Using the information gap to bait out Netero's attack, then evading the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's strike with a predictive "Astral Step."
The integration and utilization of intelligence, Netero's reactions and actions, all were within pre-calculated expectations.
Yet the perfect offensive opportunity created through this strategy...
After blasting Netero away with a close-range aura wave, Morrow's eyes suddenly turned grave.
Completely blocked by "Ryu"...? No, judging from the sensation during the aura collision, there should be some effect, but not enough to secure an advantage.
To counter the terrifying attack speed of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, he had exhausted every possible strategy within his current capabilities.
But after succeeding, he failed to achieve the expected results.
This was because Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva had no so-called recovery gap between attacks.
Or rather, it was because Netero, while launching an attack, could still utilize his transcendent reaction speed and employ top-tier "Ryu" to construct a defense at the very last moment.
In terms of Nen Technique, this was undoubtedly mastery at its peak.
Is this the realm of the "World's Strongest"...?
Maintaining his forward-extended arm posture, Morrow once again condensed highly compressed aura in his palm.
Influenced by preconceived notions, he had always subconsciously regarded Netero's "100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva" as the most unbreakable frontal assault ability.
Thus, his understanding of Netero's strength was anchored solely to this technique.
But in reality, Netero's prowess extended far beyond the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
It also included his meticulously honed, top-tier Nen Techniques, whose brilliance was completely overshadowed by the 100-Type Guanyin.
Netero's body slid slowly down the smooth wall of the dimensional room.
Just as Knov had said, this extradimensional space, bound by the Vow and Limitation system of Nen, was nearly impossible to destroy; even deforming it was extremely difficult.
Even Nen wave attacks couldn't stir up phenomena like dust or smoke here.
But precisely because the walls were so sturdy, when Netero was blasted into them by the aura wave, he endured an even more intense impact.
Oh, I truly didn't expect this...
Completely unfazed by the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Netero slightly lifted his gaze toward Morrow, who was gathering his next assault.
At the last moment, he had indeed used "Ryu" to construct a defense, but it hadn't completely blocked the attack.
Because Morrow's offensive approach had genuinely taken him by surprise.
His ability to react in such a critical instant relied more on his body's almost instinctive combat intuition.
That was an ability tempered through countless real battles.
Fortunately, the continuous fighting during this period had gradually restored his physical condition.
Otherwise, he might truly have been too slow to react.
「Shooting Star · Star Rain」
Regardless of what Netero was thinking, the Nen condensed in Morrow's palm suddenly transformed into a rain of light arrows, sweeping toward Netero.
To mitigate the threat of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, he could only leverage the advantages of Emission, launching relentless Nen bullets in a preemptive assault.
Within the limited vertical space of this dimensional room, the rain of light arrows was as dense as a swarm of bees.
The constraints of the terrain made evasion impossible.
But for Netero, there was no need to evade.
「100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: 6th Hand」
A sharp, spear-like golden light erupted from Netero's side, revealing bamboo-like arms that thrust forward like lances, driving massive palms in a crushing push meant to obliterate all obstacles ahead.
This was the forward palm strike of the 100-Type Guanyin.
The torrent of Shooting Star arrows hurtling toward Netero shattered upon contact with the golden palm, scattering like insignificant insects.
Yet the reach of the Guanyin's hand was ultimately limited.
Though it effortlessly destroyed this highly refined Emission attack, it could not reach Morrow, who remained at a distance.
This was the result of Morrow deliberately maintaining his range.
However, being completely unable to perceive the speed of the Guanyin's strikes, or even the trajectory of its movements, made it difficult to accurately gauge its effective attack range.
Perhaps by forcing Netero to strike repeatedly, Morrow could gradually record more precise data through combat intuition.
But would he last long enough to do so?
Morrow didn't know.
At least for now, he still held the advantage of Emission's long-range capabilities.
Specifically, the simultaneous use of "Shooting Star · Star Rain" and "Insidious Shooting Star."
At his current level, he could maintain the power of his Emission attacks even while moving his hands and feet freely.
「Insidious Shooting Star」
A stellar cross suddenly materialized on the wall behind Netero, and a Shooting Star shot out from its center.
Yet, Netero, with his back turned to the wall, seemed to sense even the slightest disturbance around him.
