Archaion Sect

The Archaion Sect is the main sect and ruler of the Archaion Divine Realm.

## Archaion Sect Overview

#### Location and Appearance

The sect is located on the Taiji Peak Lake, which is gargantuan in size and has thousands of spiritual energy springs that covers the sect in a dense spiritual energy fog. The sect is laid out like a circle formed by two yin-yang 'fish' in the taiji diagram. One of the two fish was a mountain range while the other was a lake, but the lake was closer to an ocean. There are two smaller circles in the taiji diagram, which are respectively the mountain-among-seas and sea-among-mountains of the sect. The lake is known as the Xuanyuan Lake and has been the dwelling of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan since the time of old. The lake is also split into three circles: the outer circle for the Human Branch, the center circle for the Earth Branch, and the inner circle for the Heaven Branch.

#### Prominent Families

There are three prominent houses in the sect, which are the Archaic House of Xuanyuan, Sterling House of Fang, and Draconis House of Jian.  The House of Xuanyuan are the descendents of the First God of the continenent and also the family of Xuanyuan Xi, the second God to rise from the sect.

#### Sect Breakdown

The sect is split into the Heaven Branch, Earth Branch and Human Branch.

* The Human Branch has the most people (five hundred thousand) and least resources.
	+ In order for a Human Branch disciple to enter the Earth Branch, they would have to become a sixth level empyrean saint before the age of thirty. Otherwise, they would have to join the Archaion Army to defend the realm.
* The Earth Branch mostly has disciples who are sixth-level empyrean saints and above, and number about fifty thousand.
	+ Earth Branch disciples can take a disciple from the Human Branch as a maid.
* The Heaven Branch only has those who have reached the Samsara Stage and there are only about five hundred disciples.
	+ Most Heaven Branch disciples are between age twenty to thirty. Those over thirty have to leave the sect.
	+ Heaven Branch disciples can take five disciples from the Earth Branch as maids
	+ There is a Heaven Ranking which ranks the disciple on their combat capabilities.

There are nine Divine Halls in the sect who are managed by palace lords whose positions are second to the three sect masters. The halls are also ranked based on their importance. The halls are:

* Godservant Hall - Ranked 1st. Manages and assists the existing god which is Xuanyuan Xi (Jiang Feiling).
* Deepstar Hall - Manages all affairs related to the Old Deepstar Path and its core
* Tribulation Artifact Hall - Produces tribulation artifacts
* Spiritstream Hall - Manages all spirit ores, herbs and tribulation artifacts
* Judgement Hall - Manages all punishment for disciples and misdeeds.
* Sourceglow Hall - Ranked ninth. Manages the Earth and Heaven Branch's disciples recruitment and structure.

Aside from the palace lords, there are tribulation elders that participate in different affairs and manners of the sect. First- to third-level samsarans could become normal tribulation elders. The majority of those at that level were in the Archaion army. Those who reached the fourth to sixth levels would become first-origin tribulation elders, seventh to ninth levels second-origin tribulation elders, and third-origin elders beyond that. There were only around fifty third-origin tribulation elders in the sect, including Ouyang Jianwang and Yi Xingyin.

#### Archaion Army

The Archaion Army is the personal army of the sect and considers of disciples who have graduated for the sect. It is led by the Nine Divine Marshals. The army has a large group of tribulation elders from the first to third level samsarans.

#### Secrets

They have the Archaionfiend Eye which is a demonic item sealed under the Heaven Cauldron in the Heavenly Branch.

