Chapter Summaries

Illumi abandoned his attempt to kill Lin Yan after weighing the danger of Lin Yan’s unknown abilities and Chairman Netero’s watchful presence. Lin Yan survived but was badly drained, while Illumi reclassified him as a high-risk target and continued his plan to take Killua home.

• Illumi withdrew his Nen pressure and left Lin Yan alive, deciding that confronting him carried too much risk.
• After Illumi left, Lin Yan collapsed from exhaustion and used his remaining true qi to nourish his sea of consciousness.
• Illumi watched from a corridor blind spot and assessed Lin Yan’s Divine Sense Thorn as a dangerous ability that could attack the mind.
• Illumi moved Lin Yan from his immediate-elimination list to a high-risk observation category and noted that any future contract should cost 300% more, paid in advance.
• Illumi resumed his Gittarackur disguise and headed off to bring Killua home and restore the needle.

After exhausting his divine sense during the Hunter Exam, Lin Yan realized he needed food to restore his depleted body and cultivation. He left his room for the airship’s dining hall, noticing that Illumi had sealed Killua’s room from outside perception.

• Lin Yan assessed his damaged meridians, depleted true qi, and severely exhausted divine sense.
• Lin Yan decided to refine food into life energy to replenish his true qi and divine sense.
• A powerful hunger struck Lin Yan, and he left his room to seek food in the dining hall.
• Lin Yan sensed Illumi’s Nen barrier isolating Killua’s room and realized Killua could not detect what had happened nearby.
• Lin Yan continued toward the dining hall, focused on eating as much as he could.

Lin Yan recovered from his mysterious weakness by devouring the dining room’s high-energy food, alarming the applicants and drawing Netero’s interest. Netero summoned the applicants to meet with him individually before the final test.

• Hanzo asked Kurapika about Lin Yan’s abilities and why Hisoka and Illumi had taken an interest in him.
• Lin Yan entered the dining room pale and unsteady, then rushed to the buffet instead of seeking help.
• Lin Yan devoured energy-rich food, rapidly recovering his strength and replenishing his depleted energy.
• Hanzo watched Lin Yan’s extraordinary recovery with apprehension, while Netero observed how quickly Lin Yan converted food into life energy.
• Netero entered with Beans and told the applicants to meet him alone in the meeting room before the final test.

Netero interviewed the Hunter Exam candidates, hearing Leorio and Kurapika’s motives before Killua and Hanzo described why Lin Yan fascinated them. After they left, Netero reflected on Lin Yan’s mysterious strength as he prepared to call the next candidate.

• Netero interviewed Leorio, who said he wanted to become a Hunter to earn money for medical studies and named Kurapika, Gon, and Lin Yan as candidates who interested him.
• Kurapika told Netero he wanted to recover his people’s relics and least wanted to fight Hisoka.
• Killua said he had taken the exam for fun, named Gon and Lin Yan as the candidates who interested him, and explained that Lin Yan’s strength seemed to follow a path unlike anyone else’s.
• Netero appreciated Killua’s thoughts about the nature of strength and watched him leave.
• Hanzo told Netero he wanted to find the Book of the Hermit and described Lin Yan as impossible to read, with mysterious methods and seemingly perfect natural movement.
• After Hanzo left, Netero reflected on how each candidate saw a different aspect of Lin Yan and looked down at the list to choose the next interviewee.

Netero interviewed Gon, Hisoka, Illumi, and Lin Yan, whose answers revealed their different attitudes toward fighting and the path of cultivation. Netero praised Lin Yan as a genuinely strong traveler following his own path, and looked forward to seeing what he would become.

• Gon told Netero he most wanted to fight Hisoka and Lin Yan, but least wanted to fight his friend Killua.
• Hisoka named Netero as the person he most wanted to fight and said Lin Yan was the one who made him feel hungry.
• Illumi, disguised as Gittarackur, said he least wanted to fight Lin Yan because fighting him was a losing investment.
• Lin Yan told Netero he wanted a Hunter License for convenience and said he had no preference about fighting anyone, since every encounter could help temper him.
• Netero praised Lin Yan for living by his Dao and called him a strong traveler walking his own path.

