The power of Nothing External to the Mind, which had left the Zodiac Twelve helpless, was crushed by Morrow's bare hands.
This scene not only shocked the Zodiacs, but even Beyond found it hard to believe.
As the owner of the ability, he had never imagined such a situation could occur.
Moreover, upon seeing Morrow again, the scale of the aura Beyond perceived was far beyond what any human could achieve.
Even a Collaborative Type Enhancement Nen ability, which gathers the aura of multiple Nen users in one place, would struggle to reach such a level.
So, in these few months...
What exactly had the man before him gone through to undergo such a world-altering transformation?
Beyond was deeply astonished by the change in strength Morrow displayed, but he didn't entertain the slightest thought of retreat.
He couldn't retreat.
Willpower, fighting spirit.
These were the foundations of his ability.
Thus, he feared no obstacle before him, nor was he deterred by any unknown.
This incredibly strong heart was something he had forged over fifty years of gazing toward the Dark Continent.
What's more, he still held the Sword of Good Omens, a regalia intimately connected to the Kakin Empire's Luck.
I will win!
Beyond believed this with conviction.
Or rather, he could not allow himself to waver in the slightest.
Upon entering the Nen space, Ging keenly sensed a strange shift in the atmosphere and noticed the reactions of the Zodiac Twelve and Beyond. His gaze turned to where Morrow stood, and understanding dawned on him.
Most likely, in the brief one or two seconds before he entered the Nen space, Morrow had done something astonishing here to cause such a commotion.
Ging's appearance inevitably drew the attention of everyone present.
Beyond glanced at Ging out of the corner of his eye, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Both Ging and Morrow were opponents he had to take seriously.
Now, facing both of them at once, he understood the importance of every second more than anyone.
"Nothing External to the Mind: Power Strike."
The very next second after Ging appeared, Beyond decisively activated his ability and attacked Morrow.
An invisible Nen attack, moving outside of space, silently appeared at Morrow's side before returning to reality and hurtling toward his temple.
Yet Morrow didn't even shift his gaze. He simply raised a hand and once again precisely caught the formless Nen attack that had emerged from beyond the confines of real space.
This attack, which could easily inflict heavy damage on the Zodiacs, was now like a piece of dough being casually kneaded in his palm.
Morrow's eyes remained fixed on Beyond. He then suddenly clenched his hand, as if crushing a transparent airbag filled with impact force. In an instant, turbulent streams of energy burst out from between his fingers.
Standing at the edge of the Nen space with no intention of intervening, Ging's eyes widened for a moment as he witnessed the offense and defense that concluded in a flash.
Tsk, no wonder...
With just that one glance, Ging realized how troublesome Beyond's invisible attack ability was.
And the fact that Morrow could handle it so casually with his bare hands would indeed seem incredible to any observer.
This also explained the Zodiacs' reactions from a moment ago.
Ging's gaze swept quickly over the members of the Zodiac Twelve.
Although there were no obvious signs of battle on his colleagues, he could now be almost certain that they had likely suffered a considerable loss at Beyond's hands.
Beyond's peripheral vision kept track of Ging, but most of his attention was focused on Morrow.
The attack from Nothing External to the Mind had been neutralized so easily once again.
From this, Beyond was certain that the current Morrow, even without using that starlight ability, could effortlessly pinpoint the existence and trajectory of the power of Nothing External to the Mind.
Although it was still unclear what technique he used to achieve this, but...
What if the attack came from underground?
Beyond's lips curled into a grin, his eyes as sharp as blades.
His offensive was not so one-dimensional.
At the same time Morrow crushed the Nen attack at his side, two other Nen attacks manifested simultaneously from above and below, forming a pincer from both directions.
However, the attack from above had a stronger presence, like sunlight, while the one materializing from underground was more like a blade silently thrust from the shadows, making it impossible to guard against.
But this coordinated offense of light and shadow was still instantly detected by Morrow.
As long as it was an attack...
With Morrow's ability to sense bloodlust, supplemented by his mastery of Spirit Echoes, he could, at the very moment Beyond struck, capture the faint bloodlust that followed the attack, thereby predicting the trajectory and impact point of the power of Nothing External to the Mind.
At this moment, in terms of his level of power application, he could no longer be called human.
He had truly set foot on the path to becoming the ultimate lifeform.
"Astral Step."
Morrow's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
The pincer attack from above and below struck nothing.
The next instant, he appeared in front of Beyond.
Beyond, however, was not surprised at all.
