Reiya’s god-like descent was arguably a tribute to Westheid’s own tactics. He was particularly fond of descending from the heavens whenever his army was locked in a fierce battle.

According to Westheid, it was the single best method for shaping one’s image and solidifying the army’s morale.

Although Reiya had every reason to suspect the man simply enjoyed the thrill of turning the tide and making a grand display of his power.

But, it had to be said, this method was incredibly effective at cultivating die-hard loyalty. So, Reiya used it too.

CRACKLE—

Even when converged into a Sword Spear in her hand, the pure golden thunder still released soul-stirring streams of light. It swept the airborne debris and mist away, while terrifying, shudder-inducing waves of sound whistled past.

The hem of Reiya’s battle skirt and her high ponytail, which resembled molten sterling silver, fluttered wildly as if blown by a storm.

In the rear, taking Reiya’s action as a signal, the Princess’s Direct Lineage troops, who had long been prepared, launched an all-out assault.

The vanguard unit, led by the War Knights, began to charge. Their mounts, infused with the blood of Owl Beasts, caused a violent tremor with every leap and landing.

The constructs behind them also revealed their nature as war machines, pressing forward one after another and unleashing self-propelled artillery fire into the enemy’s formation.

However, the tremors from their stomping brought a profound sense of security to the provincial defense forces.

"Reiya... Your Highness?"

The provincial Legion Commander, who had been embracing a grim determination to die, stared at the Silver-haired Princess who had suddenly descended before him.

"I never said I would let you fight alone."

Reiya’s eyes lowered slightly as she said coolly,

"You must prove your resolve to face death without fear to be worthy of fighting alongside me... Continue the charge. The order sending you to your deaths was not a bluff."

"After the battle, those who survive will be worthy of joining my ranks. I can promise you nothing else. The only thing I can guarantee is the glory of a worthy death."

Treating the lives of her subordinates as currency, Reiya’s words were so cold, yet the response she received was incredibly positive.

The Legion Commander’s face flushed red from extreme excitement and agitation, and he nodded repeatedly, saying,

"Nothing could be better!"

"Please grant us the honor of dying for you! Your Highness!"

’Just as West said, Imperial Citizens love an overbearing powerhouse. As long as you display unquestionable strength, you’ll earn their loyalty...’

That being said, Reiya hadn’t deliberately tried to learn this. She genuinely didn’t care if others lived or died; such indifference wasn’t an act.

But for some reason, many people ate it right up.

The silver-haired Dragon Girl looked back no more. She raised her Thunder Sword Spear high and hurled the [Sunlight Spear]. The immense, destructive thunder evaporated the miasma and dust, piercing straight toward the Corrupted Holy Tree and carving out a clear path.

The next instant, Reiya shot forward along the arc of spreading Dragon Thunder, tearing through the formation of the Corrupted Demon Army.

Watching Reiya’s back, a one-woman army, the Legion Commander raised his arm and shouted,

"Follow Her Highness’s pace! Charge!!"

The garrison troops’ morale soared, and they all followed close behind her.

Reiya didn’t waste her thoughts on formations or strategy, nor did she command her troops much. She didn’t have a Specialty skill that could apply buffs to the entire army, and even if she did, she wouldn’t have cared.

All she had to do was press forward. All she had to do was charge. All she had to do was achieve her goal.

Westheid was right. She was a natural-born powerhouse. Slaughter and command were like innate authorities to her.

The world-rending slaughter continued for an unknown length of time. Compared to Westheid’s swift, precise, and ruthless victory in Winter Fall Province, a Corrupted Holy Tree that had been rampaging for over a month was undoubtedly a difficult fortress to conquer.

However, every soldier in Reiya’s legion was valiant and fearless in the face of death. And as their commander, the White-haired Dragon Lady herself displayed a resilience and combat power that put everyone else to shame.

The dancing, pure thunder relentlessly bombarded the Corroded Giant Tree and churned through the corrupted army. Her bloodline, inherited from the Tree God and the Dragon God, gave her a special advantage against the Corrupted Holy Tree—perhaps only slightly less effective than when fighting a pure-blooded Dragon.

The corrupted beings could not sustain themselves under the true-damage critical hits of the Dragon Thunder. Once the Corrupted Holy Tree could no longer overwhelm its enemy with the spawn it hatched, it could even be completely broken through by a single, supreme powerhouse.

Reiya was not yet a Legend, but her supreme Heaven-Extending Talent already made her a natural counter to the Corrupted Holy Tree. ’It can’t deal with her. It simply can’t deal with her at all!’

’A Wandering Dragon! What are you supposed to do about a Wandering Dragon?!’

The bloody and fearless slaughter continued for several whole weeks. The army struggled to push the front line forward until, after a battle that felt as long as centuries, the towering Corroded Giant Tree began to collapse and crumble.

Like a pillar of heaven toppling, countless withered tissues rained down from the sky. Accompanied by an explosion of mud and dust, the sky that the Corrupted Holy Tree had obscured finally let sunlight shine through again.

"We won?"

"The Little Holy Tree... no, that corrupted Monster, it finally fell?"

"We... we won!"

"We won!"

The Warriors, who had fought drenched in blood until their consciousness blurred, stared at this scene and, after a long moment of disbelief, erupted in cheers!

But in the end, all their cheers transformed into looks of fervent, unparalleled reverence, all focused on the graceful figure of the silver-haired, high-ponytail-wearing Dragon Girl.

The Fourth Princess stood atop a mountain of Demon corpses. In the scattered sunlight, her white and gold-trimmed robes remained spotless, with only a few tears to prove how fierce the battle had been.

Slaying colossal Tree Spirits, tearing apart jet-black vultures, shattering the Corroded Giant Tree... Reiya had indeed paid no attention to the soldiers behind her, but her every action was a thorough demonstration of what it meant to be invincibly powerful.

It made her followers believe that even without the army’s help, Reiya alone would have been enough to quell the threat.

And it was true. It would have just taken a bit more time.

HUU—

Reiya raised her head slightly, feeling no emotion about her victory. This was her consistent fighting style: give it her all, either achieve her goal or die trying. There was no other way.

Therefore, success was merely an inevitability.

And as the Corroded Giant Tree continued to disintegrate, a familiar feeling of sublimation made her involuntarily raise her hand.

A hazy, legendary radiance flickered faintly around the young woman, and in a relaxed posture, Reiya’s feet actually began to float slowly off the ground.

Such a sight, even if a Transcendent had never seen it in person, was something they were all familiar with!

’A Legend this young?! She’s already broken the Imperial historical record of several thousand years!’

"Your Highness, congratulations on stepping into the Legendary Celestial Rank!"

Seeing this, the Princess’s subordinates were ecstatic, scrambling over to congratulate her.

"It’s nothing to be surprised about. This was within West’s expectations."

As Westheid’s greatest admirer, Reiya showed no surprise and merely nodded.

"It was much simpler than I imagined... Alright, this battle is over. Let’s clean up and then leave."

Reiya let out a deep breath, taking a moment to adapt to her Legend’s body. Then she turned around, ready to leave the battlefield.

A group of her confidants (or so they considered themselves) immediately followed, and someone reminded her in a low voice:

"Your Highness, now that you’ve advanced to the rank of Legend, you should be qualified to choose a territory to guard, right? Where should we head next?"

Reiya tilted her head slightly and answered without a second thought:

"To the southeast, of course. Closer to the Qinghui Territory."