C1 She Was Reckless

In the maritime expanse of Dragon Country, Shen Qinghuang stood on the deck of a towering aircraft carrier, twenty stories high, lost in thought. Four years had passed, and she marveled at the heights she had reached—both literally and figuratively.

Four years earlier, the Shen family, eager to ascend the ranks of Ling City's elite, had arranged her marriage to the Mo family's Third Young Master, Mo Xingyun, despite her protests. Mo Xingyun's reputation for brutality was well-known throughout Ling City; none of his previous wives had survived more than a month with him, and they all met grisly ends.

Shen Qinghuang was to be his eighteenth wife. Yet, fate intervened at the engagement banquet when it was revealed that she was unexpectedly six months pregnant. The news stunned both families, and Qinghuang herself was no less shocked, having mistaken her symptoms for simple weight gain. Her unique physiology meant she had no menstrual cycle and experienced none of the typical signs of pregnancy.

The Mo family's outrage at the banquet was palpable. They called off the engagement on the spot and vowed that the Shen family would pay dearly. To appease the Mo family's wrath, her parents publicly disowned her and performed a crude cesarean. They then spent a fortune to cast her, barely alive, into Sin Valley at the edge of the Chaotic Sea Domain—a lawless, merciless place where life was worth less than dirt.

But Qinghuang's luck held. She was rescued by an unwitting Warrior of Dragon Country within Sin Valley and joined the Dragon Country's Dare-to-die Team. The team, a euphemism for expendable troops, would have been her end had it not been for a stroke of serendipity. Against all odds, she not only survived but thrived, rising to become the Seven-star Great Commander of Dragon Country.

At just sixteen, Qinghuang had entered the Sin Valley's suicide squad and, within mere months, fought her way out to claim her place among the stars.

She advanced courageously and, within just one year, ascended to the position of Seven-star Great Commander of the All Country Alliance!

At seventeen, she led the one hundred and eight Divine Phoenix Guards she had personally trained to form the elite mercenary group known as the Phoenix Dynasty. Those under her command revered her as the Phoenix Lord!

During her four years in the Chaotic Sea Domain, she completed over a thousand top-tier missions!

Her name, the Phoenix Lord, echoed throughout the All Country Alliance, striking awe into even the most influential figures.

It's no overstatement to say that Dragon Country's esteemed standing within the All Country Alliance is entirely due to her four years of dedication!

On the sea's warship deck, 100,000 solemn and earnest Dragon Country warriors stood in their military garb, their eyes filled with hope as they watched the approaching aircraft carrier.

As the carrier neared the warship, the warriors felt an urge to rush forward and greet their Great Commander, but their discipline held them back.

As Shen Qinghuang stepped off the carrier, 100,000 gazes, burning with the intensity of the June sun, focused solely on her.

"Boom!"

"Welcome back, Great Commander!"

"Welcome back, Great Commander!"

The 100,000 warriors knelt on one knee, their passionate cries resonating so powerfully that they seemed to scatter the clouds above.

In that moment, there was nothing in their eyes but Shen Qinghuang!

She was their beacon, the one who had led Dragon Country out of darkness to forge the sole sanctuary within the All Country Alliance!

Without Shen Qinghuang, Dragon Country might still be mired in turmoil.

Standing tall and resolute on the aircraft carrier's deck, Shen Qinghuang stepped forward with a stern expression.

With a slight downward gesture of her hands, she said, "Thank you, Generals, for your patience."

"The Great Commander flatters us!" The 100,000 warriors were momentarily taken aback before responding in unison, "It's not hard at all! For the Great Commander, we would lay down our lives without a second thought!"

Shen Qinghuang turned to her aide, Yun Zheng, and said, "Let everyone take a break. Have you found the person I've been looking for? Any results?"

Four years had passed, and even Shen Qinghuang herself couldn't be certain that the child from back then was still alive.

"Great Commander, our spies report that the Little Master has been kept at the Shen family's Secret Base. However..."

"However, due to the Little Master's unique bloodline, the Shen family has not only been using him as a blood sheep for the family patriarch, but they also plan to raise him as a human organ donor for the patriarch!"

"What?" Shen Qinghuang's demeanor turned icy. That old fool was utterly senseless!

She pushed down the fury rising within her and uttered tersely, "Get the helicopter ready. We're heading to Ling City!"