In duels between Nen users, victory often depended not on on-the-spot reactions, but on a tightly linked series of strategic gambits.
Especially when one had some understanding of the enemy's ability, it was crucial to unleash a sharpness of thought in the blink of an eye.
The ability to predict an opponent's likely choices in response to an attack, and even their next move, was a key factor that directly influenced the outcome of a battle between masters and the cornerstone that determined the upper limit of one's tactics.
Beyond had anticipated Morrow's next move after dodging the attack and, in a fleeting moment of thought, decisively laid a countermeasure in advance.
He unleashed the next round of Nothing External to the Mind's power directly in front of him, an area that included himself.
This decision was a display of both absolute confidence and a hint of near-madness.
If Morrow had chosen to teleport to his side or back, he would have met his death in the next second.
But he had gambled correctly.
The invisible Nen attacks, hurtling in from all angles, struck the newly appeared Morrow with perfect timing.
Bang, bang, bang...!
White waves of aura suddenly exploded around Morrow, as if a series of invisible heavy fists were striking every part of his body.
However, the expected image of him being hit did not occur.
Morrow's figure stood as firm as a rock.
Beyond's pupils contracted.
The man before him had actually shattered each of the invisible Nen attacks coming from various angles with terrifying hand speed.
Because the speed was so fast, the shattered aura waves bloomed almost at the same instant, like white fireworks exploding simultaneously.
Morrow's calm gaze pierced through the lingering white waves, landing on the nearby Beyond.
Before he could make another move, Beyond, like a startled beast, was suddenly sent flying backward with a dull boom.
The source of the sound was him manipulating invisible Nen to strike his own chest, using the impact to rapidly propel his body backward.
This method wasn't necessarily faster than pushing off with his legs, but Beyond used both simultaneously, achieving an astonishing speed of retreat.
Morrow watched Beyond retreat rapidly but had no intention of pursuing.
Because at the same instant his opponent fell back, his "attack" was already complete.
This Nen space, anchored to reality, had a wall-like barrier embedded between their two boundaries.
And a wall...
Was the perfect medium for "Insidious Shooting Star."
Stellar crosses suddenly materialized out of thin air at various points, unfolding in a precise and orderly rhythm, completely enveloping the retreating Beyond.
Beyond looked up abruptly, his pupils reflecting the specks of light.
The next moment, dozens of starlights simultaneously unleashed Nen waves, pouring down on him from all angles.
Faced with such a saturation attack with no blind spots, the only thing Beyond could do was to unleash his maximum aura output, forming a defensive armor over his body.
Dozens of Nen waves bombarded Beyond in succession, instantly piercing several gruesome, bloody holes through him.
There was a clear difference in their aura output levels, so Beyond's Ken was utterly incapable of withstanding Morrow's all-out, omnidirectional attack.
Drip, drip...
Blood gushed from the various wounds on Beyond's body, and with it, his strength rapidly waned.
Such injuries were already fatal.
Yet Beyond's expression was abnormally calm, with at most a trace of surprise at the power of Morrow's Nen waves lingering deep in his eyes.
The battle was over in just two exchanges.
Cheadle, watching from the side, could hardly believe her eyes. She then snapped back to her senses and shouted a warning, "This Nen space has a 'one extra life' effect! After Beyond dies, he'll revert to his initial state upon entering!"
Although Phyllis had been knocked unconscious by Morrow, the Nen space's ability had not disappeared.
This indicated that the Nen space possessed a kind of auto-control feature.
And because of this, Phyllis's earlier claim about potentially leaving behind Post-Mortem Will was likely not a bluff.
Nen with this kind of automatic control property was often more likely to remain in the world after the user's death.
Morrow had learned about this ability from Beans before entering the Nen space.
So, without needing Cheadle's reminder, he raised his arm flat, aiming it at the trajectory of the Nen flowing within the space.
At the same time.
Beyond's life signs ceased, triggering the Nen space's revival effect.
His body gradually faded and dispersed, then re-materialized in another location.
However, before he could fully regain consciousness, a Nen wave burst from Morrow's palm and shot out, cleanly blowing his head to pieces.
Beyond, who had just been restored to his initial state, was turned into a headless corpse standing ramrod straight.
The space was plunged into a dead silence.
The Zodiacs stared blankly at the headless corpse, then involuntarily looked at Morrow, their eyes gazing at him as if he were some terrifying, non-human entity.
Was Beyond not strong?
Of course, he was strong.
If not, they wouldn't have been defeated even when they joined forces.
