Saying it was one thing and doing it was another. Xuan was too powerful for students to defeat, and his master would retaliate if elders interfered. That all changed when he was caught stealing clan property and got punished. The anti-Xuan faction gained some traction and began spreading descent. They painted Xuan as a lowlife Xuan thief from the slums who only cared about himself and didn't respect the clans or Chyanwadu.
Some people subscribe to it, most knew they were hypocrites and stayed away. They really gained traction after Xuan became an Artificer and Array Master and neglected his cultivation. He still somehow stayed ahead of the others, but the gap got smaller. Thus, the group of elders following him for months on rotation while he tested his new artifact went unnoticed.
