Chapter 653: Big Dog Biting the Little Dog

"This Yun Xiao… We could use him to our advantage. After all, he even destroyed Lu Fan's body double," the Crown Prince said.

"I fear they might end up uniting in their conflict," the Nine Thunders Sovereign murmured.

"Impossible," the Crown Prince retorted, giving the Nine Thunders Sovereign a piercing look. "You truly don’t understand Lu Fan. The man respects no bounds; he'll do anything, convinced of his divine destiny. In his eyes, everyone else is a villain, a mere stepping stone. Such a man, when confronted with someone of superior talent, only becomes more twisted inside."

The Nine Thunders Sovereign felt the truth in those words. If the Chaos Sovereign was not utterly lawless, how else could he have earned his title?

"Remember when he first rose to power? A high-ranking celestial family once offended him. He slaughtered all the men of that family, took the women he fancied, and even exhumed and burned the bones of their ancestors... And when someone spoke up for that family, he went straight to their estate and killed tens of thousands more," the Nine Thunders Sovereign recounted with a shake of his head.

"My father raised a tiger, only to have it turn on him today. This Lu Fan has always been troublesome... That's why I say, let him continue clashing with these two pests trying to play hero. Lu Fan claims to be the chosen one, doesn’t he? Well, let's use a hero to defeat a hero. Let them tear each other apart, and when one emerges victorious, that’s when we enter the fray," the Crown Prince stated coldly.

"If Lu Fan wins, at least he'll be weakened. If those two pests prevail..." the Nine Thunders Sovereign paused, then chuckled, "that would be even better news."

Because in their eyes, Yun Xiao and Lian Xi were incredibly easy to handle. It was just like Divine Dawn, the deceased Seventh Princess. All they had to do was target her weakness, and she was completely helpless.

The Crown Prince recalled the choice he gave to the Seventh Princess. Either she died or several mortal realms would be destroyed. She was only given ten breaths to make a decision.

If she had chosen not to die, things would have been even simpler. After all, there were plenty of mortal realms glimmering in the sky

The Crown Prince was skilled in the art of wearing down foes. His immortality afforded him countless victims over eons through this very tactic.

From that moment on, he defined Yun Xiao as an enemy who posed no threat whatsoever.

Just as he spoke these words, the Nine Thunders Sovereign received a flying talisman!

He opened it and laughed.

"Perfect timing," said the Nine Thunders Sovereign.

"Let's hear it," the Crown Prince asked with a smile.

"After being humiliated at the Immortal Tournament, it seems Lu Fan has been holding a grudge ever since. No sooner had he heard that almost all the officials of my Thunder Department were completely wiped out, he dispatched assassins under his command to sneak in!" the Nine Thunders Sovereign said with a cold laugh.

"The big dog has come to bite the little dog. How many have come?" the Crown Prince inquired.

"Not enough hands to count. We only know many have entered," the Nine Thunders Sovereign replied.

"Lu Fan has gathered all manner of fierce and peculiar beings across the Great Dao Celestial Realm, including some devils from Naraka. With his capabilities, killing a pest should be easy for him. We might have to lend a hand if necessary. Let the pest grow a bit, catch its breath, so it can continue the fight," the Crown Prince stated.

The Nine Thunders Sovereign shook his head. "You underestimate him. Lu Fan failed to kill him last time, and now he's back to test the waters again. Moreover, I suspect Yun Xiao is capable of controlling the Thunder Immortal Formation. It won’t be easy to kill him. We should just watch."

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Alright," the Crown Prince took a deep breath, then curiously asked, "So, you're just going to let him freely use the Thunder Immortal Foundation?"

"I'm not sure yet. I plan to stay at the heart of the formation to understand its workings better and find a way to break it. This is a national treasure of the Celestial Court; we can't let the kid misuse it," the Nine Thunders Sovereign stated coldly.

"Lu Fan hasn't launched his attack yet. You better hurry and take care of another matter," the Crown Prince said darkly.

"At your command." the Nine Thunders Sovereign nodded.

"First, anchor your Supreme Everlasting Thunder Cauldron above Yun Xiao's home realm," the Crown Prince instructed.

