Xiao Yan's feat of single-handedly challenging the Fire Spirit Clan spread like wildfire across the Great Thousand World. When the cultivators across various regions learned that he had forced such an ancient race into retreat—and even their long-secluded ancestor was powerless against him—they were left utterly speechless.
One must understand that although the Fire Spirit Clan wasn't on par with the Five Great Ancient Clans, it was still a powerful, ancient force. Even among the other ancient clans, few individuals could have accomplished such a feat. So who was this so-called Flame Emperor of the Endless Fire Domain, who had pulled off such an impossible victory?
Regardless of their confusion, one thing became certain: his name was now engraved into their minds. In the Endless Fire Domain, news of Xiao Yan's battle stirred up not only shock but an overwhelming wave of celebration. Everyone understood that from this moment on, the Endless Fire Domain would gain unimaginable prestige in the Great Thousand World—enough to push into the realm of the top-tier superpowers.
The most immediate and visible consequence was Qing Tan's standing in the Ice Spirit Clan. Previously, she had only limited support. Even those backing her saw her more as a puppet than a genuine leader. However, once Xiao Yan's duel with the Fire Spirit Clan became public knowledge, the clan's ancestral elders unanimously agreed to appoint Qing Tan as the next clan leader.
The reason was simple: standing behind Qing Tan was the new overlord of the Endless Fire Domain. As long as they allied with her, they would be tying themselves to the Flame Emperor. With his backing, it would only be a matter of time before the Ice Spirit Clan reclaimed its former glory.
Meanwhile, those superpowers who had originally planned to secretly band together and retaliate against the Endless Fire Domain for forcefully taking over the Tianluo Continent all fell eerily silent. Compared to the Fire Spirit Clan, they were far weaker. If even the Fire Spirit Clan had been crushed, it would take hardly any effort for the Flame Emperor to flatten them.
Before, they had assumed that the Endless Fire Domain's Flame Emperor was merely a Heaven Sovereign at the Immortal-grade level. They had even spent a fortune hiring experts of that caliber to prepare for war. But before the conflict even began, news of the Flame Emperor's astonishing victory emerged. Those hired Heaven Sovereigns looked at the ones who contracted them with cold amusement—This is the 'arrogant young man' you wanted us to deal with?
Even among the ancient races, figures of that level had to be treated with the utmost caution. And you expected a few of us to deal with him? Are you joking?
This was exactly why Xiao Yan had been so intent on establishing his reputation in the Great Thousand World. Power alone didn't create deterrence. Without renown, even the strongest might still face unnecessary challenges. Xiao Yan personally didn't care for fame, but if the Endless Fire Domain was to find a firm foothold here, then prestige was essential.
After this, Xiao Yan visited several of the Great Thousand World's largest auction houses, consigning his personally refined pills for sale. As a result, news that he was also a Saint-grade alchemy grandmaster spread rapidly. Alchemists were in high demand no matter where they went—let alone grandmasters of his caliber.
With the glory from defeating the Fire Spirit Clan and the honor of being a Saint-grade alchemy grandmaster, Xiao Yan's name gained unstoppable momentum. Countless powerful cultivators began flooding toward the Endless Fire Domain, seeking shelter or alliance. Naturally, the Endless Fire Domain took full advantage of this development, carefully selecting from the influx and recruiting many formidable experts.
Of course, the management of these matters was left to Xiao Yan's subordinates. He used the time instead to refine the clan-guarding divine flame he had obtained from the Fire Spirit Clan. Unfortunately, even after absorbing two flames on par with the Blazing Heaven Spirit Flame, his cultivation remained at the early stage of the Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereign realm. The difficulty of advancing beyond that level had clearly exceeded his expectations.
It was no wonder that mid and late-stage Saint-grade Heaven Sovereigns were so rare in the Great Thousand World.
Still, Xiao Yan was confident that his current strength had reached the peak of the early Saint-grade level, not far from breaking through. Naturally, achieving the next level through regular cultivation would require time and effort, but Xiao Yan firmly believed that no boundary within the Saint-grade realm could confine him for long.
"Huff…"
Finishing a day's worth of cultivation, Xiao Yan stood up and walked toward the outside world. No matter what, as the current ruler of the Endless Fire Domain, he couldn't remain a hands-off leader forever. From time to time, he needed to show his face to solidify the hearts of his people.
Apart from Mandala, the upper echelon of the Endless Fire Domain consisted mostly of the original team Xiao Yan had brought from the Dou Qi Continent. While their strength wasn't particularly impressive by current standards, their organizational experience proved invaluable, taking much of the administrative burden off Mandala's shoulders.
As for their cultivation levels, that wasn't an issue at all. Xiao Yan had plenty of methods to help them stabilize their foundations and quickly raise their spiritual energy cultivation.
After chatting with Mandala for a while, Xiao Yan gained a good understanding of the current structure of the Endless Fire Domain. In recent days, they had recruited a number of powerful individuals. Including the original members, they now had over a hundred Earth Sovereigns. Among them, there were two to three dozen Greater Earth Sovereigns. However, the number of Heaven Sovereigns was still limited—only about four or five, and all of them were at the initial Immortal-grade stage.
This didn't surprise Xiao Yan. Even with the title of Saint-grade alchemy grandmaster, attracting Heaven Sovereigns was no easy task. Those capable of reaching such heights usually came from powerful backgrounds. Even wandering cultivators would typically join long-established superpowers.
Despite Xiao Yan being a Saint-grade powerhouse, the Endless Fire Domain's foundation was still relatively shallow compared to the top superpowers. Without the fame earned from his duel with the Fire Spirit Clan, he might not have recruited even those few Heaven Sovereigns.
But this wasn't something to be rushed. The Endless Fire Domain was still in its infancy. Once its foundations matured, it would stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the Great Thousand World's top powers. More importantly, Xiao Yan knew the potential they possessed far exceeded those so-called superpowers. Even setting himself aside, Xun'er, Xiao Yixian, and the others each held the potential to ascend to the Heaven Sovereign realm. All they lacked was time.
"Oh, right—Xiao Yan, a woman came looking for you earlier." Just as Xiao Yan was about to leave after finishing his discussion, Mandala suddenly remembered something and called out. "She said she's from the Ancient Buddha Clan."
"The Ancient Buddha Clan… could it be Qing Yanjing?"
(End of Chapter)
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