To claim Qing Xuan was the first was destroying a talent by overpraising. On a side note, it did prove Shen Lian's ability. Shen Lian's return to Xiliang calmed most of the forces. This was because the countries in the Netherworld and their forces would not take Xiliang lightly even though Xiliang had a few cultivators.
Owning a country, Shen Lian would not act recklessly and would follow some of the rules. This thought put most of the people at ease.
Before Shen Lian perished, nobody would initiate to conquer Xiliang. This was because not one force could withstand the revenge of such a celestial.
Rarely people would notice the difference between Shen Lian, Emperor Xia, and Tianyi. Emperor Xia and Tianyi's successes were related to the bloodline and home country. On the other hand, Shen Lian owed Chen Jing her karma. Few days after his birth, he managed to regain Xiliang. Hence, in other words, Shen Lian contributed more towards the country.