Qingyun Sect

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Qingyun Sect (青云宗)
Type	Daoist cultivation sect 1 2
Affiliation	Orthodox Path; later a central force in the Orthodox Alliance 1 223 229
Location	Qingyun mountain range, Central Plains 1
Founder	Qingyunzi, the Qingyun Patriarch 2
Sect Leader	Dao Xuan Zhenren 1
Designated Successor	Bai Ye of Dazhu Peak, publicly named Sect Leader Candidate and Successor Apprentice 96 97
Organization	Seven peak lineages, each governed by a head seat 1 10
Core Cultivation Method	Taiji Xuanqing Dao 2
Supreme Treasure	Immortal Slaughtering Sword, also called the Immortal-Slaying Sword 77 78
Guardian	Spirit Venerable, an ancient beast residing in Azure Water Pool 22
Mission	Eliminate demons, defend the Dao, help the world, and save people 1
Status	Active; possesses three Taiqing Realm experts during the Beast Demon crisis 229 231
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Power Progression

The sect’s growth is reflected in the cultivation of its leading members rather than a realm assigned to the organization itself.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Bai Ye reaches Shangqing, first level	17	Dazhu Peak gains a Shangqing cultivator among its younger disciples; Bai Ye’s cultivation is confirmed at age seventeen.
Bai Ye reaches Shangqing, fourth level	30	His recorded cultivation rises to the fourth level at age twenty-two.
Bai Ye reaches Shangqing, fifth level	56 61	Dao Xuan recognizes him as one of the sect’s strongest members outside its peak masters and orders him to remain a concealed weapon against the Demonic Cult.
Xiao Yicai reaches Shangqing	82 98	Both of the sect’s foremost young talents—Xiao Yicai and Bai Ye—now belong to the Shangqing Realm.
Bai Ye reaches Shangqing, ninth-level peak	167	After ten years within Qingyun following the invasion, he stands one step from Taiqing.
Two confirmed Taiqing experts: Dao Xuan and Wan Jianyi	223 229	Wan Jianyi’s breakthrough is revealed when Bai Ye returns; Dao Xuan and Wan Jianyi are subsequently identified as the sect’s two Taiqing experts.
Three Taiqing experts: Dao Xuan, Wan Jianyi, and Bai Ye	229	Bai Ye’s breakthrough establishes Qingyun’s strongest era in a thousand years and draws previously hesitant cultivators into the Orthodox Alliance.

Background / History

Founding and Earlier Legacy

Qingyun Sect traces its central cultivation inheritance to Qingyunzi. According to legend, he created Taiji Xuanqing Dao after comprehending the Heavenly Book. Grandmaster Qingye later attained Taiqing and elevated the sect to a new level of power; both patriarchs occupy the highest positions among the ancestral tablets 2 9 118.

A century before the main events, Qingyun defeated the Demonic Cult in a major war. Three of the four Demonic faction leaders died, while Poison God survived. Wan Jianyi became especially feared for leading an expedition into the Wilderness and pursuing Demonic cultivators there 35 153.

Bai Ye’s Admission and Rise

Bai Ye joins Qingyun seeking safety after Demonic cultivators destroy the town where he had settled. Tian Buyi selects him for Dazhu Peak, where his unexpectedly rapid cultivation leads to his acceptance as a personal disciple before the ancestral tablets 1 9.

His drinking and unconventional conduct initially provoke complaints from other disciples. Tian Buyi nevertheless maintains his choice of Bai Ye as Dazhu Peak’s successor. Bai Ye’s defeat of Fang Chao at Xiaozhu Peak’s disciple acceptance ceremony overturns his poor reputation and pushes rival disciples to intensify their training 10 13 15.

Infiltration and the Caomiao Village Massacre

Myriad Poisons Sect cultivators enter Qingyun territory to assassinate Bai Ye. After Bai Ye kills Old Ancestor Duanmu and his companions, Dao Xuan discovers their bodies. The Seven Peaks Council orders a thorough investigation but avoids immediate retaliation, fearing that the four Demonic factions might unite against Qingyun 20 22 27.

The massacre of Caomiao Village, beneath Qingyun Mountain, deepens suspicions of an internal traitor. Song Daren and Bai Ye recover three survivors: Zhang Xiaofan, Lin Jingyu, and a man driven mad. Bai Ye later reports traces of Divine Sword Lightning Control True Art at the village 44 46.

