Taihua Sect

Biodata

Background and History

Regional authority and the Southern Borderlands Upheaval

The Taihua Sect belongs to the Four Great Immortal Sects that occupy Great Jin’s Immortal Mountains and Blessed Lands. These sects station elders in Guardian Cities, recruit disciples throughout their territories, and receive wealth, taxes, minerals, and spiritual treasures gathered below the mountains. Their authority leaves ordinary provincial and local government offices in a subordinate position 22.

During the Southern Borderlands Upheaval, Taihua suffered substantial losses of territory and personnel. It recovered considerable interests before the imperial court and the Liu Clan could intervene, but could not quickly replace its casualties. A group of Martial Warriors and cultivators also destroyed and emptied its southern mine; one of the attackers later received a private audience with the sect master 36 90.

The unrest altered the local balance of power. In Guangling Commandery, the Guardian Office took control of government offices and required traveling Martial Warriors and rogue cultivators to register. Despite this encroachment, a Taihua silver waist token remained influential enough to secure Lü Bufan’s Official Travel Permit when a bribe had failed 52.

Ice soul ore dispute

The Vigorous Martial Gate sought protection within Taihua after discovering valuable ice soul ore. Qingming agreed to purchase its stones rather than seize them, promised to protect its full share of the proceeds, and instructed Bai Jiu to recover profits withheld by Left Cloud Mountain 52 55.

Soon afterward, the gate’s routine supply escort assignment was changed into a dangerous prisoner escort to Dantu Mountain. Lü Bufan suspected either Qingming’s enemies or cultivators seeking the ore profits had arranged the change. Following an attack organized over Zhong Huan’s refusal to sell his share, Qingming promised compensation; the gate subsequently received three Spirit Artifacts and one Magic Artifact from Longcheng Peak’s treasury 56 61 64.

Yunmeng Marsh expedition

Elder Bai Xuan manipulated the Council Hall into sending third-generation disciples from the Southern Twenty-Seven Peaks to Yunmeng Marsh. His intended targets were Longcheng Peak’s disciples, whose losses would undermine Qingming’s standing. Nine Void Boats assembled for the expedition 90.

The discovery of the Sword-Nurturing Platform on Marsh Pearl Island brought the sect’s competing authorities into direct conflict. Sword Slave announced the sect master’s claim to the treasure and ordered Longcheng Peak to guard it until Sect Master Hall cultivators arrived. Luo Wuya then destroyed three Taihua Void Boats, defeated Sword Slave, and escaped with Lü Bufan and the platform 107 111.

Deputy Sect Master Xu Yi later removed the Elder Hall’s control of the expedition, confiscated its command of the Void Boats, and withdrew the training disciples from combat. Qingming and other senior peak masters led several hundred Middle Third Realm cultivators in securing the newly seized territory. Taihua nevertheless surrendered thirty percent of its gains to Guardian City 118.

Lü Bufan and the Sect Hall

Lü Bufan entered Taihua as a Longcheng Peak attendant to seek something in the Heaven Character Archive that could help Master Peach. Bai Ye eventually identified the object as Master Peach’s arm 84 86 143.

After the Yunmeng Marsh conflict, Lü was sent to the Sect Hall and placed in the Sword Abyss to recover and learn to control the Sword-Nurturing Platform. Duchen questioned him through Sword Slave’s body about his origins, his agreement with Bai Ye, and his ability to wield Heavy Sword Wuming 116 118.

Sword Slave later died following his attack on Wind and Moon Heaven. Duchen ordered Lü to bury him and await an escort back to the sect. The subsequent revelation of a corpse-like sect leader and a separate puppet-like Duchen exposed a concealed aspect of Taihua’s leadership 128 130 131.

Competition and the Immortal Spirit Killing Formation

The sect competition selected representatives to visit the Northern Immortal Sect’s Mirror-Viewing Platform. During the contests, Elder Mo cited Taihua’s rebellion casualties as evidence that its disciples lacked battlefield experience. A formal edict expanded competition eligibility to qualifying attendants and outer disciples 132 136.

