Chapter Summaries

Lin Yan exploited the brief lapse in Hisoka’s awareness after a kill, using four gunpowder bursts to disrupt his senses before striking with his fishing rod. The fishing line curled around Hisoka’s raised arm and aimed for his No. 44 badge.

• A terrified examinee stumbled into the clearing and found Hisoka waiting there.
• Hisoka killed the examinee with a playing card and savored the moment afterward.
• Lin Yan noticed Hisoka’s aura briefly slacken after the kill.
• Lin Yan triggered four gunpowder bursts to overwhelm Hisoka’s senses.
• Lin Yan swung his fishing rod, sending its line around Hisoka’s arm toward the No. 44 badge.

Lin Yan stole badge number 44 from Hisoka but had to break his fishing line and flee when Hisoka seized it with his Nen. Exhausted and unable to escape, Lin Yan stopped by a river and prepared to gamble on Hisoka’s curiosity to survive.

• Lin Yan hooked badge number 44, but Hisoka caught the fishing line and sent his Nen surging along it.
• Lin Yan used True Qi to vibrate and snap the line, caught the badge, and escaped into the forest.
• Hisoka watched Lin Yan flee and declared that their game had only begun.
• Lin Yan ran from Hisoka’s pursuing aura until he reached a riverbank and realized he could not outrun him.
• Lin Yan planted his broken fishing rod in the riverbank, steadied himself with Primordial Chaos Stance, and faced the darkness, betting that Hisoka’s curiosity would keep him alive.

Lin Yan used his unfamiliar sword qi to prove to Hisoka that he could become a worthy opponent, then offered him a deal: spare him until he grew stronger. Hisoka became fascinated by the power, leaving Lin Yan’s survival dependent on whether that promise kept his interest.

• Lin Yan stopped fleeing and waited on the riverbank while slowly recovering true qi, then presented Hisoka with the number 44 badge and his own number 81 badge as he proposed a deal.
• Lin Yan admitted Hisoka could easily kill him but argued that a weak, uninteresting victim offered no challenge, while he might someday become a formidable opponent.
• Lin Yan concentrated his true qi into a thin gleam at his fingertip and sliced a river pebble cleanly in two, revealing a power unlike Nen.
• Hisoka reacted with intense excitement and greed, calling Lin Yan’s unfamiliar ability fascinating and demanding to know what it was.
• Lin Yan explained that his dantian embryo was still fragile and promised Hisoka a far greater challenge if he had time to cultivate it into a golden core and refine his qi into a sword.

Lin Yan persuaded Hisoka to spare him by promising a future battle after his golden core was perfected, and Hisoka accepted the bargain. After Hisoka left, Lin Yan recovered on the riverbank and began cultivating, expecting a breakthrough from surviving the ordeal.

• Hisoka recognized Lin Yan's golden core as a unique power system and became curious about seeing it develop.
• Lin Yan offered Hisoka his number 81 badge and promised a future challenge in exchange for protection while he grew stronger.
• Hisoka accepted the deal, took Lin Yan's number 81 badge, and gave him three badges from applicants he had killed.
• Hisoka warned Lin Yan not to disappoint him and vanished into the forest.
• Lin Yan collapsed with exhaustion, kept his number 44 badge and the three badges, and began cultivating to recover his strength.

After surviving Hisoka, Lin Yan discovered that his dantian embryo had gained its first golden marking, which rapidly restored and strengthened him. He set out to find Gon and sensed Gon, Killua, and a troubled Kurapika nearby.

• Hisoka left Lin Yan alive, intrigued by his path toward forming a golden core and planning to hunt him once he grew stronger.
• Lin Yan meditated and found a faint golden marking on his dantian embryo after his near-death battle.
• The marking improved his cultivation, restoring his damaged meridians and increasing his true qi by at least thirty percent.
• Lin Yan checked his badges and confirmed that he had enough points to pass without his No. 81 badge.
• Lin Yan followed the auras of Gon, Killua, and Kurapika into the forest and hurried toward them, worried by Kurapika's agitation.

