Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Dao Sect |
| Alias(es) | Profound Heaven Dao Sect |
| Type | Immortal cultivation sect |
| Location | Southern Heaven Continent |
| Affiliation | One of the nine great Immortal Gates |
| Status | Active |
| First Appearance | 222 |
Background
The Dao Sect traces its origins to its founding patriarch, who arrived from beyond the heavens, established a lineage at Profound Abyss, and named it Profound Heaven after contemplating the workings of heaven and earth. The sect’s records, preserved on its main peak, span from antiquity to the present. Its inheritance was subsequently carried forward by later patriarchs through the changing eras. 812 1011
The Profound Heaven Dao Academy and Dao Sect share a close institutional connection. Dao Academy disciples may advance into the Dao Sect, and cross-domain formations later strengthened exchanges between the two institutions. 617 1034
The Dao Academy was formerly part of the Dao Sect. Its relationship with the main sect remained a subject of leadership deliberations, with some chiefs proposing an inner-and-outer-sect arrangement and others favoring the continuation of its existing organization in the Northern Lands. 372
The sect has survived multiple eras and tribulations. Its ancient Dao-Seeking Hall was once a main lineage second only to the Sect Master’s lineage; its Great Dao aura became the foundation from which many later main-line cultivation arts and divine abilities developed. 946
The Dao Sect’s long survival is also tied to the three Profound Heaven Supreme Treasures left by its founding patriarch. Although their stewardship became associated with particular lineages, the treasures ultimately serve as foundations of the entire sect rather than private clan possessions. 561 671
The sect possessed Immortals in the Primordial Era. Its later continuity depended on surviving successive tribulations and renewing its Dharma inheritance rather than remaining unchanged throughout history. During the Third Era, particularly the Five Directions Era, Profound Heaven was especially renowned for artifact refinement and the forging of Dharma treasures. 812 848 857
Power Progression
| Period or development | Change in institutional strength or foundations |
|---|---|
| Founding inheritance | The founding patriarch establishes Profound Heaven and leaves three Supreme Treasures that continue guarding the sect in later ages. 671 812 1011 |
| Primordial and Third Era prominence | The sect possesses Immortals in antiquity and develops an especially distinguished artifact-refining tradition during the Third Era. 812 848 |
| Rise of the younger generation | Numerous talented disciples emerge, the middle ranks contain considerable numbers of Void Realm cultivators, and the Sword Lineage alone is considered sufficient to uphold the sect’s reputation. 403 |
| Protective formation reform | The sect begins altering its ancient protective formation after demonic infiltration exposes weaknesses in its defenses. 233 252 307 |
| Heavenly Sun Realm’s appearance | The sect’s collective Fate Allotment increases significantly amid the wider changes accompanying the Heavenly Sun Realm. 433 |
| Teaching and inheritance reforms | Academy-style courses, expanded cultivation-method access, and the Enlightenment Platform broaden guidance and strengthen disciples’ cultivation foundations. 564 619 657 658 |
| Four Dao Children established | Four providence-blessed disciples receive enhanced sect support while contributing their own fortune to the collective Fate Allotment. 725 832 988 |
| Dao-Seeking inheritance restored | Dao-Seeking Hall returns, enabling the re-establishment of an ancient main lineage. 947 948 |
| Lu Qing attains Dao-Seeking | The sect gains another Dao Lord and foundational expert; Lu Qing assumes the chief seats of both the Dao-Seeking and Outer Sect Main Lineages. 973 975 986 |
| Later reputation and recruitment growth | Lu Qing’s strength makes the sect’s foundations appear unfathomably deep to outside Dao Lords, while a century recruitment produces a vast surge of collective fortune. 1005 1034 |
Organization
The Dao Sect is built around chief seats and main lineages. Each major lineage is led by a chief and serves as the trunk for numerous affiliated peaks. 222 236
| Lineage | Known role or characteristics |
|---|---|
| Sword Lineage | Centers on its master’s Daoist grounds; consistently ranks among the sect’s top three lineages. Its comparatively few disciples often assume duties normally handled by peak masters. 222 236 |