## Prominent Locations

* Xuanyuan Lake - The sea amidst the mountains
	+ Xuanyuan Shrine - A grand, sparkling hall adorned with many cravings of dragons. The name plague of the building has been deeply engraved with willpower causing those with weaker willpower to struggle to look at it.
	+ Soulburn Hall - Personal Dwelling place of Xuanyuan Xi, and later Jiang Feiling
		- It is protected by a Nine Dragon Formation.
	+ Godservant Hall - A hall with hundred and fifty servants to wait on 'Xuanyuan Xi'
* Tribulation Peak - The mountains amidst the seas
	+ Legends had it that old monsters at the Samsara stage train at this location to overcome their tribulations.
* Old Deepstar Path - A main reason for the strength of the disciples. It converts the heavenly will of dead samsarans and lifebound beast into Astral Will. Disciples can use it to nourish their own heavenly will and speed up their growth. Those who manage to find Astral Will that matches their own will be able to personally experience the senior's cultivation insights and results. It has existed for more than two hundred thousand years. The deeper one travels on the path, the stronger the Astral Will from stronger seniors.
	+ Most Human Disciples only get an hour per day to cultivate in the path, with the only way to increase the time by becoming a deacon in a faction, hunt wildbeasts, or do missions for the sect. Any violation of the allowed time would cause the disciple to lose their privilege to enter for a month.
	+ For most disciples, the Astral Will would return to the sky after their comprehension, but Tianming was able to absorb it in its entirely due to cultivating the Imperial Will which comprises of everything under the heavens.
	+ Earth and Heaven Branch disciples start from the midsection of the path.
	+ Heaven Branch disciples have no time limit in the path.
	+ Deepstar Pool - A special body refining pool that allows one to form the Ancient Deepstar Godbody, the strongest empyrean gold body.
		- The astral sources contained in the pool consists of six elements: thunder, gold, wood, water, fire and earth. Most people can only absorb one type as multiple types would clash within one's body.
* Heaven's Cauldron - A holy ground for body cultivation as it contains an ocean of spirit hazards with tribulation patterns.
	+ Tribulation Pattern Oasis - The bottom of the cauldron and location of the strongest tribulation spirit hazards.
* Human Branch
	+ Oldwind Street - The marketplace for the Human Branch
		- Steadfast Pavilion - Opened by the Archaic House of Xuanyuan, managed by the Dragonmight Faction.
		- Snowrites Sword Pavilion - Opened by the Swordking Faction and is the largest artifact shop in the street, containing many tribulation artifacts.
* Earth Branch
	+ Sourceglow Hall - Registration hall for new disciple
	+ Triorigin Hall - The marketplace to get samsara body-refining battle arts.
* Heaven Branch
	+ Heaven Sacred Mountain - The location of the Heaven Cauldron and filled with many formations.
		- Heaven Cauldron - A pool filled with spirit hazards of numerous types

## Known Members

### Heaven Branch

* Fang Taiqing - Sect Master of the branch
* Fang Xingque - Disciple
* Fang Chenyu - Disciple
* Xuanyuan Muxue - Disciple
* Xuanyuan Ganggang - Disciple
* Xuanyuan Yutuo - Disciple
* Jian Chenzhong - Disciple
* Jian Mugucare - Disciple
* Fang Chenyun - Disciple
* Yi Yuxuan - Disciple
* Xuanyuan Yucheng - Disciple and the first ranked on the Heaven Ranking
* Beigong Qianyu - Disciple and the second ranked on the Heaven Ranking
* Fang Chenjing - Disciple and the third ranked on the Heaven Ranking
* Fang Yuewei - Disciple and the fourth ranked on the Heaven Ranking

### Earth Branch

* Xuanyuan Dao - Sect Master of the branch
* Fang Xingying - Disciple
* Fang Jingjing - Disciple
* Fang Chenhuan - Disciple
* Fang Shuyu - Disciple

### Human Branch

* Jian Wuyi - Sect Master of the branch
* Jian Binghe - Elder in charge of Human Branch Competition

#### Dragonmight Faction

* Xuanyuan Yufeng - Disciple and Faction Lord
* Xuanyuan Xiong - Disciple and Vice Faction Lord
* Xuanyuan Ganggang - Disciple and Hall Lord
* Gu Shaoyu - Disciple and Hall Lord
* Tang Lingshan - Disciple and Hall Lord
* Wen Haocheng - Disciple and Hall Lord
* Gu Qingyao - Disciple and Chief
* Gu Qingyin - Disciple and Deacon
* Xuanyuan Xixi - Disciple and member
* Fu Bo - Disciple and member

#### Swordking Faction

* Jian Xueyi - Disciple and Faction Lord
* Zhao Yijue - Disciple and Vice Faction Lord
* Lin Xiaoxiao - Disciple and Chief
* Li Tianming - Disciple and Deacon

#### Azureriver Faction

* Fang Hongxuan - Disciple and Faction Lord
* Fang Bihan - Disciple and Faction Lord

### Nine Divine Halls

* Fang Qingli - Palace Lord of the Godservant Hall
* Xuanyuan Yuheng - Disciple of Fang Qingli.
* Yi Xingyin - Palace Lord of the Deepstar Hall
* Gou Yuqiu - Palace Lord of the Sourceglow Hall
* Fang Shenyu - Hall Lord of the Judgement Hall
* Fu Yonghuan - Elder of the Judgement Hall
* Jian Wufeng - Palace Lord of the Tribulation Artifact Hall
* Xuanyuan Xiao - Palace Lord of the Spiritstream Hall
* Xuanyuan Yu - Palace Lord of the Nine Divine Hall

### Tribulation Elders

* Ouyang Jianwang
* Gou Yuqiu
* Dugu Jin
* Xuanyuan Xuanyi
* Fang Yuqing - Third-origin Tribulation Elder

## Human Branch Competition

In order to rank the disciples in the Human Branch, competitions between factions are held. The rewards are more resources and longer stay in the Old Deepstar Path, with the faction leader getting the most of the rewards. The first ranked faction lord also gets the rights to enter the Heaven Cauldron which is a hold ground for body cultivation.

