Chapter 153: The Pinnacle of Martial Arts
In a subtle tendency in his movements, too minor to be called a habit or emotional fluctuation...
The King of Ants used his body as a shield to withstand Netero's attacks, all to find that faint glimmer he had seen deep within. Finally, he located the source of that light.
This time, the King of Ants took Netero's left hand.
"Now you must admit defeat," the King of Ants said.
On the other side, Mord leaned against a stone pillar, holding his sword with both hands, and watched Netero.
There was still not a hint of surrender in the old man's eyes.
Mord hesitated about whether to step in immediately and end this battle, but ultimately decided against it.
This was Netero's lifelong wish.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Do you think losing your hands means you can't pray?" Netero laughed.
Then, to the King of Ants' astonishment, he formed a prayer gesture with his remaining hand and foot.
"Prayer is an act of the heart."
When the heart accurately visualizes the form, the image transforms into thought, and thought bears fruit.
100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva · Zero Hand!
This was Netero's final killing move.
In this move, the 100-Type Guanyin no longer appeared behind Netero, but manifested directly behind the enemy.
Then it enveloped the opponent with both palms.
Finally, Netero transformed all his aura into dazzling energy bullets resembling stars and launched them.
The colossal 100-Type Guanyin deity opened its mouth, unleashing a Divine Roar that shot toward the King of Ants.
There was not a trace of mercy to be found.
Boom!
The massive explosion caused the entire underground palace to tremble violently.
The dust settled.
In the massive crater, that figure still stood.
Seeing this, the old man who had been proud all his life finally admitted defeat.
"That was truly a magnificent strike."
The King of Ants slowly emerged from the deep pit and spoke: "As the King of Ants, I stand at the pinnacle of life. This is the innate wish of the entire ant species, an evolution dedicated solely to my perfection. I am the culmination of the entire ant species' selfless devotion. Diverse individuals like you humans cannot match me."
"Don't be so quick to define humanity just because you defeated an old man."
Mord stood up, looking at the King of Ants, and said: "It's my turn now."
Mord walked to Netero's side and whispered: "No need for self-destruction. This world doesn't need your salvation, nor is it your turn to save it."
"Old man, use your own eyes to witness what the limits of martial arts truly are."
Mord carried Netero on his back and leaped down to the ground.
"If you want to know your name, follow me."
My name?!
Mord's words seemed to possess a magical quality. Without hesitation, the King of Ants instinctively turned and followed Mord.
Arriving at a high slope, Mord settled Netero down, stopped his bleeding, and used his own aura to stabilize his condition.
One arm and one leg lost.
Neither were fatal wounds.
It was just that the Zero Hand technique had nearly exhausted all of Netero's aura, making him appear so haggard. Still, his life wasn't in danger.
After completing these tasks, Mord brought the King of Ants to an open area.
A gust of wind blew, stirring up violent sand.
"How do you know my name?" The King of Ants stared intently at Mord as he spoke.
"I saw you before you were born." Mord's lips curled slightly into a smile. "Several months ago, I visited your Chimera Ant Nest. That's when I learned your name from your mother's mouth."
"So it was you."
Although the King of Ants was still in the Chimera Ant Queen's womb at the time, he could sense the incredibly powerful presence outside. One could say Mord's strength was the first to leave an imprint deep within his heart.
After all, this imprint had been deeply engraved in his blood and genes through the Queen even before the King of Ants was born.
"Defeat me, and I'll return your name to you."
In some people's eyes, this war concerning humanity's survival had been twisted by Mord into something like luring a child with candy.
"Agreed."
"Do you need to rest?"
The King of Ants answered Mord with action, erupting with an astonishingly terrifying aura that shot skyward.
The black aura became almost tangible, enveloping his entire body.
The King of Ants stood there like a monarch surveying his domain.
"Then, let's begin!" Mord's eyes shone brightly.
His aura quantity has actually reached this level.
Boom!
Mord's entire aura erupted as well, with terrifying destructive lightning completely enveloping him. Electric serpents continuously danced around his body, making Mord appear like a thunder god descended from the heavens.
Indeed, you haven't disappointed me, the King of Ants stared fixedly at Mord.
The next moment.
"Whoosh!"
Mord only saw an afterimage as the King of Ants tore through the sky, his tail whipping out to pierce the air, carrying endless shrieks as it thrust toward Mord.
The King of Ants' tail was like a long spear.
A spear capable of piercing through everything in this world.
"Clang!"
Thunder exploded!
Amidst the dazzling electric light, the tip of the sword directly collided with the tip of the King of Ants' tail, as Mord's and the King of Ants' furious Hatsu also clashed violently.
Boom!!!
The King of Ants' aura was inherently violent; he was born for violence. Mord's lightning power was the same—lightning itself was synonymous with destruction.
A terrifying blast of energy erupted with the two at its center. The residual energy from the clash between the two strongest beings on the continent now spread out in all directions, causing the massive boulders in the Wasteland to shatter one after another.
On a hillside over a thousand meters away, the fierce wind from the distant battle blew Netero's beard and hair upward. He stared intently at the scene of the battle in the distance, his eyes filled with shock.
Had the King of Ants been holding back when fighting him earlier?!
And Mord also left him astonished. Not long ago, he and Mord had been training together at Kukuroo Mountain. Although neither had gone all out in a life-or-death struggle, they had both held back.
Yet, at that time, Netero knew clearly that Mord was not his match.
How many days had passed since then?
He recalled the words Mord had spoken earlier and unconsciously murmured, "Is this what you meant by the pinnacle of martial arts..."
Back on the battlefield.
The two separated at extreme speed.
Mord glanced at the distant King of Ants. In terms of Hatsu quantity, even the current Mord was slightly inferior to the King of Ants. One could only imagine what a monster the other was.
If the King of Ants had been fighting Netero with the intention of sparing his life, then in this upcoming battle,
The King of Ants knew clearly that he could no longer afford to hold back.
The man before him was nearly equal in strength. Even if he didn't want to admit it, that was the reality. Facing such an opponent, if he still thought about holding back, the one to die would be himself.