The relentless barrage of Ninety-Ninth Hand didn't inflict any substantial damage on the King.
The seriousness in Netero's eyes instantly faded.
'Well, this was to be expected.'
After the initial three palms, he had a basic understanding of the King's defense. Now, after a full set of the 100-Type Guanyin's Ninety-Ninth Hand, seeing the King unharmed deepened that understanding.
Without a doubt, this would be the most difficult prolonged battle of his life.
"This... is what I wanted."
Netero tilted his head slightly, looking at the churning dark clouds in the sky, revealing a long-absent smile.
Then, he lowered his head to look at the King.
There, he saw an expression of unreserved admiration on the King's face.
Though incredible, it was true.
That monster, distinct from humans, after being pummeled by the Guanyin, showed not a trace of shame or anger, but instead displayed such sincerity.
'Should it be said... an extremely pure monster, or the magnanimity of one who sees himself as a king?'
Netero wouldn't pause for even a moment because of that sincere admiration.
"King of the Ants, I am grateful for everything I experienced before meeting you!"
Netero clasped his palms together. After completing that seemingly slow yet extremely fast movement, the golden Guanyin manifested.
The King's eyes reflected the figure of the golden Guanyin. Without a word, he stamped his foot, sending a large number of rock fragments flying.
Carrying a terrifying momentum, he charged straight at Netero… a frontal assault without the slightest hint of deceit, completely abandoning his own defense.
"Hmm?"
Netero could clearly sense that this attack was faster and fiercer than before.
In that extremely brief moment, Netero directed the Guanyin to strike with a palm, sending the King flying.
Then, Netero realized the reason for the King's increased speed: the King had abandoned defense. Or rather, there was simply no need for defense.
This might not be underestimation, but choosing the most correct method.
"No matter. No matter how fast you are, I will knock you down one by one!"
What responded to Netero was the King, counterattacking at lightning speed.
After being struck flying by a palm, the King kicked off a rocky mountain, using the force to counterattack.
However, the Guanyin's palm strikes unleashed by Netero sealed off any trajectory from which the King could attack, mercilessly sending him flying each time.
That meant the King couldn't break through the Guanyin's palm strikes, but the Guanyin's strikes couldn't harm the King either.
This contradictory scene was now unfolding.
Such contradiction was possible because the one wielding the palms was Netero. He poured everything he had experienced in his life into each palm.
Not claiming perfection, but it was the epitome of martial arts.
In terms of technique, the White General Law created, using the 100-Type Guanyin as reference, wasn't far off. But in terms of essence, the 100-Type Guanyin could completely overwhelm the White General.
Delving deeper, the 100-Type Guanyin was ultimately tempered over a long time.
Boom! Boom! Boom...!
The King attacked incessantly, then was sent flying incessantly.
His tactics were extremely simple: continuous attacks.
Because he clearly understood that this Guanyin was likely the enemy's only means to defeat him, but it could only inflict minor injuries.
Thus, there was nothing to worry about. He just needed to keep attacking until the enemy made a mistake.
Of course, the King had higher pursuits.
Under that storm-like assault, the King's gaze never once left Netero's hands.
'He uses the clasping of palms as the starting motion for attacks, far surpassing my movable speed.'
'In combat, this would be a useless move that could cost him his life. Yet now, it paradoxically becomes a weapon that can overcome me.'
'How he achieves this needn't be deeply explored now. Ultimately, it must be a realm beyond common reasoning.'
'But, after all, it's a fixed palm-striking pattern. As long as I can attack from angles those palms cannot defend...'
'Having said that, the Guanyin's palm-striking forms are limited, but the possible combinations are many, almost infinite.'
'But... I can do it!'
In the process of being repeatedly swatted away, the King experienced a strange sense of pleasure.
He knew this feeling because he had felt it when playing board games with the girl.
Crushing a strong enemy, plucking the fruit of victory!
The corner of the King's mouth suddenly turned upward, eagerly anticipating that moment.
Sharing the same sentiment was Netero, continuously swinging his palms.
He too was enjoying the current battle, even finding pleasure in it, completely disregarding whether he might die later.
"Hahaha...!"
The King's emotions accumulated to a peak. He finally stopped concealing it, revealing an excited, laughing expression amidst his lightning-fast attacks.
Hearing the King's laughter, the grin on Netero's face was hidden within his beard.
"Laughing..."
Swing palm, strike flying!
No matter how fast the King repositioned and counterattacked, no matter which angle he chose, Netero responded with perfectly precise palm strikes.
'Your defense is indeed astonishing, but compared to your offensive capability, it's negligible. I imagine losing an arm still has a significant impact on you.'
'Let's see: Will I break through your defense first, or will you tear off my limbs first!'
At this moment, Netero's mind and body were completely immersed.
The threat of the Chimera Ants?
The Association's future?
His own safety?
None of it mattered.
The dazzling offensive and defensive exchanges between the two within the valley surrounded by rocky mountains traced countless incredible trajectories.
Clearly visible: the King, sent flying by the Guanyin's palm strike, clearly endured immense force. But when he kicked off a rocky wall to gain leverage, the wall didn't suffer significant damage.
This seemingly ordinary scene showcased the King's terrifying control… not just over Aura, but over his own physical strength.
Only with such precise control over Aura could he minimize the time to reposition and counterattack.
If he couldn't, he would simply embed deeply into the rocky wall, breaking his combo. How then could he form effective, high-speed continuous attacks?
Perhaps, that was talent far exceeding human limits.
On the rocky mountain, Selina stared blankly.
Initially, seeing the old man suppress the King, she was shocked and incredulous. Then, seeing the King rise unharmed, the disappointment in her heart instantly vanished.
'Chimera Ants were stronger than humans.'
'Yes, that's right.'
Then, Selene witnessed the exchange between the old man and the King. Those countless trajectories utterly shattered her innate sense of supreme mission.
'They weren't on the same level.'
Thus, she, who urgently wanted to fulfill the Queen's dying wish, didn't dare take another step forward. She could only honestly stay there, watching the two in fierce combat.
…
The Palace.
Two spatial rifts inexplicably cracked open, squeezing out two figures like toothpaste… Ging and Pouf.
Ging landed gracefully with his hands in his pockets. Pouf, head lowered, showed an expression of gloom and despair.
In that Insect Cards game, Pouf had lost.
As the loser, he was stripped of all his Potential Aura.
As the victor, Ging merely reclaimed the three-tenths of Potential Aura he had paid as the invitation price.
In other words, Pouf, having exhausted his Aura, now posed a threat even less than a Squadron Leader-level Chimera Ant.