Zhou Mo led the visiting delegation, with Tianyu, Jin Qi, and Lü Bufan representing Taihua’s outstanding young talents. Duchen promised Lü a reward from the Heaven Character Archive if he successfully comprehended the Dao at the platform 141 143.

Later, Taihua activated its weakened Immortal Spirit Killing Formation against a Great Demon valued by Two-World Mountain and Bai Ye. Elder Mo warned Qingming that Lü might be caught in the attack and asked him to prevent the youth from becoming the sect’s enemy if he survived. The formation’s heavenly shuttles pursued Crouching Dragon underground, shattered a river channel, and collapsed the surrounding terrain 182.

Territory and Facilities

• Outer territory: Outsiders cannot reside within one hundred li of the sect. Permitted residents include its retainers, disciples, and their relatives; the area has no ordinary government offices, tax collectors, or compulsory labor service 56.
• Mountain entrance: A white stone gateway bears the inscription “Immortal Mountain Secluded Realm.” Beside it stands Taihua’s immortal-bestowed Investiture Stele 56.

Organization and Leadership

Governing bodies

• Sect master and Sect Hall: Direct the sect’s central affairs, issue formal edicts, and maintain authority over sect-owned resources such as the Void Boats 107 136.
• Council Hall: Originally balanced the Elder Hall, with the sect master mediating between them. Three successive sect masters worked to dismantle that balance in the Council Hall’s favor 90.
• Elder Hall: Once a counterweight to the Council Hall, it became a retirement destination for former peak masters and elders. Its relatively limited exposure to losses outside the mountains allowed it to regain influence after the upheaval, though the Sect Hall subsequently suppressed its resurgence 90 131.
• Individual peaks: Maintain their own masters, elders, disciples, attendants, specialties, and alliances. Rivalries between peaks can affect assignments and expeditions 87 89 90.
• External establishments: Taihua maintains offices and resident-outside disciples beyond its mountain headquarters 22 115.

Notable personnel

Internal rivalries

• Longcheng Peak and Jingbo Peak: Their feud stems from Qingming’s refusal to make a flying sword for Jingbo’s peak master. Jingbo publicly refuses Longcheng’s artifacts, while its disciples repeatedly obstruct Longcheng members 87 132.
• Qingming and Bai Xuan: Their longstanding hostility becomes an institutional struggle when Bai Xuan uses the Yunmeng expedition against Longcheng Peak 90.
• Sect Hall and other peaks: Five of the ten Cloud Ranking positions belong to Sect Hall disciples, with disciples from five other peaks sharing the remainder. The distribution is presented as evidence of the sect leader’s political balancing 131.

Recruitment and Advancement

• Recruitment openings: Qingming states that Taihua will open its gates for a new disciple selection on New Year’s Day in the first month, offering to vouch for Lü Bufan 69.
• Attendant registration: Lü enters using Qingming’s jade token, registers at the Mountain Beyond Mountain Pavilion, and receives an identity jade token 86.
• Cloud Ranking: Recognizes ten outstanding inner-sect disciples. Tianyu holds first place, while Yun Yue initially ranks tenth 131 132.
• Three-Year Sect Competition: Following Duchen’s edict, registered attendants and outer disciples inside and outside the mountains may participate if they are under forty and in the Middle Third Realm 136.
• Competition rewards: Include sect resources and nurturing, as well as opportunities to comprehend the Dao at the Northern Immortal Sect’s Mirror-Viewing Platform 136.
• Heaven Character Archive access: A refiner who offers three supreme-grade Magic Artifacts may receive three months of seclusion in the archive and study an immortal-bestowed artifact. Sword Slave has exceptional freedom to enter because of his work nurturing Tianxiu 85 87.

Treasures and Military Resources

Immortal Sword Tianxiu

Tianxiu, also called Peerless Soul-Seizing Tianxiu, is one of Taihua’s sect-guarding treasures and one of the three Immortal Artifacts possessed collectively by the Four Great Immortal Sects 123 127.

