Chan Sect

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Chan Sect (阐教)
Alias(es)	Teaching; Teaching Sect; Pangu Sect 2 41
Affiliation	Xuanmen; one of the Three Teachings 3 41
Occupation/Role	Orthodox immortal sect responsible for perfecting social rules, educating all beings, and distinguishing good from evil 3
Status	Active; led by Meng Chen after Yuanshi Tianzun transferred the Sect Master position to him 269
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background

Meng Chen entered the sect as Yuanshi Tianzun's eldest disciple after passing the Hundred Tribulations Heart Questioning Formation. Yuanshi immediately positioned him above the other disciples, entrusting him with the sect's rules, rewards, and punishments. 1 2

The Chan Sect was originally based at Kunlun Mountain alongside the Teaching of Humanity and the Intercepting Teaching. When the Three Teachings separated in order to expand their influence, the Chan Sect remained at Kunlun Mountain while the other two moved to Shouyang Mountain and Golden Ao Island respectively. 1 47

Yuanshi Tianzun repeatedly prepared Meng Chen as his successor: first by delegating authority, later by granting him the Pangu Imprint, and finally by formally transferring the Sect Master position to him. 7 55 269

Doctrine

The sect identifies itself as the Pangu Sect. Its foundational precept is to hold all living beings in one's heart, respect life and nature, educate the multitude, and awaken wisdom. It teaches that Heaven, Earth, and all beings originate from Pangu and should therefore be treated with reverence. 2

Within the Three Teachings' division of responsibilities, the Chan Sect is tasked with maintaining and perfecting rules after the Teaching of Humanity establishes social order. Its intended work includes:

• Educating all beings.
• Establishing standards of good and evil.
• Promoting proper views of life and moral ethics.
• Maintaining the operation of social rules. 3

The Chan Sect regards the Human, Chan, Intercepting, and Western sects as independent bodies with separate doctrines and sovereignty. Yuanshi Tianzun rejects the idea that any sect should command another's internal affairs. 41

Organization and Governance

Leadership

Position	Holder	Notes
Founding Sect Master	Yuanshi Tianzun	Established the sect's doctrine, taught its Daoist arts, and remained responsible for its major direction before stepping down. 2 3 269
Eldest Senior Brother	Meng Chen	Appointed to oversee sect rules, reward good, and punish evil. 2
Deputy Sect Leader	Meng Chen	Entrusted with sect administration and disciple instruction while Yuanshi Tianzun handled external threats. 178 180 181
Sect Master	Meng Chen	Officially succeeded Yuanshi Tianzun after Ancestor Hongjun assigned Yuanshi a new duty. 269

Rules and Discipline

Meng Chen's rule enforcement became central to the sect's reputation. He tried True Lord of Clear Void and Virtue for abducting Plant Spirit Race immortals for alchemy, stripped him of his cultivation, severed his immortal root, expelled him from the Chan Sect, and handed him to the victims' race for judgment. 29 32

The punishment established that status as a Sage's disciple did not exempt one from sect law. Yuanshi Tianzun endorsed this approach, arguing that clear rewards and punishments were necessary to prevent disciples from using personal sentiment to shield wrongdoing. 31 34

• Disciples who violate sect rules are not to be tolerated or indulged. 31
• Personal opportunities obtained by disciples belong to those disciples; the sect does not seize their fortune. 197
• The sect's public standing improved because its disciples outwardly adhered strictly to the rules after Clear Void and Virtue's expulsion. 192

Administration Reforms

After taking over day-to-day affairs, Meng Chen drafted reforms intended to strengthen discipline, recruitment, and cultivation:

• Open cultivation secret realms tailored to individual disciples' weaknesses.
• Establish a contribution-point system for spreading the Dao.
• Conduct regular strength assessments.
• Send disciples who fail required standards to mine in the Heavenly Realm.
• Hold an Immortal Dao Conference to test Chan Sect disciples against outside talents.
• Expand the inner- and outer-sect system and recruit broadly. 222

He later required each sect immortal to accept at least two disciples within five thousand years, linking the distribution of Innate Spiritual Treasures to the expansion of the Daoist lineage. 326

Membership

The sect initially had relatively few members compared with the Intercepting Teaching, making internal management simpler but leaving it outnumbered during early disputes. 2 13

Known members and affiliates include:

