The quick answer
Sects are factions with their own entry clues, rules, standing and rewards. You can belong to one at a time or remain Sectless. Choose a sect whose activities you want to do, and read the departure conditions before joining solely for a particular unlock.
On this page
Read a sect entry before following its clue
Open Sects from the main menu and select a sect that interests you. Read its entry route, rules and available benefits. A recruitment clue starts the process; viewing it does not mean you have joined.
| Part of the entry | Question to answer |
|---|---|
| Introduction or theme | Do I enjoy the activities this sect encourages? |
| Entry clue or prerequisite | Which objective must I complete before admission? |
| Rules | What behaviour will affect my standing? |
| Rewards or shop | Which benefit do I actually want, and what does it require? |
| Leave option | What would leaving cost or remove for my current membership? |
You can remain sectless while learning the rest of the game. Membership is a separate decision from choosing a weapon style, a career or a player guild.
A sect is not a guild or a permanent class
Sect membership concerns an in-world faction and its code. A player guild is a social organisation, while Martial Arts define your fighting styles. Keep those choices separate when reading recruitment advice or deciding which menu you need.
A sect can provide access to associated rewards, but the acquisition entry for a Martial Art may also offer another route, such as Skill Theft. Inspect the exact art rather than assuming you must join a faction to use a weapon type.
Follow the sect’s entry clue
- Open the Sects menu and inspect the faction you are interested in.
- Read its code, rewards and entry information.
- Track the entry clue and complete the associated tasks.
- Before confirming membership, review the activities expected of members.
- After joining, check standing and claim any earned rewards.
An older guide may list a sect that was not available at the time. The live entry and current regional content are better indicators of availability than a launch-era list. Mohist Hill, for example, was introduced through Hidden Mountain’s engineering-focused content.
- Join Well of Heaven: real elder and Ill-gotten Wealth
- Join Nine Mortal Ways: the fake elder’s invitation
- Join Silver Needle: the three patient records
- Join Midnight Blades: create the correct decree
- Join Raging Tides: the nine wines and drinking trial
- Join the Masked Troupe: performance likes
- Join Velvet Shade: invitation routes
- Join Mohist Hill: Heron’s recommendation
Choose by obligations as well as rewards
| Preference | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Helping other players | Healing or cooperative expectations and how participation is recorded. |
| Competitive play | Whether the sect’s recurring tasks involve fights against players. |
| Mischief and social activities | Rules around deception, disguise and related world interactions. |
| Craftsmanship and mechanisms | Mohist Hill’s current introduction and progression. |
| Minimal recurring obligations | The Sectless option and its available activities. |
These are questions for comparing factions, not a claim that one is mandatory for a role. If the weekly behaviour sounds unappealing, an attractive outfit alone may not make ongoing membership enjoyable.
| Before joining | A satisfactory answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Reason for joining | A named activity, reward or faction story you want. |
| Recurring obligations | Tasks you would choose to do during an ordinary week. |
| Combat unlock | The exact Martial Art acquisition entry confirms membership is useful or required. |
| Exit plan | You understand the departure condition and the rank/shop benefits at risk. |
Understand standing before it becomes a problem
Sect rules affect your standing and access to faction progression. Read the actions that earn or lose credit, then check the recurring tasks you actually intend to complete. Do not rely on a thematic description such as “honourable” or “free-spirited” to explain the mechanical rules.
After a normal week of play, inspect whether membership fits your routine. If you are continually forcing yourself into unwanted activities, reassess the choice. A faction should support the way you want to spend your time.
Before leaving or switching
Departure can affect rank, titles and shop access, and may involve a trial or other condition. Check the current leaving screen for your particular sect; do not generalise one faction’s fee or process to all of them.
- Review unfinished sect tasks and rewards you already earned.
- Read which benefits or progress will be lost.
- Check any departure requirement and rejoining restriction.
- Inspect the new sect’s entry conditions before starting the switch.
Keeping a combat style and keeping faction standing are different questions. Verify each explicitly, especially if your only reason for switching is to try another weapon.
Practical guides
Follow the membership process all the way through
- Choose one sect and inspect its current entry clue.
- Track any quest created by the clue and finish its required interactions.
- Return to the relevant contact if the objective asks for a report.
- Read the admission confirmation and membership rules.
- After joining, reopen Sects and inspect your membership, standing and available tasks.
If you completed a recruitment activity but the membership panel has not changed, inspect the final objective and any conversation you left unfinished. Do not assume the activity itself was the admission confirmation.
Complete one sect task before planning a weekly routine
Pick an available task whose requirement is clear. Read whether it names a particular activity, target, mode or time condition. After completing it, reopen the task entry and check whether a reward still needs to be claimed.
Then compare your standing and available rewards with the requirement for the benefit you want. Completing a task, claiming its reward and becoming eligible for a shop item are separate checkpoints. If the result is missing, investigate those checkpoints before repeating the activity.
| Problem | Check first |
|---|---|
| Cannot join after following a clue | The current prerequisite and final recruitment conversation. |
| Task did not count | The exact target, activity and mode in its requirement. |
| Reward remains locked | Your claimed progress, rank and that item’s own requirement. |
| Standing changed unexpectedly | The actual sect rules and recent actions. |
A worked example: joining only for a Martial Art
Suppose you like a sect’s associated weapon style but dislike its ongoing rules. Open the Martial Art’s acquisition information before joining. If a supported alternative such as Skill Theft is available, compare its requirements with membership. The weapon’s theme alone does not establish that permanent membership is necessary.
If you do join, make the decision around the full membership: activities, rules and benefits. Before later leaving, read the confirmation for the specific consequences; do not assume every sect handles rank, titles, shops and retained unlocks identically.
What to read next
Common questions
Can I stay Sectless?
Yes. You can delay membership while you explore the choices. Read the available Sectless activities and rewards rather than joining a faction simply to clear a menu notification.
Must I join a sect before choosing my weapon pair?
No. Choose the Martial Arts you want, then inspect their individual acquisition routes. Some routes involve sects and others use quests or Skill Theft. Do not assume a faction owns every style using its associated weapon type.
Sources & verification
Source research is separate from in-game testing. Recommendations are identified as editorial advice.