Azure Dragon Temple

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Azure Dragon Temple (苍龙寺)
Alias(es)	Southern Azure Dragon; Azure Dragon Sect
Affiliation	Beyond Lands; formerly one of the Thirteen Sects of the Outer Lands
Occupation/Role	Martial sect; custodian of the Azure Dragon Fundamental Diagram and its related inheritances
Headquarters	Azure Dragon Mountain, near Jade Dragon City in the Beyond Lands 282 422
Leader	Zhao Ya, Temple Master 403
Status	Active; rebuilt after its schism, war with Northern Azure Dragon, and a period of sealed-mountain isolation 357 403 411
First Appearance	150

Background / History

Founding and former prominence

Azure Dragon Temple was founded more than a thousand years ago around the Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving. In the carving's recorded history, craftsmen first shaped the Azure Dragon into the cliff; an ancient saber wielder then struck its eyes and declared it the temple's Fundamental Diagram, containing the insights of his lifetime. 329

At its height, Azure Dragon Temple was the undisputed leading sect of the Beyond Lands. Other sects brought their disputes to it for judgment, and the temple's Azure Dragon Token carried enough authority that every sect submitted upon receiving it. 411

The temple's prosperity was reflected in the number of martial artists cultivating before the carving: historical visions show its plaza once holding at least a thousand fifth-realm practitioners at once. 329

Schism

About twenty years before Zhao Ya's arrival, a peerless temple talent opened more than half the meridians in his body before turning thirty. He later betrayed the temple, triggering an internal war that split Azure Dragon Temple into Southern Azure Dragon and Northern Azure Dragon. 278

The traitor, Jing Pingsheng, had pursued the forbidden path of God-Slaying, Wish-Seizing and sought to devour the will within the Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving. His conflict with the Grand Elder caused the schism war and left the carving with a broken horn-like scar. 282 349

Southern Azure Dragon retained the original main temple, while Northern Azure Dragon built its own mountain complex and imitation Azure Dragon carving, claiming to be the orthodox lineage. 298 310

Decline and Zhao Ya's recruitment

By the Mountain-Opening Ceremony, the Southern branch's recruitment post was hidden in a shabby alley and had no applicants. Its succession line was so depleted that Elder Qin Jianji had to suspend his cultivation to personally recruit disciples. 279

Qin Jianji accepted Zhao Ya after their exchange of fist techniques demonstrated Zhao Ya's exceptional grasp of the Great Vajra Fist. Gui Xuanqing joined shortly afterward, giving the temple two notable fifth-realm recruits. 279 280

Zhao Ya's arrival drew new attention to the declining sect, but it also intensified scrutiny from Northern Azure Dragon, Sea-Watching Tower, and other powers in the Beyond Lands. 281 282

Internal purge and war with Northern Azure Dragon

After Farewell Tower attempted to assassinate Zhao Ya, Grand Elder Guan Xuejiang ordered Shen Yunshen and ten Meridian Opening elders to eradicate the organization. The investigation exposed links between Farewell Tower, internal Southern Azure Dragon traitors, and Northern Azure Dragon. 317 319 325 326

Northern Azure Dragon later supported Farewell Tower's assault on the temple. Zhao Ya organized Southern Azure Dragon's defenses, while Guan Xuejiang entrusted him with command during the approaching war. 337

Jing Pingsheng personally invaded Azure Dragon Temple to seize the Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving. Guan Xuejiang used the life-consuming Body-to-God Transformation Technique to resist him, but Zhao Ya ultimately received the Azure Dragon's power, dispersed Jing's black-dragon phantom, and killed him. 353 354 355

Guan Xuejiang died from the cost of the battle. In the aftermath, Azure Dragon Temple sealed its mountain and closed its gates to recover from its losses. 357

Restoration under Zhao Ya

The temple was removed from the Thirteen Sects of the Outer Lands during its isolation, but Zhao Ya used the closure to strengthen its disciples, order Mechanism Sect weapons, and rebuild its martial capabilities. 358 399

After reaching the Yuan Sea Realm, Zhao Ya became Temple Master and revised seven or eight of Azure Dragon Temple's ultimate arts with Qin Jianji and Shen Yunshen, adapting them to the modern world's thinner spiritual energy. 400 403

When the black ship threat emerged from the Sea of No Delusion, Zhao Ya revived the Azure Dragon Token and called the major sects to unite beneath Azure Dragon Mountain. The temple subsequently led an alliance toward the Northern Border Snowfields. 410 411 413 422

Grounds and Facilities

Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving

The temple's defining landmark is a massive Azure Dragon carved into a cliff face several dozen meters tall. The dragon itself stretches at least one hundred meters across the stone and appears lifelike enough to seem ready to fly away. 282

• Serves as Azure Dragon Temple's Fundamental Diagram and the visualization focus for Azure Dragon True Force. 287
• Contains a powerful will accumulated from generations of disciples and masters who contemplated it. 317 328
• Bears a scar and missing horn caused during the schism war. 282
• Can empower a Grand Elder within the temple grounds through the Body-to-God Transformation Technique. 328 353
• Recognized Zhao Ya strongly enough to enter his body during his battle with Jing Pingsheng. 354

Library Pavilion

Azure Dragon Temple's Library Pavilion was established alongside the temple and expanded over generations through books gathered from across the land. Its collection includes martial manuals, historical records, and case files from other sects. 283

