I'm extremely interested in Nen abilities.

"10000"...

The Nen ball seemed to be growing into the Nen energy in Jing Yang's hand. As the numbers inside the Nen ball decreased, the Nen energy on Jing Yang's body also weakened—as if the Nen ball was constantly draining his Nen energy.

"It's not so easy to turn on the cheat code."

Jing Yang kicked off his shoes, jumped onto the sofa, sat cross-legged, and stared with a pained expression at the parasitic, vampire-like thing in his hand that was continuously draining his already dwindling Nen energy. "Even if I'm the developer, I have to abide by the established rules for Nen abilities—I guess this is what they call accepting the consequences of a bet? Hmm? Or should it be called accepting the wins of a bet?"

Chapter 104 Everyone's busy, being busy is good!

"12800 Qi! When I was at full strength, it was fine, but now I'm down to my last breath after the fight. I definitely can't repay this..."

Jingyang sat cross-legged on the sofa and said in a tone that sounded exactly like Lao Lai, "I guess I'll have to enter the forced 'absolute' state in a little while. Dora, Suzaku, my two protectors, my safety depends on you."

"Mmm." Xiao Di stayed by Jing Yang's side. "I won't leave."

"Suzaku?" Kurapika paused, then asked, "Does that mean me?"

Jingyang said, "I forgot to mention, each of the ten members of our Akatsuki organization has their own codename. I'm in position A, codename Tendou; Xiaodi is in position B, codename Doraemon; and you're the third one, position C, so the codename for you is Suzaku. —The phoenix reborn from the ashes, isn't that perfect for you?"

Zhuque remained noncommittal in response.

Jingyang's energy rapidly dissipated until it was barely visible. The numbers in the psychic orb in his hand decreased rapidly, already dropping to "8588" and still falling.

"I see……"

Kurapika murmured to himself, "The greatest use of this ability you developed probably isn't in one-on-one duels. It can be used as a team's most strategically significant ability. When facing an enemy too powerful to defeat, you can use this ability to design a situation where the opponent's Nen weakens or even forces them into a state of 'Zetsu' due to repaying their 'Nen debt'..."

Jingyang smiled slightly.

In fact, the moment his ability took shape, the first target that popped into his mind was...

Meruem, the king of the chimeric ants.

Jingyang didn't know how much Nen Meruem had.

One million? Two million?

Jingyang didn't know how much his mental capacity would improve five years later.

Fifty thousand? Seventy thousand? One hundred thousand?

With this Nen ability, which is similar to Alipay's credit card, even if I only have 50,000 Nen in the future, even if I face the King of the Chimera Ants whose total Nen might exceed one or two million, it is not impossible for me to win against the odds. Just as Kurapika analyzed, as long as I can drag the King of the Chimera Ants to the point where he has to repay the Nen that has accumulated to more than one million, then no matter whether I win or lose, the King of the Chimera Ants will definitely lose.

Once forced into "Zetsu," even a powerful individual like the Chimera Ant King cannot withstand attacks from other Nen users. His physical body and even his spirit would be rapidly destroyed by the Nen attacks.

Of course, that's all in the future. Nobody can predict what will happen in the future.

Whether the Ant King Meruem will ever be born because of this tiny butterfly is another matter entirely.

Moreover, what if, five years from now, I'm powerful enough to punch Netero and kick the three guards?

Then there's no need for such petty tricks; just confront the Ant King head-on and face him head-on.

Besides, what if by then I've changed so much that I don't care about the lives of strangers thousands of miles away? Chimera ants are just a Class B disaster; let them eat people if they want. The world is vast, and there are bound to be capable people who can deal with them. Why should I worry about it beforehand?

As Jingyang's mind wandered, the mental exhaustion from the battle washed over him, and he drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

Xiao Di placed him on her lap to rest.

Kurapika pulled up a chair in the living room and sat down, protecting Jingyang who was resting and recovering from his forced-type 'Zetsu' state. Meanwhile, he silently practiced his Nen abilities, conjuring a dolphin-shaped bookshelf with six books appearing one after another…

……

Three days later, Jingyang, feeling refreshed, brought Xiaodi and Kurapika to the Sky Arena and took the elevator straight to the 200th floor.

It wasn't that he was forcibly "absorbed" for three days...

In fact, the forced "absolute" caused by that Nen ball ended in just over an hour.

