The Essence of Strength X Confidence

Netero strolled over casually, a smug, undisguised smile on his face.

"How's that, kid?"

Netero's voice was full of teasing, and even his gray eyebrows seemed to have a playful curve.

Tsk.

Kevin thought to himself, "That old man."

They have absolutely no class.

But Kevin's curiosity ultimately prevailed; the completely invisible yet incredibly powerful attack method was truly intriguing.

He couldn't help but ask, "So—what exactly is this Nen ability of yours? Why can't I see it at all? I can't even detect a trace of Nen Aura?"

He frowned, scrutinizing Netero with sharp eyes. "It's absolutely impossible for such a simple gesture as clasping your hands together to generate such terrifying power."

Such Restriction are completely unreasonable, or rather, in your hands, such Restriction are not constraints at all; they are too easy to Restriction.

The power of Restriction stems from self-imposed limitations.

The stronger the self-restraint, the greater the power displayed under that restraint.

Things that can be easily achieved wouldn't have such exaggerated power.

While clasping one's hands together is indeed a potentially lethal pre-attack move in combat, its actual power is incomparable to the force it displays.

Faced with Kevin's direct and pointed question, Netero did not answer directly; his smile faded, and his expression became solemn.

He slowly extended his finger, with an almost reverent air, and gently touched his heart.

It is the power of the heart.

His voice was deep and powerful; at that moment, he seemed to be displaying the demeanor he was meant to have.

"This is a heart filled with gratitude."

These words made Kevin frown and fall into deep thought.

He would never have thought that Netero was being deliberately mysterious or pretentious.

In this world of Nen ability, "willpower" itself is a force that can leverage reality and create miracles.

The essence of Nen ability is the Conjuration of will.

As the world's number one Nen user, this old man has indeed explored the origin of Nen ability to a certain limit, returning directly to the most basic yet most powerful core - will and state of mind.

At this moment, Netero seemed to be lost in a distant memory, his tone carrying a touch of sentimentality that came with the passage of time. "When I was very young, to express my gratitude for all the gifts that martial arts had given me, I would throw a punch every day with the purest gratitude."

"I set myself an almost demanding goal—to throw ten thousand grateful punches every day."

O

"At first," Netero calmly recounted the hardships of the past, "It took me almost an entire day, without sleep or rest, exhausting all my strength, just to barely complete this goal, each punch incredibly heavy."

"But as the years went by, as I threw more and more punches, day after day, year after year, this pure gratitude gradually seeped into my bones and became instinct."

The time required to achieve this goal is getting shorter and shorter.

"Punching a punch is no longer just training, but a dialogue and fusion with the 'heart' of martial arts."

As Netero spoke calmly yet powerfully, Kevin listened intently, trying to grasp the deeper meaning behind his words.

After listening, he nodded slowly in understanding, a flash of realization in his eyes.

Just as I expected!

That seemingly iconic gesture of clasping hands together, a prelude to an attack, is merely the most inconspicuous appearance, a habitual Succession Ceremony action.

The true source of core strength comes from the will of the heart, from the gratitude that has been honed over decades and is ingrained in our instincts.

At the moment he clasped his hands together and launched the attack, Netero was filled with gratitude.

It is this pure, powerful, and tempered will that can drive the Nen Aura to unleash such incredible, formless, yet overwhelming power.

And in his spiritual perception, there was a vaguely visible, magnificent, and enormous Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue.

This is the Conjuration manifestation of Netero's decades-long dedication to "unity of knowledge and action," perfectly integrating his will, beliefs, and combat skills at the spiritual level.

This has transcended the realm of ordinary Nen ability and risen to a level akin to the "Tao."

This is the result of Netero's exploration of will and spirit after he reached the limits of his physical and technical abilities.

Kevin couldn't help but mentally complain.

This... this has already risen to the level of metaphysics.

He felt tired of standing and thinking, so he simply plopped down and leaned against a huge broken wooden stake, making a slight grinding sound.

