"Who are you? What do you want?!"
Hu Jiaojiao stared at the two women who had suddenly appeared before her. A deep sense of foreboding surged in her heart. That chilling aura of danger flooded her entire being, warning her instinctively of just how terrifying these two women were.
As she shouted, she acted without hesitation, releasing a pink mist-like veil that instantly enveloped her body. It condensed around her, forming the shape of a magnificent, vibrant rose—the Pink Rose, her personal protective treasure.
Despite its romantic name, this rose was no ordinary bloom. Though delicate in appearance, its defensive power was tremendous. It could withstand even the fiercest assaults, and anyone who came in contact with it would be pierced by its Pink Thorns—sharp and laced with excruciating pain.
Its defenses were so formidable that even a Nascent Soul cultivator would struggle to break through, and those in the Yang God realm would find it difficult to penetrate. It was one of her greatest trump cards.
Yet, when confronted by this treasured defense, the two white-robed women showed no surprise. One of them simply extended a hand—fair and crystalline like jade—and reached straight into the rose. Her five fingers closed, and the rose collapsed into a swirl of pink mist and was forcibly absorbed into her palm. That force of capture seemed to hold an irresistible dominance over all magical weapons.
Celestial Net-Jade Hand!
At her level—True Spirit Realm—seizing the Pink Rose was effortless. With a single move, Hu Jiaojiao's greatest source of confidence was obliterated.
Immediately, an invisible force descended, completely sealing her in place.
The second woman then raised her hand, and with a flash of light, a mystical book-like treasure appeared. Upon its surface were several ancient characters glowing with runes:
Wind and Moon Mirror!(风月宝鉴)
As it opened, a brilliant beam of light shot forth, enveloping Hu Jiaojiao. She felt a vast, irresistible force sweep over her, dragging her toward the treasure. No matter how terrified her expression, she was powerless to resist.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished from the city, swallowed by the mirror.
On the open page of the Wind and Moon Mirror, an image of Hu Jiaojiao appeared—panic-stricken and lost, trapped in an illusory maze with no exit.
"What's going on? How did Eternal Night devils infiltrate Greenleaf City? And where's Princess Jiaojiao? She was sucked into that book!"
"Surround them! Don't let them escape! They captured our princess!"
"Unforgivable! Absolutely outrageous! They act like we don't even exist! This is a declaration of war!"
"Notify the Foxfolk! Their princess has been abducted!"
Within Greenleaf City, countless cultivators were stunned into silence. But once they processed what had happened, rage erupted like a tidal wave. The actions of the Eternal Night were blatant provocation—they had utterly disregarded everyone.
It wasn't that no one tried to stop them—it was that the two women moved too fast. Before anyone could react, Hu Jiaojiao was already gone. Moreover, their power was so overwhelming that stopping them would've been futile.
The two women glanced at the onlookers but didn't even bother responding. Their figures turned into streaks of light and vanished into the sky. The city's protective barrier might as well have not existed—they bypassed it like smoke through a sieve.
"Do they think this is an outhouse? Come and go as they please? Ridiculous!"
Fury boiled throughout the city. Some even chased after them, but most were gripped with helplessness. The strength gap was insurmountable. Those two could've wrought destruction if they wanted—but they didn't. They only took Hu Jiaojiao. That made things even more confusing.
Why her?
And similar scenes were playing out in other war cities across the Divine-Demon Battlefield. Any woman of exceptional beauty—regardless of race or age—was being abducted by mysterious women and sucked into the Wind and Moon Mirror, sealed as perfect portraits on its pages, mesmerizing and haunting.
In the void above, many Eternal Night prodigies watched silently. Nothing escaped their gaze. They saw the growing fury among Eternal World cultivators—an anger nearing a boiling point.
"Tsk. That Blissful Saint Son is insane. He's deliberately provoking the Eternal World. But the bigger the mess, the better—it helps us test their true strength."
"With my understanding of the Eternal World, this will provoke a massive backlash. Once word spreads, it'll trigger public outrage. Then, the fun really begins."
"Not yet. Our Eternal Night Laws haven't fully invaded the Divine-Demon Battlefield. The suppression here is still too strong. If not for that, we wouldn't have been counterattacked by those natives on the Void Arena."
"So we wait. Wait for the battlefield suppression to vanish. Once it's gone, our true power will be unleashed. That will be the time for our final assault on the Eternal World."
Indeed, the Eternal Night prodigies had held back for days. Even on the Void Arena, only a few had fought. Not out of fear—but patience. They knew well why they had suffered defeats: suppression.
On the battlefield, even a slight suppression could mean the difference between victory and death. The Eternal Night had issued orders: Do not leave the Star Gates unless necessary.
Wait.
Wait for the day suppression fades completely—then the real war would begin.
No one knew exactly when that would be. Maybe soon, maybe not. The Eternal World was never an easy target. That had been known since the last epoch.
Swish!
Suddenly, another streak of starlight descended from the heavens, landing on the battlefield.
"Huh? Him?! That lunatic?"
"Oh no. Not him. Even he's entered the field?! This is going to be a disaster."
"This guy is deranged. He doesn't care about suppression. If he's stepping in… chaos is inevitable."
"Everyone hide. Don't leave the Star Gates. No one knows what madness he'll unleash."
Terror overtook the Eternal Night prodigies. As the starlight faded, the figure it revealed made their blood run cold.
An elderly man, robed in white, with a kind and benevolent face, carried a bamboo staff and a woven basket on his back—like a humble herbalist ready to gather mountain herbs.
He looked gentle, approachable, almost saintly.
"Ah, that familiar aroma… This Divine-Demon Battlefield is truly beautiful. So many fine medicinal herbs waiting to be harvested," he said, sighing with pleasure.
"Harvest the great medicines, refine the Ten Thousand Spirit Elixirs. The season is perfect."
This kindly old man radiated peace. But among the Eternal Night prodigies, he was a name to dread:
The Demon Lord of Ten Thousand Tribulations (万劫魔尊).
"That madman! Didn't the Martial Ancestor kill him long ago? Why is he here?!"
"Damn it, the Demon Lord! He doesn't distinguish friend from foe. Any prodigy he sees becomes a medicine ingredient! How many of us have already been refined into his pills?!"
"They say his Dao is a city. He's a certified lunatic—completely irrational. Even battlefield laws can't bind him."
The Eternal Night elites were seized by terror. That old man's every step closed vast distances—each movement seeming slow, but covering miles in a blink.
Soon, he arrived before a war city. On its walls stood a tall, silver-furred wolfkin, barking orders and commanding troops against the Eternal Night assault.
The old man's eyes lit up.
"Mmm, Silvermoon Wolf bloodline… a fine herb indeed."