Discussion WTF is a sect

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by GUTB, Apr 22, 2021.

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  1. GUTB

    GUTB Well-Known Member

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    I know what the word means, but why is belonging to, and relations amongst, sects -- so critically important? If there's two groups of cultivators, why do they care so much which variation of cultivator system they both use? To the point where a sect is more like a nation? Is there such a thing as popular sects? Evil sects? Good? Neutral? Bullied? Color-coordinated?
     
  2. Blank-1

    Blank-1 Fantasy-holic

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    Basically the one thing stopping xianxia characters going full murderhobo and killing any and all randos for essential resources without much fear of repurcussion from bands of cultivators
     
  3. KHA2

    KHA2 wanderer

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    it all comes down to face and your own reputation being a super important thing in Chinese novels

    and of course there are popular sects, evil sects etc. it's the same thing how there are popular schools and since there are supernatural powers there will be things like evil or good sects
     
  4. Bellilelly

    Bellilelly Well-Known Member

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    From my understanding and interpretation, a well known and more prestigious and huge sect did not just suddenly popped up one day and be like this sect is the best so come under my sect. Just like every company or college, you need a solid history of ‘strength’ and a well-known and respected master/figure that basically does free advertising and tell people that this sect(or company or college) will prob help you became someone as reputable as that model figure. And most of the time people will follow who is the strongest and especially when choosing a sect they obv want to choose the ‘strongest’ sect so they have a backbone since ‘they’re part of XYZ famous master sect’ like do u understand where I’m going I could explain more if it’s still not entirely clear.


    Anyways what do u mean by
    as in like cultivation method different sect use (like one sect famous recognizable cultivation technique is call idk “lotus flame etc etc” I can’t name anything and then another sect recognizable cultivation technique is “double water spear”) or as in the ‘evil’ and ‘good’ and ‘neutral’ sect??
     
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  5. Walter vi Britannia

    Walter vi Britannia Well-Known Member

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    It's short for vasectomy.
     
  6. Vanidor

    Vanidor Well-Known Member

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    Dr_H_16 and Alexios Blake like this.
  7. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

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    the power of organization, the bigger it influence mean the more resource it have be it human resource or material resource
    quite simple logic
    gang, club, sect, school, clan, nation it just a name for it~
     
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  8. Bellilelly

    Bellilelly Well-Known Member

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    Also like one said more well known or famous sect are usually backed up by really reputable or just high cultivation master. One would rather have one more allied than one more enemy if anything were to happened to them. Hence most sect would try to keep a “amicable” relationship even if they’re just pretending so they’ll let their rivals know that u can’t mess w me because I have a “good” relationship w these great master’s sect. Large and well known sect also means that they have plenty or resources to help cultivate disciples ofc it doesn’t always mean they’re be generous in dirributing those resource. But if ur a cultivator u would eventually need precious materials or etc to further push ur cultivation hence ofc u want to be w a sect that have those resources and hope they’ll give some to you.

    additionally for those more talented youngster or people, they’ll enter a sect because they want to receive some type of “pointer” in their cultivation by these famous expert, which most of the time can immensely help boost their cultivation because a more experience expert giving u a profound knowledge and helping you breakthrough etc. Or even those talented people entered hoping to be lucky enough to be a disciple of that reputation famous master and hope that they’ll recieve the the signatured well known awed technique inheritance(I forgot the word to describe that word but basically hope the master can pass on to them that famous awed inspiring mighty cultivation technique or smth because if an expert became strong and famous through his let’s say “Buddha palm technique” to be basic because I can’t think of a name, you’ll more likely to believe that I’ll also become as strong as that master if I learned that technique that gave that master it’s fame and strength.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2021
  9. mio

    mio just me

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    Let me answer your question with a question; what the f is a country? I -like you- know what the word means, but why is belonging to, and relations amongst, countries, so critically important? If there's two groups from different countries, why do they care so much which variation of government/language/skincolor/... they use? To the point a country is more like a race?.....

    I'm guessing you see my point by now? People group together for safety and advantages, then vie for power, then put others below them, then exploit each other within that group and form new groups. It is human nature, sadly, that we can't seem to unite and apparently always need to find reasons to be "better" or "different" or "special"...

    It is proof that for all that humanity considers itself sentient and self-aware, it barely crossed the threshold.

    A sect is basically a country within a country, like a company - if big enough - is basically a country within a country.
     
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  10. drewjn

    drewjn Well-Known Member

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    You can think of it as a cross between being part of a Clan (a familial organization), a school (like a university), and a corporate entity.

    A sect is pretty much a government and entity on its own. For Western readers, it would make more sense thinking of it as a school and corporate business, as that would be the closest analogue for us. Keep in mind that you are reading novels that are based on a different culture, mindset, and usually reference an earlier era (whether pure fantasy, or historical fantasy).
     
  11. GUTB

    GUTB Well-Known Member

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    So....do sects exist within a country? Are they beholden to the monarch and nobility? If there's a war are sects expected to take part? If one sect commits a war atrocity how is that dealt with? How do governments treat these great masters? Would a cultivator who belongs to a sect also join an Adventurer party? Or is it the sort of thing where a sect expects you to follow the path of the 7 Hidden Earth and Heaven Mysteries at all times and anything else is a waste of sect resources?
     
  12. emiliers

    emiliers Well-Known Member

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    I tend to think of sects like... superhero teams. Like, there's the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, etc. And they get by with name recognition -- just like martial arts sects!

    OK, so the world of Jianghu in wuxia/xianxia is actually kind of equivalent to western ideas of the "criminal underworld" without the criminal part (well, with the righteous sects at least). So more Godfather and less Sopranos, kind of deal. In other words, they operate outside of the law/the monarchy, which is why most wuxia/xianxia only make the vaguest allusions to emperors/dynasties, with a few exceptions.

    In other words, you can kind of think of the Jianghu and the Emperor as two completely different factions. Generally, most wuxia/xianxia take the tract of "as long as the cultivators keep the infighting to themselves, the emperor won't intervene", but there are some exceptions.
     
  13. MidstNost

    MidstNost 【 Reigen's Saltshaker 】【 Lingtian Raider 】

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    Just think of a sect as a backing that a cultivator has. Obviously, itinerant cultivators would have no advantage in having resources like cultivation manuals, treasures, dao preacher, etc. that cultivators in sects have.
    Also a better sect would obviously have more ample resources with better qualiy than let's say, a third rate sect that just newly formed.
     
  14. powwder

    powwder Well-Known Member

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    Think of a sect like a sports team. The biggest most powerful sects will be like the most powerful sports teams and have the most resources, the best players (cultivators), and the best benefits (salary, popularity etc) making them attractive to people. These big sports teams gather talents from smaller sports teams who gather talents from smaller sports teams and so forth. This is like how people start off, join small sects, then if they have the ability move to bigger sects and so on.

    Sports teams don’t belong to a certain country but are located in countries kind of like how sects are found in certain empires but aren’t a part of that empire.

    Now these big sports teams compete with each other for talents and for championships (treasures) which will increase the prestige and power of their team. This is like how sects compete for treasures and genius cultivators.

    also these teams follow a general set of rules and teams that break these rules are penalized. This is like how most sects are righteous and evil sects go against righteousness and must be eradicated.
     
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