| Law Enforcement Lineage | Centered on Law Enforcement Peak, with affiliated peaks including Duel Peak, Dharma Enlightenment Peak, and Dharma-Seeking Peak. 236 |
| Alchemy Lineage | Centered on an alchemy peak, with associated peaks such as Herb-Picking Peak and Pill Formula Peak. 236 |
| Formation Lineage | One of the seven major Dharma lineages; its disciples cultivate within an environment aligned with formation Dao aura. 946 973 |
| Artifact Refining Lineage | One of the seven major Dharma lineages; the sect’s artifact-refining tradition was especially renowned during the Third Era. 848 973 |
| Talisman-Beast Lineage | One of the seven major Dharma lineages. 973 |
| Outer Sect Main Lineage | Oversees broad and miscellaneous sect affairs, external matters, and many newly admitted disciples; it is the most accommodating lineage for disciples pursuing varied paths. Lu Qing later became its chief, though its day-to-day work is often handled through his incarnations. 566 973 1004 1020 1034 |
| Dao-Seeking Main Lineage | Re-established after the return of Dao-Seeking Hall. It accepts disciples primarily according to karmic affinity and Dao comprehension rather than prior aptitude. Lu Qing became its chief after attaining Dao-Seeking, while the lineage generally remains detached from external sect affairs. 947 973 1004 1020 |
The Sect Master’s lineage possesses a cultivation method distinct from those generally practiced within the other Profound Heaven lineages. Its Great Dao is described as particularly profound and mysterious. 1019
The sect also maintains subordinate branches in Minor Realms. Each world housing one of its lower sects contains a Profound Heaven branch, although these branches do not necessarily possess enough strength to withstand the successive variables affecting their worlds without support. 425
Disciple hierarchy
| Rank or designation | Position within the sect |
|---|---|
| Menial disciple | Lower-level disciple category, generally associated with weaker cultivation or aptitude. 223 |
| Outer disciple | Standard disciple rank; many cannot become registered disciples of a main lineage. 223 |
| Inner disciple | Status depends on cultivation and on gaining a chief’s recognition as a prospective disciple. 223 |
| Initiate disciple | A disciple accepted into a lineage but still distinct from a personal disciple. 222 445 |
| Personal disciple | Direct inheritor of a chief seat’s Great Dao; personal disciples sit within the central hall during sermons. 242 445 |
| True disciple / true inheritance | A sect-wide position rather than the legacy of a single lineage, contested among qualified disciples. 419 |
| Dao Child / Dao Heir | A major sect position selected through a formal process involving the sect’s elders and lineages. Selection considers karmic affinity, Dao Heart tempering, and recognition from the sect’s Supreme Treasure fate allotment. 617 621 |
The Trial Path is not compulsory for every entrant. It is particularly associated with Golden Core cultivators entering the inner sect, while disciples recruited from minor realms and some outer-sect competitors are exempt. 223
True inheritance competitions particularly concern qualified Void Realm disciples. Ordinary Dongzhen cultivators are generally excluded from entering such contests and instead assume important sect posts, although an existing true inheritor may retain that distinction after advancing to Dongzhen. 414
Outer Sect registered disciples are not necessarily bound to a master-disciple inheritance. They may advance by exchanging Dao merit for cultivation resources and methods, although this route is described as more difficult than receiving direct inherited guidance. 974
The sect eventually establishes four Dao Children, three of whom originated in the Profound Heaven Dao Academy. Their exceptional providence receives recognition from the Profound Heaven Supreme Treasure, and their ordinary cultivation and activities contribute to the sect’s collective fortune. Dao Children receive substantially greater resource allocations than ordinary disciples, but especially scarce resources still require Dao merit even for them. 725 832 988
Senior cultivators and reserve foundations
- Dongzhen cultivators may become elders or peak masters, serve as regional guardians in Minor Realms, or explore Beyond the Heavens in search of lost worlds. Their relationship with the sect increasingly becomes one of mutual support rather than solely receiving cultivation assistance. 439 801
- Dao-Seeking cultivators do not all accept chief seats. Some remain hidden foundational experts who normally cultivate in seclusion and appear only at critical moments. 973