Cang Song’s apparent defection leads Dao Xuan to confront him and issue a kill order. Later, Dao Xuan reveals that Cang Song has infiltrated the Demonic Cult, and Cang Song publicly turns against its leaders during their invasion 52 61 159.

Seven Peaks Tournament and Succession

Dao Xuan privately appoints Bai Ye as a Sect Leader Candidate after his cultivation of Myriad Swords Return to Origin stirs the Immortal Slaughtering Sword. The appointment is initially restricted to senior leaders and elders 78 79 80.

At the Seven Peaks Tournament, Dao Xuan exempts Bai Ye from the preliminary matches because his strength far exceeds that of his peers. Lu Xueqi, Zhang Xiaofan, Zeng Shushu, and Qi Hao eventually withdraw from the championship contest, leaving Bai Ye the winner 86 96.

Dao Xuan then announces Bai Ye’s succession publicly. Tongtian Peak disciples object to the departure from their lineage’s traditional control of the leadership, but Xiao Yicai endorses Bai Ye. Dao Xuan states that the peak leaders unanimously support the choice 96 97.

Liubo Mountain and the Demonic Invasion

Qingyun joins Heavenly Sound Temple and Incense Valley on Liubo Mountain, where the Orthodox forces clash with the four Demonic factions. Bai Ye intervenes to protect Su Ru and Shui Yue, while Ghost King pursues his separate objective of capturing the Kui Bull 134 135.

After returning, Qingyun demands an explanation from Heavenly Sound Temple over Caomiao Village. Fa Xiang reveals that Pu Zhi, influenced by the Bloodthirsty Bead, massacred the villagers to ensure Zhang Xiaofan would enter Qingyun and learn Taiji Xuanqing Dao alongside Great Brahma Wisdom 153 156 157.

The four Demonic faction leaders attack Tongtian Peak during the confrontation. Cang Song strikes Wan Renwang and Yu Yangzi, Wan Jianyi emerges to fight Ghost King, and Bai Ye ultimately forces the invaders to retreat with Myriad Swords Return to Origin. Four to five hundred Demonic experts are lost, with fewer than a hundred escaping 158 159 160 165.

For the following ten years, Qingyun remains comparatively peaceful despite continuing Orthodox–Demonic conflict elsewhere. The invasion’s defeat makes Demonic cultivators reluctant to provoke the sect and spreads Bai Ye’s reputation across the world 167.

Beast Demon Crisis and Alliance Expansion

Qingyun hosts the gathering of the three great Orthodox forces after demons begin advancing from the Southern Border. Dao Xuan, Grandmaster Puhong, and Yun Yilan form an alliance to defend the Central Plains, and elite disciples are dispatched to investigate the threat 223 226.

Bai Ye’s Taiqing breakthrough sharply increases Qingyun’s prestige and the alliance’s recruitment. Soon afterward, Lady Sanmiao seeks to bring the Joyful Union Sect into the Orthodox Alliance and proposes a marriage between Jin Ping’er and Bai Ye to secure the relationship 229 230 231.

Organization and Leadership

Seven Peak Lineages

Peak	Leadership	Documented Members and Role
Tongtian Peak	Dao Xuan	Main peak and traditional sect-leader lineage; includes Xiao Yicai and Chang Jian. Jade Purity Hall hosts major councils and inter-sect meetings 15 97 153 223.
Dazhu Peak	Tian Buyi, supported by Su Ru	Initially the least populous lineage. Members include Bai Ye, Song Daren, Wu Dayi, Zheng Dali, He Dazhi, Lü Daxin, Du Dashu, Tian Ling’er, and Zhang Xiaofan 1 66.
Longshou Peak	Cang Song before his apparent defection	Includes Qi Hao, Fang Chao, and Lin Jingyu. During Cang Song’s absence, Qi Hao struggles to maintain the leaderless branch 10 46 94.
Xiaozhu Peak	Grandmaster Shui Yue	Lu Xueqi’s lineage; hosts the disciple acceptance ceremony where Bai Ye defeats Fang Chao 13 15 83.
Fenghui Peak	Zeng Shuchang	Zeng Shushu’s lineage; a gathering place for outstanding younger disciples 18 19.