But such a powerhouse, standing at the pinnacle of the world, was crushed twice by Morrow as easily as a chick.
Even Ging, who had come with Morrow, felt a chill run through his heart.
He hadn't expected that a single trip to the Dark Continent would elevate Morrow's strength... to an inhuman realm.
Among everyone, only Gel's expression was calm.
If one had personally witnessed Morrow use the power of Stellar Collapse to eliminate the colossal black hand, they wouldn't be the least bit surprised by the scene before them.
Gel walked quickly to Morrow's side and said in a low voice, "That sword in Beyond's hand... it seems to be able to manipulate Luck."
"Is that so... I knew it was one of the three sacred treasures of the Kakin Empire, but I didn't expect a sword to be related to Luck."
Morrow raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had noticed the short sword, which was wreathed in an ominous aura, from the very beginning and had recognized its origin as the Sword of Good Omens, one of Kakin's three sacred treasures.
It was just that its ability had never been shown in the original story, so hearing it was related to Luck, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise.
Gel's gaze fell on the short sword tightly gripped in the hand of the headless corpse.
"This is the first time I've seen such an evil, ominous object with an aura like this. But if it's you, Morrow, you should be able to..."
Before she could finish, a sudden change occurred.
The short sword held by Beyond's headless corpse abruptly released a thick, sludge-like black Nen, instantly engulfing the body.
As the black aura churned, the numerous grim faces swirling like smoke on the sword's blade began to dissipate at a visible rate.
"This Post-Mortem Nen... what a powerful aura!"
Seeing this, the Zodiacs' expressions changed.
They had thought it was all over, but now it seemed it wasn't finished.
Under everyone's watch, the black Nen quickly receded.
Beyond's body still stood in the same spot, but his head, which had been blasted apart by the Nen wave, had been restored to its original state.
"Oh?"
A surprised murmur escaped Beyond's lips.
"It seems that until I fulfill my 'long-cherished wish,' I won't die so easily."
Beyond easily accepted the fact that he "hadn't died," his tone so calm it was as if he had anticipated it.
In truth, he hadn't expected the Sword of Good Omens to have such an ability.
But he quickly guessed the reason.
He held the Sword of Good Omens level, its tip pointed straight at Morrow, and grinned.
"It seems I've now become a part of what can influence the Kakin Empire's Luck. So... you can't kill me, unless you can destroy the entire nation's Luck with your power alone."
To annihilate the national Luck of a superpower with one's own strength.
How could such a thing be possible?
So Beyond now saw the situation clearly.
As long as he retained the acknowledgment of the Sword of Good Omens, he could, with the blessing of Kakin's national Luck, become a nearly immortal existence and thus be invincible.
The so-called Power of Luck was, in essence, the power to "rewrite reality."
Of course.
The prerequisite for obtaining this power was that he must firmly hold the Sword of Good Omens.
But the Sword of Good Omens was, after all, a great treasure of Kakin. Once this matter was settled, it would have to be returned to Nasubi Hui Guo Rou.
However, at least for this moment, this power of "immortality"...
Was extremely important to him.
"Can't kill you?"
Morrow raised a hand and pointed at the Sword of Good Omens, saying calmly, "Because of this sword?"
"Hard to believe, isn't it... True, even I, its user, am surprised by its power."
A smile lifted the corners of Beyond's mouth.
"Then let me give you another firsthand experience of its ability on another level."
The moment his voice fell, the smoke-like, grim faces on the blade of the Sword of Good Omens suddenly merged into one.
These faces, appearing as black, light smoke, were the sacrifices accepted by the Sword of Good Omens.
It could be said that Kakin's national Luck was built upon the accumulation of countless sacrifices.
The entire process was like raising a spirit, using death to transfer and concentrate everything a life possessed into one place.
Even the succession ceremony that decided Kakin's future was, in essence, using sacrifices to enhance the national Luck. Even the lives of the princes had to become the foundation for Kakin's prosperous future in their capacity as sacrifices.
And besides possessing the Power of Luck that could rewrite reality, the Sword of Good Omens could also, according to the user's will, extract the conceptual image of an ability a sacrifice possessed in life.
However, both of these abilities required an enormous amount of energy.
Fortunately for a monarchical country like Kakin, sacrifices were never a scarce resource.
Beyond naturally had no such concerns.
Driven by his will, the black smoke coiling around the blade quickly condensed into a face.
It was Netero's likeness.
"This time, it's a 'guaranteed hit' attack."
