Chapter Summaries

Lin Yan calmly evaded Johns’s relentless assault, using his divine sense and precise movements to read the beastlike fighter’s rhythm. After Johns overextended himself, Lin Yan countered with a qi-focused Sword Formula Finger aimed at the vital point beneath his armpit, leaving the outcome of their clash unresolved.

• Lin Yan dodged Johns’s claws and elbow without moving his feet from a small area.
• Johns unleashed a minute-long barrage that shattered the arena while Lin Yan followed the openings in his attacks.
• Killua noticed that Lin Yan was making tiny adjustments and staying within a three-step radius.
• As Johns tired, Lin Yan recognized an opening and gathered true qi into his Sword Formula Finger.
• Lin Yan struck toward the hub beneath Johns’s armpit and softly said, “Break.”

Lin Yan defeated Johns with a precise Sword Finger strike that crippled his arm and broke his resolve, forcing him to surrender. After the examinees won the match, Lippo announced that their lost time required them to spend fifty hours confined before proceeding.

• Lin Yan pierced Johns's meridian junction with a Sword Finger strike, shredding his arm internally and leaving him partly paralyzed.
• Lin Yan pressed his attack, and Johns buckled to his knees and surrendered under the pressure of Lin Yan's presence.
• Killua asked about Lin Yan's strange technique, but Lin Yan only replied, "Practice makes perfect."
• The referee declared Lin Yan the winner of the sixth match and announced that the examinees' team had won four to two.
• Lin Yan reflected that the Sword Finger had consumed nearly thirty percent of his true qi and strained his meridians.
• Lippo announced that the team had to spend fifty hours in a small room because of the time lost in their fifth match, and his subordinates locked them inside a cramped stone chamber.

Locked in a stone chamber for fifty hours, Lin Yan recovered from injuries caused by overusing his true qi while Killua observed his unusual breathing. Lin Yan explained that he cultivated the Dao to transform life itself, leaving Killua stunned by the possibility of immortality.

• Leorio panicked over the fifty-hour confinement, while Gon tried to reassure him and Kurapika settled down to rest.
• Lin Yan meditated to repair damaged meridians and restore his depleted true qi.
• After watching Lin Yan breathe once a minute, Killua imitated him and felt his irritation and fatigue ease.
• Killua asked Lin Yan what he was training, and Lin Yan described the difference between physical technique and cultivating the Dao.
• Lin Yan said the Dao sought to transform the body's fundamental life force and reach immortality, leaving Killua astonished despite his disbelief.

Lin Yan explained to Killua that cultivation followed a testable path toward immortality, while his attack on Johns had relied on technique rather than the Dao. Killua became fascinated by the possibility of rebuilding himself beyond his family’s assassin conditioning, though he concealed his interest.

• Killua questioned whether Lin Yan truly believed people could achieve immortality, and Lin Yan said cultivation could advance life beyond death.
• Killua asked how Lin Yan had defeated Johns, and Lin Yan explained that he had disrupted a vulnerable node in the flow of Johns’s power.
• Lin Yan admitted that his cultivation was fragile and weak at first, requiring time to build energy and nurture his dantian embryo.
• Killua connected Lin Yan’s unusual behavior to cultivation and wondered whether he could replace the assassin nature imposed on him by his family.
• Killua hid his growing fascination behind a dismissive remark, while Lin Yan believed he had planted a seed of the Dao in him.

Lin Yan discovered that Gon possessed an innate Dao body that naturally contained and absorbed energy, prompting Lin Yan to recommit himself to cultivation. Killua recognized the gulf in their talents but refused to be left behind and began training his breathing.

• Lin Yan used his Qi Observation Technique and saw that Gon’s breathing contained his Nen while drawing natural energy into his body.
• Lin Yan realized Gon had an innate Dao body and, despite feeling outmatched by his talent, resolved to polish his dantian embryo through harder cultivation.
• Killua noticed Gon’s unusual breathing, and Lin Yan explained that Gon had been born knowing how to do it.
• Killua considered the differences between Gon’s talent and Lin Yan’s determination, then decided he would not be left behind.
• Killua sat cross-legged and focused on training his breathing, determined to make it a weapon.

While the group waited in the stone chamber, Lin Yan cultivated, Killua learned to calm himself through breathing, and Kurapika wrestled with the cost of his hatred. Kurapika finally decided to approach Lin Yan for guidance.

• Leorio complained about the long confinement while Kurapika sat in silence, burdened by grief.
• Lin Yan circulated true qi to heal injuries in his meridians and strengthen his dantian embryo.
• Killua struggled to imitate Lin Yan’s breathing, then calmed himself by focusing on each breath and began recovering his energy.
• Kurapika noticed Gon sleeping, Killua meditating, and Lin Yan nearly vanishing into stillness.
• Kurapika questioned whether revenge was worth destroying himself and decided to ask Lin Yan for help.