- Supreme elders have withdrawn into the passage of time to preserve their lifespans and cultivation. They may transmit instructions without personally returning, but generally avoid manifesting in the present unless the sect faces a life-or-death crisis. 948
- Bai Sheng, the previous Outer Sect Main Lineage chief, is identified as a Profound Heaven cultivator who attained Dao-Seeking ten thousand years earlier. 973
Facilities and Resources
- Library Pavilion — Holds vast collections of cultivation methods, spells, divine abilities, historical records, and sealed forbidden techniques. Its spatial formations can move users directly to relevant jade slips. 8 669
- Star-Dipper Library Pavilion — A library visited by Lu Qing to study the sect’s history, seven main lineages, and affiliated peaks. 236
- Mission Hall — Allows disciples to accept and settle missions, conduct transactions, conceal their auras, and alter their appearances within its jade-token space. 9
- Immortal market — Located at the foot of the mountain; ordinary disciples use spirit stones, spirit coins, and barter rather than receiving regular salaries. Later official appointments may include cultivation stipends, as recorded on Lu Qing’s Dao Sect Token. 223 629
- Sword Lineage market — A market near the Sword Lineage’s Daoist Dojo, offering Dharma swords and other cultivation goods. Strict prohibitions against public harm contribute to its peaceful atmosphere. 313 314
- Grand protective formation — Protects the sect and can be altered on a sect-wide scale; a major adjustment began in response to prior demonic incidents and changes surrounding the Demon Land. 307
- Talisman Light / Floating Light — Sect-wide communication medium used for news, discussion, private messages, and image recording; it also supports the circulation of sect resources. 411 657
- Enlightenment Platform — A Library Pavilion installation where disciples condense insights into jade slips, create or improve techniques, and earn Dao merit. It also aids comprehension of Great Dao true intent. 657 658
- Dao-Seeking Hall — Ancient inheritance space containing Dao Rhymes and Dao Shadows from countless sects. Its opening requires the agreement of the Sect Master and main-lineage chiefs, recognition from predecessors, and the use of three Supreme Treasures. 607 649 947
- Dao Sect Treasury / Artifact World — An extensive treasure realm whose eastern region contains a boundless sea of artifacts. Sentient treasures may reveal their abilities and compete to be selected by qualified entrants. The true forms of the three Supreme Treasures were present on its first level during Lu Qing’s visit, but later departed from the treasury. 440 441 442 630
- Sword Lineage Daoist Dojo — Provides cultivation caves for lineage disciples and contains pervasive Sword Dao resonance. Access to its central core regions is restricted by permission and identity tokens. 296 313 819
- Profound Heaven Sword — One of the three Profound Heaven Supreme Treasures, historically associated with the Sword Lineage. 420 561
- Profound Heaven Bell — A sect-suppressing treasure that governs and senses the sect’s fortune. 420 566
- Profound Heaven Mirror — A sect treasure associated with the Headmaster and capable of observing changes in sect affairs and fortune. Also called the Three Lives Past-Life Mirror, it can reflect cultivators’ past lives and connections between destiny and Cause and Effect. 420 441 561
The protective formation and the sect’s collective Fate Allotment can jointly suppress hostile cultivators inside its territory. The Primordial Spirit demonic infiltrator encountered shortly after Lu Qing’s arrival had his strength sealed through this combined suppression. 307
Dao merit is an important means of obtaining cultivation resources. Even true inheritors cannot claim every resource without restraint, and certain scarce materials require merit exchanges from elders and Dao Children alike. Heaven’s Way Providence is distinguished from sect providence and is difficult for the sect to obtain or directly provide on a disciple’s behalf. 432 832
Teaching and inheritance development
The Dao Sect originally relied primarily on master-disciple transmission and occasional sermons, which were not accessible to every disciple. Lu Qing’s appointment as an Outer Sect elder helped introduce academy-style cultivation courses, making guidance substantially easier to obtain. 564 619