Beyond then unleashed the ability of Nothing External to the Mind, manifesting the silhouette of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva in another dimension unobservable to ordinary people.
Immediately after, a sky full of invisible palm shadows descended upon Morrow. Their power was so immense that as they revealed their form, visible cracks appeared in the light blue space.
In terms of attack form, Nothing External to the Mind and the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva were actually quite similar.
It was hard to say if this was because Beyond had always held a measure of respect for his father...
But regardless, at this moment, by harnessing the power of the Sword of Good Omens, he had integrated the "conceptual force" of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva into his Nothing External to the Mind.
Coupled with the blessing of the Power of Luck, Beyond was certain that it was absolutely impossible for Morrow to neutralize such an offensive.
Even if Morrow could withstand one, ten, or even a hundred attacks with his Nen defense...
What about a thousand, or ten thousand?
The so-called guaranteed hit was, in fact, a guaranteed kill!
A corner of Beyond's mouth twitched up.
However...
What he saw next, before the sky full of palm shadows could fall, was Morrow's face, still so calm it was without a single ripple.
Why can he still be so calm?
Beyond soon got his answer.
Under his gaze, a shower of fine starlight burst from around Morrow, with red threads connecting them.
"Starlight Convergence・Cosmic Choreography."
Morrow's hands became a blur in front of him. Each tremor was the release of a Nen wave, precisely meeting the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva palm strikes formed by the power of Nothing External to the Mind.
In an instant, a densely interwoven net of Nen waves spread out, piercing through and pulverizing the entire offensive of Nothing External to the Mind: 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva.
"What!?"
Beyond was once again startled.
Why didn't the power of Luck take effect?
How could the power of Nothing External to the Mind, fused with the conceptual image of the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, be shattered so easily?
Numerous questions flooded Beyond's mind.
The red starlight that had filled the surroundings suddenly converged, returning to Morrow's body.
The next instant, Morrow's figure flashed, appearing beside the Sword of Good Omens that Beyond held level.
He reached out his right hand and gently pinched the blade with his thumb and forefinger.
"Is that all?"
Morrow used the power of Tree Rings to suppress the surging Post-Mortem Nen of the Sword of Good Omens. It was unclear whether his words were directed at Beyond's so-called guaranteed hit or the so-called national Luck of the Kakin Empire.
Crack, crack...
Just then, the Nen space, affected by the power of Nothing External to the Mind: 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, suddenly shattered with the sound of breaking glass.
Everyone was instantly returned to the grand hall in the real world.
Beyond's gaze shot toward the blade of the Sword of Good Omens, which Morrow had pinched. Pushing down his many doubts, he intended to use the sword's power again to make Morrow pay for his flippant gesture.
However, another unbelievable scene unfolded.
The regalia, which was intimately connected to the Kakin Empire's Luck and had accepted an unknown number of sacrifices, disintegrated into energy right before Beyond's eyes and was then drawn into Morrow's hand.
"Exorcism? Impossible...!"
Beyond was in disbelief.
Given the Sword of Good Omens's intensity, how could it possibly be dispelled?
But the facts were right in front of him, leaving Beyond no choice but to believe.
But even as unexpected events occurred one after another, Beyond's will to fearlessly press forward remained completely unchanged.
Morrow saw this in the state of Beyond's aura.
That kind of ability, involving the manifestation of will, was indeed unique.
It could also be considered one of the fruits of Beyond's decades of lurking and plotting.
"Before you die, there are two things you should know."
Morrow ignored his right hand, which was absorbing the Post-Mortem Nen from the Sword of Good Omens, and looked at the now defenseless Beyond.
"First, Chairman Netero's 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva was much stronger than yours. Second, I made a trip to the Dark Continent, successfully obtained a certain hope I wanted, and on the way back, I brought back the Alchemy Plant: Metallion. Oh, and it didn't wither."
"What!?"
Beyond's eyes slowly widened, and then a sharp pain shot through his chest.
A gaping, bloody hole had appeared there.
Morrow withdrew his right hand, his tone still calm.
"I won't bother taking it out to show you."
Beyond stared fixedly at Morrow, his body swaying as he lost his strength. He staggered a few steps and finally fell heavily to the ground.
This time, he could no longer get up.
And his open eyes never closed again.
Around them.
The Zodiac Twelve looked at Morrow's figure, somewhat lost in a daze.
Only now did they finally understand why Gel had been so insistent on recommending Morrow for the Dark Continent expedition.