Factions: Dragonmight Faction (100,000 disciples), Swordking Faction (50,000 disciples), Azureriver Faction (40,000 disciples), Bloodsmear Faction (8,000 disciples) and 26 others.

The competition takes place on the Dimensional Battlefield which is a nine star heavenly pattern formation that is an illusory formation roughly the size of ten of the entire sect. The factions entered in the order of their ranking from the previous event with the lowest entering first. Each disciple is given a Scarletflame tome in the event they surrender. The ranking of each faction is based on dividing the number of surrendered disciples by the total number of members in the faction. The higher the ratio, the lower the rank. In the case that a disciple doesn't surrender when in dire state, their killer is not liable for killing them. The competition lasts for half a month.

## Deepstar Battle

The Deepstar Pool, which is the Old Deepstar Path's core, is a special location in the sect that allows one to cultivate the Ancient Deepstar Godbody. When the pool is opened, the Deepstar Battlefield is also open for the Heaven and Earth Branch disciples to fight it out for the only two spots. During Tianming's time in the sect, there were twenty thousand disciples who had registered.

In the battlefield, each disciple is implanted with an Astral Formation, which will activate when the disciple faces mortal danger. In order to gain points, one must defeat other disciples. The two with the highest points at the end of a month will be given the spots. On the last three days, the formation will inform you of other disciples in a ten thousand meter range and others would know your location as well. The formations of the first and second ranked will shine brightly in the battlefield and their locations will be revealed to everyone. During the competition, disciples can activate their formation to exit the battlefield for up to four hours a day, once each day as long as no one is around them in a three thousand meter range. This allowance is not allowed on the last three days.  It was later mentioned that the Astral Formation is not able to stop attacks from Samsara stage disiples, which meant that Heaven Branch disciples could kill and the Earth Branch disciples were helpless to stop it unless the Deepstar Hall seniors saved them in time. Usage of heavenly pattern tomes is forbidden unless it was made by the user itself.

The competition is held in Abyssal Battlefield in a Deepstar Formation that spans twenty times the size of the sect. Those on the overworld can view the competition through the Starlord Formation which intereacts with each disciples Astral Formation.

## Archaionfiend Trial

It is a unique trial which is open only to those of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan's Trioptic True Dragon Branch. The trial is related to their third eye and is held in the Heaven Sacred Mountain. It is somewhat related to the Archaionfiend Eye. It was said that Xuanyuan Yuheng had won the previous trial and obtained the rights to cultivate the Ancient Deepstar Godbody. Not much else is known about the trial.

## Number One Summit

The Number One Summit was held by the Archaion Sect and the elites from the other sects were housed at the Heaven Divine Hall. Two hundred Heaven Branch's disciples participated in the fight including Xuanyuan Yucheng, Li Tianming, Beigong Qianyu, Fang Yuewei, Fang Chenjing.

After overcoming the odds, Li Tianming emerged the winner and gained the title of Number One. As the sucessor who had gained the Human Emperor's Dragonhide. Tianming was given the title of Imperial Son.

## History

### Joining the Sect

When Tianming arrive at the sect with Jiang Feiling, he was separated from her and sent to the Human Branch to cultivate. When he arrived there, he ran into Lin Xiaoxiao who had enrolled two months prior to him. When Tianming entered the Old Deepstar Path for the first time, all the stars of Astral Will descended on him, drawn by the Grand-Orient Sword in his consciousness. The first he read was from Jian Fengchi and he had completed absorbed it in its entirety. This realization allowed Tianming to quickly absorb more Astral Will and boost his cultivation.

### Human Branch Competition

Before the competition, Tianming and Xiaoxiao joined the Dragonmight Faction, but was excommunicated during the faction meeting. Both of them would later join the Swordking Faction as a deacon and chief respectively.

