Fierce Battle X Invincible Defense and Endurance

Kevin slammed his fist down with a powerful punch.

This punch was devoid of any fancy moves or techniques; it was a pure, unrestrained outpouring of brute force.

"Boom--Crackling!"

The violent force instantly pierced the ground, smashing a deep crater into the hard rock beneath their feet, as if it were a fragile biscuit.

The sound of cracking spreading could be heard repeatedly.

The terrifying force was like a tangible shockwave, raging and spreading outwards wildly.

The dense, spiderweb-like cracks spread out like lightning from the point where the fist landed, instantly covering the entire surface of the cliff.

It was accompanied by a deafening roar, like the earth groaning in agony.

The mountain collapsed and rocks split, sending smoke and dust billowing into the sky.

The not-so-tall cliff was smashed apart and collapsed with a bang by Kevin's fist, which was pure and powerful to the extreme.

Kevin's figure tumbled and fell downwards along with countless collapsing boulders.

At the same time, the invisible force that had been pressing down on him like a mountain and controlling him tightly finally created a very brief and fleeting opening when the solid ground beneath his feet suddenly disappeared and he lost his footing.

Kevin's ability to seize opportunities was already ingrained in his body. At this critical moment, he suddenly struggled, like a slippery fish, forcefully breaking free from the invisible shackles that bound him.

The thick, pervasive smoke and dust surged endlessly like turbid seawater.

Amidst the billowing smoke, the dust cloud in front of Kevin was suddenly Air Cannon, creating a gap.

Netero's lean yet powerful figure appeared silently before him like a ghost, almost touching him.

"You really are just a brute who only knows how to use brute force."

Netero's voice carried a hint of mockery, yet also a touch of excitement.

Before he finished speaking, his right leg, like a steel whip tempered for a thousand years, tore through the viscous air.

With a dull, thunderous whistling sound, carrying concentrated Nen Aura, it lashed fiercely towards Kevin's waist and abdomen.

The speed was so fast that the strong wind had already made the skin sting.

A glint flashed in Kevin's eyes. Without flinching or dodging, he suddenly raised his right arm, which was covered with fine silver Snake Scale. The Hexagonal Nen Shield on it, layered like a honeycomb, instantly hummed and lit up, shimmering with light.

"Bang!"

The heavy whip-like leg struck the barrier solidly, producing a dull thud that sent chills down your spine.

The shockwave exploded, scattering smoke and dust, but Kevin's figure remained as still as a mountain rooted to the earth.

A counterattack followed immediately.

The barrier covering Kevin's left arm instantly mutated under the influence of his Nen Aura.

The air around the edge of the arm twisted, compressed, and sharpened violently. The Nen Aura merged with the solid barrier structure, instantly transforming into an invisible yet enormous longsword exuding a chilling aura.

The blade tore through the air with a piercing shriek as it sliced horizontally toward Netero's vital neck.

Swift as lightning.

Every Nen ability gained through a potion is essentially a strange technique.

Kevin mastered it using his most fundamental Nen ability.

These techniques are difficult to categorize by any specific rules, so they cannot be considered Nen ability in essence.

Because Nen ability are unruly; they are born from will and defy common sense.

However, abilities gained through potions are inherently reasonable and are not governed by any rules.

For example, a hexagonal Nen barrier is essentially Hexagonal Barrier constructed by chains, which is then made rigid through simulated structures.

He doesn't have any unbreakable rules; he's just stubbornly unyielding.

Faced with powerful attacks, Kevin also needs to stack multiple layers to defend himself.

What underpins this ability is always Kevin's own mindset.

However, if this is a Nen ability, it can use very basic power to give the hexagon extremely high hardness, or even some special abilities.

Of all the effects of the potions, only the A-rank potions began to exhibit characteristics similar to Nen ability.

But it's only superficially related. In essence, A-Rank drugs actually grant the human body abilities that are not inherent to humans.

It's more like a form of inhuman modification.

Once a skill is mastered, it has the potential for extension and variation.

The integration of multiple skills and mutual learning enhances versatility, although the essence remains unchanged.

The palm strike, though seemingly a blade, is constructed from Nen, forming a structure as sharp as a razor's edge.

Although the horizontal slash was fast, it was not difficult for someone like Netero, a peak martial artist, to catch.

With his extensive combat experience, he merely tilted his head slightly, and the invisible, sharp blade energy grazed the ends of his silver-white hair, only managing to stir up a few strands.