• Branch autonomy: Head seats hold substantial authority over their own succession. Even Dao Xuan cannot deeply interfere with Tian Buyi’s selection of Dazhu Peak’s heir 10.
• Seven Peaks Council: The head seats convene to address major security threats and determine the sect’s response 27.
• Central succession: Leadership traditionally passes through Tongtian Peak, but Dao Xuan breaks that pattern by choosing Bai Ye of Dazhu Peak 79 97.
• Wan Jianyi: A legendary senior expert associated with the Ancestral Hall, later revealed alive during the invasion and subsequently confirmed as a Taiqing cultivator 100 160 223.

Territory and Important Locations

Location	Description / Function
Qingyun mountain range	Extends for hundreds of miles, with seven principal peaks, mist-covered forests, waterfalls, unusual rock formations, and rare wildlife 1.
Dahe and Hongchuan rivers	Lie at the mountains’ foot and contribute to the region’s strategically important position 1.
Central plaza	Used for disciple admission and tournament gatherings 1 86.
Jade Purity Hall	Located on Tongtian Peak; the venue for leadership meetings, diplomatic gatherings, and the confrontation preceding the Demonic invasion 153 156 158 223.
Ancestral Hall	Houses the patriarchs’ tablets and serves as the setting for formal vows and recognition of personal disciples 9.
Illusory Moon Grotto	Forbidden ground behind Tongtian Peak. Traditionally accessible only to the sect master; houses the Immortal Slaughtering Sword 77 239.
Azure Water Pool	Residence of Spirit Venerable, the sect’s ancient guardian beast 22.
Black Bamboo Grove	Dazhu Peak cultivation site where Bai Ye trains and receives several sign-in rewards 6 8 167.
Shouxin Hall	Dazhu Peak hall where Qingyun leaders and allied experts gather to celebrate Bai Ye’s Taiqing breakthrough 229.
Caomiao Village	Village beneath Qingyun Mountain, fifty li from Heyang City, within the sect’s protected surroundings 44.

Doctrine and Training

• Foundational duty: Disciples pledge to eliminate demons, defend the Dao, aid the world, and save people 1.
• Unity across lineages: Dao Xuan emphasizes that disciples remain members of one sect regardless of which peak accepts them 1.
• Discipline: Sect rules apply without exception. Betrayal and joining the Demonic Cult are treated as capital offenses, including for a head seat 1 52.
• Admission: New disciples are selected into individual lineages by the peak heads. At Bai Ye’s admission ceremony, Tongtian Peak declines to take new disciples 1.
• Foundational training: Tian Buyi assigns Bai Ye and Du Dashu three years of bamboo chopping after teaching them the first three Yuqing levels 2.
• Restricted access: Outsiders face strict entry rules; Bai Ye’s ability to bring Yan Lingji into the sect is recognized as an exceptional privilege 70 90.
• Protected inheritance: Dao Xuan refuses Pu Zhi’s proposed exchange of Great Brahma Wisdom for Taiji Xuanqing Dao because Qingyun’s method is its supreme true art 153 157.
• Debate over orthodoxy: Bai Ye’s belief that good and evil depend on the heart clashes with Shui Yue’s defense of Qingyun’s longstanding anti-demonic mission. Tian Buyi is likewise conflicted by his disciples’ willingness to combine Orthodox and Demonic teachings 134.

Seven Peaks Tournament

• Held once every sixty years to assess the younger generation’s strength 80 82 86.
• Matchups and arenas are ordinarily determined by drawing lots 86.
• The documented tournament offers the Six Unity Mirror as its championship prize 82.
• Heavenly Sound Temple and Incense Valley attend as invited observers; the four Demonic factions secretly monitor the event 82 83.
• Bai Ye receives an exceptional preliminary-round exemption and ultimately wins the championship 86 96.

Cultivation and Divine Arts

Taiji Xuanqing Dao

Qingyun’s supreme internal cultivation method draws in spiritual energy, strengthens the body and meridians, prolongs life, and requires comprehension of heaven and earth 2.

Realm	Position in the Method	Documented Features
Yuqing	Foundation	Entry into cultivation; its fourth level marks the middle stage and enables sword flight 2 6 80.
Shangqing	Advanced realm	Possesses formidable power; most leading Orthodox and Demonic experts belong to this realm 2.
Taiqing	Supreme realm	Attained by only a handful of cultivators across the world 2 118.

• Each realm is divided into nine levels 2.
• Progress is gradual, with distinct trials and obstacles at each breakthrough 2.
• Strong cultivation alone is insufficient for combat without supporting Divine Arts 7.