After all, Jingyang's current peak total number of thoughts is 18,000, which is more than enough to pay off a debt of only "12800".

Ten consecutive wins earned them the qualification to challenge the host, which was a small achievement and a cause for celebration. Jingyang, Xiaodi, and Kurapika had a small celebration, and only today did they come to inquire about the challenge of the host, feeling refreshed.

Upon inquiring, I was somewhat disappointed.

Two days ago, Zhehao achieved his 10th victory and has already applied to challenge a host. The challenge date is set for August 18th.

Jingyang was somewhat frustrated because the thread starter Zhehao had applied for was the only one who was willing to accept the challenge recently.

That's right, you're not an NPC, you can't expect someone to accept your challenge immediately...

Players above the 200th floor have a 90-day preparation period for each battle, let alone the lord who is above the ordinary players.

The staff explained that each official host has a one-year response period for the next challenger's application—and if another host has already accepted the candidate's application before that time, it will be automatically rejected.

Furthermore, each official thread starter has the privilege of three "failures." This means that each challenge application can be postponed for one year, up to a maximum of three times. Exceeding three postponements will automatically result in the loss of the thread starter status.

Of course, most posters are people who value their reputation, and unless there's something really wrong, they generally won't deliberately avoid challengers, as it would be too embarrassing if word got out.

“Experts at the level of the 'Lord' (a nickname for a player) each own an entire floor between floors 230 and 250, but they don’t live in the Sky Arena year-round.” The staff member paused, then said awkwardly, “There are basically very few 'Lords' who are permanent residents here… They all have their own professions and affairs in their lives, and sometimes when they get busy, they really don’t have the energy to take care of things at the Sky Arena.”

Once you become a master, you've basically made a name for yourself in the martial arts world. Every master is qualified to establish their own school and recruit disciples—that's how you make money.

After enduring grueling boxing training and competitions, overcoming numerous obstacles and defeating countless challenges, and finally achieving fame and success, shouldn't one be able to enjoy life a little?

Some of the original posters are even professional hunters themselves.

Professional hunters have their own pursuits, and they might be elusive all year round, barely even catching a glimpse of someone from the Hunter Association, let alone the Sky Arena...

Furthermore, it would be rather undignified for the host to grant every challenge that others want to take.

Therefore, it is common for people to apply to challenge the original poster and not get a result for a year or two, or not get a reply at all once or twice.

Of course, sometimes there are posters who are keen on taking on challenges. It's just that Jingyang was unlucky this time and didn't encounter such a person.

The staff member held up a finger and explained considerately, "So, although in terms of benefits and official status, only those who successfully challenge and enter floors 230-250 are called 'Lower Masters,' in reality, anyone who has achieved a record of 10 wins on the 200th floor of our Sky Arena is considered a 'Lower Master'... well, some people also call them 'Junior Lords.'"

He laughed and said, "The original hosts who lost to the challengers will not suddenly be doomed just because they lost a match. Their strength and status are still there. Although the title of host is no longer official, most people still acknowledge it... Therefore, although there are only 21 hosts in name, there are actually many hosts."

Jingyang suddenly remembered. In the manga, the three bullies that Gon and Killua challenged were all thinking about becoming the boss if they got 10 wins… So those three never actually intended to challenge the boss. Since true bosses are in high demand, does that mean even a junior boss is a boss?

"Just tell me which other host is available to accept the challenge," Jingyang asked.

The staff quickly checked the schedule, typing away. "Currently, the earliest available person to accept the challenge is scheduled for October..."

"This is it then," Jingyang decided.

"Okay." The staff member typed on the keyboard, "We will also try our best to contact other posters for you, if we can get in..."

Jingyang waved his hand, realizing how unreliable these people were.

It makes sense, really. Nen users are basically superhumans; in the Hunter Association, they'd be like licensed killers who can legally kill... enjoying privileges is the norm. The Heaven's Arena itself might even be the property of some Nen user. The Hunter Association doesn't have much control over its members, let alone the Heaven's Arena, which isn't even a proper organization. It's more like a "leveling-up dungeon," and an easy one at that...

"Busy, everyone's busy!" Jingyang sighed. "It's good to be busy..."

Kurapika said, "Since you don't have a match, I'll head back now."

Jingyang said, "What's the rush? By the way, Yun Gu is still in the ward, right? Let's go check on him."

Kurapika walked toward the elevator as if he hadn't heard.