However, at this very moment when it seemed that the old strength had been exhausted and the attack had missed its target.

Kevin's right hand, which was slashing down like a knife, suddenly bent at an unbelievable angle, and his five fingers instantly closed together like a sharp drill.

Its speed suddenly increased several times, like the deadly flick of a venomous snake, accompanied by a shrill whistle that broke the sound barrier, it thrust towards Netero's face like lightning.

This sudden change of tactics, coupled with a burst of speed far exceeding his previous limits, instantly compressed Netero's room for maneuver to the limit.

At the critical moment, Netero, relying on his honed instincts, dodged to the side once again.

"Laugh!"

A faint cracking sound was heard.

The sharp, concentrated Nen Aura finally grazed Netero's aged yet resilient cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.

A few strands of severed silver-white hair slowly drifted down to the dust.

It's that trick again.

The initial sneak attack should use the same technique.

The moment he succeeded, Kevin's Fighting Spirit intensified, showing no sign of stopping.

His body was enveloped in a raging Gale Tornado Nen Aura, which surged like burning flames.

"Drink!" came a low growl.

Kevin's legs twisted violently like springs compressed to their limit, and his core muscles unleashed a force capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, instantly transforming him into a high-speed spinning Death Drill.

With his legs taut and straight, like the sharpest drill tip, he delivered a piercing shriek that seemed to shatter eardrums, a Suicide Kick, wolf-like kick aimed directly at Netero's chest and heart.

At this moment, Netero, who had just made a narrow dodge, was no longer able to completely avoid this violent, suicidal attack.

He swiftly positioned his palms in front of his chest in a profound stance to deflect the overwhelming force, attempting to neutralize the immense and unstoppable power with exquisite "softness."

"Bang! Boom--!"

After a heavy, muffled thud, came the terrifying whistling of the drill bit tearing through the air and the roar of a sweeping storm.

In an instant, the ground around the point of impact suddenly sank, and countless grains of sand and dust were swept up by the violent airflow, forming a turbid dust tornado.

The surrounding woods rustled wildly as if hit by a hurricane, their branches and leaves shaking violently and making a painful, clattering sound.

Although Netero managed to deflect some of the devastating impact with his skillful technique, Kevin's battering ram-like legs still slammed solidly into his crossed arms as he tried to block.

Netero's formidable physical defense, honed over a century, was clearly no match for Kevin's protective barrier, composed of Snake Scale and multiple layers of psychic shields.

A tremendous force, heavier than he had imagined, struck him.

"Ugh!"

Netero groaned, his arms trembling and going numb. He felt as if he had been hit head-on by a runaway siege engine, completely losing control of his body.

"Crack! Crack! Boom!"

Netero flew backward like a cannonball, crashing through two or three thick ancient trees that required several people to encircle before finally coming to a stop on the trunk of the third giant tree.

The tree shook down a shower of leaves, leaving a clear human-shaped dent in the trunk.

Using the recoil, Kevin performed a nimble backflip, landing steadily on the collapsed, piled-up rubble below, Time Stop his pursuit.

His chest rose and fell slightly as he took two deep breaths, making clear breathing sounds.

He was not physically exhausted.

Instead, he faced a peerless master like Netero, whose skills and combat intelligence completely surpassed his own.

The immense strain from that highly focused, unwavering mental discipline caused the body to instinctively relieve the tension in its nerves through deep, labored breathing.

To be honest, Kevin hadn't felt this kind of adrenaline-pumping, goosebump-inducing pressure in a long time.

Especially after returning from the brutal environment of the Dark Continent where survival was a matter of life and death, it was almost impossible for the entire human society to find an opponent who could truly match him and make him need to concentrate so intently.

Even when fighting those infamous Phantom Troupe before, I had never felt so evenly matched and on the edge of my seat.

"This old man's experience is truly terrifying; he really has lived a long life."

Kevin wiped away non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead, muttering to himself Biscuit's past comments involuntarily echoed in his mind.

"No wonder Biscuit said that Netero had already reached the pinnacle of Human Martial Arts World even before he became Nen user— "

"In terms of skill, the connection of moves, and the timing, he is far superior to me."

"In this close-quarters combat arena where skills, experience, and reaction speed are paramount, I—am indeed no match for him."