Netero smiled, as if shedding his fighting spirit, and sat cross-legged on the slightly muddy ground opposite him, his movements natural and fluid.

Are you feeling lost?

Netero gazed at Kevin with eyes that seemed to see right through him, and asked slowly, his tone calm yet cutting to the heart of the matter.

Kevin was slightly taken aback by these words, then nodded slightly and said frankly, "I guess so."

"Combat skills have always been my weakness. I've only improved a little recently—"

He subconsciously opened his hand to look at it; his knuckles were distinct, and explosive power emanated from beneath his skin.

At the same time, she also thought of the portion of Melusina's talent that she would share through the Betrothal.

Hehehe.

Netero chuckled softly, his laughter revealing no particular emotion, but rather the tolerant acceptance of an elder towards a younger person.

He scrutinized Kevin from head to toe, his gaze as if assessing an uncut gem, before slowly speaking with a hint of genuine emotion.

"Kid, you're different from me. You're too young, so young that I can't help but feel a little jealous."

The "jealousy" he spoke of was no joke; it was more like an exclamation of infinite possibilities.

"You know, I was already fifty years old when I completed this training."

And what about Kevin now?

She was only in her early twenties, about half the age he was at that time.

After the age of fifty, he reached his peak, the limit of his life.

After that, his strength hardly increased again.

Instead, it becomes increasingly weaker with the passage of time and the wear and tear of years.

He changed the subject, his gaze becoming deep and distant.

Why do humans invent things like "skills"?

"Isn't it precisely because humanity's own power seems insufficient compared to the many powerful beings in this vast world?"

He asked and answered himself, his voice calm yet powerful.

"From the very beginning of existence, humankind has been capable of using everything around us to arm ourselves and fight."

"Weapons, skills, environment, wisdom—all of these are essentially for compensating for one's own lack of strength, for survival, and for winning in brutal competition."

Humans have never been the dominant species in nature.

But it is precisely because they know how to utilize resources, how to learn, how to unite, and how to arm themselves with everything they have.

At this point, Netero's gaze became very serious, staring directly into Kevin's eyes as if it were a physical presence, and he posed the crucial question.

"Tell me, Kevin, is there still room for your total Nen Aura to increase? Can your body, honed to its limits, break through its boundaries once more?"

Kevin thought for a moment, then nodded firmly without hesitation.

His mental capacity certainly has a lot of room for improvement.

His body is also capable of breaking through limits and moving further into the realm of the inhuman.

This is a state that is almost impossible for most other Nen user to achieve, a state that has reached its bottleneck or even its limit.

For Kevin, who has access to special potion-making techniques, all he needs is a little time to wait and the right opportunity, such as exploring the Dark Continent to obtain A-Rank materials.

He doesn't need to spend long years honing his skills, just to gain a negligible increase in strength and physique.

"Drug use" is his unique shortcut to the pinnacle of power.

And as he grew stronger.

This shortcut is becoming a shortcut for others.

"That's fine then."

Netero's voice was resolute and carried an undeniable force.

"Then there's absolutely no need to worry too much about so-called techniques!"

He emphasized, "Nothing is invincible except speed! The most fundamental strengths are the quantity and quality of Nen Aura, and the physical strength and speed—these are the fundamental cornerstones that determine victory or defeat!"

As someone who has been through it all, an elder who has stood at the pinnacle of martial arts for decades, and an explorer who has ventured deep into the Dark Continent multiple times and witnessed countless powerful beings.

Netero's experience and insight are beyond question.

"The so-called techniques----"

He concluded with a touch of detached understanding. "It's nothing more than a helpless choice and supplementary measure after the growth of power has hit a bottleneck, become extremely slow or even stagnant."

"It is a method used to maximize combat effectiveness when strength growth stagnates."

He pinpointed the core essence of the battle.

If he hadn't reached the limits of his body and skill, would he have delved into his will?

Of course not.

Moreover, he had long seen through Kevin's true nature; Kevin was not, in essence, the kind of "martial arts fanatic" who was obsessed with martial arts techniques and pursued perfect moves.