Kurapika asked Lin Yan whether he could keep the power fueled by his hatred without losing his reason. Lin Yan taught him a meditation method that let him briefly observe his anger without being consumed by it, leaving Kurapika with a measure of control over his scarlet-eyed power.

• Kurapika told Lin Yan that his anger over his people and the Phantom Troupe fueled his power but threatened to consume his life and reason.
• Lin Yan explained that Kurapika could not remove the hatred powering his abilities, but might learn to control it.
• Lin Yan guided Kurapika to repeat a phrase and observe his anger as something separate from himself.
• Lin Yan used a cool current to help Kurapika find a brief moment of clarity amid his hatred.
• Kurapika's eyes returned to their original color, and he thanked Lin Yan for giving him a way to restrain his power.

After fifty hours confined in the Trick Tower, Lin Yan, Killua, and Kurapika strengthened their abilities while Leorio and Gon rested. Lippo revealed that the group still had to navigate the Labyrinth of Choices and had only fifteen hours to reach the tower’s exit.

• Lin Yan stabilized his foundation establishment and healed and strengthened his meridians during meditation.
• Killua practiced Lin Yan’s breathing method and found it helped him calm himself and regain control after combat.
• Kurapika observed the changing emotions in his inner flames and began trying to guide his power instead of being driven by anger.
• Gon woke refreshed, and the stone door opened at the end of the fifty-hour confinement.
• Leorio, Gon, Killua, Lin Yan, and Kurapika emerged onto a sunlit platform, where Lippo announced the final challenge.
• Lippo explained that the group had to cross the Labyrinth of Choices to reach the tower’s exit, with only fifteen hours remaining.

With only fifteen hours to escape the maze, Lin Yan used his heightened senses to follow the airflow and guide the group through its branching paths. The group reached a vast circular platform with three more identical routes ahead.

• Examiner Lippo started the fifteen-hour timer, and Killua led the group into the maze.
• Lin Yan sensed the airflow and told the group to take the left passage, explaining that the wind pointed toward the exit.
• Gon and Kurapika trusted Lin Yan, while Leorio reluctantly agreed and Tonpa kept quiet after Lin Yan silenced him with a look.
• Lin Yan directed the group through a series of turns, and Killua struggled to map the maze while wondering whether Lin Yan's abilities came from rebuilding himself.
• Lin Yan stopped the group at the center of a huge circular platform, where three identical paths branched ahead.

Lin Yan used the traces of human qi in the earth to identify the only passage that had been used, and the group followed it. After running for nearly ten minutes, they reached another sealed dead end.

• Lin Yan failed to distinguish three identical passages by sensing airflow, while Gon found no scent and Leorio worried about the remaining time.
• Lin Yan sensed the earth qi beneath the platform and found traces of examinees in the left passage, identifying it as the viable route.
• Killua understood Lin Yan’s reasoning, Gon affirmed his trust, and Leorio led the group into the left passage.
• After nearly ten minutes of running, Lin Yan and the others found a sealed stone wall blocking the passage.

Lin Yan led Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, and Tonpa through the examiner’s psychological traps and identified the true exit. With the timer nearly expired, they forced open the middle stone door, leaving it only slightly ajar.

• Lin Yan recognized the dead-end wall as a test of resolve, and Gon and Killua sensed airflow through it that revealed a passage beyond.
• Killua smashed through the wall, and the group hurried into a chamber containing five identical stone doors as the timer dwindled.
• Lin Yan used his Qi Observation Technique to identify the middle door as the only one connected to the outside, and the group rushed to push it open.
• Killua detected Nen resisting the door, while Lin Yan added true qi and urged the others to push together; Kurapika stopped Tonpa from holding back.
• Lin Yan spotted a moment when the Nen resistance weakened and called for a final burst, allowing all six to open the door a crack as the timer counted down.

Lin Yan and the others escaped the Trick Tower’s closing stone door at the last second and passed the Third Phase. As they headed for the Airship, Lin Yan realized the ordeal had strengthened his control over his true qi and advanced his cultivation.

• Tonpa squeezed through the opening first, followed by Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon, while Killua and Lin Yan held the stone door open.
• Killua escaped next, and Lin Yan forced the door wider before diving through just before it slammed shut.
• Gon, Killua, Leorio, Kurapika, and Tonpa saw Lin Yan emerge unharmed as the timer reached zero.
• Lippo revealed that the group was the first team to escape after triggering the fifty-hour penalty and announced that they had passed the Third Phase.
• On the way to the Airship, Lin Yan sensed that the ordeal had improved his dantian embryo’s connection to his mind and his control over true qi.

The fourth phase of the Hunter Exam began on Zevil Island, where examinees had to hunt badges while protecting their own. Lin Yan drew his prey’s number and reacted with shock when he revealed it.