The Enlightenment Platform developed from Lu Qing’s proposal to encourage technique creation. The Sect Master expanded the proposal by linking it to the Library Pavilion, allowing even individual flashes of insight to become useful Dao arts. Its purpose includes strengthening cultivation foundations and transforming sect fortune while preserving differences among individual cultivation paths. 657
Lu Qing’s incarnations repeatedly organize, derive, improve, and deposit techniques in the Library Pavilion. His work includes repairing some flawed taboo and Demonic Path arts, although certain techniques originating with an Ancient Demon Sect Devil Master remained beyond his ability to fully correct at that stage. 669 725
The Artifact Refining Lineage also increased contact with the Dao Academy’s Artifact Refining Academy and cooperated with Lu Qing on deriving techniques suited to new Spirit Treasures and magical artifacts. Spirit Plant Peak gained recognition as its assessment system and administration developed under his authority. 669 726
Governance and Internal Affairs
The sect’s leadership includes the Sect Master, chief seats of the major lineages, elders, and peak masters. Fu Huazi is identified as Sect Master and Dao Academy Head, while Li Luoyang leads the Sword Lineage and Yu Youshu leads the Formation Lineage. 420 973
The chief seats include Li Luoyang of the Sword Lineage, Sun Qidao of the Alchemy Lineage, Yu Youshu of the Formation Lineage, Jiang Wuya of the Law Enforcement Lineage, Ren Tianshi of the Artifact Refining Lineage, and Zhang Qingyun of the Talisman-Beast Lineage. After attaining Dao-Seeking, Lu Qing became chief of both the Dao-Seeking Main Lineage and Outer Sect Main Lineage. 973
Reports requiring upper-level decisions pass through successive rounds of screening before reaching sect deliberations. The leadership then assigns responsibility among the lineages, with the Outer Sect frequently handling external liaison and matters that do not clearly belong to another branch. 234 566
The Law Enforcement Lineage historically held substantial influence through the Gao, Ren, and Li clans. Their ancestors were personal disciples of the founding patriarch, and their descendants retained major positions within the lineage, including rotational control of the Profound Heaven Bell. 253 420
This influence became a source of internal strain when the sect investigated possible Demon Sect spies and reassigned important Law Enforcement posts to less privileged disciples. The sect used the Three-Lives Mirror and opened the Questioning-Heart Path during its stricter screening. 411 420
Clan influence extends beyond formal appointments: great-clan disciples are comparatively few but occupy crucial positions, while disciples from the Dao Academy, Minor Realms, and native Nine Heavens backgrounds form distinct social circles. Nevertheless, these groups are described as standing together when facing outside forces. 391 414
The sect’s fortune is linked to the fortunes of its individual disciples. Blood-red or blackened currents within that collective fortune can serve as warnings of future calamity, requiring careful deliberation from the upper ranks. 392
Some elders and peak masters eventually entered the Demonic Path, tempted by its extraordinary longevity-extending methods. This corruption involved cultivators who had genuinely served Profound Heaven in the past, rather than only outside infiltrators. 566
The main lineages compete for resources and influence, and regular rankings help determine resource allocation. Chief seats provide final decisions that prevent disputes among the many subordinate peaks from developing into broader disorder. 419 929
As the Era of Variables progressed, Lu Qing’s incarnations began participating in major internal assemblies concerning cultivation resources, spatial rifts, exploration of minor realms, and the emergence of ancient ferocious beasts in the Southern Sea. The Law Enforcement Lineage assumed responsibility for the Southern Sea threat, while the Outer Sect Main Lineage continued to manage much of the sect’s external work. 1019 1020
The leadership also approached renewed ancient heavenly secrets cautiously. When discussing the tangled causes behind the demonic calamity of three thousand years earlier, the Sect Master advised observing that period without wholly trusting it, since the appearance of new variables had changed the situation. 1094
As the Longevity Devil Master’s tribulation intensified, Bifang judged that Profound Heaven could not remain untouched. Its immense Daoist network and outward-dispersed providence connected it to the wider upheaval, even though Lu Qing’s original body had largely withdrawn from directing worldly events. 1183