Lin Yan returned with Hisoka’s badge and used his true qi to stabilize Kurapika after the scarlet eyes drove him into a rage. As Kurapika recovered, Illumi Zoldyck appeared in the forest and watched Killua.

• Lin Yan returned Gon’s Fishing Rod and showed Gon and Killua the badge he had taken from Hisoka.
• Killua explained that Kurapika had attacked a collector who displayed the eyeballs of Kurta clan victims, leaving Kurapika unconscious and the collector badly injured.
• Lin Yan guided his true qi through Kurapika to calm his Nen and restore his circulation.
• Kurapika apologized for losing control, and Lin Yan reassured him that recognizing his struggle was part of his cultivation.
• Illumi Zoldyck appeared among the trees and fixed his attention on Killua.

Illumi Zoldyck’s presence triggered Killua’s implanted fear, and Lin Yan convinced Gon to give Killua space while he faced his inner struggle. After deciding to search for the missing Leorio, Lin Yan sensed his fading qi surrounded by a deadly aura and rushed toward him.

• Illumi Zoldyck’s brief appearance activated the Nen Needle in Killua’s brain, causing Killua to panic, snap at Gon, and flee into the woods.
• Lin Yan stopped Gon from chasing Killua and explained that Killua needed to face his heart trial alone; Kurapika agreed that their friends should trust and wait for him.
• Lin Yan asked about Leorio, and Gon and Kurapika said they had not seen him since the group split up and believed he was pursuing Ponzu.
• Lin Yan assigned Gon to guard the exhausted Kurapika and searched the island for Leorio’s qi.
• Lin Yan found Leorio’s presence faint and wrapped in a dense aura of death, then rushed off to find him.

Lin Yan found Leorio trapped in a cave filled with venomous snakes and deathly qi, then entered alone to investigate while Gon and Kurapika waited outside. Killua fled after seeing Illumi and struggled with shame over his fear and his belief that he did not deserve his friends.

• Killua ran into the forest, recalling Lin Yan’s courage and his own terror at Illumi’s appearance.
• Killua remembered how Gon and Lin Yan had changed his outlook, but concluded that he remained a coward and hid inside a hollow tree.
• Lin Yan followed Leorio’s aura to a swamp and used the Qi Observation Technique to discover Leorio deep inside a cave surrounded by snakes and deathly qi.
• Gon and Kurapika caught up with Lin Yan, and he warned them to stay back while he investigated the cave.
• Kurapika offered Lin Yan his number badges, but Lin Yan reassured him that he would bring everyone out safely.
• Lin Yan stealthily reached the cave entrance and peered inside, then gasped at what he saw.

Lin Yan entered the snake-filled cave to rescue Leorio and Ponzu, using his innate true qi to suppress the venomous snakes without provoking Babon’s deathly aura. The snakes submitted to him as he walked into the cave, leaving the rescue poised to begin.

• Lin Yan found Leorio unconscious and poisoned, Ponzu near collapse, and Babon’s corpse surrounded by frenzied snakes.
• Lin Yan warned Gon and Kurapika that entering violently could trigger Babon’s Nen, while Gon urged them to rescue Leorio.
• Lin Yan decided to rely on the pure-yang quality of his innate true qi to subdue the snakes and ordered Gon and Kurapika to stay back.
• Lin Yan entered the cave as snakes lunged toward Leorio, and his aura made the entire swarm freeze and bow in submission.

Lin Yan entered the snake pit and purified the Post-mortem Nen surrounding Babon’s corpse, saving Leorio and rescuing Ponzu. He carried Leorio out of the cave while Ponzu broke down in tears behind him.

• Lin Yan walked through the cave as the venomous snakes retreated in fear, astonishing Ponzu, Gon, and Kurapika.
• The black rancor around Babon’s corpse attacked Lin Yan with tendrils of black mist.
• Lin Yan used Pure Yang energy to destroy the rancor and cleanse the snake pit.
• Lin Yan checked Leorio, found that the poison had not reached his heart, and carried him toward the cave entrance.
• Ponzu sobbed with relief after Lin Yan left the cave with Leorio.

