Empty Mountain Sect

Biodata

Power Progression

History

Li Xuanyin, a Wanhua Realm rogue cultivator, secluded himself on Kongyuan Mountain more than eighty thousand years ago. Drawing on fragmented methods he had collected and his own insights, he created the Empty Mountain Record—initially comprising the Empty Mountain Art and the Empty Mountain Formless Chapter—and founded the Empty Mountain Sect there. 73 613

The sect stagnated for roughly three thousand years until the rise of Yan Yunhe, later known as True Person Kongmiao. Yan Yunhe improved the Empty Mountain Record, authored its third volume, the Empty Mountain Kongmiao Notes, and established a cultivation system spanning the Lower and Upper Three Realms. His achievements transformed Empty Mountain Sect into a super-first-rate power. 73 433 613

Empty Mountain Sect has produced three Ascension Realm cultivators: True Person Kongmiao of Kongyuan Mountain, True Person Minghua of Yuanhua Mountain, and True Person Caiyun of Qingchan Peak. True Person Minghua controlled the sect from behind the scenes for more than twenty-three thousand years, cementing Yuanhua Mountain's standing within the sect. 65

Following Tian Ding Sect's overnight destruction, Empty Mountain Sect became one of the Five Great Sects that re-established Chenping Continent's order. 76

During a reincarnation cycle seven years after the sect's destruction, most of its spirit fields, mines, and surviving external disciples were absorbed by the other Four Great Sects. A separate record set five years after the Great Tribulation describes Qingchan Peak rebuilding most of the Outer Court and recruiting new disciples twice. 180 222

After the destruction of the Great Demon's egg in the Falling Sword Mountain Range, True Person Caiyun Kong Yang returned to the mortal world with Ascension Realm cultivation and assumed control of the sect. He later launched cleansing campaigns against perceived enemies and elevated trusted figures from Yun Yichen's lineage. 292 300 336

Organization

Inner Sect and Outer Court

The sect is divided between the Inner Sect—the core disciples organized under the Three Mountains and Four Peaks—and the Outer Court, whose disciples handle much of the sect's routine labor and external duties. 1 726

Kongyuan Mountain is the sect's direct lineage and holds a status roughly half a step above the other six Inner Sect lineages. Its influence is strengthened by the fact that several of Sect Master Yun Yichen's disciples hold important Kongyuan positions. 729 730

Recorded Scale

Recruitment

Every three years, mortal applicants climb the sect's outer mountain gate to seek admission. One recorded recruitment drew several hundred thousand candidates, but only 1,000 were accepted: 900 into the Outer Court and 100 into the Inner Sect. 6 133

Symbols and Sites

• White crane — The sect's totem, representing freedom and leisure. 351
• Daoist robes — Standard sect robes are pure white; Kongyuan Mountain's direct lineage wears gilded cloud-crane embroidery on its sleeves. 100 504
• Kongyuan Mountain — The sect's founding mountain and orthodox center. Kongyuan Hall bears the inscription “Kongyuan Freedom.” 73 74
• Outer mountain gate — The approach to the sect contains 10,001 steps; disciples below the Qi Sea Realm must use it when descending the mountain. 6
• Taiyun City — The sect's bridgehead in the mortal world. Although nominally governed by a city lord, effective authority rests with Empty Mountain Sect's resident envoy. 6
• Sky-Slaying Pavilion territory, Tian Ding Mountain — The sect maintains and stations Outer Court disciples in its assigned Tian Ding Mountain territory. 91

Resources and Treasures

• Spirit fields and mines — Tens of millions of mu of spirit fields and hundreds of mines across Chenping Continent underpin the sect's cultivation resources. 157
• Mingxiao Peak ferry crossing — Used to sell low-end cultivation resources to smaller sects for spirit-stone income. 157
• Tian Ding Mountain postings — Long-term personnel receive 1.5 times normal cultivation resources and a return stipend; such postings are a common path to Outer Court official positions. 91
• Sect ferry — The Empty Mountain Sect's ferry is valued at more than sixty million high-grade spirit stones. 495
• Mountain Shaking Bell — The sect's treasured high-grade seventh-tier magic artifact. Its deterrent value protects the sect even in periods when it lacks Upper Three Realms successors. 23
• Tian Ding Mirror fragment — Empty Mountain Sect holds one of the five fragments of the world's only Dao artifact, divided among the Five Great Sects after Tian Ding Mountain's fall. 274 300

Notable Members

Relationships

• Four Great Sects — Empty Mountain Sect stands alongside Lingxiao Temple, Mirage Palace, Xingtian Gate, and Fengjian Valley as one of Chenping Continent's Five Great Sects. 76
• Fengjian Valley — Maintains the most harmonious relationship with Empty Mountain Sect among the other Four Great Sects. 741
• Tian Ding Mountain — Shares management of Tian Ding Mountain's ferry crossing with the other Five Great Sects on a fifty-year rotation and holds the former Sky-Slaying Pavilion as its territory. 91
• Qingque Kingdom — Exercises decisive influence through Taiyun City and its resident envoy system. 6
• Du Cang Mountain — Provides personnel for Dao Discussion operations; Qingchan Peak, Yunyin Peak, Yuanhua Mountain, and the Outer Court collectively organized more than 2,000 disciples to maintain order there. 663