The sect that Song Juyao joined was called the Tai Chu Sword Sect, which was considered the largest sect of sword cultivation in the Empire. However, even so, the entire sect, from the sect master to the disciples to the staff in the logistics department, consists of less than 30 people. They only had a small hill as their territory, which shows how bleak the situation of sword cultivation was in the empire. It was only thanks to the government's monthly subsidies that they could continue to stay afloat without going bankrupt.
The cultivation in the Sword Sect was very arduous. Disciples had to practice swordsmanship at least ten thousand times a day, first building up their physical strength and learning sword techniques, before proceeding to cultivate their spiritual power. However, the spiritual cultivation manuals for sword cultivators were the most difficult of all the cultivation sects. Some characters were incomprehensible, let alone comprehending the manual to advance in spiritual power.
Other cultivation sects didn't have to endure the wind and rain. They had good treatment, high employment rates, and earned a lot of money, which was very face-saving. But what about the Sword Sect? They only did physical labor, enduring sun and wind, and their efforts might not always yield results. Moreover, it was difficult for them to find employment. When they mention that they were sword cultivators, they were looked down upon by other sects. Therefore, most people with spiritual roots would not choose to become sword cultivators. For them it was better to become an outer disciple in another sect.