With just a single blow, Leo was sent flying into the wall, but Biscuit did not give him a chance to catch his breath.
In her eyes, once a battle began, there was no such thing as "stopping at a point"—unless she called for a halt.
Her massive form reappeared before Leo like a phantom, her right fist pulled back, muscles coiled like steel cables, and then she slammed it down with a boom!
If this punch landed solidly, Leo would be embedded directly into the wall.
At this life-or-death moment, Leo's ruthlessness surfaced.
He did not attempt to dodge—nor could he.
Instead, he slammed his feet against the wall behind him, and using the reaction force, launched his entire body toward Biscuit like a cannonball!
Attack against attack!
Biscuit's fist descended; Leo tilted his head at the last moment, the fist grazing his earlobe and smashing into the wall, sending gravel flying!
And Leo's fist also landed solidly on Biscuit's abdomen!
Bang! Bang! Two dull thuds erupted almost simultaneously!
Biscuit's body swayed slightly, the muscles of her abdomen sinking inward like rubber before quickly snapping back.
Leo, however, had his arms numbed by the shock, but he did not retreat; his left fist followed immediately, smashing toward Biscuit's jaw!
At this moment, the battle entered a white-hot state.
The two of them, like a pair of human pile drivers, engaged in the most savage and primal exchange of blows in the center of the training room!
Leo's fists rained down on Biscuit—chest, abdomen, shoulders—each punch carrying the immense power to split mountains and crack rocks.
But Biscuit's defensive power was despairingly terrifying; her muscles, like thousand-layered armor, dissipated the force layer by layer, leaving behind nothing but a few shallow red marks.
And Biscuit's counterattacks were even more terrifying.
Every one of her punches weighed a thousand jin; Leo dared not take them head-on, so he could only use the technique of "Flow" to concentrate his Nen on the impact area, coordinating with his body to disperse the force.
Even so, with every block, a tearing pain shot through his arms; his bones wailed, and his muscles trembled.
But Leo held on.
He gritted his teeth, blood constantly seeping from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He was learning, adapting—adapting to this level of pressure, adapting to this nearly desperate gap in strength.
Five minutes. In the eyes of the bystanders, these were five minutes as long as a century.
Sophia clenched her fists tightly; she watched as her master was beaten back time and again amidst Biscuit's storm-like onslaught, only to charge back in each time, her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
Shizuku's eyes did not blink once. She was analyzing, memorizing—at this moment, every movement, every exertion of power, and every choice of timing by Biscuit was being etched into her mind like a textbook.
Nico and Chiharu were already unable to speak, watching with mouths agape, trying to comprehend.
They had never seen a battle of this level; that pure collision of power, that life-and-death thrill, made them both fearful and yearning.
Wing's expression also gradually shifted from his initial schadenfreude to solemnity.
He could tell that Leo was truly giving it his all—not just fighting to the death, but fighting with all his might to seize every opportunity, desperate to extract every bit of gain from this overwhelming sparring session.
Finally, at six minutes and seventeen seconds.
Biscuit's straight punch broke through Leo's defense, landing solidly on his chest.
Leo flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground and sliding another five or six meters before coming to a stop.
He lay on the ground, coughing violently, each cough bringing up blood foam.
Biscuit did not pursue.
She stood where she was, her massive body slowly relaxing, and that suffocating pressure receded like the tide.
"Hmm, not bad."
She spoke, her voice returning to its usual crisp tone—it turned out that while speaking, she had reverted to that petite form.
"You passed."
Leo struggled to stand up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His chest was still burning with pain, at least two ribs were cracked, and his arms were severely swollen.
But a smile appeared on his face.
"Master Biscuit."
He said, gasping for air.
"It seems that last time when you reverted to your true form, you still held back."
Leo muttered to himself.
Biscuit is not an Enhancer, yet she possesses this monster-level physical strength... it's too perverted.
But thinking about it, it makes sense.
The Biscuit who has reverted to her true form is over 2.2 meters tall, with muscle mass several times that of an ordinary person; this talent cannot be caught up with just by Cultivate.
Most importantly! Biscuit's true age is already 58! Her body, tempered over decades, is not something he can surpass in a short while.
Among all the characters who have appeared in the original Hunter series, she is the only Transmuter to have reached the [Peak] level of Cultivate.
As for Enhancers, only Netero is also [Peak], and Gon counts as half; in a sense, Biscuit and Chairman Netero are on the same level, although the current Chairman Netero's strength is less than half of his Peak period.
"It's good that you know the gap."
Biscuit straightened her slightly disheveled dress, regaining her usual composure.
"Your progress is indeed significant, but don't be proud. There are plenty of people in this world stronger than you."
"I understand."
Leo nodded earnestly.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him; he looked at Sophia and the others on the sidelines, then back at Biscuit.
"Master, could I ask you to... guide them? It won't take up too much of your time."
Biscuit followed his gaze.
Sophia looked expectant, her eyes shining; although Shizuku was expressionless, the frequency with which she adjusted her glasses had clearly increased; Nico was nervously rubbing his hands, wanting to say something but not daring to.
Biscuit sighed.
"Fine."
She walked to the sidelines and beckoned to the three of them.
"Come up here. While there's still time today, I'll give you a little guidance. I'll leave tomorrow."
For the next few hours, the sound of fists and feet colliding rang out continuously in the training room.
Biscuit's method of guidance was simple and brutal—fighting.
In one-on-one sparring, she would identify problems during the battle, then point them out and correct them in the intervals.
There were no long-winded theories, only the most practical techniques and the most direct insights.
Sophia learned how to combine techniques and abilities in actual combat; Shizuku was pointed out for her problem of relying too much on intuition and lacking tactical planning in battle.
As for Nico, he was criticized from head to toe.
Unstable stance, incorrect exertion of power, chaotic breathing... but he gritted his teeth and persisted; every time he was knocked down, he got back up immediately, his eyes growing increasingly determined.
By the time the guidance ended, the sky outside the window had already turned dark.
When everyone left the training room, they were all drenched in sweat, but their eyes were bright—the gains from this afternoon were greater than a month of their own Cultivate.
That evening, Biscuit stood at the door of Leo's room.
"These companions of yours are quite good."
She watched the direction in which Sophia and the others had left at the end of the corridor.
"Especially Shizuku, she has great talent, though she is a bit forgetful; cherish these companions of yours well."
"I will."
Leo replied solemnly.
Biscuit smiled.
"Alright, I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning, no need to see me off. Convey a message for me to that kid Wing—"
She paused, her tone turning dangerous.
"Tell him to train Chiharu properly. If he dares to slack off... you give him a good lesson, don't hold back."
Leo also smiled.
"Understood."
Biscuit turned, her petite figure disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Leo stood at the door, watching her leave until she was completely out of sight, then gently closed the door.
The room quieted down.
Leo walked to the window, looking at the brightly lit city below.
The road ahead is still long, but he is no longer fighting alone.