"Make the Ninth Prince the Emperor’s Son?"

Longbo Hai’s gaze was profound; he naturally understood the sinister implications behind these words.

They called him the Emperor’s Son!

It sounded like a position of honor.

In reality, once the Ninth Prince entered the Fox Race’s territory, he would surely be imprisoned by the Fox Emperor and become a caged bird.

The sole purpose of his existence would be to breed, endlessly.

Only after a pure-blooded Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was born would he have "served his purpose."

And the fate of something that has outlived its usefulness goes without saying.

"They say they’ll make the Ninth Prince the Emperor’s Son, but we all know that the Fox Emperor, as the absolute ruler of the Fox Race, is obsessed with bloodlines!"

"Otherwise, back then, Princess Bining wouldn’t have been... by him..."

Before the Black Armored General could finish, Longbo Hai interrupted him.

"I’ve just received a verbal decree from the Elder Emperors!"

The Elder Emperors were the old guard of the Great Xia Dynasty’s Royal Family.

They operated from the shadows, and though they kept a low profile, each had made monumental contributions. Their royal blood was pure, and they wielded immense authority.

Moreover, their strength was formidable. A verbal decree from them carried immense weight!

It was practically a matter of life and death for the Ninth Prince!

"A decree from the Elder Emperors? What did they say?"

The Black Armored General, once a subordinate of Princess Bining, was now the Ninth Prince’s loyal personal guard.

He immediately asked with a panicked expression, "Are they pardoning the Ninth Prince, allowing him to remain here in the prison?"

"Or... after all these years, have the Elder Emperors finally come to their senses and decided to release the Ninth Prince?"

"That must be it! The Ninth Prince is their descendant, after all, with the Royal Family’s blood in his veins! And his talent is immense!"

"If he were allowed to mature, he could become a powerful asset to the Great Xia Dynasty!"

The more the Black Armored General spoke, the more excited he became.

A decree from the Elder Emperors wasn’t issued lightly. When an order was given, it was always for something major!

"Not at all."

But to his surprise, Longbo Hai shook his head. "Quite the opposite."

"Those Elder Emperors are worried that protecting the Ninth Prince will lead to a complete falling-out with the Fox Emperor, causing unnecessary bloodshed."

"So... they have ordered the Ninth Prince to leave on his own, to depart the Great Xia Territory. No one is to stop him, and no one is to help him."

"Even I am to be confined here, forbidden from taking a single step outside the prison!"

Upon hearing this!

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck the Black Armored General’s mind.

"How could this be..."

He muttered to himself, his expression dimming.

"Is the Imperial Dynasty’s clan really so heartless?"

He followed this with a bitter, gloomy smile.

Longbo Hai sighed, but he knew the truth in his heart.

’Once you reach that position, so-called familial bonds are no longer something they value.’

’Only face, rules, and benefits are what they truly care about.’

However, as this thought crossed his mind, Longbo Hai’s eyes flickered.

He swept his Divine Thoughts across the main hall.

He found that Su Bai, as if completely unaware of the situation, was still cheerfully playing chess with the Ninth Prince.

This couldn’t help but remind him of the time he had sought an audience with the Elder Imperial Tutor.

That day, inside a simple and unadorned hall.

After he had relayed Su Bai’s words to the Elder Imperial Tutor’s ears.

The man had been unmoved, continuing his deep cultivation with closed eyes.

He had merely spoken faintly.

"Understood."

He seemed utterly unconcerned about the matter.

This attitude was almost identical to Su Bai’s right now.

It was making his head spin.

’I have no idea how these two Divine Platform Great Venerables will handle this situation with the Ninth Prince.’

...

「Night fell, and the Imperial City was brightly lit.」

The moon was bright, and the stars were few.

On a green hill dozens of miles from the Imperial City, one after another, enormous Fox Demons descended.

The Fox Demon in the lead was massive. It had eight tails, a body of pure silver, and a face weathered by time.

It was none other than the Fox Emperor of the Fox Race.

At this moment, it stared with its silver pupils, coldly fixing its gaze on the location of the Imperial City’s prison, its body radiating a powerful aura.

"Fox Emperor! When do we make our move?"