During the competitoin, due to not having any people under him, Tianming was able to roam the battlefield with Xiaoxiao and hunted the members of the Dragonmight's Faction while training the Mortal Dao Sword. Xuanyuan Yufeng was not able to stop him and instead focused on eliminated the other factions. He later captured both Fang Hongxuan and Fang Bihan, faction lords of the Azureriver Faction, who had betrayed the Swordking Faction. After getting the Azureriver Faction to jump on the Dragonmight Faction, Tianming proceeded to fight Xuanyuan Yufeng and kill him in the process. This caused the Dragonmight Faction to scatter into the wind with many of them surrendering.

In the end, the Swordking Faction was ranked first place and since Tianming was tentatively given the title of Faction Lord, he got the opportunity to cultivate in the Heaven Cauldron.

### Deepstar Battle

During the competition, Xuanyuan Muxue had been in the lead until Fang Xingyue who had gathered hundreds of Sterling House of Fang disciples assisted him in gaining points and allowed him to be in first place. Tianming had taken it slow to hunt people while cultivating and during the last three days worked together with Jian Lingchen and his godsisters to eliminate the competition. They came across Xuanyuan Yutuo, Jian Chenzhong, Jian Mugu, and four others. Tianming defeated both Xuanyuan Yutao and Jian Chenzhong, both Heaven Branch disciples, and reached third place while Jian Lingchen defeated Jian Mugu and dropped to fourth from his previous third position.

On the last day, they were only seventy disciples remaining on the ranking. Fang Xingque was in the lead, with Xuanyuan Muxue, Tianming and Jian Lingchen after him. The positions of first and second was revealed and both of them were headed towards each other, pulling the remaining disciples into a chaotic mess. Fang Xingque was still surrounded by the five hundred Sterling House of Fang disciples who didn't have any points due to assisting him. With the rest of the disciples attacking the Sterling House of Fang's disciples, Xuanyuan Muxue and Jian Lingchen's group handled the Heaven Branch disciples, Tianming got to fight Fang Xingque.

After defeating Fang Xingque, Tianming became the first place and planned to help Jian Lingchen get the second place. They took down most of the other disciples before focusing on the fight with Xuanyuan Muxue. During the fight, Jian Lingchen was eliminated while fighting Xuanyuan Muxue's dragons. In the end, the battle ended with Tianming in first place and Xaunyuan Muxue in second.

### Preparation for War

After the Number One Summit concluded in Li Tianming's victory, the Triflair Celestial Sect, Pentaphase Earth Sect and the Octagram Heart Sect had returned to discuss their collaboration to defend against the other five realms. Li Caiwei had captured Yi Xingyin and used a divine art to take his place and attempted to lure Li Tianming out to the Kilostar Domain but failed twice. Frustrated, she took the risk to kidnap Tianming and managed to escape the sect, albeit taking several wounds and losing her left arm in the process. She managed to succeed and Fang Taiqing along Jian Wuyi and several tribulation elders gave chase. When she reached the Kilostar Domain, the five allied sects had gathered their forces and sect leaders there. The Archaion Sect had to give up on rescuing Tianming at the current point but they continued to keep watch in hopes of an opportunity. Once Tianming had accidently opened the domain, they continued to keep watch but were able to send some people in..

As the Pentaphase realm was under attack, the sect sent both Fang Yuming and Jian Qingyuan, both Divine Marshals of the Archaion Army to reinforce Pentaphase.

Shortly after Ye Bodhi's death, the sect masters and elders received the news of Tianming's feats in the domain. Skeptical at first, as they received more news report from their spies, they were finally convinced and relieved that Tianming was still alive and getting more powerful in the domain. After Jiang Feiling received the news, she ordered that the sect elders and elites be on standby to receive Tianming.

## Trivia

* New disciples are given three books: Sect Regulations, Annals of Nature and Trinity Almanac. The first detailed the sect rules. The second was an encyclopedia on all kinds of treasures, landscapes and beasts on the continent. The third detailed everything about the sect, from the rewards and punishments, secret techniques, cultivation stages, and rankings held by disciples.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 574
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Chapter 579
3. ↑ Chapter 587
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chapter 583
5. ↑ Chapter 627
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 662
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chapter 628
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapter 761
9. ↑ Chapter 580
10. ↑ Chapter 742
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Chapter 599
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chapter 583 to 584
13. ↑ Chapter 607
14. ↑ Chapter 664
15. ↑ Chapter 585
16. ↑ Chapter 597
17. ↑ Chapter 604
18. ↑ Chapter 627
19. ↑ Chapter 654
20. ↑ Chapter 749
21. ↑ Chapter 752
22. ↑ Chapter 763
23. ↑ Chapter 782
24. ↑ Chapter 800