"Ant King..."
Even in the midst of this battlefield, facing a tremendously powerful opponent, Chairman Netero still walked leisurely.
"Both of us have had a tough time, haven't we?"
The moment his words fell, an overwhelming momentum erupted from his body, and a surge of aura swirled around him!
Even the Ant King, who had been calmly observing from the front, couldn't help but feel his pupils suddenly shrink.
He watched in astonishment as Netero's arms swirled through the air, completing three full rotations before finally bringing his hands together in front of his chest.
Then strands of golden light began emanating from his clasped palms.
At the same time, behind Netero, a golden, brilliant sun seemed to rise, enveloping the entire battlefield in its glow.
Eventually, the sun gradually formed before the stunned eyes of Meruem, transforming into a giant multi-armed Nen construct resembling the figure of a gigantic statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva.
"100-Type... Guanyin Bodhisattva."
Netero's calm voice seemed to echo through the sky.
At this moment, he had already taken a horse stance, his eyes as still as calm water.
Netero, known as the pinnacle of human combat power, when using his Nen ability, 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, under the illumination of the Guanyin Bodhisattva's light, even the mighty Ant King couldn't help but look at him differently.
"First Hand..."
Netero slowly moved his clasped palms apart, and with one hand, he struck down with a knife-like gesture!
As he moved, one of the giant golden arms behind him also dropped slowly at first, then quickly accelerated.
It seemed impossible to avoid, and it came crashing down directly where the Ant King, Meruem, was seated!
Boom!!!
A violent explosion followed, sending countless stones flying in all directions, creating an immense and terrifying spectacle.
And Netero, still, maintaining his calm demeanor.
From his perspective, the feedback from the strike, an earth-shattering blow, only stirred up rolling dust and smoke.
As the smoke gradually cleared, a massive crater was revealed, and so was the figure of the Ant King.
"Tch."
Meruem casually spat out some blood, wiping the corner of his mouth.
"To take such a blow and remain unharmed... quite impressive."
Netero couldn't help but look at him with renewed respect. "You're tough."
"That move was interesting."
Meruem slowly rose from the deep pit, casually commenting: "I couldn't sense the direction of the attack..."
With that, he crossed his legs and sat down again, just as before!
Seeing that the Ant King still had no intention of fighting, half of Netero's face disappeared into the shadows.
Since that last blow didn't ignite the Ant King's desire to fight, then he would move on to the next…
"Whooo."
Netero swiftly moved his hands in a circular motion in front of his chest before bringing them together again.
"Third Hand!!"
Bang!!
The two golden arms of the Guanyin Bodhisattva reached out from behind him, one from each side, pressing down in unison.
The immense golden hands wrapped around Meruem completely.
"Ant King... I will not back down."
Netero maintained the posture of his palms together while speaking softly to himself.
But then, his gaze suddenly sharpened.
The combined palms seemed to be resisted by an overwhelming force, slowly pushing it apart and creating a gap.
"You're really..."
A malicious aura, filled with the Ant King's anger, drifted out from the gap, and his low voice, tinged with fury, echoed: "So eager to die?"
His eyes, tinged red in the darkness, fixed on Netero beneath the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue.
Although the anger released by Meruem was akin to the mild frustration a parent might show while coaxing a child, for Netero, it was terrifying enough to make him retreat, forcing him to extend the distance of the battle to more than double the usual range.
At the same time, Netero was hurt by the Ant King's disregard for his determination not to give in.
"Admit it."
After breaking free from the massive golden Guanyin Bodhisattva's hands, Meruem's palms dissolved into golden light.
"In you, the only thing that can communicate with me is language."
Meruem's words, thinking he was stating a fact, came across as a bit harsh in Netero's ears.
"You are but a naive child..."
Netero's response was a new surge of aura emanating from his body: "If words could solve it, why would I go through so much trouble?"
"Even if that little kid, Lan, comes here, he will still fight you in the end!!"
He kept adjusting his stance in midair.
But then suddenly…
"Wait."
Netero paused, seemingly remembering something important.
"Language, huh?"
He pondered for a moment before slowly ceasing his offensive.
"Do you want to know your name?"
Netero looked up, his gaze fixed on the Ant King, Meruem.
Those words cut to the heart, and for the first time, Meruem, who had been so calm before, straightened his posture.
"How do you know my name?"
"My comrades witnessed your mother's passing with their own eyes."
Netero replied indifferently. "Before she passed, she spoke your name."
"Some of my comrades may have already perished while fighting your royal guards..."
He pinched the whiskers at the corner of his mouth and grinned. "Now, do you want to fight me?"
"If you have a way to make me admit defeat, maybe I will tell you..."
After hearing this, Meruem fell silent for a moment.
"You want me to beat you until you surrender without taking your life, right?"
He slowly stood up, his fists gradually clenched as he adopted a martial arts stance.
"Fine. It will be done soon."
For the first time, Meruem's expression became serious as he faced Netero.
In order to know his name, the Ant King, who had originally wanted to negotiate, couldn't hold back any longer and was finally ready to fight.