Chapter 164: Disciples of True Sun Sect

Ruchir stood at the entrance of the next trial, already weary from the endless barrage of traps the secret realm had thrown at him. His hair was singed from the last close call, and his clothes were covered in mud, leaves, and who-knows-what else.

"Could this place get any worse?" he muttered, half-expecting the secret realm to take that as a challenge.

As he stepped forward, the ground beneath his feet began to rumble. "Oh, no," Ruchir groaned, "what now?"

Before he could take another step, the floor opened up to reveal a massive chamber with towering walls. The walls were lined with ominous-looking gargoyle statues, each holding a sphere of fire in their stone hands.

The temperature in the room skyrocketed as the fire in the spheres ignited, shooting blazing fireballs into the air. Ruchir jumped back, barely avoiding the first wave of heat.

"Great, just what I needed—fire-spitting statues," he grumbled, ducking behind a column for cover. He peeked out to see that the fireballs were being shot out in a sequence, forming a sort of fiery dance across the chamber.

Ruchir's eyes narrowed. "If I want to get through this, I'll have to time it perfectly."

The flames flared in intervals, creating a pattern that Ruchir had to memorize quickly. As he studied the timing, he noticed a large stone tablet at the far end of the room, partially obscured by the flames. "Of course, there's a riddle," he muttered. "Why couldn't it just be a straight run to the exit?"

Taking a deep breath, he dashed out from behind the column, narrowly avoiding the first wave of fireballs. "Left, right, roll, jump!" he chanted to himself as he navigated through the gauntlet, twisting and turning to avoid the searing heat.

As he rolled under one particularly large fireball, he felt his robes singe at the edges. "These were new!" he yelled, annoyed, as he made it to the other side.

Breathing heavily, Ruchir stared at the stone tablet, half-expecting it to burst into flames. Instead, the surface shimmered, revealing an ancient inscription that slowly etched itself into view.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ruchir muttered, reading aloud:

"To proceed, you must answer with wit,

What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?"

Ruchir blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Seriously? A riddle now?" He took a moment to catch his breath, trying to push the frustration out of his mind. The flames crackled ominously behind him, reminding him that time wasn't on his side. "Okay, think, Ruchir, think," he told himself.

He wracked his brain, going through every possible answer. "My shoes? No, that doesn't make sense. My... my time? No, people don't use that more than me." He groaned, glancing over his shoulder at the fire. "Come on, brain, work faster!"

Suddenly, the answer clicked in his mind. He snapped his fingers, grinning triumphantly. "My name! It's my name!" He said it aloud, hoping the chamber would hear him and let him off the hook.

The stone tablet glowed brightly, and the fireballs ceased their relentless barrage. The chamber trembled slightly, and a hidden door slid open in the wall behind the tablet. Ruchir let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, something goes right for once!"

He stepped through the door into a narrow hallway, the air cool and refreshing after the intense heat of the fireball chamber.

The walls were lined with intricate carvings that seemed to tell a story, though Ruchir was too exhausted to pay much attention to them. He was just glad to be done with those blasted fireballs.

As he reached the end of the hallway, the path opened into a grand chamber.

The room was massive, with high ceilings that disappeared into darkness and walls covered in shimmering, golden light. In the center of the chamber stood a pedestal, atop which rested a glowing orb.

The light from the orb bathed the room in a warm, comforting glow, a stark contrast to the chaos Ruchir had just endured.

He approached the pedestal cautiously, half-expecting another trap to spring. But nothing happened. The orb pulsed softly, almost inviting him to touch it. "This feels way too easy," Ruchir murmured, narrowing his eyes.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against the orb. Immediately, the chamber around him began to shift. The carvings on the walls started to glow, and the golden light flickered, revealing hidden symbols that danced across the stone surfaces. The orb in his hand projected a beam of light that shot to the far wall, where a hidden door slowly creaked open.

Ruchir stared at the newly revealed passage, feeling a sense of foreboding. "Okay, I know I said things were going too well, but I didn't mean it as a suggestion," he whispered to himself, his grip tightening on the orb.

He stepped cautiously through the door and found himself in a small, dimly lit chamber. At the far end, another stone tablet stood, but this one was cracked and ancient, as if it had been waiting for him for centuries. As he approached, the inscriptions on the tablet glowed faintly, revealing a new message:

"Though you have conquered fire and flame,

The true challenge is yet to be claimed.

Seek your allies, for alone you'll fail,

The greatest trial lies beyond this veil."

Ruchir's eyes widened as he read the words. "Seek my allies?" he echoed. "Great, now I need to find people in this crazy place. Wonderful."

