Chapter 42: Eight-Foot Qionggou Jade, Lan Fei Wins[Seeking Flower Evaluation]
(Call for Flower Evaluations!!!)
BOOM!!
The Arena on the 200th floor of Heaven's Arena was packed to capacity with over 100,000 spectators, and the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying. The roars and cheers of the crowd echoed like thunder.
This was the beginning of the real battleground.
Above the 200th floor, all combatants were Nen users. This was where true powerhouses clashed—not for money, but for reputation. Spectators didn't hesitate to pay exorbitant fees just to witness these matches firsthand. Tickets sold out within minutes, and scalpers made small fortunes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's two o'clock in the morning, but no one's tired tonight!" The announcer's passionate voice boomed from the speakers. "Because what we have here is something truly unprecedented! Entering from the 1st floor and rocketing all the way to the 200th in just one day and one night, we now welcome the youngest fighter in Sky Arena history to reach the top combat level—Lan Fei!"
The crowd roared as the spotlight hit the center ring.
A platform rose from beneath the stage, and Lan Fei appeared, hands in his pockets, his figure bathed in gold-toned light. His expression was calm, and his presence sharp like a blade—aloof, yet confident. His appearance had been highly anticipated.
"Tonight's match-up: Lan Fei vs. Gido—a veteran with three wins and one loss on the 200th floor, known for his unique spinning Nen attacks."
A second platform rose on the opposite end. From it emerged a strange figure: a man completely wrapped in red cloth, leaning on crutches. The air around him was eerie and hushed. He was Gido, a former partner of Riehlvelt and Sadaso, who previously challenged Gon and Killua.
"It's that guy again…" Lan Fei's gaze sharpened.
He recognized Gido from the broadcast archives he had studied. Gido was a known user of Hatsu-based spinning Nen techniques using tops—dangerous, unpredictable, and hard to read. But Lan Fei didn't flinch.
"Jie jie… Little brother, we meet again," Gido said with a strange laugh, his voice muffled under the layers of red.
"Begin!!!" the referee's voice thundered.
Immediately, the energy in the arena surged. The audience leaned forward, eyes wide in anticipation.
Gido smirked. "You should surrender now, kid. You might not even get the chance to beg later."
With a flick of his wrist, a top materialized in his hand, whirring with a sharp hum that sliced through the air. He tossed it lightly, and then—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of spinning tops exploded across the ring in a chaotic spread. Their high-speed rotations stirred up miniature cyclones, and Nen crackled around them like static. Each top could explode, ensnare, or slice depending on its embedded Nen command.
Lan Fei watched, unimpressed. "A distraction technique—filling the arena with hazards to control my movement."
Gido frowned. How did this kid read through his tactic so quickly?
"Tch, doesn't matter. Knowing doesn't mean you can beat me."
Bang!
Two of the spinning tops collided midair, ricocheting. One veered toward Lan Fei at breakneck speed. But to him, it moved in slow motion.
Lan Fei didn't even activate Nen.
With his Glint-Glint Fruit (Pika Pika no Mi) ability—his unique Hatsu derived from his Nen system—he sidestepped, his body blurring into golden light, reappearing a meter to the left. Not a single thread of energy was wasted.
"Hmph," Gido scoffed. "So, you're fast. But let's see you handle this."
With a quick command of En and control over his emitted Nen, all tops in the ring surged at once, speeding toward Lan Fei like guided missiles.
"Yata Mirror."
Lan Fei smiled.
His body refracted into a trail of golden beams, disappearing and instantly reappearing directly behind Gido.
"What the—?!"
Before Gido could fully turn, Lan Fei's foot collided with his jaw.
CRACK!
BOOM!
The red-cloaked fighter's body was launched like a ragdoll, smashing into the reinforced wall of the auditorium, breaking several layers of steel mesh and aura-reinforced cement.
Gasps echoed.
"Two minutes!!" the referee shouted.
The crowd exploded into cheers.
"Who is this kid?!"
"He didn't even use full Nen!"
"The speed! The precision!"
"Lan Fei!! LAN FEI!!!"
Even professional fighters in the audience sat up straighter. This wasn't just raw talent—it was mastery.
On the ring, Lan Fei furrowed his brow slightly.
"Huh… he's still standing?" he muttered, watching Gido stumble from the rubble.
A closer look revealed Gido's aura shield—Ten and Ken—had wrapped tightly around him, minimizing the damage.
"Oh, right," Lan Fei mused. "He's a user of 'Ken' reinforced with rotational momentum. Strong defensive buffer."
"Can you continue?" the referee called out.
"Yes!" Gido roared back through gritted teeth. "I was careless, that's all."
He flicked blood from his lips and leapt back into the ring.
"I underestimated your speed, brat. That won't happen again!"
Tops scattered across the stage suddenly revved with intense Nen. Gido's body began to rotate, mimicking a massive gyroscope. Air currents surged around him.
"Here it comes!!!"
"Gido's finishing move!!!"
"Tornado Top!"
The host's voice boomed across the arena as Gido spun like a human typhoon, combining offense and defense. The momentum created an aura vortex that disrupted incoming attacks.
"Useless."
Lan Fei's tone was icy.
"You're not the only one with a wide-area Hatsu."
He leapt high into the air.
"Eight-Foot Qionggou Jade (Yasakani no Magatama)!!"
From his fingertips, dozens—then hundreds—of brilliant golden light bullets burst forth, raining down like a celestial storm.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The arena lit up like day. The golden bolts tore through the vortex, bombarding Gido's spinning body. His defenses began to crack. His aura shield thinned.
"AAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Gido screamed in pain.
The onslaught only lasted three seconds.
But it was enough.
His Nen-enhanced spin began to slow. His body twitched and convulsed. When the dust finally settled, what remained was a figure slumped over—his body riddled with burn marks and punctures from countless light blasts.
The ring was scorched. The crowd had gone silent in awe.
Then—
ROOOOAAAAAR!!!!
"Unbelievable!!!"
"Lan Fei annihilated him with pure aura light!"
"Even after Gido used his ultimate move, it wasn't enough!!"
Lan Fei landed softly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "Tch… He lasted three seconds longer than expected."
As Gido's battered body was carried away by the medical staff, blood stained the ring.
And at the center of it all, under the glare of every camera and the gaze of 100,000 people, stood a boy who had turned light itself into a weapon.
Lan Fei.
The arena chanted his name like a war cry, like a legend born in real time.