Leaving Your Sect: Everything You Need to Know
Not feeling the Sect you joined in Where Winds Meet? Leaving is possible — but most Sects make you earn it through a Severance Trial before you’re free. This guide covers the exact steps, what you lose and keep, how the Trial system actually works, and the cooldown rules that govern rejoining.
How to Leave Any Sect in Where Winds Meet
- Open the start menu and select Sects.
- Click “Betray Master” in the bottom-right corner of the Sects screen.
- Select “Confirm” when prompted.
Your Sect status changes immediately after confirming — you’re treated as having left even before the exit requirement is fulfilled. What comes next depends on which Sect you were in.
Exit Requirements by Sect
| Sect | Exit Requirement |
|---|---|
| Well of Heaven | Severance Trial (Perception Forest) |
| Silver Needle | Severance Trial — complete one Perception Forest match |
| Midnight Blades | Severance Trial (Perception Forest) |
| Velvet Shade | Severance Trial (Perception Forest) |
| Nine Mortal Ways | Pay Elder Ni Laoshan 50,000 Coins at Harvestfall Village — no Trial required. Note: they may try to trick you back in during this process — read all dialogue prompts carefully. |
| Other Sects | Severance Trial (Perception Forest) — applies to all remaining Sects not listed above |
⚠️ Nine Mortal Ways note: Paying Ni Laoshan is mandatory to leave — refusing will prevent you from exiting at all. After you pay, you’re immediately free with no Trial.
⚠️ After leaving any Sect: You can join a different Sect immediately, but you cannot rejoin the Sect you just left until 24 hours have passed.
What You Lose — and Keep — When Leaving
Lost immediately upon leaving:
- Sect Reputation — wiped completely
- Sect Status, Rank, and any titles earned
- Access to the Sect Shop
Permanently kept:
- All items and cosmetics already purchased from the Sect Shop
- The weapon offered upon joining the Sect
- All Martial Arts learned through the Sect
???? Key tip: Spend all your merits in the Sect Shop before leaving. Cosmetics, outfits, and exclusive items are yours to keep permanently — so clear the shop before you go. Check our guide on all Sect outfits and cosmetics to know what’s worth buying first.
Understanding Severance Trials
A Severance Trial is a special version of a Perception Forest PvP match, created specifically for players who are leaving a Sect. Think of it as your old Sect’s parting gift — they put a bounty on your head and throw you into a match.
What Makes Them Different
- Bounty on your head: Any player who defeats you earns extra rewards, making you a high-value target for everyone in the match.
- No escape: You cannot leave the Trial early, and retreat points are disabled. You stay until the match ends naturally.
- You don’t need to win: Simply staying in the match until it concludes fulfills your obligation. Win, lose, or get eliminated — it doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t quit.
- You enter alone: No mounts or companions. Your build and skill are all you have.
How Severance Trials Start
You cannot manually start a Severance Trial. After you leave a Sect, the game searches for an active Perception Forest event with an available slot and pulls you in automatically — with no warning.
This can happen at any moment while you’re playing:
- Mid-quest
- During a boss fight
- In Co-op
- While organizing your inventory
The Trial overrides everything. You’ll be teleported to the Perception Forest immediately when the game finds a slot.
⚠️ Important: Running regular Perception Forest matches yourself will not clear your pending Severance Trial obligation. The game requires the special Severance Trial instance specifically — your status stays as “Pending Severance” until the game pulls you into one automatically.
How Long Until Your Trial Starts?
Wait time ranges from one hour to two full days, depending entirely on how many players are actively running Perception Forest matches and how many slots are available. You’re in limbo until the game finds a suitable match.
Important: You can join a new Sect immediately after leaving — you don’t have to wait for the Trial to trigger first. The Trial obligation follows you regardless of what you’re doing or which Sect you’re in.
Can You Rejoin a Sect After Leaving?
Yes — but the rules are strict on both ends.
24-Hour Rejoining Cooldown
After leaving a Sect, you must wait 24 real-world hours before you can rejoin that same Sect. This is wall-clock time — changing the in-game time of day will not speed it up.