Lin Yan used Taoist techniques to save Leorio from snake venom and the lingering resentment of the dead snake handler, Babon. After Leorio recovered, Ponzu offered Lin Yan her number badge in gratitude.

• Kurapika found Leorio near death from venom and a deathly energy tied to Babon's resentment.
• Lin Yan sealed Leorio's heart channels with true qi and guided the poisoned blood into his right index finger.
• Lin Yan cut Leorio's swollen finger, draining the toxic blood and restoring his breathing and color.
• Ponzu offered Lin Yan her number badge to thank him for saving them.

Lin Yan helped Leorio and Gon secure enough badges to pass the Hunter Exam, then sensed Killua nearby in a troubled state. The group set off to find him.

• Lin Yan declined Ponzu's badge, and Ponzu later offered it to Leorio, who accepted it after Lin Yan argued it would benefit their team.
• Lin Yan returned Leorio's lost number 403 badge, bringing Leorio's total to six points.
• Lin Yan gave Gon the number 197 badge as shared spoils from their encounter with Hisoka, bringing Gon to the qualifying total.
• Ponzu said farewell to Lin Yan and the others and left the exam grounds after losing her chance to qualify.
• Lin Yan sensed Killua's chaotic aura in a forest to the northwest and led the group to find him.

Lin Yan led Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio to Killua, who had fled beneath a dead tree and was trapped in a spiral of fear and self-loathing caused by Illumi’s Nen Needle. As Killua’s distress peaked, Lin Yan moved toward him, preparing to break through his defenses.

• Lin Yan guided the exhausted Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio through the woods to Killua, who was curled beneath an ancient dead tree clutching two number badges.
• Lin Yan stopped Gon from rushing over and explained that Killua was suffering a mental wound caused by Illumi’s Nen Needle.
• Killua relived his fear of Illumi and condemned himself for fleeing instead of standing beside his friends.
• Lin Yan told Gon that comfort would not reach Killua and waited for his guilt and self-loathing to reach their peak.
• As Killua shook and cried out for the voices to leave, Lin Yan stepped toward him with a deadly aura spreading around him.

Lin Yan helped Killua resist Illumi’s Nen Needle and reconnect with his own choices, though the needle was only forced dormant. The group then learned they were too far from the finish line to reach it before the fourth phase ended.

• Lin Yan explained that fear was an instinct but running away was Killua’s choice, then used true qi to strike the Nen Needle in Killua’s mind.
• Illumi sensed the attack through his connection to the needle and reinforced Killua’s fear, causing Killua intense pain and visions of Illumi.
• Lin Yan challenged Killua to choose for himself, and Killua declared that he was neither a pet nor a coward, forcing the Nen Needle dormant.
• Gon embraced Killua, who relaxed and softly called him an idiot, while Lin Yan noted that the needle had not been removed completely.
• A broadcast announced that thirty minutes remained in the fourth phase, and Leorio checked the map and realized the group needed at least an hour to reach the finish line.

With only thirty minutes to reach the coast, Lin Yan organized Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio into a Taoist Goose Formation and used true qi to help them run faster. After Leorio accepted the risk of borrowing against his vitality, the group began a desperate final charge and reached a hill overlooking the finish.

• Lin Yan arranged the group into a running formation with Gon leading and Killua beside him, while Kurapika and Leorio followed in the middle.
• Lin Yan used true qi to suppress Leorio’s pain and fatigue, warning that the effects would leave him exhausted or ill after the exam.
• Lin Yan taught the group a breathing method and guided them through the jungle, correcting their pace and using true qi to support them.
• The group ran in formation, with Gon breaking the wind and Lin Yan helping them conserve strength and lengthen their strides.
• When the broadcast announced five minutes remained, Lin Yan told the group the finish was over the hill, and they launched a final charge.