After Ghost Mountain disappeared and the Longevity Devil Master’s attempted descent failed, Lu Qing’s Dao Sect incarnation discussed the surviving thread of the Devil Master’s vitality with Fu Huazi. Fu Huazi explained that this remnant was bound to the tribulation and could not easily be interfered with; the timing previously calculated by the Dao Lords had arrived. 1209
Dao-Seeking Hall
Dao-Seeking Hall is an ancient Profound Heaven inheritance thought lost in later eras. It reappeared unexpectedly, its aura distinct from the sect’s existing main lineages and connected to unique cultivation opportunities. 947
The hall is both a place for seeking the Dao and a place for Dao discussion. It contains traces of the Great Daos, Dao Rhymes, and Dao Shadows left by countless predecessors, making it unsuitable for cultivators without sufficient foundations or a firm Dao Heart. 607 649
Its return led to preparations for a new main lineage. Unlike the Outer Sect Main Lineage, which manages ordinary external and sect affairs, the Dao-Seeking Lineage is oriented toward seeking the Great Dao beyond mundane entanglements. 948
The hall’s eventual opening created a new avenue for disciples, but its threshold is exceptionally high: candidates are judged by karmic affinity with the Dao and their ability to comprehend it rather than by aptitude alone. 974 1004
Lu Qing’s earlier experiences with the hall involved a Dao-Climbing Heavenly Road connecting the inheritances and Dao Shadows of previous eras. Its trials tested the firmness of a cultivator’s own Dao against predecessors’ insights. In the Third Era, the trials prominently used Dharma treasures, reflecting the sect’s artifact-refining reputation at that time. 846 848 857
The restored Dao-Seeking Main Lineage’s dojo stands in the southeast, in the same general direction as the Outer Sect Main Lineage. Together with the other grounds, its placement completes an arrangement corresponding to the eight trigrams. 982
Story Role / Major Arcs
| Event | Significance |
|---|---|
| Lu Qing enters the Sword Lineage | After forming his Golden Core, Lu Qing becomes Li Luoyang’s initiate disciple and enters the Dao Sect’s Sword Lineage. 222 |
| Demon Sect infiltration and deliberations | A demonic cultivator infiltrates the sect through an external teleportation formation, exposing weaknesses in its defenses and prompting investigations, policy disputes, and plans to reform the ancient protective formation. 233 234 252 |
| Demon Land investigation | The Sword and Law Enforcement Lineages jointly undertake investigation connected to the Demon Land. Law Enforcement disciples are required to light Heaven Soul Lamps before departing. 249 252 |
| Grand formation alteration | The sect begins a planned adjustment of its protective formation in response to demonic intrusions and changes in the Demon Land. 307 |
| Lu Qing’s Void Realm breakthrough | Lu Qing reaches the Void Realm approximately ten years after entering the sect. Li Luoyang protects his Dao Seal from an intrusive gaze reaching from the past. 380 |
| True Disciple Assembly and Law Enforcement turmoil | Vacant true disciple seats intensify internal competition as the Law Enforcement Lineage loses positions amid anti-spy investigations. 414 420 |
| Dao Debate Assembly | The sect becomes involved in a Nine Heavens-wide gathering that brings together Immortal, Spirit, Divine, Demon, and other cultivation paths. 527 536 |
| Outer Sect reforms | Lu Qing accepts an outer sect elder’s post, reforms cultivation-course arrangements, and later uses incarnations to oversee sect duties. 564 566 |
| Dao Child selection and recruitment | The sect combines its Dao Child selection with a large intake of new disciples, including ascendants from minor realms and graduates of the Dao Academy. 617 621 |
| Library Pavilion expansion | New techniques and divine abilities are added, Dao-merit costs are reduced, and the Enlightenment Platform is established. 657 658 |
| Four Dao Children and forbidden-zone missions | Four Dao Children contribute their providence to the sect and receive opportunities to participate in a major mission involving the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone. 725 726 |
| Six Paths Devil Master remnant | The sect deliberates over the Devil Master’s remnant body suppressed beneath Shouyang Mountain as a potential danger to its territory; Yu Youshu volunteers to handle the matter while Li Luoyang is secluded. 929 |