The Hunter Exam’s final test used an elimination bracket in which winners passed immediately while losers kept fighting until only one examinee was eliminated. Lin Yan drew Hanzo in the first match, and the two entered the ring as the tense bout began.

• Netero explained the final test’s rules and revealed the match bracket.
• The bracket paired Lin Yan with Hanzo for the first match.
• Killua and the others worried that Lin Yan’s recent exertion left him at a disadvantage against Hanzo.
• Hanzo welcomed the chance to test Lin Yan, while Lin Yan calmly walked toward the ring.
• Lin Yan and Hanzo faced each other as the final test’s first match began.

With his Divine Sense and True Qi depleted, Lin Yan used Taoist internal martial arts and his innate Dao body to counter Hanzo’s close-range attack. He trapped Hanzo in a grapple and remained unmoved by his attempt to throw him.

• Hanzo charged Lin Yan at high speed and attacked his shoulder and throat with lethal grappling techniques.
• Lin Yan let Hanzo seize him, then used his slippery, vibrating muscles to evade the throat lock and release his shoulder from the grip.
• Lin Yan wrapped around Hanzo’s wrist and used Bone-Shrinking Skill and Silk-Winding Force to disrupt Hanzo’s balance and lock his joints.
• Hanzo tried to throw Lin Yan with brute strength, but Lin Yan rooted himself and told Hanzo he could not beat him in a close-range grapple.

Lin Yan used Listening to Force to evade Hanzo’s attacks with his eyes closed, then turned Hanzo’s all-out punch into an opening and defeated him with Silk-Winding Force, Spiral Burst. Hanzo was left unable to stand, ending the fight in Lin Yan’s favor.

• Lin Yan closed his eyes and used Listening to Force to anticipate Hanzo’s movements and absorb or redirect his strikes.
• Killua recognized Lin Yan’s style as a contrast to the Zoldyck Family’s assassination techniques, while Netero praised Lin Yan’s physical coordination.
• Hanzo grew exhausted and frustrated, then committed all his strength to a punch aimed at Lin Yan’s chest.
• Lin Yan opened his eyes, redirected Hanzo’s fist, and struck his chest with Silk-Winding Force, Spiral Burst.
• Hanzo flew into the ring’s railing, spat blood, and collapsed, unable to continue fighting.

Lin Yan defeated Hanzo in the Hunter Exam’s final test, and Hanzo conceded after realizing Lin Yan could kill him. Lin Yan stayed in the arena to study the other candidates, drawing Hisoka’s eager attention.

• Lin Yan reversed Hanzo’s attacks with a powerful counterstrike, leaving Hanzo badly injured.
• Hanzo reached for a hidden ninja tool, but Lin Yan’s threatening hand seal convinced him to concede.
• The referee declared Lin Yan the winner of the first match and the first candidate to pass the final test.
• Lin Yan sat with Gon and the others, explaining that he stayed to learn from the candidates as part of his cultivation.
• Hisoka watched Lin Yan with growing excitement, eager to see how he would develop.

Gon defeated the experienced archer Pokkle in the second match after using Lin Yan’s advice to trust his instincts and close the distance. The victory left Killua more convinced of Lin Yan’s strength and insight into Gon’s talent.

• The match list named Gon and Pokkle as the second pair, and Lin Yan reminded Gon to play to his strengths before he entered the arena.
• Pokkle kept Gon at range with a rapid volley of arrows, cornering him and grazing him several times.
• Gon recalled Lin Yan’s advice, trusted his intuition, and charged forward before sliding beneath Pokkle’s final arrow.
• Gon reached Pokkle and knocked him out of the arena with a straight punch, winning the match.
• Killua watched Gon celebrate and recognized that his movement had briefly echoed Lin Yan’s harmony with his surroundings.

