Drifting Northward × Reclaiming the Peak

"Bang!"

The battle was earth-shattering.

The forest has been completely destroyed; trees are uprooted, the ground is riddled with potholes of all sizes, and gravel and sand are scattered everywhere.

A light dust cloud hung in the air, making the entire area appear somewhat hazy.

A gust of wind swept by.

The dust was stirred up again along with the sand and gravel on the ground, and then drifted away.

A huge red figure was thrown at us like a cannonball.

It crashed heavily onto the ground, creating another huge crater.

"You're really tough."

A figure descended from the sky.

Like a silver meteor tearing through the air, it crashed heavily into the crater with the force of wind and thunder.

"Boom!"

This time, the combined force was like a mountain collapsing and roaring, blasting a deep hole downwards from the entire crater.

As the smoke and dust dissipated.

Kevin stood in the deep pit, then lightly leaped out and dusted himself off.

His clothes were already somewhat disheveled.

It wasn't torn apart by an attack, but rather covered in various kinds of sand and dust.

Looking into the deep pit, no enemy was found.

The red monster had already escaped to the edge of the pit, and at the last second before Kevin fell, it desperately dodged the devastating impact.

He was panting heavily, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Kevin.

Youpi looked at the human in front of him.

His appearance had completely changed; his legs had become a recurved, fast-jumping structure, and his body had become somewhat slender, no longer as robust as before.

The arms and the top of the head showed drastically different changes.

The left arm transformed into a slender, flexible whip, its tip gleaming with a sharp, cold light, and covered with fine blades.

While his right arm remained a fist, it was covered by a thick layer of armor, with a round shield that could cover most of his body nestled on it, its front end protruding and becoming a convex blade.

Atop his head, a sturdy, helmet-like armor structure secured his vitals.

Upon closer inspection, one can also see some tiny holes on his body. These holes do not seem to be injuries, but rather the result of some kind of automatic evolution and adaptation to high-pressure combat.

At this moment, his body underwent a remarkable change during his life-or-death struggle with Kevin.

This is the strongest form that evolved after countless injuries and suppressions, in response to Kevin's storm-like attacks.

It balances defense, offense, and extreme agility.

Finally, he was able to barely keep up with Kevin's pace in the fight, and he was also able to try his best to avoid vital points from those deadly punches and kicks.

This is the transformation that this short period of intense combat brought to Youpi.

The pressure Kevin put on him was immense, almost devastating for a newly recruited guard.

He has hardly experienced any real combat since birth, because he was born at the top.

When Youpi encounters a peerless character like Kevin, the crushing pressure forces him to instinctively and frantically develop his physical potential.

It can only be said that the Chimeric Ant at the level of Royal Guard are indeed monstrous beings with exceptional talent.

Even someone as seemingly reckless and foolish Menthuthuyoupi is rapidly growing and improving under such intense life-or-death battles.

Even though his mind was like that of a wild beast and he couldn't think, he still relied on his body and the wild instinct to fight to make real-time changes to his flesh and bones.

In just a few tens of minutes, he sculpted his body into the most suitable structure for fighting Kevin to the death.

Why aren't you going anymore?

Kevin looked at Youpi, who seemed on high alert, and asked with a smile, his voice carrying a deliberately relaxed tone.

If it were just now, Youpi would have continued charging forward in a rage, instead of tensing up and poised to strike as he is now.

After all, his king might be in mortal danger, and his anxiety and anger were almost burning through his reason.

"Shut up!"

Youpi roared, the sound shaking the air. His left arm whip coiled into a circle with lightning speed, the tip pointing like a venomous snake towards Kevin's location.

"Boom!"

A roar of energy erupted, and a blindingly golden Nen Bullet shot out, tearing through the air and hurtling towards Kevin!

This is a pure energy impact emitted after the Nen Aura is highly compressed.

"Buzz--!"

Layer upon layer of Hexagonal Nen Shield instantly materialized in front of Kevin, stacking up to twelve layers in a single moment.

The bombardment of the Nen Bullet was unstoppable, penetrating halfway through in an instant, and then struggling to penetrate three more layers before finally stopping.

The remaining layers, still retaining their semi-transparent structure, stubbornly floated in front of Kevin, their shield surfaces shimmering with light.

"Pure Nen Aura attacks can't break through my barrier," Kevin shook his head and said with a smile, "Besides, this crude attack method is completely unsuitable for you."

He appeared to be commenting on the other person, but his words were actually subtly provoking their anger.