Jingyang said from behind, "I wanted to explore some experiences related to Nen abilities. They have a proper lineage..."

"Let's go." Kurapika turned back, his eyes shining brightly. "Where's his hospital room?"

Little Drop twirled her finger to the side of her head, looking at Jing Yang with a puzzled expression. Jing Yang was embarrassed. Kurapika, it seemed, only heard what he wanted to hear, didn't he?

……

Meanwhile, in the ward, Yun Gu was holding his phone, obediently accepting his master's criticism, and was being scolded mercilessly.

Chapter 105 Bisky: HOHO, is it an ability similar to mine?

Bisky sent her disciple, Cloud Valley, to the Sky Arena, ostensibly as punishment, but in reality as a challenge to clear the arena and earn an achievement as a martial artist.

Yun Gu's strength is enough to enter the ranks of intermediate combatants. In Bisky's opinion, even the 200th floor and above of the Sky Arena would be a sure thing, with no great difficulty.

...Unexpectedly, it really was a sure thing. But we lost by a hair's breadth.

He still lost to a very young boy!

During the phone call, Bisky asked, "Are you sure the other person is much younger than you? And that their strength has almost doubled in just three months?"

When Yun Gu heard that the focus of his master's tone had shifted from his own defeat to his interest in Zhen Yuanzi, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said with a simple smile, "I didn't ask his age, but he looks to be no more than 14 years old, or even younger. As for his strength... the only thing I can be sure of is that his mental strength has improved significantly in the past three months, and it is already very close to the mental strength level of an intermediate combatant."

"You mean there are other ways to improve one's mental capacity besides mental power?"

“It was the Nen ability he used,” Yun Gu recalled. “I always felt that the Nen ability he used in the competition was likely something he had specifically developed over those three months to deal with me…”

He described the course of the match to Bisky in detail.

Upon hearing about Yun Gu's opponent's Nen Ball ability, which has a doubling counting mechanism, Bisky immediately understood why Yun Gu said that this ability was very likely developed by his opponent specifically to deal with him over the past three months—because Yun Gu also mentioned that when the two of them challenged each other three months ago, they had demonstrated their 'training' to each other, so they had both directly felt the strength of each other's ki.

"The essence of that Nen ball is to shorten the gap in Nen power between him and you."

Bisky astutely points out, "Even if you deactivate the Nen ball the first time it's thrown by the opponent, you still need to expend twice the amount of Nen the opponent used to create that ball. In this way, he only needs to use 100 Nen to exchange for 200 of yours multiple times. If he's lucky, he can exchange 100 Nen for 800, 3200, or even more of yours."

“If that’s the case, this ability has some flaws and is difficult to fully develop,” Bisky analyzed habitually. “If I’m not mistaken, the reason he chose to engage you in close combat at the start of the match was to ‘collect’ your ki, which is what he called ‘the conditions have been met.’ After all, the value of this Nen ball can’t keep doubling indefinitely!”

Yun Gu suddenly realized, "So the upper limit of Nen Ball's value is..."

“It’s either his total Nen or yours,” Bisky asserted. “Or the sum of both of your Nen. You’re right, this does seem like an ability specifically developed for opponents with much greater Nen.”

She nodded to herself. The approach to developing this ability was quite commendable.

Even for disciples he personally trained, Yun Gu's manifest Nen capacity could only reach at most one-tenth of his total Nen capacity. Of course, this level was already extremely rare, and could be considered top-tier even among Nen users worldwide. It was difficult to achieve this without a considerable level of control over ki, because the body's own pores are the greatest natural constraint.

Even if he is already the best of the best, even if the upper limit of that Nen ball is the total Nen power of the opponent with a lower value, Yun Gu would never be able to withstand it.

The difference between the apparent quantity of thoughts and the total quantity of thoughts is a full order of magnitude.

This is why, in battles between Nen users, the priority should be how to hit the opponent with your attacks, rather than how to injure them...

Because unless the difference in skill level is drastically large, a well-prepared attack can generally effectively break through defenses, injure the opponent, or even kill them.

If it's a skill related to manipulation, as long as it hits successfully, it usually guarantees a victory with the first strike, sealing the deal.

Therefore, even powerful Nen users can still stumble and fall while navigating the world.

Nen ability is like a sword; the stronger the restraint, the sharper the blade, but the easier it is to hurt yourself.