Lin Yan leaned against the headboard, looking at the three curious faces before him, and fell silent for a moment.
A faint smell of disinfectant hung in the air. He knew there were things he could no longer hide.
Besides, after today's brush with death in real combat, Gon and Killua had truly stepped into that brutal world. As their guide, Wing needed to know the truth as well.
"That wasn't Nen."
Lin Yan spoke slowly. His voice was hoarse and dry, but every word came out perfectly clear, carrying an unquestionable certainty.
"What?"
Wing froze, instinctively pushing his glasses up his nose as his brow furrowed.
"It wasn't Nen? How is that possible? That power that broke down Shadaso's aura just now can't be explained unless it was a Specialist's Nen exorcism, or a special effect produced through Conjuration combined with strict restrictions."
As an acting master of Shingen-ryu, Wing had an exceptionally firm understanding of the world.
He instinctively tried to fit Lin Yan's ability into his decades of experience.
"It was the Dao, right?"
Killua, standing off to the side, interrupted Wing before he could continue.
The boy leaned against the wall with his arms folded, recollection flickering in his catlike eyes.
"Like that theory about the engine and the modified car you told me after we got out of Trick Tower?"
Gon nodded repeatedly in realization. "Oh! I remember too! Lin Yan said what he was cultivating was a more fundamental source, something that made his body into the strongest possible vessel!"
"Exactly. Good memory."
Lin Yan gave the two an approving look, then turned to Wing, who looked stunned and was rapidly thinking things through.
"Mr. Wing, do you remember our talk on the balcony about roots and techniques?"
Though weak, Lin Yan's voice carried