Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 128 Ruins

The moment Lu Xiuyuan successfully built his foundation, it was as if the entire cave was shaking! He stood firmly in front of the dark and deep cave where he was practicing, concentrating on experiencing the surging and endless flow of spiritual energy in his body. At this moment, his heart was filled with a joy and pride that could not be described in words.

You know, the foundation-building stage can be regarded as a crucial milestone in the long journey of cultivating immortals for any Taoist practitioner; it means that the Taoist practitioner has crossed the initial stage of glimpsing the door and officially entered the real and serious camp of Taoist practitioners. From then on, they can start to explore more profound and powerful Taoist secrets with what they have learned, and gradually launch challenges to higher levels... Thinking of this, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel excited and his blood boiled!

Lu Xiuyuan recalled his days of cultivation, and the sweat and tears of those days and nights of hard work seemed to have turned into the sweetness of the moment. He knew that he could not get to where he is today without his own persistence and hard work, and even more without those who had given him help and guidance. Especially his master and senior sister, they were not only his relatives, but also his guides on the road of cultivation.

At this moment, Lu Xiuyuan stood in front of the cave, looking at the sky in the distance, with a strong feeling of longing in his heart. He was worried about the safety of his master and sister, and whether they had also encountered the same disaster. He took a deep breath, suppressed his worries, and then his figure flashed, turning into a stream of light and escaping in the direction of the Juling Sect.

The Juling Sect, a sect that was once famous, magnificent, and majestic, has now become a ruin! The broken walls and ruins reveal endless desolation and ruin.

Lu Xiuyuan stood alone on the ruins, his eyes slowly sweeping around, his heart filled with an indescribable grief and resentment. He seemed to be able to smell the lingering smell of gunpowder and a faint smell of blood in the air - that was the evidence of the demons' crimes left behind when they invaded this place!

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to calm down the turbulent emotions in his heart. After taking several deep breaths, he opened his eyes again. At this moment, his eyes were shining with a resolute and determined light: the teacher's kindness is as high as a mountain, and the sister's love is deep. He must find their whereabouts no matter what! Even if the road ahead is extremely difficult, he will never retreat!

Lu Xiuyuan gritted his teeth secretly, turned around and walked away. Each step seemed extremely heavy, as if carrying the weight of the entire world...

Lu Xiuyuan stepped carefully on the ruins, fearing that he would miss any place that might hide important clues. He opened his eyes wide, not letting go of any inch of land, and gently used the extremely sharp sword in his hand to pry open the piles of rubble.

He would carefully examine every stone and every broken tile; he would move closer to every suspicious depression and bulge to take a closer look. In this way, he slowly and firmly moved forward in this desolate land, holding a slim but persistent hope in his heart - to find his long-missing master and sister.

Suddenly, a black spot caught Lu Xiuyuan's attention. It seemed to be a burnt corner of clothing, lying quietly among a pile of rocks. He leaned over and gently pinched the corner of the cloth with his fingers, looking closely at it. As expected, this piece of broken cloth was from his master! This discovery cheered him up and made him more convinced that he was getting closer and closer to his goal.

Then, more evidence appeared before his eyes: weapons scattered everywhere, flames that had not yet been completely extinguished, footprints deeply engraved on the ground...all these signs showed that this place had experienced a thrilling battle. Lu Xiuyuan stared at these traces, as if he could imagine the tragic scene of the battle at that time.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his excitement, and firmly engraved what he saw and heard in his mind. Then, he stood up, grasped the sword tightly, and continued to move forward. In this ruin full of unknowns and dangers, Lu Xiuyuan was not afraid, and moved closer to the truth step by step...

Lu Xiuyuan searched the ruins of the Juling Sect with great difficulty. Every step he took was on broken bricks and ashes, and his heart was filled with heaviness and doubt. He originally thought that this place would be filled with blood and brutality left by the demons, but strangely, he did not smell a trace of the demons. This made him begin to wonder if there was another hidden reason for the destruction of the Juling Sect.

He looked around and saw that the majestic and magnificent buildings of the past had turned into ruins. The once familiar pavilions and halls were now only broken walls and ruins, as if telling the past glory and present desolation. Lu Xiuyuan's heart was filled with regret, but he knew that now was not the time to be sad. He had to find clues about his master and sister, and understand the truth about the destruction of the Juling Sect.

At this moment, he heard a slight noise. He raised his head alertly and saw a little Taoist boy shivering and hiding behind a huge rock in a corner of the ruins. Lu Xiuyuan walked closer and was surprised to find that the little Taoist boy was actually the servant in the firewood room of the Juling Sect. He remembered that although the little Taoist boy was young, he was smart and often helped with chores in the sect.

Lu Xiuyuan squatted down and asked softly: "Little Taoist boy, why are you here? What happened here?" The little Taoist boy raised his head, his eyes flashing with fear and anger. He said in a trembling voice: "It's Elder Xuanhuanzi. No, he is not an elder, he is a traitor!"

Lu Xiuyuan was shocked. He knew the position of Elder Xuanhuanzi in the sect. He had always been a leader in the sect and was respected by everyone. But to hear from the little Taoist boy that he was a traitor was unbelievable to Lu Xiuyuan. He asked quickly, "You said Elder Xuanhuanzi colluded with the demon clan. What's going on?"

The little Taoist boy took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then began to tell the story. It turned out that when the secret realm of Beiya Cave was opened, everyone's attention was focused on the legendary secret realm. At this time, Elder Xuanhuanzi secretly colluded with the demon clan, and attacked the Juling Sect with internal and external forces. The disciples in the sect either died heroically in the battle or were captured by the demon clan. No one was spared.

After listening to this, Lu Xiuyuan was filled with anger and grief. He did not expect that the elder Xuanhuanzi, whom he had always respected, would actually do such a thing. He could not help but ask, "What about the master and the senior sister? Where are they now?" The little Taoist boy shook his head and said, "I don't know either. They may have... But I heard that the demon tribe did not kill all the people, but took some people away. Perhaps, your master and the senior sister are still in their hands."