The Spiritual Mountain Sect was a branch of the Grand Mystery Sect.
When reaching a certain scale, every sect would have different interest groups within.
Many interest groups were unable to swallow their opponents despite the competitions on and off the table. They were unwilling to wound each other for nothing. So, they would often reach deals and establish branches from the main sect, bringing the resources to develop in the broad world outside.
Sometimes, to march into the new states or prefectures, or to explore the unpopulated frontier, the local disciples in such areas were often given greater powers and incentives and turned from local representatives of the sect into new branches later.
Some of the smaller sects in the local area, awed by the foreign sects, were willing to be acquired, which was another source of the branches.
