At the heart of the southwest region of the Jade Cauldron Domain stood two grand immortal cities: Flame Yang Immortal City and Great Radiance Immortal City. Yet neither of them was the true centerpiece of the land.0

The true overlord of the southwest had always been the Flame Alliance. Unlike the other Golden Core major sects in the domain, the Flame Alliance, though it claimed a lineage, lacked true internal cohesion. The reason was simple: It had never been an orthodox sect to begin with. Its roots traced back to a rogue cultivator from another domain, a Golden Core Adept who had moved over and built the sect from scratch.3

After the Frontier War four hundred years ago, its name had spread far and wide. The growing fame had not been built upon battle prowess alone. The true turning point had come in the depths of Incense-Burning Valley.0

That founding Adept had stumbled upon a Sourceless Flame known as the Withering-Flourishing Fire! From that moment, fire had become the very core of the sect, and its founder had formally renamed it the Flame Alliance. True to its name, the alliance had opened its doors to countless cultivators whose sects had perished in the chaos of the Frontier War. Thus, what had begun as a rogue cultivation force turned into a true alliance.0

What tied them together was undoubtedly the massive profits from artifact creation and trade. Yet behind the wealth had lain a far...0