As the Shooting Star closed in on his back, he leaped forward, allowing it to pass harmlessly beneath him while simultaneously closing the distance to Morrow.
Once within range, he could pin Morrow against the wall with the 100-Type Guanyin, leaving him helplessly awaiting defeat.
"..."
Morrow's pupils reflected Netero's airborne figure, now nearly brushing the ceiling.
Without employing the Nen technique "En," and without visually tracking the attack point of Insidious Shooting Star, Netero had still evaded with ease.
It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head...
Moreover, this perceptive reaction was perfectly synchronized with the movements of the 100-Type Guanyin.
Just like in their initial exchange, after the Guanyin struck, Netero could still channel astonishing focus to simultaneously manipulate the flow of aura throughout his body.
Morrow had no time to ponder how Netero accomplished this. Abruptly, he swung his right arm, using the rings on the back of his hand to intercept the Shooting Star Netero had dodged.
Clink!
His hand, acting like a racket, struck the Shooting Star.
With a carefully adjusted angle, the deflected star shot diagonally toward Netero, still mid-air.
But the assault didn't end there.
As long as Morrow remained grounded, he could channel Nen through his feet into the floor to activate the ability of "Insidious Shooting Star."
At the very moment he redirected the star toward Netero, he unleashed another Insidious Shooting Star with his foot.
In an instant, a stellar cross materialized out of thin air on the ceiling.
This was Morrow's swift reorganization of a pincer attack after his initial strike missed.
But, it was meaningless.
The golden light, which seemed to manifest from nowhere at any moment, always moved with unrivaled speed, seamlessly blending offense and defense.
Netero's eyelids lowered slightly, his gaze fixed on Morrow ahead.
He brought his palms together. Amidst the swirling golden light, the colossal palm of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva materialized in accordance with its wielder's will, casually swatting toward the stellar cross on the ceiling.
The Shooting Star that should have diffracted from the stellar cross had not yet fully formed before being extinguished outright by that broad palm.
Almost simultaneously, another bamboo-like arm extended from the golden radiance, its edge precisely chopping toward the diagonally incoming Shooting Star.
Boom!
The Shooting Star shattered upon impact.
Everything transpired in the blink of an eye.
The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva adopted offense as defense, effortlessly dismantling Morrow's sharp assault woven from combat instinct.
As Netero closed the distance once more, Morrow's reliance on the long-range advantage of Emission was being further compressed.
As expected... it's still utterly unreasonable.
Witnessing firsthand the absolute dominance displayed by the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva in both offense and defense, a conclusion solidified in Morrow's mind.
Unless he formulated an offensive strategy centered around Astral Step, there was simply no possibility of Shooting Star breaking through the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's defense.
But Astral Step's cooldown... even though it had shortened to 30 seconds due to his skyrocketing level and improved mastery of Hatsu, buying 30 seconds within this enclosed space with no room to retreat, under the onslaught of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, was nearly impossible.
Let's give it a try.
As Netero approached within striking range, an unwavering sharpness gleamed in Morrow's eyes.
By contracting the range of Starlight Convergence, I can enhance its precision and effect while retaining more aura output on my body's surface.
The pressure emanating from Netero loomed like a shadow, yet Morrow's spirit remained entirely unaffected.
To activate the Starlight Convergence ability, he must maintain a placid state of mind.
This was Morrow's forte.
It was also the fundamental reason he could calmly devise tactics in battles where he overcame stronger opponents.
「Starlight Convergence」
Brilliant starlight erupted from Morrow's body, resembling a star-studded galaxy swirling closely around him.
Had there been any spectators present, they would have noticed the absence of starlight behind Morrow.
This ability of his shared similarities with Neferpitou's En; both could morph freely like amoebas.
Netero descended slowly from the air, his expression earnest as he gazed at the dazzling starlight encircling Morrow.
He genuinely sensed... Morrow's unwavering determination to create opportunities for victory in battle.
Even after experiencing the overwhelming power of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, that resolve showed no signs of faltering.
Netero was moved.
Therefore, he could not hold back.
「100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva: 1st Hand」
Amid the churning golden light, a straight palm strike swept toward Morrow.
The high-density starlight was abruptly torn apart, revealing a ghastly fissure.
At that moment, time seemed compressed to its limit by consciousness.
