Dragon Springs Sword Sect

Overview

The Dragon Springs Sword Sect (龙泉剑宗) is a prominent "Zong" (宗) level sword sect located in Baoping Continent. It was founded by the Military School (兵家) Saint and premier sword smith Ruan Qiong after the dissolution of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven.

Deeply entwined with the rapid expansion and political ambitions of the Dali Empire, the sect enjoys unparalleled backing from the royal court, including the empire's financial support and military escorts for carefully selected sword embryos. Despite its prestigious title and massive leased territories, the sect initially possessed very few disciples, functioning more as a quiet forging ground for Ruan Qiong than a bustling mountain institution. Its later years saw Liu Xianyang succeed Ruan Qiong as the second Sect Master, ushering in a new era for the sect.

History and Founding

The founding of the Dragon Springs Sword Sect followed Ruan Qiong's arrival in the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, where he took over the responsibilities of the sitting Sage after Qi Jingchun. Following the grotto-heaven's fall and its merger with the main world as Longquan County, Ruan Qiong formally established the sect.

He chose Shenxiu Mountain (神秀山) as his ancestral mountain. Additionally, he leased three neighboring mountains—Caiyun Peak, Xiancao Mountain, and Baolu Mountain—from the young Chen Ping'an for a period of three hundred years.

Initially, Ruan Qiong intended to name the faction simply "Sword Sect" (剑宗), a name carrying immense ambition. However, a close friend advised him against provoking the ancient and powerful Sword Sect in the Middle Earth Divine Continent. Consequently, Ruan Qiong added the prefix "Dragon Springs." Upon founding the sect, he laid down a promise to his disciples: whoever could rightfully remove the "Dragon Springs" prefix and make it just the "Sword Sect" would become the next Sect Master.

As the Dali Empire's borders expanded southward to encompass half the continent, the imperial court granted the Dragon Springs Sword Sect a massive new territory in the north, formerly the Middle Peak domain of the Zhu Ying Dynasty. Ruan Qiong eventually relocated his forging operations and many disciples there, leaving Liu Xianyang to inherit the sect's Longquan presence.

Territory and Location

• Shenxiu Mountain (神秀山): The ancestral mountain of the sect. Its defining feature is a massive cliff face bearing the ancient four-character inscription "天开神秀" (Heaven Opens Divine Elegance).
• Leased Mountains: Caiyun Peak (彩云峰), Xiancao Mountain (仙草山), and Baolu Mountain (宝箓山), which were leased from Chen Ping'an to form a continuous territorial stronghold in the western mountains of Longquan County.
• Northern Expansion: Later in its history, the sect established a massive secondary presence in the northern reaches of the Dali Empire to solidify the empire's martial and sword Dao destiny.

Hierarchy and Members

Unlike typical sects that aggressively expand their membership, the Dragon Springs Sword Sect operated with a skeleton crew of direct disciples for many years, as Ruan Qiong prioritized moral character and temperament over pure talent.

• Ruan Qiong: The Founder and First Sect Master. He operated largely hands-off regarding administrative duties, spending most of his time casting swords at his furnace.
• Liu Xianyang: The Second Sect Master. Ruan Qiong's desired successor from the very beginning, who eventually inherited the sect despite his carefree and seemingly lazy demeanor.
• Ruan Xiu: The Eldest Senior Sister. Although she did not actively cultivate or manage sect affairs—preferring to wander, eat pastries, or manage her Yasui Shop—she commanded the absolute respect of her junior martial siblings.
• Dong Gu: The Eldest Disciple on the register. Despite being a mountain spirit by origin and not possessing sword cultivator talent, he reached the Jin Dan (金丹) realm and diligently handled almost all of the sect's administrative and external affairs.
• Xu Xiaoqiao: A direct disciple who previously hailed from the Wind and Snow Temple. She severed her own thumb to sever ties with her past, proving her resolve to Ruan Qiong. She later opened Zhu Hai Peak (煮海峰).
• Xie Ling: A highly talented sword cultivator and array master from Taoye Alley. Backed by his ancestor, Heavenly Lord Xie Shi, Xie Ling possessed immense potential and powerful artifacts, such as the "Tao Ye" flying sword and the "Full Moon" sword-nurturing gourd.

Relationships

• Dali Empire: The sect serves as the premier martial and sword institution allied with the Dali Empire. Ruan Qiong acts as Dali's Chief Enshrinee. The empire heavily subsidizes the sect, sending them the best sword embryos and providing massive tracts of land.
• Wind and Snow Temple (风雪庙): Ruan Qiong's former sect and one of the two great Military School ancestral mountains of Baoping Continent. It acts as a friendly "mother sect," ensuring Dragon Springs has a powerful continental ally.
• Luopo Mountain (落魄山): Close neighbors in the Longquan western mountains. Their relationship is grounded in early business (mountain leases) and the deep personal friendship between Luopo Mountain's Chen Ping'an and the Sword Sect's Liu Xianyang and Ruan Xiu.
• Zhengyang Mountain (正阳山): A bitter rival. The two sects constantly compete for sword embryos and prestige. This animosity culminated in Liu Xianyang and Chen Ping'an jointly "questioning the sword" at Zhengyang Mountain, dealing a devastating blow to the rival sect's reputation.

References

• 剑来7：迢迢渡银汉，第五章 — 天真: Details Ruan Qiong's founding of the sect on Shenxiu Mountain, the leasing of mountains from Chen Ping'an, and his promise regarding the removal of the "Dragon Springs" prefix.
• 剑来8：误入藕花渡，第一章 — 远观近看: Mentions the sect's massive territory but extremely sparse disciple population, listing Xu Xiaoqiao, Dong Gu, and Xie Ling.
• 剑来12：人间羊肠道，第一章 — 山水依旧: Covers the Dali Empire sending twelve highly talented youths (including a congenital sword embryo) to the sect under military escort, and the disciples' reverence for Eldest Sister Ruan Xiu.
• 剑来17：一洲皆起剑，第四章 — 思无邪: Discusses Dong Gu's administrative burdens, Xie Ling's background and treasures, and Ruan Qiong's deep desire to have Liu Xianyang as a disciple.
• 剑来31：观礼正阳山，第七章 — 问剑做客两不误: Highlights the intense rivalry with Zhengyang Mountain and Liu Xianyang's formal questioning of the sword as a Dragon Springs Sword Sect disciple.
• 剑来41：山青花欲燃，第十章 — 有限杯长少年: Details Liu Xianyang's role as the Sect Master and his unconventional acceptance of the destitute boy Li Shenyuan as a disciple.