• First floor — general records and foundational material. 283
• Second floor — texts intended largely for practitioners of the five acquired realms; entry requires 100 contribution points, with two points consumed per hour. 289
• Third floor — requires 1,000 contribution points and consumes five points per hour. 289
• Caretaker — Guo Luming, an elder of hidden strength who personally guided Zhao Ya's development. 283 296

Other locations

• Transmission Hall — disciples holding an identity plaque may study under transmission elders on the first, third, fifth, and seventh days of each ten-day cycle. 284
• Rear-mountain lake — a secluded cultivation site where Zhao Ya nurtured his true-force seed beneath the ice. 287
• Azure Dragon Square — the plaza before the carving; site of the final battle against Jing Pingsheng and Guan Xuejiang's funeral rites. 353 357

Arts and Institutional Resources

Azure Dragon True Force

Azure Dragon True Force is cultivated by visualizing the Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving. Its manifestations vary between disciples, but the art is renowned for its ferocity. 287 346

• The carving's imagery can produce true force marked by vitality, majesty, slaughter, or other individual qualities. 287
• Zhao Ya later fused his Azure Dragon True Force with Star-Devouring True Force, changing the art's nature into something more profound and ancient. 369 400
• The temple's Grand Elders can draw directly on the carving's accumulated will while defending the grounds. 328 353

Great Vajra Fist

The Great Vajra Fist is Azure Dragon Temple's sect-defining ultimate art. Complete inner-sect transmissions are markedly stronger than the incomplete versions scattered among former outer disciples and the common populace. 175 177

• Zhao Ya used the art to establish his worth during recruitment and later to defend the temple's prestige. 279 412
• The technique was originally designed to work with the more abundant spiritual energy of earlier eras. 402 403
• Zhao Ya's revised version emphasizes the “great” quality of overwhelming, advancing force rather than only the “vajra” quality of indestructibility. 403

Sect contribution system

Azure Dragon Temple uses a contribution system to regulate access to its library, special pills, weapons, and other resources. 289

• The system was introduced to prevent disciples from recklessly practicing arts beyond their level.
• It also discourages outsiders from joining solely to exploit the Library Pavilion.
• Sect missions provide contribution points while allowing elders to delegate difficult or inconvenient work. 289

Weapons and mechanical development

During its sealed-mountain period, Zhao Ya commissioned a large weapons order from the Mechanism Sect to strengthen Azure Dragon Temple's defenses. 398 399

• The temple developed a crossbow-bolt workbench through the efforts of Jin Fu and Gui Xuanqing. 371
• Liang Xin'an of the Mechanism Sect improved the workbench and instructed its operators. 371
• Mechanism Sect deliveries substantially increased the temple's combat readiness. 399

Azure Dragon Token

The Azure Dragon Token is a formal message bearing the temple's emblem and issued under the Temple Master's authority. It once represented unquestioned supremacy throughout the Beyond Lands. 411

• Zhao Ya revived the Token after Azure Dragon Temple's restoration. 411
• Its reissue warned major sects of the black ship and ordered preparations for a united Northern Frontier defense. 413
• Dragon Elephant Academy's refusal to respect a Token led to Zhao Ya's confrontation with—and killing of—Academy Master Wu Weili. 411 412

Leadership and Notable Members

• Zhao Ya — Temple Master; recruited as a Southern Azure Dragon disciple by Qin Jianji and later rebuilt the sect after the war. 279 403
• Guan Xuejiang — Former Grand Elder; led the temple during the Farewell Tower purge and died after using the Body-to-God Transformation Technique against Jing Pingsheng. 319 353 357
• Guo Luming — Library Pavilion caretaker and Zhao Ya's mentor; an expert on the temple's history, Fundamental Diagram, and Azure Dragon True Force. 283 287 349
• Qin Jianji — Elder who recruited Zhao Ya and Gui Xuanqing; defended Southern Azure Dragon against both Northern Azure Dragon and Sea-Watching Tower. 279 281
• Shen Yunshen — Elder who led the campaign against Farewell Tower and later worked with Zhao Ya to reorganize the temple's ultimate arts. 319 403
• Gui Xuanqing — Zhao Ya's fellow recruit; became a valued crossbowman during the war with Northern Azure Dragon. 280 350
• Jin Fu — Outer disciple recruited by Zhao Ya; helped create and maintain the temple's crossbow-bolt workbench. 314 371

Relationships

• Northern Azure Dragon — Schismatic rival branch that claims orthodox status; its leader Jing Pingsheng sought to consume the Cliffside Azure Dragon Carving. 278 310 349
• Farewell Tower — Assassin organization that targeted Zhao Ya and was purged after its ties to Northern Azure Dragon and Southern Azure Dragon traitors were exposed. 317 319 325
• Sea-Watching Tower — Rival sect responsible for early hostility toward Southern Azure Dragon; later accepted the Azure Dragon Token and agreed to cooperate against the black-ship threat. 281 412 413
• Mechanism Sect — Technical ally that improved the temple's crossbow production and supplied large quantities of weapons. 371 398 399
• Heavenly One Pavilion — Major sect that pledged full support for Zhao Ya's Sea of No Delusion mission after his encounter with the Heavenly One Chessboard. 413 415
• Dragon Elephant Academy — Defied the revived Azure Dragon Token until Zhao Ya killed its academy master, Wu Weili, in a single exchange. 411 412
• Infinite Mountain — Initially dismissed the Azure Dragon Token; Zhao Ya defeated its master Yin Jiaxiong and compelled the sect to contribute to the Northern Frontier defense. 423