After dodging the First Hand of 100-Types Guanyin, Moses took two consecutive hits.
The outcome? Only a few of Netero's strands of hair had been cut.
Bang!
Moses, flung backward, crashed into the wall like a falling meteor.
The violent impact shattered the wall with a resounding crash, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.
Netero stared at the swirling dust in front of him, and a smile appeared on his old face.
In this brief but lightning-fast attack and defense, this world-renowned powerhouse hadn't moved an inch.
Outside the ring-
Similar emotions appeared on everyone's faces, all of them were shocked from the bottom of their hearts.
Ging, on the other hand, was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
'That Ken form… is it some kind of Nen Ability?'
His gaze swept over the thickening cloud of dust, an expression of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
'He was hit with a strike from the old man's 100-Types Guanyin head-on, yet was able to launch a counterattack instantly without any injuries.'
If Ging hadn't known Moses's Nen Category inside and out, as an observer, he might have assumed Moses was an Enhancer.
Because Ging knew Moses wasn't an Enhancer, his attention was focused on the Ken on Moses's body that was faintly flashing with scale-like Aura.
If it is the Emission or the Enhancement System, when developing the Nen Ability, the Nen User can also start with pure Nen.
Some Emitters, depending on their environment and personality, might even abandon Emission-Type's offensive nature and focus on defensive capabilities instead.
The most common example was the total-blocking type of Nen Ability, where Manifested Aura formed an energy shield or created a defensive effect.
However-
Such an ability wasn't merely a technique, but a fully developed Nen Ability that consumed memory capacity.
Ging knew Moses's abilities were incredibly diverse, and if another Nen user took the same path, they'd inevitably be labeled as 'biting off more than they could chew'.
Under this premise, Ging doubted Moses would waste energy, time, and precious memory capacity on a defensive 'energy-shield' type ability.
'What could it be...?'
As the thought turned to his mind, Ging's problem came back and a strong curiosity surged in his heart.
He wanted to know what those scales in the Ken were.
And if possible, he wouldn't mind learning a bit of it himself.
Within the dust cloud-
Moses lay on his back on the ground with his eyes closed, replaying the attack and defense in his mind.
'Was I too slow...'
'No, it's the 100-Types Guanyin that's too fast.'
Exhaling slowly, Moses didn't rush to get up.
The Ken: Bone-Plated Armor can indeed significantly increase his defense immediately after impact.
That was why he was able to withstand 100-Types Guanyin's attack safely and launch a defensive counterattack in an instant.
Unfortunately, the speed of the 100-Types Guanyin's strikes is too outrageous...
As a result, even with his Teleportation and Conjuration combo, the attack had only managed to slice off a few strands of hair.
If he had been just a little bit faster-
He might have managed to leave a mark on Netero's forehead.
However, because 100-Types Guanyin's palm was too fast, the Bone Plating, which could only withstand one attack, was able to block 100-Types Guanyin's second strike before the effect completely dissipated.
It was also fortunate that the attack had flung him away-
Had it pinned him down, this sparring session would have ended right then.
Moses slowly opened his eyes and, while the dust still lingered, focused on re-establishing the Bone Coating.
He knew that Netero would not take advantage of the situation to pursue him. Rather, he would wait for Moses to initiate another attack.
So he had plenty of time to rebuild the Bone Coating.
This was likely the difference between a life-or-death battle and a sparring match.
'I didn't realize it before… but now, it does feel like that old man has aged.'
Moses looked at the lingering dust in the air and thought silently in his heart.
He used to think-
As long as Netero summons 100-Types Guanyin, Moses would be instantly overpowered by just one strike.
But now...
Maybe because his strength has increased so much, he no longer has the same feeling as when he first saw the 100-Types Guanyin.
Even without the defensive strength of the Bone Plating, Moses believed that as long as there was no flaw in his Ken, he would not be knocked down by a single blow.
After all, 100-Types Guanyin's greatest threat lay in the speed of its strikes, and the unrelenting combos it enabled.
In other words…
In the subsequent attack and defense, if Moses wants to injure Netero, he would need to avoid any attacks that could slam him into the ground, otherwise, the fight would end then and there.
Moses's prolonged absence from the ring began to make the onlookers anxious.
'Could he have lost consciousness?'
The silence that lasted for about twenty seconds made everyone unable to help but think so.
Whoosh-
At this moment, a strong wind arose in the dust cloud, creating a gap in it.
Moses, covered in dust, stepped slowly out of the opening.
Seeing that Moses appeared unharmed, Menchi and the other spectators let out a sigh of relief.
Even if they were standing outside the ring, they could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from Netero—a presence that felt as though it would crush the air itself. It was hard to imagine what it would feel like up close.
"Hoho…"
Netero's gaze swept over the layer of Nen coating Moses's body, and he could easily infer some information without much evidence.
'That kind of layered Aura must be the basis for him to withstand 100-Types Guanyin's strikes.'
Though Moses appeared unscathed, he had stayed in the dust cloud for more than twenty seconds...
From this, Netero concluded that the defensive ability took a minimum of twenty seconds to prepare.
With this knowledge, the natural next step was to launch an aggressive barrage against Moses, allowing him no time to set up his defenses.
But this was merely a sparring match.
Netero was willing to give Moses an opportunity to continue showcasing his abilities.
Or rather-
He wanted to experience Moses's growth personally.
Though it may still be a bit early, he held hope for what Moses might achieve in the future.
'Old man...'
Moses raised his right hand and said to himself, 'I'll do my best to seize the 'handicap' you're giving me in this match...'
Zztt-
A rotating black vortex appeared in his outstretched right hand.
As the vortex shrank, Moses's fingers gradually closed around it.
When he completed the motion of grasping a weapon, the black vortex condensed into a long black sword held firmly in his hand.
[All Extinct]
Immediately afterwards, a flicker of red appeared in Moses's eyes, and an overwhelming killing intent burst forth from within him.
The dust lingering around him seemed startled, recoiling and clearing away from where Moses was now poised to strike.