• Leorio toasted Lin Yan for helping the group escape the Trick Tower, and Beans announced the week-long badge hunt on Zevil Island.
• Lin Yan, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua agreed to enter separately and prioritize staying alive.
• Beans began assigning each examinee a prey number, while Lin Yan used his Qi Observation Technique to assess Hanzo, Gittarackur, and Hisoka.
• Lin Yan drew a card and scraped away its silver coating after noticing Hisoka’s gaze; he saw the number and his pupils shrank.

Lin Yan drew Hisoka as his target in the Hunter Exam’s one-week badge hunt and resolved to outwit him rather than fight directly. He entered the jungle unaware that a woman holding his number, 81, was already hunting him.

• Lin Yan discovered that Hisoka was his target, and Hisoka revealed his number 44 while taunting him.
• Lin Yan calmed himself with true qi and decided to exploit Hisoka’s arrogance to steal his badge.
• Gon and Killua left for their landing point, while Lin Yan noticed Gon seemed disappointed by his number.
• Lin Yan followed his guide into the jungle after Hisoka had already entered the hunting grounds.
• A camouflage-clad woman holding number 81 watched Lin Yan leave and chose him as her prey.

Lin Yan concealed his presence by attuning himself to the jungle, then sensed a sniper waiting near the entrance. He feigned ignorance and walked toward the woods, preparing to turn the ambush against her.

• Lin Yan removed his shoes and socks and stood barefoot on the jungle soil.
• Lin Yan used his true qi to draw in earth qi, blending his aura with the surrounding vegetation.
• Lin Yan sensed a concealed presence near the entrance and realized a sniper was waiting in ambush.
• Lin Yan pretended not to notice the sniper and walked toward the woods while preparing a surprise for her.

Shibao shot Lin Yan, who used his dantian embryo and true qi to survive while pretending to be dead. As Shibao reached for his badge, Lin Yan prepared to strike.

• Shibao tracked Lin Yan through her scope and fired at the back of his head, but he shifted just enough to avoid the shot.
• Lin Yan fell and played dead, so Shibao fired a second round into his thigh to test whether he was alive.
• Lin Yan used true qi to cushion the bullet and control his bleeding, then remained motionless despite the pain.
• Shibao concluded Lin Yan was dead, climbed down from her hiding place, and hurried to retrieve his badge.
• Shibao bent over Lin Yan and reached for his badge as he silently prepared to attack.

Lin Yan countered Shibao’s ambush, took her badge and weapons, and treated his gunshot wound. With four points secured, he set his sights on hunting Hisoka.

• Lin Yan sprang up and disabled Shibao with a strike to her wrist, making her drop her pistol.
• Lin Yan took badge No. 80 and Shibao’s weapons, then left her alive with her acupoints sealed for an hour.
• After moving deeper into the forest, Lin Yan used true Qi to expel the bullet from his thigh and bandaged the wound.
• Lin Yan rested, counted four points including his own badge, and decided to hunt Hisoka.

Lin Yan tracked Hisoka through the jungle and found him sitting among three dead examinees, then realized he could not attack without a distraction. As Lin Yan searched for a stronger opponent to draw Hisoka’s attention, he sensed Gon hiding nearby.

• Lin Yan used the Qi Observation Technique to locate Hisoka’s immense purple aura in the island’s central region.
• Lin Yan approached Hisoka’s clearing and saw him building a house of cards beside three dead examinees.
• Lin Yan decided that attacking Hisoka directly would be suicidal and searched for a powerful opponent who could distract him.
• Lin Yan sensed Gon hiding a little over ten meters away and silently moved toward him.

Lin Yan found Gon hiding near Hisoka and learned that Gon was pursuing target No. 197, while Lin Yan had drawn Hisoka’s number, 44. Determined to face his trial, Lin Yan borrowed Gon’s Fishing Rod for its supposed fortune and went to prepare a formation to trap Hisoka.

• Lin Yan silently joined Gon in the bushes and warned him to stay quiet while Hisoka built a tower of playing cards nearby.
• Gon showed Lin Yan his target card, No. 197, and Lin Yan revealed that Hisoka, number 44, was his target.
• Gon urged Lin Yan to flee, but Lin Yan said he had to face his tribulation and asked to borrow Gon’s Fishing Rod.
• Gon trusted Lin Yan and lent him the rod, and Lin Yan sensed its fortune resonating with his dantian embryo.
• Lin Yan told Gon to remain hidden and pursue No. 197 when it was safe, then slipped away to prepare a formation to trap Hisoka.

Lin Yan prepared a Five Elements misdirection trap and used Gon's fishing rod to draw on his fortune as he waited for a chance against Hisoka. The chapter ended when a terrified presence approached from the west, giving Lin Yan the opening he had been waiting for.

• Lin Yan returned near Hisoka and secretly planted gunpowder around the clearing to create brief visual and sensory disruptions.
• Lin Yan hid on higher ground, practiced Fetal Breathing, and focused on Gon's fishing rod to borrow its fortune.
• Hisoka collapsed his house of cards, scanned the darkness, and complained that there was no one worth fighting.
• Lin Yan sensed a presence filled with terror and despair approaching from the west.