([Seeking Flower Evaluation])
"Finally, it's my turn."
Lan Fei stepped forward with a faint smile as Chairman Isaac Netero's sharp gaze settled on him. His presence was calm, even tranquil, completely unaffected by the suffocating pressure radiating from the legendary Hunter before him.
"Gon, you grew up with Lan Fei, right?" Killua turned to Gon, eyes narrowing slightly. "You've got a good sense of how strong he really is, don't you?"
"Lan Fei's only a year older than me," Gon replied, his tone respectful, "but he's way ahead of us in terms of power. I watched him train with his grandfather every single day on Whale Island. His body… it's not normal."
He remembered the brutal regime—running laps with weights, diving into waterfalls in winter, punching trees until his knuckles bled. Even back then, Lan Fei never fell behind.
Killua folded his arms. "If he really can take the ball from that old man, then he's got the strength of a pro Hunter, no question."
Having faced Netero himself, Killua fully understood how inhuman the man was.
"Let's just watch," Gon said quietly. "I believe Lan Fei can do it."
Standing before Netero now, Lan Fei raised an eyebrow. "Chairman, how about we change the rules a little?"
"Oh?" Netero's tone was amused, but his eyes were razor sharp. "How would you like to change them?"
Lan Fei smirked. "I'll allow you to attack as well."
Netero blinked, then gave a chuckle. "You do realize if I go all-out, I might damage the entire airship. That would delay your exam—maybe worse."
As the words left his mouth—
Whoosh!
Lan Fei vanished from view, blitzing forward at a terrifying speed that made both Gon and Killua's eyes widen.
"So fast!" Killua's thoughts raced. "Much faster than me… even faster than when I use Rhythm Echo!"
Even Netero narrowed his eyes. "This boy… he's significantly stronger than the last two."
Netero stepped aside gracefully, avoiding Lan Fei's first strike. The air rippled from the blow, and the wood paneling beneath Lan Fei cracked from sheer force.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Each step from Lan Fei came faster, tighter, more precise. He was probing, testing. Each burst of speed forced Netero back. But no matter how fast he moved, Lan Fei still couldn't get within reach of the basketball.
"Hmph… impressive speed," Netero remarked. "But you'll need more than that to snatch this ball."
Killua clicked his tongue. "Even with that kind of speed, you have to attack from angles the old man can't predict. That's the only way. But… he's Netero. Is that even possible?"
Lan Fei came to a slow stop, his breath steady, eyes glowing faintly. "That was just a warm-up," he muttered.
A strange, oppressive aura suddenly began to swell from within him.
"Eight Gates Released—Gate of Opening, Open!!"
A sudden shockwave exploded around Lan Fei. Wind tore through the room, sending Gon and Killua staggering a step back.
"What… was that?!" Killua's pupils dilated. "That pressure…!"
"Impossible!" Netero murmured, his expression darkening for the first time. "A technique this advanced… from someone so young?"
Unknown to the Chairman, Lan Fei hadn't even learned Nen yet. What he activated was something far more ancient and internal—something that drew out raw physical power.
"His aura… it's rising again!" Gon shouted.
"Eight Gates Dunjia, Gate of Healing—Open!"
The green glow from Lan Fei intensified, outlining his silhouette with ethereal fire. His feet cracked the floor as he took another step forward.
"Gate of Life—Open!!"
"Gate of Pain—Open!!!"
The floor groaned beneath the pressure of the escalating force.
"Gate of Limit—Open!!!"
"Gate of View—Open!!!"
"Gate of Wonder—Open!!!"
"Gate of Death—OPEN!!!"
BOOOOOM!!!
With that final roar, a violent green aura erupted from Lan Fei's body like a forest blaze, his hair whipping in the storm of qi. The floor beneath him cratered under the strain, and his body began to glow faintly with emerald fire.
"What kind of aura is this?!" Netero's brow furrowed. "It's like… his body is burning his life force!"
"But that's not Nen," Killua murmured, stunned. "What the hell is he doing?!"
"Lan Fei… just how far ahead are you?" Gon clenched his fists. "We've been training with sandbags and push-ups… but this?"
"This is something else entirely… This guy's aura is stronger than even Hisoka's back during the Phase Two skirmish."
Lan Fei flashed a grin, his voice heavy with power. "Chairman… I'm coming."
With a thunderous step, the wooden floor exploded. Lan Fei vanished again.
"Such speed…!" Netero's eyes tracked his movements. "Behind!"
WHAM!!!
A heavy punch smashed toward Netero's back. He twisted midair, catching the blow on his forearm—yet the force sent him flying several meters across the training hall.
The basketball tumbled from his hand.
"There!!" Lan Fei dove forward, eyes locked on the ball.
But Netero, in the air, suddenly smirked. "Very well. Let's test your limits."
BOOM!
In an instant, Netero kicked off the shattered floor, his body vanishing in a blur of speed. A new, dense aura radiated from him—his battle instinct awakened.
In the next blink, the ball was in his hand once more.
"Oh?" Lan Fei grinned. "Looks like the old man's going serious."
The two collided again in the center of the room.
Crack—Boom—Crack!
Boards shattered. Air whistled. Gon and Killua could barely keep up with their movements.
At the exact same time, both Lan Fei and Netero's hands reached for the basketball, their auras clashing violently.
"Morning Peacock!!!" Lan Fei bellowed.
Fwooooosh!!
He launched a barrage of high-speed punches, each strike so fast that it ignited the surrounding air. Fire danced around his fists, forming the image of a peacock fanning its blazing tail.
Netero's eyes widened. "That move… it's pure kinetic energy. Each punch is breaking the sound barrier!"
Flames engulfed the space between them.
The chapter ends with a thunderous shockwave swallowing the hall, as both Hunter and examinee clash in the air—strength against strength, speed against speed, will against will