Hailing's abilities stemmed from the magical power accumulated over a long period.
This power was channeled through Yuta script, runic arrays, and other means to launch attacks.
Among all the Condemned, his strength ranked at the upper echelon. If he had prepared beforehand, he could have unleashed combat capabilities far exceeding his own.
However, he never imagined he would become an enemy of the Hunter Association, thus he had no spells prepared against Wen Wen and the others.
Furthermore, after being corrupted, his mind was no longer clear. For a mage, a clouded mind was extremely detrimental.
He continuously cast powerful spells, all of which appeared terrifying. Some were even dangerous to Wen Wen and the others, but because Hailing, who controlled them, was not lucid, their full potential could not be unleashed.
Hailing's three opponents were all swordsmen.
Xun Ying's sword energy was semi-transparent and sharp, each move being incredibly precise and keen, yet possessing a touch of ethereal grace, like a sword immortal.
Wen Wen's sword energy, however, was a fearsome blend of black and red demonic energy, occasionally accompanied by malicious verbal attacks, resembling a terrifying sword demon.
Qiao Feiya's sword energy presented a different style, gleaming with golden light and righteous power, crushing everything in its path with awe-inspiring might.
The combined might of these three top swordsmen gave them a decisive advantage against Hailing, easily shattering his defenses.
Several sword lights pierced through his body, instantly rendering Hailing unconscious.
Concurrently, similar battles were unfolding in other parts of the Federation.
...
Pioneer Six Zero wandered the streets in a daze. After consuming Pioneer One Hundred, his strength had increased.
Yet, for some reason, Pioneer One Hundred's voice began to surface in his mind, a peculiar sound that was driving him to madness.
He could feel a strange power taking root and growing within him, but he was powerless to stop it.
"Never mind that for now. My enemy is the Grand Sage. Once that guy is dead, it doesn't matter what I become."
"But where is that Grand Sage?"
Bluish-purple tentacles appeared in Pioneer Six Zero's eyes. He saw a man wearing the attire of a Night Knight standing before him. This man's face was identical to the Grand Sage!
Another man followed, clad in a saffron robe and wearing a strange mask. He appeared to be a Sand Sea Priest, but he too exuded the aura of the Grand Sage.
"So that's why I could never find him..."
"It turns out he hides within the bodies of the Condemned, within the bodies of demon hunters, within everyone's bodies. I will kill you all, and then I can have my revenge."
Pioneer Six Zero suddenly went berserk. Various weapons erupted from his body – guns, beams, chainsaws… These weapons launched indiscriminate attacks on the surroundings.
However, the Night Knight never fought unprepared. This location was specifically chosen as the optimal battleground for Pioneer Six Zero.
The surrounding buildings crumbled as pedestrians halted, their faces splitting into cracks from which sand poured out.
Everything in the vicinity was a simulation created by the Sand Sea Priest using sand, be it living creatures or inanimate objects.
Countless grains of sand formed a massive sand vortex, engulfing the entire area. Hands made of sand continuously emerged, grasping Pioneer Six Zero's limbs.
These, of course, could not do anything to Pioneer Six Zero. He was a pure combat machine. At most, they could hinder his movement.
The true killing blow came from the Night Knight, who had long since made thorough preparations for Pioneer Six Zero.
Pioneer Six Zero was very strong, even more so after absorbing Pioneer One Hundred. In a head-on confrontation, perhaps only Sriracha could guarantee victory against him.
But he had a fatal weakness: his power was granted by those contained anomalies. Therefore, the weaknesses of those anomalies would also be Pioneer Six Zero's weaknesses!
The weakness of one or two anomalies was like a tickle to Pioneer Six Zero, unable to sway the battle.
However, if the known weaknesses outnumbered half of the anomalies within Pioneer Six Zero's body, it would be a different story.
Discovering these weaknesses would be an insurmountable task for others, but for the Night Knight, it was merely basic procedure.
The Night Knight had begun investigating Pioneer Six Zero from the moment he first appeared, and now he was simply presenting the results of that investigation.
Electric shocks, flowing water, fire, boy's urine, laundry detergent, rabbit ears, socks not washed for thirty days, a rope exactly three point three meters long, an unpleasant song, maiden's tears…
These peculiar items were applied to Pioneer Six Zero from different angles, causing him to convulse incessantly and his strength to plummet by more than half.
The Night Knight and the Sand Sea Priest seized the opportunity and launched a fierce assault on Pioneer Six Zero.
...
In the White Bear Sector, Weitu, draped in a polar bear pelt, collided fiercely with the beastly star Qilin.
Ishna, the War Goddess of Morning Star, floated in mid-air, occasionally showering the area below with golden orbs, like falling meteorites.
Weitu's ability was straightforward: ultimate power and speed. White fur would grow on his body, granting him immense defensive capabilities.
Furthermore, due to the special structure of his fur, Weitu's every move generated a powerful gust of wind, carrying sharp, needle-like hairs capable of piercing any defense.
This simple ability had been developed by Weitu to its utmost. While not outwardly impressive, his combat style was incredibly troublesome, possessing virtually no weaknesses and allowing him to exert his full combat potential in any situation.
Therefore, Ishna and the Qilin could not resort to trickery and could only confront Weitu head-on, relying on brute force to subdue him.
The Qilin's physique was no less than Weitu's, but the needle-like hairs had caused him great suffering, leaving his body covered in tiny wounds.
However, its multicolored auspicious power possessed strong restorative effects, allowing it to hold on for the time being.
Ishna's attack frequency was not high, but each strike exceeded Weitu's limit, and his injuries worsened with every attack.
Moreover, she herself was absorbing the power of stardust. Once this power accumulated to a certain extent, a single blow would be enough to subdue the wounded Weitu!
Her title as the War Goddess of Morning Star was hard-earned. Despite her usually flippant demeanor, she was at least among the top three strongest of the eight Condemned.
Only the unassuming Sakuraba Kazunari could contend with her head-on. The Night Knight and the legendary mage Hailing could only fight her to a draw on their respective home turfs.
She could subdue Weitu on her own. The beastly star Qilin's presence was merely to prevent Weitu from escaping and to allow Ishna to conserve her strength before the decisive battle.
The outcome of this battle was merely a matter of time.