Every shattered star, before completely dissipating, fed minuscule information back to Morrow's awareness.
Perhaps due to the intense peril he faced, Morrow's information processing capability surged to an unprecedented peak.
Those fragmented pieces of information from the stars, like millions of puzzle pieces, rapidly assembled within his overclocked consciousness.
Ultimately coalescing into a complete image.
Through this clearly formed mental picture, Morrow finally "saw" the trajectory of this palm strike.
And that broad, serene, yet utterly merciless hand.
By using the Gazelle's ankle-twisting technique, one can achieve the fastest sideways evasion through instantaneous explosive power.
The moment he clearly saw the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's palm strike, the countermeasure emerged in Morrow's mind as if by instinct.
This sensation was incredibly marvelous.
It felt like being immersed in a rapidly flashing panorama of memories, yet he could clearly capture every single frame.
Time seemed to stretch, and everything moved sluggishly.
It was precisely because of this that he had the opportunity to formulate a response strategy.
However, while his consciousness flowed clearly, his body remained petrified, unable to respond.
This was... a difference in the flow of time.
His consciousness could perceive the trajectory of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's attacks through his ability within the slowed temporal flow.
But his body existed within the normal flow of time.
The two simply couldn't synchronize.
The conclusion was, even if he could see the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's trajectory through his ability, there wasn't enough time for his body to react accordingly.
Therefore, nothing actually changed.
This remained an unavoidable attack.
Unless he could be like the King, enduring countless strikes to imprint every move of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva into his body through combat instinct.
But how could Morrow possibly withstand attacks like the King could?
In that instant when his body completely failed to keep up with his consciousness, the only thing he could do was desperately channel more aura to the area about to be struck.
The next moment.
The palm strike arrived as expected, slamming into Morrow's body.
Thump.
Morrow was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the wall behind him.
The wall remained completely unmoved, while the impact force transmitted entirely into his body.
A metallic, bloody taste surged violently into his throat, instantly filling his mouth with the scent of blood.
But that was all.
Morrow's consciousness remained clear. He tilted his head and spat out a thick mouthful of blood, yet didn't cancel his Starlight Convergence ability.
20 seconds left... As long as I hold out until Astral Step's cooldown finishes, there's still a chance to counterattack...
As this thought crossed his mind, Morrow moved away from the wall, attempting to circle away from Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's striking range.
After all, if he got pinned against the wall, even if he could last until Astral Step's cooldown finished, he wouldn't be able to launch a counterattack.
In that situation, he'd have no choice but to use Astral Step to relocate to a safe area.
But then he'd be back in the same passive position of having to endure until Astral Step's cooldown completed.
And once caught in the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's offensive flow, forget about lasting 20 seconds; he probably couldn't even manage 10.
If not for his current aura output having reached Lv.90... he likely wouldn't have survived even a single palm strike.
Netero saw through Morrow's intention with just a glance.
Palms pressed together, in prayer.
A golden palm manifested, sweeping sideways with tremendous force to strike Morrow's side.
A dull thud echoed.
Morrow was sent flying horizontally without any resistance, crashing heavily against the wall once more.
This time, he didn't vomit blood.
But his left arm hung limply, severely fractured.
The reading and warning capability of Starlight Convergence had indeed improved significantly in precision and effectiveness after narrowing its range.
It was just that Morrow's physical body couldn't execute effective evasive movements within those fleeting moments.
He could only barely reinforce local defense at the impact point, reducing the lethality of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva's palm strikes.
In truth, it wasn't that Morrow's physical strength was insufficient. Faced with the nearly unstoppable onslaught of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, humans simply couldn't rely on physical strength alone to resist or evade it.
Unless bolstered by multiple Nen abilities.
Morrow quickly steadied himself, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.
He seemed to have glimpsed a method to counter the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, and even a possibility of victory.
However, this method couldn't be realized at this moment.
Netero stood calmly in place, having already driven Morrow into a corner.
Yet, a subtle ripple stirred in his gaze as he looked at Morrow.
After just a few exchanges.
Morrow was already able to react to the attack patterns of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, even barely managing to defend against them.
"Has he already reached the threshold of 'Spirit Echoes'..."
Netero murmured inwardly.
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Bonus chapter @1200powerstones.
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