The Last Confrontation

Bang! The next day, a huge impact rang out in a mountain range, raising a cloud of dust.

Countless startled birds scattered.

Oboro was sent flying like a bullet, kicked away by Netero.

His body continued to smash tree trunks one after another, his momentum undiminished.

What's terrifying is that, despite losing his balance in mid-air, he easily regained control of his limbs, twisting his waist forcefully halfway through his flight, and just as he was about to crash into another tree, his feet suddenly braced themselves against the tree trunk.

Then, with a powerful leap, he flew towards his opponent like a cannonball.

Moreover, his figure moved constantly through the forest, leaving trails of shadows that made it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Netero's pupils kept moving.

Determine Oboro's attack route.

The old man was very surprised... Compared to his sparring match with Oboro during the Hunter Exam, Oboro's transformation this time even exceeded his expectations! Although her body had not yet recovered to its full strength, the intensity of her Nen power had taken a big leap, which made Oboro's offense and defense even stronger than before.

It's obvious that your combat power has skyrocketed! "Your physical attributes and talent are truly frightening... Your Nen potential is alright, but given your understanding of Nen, including your temperament... this slight weakness is nothing."

Netero opened his mouth with a smile.

He spoke casually, but his eyes were very serious.

As soon as he finished speaking, his hair and breath were suddenly blown by a strong wind, and a burst of spiritual energy that made his skin feel a slight stinging sensation rushed towards him like lightning.

The quantity of gas is not large... but the quality is now vastly different from before.

It originates from the heart of obscurity.

Bang bang bang...

Netero immediately attacked, and the two exchanged blows countless times in the blink of an eye.

Boom! As expected, Oboro was once again sent flying by One-Punch Man, his body tumbling out of the air.

Netero deflected the attack, created some distance, hopped on his tiptoes, and assumed a fist-fighting stance. He looked at Long, whose body temperature was extremely high and whose face was flushed after landing, and smiled, saying, "Your so-called breathing technique... is quite magical. It can forcibly stimulate your organs and even amplify your senses... However, given your current physical condition, it's best to use it sparingly."

"There's more than one way to practice breathing exercises. Different rhythms and patterns of breathing have different effects on the body... I'm using you now to both increase my adaptation time to breathing exercises and to stimulate my muscles and blood, allowing my body to break through to a stronger state than before." Long shook his sore, numb, and swollen arms and stretched his muscles and bones as he explained.

"Not only that... you seem to have used some new martial arts techniques. Are you trying to rely on me to refine every part of your body and make your flesh and blood become a cohesive whole?"

Netero chuckled. "Your martial arts moves seem a bit clumsy. Did you learn them recently? Or did you create them yourself?"

"Secret!"

Long returned the smile.

It vanished from the spot in an instant.

The last time he fought Netero, Oboro realized his own shortcomings. His martial arts techniques, such as the Vajra Finger, only trained his hands, and his other techniques only trained a single part of his body.

Iron Shirt, on the other hand, only scratches the surface; the body relies more on its own blood and energy to resist the attack.

To dream of being on par with Netero is wishful thinking, but reaching Biscuit's level is still possible...

The first thing to do is to comprehensively improve the strength of the external muscles, bones, and flesh, amplifying it to an extremely high level. Then comes the internal organs... yes, the organs also need to be trained, and this relies on breathing exercises.

After both his external and internal qualities have been refined, Oboro is not sure if he can surpass Biscuit, but he won't be too far behind; they'll be on the same level.

Bang bang bang! Soon, the battle resumed.

From a high altitude, the mountainous terrain where the two fought was affected...

But Oboro was always the one who was forced back or knocked away by the old man. Every time he was attacked, he could adjust in the blink of an eye and continue his offensive.

Time flows slowly, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and day and night alternate.

Having one of the strongest Nen user in the Hunter World as your sparring partner is an opportunity that not everyone gets.

