Blackwater Island was a giant island southwest of the Southwestern Blood Domain, only two or three hundred thousand li from the waters of the Endless Sea. Already within the Heavenfall Outer Sea, it was an important stronghold against the Sea Clan of the Endless Sea, as well as a crossroads for myriad races. It held over a hundred cities and thousands of tribes of various races, with a permanent population exceeding ten billion and a transient population beyond estimation.
More importantly, the island lord of Blackwater Island was the Blackwater Immortal Emperor, ruler of the surrounding ten million li of sea. Under his jurisdiction were eighteen large islands, a hundred and five medium-sized islands, and countless small and miniature islands.
It could be said that every place Xiao Ying had visited since his ascension belonged to the Blackwater Immortal Emperor-and was under his absolute control, not merely his nominal authority.
Nominally, Blackwater Island, and even the Blackwater Immortal Emperor himself, fell under the jurisdiction of Blood Venerating Island, the hegemonic power of the Southwestern Blood Domain.
But that was only in name. Neither was directly subordinate to the other; at most, theirs was an affiliation. The Blackwater Immortal Emperor had not started out as a disciple of Blood Venerating Island. He simply could not match its strength, so he nominally acknowledged its authority and paid a certain administrative fee every year.
This was not unique to the Blackwater Immortal Emperor. The same held true for most giant islands ruled by Immortal Emperor-level beings in the Heavenfall Sea. Only an Immortal Emperor who came from a particular power and had been dispatched to oversee a giant island would be directly subordinate to that power. Otherwise, the relationship resembled that between an empire of the Pangu World and its affiliated powers, with