Martial God Asura

Chapter 6633: The Netherworld Master and Chu Feng

The only one who supported Cang Li was Dongfang Hansong. That was nowhere near enough to change the outcome.

So, the Netherworld Sect decided to use the black bracelets.

The upper echelons like them channeled two bracelets simultaneously, whereas the other members received a black bracelet each. Only the strongest sectmembers were bestowed with one.

But Cang Li relinquished his black bracelet. He still wasn’t willing to channel it.

Dongfang Hansong, on the other hand, compromised and accepted the arrangement.

While the black bracelets were being distributed, Cang Li called Dongfang Hansong to his private residence.

“What’s wrong, Lord Cang Li?”

Much to Dongfang Hansong’s astonishment, Cang Li crumbled to the floor weakly, his aura withering as if he were on the verge of death. It was a huge contrast to how he was a moment ago.

“I’m fine.”

The weak Cang Li waved his hand, gesturing for Dongfang Hansong not to worry.

“What happened, Lord Cang Li?” Dongfang Hansong asked once more.

Cang Li was one of the key pillars supporting the Netherworld Sect. His death would be a huge loss to them.

“Don’t worry, I am truly fine. I called you here because there is something I’d like to ask you. Hansong, I presume that you supported me earlier because you think that there is something amiss with the black bracelets. Why did you still agree to channel it then?” Cang Li voiced his confusion.

“Lord Cang Li, I supported you because I concur with your judgment. But since we have collectively come to a decision, it’s only right for me to respect it. It goes against our rules otherwise. Furthermore, if I incur the other elders’ displeasure, the members of my conservative faction will suffer together with me,” Dongfang Hansong said.

“Haa!” Cang Li sighed.

He could see things from Dongfang Hansong’s point of view and feel his helplessness.

Cang Li, as a lone individual and a respected elder from the neutral faction, was almost free from consequences. No one in the present Netherworld Sect had the power and authority to punish him, and there was no one else to bear the consequences of his actions, either.

But Dongfang Hansong was different. He was shouldering the entire conservative faction.

“Baili Xukong and the others have lost their heads over the sacred item. They want to push things through no matter the risks. However, I doubt that Jie Tianran would be that kind as to support a power that could potentially suppress his Seven Realms Sacred Mansion.

“If my intuition is right, even if we awaken the sacred item and grow stronger, there might be restrictions placed on us that force us to lower our heads to Jie Tianran,” Cang Li said.

“Lord Cang Li, that is what I am worried about, but I have no choice. Before Lord Netherworld Master left, he ordered us to follow the majority when we have a divergence in opinion. I would be disobeying Lord Netherworld Master if we don’t follow this rule. Baili Xukong will exploit this matter to make things difficult for my conservative faction,” Dongfang Hansong said.

“Exactly. Our Netherworld Sect would have never faced this quandary if Lord Netherworld Master were still around,” Cang Li said.

“Of course. Lord Netherworld Master would have easily awakened the sacred item, and we wouldn’t have to worry about the Seven Realms Sacred Mansion at all. Do you still remember the time when Lord Netherworld Master first came to our Netherworld Sect?” Cang Li asked with a smile.

“Of course. Our Netherworld Master was still struggling to develop our Netherworld Embryos. The success rate of an implantation was extremely low, and we were having trouble incubating the Netherworld Embryos at a large scale. Thinking back, we were extremely lucky to have survived the implantation and incubation.

“But our cultivation didn’t soar after incubating the Netherworld Embryo; on the contrary, it only suppressed our cultivation. Generations of Netherworld Masters have tried to resolve that issue but to no avail.

“We thought that we had reached a dead end.

“It was then that Lord Netherworld Master appeared. Even though he wasn’t a Netherworld Sectmember, he said that he could help us. We thought that he was just messing with us. Our leader then, in a fit of anger, attacked him, but he ended up getting killed by Lord Netherworld Master in a single strike.

“There was no way we would follow an outsider just because he was strong. We swore to resist him to our dying breath. Lord Cang Li, I remember you even ignited your life force to fight him,” Dongfang Hansong said.

“Indeed. It would have been much easier for Lord Netherworld Master to kill off obstinate old fools like us, but he didn’t hold it against us. He placated us before helping us awaken our Netherworld Embryo. Then, he shared the proper way to incubate Netherworld Embryos.

“That was the moment our Netherworld Sect grew by leaps and bounds and became a powerhouse in the world of cultivation,” Cang Li said.

“Lord Netherworld Master was unfathomably powerful, but he didn’t want to draw attention. If not for that, our Netherworld Sect could have ruled the world of cultivation,” Dongfang Hansong said.

“Lord Netherworld Master had more important things to do. He only helped us on a whim. Had we not insisted that he become our Netherworld Master, he would have left after helping us. He has already done enough for us,” Cang Li said.

“Yes, I am aware of that. Lord Netherworld Master didn’t intend to become our leader, but he caved in at our insistence. Despite his reluctance, he fulfilled his responsibilities and led us into the domains of Ancient Era’s races.

“Even though our Netherworld Sect has started taking shape in the Ancient Era and was officially formed in the early years of the present era, much of our foundation was accumulated from conquering the Ancient Era’s races.

“That is why we respect Lord Netherworld Master a lot. Even though our Netherworld Sect has grown to a point where we no longer fear anyone, in my view, our golden era was still the period when we went around conquering Ancient Era’s races with Lord Netherworld Master,” Dongfang Hansong spoke with a nostalgic smile.

“Hansong, you have never seen Lord Netherworld Master’s face, right?” Cang Li asked.

Dongfang Hansong was surprised by that question.

From the first time the Netherworld Master appeared before them, his face was already concealed. Even his voice was altered. He wielded the highest authority in the Netherworld Sect, but no one knew his origin or his appearance.

“Lord Cang Li, have you seen Lord Netherworld Master’s face before?” Dongfang Hansong asked.

“I was fortunate to have seen it once,” Cang Li replied as he drew a human’s side profile with his martial power.

It was a man’s face. He looked old and fatigued, but he had sharp features.

“Lord Netherworld Master is a human?” Dongfang Hansong blurted out in astonishment.

The Netherworld Master was already incomparably powerful from the first time they met him. His aura was more feral and intense than any monstrous beast he had ever met, and he was adept at the means of monstrous beasts.

That was also why they had insisted on making him their leader then. They sensed that the Netherworld Master harnessed power even greater than their Netherworld Embryo. In their view, this was the kind of person who was worthy of leading them.

“Indeed. Lord Netherworld Master is a human like us,” Cang Li replied.

“Could Lord Netherworld Master be from the Ancient Era?” Dongfang Hansong asked.

In his view, only someone who had survived the Ancient Era could wield such immense power.

“Take a closer look, Hansong. Don’t you think that Lord Netherworld Master resembles someone?” Cang Li asked.

“Resembles someone?” Dongfang Hansong took a closer look at the portrait, but it didn’t ring a bell with him. “Lord Cang Li, who do you think Lord Netherworld Master resembles?”

“Don’t you think Lord Netherworld Master bears a striking resemblance to Chu Feng?” Cang Li asked.