The Benefactor of the Assistant

"Bang--!"

A heavy, muffled thunderclap exploded!

The ground beneath Kevin's feet shattered instantly, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out in an instant.

But he ultimately withstood the powerful, tricky side blow thanks to his almost instinctive reflexes and his almost superhuman defensive abilities.

This palm strike was different from the previous pushes; it contained a pure and sharp offensive Nen Aura impact.

Even with the hard Snake Scale blocking his way, Kevin could still clearly feel the penetrating force vibrating through his bones and internal organs.

A noticeable numbness was felt in both arms.

Fortunately, the defensive power of Snake Scale is beyond doubt. Even such penetrating force will be distributed to all parts of the body with scales the moment it hits.

Therefore, even with such a powerful attack, the sensation was only numbness throughout the body, without any obvious damage.

He dared not hesitate for a moment, and before the opponent's next palm could fully form, his body suddenly released like a spring compressed to its limit.

"Call out!"

He shot backward like an arrow released from a bow, instantly widening the distance between himself and Netero.

Instantly, his Nen Aura gathered around Kevin's eyes. He activated the "Condensation" skill and rapidly scanned the air in front of him.

"What?!"

However, the view remained empty.

No!

They did not see the illusory Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue behind Netero, which seemed to exist only on the level of will and exuded a magnificent and oppressive aura.

It seemed to be merely a Conjuration perception of mental pressure, and no attack trajectory or fluctuation of Nen Aura from a distance could be detected at all.

Another invisible yet incredibly powerful palm strike pierced through the air.

I could see it a little clearly just now, but now I can't see it at all; it's as if the step of joining hands never happened.

Netero clasped his hands together even faster.

Kevin's eyes could no longer keep up with the afterimages of the man's movements; his nerve reaction speed seemed so sluggish in the face of this unbelievable frequency of attacks.

This palm strike, faster than the limits of perception, struck Kevin's chest without warning or obstruction.

The hexagonal Nen Aura barrier that had been shimmering layer upon layer on Kevin's body shattered and dissipated instantly, like glass struck by a heavy hammer, letting out a mournful cry of unbearable pressure.

The palm struck him squarely on his chest, which was covered in hard, silver Snake Scale.

"Sizzle!"

Kevin's upper body clothing was torn apart and turned to ashes the instant it came into contact with the body by an invisible force.

An overwhelming and terrifying force, like a mountain collapsing, slammed into the hard Snake Scale without reservation.

"Bang!"

Kevin grunted, feeling as if he had been hit head-on by a battering ram, and was forced back by the immense force.

His feet carved two deep furrows in the already broken ground, sending pebbles and dust flying.

It wasn't until it crashed into the trunk of a half-fallen, thick, ancient tree behind it that it made a dull thud and barely stopped its backward momentum.

Kevin stopped and instinctively raised his hand to rub the spot in his chest where he had been hit.

The Snake Scale remained smooth, without even a scratch.

But the dull ache and lingering pain from the powerful shock clearly reminded him of the magnitude of the blow he had just suffered.

A dozen meters away, Netero's figure stood atop the smoke-filled ruins.

His face was expressionless, and his strong, powerful hands were repeating simple yet deadly core movements at a dazzling speed.

Bring your palms together and then clap them forward or to the side.

Join your hands in prayer! Clap your hands!

The movement was so fast that only a blurry afterimage remained.

Kevin, on the other hand, was forced to stand still, like a helpless rock in a storm, enduring the pounding of the waves.

He struggled to raise his arms, constantly blocking, parrying, and enduring the blows.

Each time, he could only determine the source of the attack by the instantaneous feedback when the invisible attack had already struck his hastily formed Nen Aura shield, causing the shield to vibrate violently or even shatter.

Then they use their arms to defend themselves, which is less of a defense and more of a passive way of bearing and deflecting the force.

At this moment, Kevin was like a piece of red-hot iron placed on an anvil, being relentlessly struck by Netero's palms, which were like invisible hammer blows.

They could only passively endure the terrifying impacts from all directions, their bodies trembling slightly with each roar, and the ground beneath their feet constantly cracking.

Kevin endured this extremely frustrating and passive situation, but his brain was analyzing things at lightning speed under the immense pressure.

The attack trajectory was not visible.

The frequency and speed of the attacks reached an unbelievable level, exceeding the limits of perception.

One thing is clear.

This invisible yet incredibly powerful attack inevitably requires Netero to perform his signature clasped hands gesture as a "switch" or "starting gun."

Based on the feedback from the spiritual level, it should be an invisible palm strike from the "Thousand-Hand Guanyin" manifested by his Nen ability.

But the attack itself was definitely not a materialized entity, nor did it use the technique of "stealth" to hide its form.

That's the seriousness of the problem.

The essence of this attack is that it is invisible and intangible, a pure shockwave generated by intention-driven Nen Aura.

