Making his way to the highest point of the camp, an open-air command post, the Province’s Legion Commander finally saw the Dragon Blood Princess of legendary renown with his own eyes.

The young Her Highness Reiya was seated at a table, leaning back slightly. Her royal battle attire, with its flowing sleeves, clung to her graceful curves. The white and gold color scheme gave her a look that was both sharp and noble.

A mere glance at her profile was enough to be stunned by a beauty that transcended the mortal realm. The charismatic pressure of a Dragon Species made no distinction between races.

Her silver-white hair was tied into a high ponytail, giving her a stern and dashing appearance.

’Truly a member of the Royal Family who carries the dignity of a Divine Ancestor’s descendant. A shame her blood is mixed with a Dragon’s.’

The Provincial Legion Commander sighed inwardly. No matter how perfect Reiya’s image was, the pair of dragon horns was enough to bring him back to his senses and maintain a respectful but distant attitude.

After the War Knight brought the man forward, he stood silently to the side. Everyone else in the vicinity remained utterly quiet as well, as if breathing a fraction too loudly would be a grave sin against their Monarch.

This was because Reiya was completely absorbed in the letter in her hands, the corners of her lips turning up in a smile soft enough to melt steel.

The Silver-haired Princess’s smile was slight, but her gently arched, willow-like brows and the sweetness swirling in her magnificent Cang Tong eyes were enough to make anyone realize they were looking at a young woman deeply in love.

She traced each word with her fingertip until the very end. Though she had read it countless times, her finely curled lashes still trembled as she silently read the last line.

She lifted the snow-white letter to her delicate nose, inhaling its scent before pressing a light kiss to the paper, as if she could transcend time and space to touch the one who wrote it.

"I love you too, West."

After carefully putting the letter away and solemnly placing it in a safe protected by complex Techniques, Reiya finally stood up and turned her gaze to the subordinate who had been waiting for a long time.

"Your Highness, preparations for the attack are complete. Also, I have brought the local commander who was still resisting."

The War Knight said, kneeling on one knee before Reiya.

The Provincial Legion Commander immediately followed suit and knelt, but he couldn’t help muttering to himself.

’What an absolute lovesick fool. Can a Princess like this really be trusted?’ 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Raise your head."

Reiya’s cold, clear voice rang out. The Legion Commander raised his head as ordered and was instantly stunned.

Completely different from the lovestruck girl just moments ago, the Reiya now looking down on him had a beautiful, exquisite face as cold as frost... No, to be precise, it wasn’t aloofness, but a kind of majesty.

It was the oppressive majesty of a higher lifeform looking down upon a lowly insect, and it utterly crushed the disdain and prejudice that had just begun to form in the Legion Commander’s mind.

The Legion Commander felt his heart nearly stop. His fingers began to tremble uncontrollably, and his vision started to blur.

Just as he was about to suffocate, the Dragon Might abruptly dissipated. On the verge of fainting, the Legion Commander heard Reiya’s voice:

"Not bad. So you’re the ones who didn’t run? Never mind. You are all dismissed. I will be taking over the battlefield from now on."

Although he felt extremely unwell, her contemptuous tone still stirred his anger. The Legion Commander gritted his teeth and said:

"Not all of us ran! We held our ground here to stop the enemy from spreading, and we held them for a full month! We lost over half our men doing it. We are not cowards who cling to life!"

"Oh? So you’re not afraid to die?" Reiya asked, raising an eyebrow, showing no anger at being offended.

The Legion Commander felt that intense pressure again, and his other knee buckled, forcing him to the ground. But he held on by a thread, and through teeth clenched so hard his gums could have shattered, he said in a low voice:

"Knowing full well no reinforcements were coming, we chose to make our stand here. How could we possibly be afraid of death?!"

"You want to reclaim this Province?"

"This is our home! We will be buried here, even in death!"

Reiya gave him a faint glance, then looked away and said:

"Then go on."

"Huh?"

Reiya said, "Did you not hear me? I am ordering you to go to your deaths. Right now. Either flee, or charge."

The Legion Commander froze. He glanced around and saw that the Princess’s subordinates were all staring at him with the same cold, indifferent eyes. A chill went down his spine.

’Is she really going to use the Local Army as cannon fodder? No... she just looks down on us, the Provincial Guard Legion, from the bottom of her heart. She thinks we’re not worthy to fight alongside her, doesn’t she?’

Clenching his fists, the Legion Commander stood up after a long moment of silence.

"As you wish..."

He then turned and ran down the mountain. Not long after his figure disappeared from view, a commotion began to stir along the defensive line of the Provincial Guard Legion.

The unrest lasted only a short time. Then, to the sound of blaring charge horns, the remaining troops of the Provincial Guard Legion began to cross their defensive line and advance toward the corrupted region.

Soon, this legion, an arrow at the end of its flight, engaged in battle with the Demons nourished by the Corrupted Holy Tree.

"Your Highness, there seem to be quite a few promising recruits among this guard contingent."

A staff officer remarked, observing the state of the battle.

"It looks like we’ll be able to absorb a good number of loyal and brave men."

Among all the members of the Royal Family, Reiya had arguably the fewest followers, but when it came to their quality, they were of the highest caliber.

Her basic requirements for followers were that they be fearless in the face of death and willing to defy fate with their very lives.

’If they cannot learn my virtues, then I’d rather have no subordinates at all.’

"Only those who do not fear death are worthy to fight. If one is unwilling even to cast aside their life, what can they hope to reclaim? Both happiness and destiny must be won through a life-or-death struggle," the Silver-haired Princess said faintly. She then slowly walked forward to stand at the edge of the open-air command post.

Reiya’s gaze swept toward the distance, where a colossal tree wreathed in twisted vegetation and ominous miasma pierced the clouds.

The giant tree was constantly expanding, generating glowing, tumor-like fungal bodies. Each one that burst would release poisonous gas and Demons.

’If I eradicate the Corrupted Holy Tree, can I ascend to Legend?’

The White-haired Dragon Lady herself wasn’t particularly obsessed with advancing, but Westheid’s letter was filled with such fervent hope that Reiya felt she had no choice but to strive for the Legendary Celestial Rank.

As the original creator of both the [Withered Glory Sun] and the [Dragon Soul Furnace], Reiya naturally viewed accumulation as worthless and had long been stuck at the bottleneck of her advancement.

West needed her. West relied on her. And because of that, West was passionately in love with her. Every time she thought of this, an endless, wild joy surged through Reiya’s heart.

This joy, in turn, transformed into a monstrous will to fight.

Reiya’s figure vanished from the high ground. The next moment, she appeared in the corrupted zone—leaping to the very front of the Provincial Guard Legion’s formation.

BAM—

A pure white, gold-trimmed boot sank into the ground of filth and mire. The Dragon Thunder that instantly erupted from its sole cleansed the corruption.

Reiya extended her arm. Pure Dragon Thunder materialized from thin air, coalescing into the shape of a Sword Spear.

"All troops, advance with me!"