120: Chapter 120 What is a sect? What is a sect?

...

Outside the mountain gate of the Yunjian Mountain Range.

Immortal Master Daoist Yun Du stood at the prow of a flying boat, clad in a white robe. Behind him stood Sun Yao and ten other Foundation Establishment Cultivator, all wearing solemn expressions.

These ten Foundation Establishment Cultivator had all come of age within the last twenty or thirty years.

Now, they were to be thrown into war once more. No one knew how many of them would lose their lives this time...

It was truly a troubled time; the world was far from peaceful.

Daoist Yun Du looked back at the Sect, his gaze filled with a touch of complexity. Ultimately, it dissolved into a soft sigh as he cupped his hands and bowed from afar.

“Fellow Daoist Shi, I entrust the matters of the Temple to you.”

“If there is any unusual movement, do not be impulsive.”

“That scourge Yan Qiu must be eliminated sooner or later, but not now. The Upper Sect has its rules, and those who violate them are all dead.”

Daoist Yun Du’s divine sense transmission reached Zixiao Peak, but it received no response.

On Zixiao Peak, the thunderous light flickered as always, as if it would remain unchanged for all eternity.

Daoist Yun Du gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

Without further hesitation, he performed a hand seal. In an instant, the flying boat transformed into a streak of light, carrying the “loyalty” of White Cloud Temple toward the North Sea front.

After Daoist Yun Du left, White Cloud Temple seemed no different than before.

Inside the Council Hall of the Jianyun Main Peak, an old man with white hair and beard, possessing the air of a transcendent immortal, sat in the seat that originally belonged to Daoist Yun Du.

Great Elder Yun Tianfan, the Third Clan Elder of the Yun Clan.

He was also the Grand Elder of White Cloud Temple, a cultivator at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

His gaze swept over the several Yun Clan Elders standing below with their hands at their sides. His voice was incredibly flat: “The Temple Master’s departure will last as short as three to five years, or as long as a decade or more. The mundane affairs of the Temple shall proceed as usual.”

“Command the Disciples of each peak to Cultivate diligently and not slack off.”

“Especially the Sun Clan lineage—tell their people to keep to their places. They must not forget the rules of White Cloud Temple just because they have the protection of Ancestor Shi.”

“Although Ancestor Shi favors the Sun Clan, this loyalty is not something that remains unchanged for ten thousand years.”

“In this White Cloud Temple, there are plenty of people who want to replace the Sun Clan. Do not let those Sun Clan Disciples become too arrogant.”

A clan Elder bowed and replied, “Rest assured, Grand Elder. The leaders of the Sun Clan are smart people; they know their boundaries.”

Great Elder Yun Tianfan nodded slightly and spoke no more.

Inside the hall, power was handed over smoothly. The Yun Clan still firmly held the right to speak within White Cloud Temple...

...

Meanwhile, at Boan Peak.

Sun Mao leaned on an ironwood cane, standing at the mountain's summit. He watched Sun Yao depart with the team, his cold, hard face showing no emotion.

“Eldest Brother, Second Sister’s journey this time is fraught with extreme danger...”

Sun Lin stood behind him, filled with worry.

He now held the positions of Vice Peak Master for both the Formation and Talisman Peaks. He possessed a bit of power within the Sect, but he was still powerless against the grand trends of the Sect.

“This is the Old Ancestor’s command, and it is a price our Sun Clan must pay.”

Sun Mao turned around, his cane thumping heavily against the ground.

“We are the Old Ancestor’s blade. If the blade’s edge is not sharp, it will be discarded. Yao’s trip to the front lines is to establish prestige for the Sun Clan and to share the Old Ancestor’s burdens.”

“You and I must plant our roots even deeper within this Temple!”

He looked at Sun Lin and murmured, “How many of our people have you planted among the Disciples of the Formation and Talisman halls?”

“Seven so far.”