In a brief but intense battle, he had thoroughly grasped the essence of Youpi's Nen ability.

During combat, the body evolves constantly under the pressure of life and death. This evolution is almost beyond the control of the individual, but rather rooted in the fighting instinct, automatically seeking the form most conducive to survival.

The new abilities that come with this physical change are like the awakening of a new Nen ability.

This is because it's equivalent to creating new organs and structures in combat, giving rise to new attack or defense patterns.

However, the opponent's core Nen ability is not like that; it is more a characteristic of the opponent's race or life form.

Youpi's Nen ability is anger itself - anger directly transforms into power, causing his Nen to expand explosively and his pure destructive power to soar exponentially.

This is the so-called "the angrier you are, the stronger you become," using anger as fuel.

But uncontrolled rage can scorch the soul, destroy reason, and drive him into a berserk frenzy in battle, where he knows only brute force.

It's hard to say whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

But one point is crucial:

If the other party can learn to control their raging anger, even at the height of their fury, they can still retain a sliver of reasoning ability.

Then Youpi would become extremely troublesome.

This is likely the truly dangerous and powerful form of the opponent when they have mastered Nen ability.

Therefore, Kevin had to continuously provoke the other party and add fuel to the fire.

This provocation is also beneficial to his current strategy.

Nen ability always have a limit. When the rage that burns everything away finally subsides like the tide, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and an unfathomable feeling of powerlessness will instantly sweep over you.

By then, Youpi will find that his body has already been completely drained.

The angrier he gets now, the more unrestrainedly he expends his power, the more utterly powerless and weak he will feel when he falls from his peak.

In fact, if Kevin were to go all out now, regardless of the cost, he would definitely be able to severely damage his opponent.

Whether he can kill the opponent on the spot is still questionable, but he can definitely incapacitate Youpi in a short period of time, making him unable to stop him.

However, if you go all out directly, it will severely deplete your own Nen Aura, making you struggle in subsequent battles.

The battle inside and outside the Ant Nest continues, and the Division Leader who will return soon are also a force to be reckoned with.

We also need to be wary of unknown enemies lurking within the lair.

Therefore, Kevin cannot fight with all his might without reservation at this time.

"You haven't already learned to control your anger, have you?" Kevin raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Ugh, what a hassle, how can your learning ability be so outrageous?"

Looking at Youpi, though burning with rage, still stood in front of him and no longer blindly charged, Kevin sighed inwardly.

The Chimeric Ant, especially their Royal Guard, are a truly terrifying species.

Even this seemingly reckless man in front of me possesses an extraordinary learning ability and battlefield adaptability.

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Kevin's keen senses had already detected that several division Division Leader' auras had entered a certain range not far behind him.

The Division Leader is returning at full speed!

Time is really running out.

Judging from the faint sounds of battle coming from afar, the fight between Chairman Netero and Melusina is still raging on.

The main force of the assault team was still being held back by the Royal Guards.

And the situation inside the nest----

Based on their Nen Aura perception and previous plans, it seems that Kite and her team have not yet successfully advanced to the core hatching nest area.

However, with the rush of Division Leader returning, the danger level of the entire battle situation increased sharply.

Kevin couldn't determine exactly how much would return, but he figured that given the Chimeric Ant's organization and Loyalty to the King, returning more than half should be no problem.

Even a third of it would be enough to cause them fatal trouble.

Because it contains too many Nen ability with unknown attributes and bizarre effects.

With them currently locked in a fierce battle, the sudden intervention of external forces could instantly shatter the delicate balance and lead to disastrous consequences.

Chimera Ant won't preach Knight to you, especially when their king is facing an existential crisis.

"There's no other way; I have to use up some of my stored Nen beforehand." Kevin's eyes narrowed, and he muttered to himself.

"Call out!"

Kevin suddenly flung his hand away.

Youpi's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively tried to dodge, but to his horror, he felt his body slow down.

I turned around abruptly.

His right leg had somehow become firmly stuck to a black Nen Orb the size of a palm.

The Nen Orb emitted a strange suction force, hovering there like an anchor point driven into space, fixing him firmly in place!

Seeing this, a fierce glint flashed in Youpi's eyes. Without hesitation, he lashed out with his left-hand whip, transforming it into a chilling beam of light.

"Swoosh!" A flash of cold light, and the sturdy right hind leg was severed at the root!

The severed leg, splattering with blood, remained strangely attached to the spot, motionless.

