The power structure of the Daoist Order bore many similarities to that of ordinary society, yet it was fundamentally different due to cultivation. Everything for ordinary people stemmed from having authority. If they lost that authority, they would have no real power of their own. No matter how great they once were, once they fell from grace, they would be at the mercy of the jailers.0

But the Daoists were different. Even if the Great Sage lost the authority conferred by the Daoist Order, they still had the cultivation of an Immortal. They themselves bore immense power, which was a form of authority. If they truly broke away from the Daoist Order, they could immediately rally a following of their own. As such, many political maneuvers and stratagems used in ordinary power struggles were not effective within the Daoist Order.0

It was akin to fractured fiefdoms in times of chaos. One’s military strength would define one’s authority. The idea of seizing power with a single imperial edict was unrealistic. Thus, those power plays might have some influence, but they were rarely ...0