Clear Wind Valley

Biodata

History

Internal strife

Clear Wind Valley’s Valley Master and First Elder led rival factions. As the First Elder’s faction grew stronger, the two sides fell out; the aging Grand Elder and neutral cultivators helped preserve basic stability. Subordinate clans, including the Li Clan, were required to choose a side 89.

The Li and Liu Clans backed the Valley Master, as did roughly one-third of Clear Wind Valley’s subordinate forces. After his faction prevailed, the Valley Master rewarded supporters with benefits including tribute exemptions and access to additional Foundation Establishment Pills. Clear Wind Valley destroyed three opposing Foundation Establishment clans; others paid spirit stones to avoid destruction 96 99. It later sent Elder Yan Xuewei to Li Lilong’s Foundation Establishment banquet, recognizing both the Li Clan’s support and its decision to postpone the celebration until the strife had ended 100.

The Li Clan’s rise

Clear Wind Valley wanted its subordinate clans strong enough to hold their territories, but not so powerful that they threatened to become rival Core Formation forces 127 203. Its response to the Li Clan’s destruction of the Jiang Clan was to leave grievances between subordinate clans for those clans to resolve 159. It also encouraged the Li Clan’s involvement in Wutong Prefecture, where the clan’s actions helped bring the prefecture into Clear Wind Valley’s sphere of influence 212 331.

Yan Xuewei’s ties to the Li Clan became increasingly important as some Clear Wind Valley factions considered suppressing its growth. After she formed her core, suppressing the clan became more difficult 305 309. When the Zhao Country Royal Family later sought Clear Wind Valley’s cooperation against the Li Clan, the sect’s leadership refused. Even Second Elder He Shiping, who had argued that the clan posed a danger, would not defy the sect’s decision 404 413 417.

Conflict and succession

Clear Wind Valley’s rivalry with Heaven Harmony Sect escalated from contests between affiliated forces toward open conflict. Yan Xuewei negotiated an alliance with Heaven Transmission Mountain against Heaven Harmony Sect 350 371. After Valley Master Feng Xicheng reached Late Stage Core Formation, he prepared to step back as Grand Elder, and Yan Xuewei succeeded him as Valley Master 389 390.

Following Heaven Harmony Sect’s destruction, Clear Wind Valley took the leading position among the three remaining sects. Water Cloud Gate and Heaven Transmission Mountain acknowledged that role, in part because Clear Wind Valley maintained a good relationship with each of them and negotiated benefits on their behalf 425 426. Yan Xuewei continued as Valley Master even after reaching Late Stage Core Formation, rather than stepping down under the sect’s usual rule 469 494.

Organization and Resources

• Cultivators: At the time of the internal strife, Clear Wind Valley had a Late Stage Core Formation Supreme Elder, four other Core Formation cultivators, and more than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators. It ranked second in overall strength among Zhao Kingdom’s Four Great Sects 96.
• Leadership: Foundation Establishment disciples become elders. Core Formation elders hold ranked titles; a cultivator who reaches Late Stage Core Formation can become a Supreme Elder and step back from day-to-day leadership 100 356.
• Affiliated forces: Foundation Establishment clans are subordinate to the sect, while affiliated Core Formation clans have a more cooperative relationship with it 96.
• Foundation Establishment Pills: Affiliated forces could exchange 30,000 low-grade spirit stones for one pill every hundred years. Clans that supported the Valley Master during the internal strife could exchange for a second pill that century, subject to availability 179.
• Tongyang County Cultivator Market: Clear Wind Valley managed shops there alongside the Zhao Country Royal Family, taking a 70 percent share to the royal family’s 30 percent 152.

Relationships

• Li Clan — An affiliated clan and later Clear Wind Valley’s former subordinate. Yan Xuewei’s leadership helped preserve their alliance as the Li Clan grew stronger 96 404 433.
• Heaven Harmony Sect — A rival Core Formation sect whose conflict with Clear Wind Valley eventually led to an alliance against it 350 371.
• Water Cloud Gate — A fellow sect with a generally good relationship with Clear Wind Valley; it later accepted Clear Wind Valley’s leadership among the three sects 371 426.
• Heaven Transmission Mountain — Allied with Clear Wind Valley against Heaven Harmony Sect and later accepted its leading position among the three sects 371 426.
• Zhao Country Royal Family — Sought Clear Wind Valley’s help in restraining the Li Clan, but failed to secure it 393 413 417.