• Meng Chen — Eldest Senior Brother, later Deputy Sect Leader and Sect Master. 2 180 269
• Guang Chengzi — A leading disciple and Meng Chen's frequent representative in negotiations and sect affairs. 73 192
• Yu Ding Zhenren — Core Chan Sect disciple who assisted Meng Chen in sect matters. 37
• Cihang Zhenren — Chan Sect disciple and one of the immortals involved in major sect affairs. 37 173
• Taiyi Zhenren — Sought Meng Chen's guidance on the Time Law after Meng Chen assumed control of the Jade Void Palace. 181
• Yellow Dragon True Man — A Chan Sect disciple whose isolation by fellow disciples damaged his Dao heart and delayed his advancement. 222
• Yun Zhongzi — Chan Sect disciple who helped bring the Chenghuang Clan into the Myriad Witch Kingdom. 249
• Gu Changsheng — A former Tianhe Academy disciple accepted by Yuanshi Tianzun after seeking refuge in the Pangu Sect. 107
• Ancestor Hongyun — Accepted by Yuanshi Tianzun, completing the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect. 173
• Wu Liangzi / Daoist Ran Deng — A Western Church spy accepted only as a nominal disciple after dissolving his Da Luo Dao Fruit. 25 178

Relationships

• Yuanshi Tianzun — Founder and original Sect Master; personally trained the disciples and groomed Meng Chen as successor. 3 7 269
• Teaching of Humanity — Fellow Xuanmen teaching with responsibility for social order and human civilization; the Chan Sect complements its work by perfecting rules and educating beings. 3
• Intercepting Teaching — Fellow teaching and long-standing rival. Their conflict is rooted primarily in incompatible values and views of good and evil rather than doctrinal differences. 13
• Western Church — A competing force whose suspected infiltration of the Intercepting Teaching and placement of Ran Deng caused repeated friction with the Chan Sect. 13 23
• Plant Spirit Race — Swore allegiance to Meng Chen after he punished Clear Void and Virtue; received the Eastern Azure Wood Art and later training opportunities. 35 180
• Witch Clan / Myriad Witch Kingdom — Protected and supported by the Chan Sect under Meng Chen; the Witch Clan received a promise that the sect would not abandon them unless they betrayed it. 180
• Dragon Clan — The East Sea Dragon Clan sought favor with the Chan Sect because of its reputation and influence. 192
• Chenghuang Clan — Joined the Myriad Witch Kingdom with Chan Sect support while retaining autonomy in its internal affairs. 249

Major Arcs

Early Sect Consolidation

Meng Chen's arrival changed the internal balance of the Chan Sect. As Eldest Senior Brother, he began unifying disciples who had previously been outmatched by the more numerous Intercepting Teaching. 2 13

He protected Guang Chengzi, Chijingzi, and Taiyi Zhenren from Yu Shuixian's baleful art, then defeated multiple Intercepting Teaching disciples at Pointing Heaven Peak. These victories established his authority among the Chan Sect disciples. 12 14 17

Discipline of Clear Void and Virtue

The sect confronted its own internal failings when True Lord of Clear Void and Virtue used Plant Spirit Race immortals as alchemical materials. Meng Chen's public trial and severe punishment made rule enforcement a defining principle of the Chan Sect. 29 31 32

The case also exposed that several disciples did not initially view Plant Spirit Race immortals as equals, revealing a gap between the sect's doctrine and its members' conduct. 31

Expansion Through Alliances

Meng Chen accepted the allegiance of 1,800 Plant Spirit Race members on Kunlun Mountain and began using their mapping ability to locate resources and chart the Primordial World. 35

The sect later sheltered the Witch Clan, supported the rise of the Myriad Witch Kingdom, cultivated relationships with the Dragon Clan, and approved the Chenghuang Clan's entry into the kingdom. 131 180 192 249

Administrative Transformation

While Meng Chen cultivated in the Purple Cloud Palace, many of his development plans stalled because Yuanshi Tianzun lacked their detailed implementation methods. Yuanshi nevertheless expanded the sect's teachings among self-reliant humans and raised the Myriad Witch Kingdom into the Heavenly Realm. 220

After returning as a Quasi-Sage, Meng Chen resumed administration, reviewed the sect's history, and proposed systematic reforms to disciple training, recruitment, contributions, and competitive evaluation. 221 222

Meng Chen's Succession

Ancestor Hongjun reassigned Yuanshi Tianzun to sort Heavenly Dao laws, ending his tenure as Sect Master. Yuanshi then formally passed leadership of the Chan Sect to Meng Chen, whose accession was acknowledged by various races and heavens. 269

Afterward, Meng Chen used Innate Spiritual Treasures to reward disciples and publicly demonstrate the sect's resources, strengthening its attraction to outside powers and potential allies. 275

Dao Lord Era

Following Meng Chen's attainment of the Dao Lord realm, the sect opened recruitment for second- and third-generation disciples and required its immortals to expand their own lineages. 320 326

Meng Chen later ordered the Teaching's relocation to God Ruins Mountain on the Four Extremes Continent. During his secluded cultivation, Supreme Peace Master and Zhen Yizi took responsibility for the sect's affairs. 369