Xingyi Sect

Biodata

Background / History

Li Chengyue describes the Yilin County Xingyi Martial Arts Hall as “a branch of a branch” of the sect, possessing incomplete inheritances and limited resources compared with the main sect in Changxi Prefecture. Li himself was formerly a direct disciple of the Xingyi Sect. 37 67

The sect maintains thirty-six branch halls across provinces and counties. These branches accept students of varied backgrounds, teach foundational stance work and the Five Elements Fist, and recommend qualified disciples to the main sect. 67

By its centennial celebration, the Xingyi Sect had stood for over a century and was recognized as one of Changxi Prefecture’s major martial arts schools, with True Essence Realm experts presiding over it. 74 136

Organization

The Xingyi Sect is divided into five courts based on the principles of the Five Elements. Inner-sect disciples are assigned to a court and receive its exclusive martial arts and internal cultivation methods. 76

Membership & Admission

Branch-Hall Route

• Branch halls evaluate prospective disciples by character and bone structure rather than social background. 67
• Students begin with foundational stance training and the Five Elements Fist. 67
• A branch disciple who reaches Transforming Strength before age twenty may receive a recommendation letter and attempt the main sect’s entrance trial. 67
• Successful candidates enter the inner sect and gain access to the Twelve Forms and internal cultivation methods. 67

Recommendation-Token Route

• A disciple who reaches Transforming Strength before age twenty may also enter through a recommendation token granted by a sect elder or sect leader. 67
• This route grants inner-sect status and access to the Twelve Forms and internal methods after admission. 67

Aptitude Assessment

• The sect ranks root-bone aptitude across nine grades, from first-grade to ninth-grade. Root bone affects early cultivation speed and potential, but is not considered absolutely fixed. 75
• Reaching Transforming Strength before age twenty qualifies a candidate for exceptional inner-sect admission regardless of root-bone grade. 75
• Inner-sect candidates are reviewed by the five courts before receiving a court assignment. 75 76

Teachings

Xingyi Fist

The sect’s core heritage is based on the Five Elements and Twelve Forms. Its broader martial system includes fists, spears, swords, sabers, and staves. 74

• Five Elements Fist — a foundational Xingyi method taught through branch halls; its five forms are Splitting, Crushing, Drilling, Cannon, and Crossing. 10 67
• Twelve Forms Fist — the inner sect’s fundamental external method for tempering the physique and stimulating blood and qi. Its internal methods stimulate corresponding organs, gradually open acupoints, and ultimately condense Gang Qi. 67 78
• Court inheritances — each of the five courts maintains specialized martial arts and internal methods aligned with its respective path. 76

Cross-Court Study

• Disciples of any court may copy techniques from other courts through the Xingyi Martial Armory if they can pay the required exchange price. 86
• Copied manuals cannot be shared, resold, or taught privately to non-disciples; violators face reclamation of their arts, crippled cultivation, and expulsion. 86

Facilities & Resources

• Xingyi Hall — the main hall beyond the sect’s mountain gate, facing a broad bluestone plaza used for admissions and gatherings. 75
• Xingyi Martial Armory — a three-floor repository containing hundreds of techniques; access to upper floors requires court-token verification or a Court Master’s order. 86 110
• Heavenly Derivation Pavilion — a core secret-manual repository considered part of the sect’s true foundation; access is ordinarily reserved for chief disciples, court masters, and the Sect Master. 126 128
• Green Rock Mountain Range Hunting Grounds — a major source of sect resources and exotic beasts. 106 110
• Changxi Prefecture branch residence — a city foothold used for rotations, administration, and management of sect-controlled businesses. 121

Major Events

Relationships

• Shenxing Sect — The higher-grade sect to which the Five Sects and two great families of Changxi Prefecture are subordinate; it selects disciples from the region every three years. 106
• Blazing Sun Sect — A major rival. Its leadership attempts to embarrass the Xingyi Sect through public challenges, culminating in the defeats of Zhao Tian and Lie Fangxu by Chen Jianghe. 136 139 156
• Sun-Moon Divine Cult — A hostile demonic organization that infiltrates the Green Rock Mountain Range, attempts to establish a Blood Sacrifice Array, and seeks to eliminate promising Xingyi disciples. 107 110 157
• Chang Family — One of Changxi Prefecture’s two great families. Its members repeatedly target Chen Jianghe, prompting an official warning from the Xingyi Sect. 126
• Zhang Family — A subordinate family of the Xingyi Sect that manages medicinal-herb businesses and mines, but becomes subject to suspicion because of its rapid expansion and possible ties to the Blood Hand Gang. 113

Trivia

• The Xingyi Sect’s mountain gate is a stone arch over thirty feet high, bearing the characters “Xingyi Sect” in forceful calligraphy that conveys martial intent. 75
• The sect’s five-court structure reflects the Five Elements’ principles of mutual generation and restraint. 76
• Sect Master Cen Qianfan privately identifies Chen Jianghe as a potential future Sect Master due to his growth and combat record. 157