At most, one can only vaguely sense the terrifying, mountain-like aura that locks onto them to confirm that the opponent's attack is still ongoing.

Only through the instantaneous feedback from the externally placed, defensive, detached Nen Aura barrier can one barely predict the approximate location and intensity of the attack.

What was originally a defensive barrier has become the sole criterion for judgment.

It was a usage I was forced to learn during battle.

If Kevin hadn't been incredibly strong and his mind hadn't been sharpened by the trials of the Dark Continent, he might not have even been able to perceive the concrete form of this vague, oppressive aura.

In that case, they probably wouldn't even know how they were hit or how they died.

The gesture of pressing the palms together was undoubtedly a necessary starting position for launching this terrifying attack.

In the ever-changing, life-or-death close combat, the gesture of clasping one's hands together may seem to leave a huge opening, making it an extremely dangerous and even fatal self-limitation.

This is clearly a self-imposed, severe Restriction, Nen ability for greater power or a special effect that is difficult to defend against.

However, for someone like Netero, who has honed both martial arts skills and Nen ability to the pinnacle of what humans can imagine, this is a different story.

The speed at which he completed the gesture of pressing his palms together was so fast that even a top expert like Kevin could hardly see the trajectory of it.

Therefore, this theoretically fatal flaw is almost negligible in actual combat.

But can a simple gesture of pressing one's hands together instantly unleash such devastating power?

Ranged attack, completely invisible, immense power, extremely fast speed, and seemingly wide attack range----

Netero's attack characteristics have become outrageously exaggerated.

Is the price merely a lightning-fast clasp of hands?

Or is there some deeper cost that you haven't yet realized?

Now, to completely reverse this overwhelming situation and defeat this seemingly invincible "old monster," Kevin calmly analyzes the situation and concludes that only two theoretically feasible methods remain.

The first method utilizes its own high-temperature radiation capability.

In any case, Netero is ultimately made of flesh and blood, not truly indestructible.

The high-temperature radiation, capable of melting gold and iron and distorting space, would pose a substantial and fatal threat to him, forcing him to focus on defense or retreat, thus interrupting his relentless offensive rhythm.

The second method is to use your true trump card – Time Stop.

Although the range and duration of each Time Stop Orb are extremely limited, and each time a Nen Orb is created and Emission, a portion of Kevin's Nen Aura needs to be directly intercepted, which is equivalent to reducing his own Nen capacity limit.

However, every successful shot taken Time Stop Orb represents an absolute opportunity for control, a trump card to turn the tide of battle.

As long as the timing and position are just right—for example, accurately hitting Netero's arm as he is making a prayer gesture, or covering his upper body.

That would completely disrupt his deadly attack rhythm.

The problem is that----

Kevin's mind raced.

His Time Stop Orb was his deeply hidden, decisive trump card.

He would never use it lightly unless it was a matter of life and death.

The current battle is essentially just a friendly sparring match.

Its core purpose is to serve as a qualified "human punching bag," helping Netero regain and solidify his peak fighting condition so that he can face the potentially more powerful Ant King Meruem in the best possible form.

The goal of this battle was never victory.

To seek victory in a sparring match, would one resort to a trump card that weakens their maximum power?

This is undoubtedly an extremely unprofitable deal.

He was neither a madman pursuing the limits of martial arts, nor a warrior yearning to burn everything in battle.

In battle, he will act in a way that best serves his own interests, depending on the nature of each battle and the different objectives he wants to achieve.

They would never risk everything, even their most trump cards, simply for the sake of so-called "winning" or "losing" fame.

Moreover, Netero can neither be considered a complete ally nor a staunch ally whose core interests are absolutely tied to Kevin's.

It's absolutely not worth revealing your final trump card for such a friendly competition.

And.

Well, this is also a very good opportunity.

He was used as a human punching bag, but at the same time, it was also a very good learning opportunity.

Having someone like Netero, whose experience, ability, knowledge, and strength are all top-notch, as his sparring partner is an extremely rare opportunity.

Learning even a little bit is good, and experiencing a battle that puts him under immense pressure without mortal danger would be a godsend.

Therefore, using this last resort is not advisable.

But for the rest, we must do our best.

"Then—let's use the High-Temperature Tactics."

Kevin made a decision instantly, even though he felt it was pointless.

However, the current distance is still too far for the high-temperature radiation to effectively affect the other party.

That scorching high-temperature field requires a sufficiently close distance to unleash its maximum power.

We must close the distance.

With this in mind, Kevin looked ahead.

His feet were firmly planted on the ground like powerful suction cups, his center of gravity slightly lowered, and his back arched.

His entire being was like a fully drawn bow, accumulating explosive power.

The next instant, the bowstring snapped.

He moved like an arrow released from a bow, a deadly dragon pouncing on its prey, his body in a perfectly streamlined, thrusting posture, tearing through the air.