Lin Yan and his four companions reached the finish line just before the fourth phase ended, and Lippo confirmed that they had all passed. Afterward, Lin Yan’s badge tally revealed Hisoka’s number 44, leaving the applicants stunned as the exam moved on from the race.

• Hanzo and the other applicants doubted Gon and his companions would arrive before Lippo’s deadline, but Hisoka, Hanzo, and Illumi sensed them approaching.
• Lin Yan led Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio across the finish line just before time expired, and Leorio collapsed from exhaustion.
• Lin Yan told Gon not to move Leorio and explained that his body needed to recover after Lin Yan had forced out his potential.
• Lippo announced that the fourth phase had ended, then checked the applicants’ badges and confirmed that Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon had passed.
• Lin Yan presented several badges, including Hisoka’s number 44, and Lippo announced that Lin Yan had passed.

After taking Hisoka’s badge, Lin Yan tended to Leorio and explained his pursuit of the path to Killua and Gon, leaving Killua inspired to seek his own direction. Chairman Netero decided to meet Lin Yan before the final exam, while Hisoka renewed his interest in him aboard the airship.

• Lippo reported to Chairman Netero that Lin Yan had taken Hisoka’s badge and that Hisoka seemed excited rather than angry.
• Lin Yan used his true qi to help restore Leorio after his exhaustion, while Killua recognized the energy from its earlier intervention against Illumi’s control.
• Lin Yan called himself a Path Seeker and told Killua that breaking free of family constraints and finding his own direction was also a kind of seeking a path.
• Gon embraced the idea of becoming a Path Seeker, and the airship announced that the final exam would begin the next morning.
• Netero asked Lippo to compile Lin Yan’s information and said he wanted to meet him before the final exam.
• Hisoka taunted Lin Yan in the corridor, but Lin Yan dispersed the Nen aura carrying his message and continued on without looking back.

Lin Yan completed marrow cleansing, expelling impurities and restoring his body after reaching the middle stage of refining essence into qi. After Killua broke into his room fearing Lin Yan was injured, Lin Yan explained the process and began teaching him to guide qi with intent.

• Lin Yan advanced to the middle stage of refining essence into qi and used True Qi to purge impurities from his marrow.
• Killua smelled the foul discharge, feared Lin Yan’s injuries had worsened, and forced open his locked door.
• Lin Yan reassured Killua that the filth was from marrow cleansing and showed him his renewed physical condition.
• Killua recognized the potential of marrow cleansing and asked whether it related to the breathing method Lin Yan taught him in Trick Tower.
• Lin Yan explained that Killua had reached the threshold and guided him through meditation to channel qi with intent.

Lin Yan faced Netero’s Nen pressure by using Sitting in Oblivion, then explained his cultivation of the Dao and gained Netero’s support. After returning to his room, Lin Yan sensed Illumi’s killing intent targeting him.

• Netero brought Lin Yan to his private lounge and tested him with overwhelming Nen pressure.
• Lin Yan used Sitting in Oblivion to dissolve the pressure without resisting it directly, impressing Netero.
• Lin Yan explained that he cultivated the Dao, which he described as a principle beyond Nen and a path toward transcending life’s limits.
• Netero offered Lin Yan a private training room and help with questions about Nen.
• Lin Yan returned to his room and sensed Illumi’s killing intent aimed at him.

Lin Yan faced Illumi after interfering with his control over Killua, and used his cultivation techniques to withstand an assassination attempt and threaten Illumi with a soul attack. Illumi judged the risks too costly and hesitated, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Illumi entered Lin Yan's room and accused him of interfering with his work on Killua.
• Lin Yan defended Killua's right to choose his own friends as Illumi's Nen pressure probed his mind.
• Illumi fired a Nen needle at Lin Yan, who stopped and destroyed it with a compressed shield of true qi.
• Illumi recognized Lin Yan as a dangerous variable and prepared to kill him, so Lin Yan threatened him with Divine Sense Spike.
• Illumi calculated the risk and potential losses of attacking Lin Yan, then decided it was not worth it.