A black Fox Demon approached its side, respectfully bowing its head and asking cautiously.

Within the Fox Race, bloodline is paramount.

Even though it was already a Spirit Transformation Realm Great Demon, it still had to bow its head in respect before a member of the Celestial Fox Royal Family.

Let alone the fact that the Celestial Fox before it was the Fox Emperor himself.

"No need to rush. We wait for the full moon,"

the Fox Emperor said indifferently, gazing up at the firmament.

"Yes!"

The crowd of Fox Demons replied in unison, their expressions deferential.

...

"Today, the celestial phenomena have shifted drastically. The Demon Star is on the verge of falling!"

"This is an omen of death!"

「Inside a silver tower in the Fate Peeping Pavilion, a woman wearing a silk veil stared at the Demon Star on the Fate Gazing Disc, her expression turning grave.」

This Demon Star had appeared on its own on the Fate Gazing Disc many years ago, on the very day Jiang Guanshui was born.

Any change in the Demon Star represented a change in Jiang Guanshui’s established fate.

Right now, the silver Demon Star flickered with a demonic, blood-red light, wreathed in a black mist that radiated a sinister aura.

This was the classic sign of a bloody calamity!

It also meant that Jiang Guanshui’s fate was likely to be grim.

「At the same time, within a palace in the Imperial City.」

Several old men in Golden Robes were gathered, seated on Jade Chairs, discussing related matters.

"They have arrived."

"One Divine Platform, nineteen Spirit Transformations, and a number of Innates," an old man said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing.

"It would be most unwise to make an enemy of such a force from the Fox Race."

"That kid, Flame Star, has protected him for many years. He’s done all he can. Letting the boy leave on his own is the best outcome."

"It is as it should be."

And so, with a brief meeting, the life and death of a Prince was decided.

Time slowly trickled by...

In the blink of an eye, the full moon was upon them.

A bright, clear moon hung peacefully in the sky, casting a gentle, silvery glow.

When this silvery light fell upon the members of the Fox Race, it created a serene and peaceful scene.

"The time has come!"

"It is time to retrieve the Emperor’s Son!"

The Fox Emperor stared in the direction of the prison and spoke coldly.

"Yes!"

In an instant, the pack of foxes grew agitated!

For according to ancient legend, the appearance of a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox would lead the Fox Race to rise, step by step, ultimately forging a glorious and Immortal foundation for generations to come!

A moment later, the foxes shrieked!

The Demon Qi within their bodies surged, crashing like waves!

Now, they had only one goal!

Reclaim the Emperor’s Son!

BZZZZ!!!

The next moment, under the Fox Emperor’s guidance, the foxes began to radiate a soft, silvery glow, seeming to resonate faintly with the full moon in the sky.

Just a few breaths later, the members of the Fox Race had all taken human form.

Even the Fox Emperor himself had transformed into a stooped old man in a white robe.

"We have come this time only to reclaim the Emperor’s Son, not to wage war with the Human Race."

"Taking human form can be considered giving that Elder Imperial Tutor of yours a bit of face."

The Fox Emperor spoke indifferently, his hands clasped behind his back.

But in his heart, a trace of apprehension lingered.

That Elder Imperial Tutor of the Great Xia Dynasty had been in seclusion for a hundred years and had never made a move. No one knew what level his strength had truly reached.

The Fox Emperor was powerful, but not arrogant.

Within this Great Xia Imperial City, there were very few who could stand in his way.

The Elder Imperial Tutor was one of them.

"Go."

Snapping back to the present, the Fox Emperor gave the indifferent command.

SWOOSH!

One by one, the Transformed Fox Demons shot toward the Imperial City!

However, they hadn’t gotten far.

SHIIING!!!

A brilliant Sword Aura tore through the night sky!

It was like a hanging Star River!

It crashed down before the Fox Emperor!

With a violent RUMBLE, the Sword Aura ripped through countless tons of earth and stone, roaring like a Silver Dragon!

It carved a scar several miles long!

"Halt."

The Elder Imperial Tutor sat enthroned in the sky, the moonlight haloed behind him.

He uttered softly, his voice indifferent.