Chapter 136: The Strongest Man in the World
"What exactly happened just now, Grandpa?" Milluki rubbed his eyes and asked.
"For you, it was merely a split second, but for true masters, it felt as if half a century had passed," Zeno explained.
"Impossible. Time is the same for everyone," Science Chubby voiced his skepticism.
"Impossible?" Zeno's eyes remained fixed on the battlefield as he spoke slowly. "No, such a phenomenon truly exists."
"At the moment of death, don't people feel time slow down so much that they can review their entire lives? Like a revolving lantern. The situation just now was essentially similar to that."
"Or rather, it's even more credible than the moment of death, because what you hear isn't your own thoughts, but the other party's feelings in that instant."
"The information only the person themselves would know—this can be mutually verified."
Rumble—
Debris scattered as Mord rose from the ruins.
At the instant he swung his blade, he clearly saw the smile curling at the corner of Netero's lips and heard the words the other spoke.
"What incredible speed. Truly terrifying."
"Pity. Youth, after all, is still youth."
Logically speaking, in that lightning-fast moment, the other shouldn't have had time to speak, let alone utter so many unnecessary words.
In other words, what Mord heard just now was Netero's inner thoughts!
On the other side, Zeno, rarely seeing his grandson take an interest in martial arts, continued explaining: "In certain martial arts, there exists a phenomenon called 'Heart-Drop Fist Listening.' When two top masters clash, they often paradoxically feel as if time has slowed down."
Just as Zeno described, Netero's series of movements had felt both fluid and incredibly slow to Mord...
Mord frowned.
No—those actions were undoubtedly completed in the split second when Mord swung his blade to strike.
The reason Mord experienced that contradictory sensation earlier was because he compressed his perceived time to the limit. One could say he placed his own time in an almost motionless state. Only by doing so could he clearly perceive Netero's movements.
Yet all he could manage was to see them.
In other words, the essence of Netero's palm strike was its speed—so fast it was impossible to dodge!
In all martial arts under heaven, nothing is invincible except speed!
Though Mord appeared swift as lightning, this was merely a metaphor. While he utilized the power of thunder, it didn't mean his speed matched that of lightning or reached the speed of light.
He was only using this method to push his own speed to its limit.
Yet, the old man before him possessed palm strikes that genuinely surpassed the speed of sound!
Mord drew his sword and launched another attack at Netero.
Bang!
This time, Mord felt an overwhelming force assault him from his left side, followed by his vision violently shifting sideways as his entire body was sent flying like a meteor once again.
He first crashed heavily into the ground, then scraped a deep trench across it, and finally collided with several large boulders, shattering them before coming to a stop amid a cloud of dust.
Silence fell over the arena.
Milluki swallowed hard with difficulty, his small eyes wide open as he murmured under his breath.
"Is this the strongest person in the world?"
Beside him, Zeno nodded and spoke up. "There are several reasons why the Chairman is hailed as the world's strongest."
"First, his Nen is so silent it's terrifying. No one can predict his next move by reading the flow of his aura. This is also why he's lived so long—his mental state has reached a level akin to that of plants."
"When I was still an infant, he was already an old man. He's the only one who fought my grandfather and still lives to this day."
"What?! He's from the same generation as my great-grandfather? I always thought he was your friend, Grandpa, and that his strength was on par with yours." Milluki exclaimed in shock.
"How could I possibly be his match? I remember when I was young, he used to bully me until I cried every time."
"But getting back on topic, his secret to strength lies in combat. His ultimate move, the 100-Type Guanyin, is the most difficult to deal with."
Zeno's eyes remained fixed on the distant figure, who stood up once more amidst the swirling dust.
Zeno had never seen anyone break through the 100-Type Guanyin technique, and he wondered if a miracle would occur today.
Mord charged at Netero again and again, only to be swatted away each time.
Mord's body wasn't as monstrously durable as the King of Ants', and after several attempts, he finally gave up.
Keep in mind, these were supersonic palm strikes—it wasn't some gentle scraping or massage.
Even so, it was enough to shock Zeno, who was watching from the sidelines.
The 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva , an Enhancement-type Nen Ability.
It is the Nen Ability of Netero, the world's strongest Nen user.
When Netero brings his palms together, a giant hundred-armed Guanyin statue appears behind him, devoutly joining its hands in prayer before striking out with gratitude.
The enormous hundred-armed Guanyin statue behind him mirrors Netero's movements, executing various attacks.
Joining hands, striking, then joining hands again.
If an ordinary person were to perform this series of actions, it would take at least several seconds, not to mention the devout pre-strike buildup and the grateful post-strike follow-through.
By all appearances, it seemed entirely unrelated to the concept of speed.
Yet this old man before him had completed the entire sequence at a speed surpassing all sensory perception. Aside from Zeno and Silva, no one else outside the arena could even catch a glimpse of the 100-Type Guanyin manifesting behind Netero before it vanished—its appearance and disappearance lasting merely an instant.
"What, giving up already?" Netero chuckled, gazing at Mord in the distance.
Just as Zeno had observed, Mord not only fell short in speed compared to Netero but also couldn't predict his opponent's moves by sensing the flow of aura, making it impossible to evade preemptively. This meant Mord would forever remain on the defensive, vulnerable to attacks.
This was truly troublesome.
Mord scratched his head. He had an idea in mind, but he wasn't sure if his current body could withstand it. That technique had been reserved for the King of Ants.
Better not risk it.
Mord looked at Netero and declared, "Then I won't hold back."
Raising his Zanpakutō skyward with one hand, Mord channeled all his Nen energy into the blade. The sword erupted with a blinding pillar of light that shot straight into the heavens. A violent, oppressive aura radiated from the weapon.
"Bankai!"
As Mord's low shout echoed, fierce winds surged, sweeping across the landscape. The sky above Kukuroo Mountain darkened with thick clouds, and low, rumbling thunder echoed from within the gloom.