anything else.

The power of the Hundred Styles of Guanyin's palm strikes could not penetrate the "nothing outside the heart" technique of Yang De.

This also means that Byangde can attack Niterói without any scruples.

Therefore, judging from the results of the first round of attack and defense alone, the outcome of this battle is obvious.

By Yang De naturally thought so too.

However, he still oversimplified everything.

When he decided that he no longer needed to fear the destructive power of the Hundred-Style Guanyin, he had the idea to attack and put it into action.

The plan was abruptly thwarted the moment they were about to make their move.

"One Hundred Forms of Guanyin - Ninety-Nine Palms"

Netero made a prayer gesture, his gaze as calm as still water, looking at Bynd who had just been about to make a move.

Following his gaze was the endless barrage of palm shadows from the Hundred Styles of Guanyin, relentlessly bombarding Bi Yangde's body.

Bang bang bang...!
A palm strike radiating golden light and an invisible hand hidden in the dust collided fiercely in mid-air, creating layers of visible, surging air currents.

The power of having nothing outside of one's mind ultimately blocked all of Guanyin's attacks.

In theory, as long as By Yangde's will remains firm and unwavering, he can maintain the strength of this ability at its peak.

Conversely, if one's will is shaken...

The ability will lose its proper strength, and it may not even be able to be activated.

This is the constraint of having nothing outside the mind.

But for Bjorn, such restrictions are practically meaningless.

Because he was very confident and never believed that anything or anyone in the world could shake his resolve.

Bang bang bang...!
The sounds of intense collisions echoed throughout the stadium.

Although the power of "Nothing Outside the Mind" was strong enough to withstand the attacks of the Hundred Style Guanyin, the continuous palm strikes still managed to suppress Byangde's attempt to retaliate.

"It's just a matter of taking more time."

Under the protection of the invisible barrier, Bi Yangde suddenly looked up and gazed at the solemn golden Guanyin.

He is currently powerless and can only remain on the defensive.

But he wasn't impatient.

Because as long as Netero's strength is exhausted, the outcome will not change.

Byrond's goal was not to defeat Netero, and he was naturally not concerned with the process of the battle.

He only cares about the result.

then,

The hundred forms of Guanyin's fierce attacks poured down like a torrential rain, but the defense of having nothing outside the mind remained as solid as a rock.

The two sides are entangled in a dispute.

Until the very last moment.

"Ugh."

Netero sighed softly.

As his last bit of mental energy was exhausted, the Hundred Forms of Guanyin behind him slowly dissipated.

Nitero paid no attention to the dissipating golden light, but simply looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with unfinished regret.

My aging body can no longer fulfill its potential.

As the Hundred Forms of Guanyin dissipated, Bi Yangde still couldn't retract his ability to be free of external things, showing extreme caution.

"That's enough, Father."

By the last moment, Yang De addressed him as his father.

He then raised his hand and waved it.

"Nothing Exists Outside the Mind - Powerful Strike"

An invisible force, like an arrow released from a bow, pierced straight into Netero's chest.

Netero maintained his posture of looking up at the sky, as if he had calmly accepted the outcome.

In front of the cabin.

Lin Nie's expression changed drastically, but he was powerless to stop it.

However, just as the invisible impact was about to pierce through Netero's body, a figure appeared out of thin air in front of him, seemingly real yet illusory.

It was Moro.

He always knew perfectly well why Byron had been plotting to kill Netero.

Therefore, when Netero stepped down and left the association building, Moro certainly wouldn't participate in the so-called election for president. Instead, he was alerted that Byron might take action against Netero at this critical juncture.

His original purpose for coming here was to meet with Sambica in Schwadani.

But just in case, he could only apologize to Sambica first, and then quietly keep an eye on Nitero's movements.

So, once he confirmed that Moreau was more capable of killing Netero, Moreau made his move.

His figure appeared out of thin air, his eyes piercing, as if he could penetrate space and capture the invisible impact that was about to emerge from another layer of space.

He then raised his hand and slapped his palm.

Without any warning

Suddenly, the lake to his side surged and roared, as if an invisible blade of energy had cleaved a huge gash in its path.

It was only the instant that Moro manifested the "power of the strike" that he shattered it with a single palm strike, and the dissipated aftershocks transformed into a burst of energy that directly impacted the lake.

"Um?!"

Upon seeing this, Bi Yangde's expression changed, and he was deeply shocked.

The overwhelming force, which seemed to have nothing outside its own mind, was so easily neutralized...

It got knocked off?!
Feeling the tangible pressure emanating from Moro, Beyond inexplicably recalled their encounter two months ago, and a strong sense of unfamiliarity arose in his heart.

Is this really the same person?
It's no wonder that Yang De was so surprised.

Because after dispersing the overwhelming force of the attack, Moro not only did not restrain his sharpness, but instead allowed the aura around him to continue to rise.

That was a powerful aura stronger than Netero's at his peak, and naturally, it was incomparable to Yang De's.

Despite knowing that Moro played a significant role in the Chimera Ant extermination, however…

The scene before him was far beyond BYY's comprehension.

In front of the cabin.

Lin Nie was shaken and tried her best to open her eyes wide to look at the unbelievable young figure in the arena.

So young, yet possessing such terrifying strength...

Lin Nie could tell directly that the aura alone, which caused the surrounding air currents to surge, had already surpassed Netero's peak.

Wow...

The turbulence on the lake gradually subsided, leaving only the soft sound of water.

Netero was also surprised to see Moro suddenly appear and come to his rescue.

It suddenly appeared at this crucial juncture...

It was as if they had anticipated Byangde's actions.

Moro ignored the gazes from Nitro and Linnie, calmly looking at Bynd, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather:
"Do you want me to give you some time to call that robot girl in the sailor uniform from last time to help you?"

"..."

Yang De's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

(End of this chapter)