I knew you'd do that.

Kevin's icy voice appeared in his ear like a ghost. Youpi turned his head in horror, wanting to counterattack or defend, but his body was half a beat slower due to the pain of his broken leg and the slowed movements of his Nen Orb, and it was too late.

A dense and powerful Nen Aura instantly enveloped his entire body, as if it were alive.

"Get out of here!"

"Bang!!!"

With a deafening roar, Youpi, who was trapped in the Nen Aura Cage, was sent flying like a giant cannonball, as if he had been hit head-on by a battering ram!

The speed and distance of the kick far exceeded expectations.

Under the powerful restraint and violent thrust of Nen Aura, Youpi felt dizzy and his Nen Aura was being suppressed. His bones felt like they were about to break, and he was unable to resist for a moment.

The enveloped Nen Balloon, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, tore through the sky and in the blink of an eye became a tiny red dot on the horizon, with only the outline of the nest visible in the distance.

He was abruptly thrown to the edge of the horizon!

"Hoo----" Looking at the already vanished Youpi, Kevin exhaled a long breath of foul air tinged with the smell of blood. Without pausing, he turned and dashed off towards the Ant Nest in a blur.

From the very beginning of the battle, aside from trying to ascertain the strength of the Royal Guards, he had been silently setting traps.

The colorless and odorless dust cleverly carried away dirt and sand during the battle, permeating the surrounding air and continuously seeping into Youpi breath, wounds, and even the pores that opened up during his body's evolution.

During the battle, under Kevin's skillful control, these dust particles flowed like streams converging into the sea, continuously converging towards a key node within Youpi's body.

It suddenly erupted in that very instant!

While an outburst cannot directly control the opponent, it can disrupt their energy flow and cause fatal disruptions in Nen Aura conduction during that instantaneous energy surge.

Simply put, it created an absolute vulnerability for a split second.

That one moment is enough.

In that instant, Kevin still couldn't kill his opponent with their abnormal defense; at most, he could only inflict serious damage.

However, seizing this fleeting opening and driving the opponent far off the battlefield at minimal cost to gain precious time is currently the best solution.

By enveloping the opponent in Nen Aura and delivering a burst of power, the opponent is sent far away.

This is a profound technique for coordinating power generation and Nen Aura. Kevin hasn't mastered it perfectly yet, but it's sufficient when the opponent is in a state of absolute vulnerability.

And take advantage of this precious time gap gained by racing against time.

Without hesitation, Kevin accelerated to the maximum speed, speeding towards the core of the nest, where smoke filled the air and fierce battle raged.

On the other side.

Melusina kept chasing after her.

Youpi had no intention of fighting her; even when injured and his body was damaged, he continued to dissect his own body.

They kept moving forward, using their Clone, towards the nest.

The two had already chased them into the lair.

--

"Even if you manage to escape with such losses, what good will it do? By then, you won't have enough strength to protect your king."

Melusina chased after her, trying to influence her behavior with words.

But Youpi completely ignored him.

Melusina didn't understand.

During the chase, she came to understand the nature of the other party's Nen ability.

These Clone are definitely products of Youpi splitting his Nen and flesh from his body. The destruction of each Clone represents the permanent depletion of that portion of Nen and Life Energy.

Nen Aura is not merely energy for attack, but also a manifestation of Life Force.

If we had to use an analogy, battles between Nen user deplete their own "Life Force reserves."

There's no blue bar; all consumption is represented by red bars.

Although the battle itself does not directly reduce the total maximum health, it will drastically consume the currently available Life Force.

When Nen Aura is completely depleted, their life force is reduced to a meager amount, like a candle flickering in the wind, making them vulnerable to being taken by others.

Whether launching an attack or defending, this Life Force reserve will be continuously depleted.

Furthermore, all bodily functions, strength, speed, and defense are closely related to the current remaining Life Force reserves.

As reserves decrease, both offensive and defensive capabilities will inevitably weaken.

This is equivalent to having your base attributes continuously weakened.

In this situation, what's the point of Youpi sacrificing his own strength at such a cost just to get back?

Don't we still have to face the battle?

And by then, he will only be more powerless than he is now.

This is very easy logic to understand.

But Youpi didn't care about any of that; he just wanted to go back.

Melusina couldn't understand this seemingly self-destructive obsession, because it was simply too irrational.

Perhaps this is the instinctive logic etched deep into the blood of Chimeric Ant guardians?

