Human life was cheap unless said life had a backing. Certain tournament competitors had no qualms about being cruel while others try as hard as they can not to injure their adversaries permanently. Said backers had no qualms about being petty toward juniors. High-level cultivators except for sages constantly need resources. They need support from an organization. Therefore the members of their organization are under their protection. More often than not the organization is a family. Because the family is made of the cultivator's flesh and blood, they are way more loyal than the random assortment of unrelated people. That arrangement that's a mix between a family and a minor sect is called a cultivation clan.
The clans surrounding the Shaushan sect are as follows.
