Wen Wen stood at the entrance of the fifth level, the immense power he'd wielded now gone.
In those brief ten minutes, Wen Wen had experienced true strength, the kind befitting a deity.
If he had wished, he could have utterly destroyed the world within those ten minutes; it would have been effortless.
Bai Mo walked up behind Wen Wen, sweat beading on his forehead. His internal power was less than a tenth of what it had been. Simply keeping Wen Wen rational in that state had consumed a vast amount of his strength.
"Don't think about relying on this move to defeat strong enemies in the future. You can only pull this off once. The second time, the risk will be a hundred times greater."
Wen Wen's eyebrows twitched, a hint of disappointment in his expression. However, the Federation now had no enemies requiring him to enter such a state.
"You should rest and recover. I need to go and handle some follow-up work."
Wen Wen emerged from the containment facility and went to Qian Feiya's side, seeing the fallen Condemners lying around him.
Of the seven Condemners who participated in the siege of the Great Sage, plus Vice Chairman Sruisin, a total of eight individuals, only five still showed signs of life.
Sakuraba Kazunari and the Sand Sea Priest were completely dead. The mythical beast Xingqilin, recently resurrected, had reverted to its Qiling Pearl form, its recovery time unknown.
The condition of the other survivors was also grim.
Xun Ying's life-bound sword had been broken by the Great Sage, leaving him in a coma. Even after recovery, at least half of his strength would be gone.
Sruisin's arms were severed, and a massive wound gaped in his chest and abdomen.
Ishina's upper skull had been burned, and one of her eyes had shattered.
Jingjikuo Luó's bones were broken throughout his body, leaving him like a puddle of soft dough, unable to even stand.
Black Night Knight's internal organs were all shattered, and the left half of his body had been completely erased.
Wen Wen quickly summoned Nivia to treat the individuals present. Nivia herself bore injuries, but compared to the others, they were minor.
Nivia's healing abilities were potent, and the life force of Cataclysm-level powerhouses was incredibly resilient. Since they hadn't died during the battle, they could certainly be saved.
However, the Great Sage they fought had been contaminated by the Supreme Overlord, making a full recovery impossible.
Ishina's eye, Sruisin's arms, and Black Night Knight's left transformed side, even if they could be restored, would be far inferior to their original bodies.
Jingjikuo Luó, who had been beaten so miserably, was actually the luckiest. His bones were broken by impact force, not tainted by the Great Sage's power. Once set, he could be as lively as ever.
Yet, his mood was far from good, as his teacher Sakuraba Kazunari, whom he viewed as a father, had died permanently in this battle.
But no matter what, this world-ending disaster had passed.
With the Great Sage's demise, the corrupted individuals worldwide also saw their powers drastically reduced, transforming into mere zombies.
Those not fully corrupted could recover with time, but the world was already in ruins. It was uncertain how long it would take to return to its former prosperity.
The containment facility, the Hunter Association, and even the secret organizations had all suffered heavy casualties.
But all residents of the Federation had endured the test of blood and fire. The living would carry on the will of the deceased and live better lives.
...
Seven days later, in the Huafu Great District, Kunming Mountain.
The remaining high-ranking officials of the Hunter Association from various districts, along with the corrupted Condemners released by Wen Wen, had gathered here.
Everyone wore the Hunter Association uniform, silently gazing at the countless coffins before them.
These coffins contained the strong individuals who had died in this battle.
This was a funeral for the strong, a similar ceremony held simultaneously across the globe. No fallen warrior would be forgotten.
The sheer number of bodies meant they had to be cremated one by one. With each name called, a coffin was ignited.
These individuals had sacrificed themselves to protect this world; each one was a hero.
From becoming a Containment Officer until now, Wen Wen had managed to forge a heart of iron, yet at this moment, his emotions were heavy.
For many here were people he knew, comrades who had fought alongside him.
The funeral lasted for two days. Afterward, people set aside their grief and actively engaged in the reconstruction of the world, believing that making the world a better place would bring peace to the deceased.
Currently, the Hunter Association faced a monumental event: the merger of the containment facility and the Hunter Association.
In that battle, the existence of the containment facility was no longer a secret. Without Wen Wen's last-minute intervention, let alone the Hunter Association, it was uncertain if the real world would even exist.
After recovering slightly, several Condemners visited the containment facility and decided to merge it with the Hunter Association.
Following this battle, the Hunter Association's strength had been halved. Though secret organizations were heavily damaged, monsters continued to infiltrate from the inner world.
The various functions of the containment facility were more suited to protecting the world and preventing chaos when facing these monsters.
Wen Wen granted the Condemners certain permissions within the containment facility, allowing them to work more effectively.
Wen Wen had once mused that by constantly infiltrating the Hunter Association with his own people, he would eventually become the leader.
He never expected to become the new Chairman of the Hunter Association in this manner.
This new chairmanship was decided by a unanimous vote. Given Wen Wen's contributions and strength, his ascension to this position was virtually a foregone conclusion.
However, Wen Wen was uninterested in day-to-day affairs. Like the former Chairman on the Sky Whale, he was a symbolic figurehead, with no involvement in actual decision-making.
This suited him perfectly, as Wen Wen had no desire to be burdened with the daily workings of the Hunter Association. He only wished to pursue his own path.
The members of the Hunter Association and the original staff of the containment facility were all highly competent, so Wen Wen soon found himself with nothing to do.
Thus, he straightened his clothes and entered the disaster zone of the containment facility.
The cells in the disaster zone were generally spartan, with only a few monsters Wen Wen particularly valued being housed more comfortably.
However, one cell was exceptionally lavishly decorated, almost comparable to the cell Wen Wen had prepared for Tao Qingqing.
Wen Wen paused at the entrance, hesitating for a long time.
With his current status, no one in the Federation warranted his nervousness. Yet, he required psychological preparation to face the person in this cell, for it housed Wen Rui, Wen Wen's father.