Purgatory Sect

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Purgatory Sect (炼狱宗)
Alias(es)	Purgatory Demon Sect
Affiliation	One of the Ten Great Demonic Sects; later a founding member of the Tiannan Alliance 28 236
Occupation/Role	Demonic cultivation sect and the ruling power of Chizhou, appointing local city lords and county magistrates from its elders and protectors 8
Status	Reorganized as the Purgatory Hall, subordinate to the Palace Master alongside the Cold Moon Hall and Yellow Springs Hall 336
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Organization and Holdings

Aspect	Details
Core territory	Dominates Chizhou, controlling thirteen of its nineteen cities and exercising power over roughly thirty million people 8
Political reach	City lords and county magistrates in its occupied cities are appointed from the sect's elders and protectors 8
Cultivator strength	Possesses dozens of Spirit Refining elders, hundreds of Core Condensation protectors, and more than four thousand Qi Refining and True Qi cultivators; it claims three thousand true disciples 28
Military and dependents	Maintains 20,000 outer disciples, 30,000 elite troops, and 60,000 regular soldiers; about one million people depend on the sect for their livelihoods 28
Later scale	Five years after Gu Jinlai became a Supreme Elder, the sect was described as having more than 100,000 disciples and over a million affiliated or dependent people 290
Changjun City branch	The South City station consists of three palaces and five courtyards. It was staffed by one elder, three protectors, and twenty-six disciples under Gu Jinlai 7
Xingzhou foothold	Before its Baihe City campaign, the sect already controlled Huangyan City and Hongyan City in Xingzhou 72

Leadership and Hierarchy

Position	Known holders	Notes
Sect Master	Lu Dengxian	Led the sect during its conflict and later reconciliation with Gu Jinlai 150 153
Vice Sect Masters	Lin Xiao; Qin Li; Dongfang Xue	Lin Xiao persecuted Gu Jinlai; Qin Li repeatedly defended Gu's continued loyalty to the sect 4 69 136
Supreme Elders	Lu Zhanxian; Zhang Liefeng; Liu Jingtao; later Gu Jinlai	Supreme Elders are Nascent Soul True Monarchs and form the sect's highest echelon 180 187 230
Elders	Red Robe and Golden Robe Elders	Elders participate in the sect's decision-making structure and may access its scriptures and secret techniques 72 153
Protectors and deacons	Core Condensation protectors and Gang Condensation deacons	They supervise local branches, resource points, and field forces 7 76

Cultivation Methods

Purgatory Reincarnation Art

The Purgatory Sect's foremost sect-protecting inheritance. It can be cultivated from the Spirit Refining realm onward and includes methods to temper the Yin Spirit, condense a Nascent Soul, comprehend the momentum of heaven and earth, and advance toward the Heavenly Being realm 153 154.

• One of the sect's three techniques capable of leading to Heavenly Being-level cultivation 153.
• Delivered to Gu Jinlai by Qin Li after the sect's reconciliation with him 154.

Six Desires Demonic Art

A Spirit Refining method used to influence and agitate an opponent's emotions; Yang Kan employed it against Yan Xuejian during the Wutong County battle 28 81.

Heartless Canon and Seed Demon Art

Two further Spirit Refining methods associated with the sect's doctrine of benefiting oneself at others' expense 28.

History

Origins and Demonic-Sect Status

The Purgatory Sect was branded a demonic sect because it supported the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall's uprising against the Great Qian Dynasty. Following Emperor Tianji's defeat, the sect and other defeated forces were labeled heretical and demonic, though the chaos caused by Demonic Beasts prevented Great Qian from eliminating them outright 111 189.

It grew into the dominant force in Chizhou, but its size came with internal factionalism and limited deployable strength. Large portions of its troops and experts were committed to regional defense, resource points, and border threats, making a full mobilization risky 28 69.

Conflict with Gu Jinlai

Gu Jinlai originally served as an elder of the Purgatory Sect's Changjun City branch. Vice Sect Master Lin Xiao sabotaged him during an Orthodox One Sect pursuit, leaving Gu without reinforcements and prompting him to view the sect as unworthy of loyalty 4.

The sect initially attempted to contain Gu through reassignment and political pressure. Zhou Yunyi was ordered to replace him in Changjun City, while Gu was transferred to Huayin County 8. Despite this, the sect later promoted Gu to Golden Robe Elder and assigned him to support its planned conquest of Baihe City in Xingzhou 72.

Gu ultimately destroyed Yang Kan and multiple Purgatory Sect protectors at Wutong County after their attempted manipulation of him. He then made clear that he intended to rise independently rather than genuinely ally with either the Purgatory Sect or the Meteor Guard 82 83.

Reconciliation and Gu Jinlai's Promotion

After Gu killed Elder Tan Qingquan and seized territory in Xingzhou, the sect privately considered delaying retaliation until after the Divine Sword Assembly 149. Gu instead led an army into Chizhou and demanded Lin Xiao's surrender, forcing Sect Master Lu Dengxian to concede 148 150.

Lin Xiao was handed over and killed by Gu Jinlai. The sect promoted Gu to Red Robe Elder, promised him a Council of Elders seat, granted him the Purgatory Reincarnation Art, and had Supreme Elder Liu Jingtao deter the Meteor Guard on his behalf 153 154.

Following Gu's destruction of Dragon Sparrow Villa's Nascent Soul True Monarchs, the sect offered him the position of fourth Supreme Elder. Gu accepted, formally entering the sect's highest rank 180 187.

Strained Alliance and Reorganization

Despite Gu Jinlai's title, Lu Zhanxian and Zhang Liefeng questioned his loyalty and feared his growing independent power. During the Dragon Sparrow Villa war, they allowed Yellow Springs Sect forces to pin the Purgatory Sect down while treating the crisis as a means to pressure Gu and Lingxiao City into deeper dependence on the sect 230.

The Purgatory Sect later joined Lingxiao City, Yellow Heaven Dao, Cold Moon Sect, and Yellow Springs Sect in the Tiannan Alliance. It also committed forces to aid the Cold Moon Sect against the Demonic Beasts of Muzhou 236 248.

After the integration of Tannan's major sects, the Purgatory Sect ceased to exist as an independent sect and became the Purgatory Hall under Gu Jinlai's wider command 336.

Relationships

• Gu Jinlai — Former elder, later Red Robe Elder and fourth Supreme Elder. Their relationship shifted from Lin Xiao's attempted elimination of Gu to political reconciliation, though the sect's senior leadership remained wary of Gu's autonomy 4 153 187 230.
• Lin Xiao — Former Vice Sect Master and Gu Jinlai's principal internal enemy. His schemes against Gu triggered the crisis that culminated in Gu's invasion of Chizhou and Lin's execution 4 148 153.
• Qin Li — Vice Sect Master who defended Gu Jinlai within the sect and personally delivered the Purgatory Reincarnation Art and a Nether Stone to him 69 154.
• Yellow Springs Sect — Longstanding rival whose forces confronted the Purgatory Sect at Jueyun Peak, preventing it from openly reinforcing Gu Jinlai against Dragon Sparrow Villa 218 230.
• Cold Moon Sect — Fellow demonic sect and Tiannan Alliance member; the Purgatory Sect later sent aid against the Muzhou Demonic Beasts 236 248.
• Great Qian Dynasty — Historical adversary; the Purgatory Sect's opposition to Great Qian was a principal reason it was classified as a demonic sect 28 111.