Chapter 6632: Divergence in Opinion

“Mansion Master, you truly are our Netherworld Sect’s benefactor,” Wuma Hanshuang and the others said with utmost gratitude.

“Since I have agreed to help you awaken your sacred item, it’s only right for me to give it my all. Take these.”

Jie Tianran passed the black bracelets to the Netherworld Sectmembers.

“Mansion Master, why are these bracelets missing a piece?” Wuma Hanshuang and the others asked in confusion.

“I’ll be honest with you—these bracelets are incomplete. It was a stroke of luck that I found these treasures from the Celestial Master Sacred Sect, but it was more difficult than I thought to forge these bracelets. Nevertheless, they should still aid you in awakening your sacred item. Take them back and feel them yourself.

“I am still working on another bunch of bracelets. Once I’m done forging them, I’ll have my people send them over. With that, we should be able to fully awaken your sacred item,” Jie Tianran explained.

The Netherworld Sectmembers were overjoyed to hear that.

“We’re counting on you, Mansion Master.”

Wuma Hanshuang and the others relayed their gratitude. They earnestly believed that Jie Tianran was going all out to help them awaken their sacred item.

To prevent the Netherworld Sect from learning about his ploy, Jie Tianran had to plant weaker gus into the black bracelet. These gus were not potent enough to turn the Netherworld Sect into his puppets yet; they merely paved the way for him to do so.

The true weapon lay in the next batch of black bracelets... but he needed more time to ensure that his means were properly concealed.

“Mansion Master, you have given us something so valuable. How should we compensate...”

Wuma Hanshuang and the others suddenly thought about another problem. While the Netherworld Sect and the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion were in an alliance, their relationship was still transactional in nature.

These bracelets were not part of the original deal, so the Netherworld Sect would have to pay Jie Tianran for them.

These bracelets were invaluable to the Netherworld Sect. They could be put to other uses aside from awakening the sacred item, so they wouldn’t return the bracelets. Jie Tianran should know that as well.

“We’ll talk about compensation another day. Don’t worry. I gave the bracelets to you because I trust the Netherworld Sect. As long as there is trust, everything can be worked out,” Jie Tianran said.

He didn’t turn down the compensation because that would spark the Netherworld Sect’s suspicion.

With that, Wuma Hanshuang and the others rushed back to the sacred item. Jie Tianran even allowed them to use the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion’s teleportation formation and treasures to speed up their travel.

After sending the Netherworld Sectmembers off, he summoned the Saint-tier elders. He dispatched four Saint-tier elders to the Ancestral Martial Galaxy to reinforce the two Saint-tier elders stationed there.

At the same time, however, he ordered them not to attack the Ancestral Martial Spiritist Sect’s main city, as well as to avoid engagement with the Chu Clan Alliance and await his commands, even if they were to bump into them.

The remaining Saint-tier elders would remain in the Seven Realms Galaxy for now.

Jie Tianran knew that he would be powerless to do anything about Chu Feng and the others if they chose to hole themselves up in the Ancestral Martial Spiritist Sect’s main city. If he wanted to breach the main city, he would have to first obtain God’s Era’s power.

In other words, the important thing right now was not Chu Feng but God’s Era’s power.

...

Soon, Wuma Hanshuang and the others returned to the Netherworld Sect.

The Netherworld Sect’s upper echelons were overjoyed to see the black bracelets.

Baili Xukong and several neutral faction’s elders immediately put on the black bracelets and attempted to channel them. The result filled them with excitement. The connection was weak, but it gave them a glimmer of hope to grasp the sacred item’s power.

Finally, it felt like they were making progress.

“Hold on for a moment,” Cang Li from the neutral faction suddenly spoke up.

He stopped channeling the black bracelet and took it off.

The others knew that Cang Li must have discovered something, so they stopped channeling the black bracelet and followed him into a palace.

The only ones qualified to enter this palace were the six neutral faction’s elders, the new faction’s Baili Xukong, and the conservative faction’s Dongfang Hansong.

“Did you sense anything amiss when channeling the black bracelets? I felt corrosive energy seeping into my body and fusing with my soul,” Cang Li said.

“It’s probably the backlash. It’s linked to the sacred item, so it’s only normal for us to suffer a backlash when channeling it,” Baili Xukong replied.

None of them were fools. They had all sensed the corrosive energy, but it was so faint that it didn’t inflict any damage on them. That was why they shrugged it off.

“It’s one thing if it’s just a backlash, but what if it is Jie Tianran’s scheme against us? We shouldn’t forget that he’s the strongest world spiritist in the world of cultivation. None of us can see through his means,” Cang Li said grimly.

“Lord Cang Li, are you suggesting that Jie Tianran isn’t sincere about helping us and that he might have tampered with these bracelets?” Dongfang Hansong asked.

“Yes, that is my suspicion.” Cang Li nodded.

The other five from the neutral faction narrowed their eyes. This was a matter of grave importance.

“Lord Cang Li, aren’t you thinking too much into it?” Baili Xukong asked.

“Carefully recall the sensation you felt earlier, Baili Xukong. Are you certain it is just a backlash?” Cang Li asked.

“Yes, I concede that it is different from the backlash we feel from the sacred item, but the backlash of each treasure is bound to differ from one to the other. Our bodies should have sensed it if the corrosive energy was truly detrimental to us, but so far, everything feels fine.

“Lord Cang Li, I understand your worry. Jie Tianran is not a trustworthy individual, especially considering his reputation. However, since we have decided to engage his help, I don’t think that we should suspect him over every little thing.

“Taking a step back, if Jie Tianran wanted to sabotage us, he could have tampered with the sacred item’s formation, and we wouldn’t have been any wiser. With these bracelets, we can awaken the sacred item without relying on Jie Tianran’s formation. This gives us far greater control over the process. Isn’t this much safer?” Baili Xukong said.

“Baili is right.”

Four elders of the neutral faction nodded in agreement.

Cang Li and Baili Xukong argued for a long time about whether they should use the black bracelets or not. In the end, they put the matter to a vote.

Ultimately, more people supported Baili Xukong.