Qiao Lun's understanding of "Simple Domain" had long since reached mastery. He could easily keep it active while moving.
At this level, "Simple Domain" not only made his control over cursed energy increasingly precise, but could even affect his enemy's cursed energy output.
Qiao Lun did not know whether "Simple Domain" would affect Shalnark's Nen output, but that no longer mattered. What mattered was that fifteen seconds after he activated "Simple Domain," black lightning appeared around his fist.
His absolute concentration allowed Qiao Lun to land another Black Flash.
But in Free Mode, Shalnark found a way to counter Black Flash through meticulous calculation.
Qiao Lun's fist slammed into Shalnark's arms, which were packed with a massive amount of Nen.
At that instant, Qiao Lun sensed the Nen on Shalnark's arms vibrating in a regular pattern. Those vibrations dispersed most of the force of the Black Flash.
Under the impact of "Black Flash," Shalnark merely staggered back several steps before stopping, then attacked Qiao Lun again the very next second without pause.
But having landed "Black Flash," Qiao Lun had entered the "Zone"-the cursed energy transparency state.
At that moment, Qiao Lun's attacks grew even stronger while his expenditure decreased, and he could see through every move Shalnark made.
As he turned sideways to dodge Shalnark's fist, black lightning appeared again. This time, his fist bypassed Shalnark's arms and headed straight for his ribs.
Through the combined observation and perception of "Gyo" and "Simple Domain," Qiao Lun clearly saw all the Nen on Shalnark's body gather instantly at the ribs his fist was targeting.
This was an all-or-nothing "Ko"!
Only Shalnark, fully immersed in Autopilot Mode, could pull this off. Otherwise, an ordinary person could never possess the nerve and ability to execute "Ko" in an instant.
After all, it required the user to employ "Ryu" to concentrate all the Nen in their body at a single point in an instant!
Boom!
Even with "Ko," Shalnark went flying the instant "Black Flash" struck him.
Shalnark crashed through the corridor wall, and Qiao Lun darted after him like a phantom.
The second "Black Flash" had elevated his state even further. Now, the only thought left in Qiao Lun's mind was to press his advantage and land a third "Black Flash."
Shalnark, meanwhile, was already covered in blood when he landed.
Although "Ko" had allowed him to withstand the power of Qiao Lun's "Black Flash," it also left him completely unprotected when he hit the wall.
His body was nothing like that monster Uvogin's.
Without the reinforcement and protection of Nen, the impact was powerful enough to fracture his bones in multiple places.
But the next second, golden Nen enveloped him again, and he rose to face Qiao Lun's approaching fist, wreathed in black lightning for the third time.
A figure appeared by the corridor stairs. It was Kortopi, the first to finish off his enemies and catch up.
A copied wall blocked Kurapika's relentlessly advancing Chain for Pakunoda, saving her just before it could bind her.
But before Kortopi could reach Shalnark, Qiao Lun's third Black Flash had already punched through Shalnark's body.
The golden Nen receded from Shalnark's body, and clarity returned to his utterly vacant eyes.
For the hand Qiao Lun had driven through Shalnark's body also held an antenna.
It was the crucial tool Shalnark had inserted into himself to enter Autopilot Mode.
Blood spilled from Shalnark's mouth, and pain spread throughout his body in an instant. It came not only from Qiao Lun punching through his chest, but also from the backlash and side effects of his Nen Ability being forcibly deactivated.
Shalnark opened his mouth, still wanting to say something.
But now, only blood came out. His dark eyes slowly dimmed, and his taut body gradually relaxed.
Shalnark was dead!
Qiao Lun pulled his hand free. The instant Shalnark's corpse hit the floor, the shadows swallowed it.
Turning around, Qiao Lun fixed his gaze on Kortopi. Kortopi was not strong, but he might be the ideal opponent for continuing his string of "Black Flashes."
But before Qiao Lun could act, Kortopi stopped in his tracks the moment he saw Shalnark die, crouching down to touch the corridor floor.
The eighteenth floor was covered in tiles. At Kortopi's touch, countless tiles sprang into existence, forming a torrent that surged toward Qiao Lun.
At that moment, not only was Qiao Lun surrounded by bluish-white cursed energy, but tiny, pitch-black spatial distortions were also present around him.
That was the effect of the third Black Flash.
The minor scrapes he had suffered during his fight with Shalnark were also healing rapidly.
This was the benefit of the self-healing effect from reverse cursed energy circulation he had gained after landing his second "Black Flash." The cursed energy in his body had automatically formed a simple reverse cursed energy circuit.
The positive energy produced by multiplying two negatives was slowly repairing his injuries and the physical strain from battle.
Three consecutive "Black Flashes" had further increased the efficiency of this reversal considerably.
Watching the tiles approach at high speed, Qiao Lun swung his fist at them without hesitation.
But this time, he failed to trigger "Black Flash." Clearly, Shalnark's death and the arrival of more Phantom Troupe members had broken his concentration.
Tiles shattered as Qiao Lun continued advancing, with the Black and White Divine Dogs moving alongside him.
But Kortopi had clearly decided not to confront Qiao Lun directly, so the tiles not only surged toward Qiao Lun, but also enclosed Kortopi and Pakunoda protectively.
Even when the Divine Dogs lunged forward, they had to smash through the mass of emerging tiles first and could not get close to the pair immediately.
Pakunoda, hiding behind them, raised her revolver and fired several aimed shots.
Her target was not Kurapika, who had nearly bound her, but Qiao Lun, whom she hated enough to grit her teeth.
But Qiao Lun abruptly vanished from the corridor before the bullets arrived.
"Not good!" Something occurred to Pakunoda, and she suddenly swung her gun down to aim at the shadow beneath her feet.
A long blade instantly emerged from Kortopi's shadow instead, thrusting straight toward his heart from behind.
Traveling a short distance through shadows was hardly difficult for Qiao Lun.
Especially since a bright light had been behind his original position from the start, and its light had stretched his
shadow out very long.
That made things even easier for him!
But his blade failed to pierce Kortopi's heart, instead grazing his arm.
As blood sprayed, Kortopi turned and reached his right hand toward Qiao Lun's body.
At the same time, more Phantom Troupe members appeared at the stairs: Bonolenov and Franklin had arrived.
Shizuku, Feitan, and Phinks, however, had not come up.
Bonolenov's bandages unraveled, and he charged at Qiao Lun the instant he appeared. Franklin acted differently. His finger joints flipped open, but his Nen bullets were aimed not at Qiao Lun, but at the restaurant doors behind him!