| Return of Dao-Seeking Hall | The lost hall reappears and is prepared as a new main lineage, reshaping the sect’s lineage structure. 947 948 |
| Lu Qing becomes a Dao Lord | The sect announces that Elder Lu has become a Dao-Seeking True Person, prompting a sect-wide celebration and greatly strengthening its standing. He is appointed chief of both the Dao-Seeking and Outer Sect Main Lineages. 973 975 986 |
| Seven-Day Profound Heaven Feast | Major lineages and Dao Lords gather at the sect for a seven-day celebration, during which Dao Lords expound the Dao and assess the changing heavenly secrets. 984 991 |
| Era of Variables deliberations | The sect convenes to address spatial rifts, resource allocation, ancient ferocious beasts, and other disturbances accompanying the return of ancient variables. 1019 1020 |
| Century mountain-gate opening | The sect opens its gates to a new generation of disciples from the Nine Heavens, lower realms, minor worlds, and the Dao Academy. 1034 |
| Ancient Demon Land concerns | The reappearance of the Ancient Demon Land and echoes of the demonic calamity from three thousand years earlier renew concern over Devil Masters and the Demonic Path. 1094 |
| Longevity Devil Master’s Great Tribulation | Bifang recognizes that the sect’s extensive lineage and dispersed providence prevent it from completely avoiding the tribulation centered on Northern Heaven Continent. 1183 |
| Ghost Mountain’s disappearance | Following the failure of the Longevity Devil Master’s descent and the sharp weakening of Demonic Path providence, Fu Huazi and Lu Qing’s Dao Sect incarnation assess the surviving vitality and its connection to the tribulation. Lu Qing’s incarnation also notices new opportunities forming in the Boundary Sea. 1209 |
Relationships
- Profound Heaven Dao Academy — Closely connected institution whose advancing disciples may enter the Dao Sect; the two are linked through cross-domain formations and shared cultivation systems. Its teaching model and specialized academies also influence the sect’s course reforms and artifact-refining cooperation. 617 1034 564 726
- Li Luoyang — Sword Lineage chief and master of Lu Qing; his Daoist grounds form the center of the Sword Lineage. 222 236
- Lu Qing — Former Dao Academy disciple, Sword Lineage initiate disciple, Outer Sect elder, and later Dao-Seeking True Person whose advancement greatly increases the sect’s fortune and prestige. He later becomes chief of the Dao-Seeking Main Lineage and Outer Sect Main Lineage, with incarnations managing sect affairs in his stead. 222 564 973 975 1019
- Fu Huazi — Sect Master and Dao Academy Head, involved in institutional reform, high-level deliberations, and guidance concerning ancient variables. He later interprets the surviving vitality of the Longevity Devil Master for Lu Qing’s Dao Sect incarnation. 420 532 1094 1209
- Profound Heaven Bell — Sentient sect-suppressing treasure that governs the sect’s fortune and observes major changes within it. 420 561
- Profound Heaven Mirror — One of the sect’s three Supreme Treasures, associated with the Sect Master and capable of reflecting heavenly secrets, fate, and changes in the sect’s fortune. 527 561
- Dao-Seeking Hall — Ancient inheritance whose return establishes a new main lineage and restores a foundational part of the sect’s legacy. 946 947
- Seeking Dao Immortal Sect — A nearby Southern Heaven Continent Immortal Gate that views the Dao Sect’s rising fortune and abundance of talented disciples with concern. 403
- Grand Heaven Dao Sect — A frequent collaborator in Northern Heaven Continent missions, where Profound Heaven’s own influence is comparatively scattered. Joint work includes managing conflicts and competing interests among disciples of allied sects. 387
- Buddhist sects — Fellow Immortal Path powers whose efforts to influence disciples through Buddhist affinity and Heavenly Secrets provoke hostility from Profound Heaven’s chiefs. No Profound Heaven disciple is said to have entered Buddhist cultivation at the time of these deliberations. 448
- Demonic Path and Ancient Demon Sect — Persistent hostile forces whose infiltrations, remnants, and ancient variables repeatedly compel the sect to strengthen its defenses and investigate looming calamities. 233 384 929 1094
- Longevity Devil Master — Ancient demonic figure whose returning Dao drives a Great Tribulation that threatens to involve the sect through its wider karmic connections. His failed descent reduces the immediate danger, but a surviving thread of his Great Dao remains connected to the tribulation and appears to escape into another cosmos. 1183 1209