In other words, Ye Haimo was actually under the influence of the Nameless King's power.
However, the bluish-purple tentacles affecting Ye Haimo were far more potent and intelligent than Wen Wen's madness.
This power was closer to the essence of something, sending chills down Wen Wen's spine.
*"The Grand Sage worships the God of Knowledge and Wisdom—he shouldn't be able to control this kind of power."*
*"Yet he clearly wields it... Has he been corrupted by the Nameless King?"*
*"But the Nameless King has no interest in dominion over time. He only seeks to destroy everything..."*
Wen Wen's eyes widened. *"I understand now. The Grand Sage's plan was never about overthrowing the Hunter Association's order!"*
*"He wants to annihilate this world. He wants everyone dead!"*
Once he grasped the truth, Wen Wen stopped wasting time with Ye Haimo.
He snapped his fingers, sending a signal to someone.
A few seconds later, a man clad in metallic attire—even his nose hairs seemed made of metal—emerged from the void. It was the Iron King, Jin Kela.
Since the North American Sector fell under his jurisdiction, he could assist Wen Wen at any time.
Capturing Ye Haimo alone would have been difficult for Wen Wen, but with Jin Kela's help, it became much easier.
As a former spirit realm deity, Jin Kela's true strength remained a mystery even to Wen Wen.
The moment Jin Kela appeared, countless metallic spheres flew from his body, transforming into claw-like restraints that firmly seized Ye Haimo.
After the disappearance of the Black-Robed Man, the attitudes of the central administrators toward Wen Wen had shifted.
They no longer hesitated to carry out his orders, executing them earnestly as long as they were within their capabilities.
Wen Wen could sense that, from that day onward, they truly regarded him as a leader—no longer just a candidate under observation.
Thus, Wen Wen would live up to their expectations and strengthen the asylum.
Countless black longswords materialized around Wen Wen, surging toward Ye Haimo's draconic form like tidal waves.
Swords shattered by the thousands, but just as many were continuously regenerated.
By the time the swords vanished, Ye Haimo had finally collapsed, reverting to human form.
Jin Kela conjured metallic chains, binding Ye Haimo tightly—even if he woke, escape would be impossible. Wen Wen prepared to stuff him into the asylum.
*"Pardon the interruption, but what exactly are you two doing?"*
The Night Knight's voice came from behind Wen Wen, freezing him mid-action.
*"This is his jurisdiction, so his presence isn't surprising... but what if...?"*
The Night Knight wasn't an opponent as easily dealt with as Ye Haimo. If he, too, had been corrupted, the situation would become far more complicated.
Wen Wen turned around, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous red light.
That gaze sent a shiver down the Night Knight's spine, instantly putting him on guard.
It wasn't unreasonable for the Night Knight to be wary—he had just witnessed Wen Wen and an unknown accomplice defeat a fellow Association member, and Wen Wen's eyes were anything but reassuring.
When Wen Wen confirmed that no bluish-purple tentacles writhed above the Night Knight's head, he relaxed, the red glow fading from his eyes.
He raised his hands in a placating gesture.
*"Don't be tense. I'm not the problem—he is."*
Wen Wen then recounted the entire incident to the Night Knight.
As he listened, the Night Knight cross-referenced records and recalled the lingering draconic aura in Aldo City. He found himself inclined to believe Wen Wen's account.
To further prove his point, Wen Wen tossed the unconscious Ye Haimo toward the Night Knight.
After a thorough examination, the Night Knight was convinced.
Yet this realization didn't ease his mind—instead, it weighed heavier. The bluish-purple tentacles capable of controlling Calamity-level beings posed a far greater threat than Wen Wen's potential betrayal. At this point, he almost wished Wen Wen had simply gone mad.
Wen Wen exchanged a glance with Jin Kela, who promptly vanished—not returning to the divine realm but carrying out Wen Wen's orders.
Then, Wen Wen explained to the Night Knight, *"Earlier, while guarding the Nest of Destruction, Chairman Ye was ambushed by the Grand Sage. That must have been when he was compromised."*
*"Frankly, I have no idea how many people have already been corrupted by the Grand Sage."*
*"On the surface, it seems like we're dismantling the Grand Sage's schemes step by step... but for all we know, we might already be on the brink of defeat."*
The Night Knight fell silent for a long moment before standing and saying to Wen Wen:
*"Let's prepare for the worst-case scenario: that aside from you and me, everyone else has been corrupted!"*
*"We must base our next steps on this assumption."*
*"I'll continue hunting monsters, then return to that base you visited earlier. We'll strategize in detail then..."*
...
After the Night Knight left, Jin Kela captured an ordinary demon hunter.
While observing Ye Haimo earlier, Wen Wen had noticed this man was already corrupted.
He had Jin Kela bring him in for further study.
At close range, Wen Wen sighed.
Unlike Ye Haimo, this man had been completely consumed by the bluish-purple tentacles.
In other words, he was already dead.
His seemingly normal state was merely a facade maintained under the Grand Sage's control.
This meant only Calamity-level beings could resist full erosion—others would perish outright.
Every corrupted superhuman was a ticking time bomb, and countless such bombs lurked throughout the Federation.
Wen Wen alone couldn't possibly root them all out.
He soared above the clouds, coating his eyes with madness.
His Calamity-level vision allowed him to see farther than any telescope, piercing through visual obstructions.
What he saw horrified him: bluish-purple tentacles were everywhere, and their numbers were slowly increasing.
Above each tentacle stretched a bluish-purple thread, all converging in the Australian Sector to form an indescribable monstrosity.
The thing resembled a bluish-purple parasite, latched onto the Earth and draining its lifeblood. The sight chilled Wen Wen to the core.
Upon landing, he shared everything with the Night Knight, who fell into grim silence upon hearing it.
None had realized the Grand Sage had already spread his influence so extensively.
After discussion, they decided to first locate all Sin-Ender-level figures to verify their statuses.
If uncontaminated, they would be informed of the truth. If corrupted, they would be monitored but left alone for now.
That's right—until a reliable method of identifying the corrupted was developed, they wouldn't recklessly expose this crisis.