Gon celebrated his victory with Lin Yan, while Killua questioned what he was good at. Kurapika overcame Hisoka’s provocation by controlling his rage with Lin Yan’s teaching, but Hisoka surrendered after whispering that he had information about the Spider, leaving Kurapika with a new lead and Hisoka intent on watching him grow.

• Gon excitedly told Lin Yan that he had won by using the method Lin Yan taught him, and Lin Yan encouraged him to keep practicing.
• Killua watched Gon and Lin Yan, wondered what he himself was good at, and noticed the next match was Kurapika against Hisoka.
• Hisoka toyed with Kurapika and provoked his hatred until Kurapika’s eyes turned scarlet and his aura erupted.
• Kurapika recalled Lin Yan’s maxim, compressed his anger into calm killing intent, and cut Hisoka’s cheek with a precise attack.
• Hisoka whispered that he had information about the Spider, then surrendered and explained nothing further to Kurapika.
• Lin Yan told Gon and Killua that Hisoka had surrendered because he wanted Kurapika to keep growing, while Hisoka watched Lin Yan with greedy interest.

After losing to Lin Yan, Hanzo brutally defeated Pokkle in the losers' bracket, prompting Lin Yan to warn Gon and Killua about letting fear, anger, and pride control them. The next announced match paired Killua with Gittarackur.

• Hanzo attacked Pokkle with overwhelming force and broke both of his arms.
• Lin Yan explained to Gon and Killua that Hanzo's turmoil after losing to him had turned his strength into brutality.
• Pokkle surrendered, and Hanzo won but felt dread when he met Lin Yan's calm, pitying gaze.
• Hanzo avoided Gon's group and hid in another corner of the venue.
• After several more matches, the screen announced Killua versus Gittarackur.

Killua entered the ring expecting an easy fight, but his opponent revealed himself as his brother Illumi, who used Killua’s fear and threatened his friends to force him to go home. Lin Yan restrained Gon from interfering, leaving Killua trapped in the ring under Illumi’s control.

• Killua dismissed Lin Yan’s warning about his opponent and entered the ring to face Gittarackur.
• Gittarackur removed the pins from his face and transformed into Illumi Zoldyck, making Killua freeze in terror.
• Illumi told Killua he was born to be an assassin and threatened to kill Gon and Lin Yan unless Killua forfeited.
• Gon tried to rush at Illumi, but Lin Yan held him back and warned that interfering would get them disqualified.

Killua succumbed to Illumi’s control, surrendered, and then killed Bodoro before being disqualified. Lin Yan stopped Gon from pursuing him and decided their friends would visit the Zoldyck Family to help Killua face his trial and remove the Nen Needle.

• Lin Yan told Gon that Killua had to overcome Illumi’s family discipline himself, while Netero noted Lin Yan’s restraint.
• Killua tried to stand up for his friendship with Gon, but the Nen Needle overwhelmed his will and he surrendered to Illumi.
• After the next match was announced, Killua killed Bodoro before entering the ring and was disqualified.
• Gon tried to follow Killua, but Lin Yan stopped him and said Killua could not hear them right now.
• Lin Yan decided they would visit Kukuroo Mountain and the Zoldyck Family, where the Nen Needle would have to be removed.

After Killua was disqualified from the Hunter Exam, Lin Yan, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika traveled to Kukuroo Mountain to bring him home. At the Zoldyck estate’s Gate of the Underworld, Lin Yan’s hidden aura made the guard dog Mike retreat in submission, leaving gatekeeper Zebro stunned.

• Killua’s disqualification automatically passed the remaining candidates, and Lin Yan persuaded Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika to go to the Zoldyck home.
• Hisoka watched the group leave and singled out Lin Yan as someone he wanted to face again, while Illumi warned that the trip could be fatal.
• The four newly licensed Hunters traveled to Kukuroo Mountain and met gatekeeper Zebro at the Gate of the Underworld.
• Zebro summoned the guard dog Mike to frighten the visitors, but Lin Yan stepped forward and Mike retreated in fear of his aura.
• Zebro stared at Lin Yan in horror after witnessing Mike’s apparent submission.

