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Chapter 168: Xuanhuanzi's Inside Story

Lu Xiuyuan was very confused about why Xuan Huanzi became a traitor. He asked puzzledly: "Master, Xuan Huanzi is your junior fellow apprentice. Why did he choose to become a traitor of the demon clan instead of enjoying his status as an elder of the Juling Sect?"

Xuanjizi took a deep breath, as if he wanted to absorb the distant memory into his lungs. His eyes became more profound, as if he had traveled through the long river of time and returned to that turbulent era.

Back then, the demons invaded and the war spread to all parts of the continent. As one of the righteous forces, the Juling Sect threw itself into this life-and-death battle without hesitation. They chased the demons all the way to the depths of the northern border. However, just when everyone thought victory was in sight, a sudden ambush shattered all their beautiful aspirations.

Perhaps because of underestimation of the enemy, or because of some mysterious incident, the Juling Sect fell into a desperate situation. In that thrilling melee, Xuanjizi witnessed his fellow disciples falling one by one, and the blood dyed the ground red. And his beloved master, Xuanmiaozi, was also seriously injured in the battle and fell into a coma.

Faced with such a tragic situation, Xuanjizi carried his unconscious master on his back without hesitation and fought his way out of the encirclement. He didn't know if he could return to the Juling Sect alive, but he had only one firm belief in his heart: he must keep his master safe!

When he finally returned to the sect after going through untold hardships, Xuanjizi discovered that the once prosperous Juling Sect had changed beyond all recognition. The Thirteen Juling Immortals - those senior masters who were feared by the world, had all perished. The entire sect was shrouded in a heavy shadow and faced an unprecedented crisis.

Recalling this, Xuanjizi couldn't calm down for a long time. That dark period became an indelible pain in his heart, but it also inspired him to keep moving forward and strive to protect this land and its people.

Lu Xiuyuan frowned and asked suspiciously, "What on earth is going on? With the powerful strength of Elder Xuanmiaozi and the Thirteen Soul Gathering Immortals, how could they suffer such a tragic defeat? Moreover, Xuanhuanzi, whose cultivation is obviously lower than theirs, was completely unscathed and survived in the end. This is really puzzling!"

Xuanjizi sighed helplessly and said in a heavy tone: "The attack was totally unexpected. The demon tribe was obviously well prepared. Elder Xuanmiaozi and the Thirteen Soul Gathering Immortals were extremely brave and fearless in the fierce battle. Unfortunately, the demon tribe's conspiracy was too insidious and cunning, which trapped them in a desperate situation and made it impossible to escape. Xuanhuanzi happened to be at the rear of the battlefield. Perhaps it was because he was not directly involved in that thrilling life-and-death fight that he was lucky enough to escape."

"But this doesn't explain why he betrayed the sect." Lu Xiuyuan still looked confused.

Xuanjizi's face was as gloomy as water, his eyebrows were tightly knitted and he was lost in thought. He slowly said, "I have also thought deeply about this matter. Since Xuanhuanzi returned to the sect, it can be said that he has been smooth sailing and has encountered many adventures. His cultivation speed is astonishing. It took him only more than ten years to successfully condense the golden elixir and became an elder-level figure in the Juling Sect. But at this time, I found something unusual. Every time he talked about the fierce battle, he was always evasive and hesitant, as if he was deliberately concealing some important details and information. This behavior makes people suspicious. Is there any secret that cannot be told?"

"At first, I didn't pay attention to these details, but as time went by and I observed his behavior, I gradually understood the reasons. That thrilling battle was probably more than just a simple encounter for Xuan Huanzi; it was more like a watershed of fate, allowing him to see the fragility of human nature and the terrifying strength of the demon clan when he was on the verge of life and death. This cognition may have made him afraid and began to shake his original unshakable beliefs. At this moment, the various baits and promises thrown by the demon clan just hit the softest part of his heart, so he finally made the difficult decision to betray the right path and join the demon clan."

When Lu Xiuyuan heard this, he suddenly understood. It turned out that Xuan Huanzi's betrayal was not accidental, but was the result of a long period of accumulation and brewing. After that thrilling battle, the fear and hesitation that continued to spread in his heart gradually eroded his will, and the demon clan's ulterior motives of temptation eventually forced him to embark on this evil path from which there was no turning back.

At this time, Qingying, who had been silent for a long time, couldn't help but interrupt and said, "I have heard of this kind of thing before. But I still can't figure out how Xuanhuanzi could survive that extremely tragic fight. You know, the monster that caused Elder Xuanmiaozi, who was in the Jindan stage, to be seriously injured and fall into a coma, and wiped out all the thirteen Juling immortals, was so powerful that it was beyond imagination. With Xuanhuanzi's cultivation level of only the middle stage of foundation building, he was able to escape by luck. It's really unbelievable!"

Lu Xiuyuan frowned, staring into the distance, as if he wanted to see the truth through the void. He thought to himself, Qingying has always been steady, if she said that, then there must be a reason. But the question is, what kind of secret is hidden behind this?

It was incredible that Xuan Huanzi could escape from the mouth of such a terrifying monster. Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but recall that when he first met Xuan Huanzi, he didn't notice anything special about him. Now it seems that this person must be very powerful.

While everyone was discussing, an old man with white hair and a sage-like demeanor suddenly stood up. He looked around with a sharp gaze and slowly said, "From what I have seen, this matter is indeed strange. Considering how ferocious the monster is and how powerful it is, it is definitely not something that ordinary magic weapons can resist. And Xuanhuanzi was able to escape, so he must have a treasure on him, which may help him resist the monster's attack; or, he may have seen the monster's weakness during the fierce battle and took the opportunity to escape..."

Before the old man finished speaking, there was an uproar in the room. Everyone whispered to each other and agreed with the old man's analysis. However, Lu Xiuyuan disagreed. He always felt that the matter was not that simple and there must be other reasons behind it.

However, these are just speculations. The truth is probably only known to the person involved, Xuan Huanzi himself...

Lu Xiuyuan secretly made up his mind to uncover this mystery. Not only to avenge his fellow disciples who died, but also to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. So, he began to investigate Xuan Huanzi's past experiences and more details behind the fierce battle...