Would one be willing to Sacrifice everything for the king, including their own fighting prowess and even their life?

So-called thinking isn't important; it's the instinct to revert that's etched into memory.

That's all she could guess.

And the last battlefield.

Netero was leisurely fighting the Cat Woman in front of him.

Neferpitou's two Clone launched fierce attacks from different directions, essentially putting Netero in a three-on-one fight.

Even under these circumstances, Netero remained relaxed and at ease, handling the entire battle with ease.

He was like a champion standing on the ring, calmly dealing with wave after wave of attacks from his challengers.

Netero barely moved, simply standing still and performing exquisite dodging, blocking, and counterattacks.

Even when facing three attackers, whose main body and Clone are in perfect harmony and launch attacks almost simultaneously, he is still able to cope with the pressure from multiple sides at the same time.

Dodging Neferpitou's swift claw attack, he then grabbed her arm and flung her aside, sending her Clone into the path of his clone's attack.

He then bent over and swiftly hooked his right leg upwards like a whip.

The kick landed precisely on the lower back of the other Clone who was attempting a sneak attack from behind, sending it hurtling into the air with tremendous force.

Netero then used a sweeping leg kick to force back the approaching main body, braced his arms on the ground, and instantly inverted his body, his legs kicking upwards with tremendous force like compressed springs!

Neferpitou's main body and his Clone, which had collided together, were like sandbags stacked on top of each other, and were once again blasted into the air by this double kick that resembled an upside-down hook.

Netero, who was standing below, lightly jumped back to his normal position, raised his hands, and instantly condensed and compressed his Nen Aura in his palms, then pushed it upwards with a bang!

A blazing "grenade" formed from condensed Nen Aura shot upwards with a whoosh, accurately striking the three figures stacked together in mid-air and exploding violently!

With a deafening roar, three figures, thrown by the shockwave, landed in a disarray, forming a triangle that once again surrounded Netero at the center.

Although their clothes were tattered and their faces were covered in soot, making them look extremely disheveled, the Chimeric Ant Guardians' formidable physical strength meant that they did not seem to have suffered any serious injuries that would affect their movement.

Neferpitou crouched low, his scarlet cat eyes fixed on the composed old human in the center, a suppressed growl escaping his throat.

The two sides are not even in the same league.

This human—it's like he's toying with her!

He could easily break through her defenses, even severely injure and knock her away, and then rush into the Ant Nest to provide support.

But he deliberately chose to engage her in this war of attrition, continuously entangled in their struggle.

In this intense battle, Neferpitou's nerves were stretched to the limit. He frantically studied and imitated Netero's power generation techniques and the way he used Nen Aura, trying to find a way to defeat his enemy.

However, all of this seemed to be in vain.

Netero is like a finely tuned old machine, using only the most basic and unpretentious fighting techniques.

Exquisite footwork, adaptable punches and kicks, the ability to freely gather and control the flow of Nen Aura, and precise control over attack distance and force—

He steadily suppressed the powerful Neferpitou simply by relying on his honed basic skills and unfathomable combat experience.

This left even the exceptionally talented and incredibly quick-learning Neferpitou feeling powerless.

This is a gap built on pure experience, accumulated over decades of life-and-death struggles, and cannot be bridged in a short time by talent alone.

"You—you must be one of the strongest humans?! Where's your Nen ability? Why aren't you using it?!"

Neferpitou couldn't help but question her sharply, her voice filled with anger, confusion, and a hint of barely perceptible anxiety. She couldn't understand the other party's intention to hold back their strength.

Upon hearing this, Netero maintained his cheerful expression, as if he were merely exchanging pointers with a junior.

"Hehehe----you are quite a formidable opponent, Chimera Ant girl. Facing such a strong foe, this old man naturally has to fight with all his might."

He specifically emphasized the word "all out," his tone leaving much to ponder.

Of course, this is only his "all-out effort" in his "current state".

Netero knew in his heart that he needed this battle. He needed to regain that domineering, unrestrained fighting spirit, to bring his body and will back to their peak.

A sparring partner like Neferpitou, with his formidable strength, amazing recovery ability, and ability to exert sufficient pressure, is truly a rare find.

Netero's deeper purpose was to take this opportunity to hone and improve his own condition to its best.

As for the battle inside the Ant Nest?

This time it won't work.

In response to Neferpitou's question, Netero simply shook his head slightly, his gaze deep, and replied calmly, "The person who is truly playing chess won't make any mistakes in their moves."

Blessing