Ancient Sword Sect

The most powerful sect in the Yunmeng Mountains, famed for sword cultivation techniques like the White Emperor Sword Art, but with extremely high Spiritual Root requirements.

Definition

The most powerful sect in the Yunmeng Mountains, famed for sword cultivation techniques like the White Emperor Sword Art, but with extremely high Spiritual Root requirements.

Story context

Han Li is shopping for a sect—and in the Mortal Stream, that means kicking the tires on three very different power structures before signing anything. The Brilliant Artifact Institute is a closed family cartel (cross it off the list), the Ancient Sword Sect demands top-tier Spiritual Roots (a non-starter for our four-attribute protagonist), and the Setting Cloud Sect is the desperate, scrappy underdog that will take almost anyone with cultivation. Why? Because they need bodies to fuel their alchemy, talisman, and formation assembly lines. Get ready for a chapter that’s part economic analysis, part patience test, and all Han Li. Fellow Daoists, the assembly line awaits.

Why it matters

This is a classic "protagonist-research-phase" chapter—which in less skilled hands would be deadly boring. But watch how *RMJI* weaves real economic reasoning into every paragraph. Han Li doesn’t *feel* his way into a choice; he runs a strict multi-factor audit: family control (bad), talent gate (bad), labor demand + resource access (good). Even the illusion path is framed not as a magical test but as a simple patience filter—a psychological barrier to weed out the least disciplined. The chapter also serves up a hearty portion of foreshadowing: the Settling Spirit Pill, the sect’s desperate need for cheap hands, and the internal debate about "quality vs quantity" all set the stage for Han Li’s long-term strategy. New readers: pay attention to the phrase "宁缺毋滥" (better to go without than accept mediocrity)—it’s a rule of thumb that will get broken. Probably by Han Li himself.