Divine Sword Lightning Control True Art

One of Qingyun’s four great inherited Divine Arts, using a divine weapon to draw down Nine Heavens Divine Thunder 7 8.

• Forms an invisible protective barrier around the caster through the weapon 8.
• Extremely difficult to master; at its introduction, successful practitioners within Qingyun can be counted on one hand 8.
• Mishandling the technique can expose the caster to the thunder’s destructive force 8.
• Bai Ye’s first casting attempt destroys his inadequate ritual sword 8.

Demon Slayer True Art

One of the sect’s four great sword arts, closely associated with Wan Jianyi and the Dragon Slayer Sword 93 94.

• Lin Jingyu reveals the technique during his tournament battle with Zhang Xiaofan 93 94.
• Its appearance shocks the senior leaders and brings Wan Jianyi’s concealed legacy back into focus 93.

Seven Stars Sword Art

One of Qingyun’s four great Divine Sword Arts, drawing upon the power of the Nine Heavens’ stars 52 98.

• Used in conjunction with the Seven Stars Sword 52.
• Xiao Yicai demonstrates a sevenfold assault aimed at Bai Ye from multiple angles 98.

Bai Ye’s Independent Techniques

• Heaven Severing Sword Draw: Obtained through Bai Ye’s sign-in system rather than Qingyun’s standard inheritance; Zhang Xiaofan learns it from his demonstration and uses it to defeat Lin Jingyu 6 94.
• World Loses Color: Creates a domain that slows movement and even thought. Wan Jianyi explicitly notes that Qingyun has no comparable domain-forming art 62.
• Myriad Swords Return to Origin: Surpasses Qingyun’s established sword arts and becomes decisive in repelling the Demonic invasion 78 165.
• Exceptional body cultivation: Dao Xuan states that Qingyun possesses no body-tempering technique comparable to the one demonstrated by Bai Ye 99.

Treasures and Defenses

• Immortal Slaughtering Sword — Qingyun’s supreme safeguard, preserved in Illusory Moon Grotto. It has protected the sect through countless crises for a thousand years, but is distinguished from Bai Ye’s Demon Suppressing Divine Sword by having side effects 9 77 78.
• Seven Stars Sword — The sword carried by successive sect leaders. Its silver blade is engraved with seven stars and complements Seven Stars Sword Art 52.
• Six Unity Mirror — A supreme treasure formerly wielded by a Qingyun sect leader; awarded to Bai Ye after the Seven Peaks Tournament 82 100.
• Spirit Venerable — The ancient guardian beast whose sudden emergence from Azure Water Pool prompts Dao Xuan’s investigation of the Myriad Poisons Sect intrusion 22.
• Perimeter patrols and gate guards — Disciples patrol the surrounding territory and control access through the mountain gate 44 71.

Relations with Other Factions

• Heavenly Sound Temple — Fellow major Orthodox sect and later alliance partner. Relations are strained by Pu Zhi’s responsibility for Caomiao Village, which Grandmaster Puhong acknowledges 156 157 223.
• Incense Valley — Fellow Orthodox power, tournament observer, and partner against the Beast Demon invasion. Yun Yilan privately fears being overshadowed after Qingyun gains its third Taiqing expert 82 223 229.
• Myriad Poisons Sect — Longstanding enemy responsible for repeated attempts to assassinate Bai Ye. Poison God views Qingyun’s destruction as the key to Demonic domination 20 35.
• Ghost King Sect — Major rival that participates in the invasion. Later plans to exploit the Beast Demon war, absorb other Demonic factions, and challenge Qingyun through the Four Spirits Blood Array 158 229.
• Longevity Hall — Participates in the invasion and suffers the heaviest losses among the four factions, including the death of its next-generation holy son 165.
• Joyful Union Sect — Former invading enemy. Lady Sanmiao later seeks entry into the Orthodox Alliance and proposes a marriage alliance involving Jin Ping’er and Bai Ye 158 230 231.
• Beast Demons — The Southern Border threat that brings Qingyun, Heavenly Sound Temple, and Incense Valley into a joint defensive alliance 223 226.

Notable Quotes

“From today onwards, you are all disciples of my Qingyun Sect. You must remember your mission: to eliminate demons and defend the Dao, to help the world and save people. This is the foundation upon which my Qingyun Sect stands.”
— Dao Xuan, addressing newly admitted disciples 1

“With me here, Qingyun Sect will reign supreme!”
— Bai Ye, following the public announcement of his succession 97