Building a sect necessitates the consideration of multiple factors.
First is possessing a Cave Mansion environment suitable for Cultivation, which includes the presence of Spiritual Veins.
There are two types of Spiritual Veins.
One is naturally formed by nature, which is the most traditional type of Spiritual Vein from the early days.
The other type is man-made by a Cultivator after an intense period of Meditation.
The function of a Spiritual Vein is to gather and pull in the surrounding nature's spiritual energy.
This means you don't have to scavenge for scattered natural spiritual energy; the Spiritual Vein automatically attracts it for you.
A good Spiritual Vein environment is actually not inferior to the benefits provided by Spirit Stones.
This can attract lower-tier Mortals and talents to join your sect.
Next, there must be a Spirit Stone mine nearby as the main resource to sustain the sect.