The wisdom accumulated over a hundred years, the intuition honed at the pinnacle of martial arts, and the vast, boundless accumulation of experience—

These factors combined to create a near-complete suppression of Kevin's skills.

Kevin had to admit that even in his most prized area of close combat, an area where he should be able to overwhelm his opponents with his basic attributes, he didn't have a very good way to deal with this seemingly skinny old man in front of him.

His so-called close-combat "advantage" proved utterly ineffective against Netero.

Its essence lies more in overpowering opponents with its most basic attributes: longer attack range, faster burst speed, and more abnormal physical defense.

With his base stats far exceeding those of his enemies, even if the enemy has strong melee abilities, they appear as flashy as a child waving a wooden stick in front of him, utterly vulnerable.

Now, the situation has completely reversed.

Netero's base stats are also at the pinnacle of human ability, making him absolutely incapable of being overwhelmed by Kevin in terms of attributes.

In addition, there are his various unbelievable and magical combat skills that far exceed, and can even completely overwhelm, Kevin.

This allows Netero to consistently hit Kevin's relatively weak points, almost as if he had a premonition.

Even if Kevin's all-out attack manages to hit him by chance, Netero's exquisite defensive blocking or force-deflecting techniques will neutralize most of the actual damage.

Furthermore, it is supported by Netero's equally unfathomable and vast mental energy, like an ocean.

In close combat that relies purely on "skill" and "strength," Kevin felt like a clumsy fighter.

An apprentice who only knows how to act recklessly.

He was being suppressed, guided, and even "played" in every way by a master who had returned to simplicity.

This feeling of being suppressed was exceptionally clear.

Although Netero looked focused and was clearly fighting him seriously, this "seriousness" was tinged with a hint of ease and composure.

After all, Kevin had just withstood an attack that appeared to be Netero's true Nen ability, the power of which far exceeded that of a normal attack.

But Netero used it only once and never used it again.

Kevin didn't believe that Nen user at the pinnacle of the world like Netero would have such a simple, or long-cooldown ability.

This is more like a test, or a warm-up.

In this situation, it is pointless to obsess over finding the enemy's weaknesses.

Kevin quickly adjusted his thinking and began to examine himself to see what irreplaceable advantages he still had.

If he still possesses any advantage that could turn the tide of the battle and make things difficult for Netero—

That is a defensive capability that can be described as abnormal and almost unbeatable.

The tough snake scales, meticulously constructed from Transmutation Nen and perfectly integrated with the body, combined with the multi-layered hexagonal Nen shields that can be stacked at any time and have an exceptionally stable structure, these two layers of defense can reduce Netero's attack power by more than 90%.

Attacks that would have instantly killed other powerful individuals were like mere tickles to Kevin.

And if anyone dares to try and outlast Kevin in a war of attrition—

That was simply falling into his absolute domain.

Kevin was absolutely confident that, at least in known human society, there was practically no one with a larger "total" amount of Nen Aura than him.

This is the cornerstone of his ability to crush all his opponents.

Although the "power" he can output in an instant is probably equivalent to someone with Nen Aura of around 400,000.

However, the total amount of Nen Aura stored in his body that he could consume had reached an astonishing 1.4 million units.

In other words, there is a massive reserve of 1.8 million units of Nen Aura.

Although the output power of a single attack is equivalent to 400,000, this "ammunition depot" is simply bottomless.

This is his absolute strength, making his endurance unparalleled.

In addition, Kevin's already superhumanly honed physique possessed terrifying resilience.

After a fierce exchange, Netero's powerful attack, capable of splitting rocks and shattering stones, landed on Kevin, yet it barely wiped the dust off his clothes; he suffered almost no real damage.

This gave him almost unlimited room for error and the capital to test the waters.

Thinking of this, Kevin couldn't help but raise his hand and slap his forehead hard, making a crisp "smack" sound.

"Damn! This old man—could he have been using me as a human punching bag to get back into shape?!"

The thought flashed through Kevin's mind like lightning, leaving him with a somewhat helpless feeling of being both amused and exasperated.

Because upon closer examination—

This hypothesis is highly probable.

Even among the world's top experts, who among normal humans could withstand Netero's onslaught without flinching and still be alive and kicking, continuing their provocations?

Who can provide such a "durable" sparring partner, one you don't have to worry about accidentally killing?

Just then, Netero emerged from the bushes he had knocked down in the distance, his steps steady, his clothes covered in dust and fallen leaves, but his imposing presence undiminished.