Youzhou City, the Xia Family's Divine General Residence.
In the Eastern Pavilion Courtyard, a noblewoman sat upright in the hall.
She looked to be around forty, yet her skin was smooth as congealed cream, more supple than a young girl's. Clad in sumptuous robes, she resembled a beautiful woman who had stepped out of a painting, poised and dignified.
She was no married lady, but Xia Linglong, the current Family Head of the Xia Family and its previous generation's True Dragon.
Only by vowing never to marry had she earned the right to compete for the position of True Dragon. Her exceptional talent had also helped; she was reputed to be the most gifted member of the Xia Family in centuries.
She had entered the Three Immortalities Realm at twenty. Though that fell short of the Li Family prodigy who had attained immortality at nineteen over a decade ago, she too had once shone brilliantly, her name known throughout the world.
During the transition when she took command of the Xia Family, various demon forces had scorned her for being a woman, mocking the Xia Family as fallen and easy prey. They wreaked havoc throughout the other great provinces under the Xia Family's jurisdiction, leaving the people unable to live in peace.
But after Xia Linglong took power, she struck swiftly with thunderous force, slaughtering and driving back those demons.
In many battles, she had personally led the army. On the battlefield, she wore iron armor and stained her hands with countless demons' blood. Upon returning home, she donned cloudlike robes and colorful skirts, applied rouge and powder, and admired flowers over tea like the noble ladies of the realm.
Only, the books those noble ladies leafed through were Discussions of Women and Husbandry Studies, while she held military treatises,