Lin Yan demonstrated a technique that let him open the Zoldyck Family’s two-ton Testing Gate with one hand. He refused to enter ahead of Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, choosing instead to teach them to open the gate themselves before visiting Killua.

• After Lin Yan’s intimidating presence scared Mike away, Zebro explained that visitors had to pass through the seven increasingly heavy gates to reach Killua.
• Leorio failed to move the first gate, Kurapika barely made it scrape, and Gon opened it a finger’s width before it slammed shut.
• Lin Yan used a whole-body technique to push the two-ton gate open with one hand, shocking Zebro and the others.
• Lin Yan explained that the gate was a test of whether they were qualified to stand with Killua and insisted that they open it themselves.
• Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio asked Lin Yan to teach them, while Zebro stayed to watch him train them.

Lin Yan began training Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika at the Zoldyck estate, then taught them a breathing method and stretches that rapidly improved their recovery. The chapter ended with Zebro preparing to provide them with five times the usual dinner.

• Zebro brought Lin Yan, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika to the guardroom and assigned the three newcomers weighted outfits, daily laps, push-ups, and squats.
• Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika struggled through their first day of training and were left exhausted, while Lin Yan observed that their routine was inefficient.
• Lin Yan taught the three a breathing method and stretches to help their bodies recover and build strength faster.
• Leorio, Gon, and Kurapika felt their soreness ease and their energy return, while Kurapika sensed how precisely the method guided life energy.
• The three became ravenously hungry, and Lin Yan asked a stunned Zebro to prepare five times the usual amount of dinner.

After seven days of training with Lin Yan, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika tested their new strength at the Testing Gate. Lin Yan then opened all three gates, leaving Zebro stunned and reverent.

• Lin Yan ended the group's training on the eighth morning and took Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika to test their results.
• Leorio used Lin Yan's technique to open the two-ton first gate, and Kurapika followed by opening it as well.
• Gon opened the first gate and forced the eight-ton second gate open a crack with his explosive strength.
• Lin Yan pushed open all three gates, including the sixteen-ton third gate, with his true qi.
• Zebro realized Lin Yan had held back during his earlier test and regarded him with reverence.

Gon and his friends reached the Zoldyck estate, where Canary tried to stop them from reaching Killua. After Gon repeatedly endured her blows, Lin Yan helped Canary admit that she wanted Killua to be saved, but Killua’s mother Kikyo and younger brother Kalluto arrived as Canary revealed he was imprisoned.

• Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Lin Yan reached the butler dormitory, where Canary barred their path and warned them not to cross her line.
• Gon charged at Canary repeatedly, taking her cane blows as he continued to rise and insist on trying again.
• Lin Yan stopped Leorio from intervening and pointed out that Canary was avoiding vital spots and beginning to falter.
• Lin Yan secretly urged Canary to face her envy and desire for Killua’s freedom, and Canary dropped her cane and admitted that Killua was imprisoned and lonely.
• Kikyo and Kalluto emerged from the shadows, confronting the group as Canary sobbed.

Lin Yan evaded Kikyo's lethal attack and impressed her enough to earn permission to wait in the Butler's Room, where the Zoldyck Family would test him further. Silva watched Lin Yan's salute through surveillance and recognized him as a dangerous, unusual presence.

• Kikyo attacked Lin Yan with a chained metal ball, but he dodged with Silent Step and Shrinking Space to Inches, then caught Canary as she nearly fell.
• Kikyo praised Lin Yan's footwork and composure before relaying Silva's order that the group could wait in the Butler's Room and would have to prove their abilities to see Killua.
• Kurapika explained that Kikyo had tested Lin Yan, and Lin Yan saluted toward the woods to signal his intentions to the watching Silva.
• Silva studied Lin Yan through a surveillance screen and told himself that Killua's friend was more dangerous than he had expected.