When you rejoin, you start completely fresh:
- Reputation, merits, and status are all gone
- All titles earned are lost
- You return as a Novice Disciple at the bottom of the hierarchy
6-Day Loyalty Lock After Rejoining
Once you rejoin any Sect, you cannot leave again for 6 days. This is a hard restriction with no workaround, designed to prevent players from gaming the system by rapidly switching Sects for temporary benefits.
Make sure you’re actually committed to staying before you rejoin. You won’t be able to switch to another Sect until those 6 days are up.
Strategic Tips for Leaving Sects
Before you leave:
- Clear out the Sect Shop first — merits don’t transfer. Buy every cosmetic, outfit, and item you want before you leave, since everything purchased is permanently yours.
- Complete any active Sect quests you care about — you lose access after leaving.
- For Nine Mortal Ways members: save 50,000 Coins for a clean, Trial-free exit — and read every dialogue prompt carefully, as they may attempt to trick you back into the Sect during the leaving process.
- Optimize your gear if a Severance Trial is coming. Check the weapons and martial arts tier list and your character stats beforehand.
Timing your departure:
- The Trial can trigger at any moment — avoid leaving if you’re in the middle of important content you can’t interrupt.
- You can join a new Sect immediately after leaving; you don’t need to wait for the Trial.
- Don’t try to run regular Perception Forest matches to clear your Severance Trial — only the special auto-triggered Severance Trial instance will resolve it.
- Have healing charges ready for when the Trial pulls you in unexpectedly.
Is Leaving Worth It?
Good reasons to leave:
- The Sect’s playstyle or combat approach doesn’t suit you
- You want to try another faction’s exclusive weapons and martial arts
- You’re in the early game and haven’t invested much yet — the cost is low
- You want to experience all Sects in the game
Reasons to think twice:
- You’ve built significant Sect Reputation and Rank — it’s all gone
- You haven’t unlocked higher-tier Sect Shop rewards yet
- You might want to rejoin later (you’ll restart from Novice Disciple)
- The 6-day lock means you can’t quickly change your mind after rejoining
If you’re still in the early game, Sect-switching is relatively painless. For longer-term players, understand that leaving erases all your progress — there’s no recovery of lost reputation or rank. Our beginner’s tips guide can help you make a better Sect choice from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I join another Sect while my Severance Trial is pending?
Yes. You can join a new Sect immediately after leaving your old one — you don’t need to wait for the Severance Trial to trigger or complete first. The Trial obligation stays with you regardless and will resolve whenever the game pulls you in.
What happens if I cancel the Severance Trial?
You cannot cancel it. Once the leave process is confirmed and a Severance Trial is required, the process is locked in. Retreat points are disabled once you’re inside the match, and you must stay until it ends naturally.
Do I lose my Martial Arts if I leave a Sect?
No. Martial Arts and weapon styles learned through a Sect are permanently yours, even after leaving. You don’t need to stay in a Sect to continue using its combat skills.
Can I rejoin the Sect I just left?
Yes, after a 24-hour real-time cooldown. However, you start completely from scratch — Novice Disciple rank, zero reputation, zero merits. All previous progress is permanently lost.
What is the 6-day lock and when does it apply?
After you rejoin any Sect, you cannot leave it again for 6 days. This applies to rejoining — not your initial join. There is no workaround. It’s designed to prevent rapid Sect-hopping.
Does changing the in-game time of day affect cooldown timers?
No. Both the 24-hour rejoin cooldown and the 6-day loyalty lock use real-world wall-clock time. Manipulating the in-game time of day has no effect on either timer.
Can I run regular Perception Forest matches to complete my Severance Trial?
No. Running regular Perception Forest matches yourself will not clear your pending Severance Trial status. The game requires the special auto-triggered Severance Trial instance specifically. Your status remains ‘Pending Severance’ until the game pulls you into one automatically.
Related Guides
To make the most of your time in any Sect and prepare for what comes next:
- All Sects — How to Join Guide — understand every faction before committing
- How to Join Midnight Blades
- Best Early Builds & Weapon Combos — prepare for the Severance Trial
- Weapons & Martial Arts Tier List
- Character Stats & Attributes Guide
- Daily & Weekly Activities Checklist — farm 50,000 Coins fast for Nine Mortal Ways exits
- Bounty System & Law Enforcement Guide
- Beginner Tips & Tricks Guide
Available on Steam and PlayStation. Learn more at the official website.