The Nine Thunders Sovereign nodded. "First, we secure the cricket's life in our hands, then let it into the arena. Whether it loses or wins, we win."

"An apt metaphor." The Crown Prince cracked a wide smile. Perhaps he smiled too broadly, for it pulled at the powder on his face, and as it flaked off, it revealed his pale, wrinkled skin beneath.

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"So, this is Naraka…"

In the dim, boundless void of space, a silver-haired youth floated. He was dressed in a flowing silver robe, fox ears perched atop his head, and nine fox tails swishing behind him. It was Yun Xiao's body double, Moon Fairy.

After cultivating the Will of Divine Desolation for so long, the presence of Yun Xiao's body double had grown increasingly outstanding. He was ambiguous in gender, beguiling yet beautiful. Whether man or woman, any onlooker's heart might flutter at the sight.

Yet a change marred his flawless face, disrupting this beauty. Beneath his eyes, two narrow, sallow eyes split open! It was a face with four eyes, and it was indescribably eerie.

All four eyes now stared straight ahead!

Before him, in the starry void, a vast vortex emerged, made of starlight with edges of shattered stars, circling like a stellar halo.

At its center were swirls of black and white, two interlocking fish of yin and yang!

This Taiji Yin-Yang Vortex, the heart of Naraka, represented a fractured and chaotic Celestial Sourcecore.

"The black eye of the white fish and the white eye of the black fish are the entrances to the demon and devil territories respectively."

And so, Moon Fairy's four eyes settled on the black eye of the white fish, his next destination!

"The problem is, I don't belong to the demon territory. Entering uninvited might expose me," Moon Fairy murmured.

"Quit your whining and just go. If you die, it's on me," the Nian growled.

"To hell with that," Moon Fairy retorted.

"Hurry up, I've already gone mad staying in the mortal realm for so long," the Nian raged, restless within the Moon Fairy.

"Quiet! Someone's coming!" Moon Fairy suddenly said.

With a curse, the Nian withdrew its eyes, and Moon Fairy returned to his original appearance.

He turned to see, through the swirling mists of the void, a celestial palanquin enveloped in dense fog, surrounded by lush, beautiful flowers and the sounds of enchanting music and dance, which befuddled the mind.

And on the palanquin, a plaque read Lunar Demon Cavern.

Caught off guard, Moon Fairy didn't dodge in time and stood frozen.

BOOM!

The celestial palanquin raced through the void, nearly crashing into him, but halted just in time.

Exhaling sharply, a stunningly attractive and seductive celestial fox stepped out from the palanquin, her annoyance apparent as she eyed Moon Fairy. "Where did this little fox come from? Move aside," she commanded.

Moon Fairy's eyes sparkled, and he quickly bowed. "This little fox greets the young lady,"

"Do you recognize me, a celestial fox from the Great Dao Celestial Realm?" Wuqing asked.

"Yes! I am one of your devout admirers." Moon Fairy nodded vigorously.

Wuqing glanced at him and smiled slightly. "Well, you look decent enough. Come in."

"Go in?" Moon Fairy hadn't expected to blend in so easily. Without delay, he followed her into the palanquin, which then set off.

Inside a misty celestial corridor, Wuqing walked ahead, her figure swaying captivatingly, drawing the eyes irresistibly.

The Nian glared fiercely a few times.

"We're representing the Great Dao Celestial Realm at the Celestial Demon Conference," Wuqing spoke softly from ahead.

"Young lady, I wish to serve you," Moon Fairy said.

Wuqing looked back at him with a derisive sneer and pointed to the side. "Go line up over there."

Startled, Moon Fairy looked to the side and saw a small house crowded with about a hundred other celestial foxes, both male and female, all young and tender.

Their mood seemed low as they stood obediently, heads down, silent.

Moon Fairy had no choice but to enter the small house.

He asked a charming fox lady next to him, "Sister, what are we doing at the Celestial Demon Conference?"

The fox lady gave him a long look and said, "Don't you know? We're here to serve the great demons of the Celestial Demon Abyss."

"Damn it," Moon Fairy thought, realizing why he had been so easily allowed on board.

It turned out he was brought along because he looked good, merely to be given away as a favor to serve some demon sugar mama.