Ding Yun's skill in drawing illusory cakes might not be top-notch, nor was that the reason Wanfa Demon Emperor truly believed her. What was undeniably real were the two High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures she produced. These were not mere promises, but tangible benefits.
Wanfa Demon Emperor had been stagnant at the Demon Emperor realm for over three hundred thousand years, and possessed only one Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. He had seen High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures before, but only in the hands of others. Now, Ding Yun was presenting him with two. Even with his profound cultivation, he was stunned for quite some time before accepting them, and then with disbelief, he asked again, "Are these truly for me?"
"Indeed, they are for you. As for your disciple, Xuehe, wasn't it? Once he registers with my domain, he can also claim a set of Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. He is quite a good one, loyal to you. Even when tempted with Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures on my side, he remained unfazed. Rest assured, the treasures I possess are beyond your imagination. You know what you need to do next. I won't chat any longer. Keep this talisman with you; I will contact you if anything arises."
Ding Yun affirmed once more, casually praising Xuehe Demon Emperor, and handed him a communication talisman before vanishing into light.
Following this, Wanfa Demon Emperor convened a meeting to appease his disciples and disciples' disciples, also praising his top disciple. The only one feeling a bit awkward was Xuehe Demon Emperor himself. At the time, he hadn't truly believed Ding Yun would provide him with Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures. Now that his master had received two High-grade ones, it was obvious Ding Yun could afford to give him Low-grade ones. Fortunately, Ding Yun's promise still held true, otherwise, he would have been unable to sleep at night, wracked with regret.
After hearing Ding Yun praise him and then his master's commendations, knowing his true thoughts, how could he not feel a slight awkwardness? Fortunately, he managed to keep his expression in check and quickly responded with a humble remark, moving past the topic.
Perhaps convinced of his disciple's unwavering loyalty, and unwilling to debase himself by bringing his disciples to register with Ding Yun, Wanfa Demon Emperor quickly declared that all future sect matters would be entirely handled by his disciple, Xuehe Demon Emperor. This included registering with Ding Yun for benefits and obeying Ding Yun's commands. He, himself, would continue in seclusion to refine the two High-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures.
Previously, Xuehe Demon Emperor was indeed the sect leader of Wanfa Sect, but for major decisions, he lacked the final say and had to report to Wanfa Demon Emperor. Now, Wanfa Demon Emperor was ceding complete authority. Unless Ding Yun personally messaged him with instructions, he would no longer interfere. After all, since the sect had pledged allegiance to Ding Yun, it was no longer his private property, and he had no absolute control. To him, no absolute control was no different from having no control at all. It was better to be a hands-off manager, saving himself the constant trouble.
Although Xuehe Demon Emperor was delighted by this, his joy wasn't boundless. Someone was still above him, just a different person. It was possible he might have to fight on the front lines in the future. However, he had no other choice. He could only feign immense joy, accept the responsibility, express his loyalty, and after the meeting, he immediately led his disciples and elders to register with Ding Yun. Most importantly, he feared any potential issues with the promised Low-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, so he dared not delay, wanting to secure them as soon as possible. Only then could he truly feel at ease.
Ding Yun, of course, had no intention of reneging on her word. Everything proceeded according to protocol. They received exactly what was promised, and nothing more or less. It was then that they witnessed Ding Yun's true depth of resources. Any lingering dissatisfaction or awkwardness they might have felt instantly vanished. Had their sect not already pledged allegiance to Ding Yun, many might have defected on the spot.
Thus, Wanfa Sect was successfully subdued. There were no longer any significant powers in the vicinity. With such an impressive feat, Ding Yun's subsequent expansion accelerated tenfold. Many Demon Lords either surrendered without a fight or, unwilling to bow to another, fled with their close confidants to start anew elsewhere.
As for the forces that had already submitted to Wanfa Sect, their surrender was naturally swifter and more immediate.
One year later, Ding Yun's actual sphere of influence finally began to resemble that of a Demon Emperor, at least not small among the Demon Emperors of the Demon Realm. Originally, Ding Yun had intended to continue her expansion. However, before she could act, the Supreme Demon Lord issued a decree, recognizing and enfeoffing her as the Seven Emotions Empress. The Demon Emperor who delivered the decree also conveyed the Demon Lord's wish for her to know her limits, stating that her domain was already substantial and she should not instigate further conflict.
The Immortal Realm was currently in a turbulent period. The Nine Great Demon Lords harbored thoughts of reigniting the Immortal-Demon War, and thus wished to avoid internal strife within the Demon Realm before such a conflict. Of course, their words were not so direct, but rather much more veiled. Nevertheless, the meaning was clear.
Ding Yun had no intention of confronting the Demon Lord directly at this moment. Even though she believed that with herself and her thirteen avatars forming a supreme formation, she could surely deal with a Demon Lord, she had never truly fought one, and the outcome was uncertain. There was no need for rash action.
Therefore, Ding Yun warmly hosted the Demon Emperor who delivered the decree, gifted him a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and requested him to speak favorably of her upon his return. Afterward, she temporarily canceled the expansion missions from the Contribution Hall, replaced them with other tasks, and issued edicts encouraging the demons under her rule to cultivate diligently. Furthermore, Ding Yun more than tenfold increased the number of various activities and competitions, and severalfold increased the prizes, truly finding every excuse to distribute resources externally to swiftly improve the cultivation of her subjects.
Ding Yun herself was also not idle. After revising the original plan, she announced her seclusion. She entered seclusion with her thirteen avatars, working together to comprehend the laws, using the laws contained within the conceptual-level River God as a foundation, and aligning them with the corresponding laws of this world. She vowed not to emerge until she broke through to the Demon Lord realm.
Even though Ding Yun was in seclusion, the resources she left behind were extremely abundant, and the deterrence of her formidable cultivation ensured that the original plans continued to be executed step by step, despite minor issues like corruption. However, the overall plan and the grand scheme remained unchanged.
The territory under Ding Yun's rule, now named the Seven Emotions Demon Domain, experienced a surge in the cultivation speed of its demons due to the relatively easy and abundant access to resources, far surpassing that of demons elsewhere. The number of mid-level demons, in particular, saw explosive growth. Many high-level demons emerged within ten to fifteen days. This was all normal. Mid-level demons primarily referred to True Demons, Profound Demons, and Gold Demons. With sufficient resources, most demons with undamaged innate aptitude could successfully break through these three levels. Ding Yun was providing nearly unlimited resources, so an explosion in numbers was expected.
As for Great Unity Demon Lords, which were considered high-level demons, with sufficiently high-tier resources, it was indeed possible to forcefully elevate demons to this realm. If their natural talent was decent, breaking through would not be difficult. Only the breakthrough to Grand Unity Demon Emperor was truly challenging. It could not be purely achieved by hoarding resources; one truly needed talent and opportunity. Currently, within Ding Yun's domain, only two of the disciples who originally belonged to Wanfa Demon Emperor had successfully broken through with the assistance of ample resources and their own talent. Others were still navigating the Demon Lord realm. Even with talent and resources, they needed time. The time was too short, and their foundation too thin. Some foundations truly required time to accumulate, not just abundant resources. Thus, progress would be slow.
Regardless, Ding Yun's domain was truly flourishing, progressing with each passing moment, a phenomenon that could be described as changing with every passing day.