Kevin's goals are clear and pragmatic.

If a person doesn't have a passion for martial arts, and doesn't have that almost obsessive love for the skill itself, they can't truly learn and master the kind of power that comes from the heart like he does.

Fortunately, Netero didn't have any anxiety about inheriting the mantle; he valued the battle in front of him more.

After this in-depth discussion, Kevin had a clearer understanding of the core issues.

Netero's techniques are indeed formidable; this invisible yet incredibly powerful Nen ability grants Netero near-invincible offensive capabilities.

However, even with such powerful abilities, it still seemed somewhat powerless when faced with Kevin's almost monstrous defensive capabilities.

Neither of them could gain the upper hand, and they were locked in a delicate stalemate.

Kevin's defense was too strong. Although Netero's attacks could repel and suppress him, they could never truly break through his defense and cause substantial damage.

Even Kevin himself couldn't defeat Netero, who was experienced and had activated his Nen ability.

Especially after the other party intentionally created distance, even getting close became extremely difficult for him.

Kevin pondered to himself.

If this were a true life-or-death battle, he probably wouldn't be able to get close to Netero at all. Once Netero activates his Nen ability, he would absolutely not allow himself to get near him.

His most powerful trump card, the "Time Stop Orb," can be dodged by Netero, who possesses keen senses and extraordinary combat skills, the instant it is launched from a certain distance.

This would lead to a protracted and endless tug-of-war.

However, given enough time, with Kevin's immense Nen Aura and near-invincible endurance, the balance of victory will inevitably tip in Kevin's favor as the game continues to whittle down his strength.

Perhaps it was precisely because this was a friendly match that Netero didn't want to get bogged down in this long and somewhat "boring" war of attrition, which is why he chose to stop for a halftime break.

Come and have this exchange with him about the nature of power.

With that in mind, Kevin decided to steer the conversation toward the upcoming final battle.

He looked at Netero, his tone tinged with inquiry.

"To be honest, although your ability is very powerful, if you can't even break through my defenses, can you really do any damage to the Ant King?"

Kevin couldn't personally assess the Ant King's physical capabilities.

Their sole criterion for judgment was Nobu's words.

Nobu had witnessed Netero's imposing presence with his Thousand-Armed Guanyin Statue and felt Kevin's violent and ferocious aura, but even so, he still believed that the Ant King possessed absolutely immense power.

Although Luo Bu was in fear at the time, it should be noted that Nobu was definitely a seasoned Nen user.

The root cause of his fear lies in his tendency to overthink, to delve deeper, and ultimately, to change himself.

He will not lose his judgment under such circumstances.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have acted almost instinctively, giving them an advantage, even under conditions of fear.

Moreover, the Ant King was premature, and now that so much time has passed, according to intelligence, the amount of food it has consumed is astonishing.

Perhaps his physical defects have been compensated for, and with the help of Neferpitou and his gang of beaten guards, he's quite capable.

It's perfectly reasonable to imagine the power of the Ant King to be as great as possible.

"Whether a battle is won or lost can only be known during the battle itself."

Netero simply responded calmly, gazing intently at the distant red sun, as if he had already disregarded life and death.

When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail.

However, this empty talk couldn't fool the pragmatic Kevin.

This is no small matter.

This is a major event in the struggle between races; if anything goes wrong, the number of humans who die will be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Kevin glanced at Netero's calm profile and then spoke casually.

"The fact that you can say something like that means that deep down you already know that your chances of winning aren't very high, right?"

Although he didn't have much contact with Netero.

But it's also clear that this is an old man who doesn't respect his elders and is proud, even arrogant, of his own abilities.

His obsession with martial arts is unparalleled.

This may not sound like much, but it reveals a certain level of confidence.

These words immediately drew displeasure from Netero.

He turned his head abruptly, his white beard seemingly standing on end, and glared at Kevin.

"You brat, you're lecturing me now!"