Only Dongfang Hansong had supported Cang Li, so naturally, there was no way to sway the outcome.
And so, the distribution and use of the black bracelets began.
Those of leader rank could simultaneously activate two bracelets each.
The rest were each given a single black bracelet.
Without question, those who received black bracelets were the Prison Sect's foremost combat forces.
However, Cang Li abstained.
He still refused to activate the thing.
Dongfang Hansong, who had originally supported Cang Li, chose to compromise and accept the arrangement.
But just as the black bracelets were being distributed, Cang Li summoned Dongfang Hansong to his private residence.
"Lord Cang Li, what happened to you?"
The moment Dongfang Hansong laid eyes on Cang Li, he was overcome with alarm.
Cang Li sat collapsed weakly on the ground, his aura feeble — he looked like a man on the verge of death.
Yet he had been perfectly fine just moments ago.
"I am fine," the weakened Cang Li waved his hand, signaling the other not to worry.
"Lord Cang Li, what happened?"
Dongfang Hansong pressed.
Cang Li was an indispensable combat force for the Prison Sect. If something were to befall him, it would be an enormous loss.
"Do not worry. I truly am fine."
"There is something I want to ask you, however."
"Hansong, you supported me earlier because you too sensed something was wrong with those black bracelets. So why did you agree to activate them?"
Cang Li voiced his confusion.
"Lord Cang Li, I supported you because I believed you were right."
"But since a decision has already been made, I ought to obey — otherwise I would be violating the rules of the Prison Sect."
"If the other lords grew displeased with me, everyone in my Ancient Faction would suffer along with me."
Dongfang Hansong gave his reasons.
"Alas."
Cang Li sighed. He could sense Dongfang Hansong's helplessness and understood the man's position.
As a member of the neutral faction, Cang Li held a lofty and powerful position — no matter what he did, it would not come back to haunt him. Even if there were consequences, he had nothing to lose, for he had no ties binding him.
But Dongfang Hansong was different. He bore the weight of the entire Ancient Faction on his shoulders.
"Now Baili Xukong and those old comrades of mine have all been blinded by the Saint Artifact. They are willing to stop at nothing."
"But I cannot shake the feeling that Jie Tianran is not the sort of person who would be generous enough to help raise a force that could rival his Seven Realms Holy Mansion."
"If my fears prove correct, then even if the Saint Artifact is awakened and the Prison Sect's power surges, we will most likely end up under someone else's control."
Cang Li said.
"Lord Cang Li, what you are thinking is exactly what worries me."
"But at the moment, there truly is no better option."
"Moreover, before the Prison Lord departed, he told us that when faced with an indecisive matter, the minority should defer to the majority."
"If we refuse to follow that rule, we would be defying the Prison Lord himself."
"Baili Xukong would certainly seize upon that to make things difficult for my Ancient Faction."
Dongfang Hansong said.
"You have hit the mark."
"If the Prison Lord were still here, our Prison Sect would never have ended up in this state."
Cang Li said.
"Of course not. If the Prison Lord were here, the Saint Artifact could be awakened with ease."
"The Seven Realms Holy Mansion? Our Prison Sect wouldn't even spare them a glance."
At the mention of the Prison Lord, Dongfang Hansong found his confidence — though it was tinged entirely with regret.
"Do you remember when the Prison Lord first came to our Prison Sect?"
Cang Li asked with a smile, for he had already recalled that period of time.
"Of course I remember. How could I ever forget? I will remember it always."
"Back then, our Prison Sect was still stuck in the stage of developing the Prison Infants."
"Not only could Prison Infants not be cultivated on a large scale, but the success rate of the Sect implanting them into our bodies was exceedingly low."
"For us to succeed depended not only on our own talent, but also to a great extent on sheer luck."
"And once a Prison Infant entered one's body, rather than causing our cultivation to soar, it actually became a weight that suppressed us."
"Every generation of Prison Lords before had been powerless to change this."
"Our Prison Sect could see no hope whatsoever."
"That was when the Prison Lord appeared."
"He was not one of our own, yet he claimed he could help our Sect improve."
"At the time, everyone thought he was here to cause trouble. The former Prison Lord, to assert his authority, attacked the Prison Lord directly without hesitation."
"And in the end, that useless former Prison Lord was wiped out with a single strike."