In such intense battles, Oboro's improvement was naturally very rapid.

At first, because he couldn't maintain the Breath Control Technique for long, he could only fight the old man for a few minutes each day before he was exhausted. The rest of the time he was almost being unilaterally beaten... Then, he practiced the foundation of his cultivation mind, refining.

By transforming simple natural energy, one can nourish a weary body and replenish one's vital energy.

However, the process itself is very slow.

Because this is something that can't be rushed. According to Netero's original plan, if Oboro didn't go to the Zoldyck Family, it would take at least several years to recover using this method.

These days, repeating endlessly, are especially monotonous.

Netero doesn't care.

He temporarily handed over the Association's affairs to his subordinates, and would occasionally make a phone call to Beans every day to check on the situation.

Unless something major happens, the old man is too lazy to care.

With him gone, some restless individuals are bound to stir things up, but Netero is happy to see some 'internal strife,' that's what makes things interesting...

The rest of the time, of course, is spent playing with his 'new toy'.

There aren't many younger generations who are still willing to spend time with their elderly parents these days...

Especially for a little fox like Oboro, such an opportunity to train him is extremely rare.

When Oboro gets older and stronger, he won't be able to do that again... no way.

Netero was eager to beat up Oboro and create a beautiful memory for him.

He enjoyed it very much...

However, nothing is absolute.

As the duration of his breathing exercises gradually increased, Oboro's body and energy levels recovered... and the old man's pressure also increased.

In just one month, the two fought for an hour at a time.

Netero, who had been wearing a loose training outfit and wooden clogs the whole time, was not as relaxed as he had been at the beginning and changed into a tight-fitting outfit!

After the second month... Netero got tired.

Yes... he felt 'tired'. Although he always joked about his age, he knew very well that he still had plenty of energy.

Long could already use Breathing Technique to fight him for several hours. Even without special breathing, he could still spar with him and last for a certain period of time in his normal state.

The two fought almost from day to night...

After it got dark, Long began his meditation.

This kid really doesn't waste a single minute... This thirst for power and obsession, as well as this focus, made Netero vaguely see a reflection of his younger self, and he appreciated and affirmed Oboro even more.

But... these were all his thoughts; what he showed... was that he no longer smiled.

After three months, the old man was already looking disheveled and even regretted agreeing to Long's request.

He had a feeling that his old bones were about to fall apart...

It's worth mentioning that from the very beginning, the old man intentionally kept his strength at the same level as Oboro's... Although it's about training, sometimes, an evenly matched opponent can act as a catalyst.

Even so, in the previous two months... Oboro still didn't gain any advantage.

But starting from the latter half of the third month, Netero had to take this younger man seriously...

Because, during the subsequent matches, the thought of 'losing' flashed through his mind several times.

However, in the end, it was his personal ability, experience, and skills that allowed him to suppress Oboro.

The old man still cares a lot about his reputation.

The last day of the three months.

A gentle breeze rustled the grass, and Oboro's clothes were tattered; his suit jacket had long been thrown away.

He finished his meditation, awoke from his meditative state, and slowly stood up.

Then, his heart contracted, increasing its power to deliver even more robust blood to his entire body... All his organs seemed to be awakened in an instant, entering a specific 'working mode' and state along with his breathing through his nose and mouth.

"The final encounter..."

He muttered something under his breath and looked across at the other side.

The elderly Netero, with his back to the rising sun, walked step by step.

His gaze was solemn, and he was staring at him seriously as he stretched his shoulders.

"Defeat you!"

The next second, Long opened his eyes, revealing the purest form of will.

The Nen power resonating across the body surface surged instantly.

"I won't lose, little guy."

For the first time, Netero gave Oboro a cold laugh, his expression... fierce.

Whoosh! As soon as he finished speaking, a large amount of grass clippings and soil flew up and rushed out, sweeping over Netero's head.

At this moment, the two men's auras were fully revealed.