With an unwavering determination, he charged forward with explosive speed towards the towering Netero ahead.

And Kevin was speeding towards him.

Instead of being nervous, Netero's lips curled into a smile of interest. He did not immediately unleash the invisible palm strike to send Kevin flying.

The only reason he was reluctant to use his Nen ability was that once he used "Hundred-Type Guanyin," he would be completely aware that almost no one in the world could effectively react to his Nen ability.

This completely defeats the purpose of sparring and regaining form.

What he wanted was to reignite his dormant fighting spirit and peak combat instincts in the midst of fierce confrontation.

Meditation can achieve a similar effect, but it is far less effective and direct than combat.

Moreover, Kevin has already ignited his passion.

Looking around at the people he knew, those who could inspire him to fight with all his might, even if it was just using the most basic fighting techniques, were extremely rare.

Not to mention the person who could force him to use the "Hundred-Type Guanyin".

So he stopped and tacitly approved Kevin's close-range attack.

Kevin was in the midst of the raid, also keenly noticed this scene, but he didn't seem to care.

His goal was simply to test the effectiveness of High-Temperature Tactics; whether the opponent defended, and how they defended, were all pieces of information.

His figure flashed to Netero's side in an instant, like a ghost.

Kevin joined his fingers together like knives and thrust forward with lightning speed, aiming straight for Netero's ribs.

Netero's eyes narrowed, and almost at the same time Kevin appeared, he instinctively crossed his arms and raised them in a blocking stance.

However.

Just as he was about to block Kevin's chop with both arms, an unbearable heat instantly assaulted his skin.

It was as if the very act of venting one's anger was being ignited.

That wasn't the impact of a collision of Nen Aura, but pure high-temperature radiation, which was frantically burning the Nen Aura protection on his body.

Faced with this sudden and entirely different threat, Netero was incredibly experienced in combat.

Without hesitation, he abandoned his block, pushed off with his feet, and flew backward like a willow catkin, trying to increase the distance between them.

However, the intense heat emanating from Kevin's body caused him to expand rapidly.

Netero clearly felt that the Nen Aura shield around his body was being rapidly penetrated by the terrifying heat.

The discomfort was reduced, and a stinging sensation spread through my skin.

The core of battles between Nen user lies in the use of Nen Aura.

Each collision is essentially a contest of quantity and intensity between the Nen Aura surrounding the two sides.

If the opponent's total Nen Aura far exceeds yours, then their Nen Aura can neutralize the Nen Aura you use for defense, and the remaining Nen Aura and its contained physical force will directly affect your body.

Unless it involves Nen ability with special rules.

In normal close combat, what is being tested is nothing more than:

Judging the flow and intensity of Nen Aura;

Adjusting the speed of riding and Nen Aura;

The body's reaction speed.

While the high temperature Kevin was releasing could be blocked to some extent by Nen Aura, this was completely different from a direct collision or head-on impact between Nen Aura.

It is a continuous, wide-ranging, penetrating energy radiation.

The way and efficiency of consuming Nen Aura are completely different, and it puts greater emphasis on the "density" and "isolation" characteristics of Nen Aura.

Without targeted capabilities, there is no way to defend.

Faced with such high temperatures, Netero made a decision instantly without hesitation.

He clasped his hands together in front of his chest with lightning speed, then thrust them forward forcefully.

"Boom!"

It was that powerful and irresistible force that made it so impactful.

The enormous, unseen hand slammed down on Kevin in an instant.

Kevin felt an irresistible force coming at him, and he couldn't stop himself from flying away like a kite with a broken string.

This is the move I've made.

It doesn't use any defensive techniques; it just aims to send you flying without doing any damage. It's disgusting.

"Crack! Crack! Boom--!"

His body crashed through numerous thick trees like a cannonball, finally coming to a stop rolling in a wrecked woodland.

The intense heat emanating from its body instantly dried and charred the broken tree debris around it, causing it to begin to smoke and ignite.

Kevin immediately stopped radiating heat and swung his arms wildly!

"Call--!"

The sharp Nen Aura into a fierce gale, instantly extinguishing the sparks that were about to ignite.

"It just didn't work."

Kevin sighed and dusted himself off. Netero's reaction and response were textbook examples; he instantly identified the fatal weakness of the high-temperature ability—distance.

Although Netero had enough speed to keep up with Kevin's speed was too fast.

However, he could use his incredibly powerful, invisible palm strike to instantly send Kevin flying, forcibly creating a safe distance.

Moreover, the force of that attack was clearly controlled.

If he wanted, he could send Kevin flying even further.

This understated control of distance was undoubtedly a clear message to Kevin.

Kid, that trick won't work.

At this moment, the heavy, mountain-like aura emanating from Netero quietly dissipated.

The Nen ability has been removed.

Halftime?