“Mainly because our clan doesn't have many people. I’ve already arranged for as many capable Disciples as possible. It will still take time for them to bear fruit.”

Hearing this, Sun Mao nodded, somewhat satisfied.

This White Cloud Temple was ostensibly a Golden Core Sect with its own heritage, but in reality, the so-called Sect was nothing more than a community of interests formed by several cultivation families...

One could also call it a cultivation alliance.

It was just like how the Lin, Ye, and Sun families lived together in Hongtian City back then. Internally, the three families competed and managed their own affairs.

But externally, they maintained a unified front against enemies...

The current White Cloud Temple was the same.

Currently, White Cloud Temple was roughly divided into four factions. The most powerful was the Yun Clan lineage, which held the overall power of the Sect and controlled the most interests.

Daoist Yun Du was born into the Yun Clan, and he owed much to the support of the Yun Clan back then.

Only with that support could Daoist Yun Du seize the heaven and earth qi during the internal struggle, successfully reaching the Golden Core stage. Because of this, the Yun Clan soared to the top and had held power ever since!

Below the Yun Clan was the Sun Clan’s Spirit Beast Lineage.

Although the Sun Clan joined later, they were protected by Shi Jian, a Golden Core Demon General. Naturally, their status rose accordingly.

Although they were hindered by a lack of manpower and couldn't seize more of the Sect’s interests,

Within White Cloud Temple, the Sun Clan Disciples were considered Core Disciples. they enjoyed many privileges and had firmly established their own lineage!

The third faction

Was the Zhao Clan lineage, the creators of White Cloud Temple. The Zhao Clan had founded the Temple, but unfortunately, after the death of the Golden Core Master Zhao Qing, they fell into a slump...

Later, due to the chaos caused by demonic and Loose Cultivators,

The Zhao Clan’s Foundation Establishment Cultivator fell one after another.

This caused their status to plummet and their power to wither. Now, the Zhao Clan lineage could only hold the third seat in the Temple, possessing three Tier 2 Spiritual Veins.

They were in charge of the Artifact Refining Peak, but the Zhao Clan only had three Foundation Establishment Cultivator left, making them even more destitute than the Sun Clan...

As for the fourth faction,

It consisted of the Sect’s Disciples and several Elders with foreign surnames.

The vast majority of the thousands of Disciples within White Cloud Temple were merely consumables—they were the tenants of the Yun, Sun, and Zhao families...

They planted spirit fields and medicine gardens, tended to Spirit Beasts, hunted down evil and demonic cultivators within the territory, or completed various Sect missions.

In essence, they were all working for the three families...

The vast majority of the resulting profits were seized by the Yun Clan, while the Sun Clan later stepped in to take a share. All were exploiting these Disciples, but such were the rules of the cultivation world.

It was beyond reproach; the immortal gate passed down techniques, and Disciples were expected to give back in return.

As for those Elders with foreign surnames, they were essentially the most talented and capable fighters among the many Disciples.

These people were equivalent to high-level thugs within the Sect!

For instance, among the ten Foundation Establishment Cultivator setting out this time, six were these Foundation Establishment Elders with foreign surnames.

They were also consumables, just of a higher grade.

Disciples or foreign-surname Elders who were proficient in special skills or had exceptional talent would eventually be absorbed and recruited by the Yun, Sun, and Zhao families.

This was done through means such as binding them via marriage or winning them over with resource support.

These methods were used to take talent for their own use.

The Fusion of all the above was the prototype of a Sect and the core operating logic of a Sect.

And where there are people, there is naturally a Jianghu.

Daoist Yun Du had taken the Sect’s elites away. Without him there to oversee things, some people naturally sensed an opportunity and began making small moves...

Among them was the Zhao Clan lineage.

Of course, these little things could not escape Shi Jian’s eyes and ears.

Within the Yunjian Mountain Range, countless Spirit Mice hidden in the shadows silently watched the movements of every faction. No one could escape surveillance.

...