• Nurtured through damaged treasures and weapons, including Immortal Artifacts 85.
• Can consume souls, vital blood, spiritual power, and cultivation in addition to the essence of magical implements 121.
• Wielded by Sword Slave, but explicitly remains sect property rather than his personal weapon 125.
• Linked to Duchen’s mind, allowing the sect leader to remain connected to it while it travels outside the mountain 125.

Sword-Nurturing Platform

• Unearthed on Marsh Pearl Island and claimed by decree of the sect master 107.
• Sealed inside Lü Bufan by Luo Wuya 113.
• Can nurture Tianxiu, reinforce its attacks, and provide defensive power 121 128.
• Becomes the subject of negotiations over Lü’s position, duties, and access to the Heaven Character Archive 110 134 143.

Investiture Stele

• Bestowed upon Taihua by immortals and said to contain immortal restrictions 56.
• Ordinary mortals must bow before it; refusal is treated as contempt for the immortals 56.

Immortal Spirit Killing Formation

• Sect-wide Grand Formation whose broader purpose is suppression; full deployment is normally reserved for periods of widespread war 182.
• In its weakened state, can fire for only twelve breaths 182.
• Launches heavenly shuttles capable of pursuing a target underground and devastating the surrounding landscape 182.

Other resources

• Void Boats: Sect-owned flying vessels used for expeditions, transport, and military operations; the Elder Hall cannot claim them as private property 90 107 141.
• Artifact production: Three specialized peaks support Taihua’s supply of weapons, armor, enchanted clothing, and other treasures 87.
• Treasury stabilization: Ink crystal beneath the Earth-Character Archive suppresses interference between stored artifacts with different spiritual attributes 64.
• Disciple equipment: Yunmeng expedition disciples carry layered armor, enchanted robes, abundant talismans, and high-grade Spirit or Magic Artifacts 95.

External Relationships

• Vigorous Martial Gate — Supplies ice soul stones and performs assignments for Taihua. Qingming’s protection brings it valuable equipment, but also draws it into mountain factional disputes 55 56 64 89.
• Guardian City and Guardian Offices — Both administrative partners and competitors for authority and resources. Taihua’s tokens retain practical influence, but Guardian City receives thirty percent of its Yunmeng gains 22 52 118.
• Liu Clan / Liu Immortal Sect — Its leaders meet with Xu Yi and Bai Ye over losses, tax relief, and the arrival of a new Immortal Venerable. Relations between their younger representatives become contentious at the Mirror-Viewing Platform 43 143.
• Northern Immortal Sect — Hosts Taihua’s selected disciples at the Mirror-Viewing Platform and receives its formal delegation on Fushui Island 131 141 142.
• Bai Ye — Negotiates with senior Taihua figures while arranging Lü Bufan’s entry into the sect for his own purposes 43 85 118.
• Wild Spirit Land — Treated as an enemy source of infiltrators and powerful adversaries. Taihua pursues Luo Wuya and questions Lü about possible ties to the region 113 118.

Institutional Practices

• Prestige and protection: A Sect Hall attendant’s identity token is sufficient to make second-rate sects receive its bearer as an honored guest 157.
• Public enforcement: Sword Slave carries out the death sentence against Golden Flower Sect leader Qian Menghu openly in Taihua’s name, rejecting the idea that an immortal sect needs to act secretly 121 123.
• Limits of inclusion: Zhou Mo publicly declares that loyal registered members are treated equally regardless of background or cultivation, but separately warns that the Immortal Sects have no room for unorthodox paths outside the Immortal Dao 143 156.
• Formal attire: Disciples and elders wear embroidered sky-blue Daoist robes threaded with spiritual power for official visits 141.

Trivia

• The sect’s mountain count differs between descriptions: its Mozi Mountain territory initially contains Thirty-Two Peaks, while a later account refers to news spreading across seventy-two peaks. The passages do not explain the discrepancy 36 135.