He could almost hear his master's smug voice in his head. "Don't worry, my dear disciple, you'll figure it out!" Ruchir rolled his eyes at the thought. "Of course, I will," he muttered sarcastically. "Because nothing is ever simple."

Taking one last look at the chamber, Ruchir felt a new sense of resolve. He had survived the fireballs, solved the riddle, and now he had a clue about what lay ahead. But if the inscription was right, he wouldn't be able to face it alone. He sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. "Time to find some allies, I guess."

As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but imagine his master somewhere outside the secret realm, probably eating another apple and thinking, "My disciple must be alright." Ruchir shook his head, grinning despite himself. "Yeah, sure, I'm just peachy."

With that, he left the chamber, ready to face whatever the secret realm had in store for him next—hopefully with a little help from some new friends. But knowing his luck, things were bound to get a lot more complicated before they got any easier.

___

Ruchir emerged from the narrow passageway into a clearing bathed in the soft, golden light filtering through the towering trees of the secret realm. As he caught his breath, he noticed a group of cultivators gathered nearby.

They stood out immediately, their deep red robes embroidered with golden flames glowing faintly in the ambient light. Their presence exuded an intense heat, as if the very air around them was charged with the essence of fire.

The leader of the group, a tall, broad-shouldered young man with a confident stance, caught Ruchir's eye. His sharp features were framed by neatly tied back dark hair, and his eyes gleamed with an intensity that matched the fiery aura surrounding him.

"True Sun Sect," Ruchir muttered to himself, recognizing the sect from stories he'd heard. These were inner disciples, the elites of their sect, known for their mastery over fire-based cultivation techniques.

As Ruchir approached, he caught snippets of their conversation, noting the camaraderie among them. Despite their imposing appearance, they seemed relaxed, even jovial, laughing and chatting as they prepared to tackle whatever challenge lay ahead. Ruchir decided it was worth a try to introduce himself, especially considering the riddle's advice to seek allies.

Clearing his throat, he called out, "Greetings, fellow cultivators!" The group turned to face him, their expressions cautious but not unfriendly. Ruchir offered a polite bow.

"I am Ruchir, a cultivator exploring this secret realm. I couldn't help but notice your strength and experience, and I was wondering if we might join forces?"

The leader of the group studied him for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Ah, another adventurer in these mysterious woods! I'm Huojin, and these are my fellow inner disciples of the True Sun Sect. This is Mei, Li, and Zhen."

He gestured to the three disciples standing beside him. Mei, a petite woman with a fierce gaze, nodded curtly. Li, a lanky man with a mischievous glint in his eyes, waved casually, while Zhen, a stoic giant of a man, merely inclined his head.

"Nice to meet you all," Ruchir said, feeling a bit more at ease. "It's not often you find such powerful cultivators in a place like this. How have you been finding the trials?"

Mei rolled her eyes, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Oh, you know, the usual—fireballs, spike traps, riddles that make you want to strangle whoever designed them. Just another day in paradise."

Li chuckled, adding, "At least the scenery's nice. Nothing like a deadly trap to make you appreciate the beauty of nature, right?"

Ruchir grinned, "Tell me about it. I almost got roasted by fire-spitting gargoyles back there. And don't get me started on the riddles."

Huojin laughed heartily, slapping Ruchir on the back. "Sounds like you've had your fair share of fun already. What do you say we tackle the next challenge together? Four heads are better than one, and you seem like you've got some experience with this place."

Ruchir nodded eagerly. "I'd appreciate the company. This secret realm seems to have a way of surprising even the most prepared of us."

With that, the group set off together, their fiery auras casting flickering shadows as they moved through the dense foliage. As they walked, they shared stories of their encounters in the realm, from Mei's near-miss with a poison dart trap to Zhen's effortless disarming of a mechanical golem.

"So, Ruchir," Li began with a smirk, "what kind of cultivation do you practice? We're all about fire here, but I'm guessing you've got your own tricks up your sleeve."

Ruchir smiled, "I specialize in ink calligraphy and sword techniques. Not as flashy as fire, but it gets the job done."

Mei raised an eyebrow. "Ink calligraphy? That's... different. How does that work in combat?"

Ruchir chuckled, "It's a bit unconventional, but it's all about channeling energy into precise strokes. With the right technique, ink can become as sharp as a blade or as binding as chains."

"Impressive," Huojin said, nodding in approval. "We could use some of that finesse. Fire is powerful, but it's not always the most subtle tool in the shed."

As they continued, they came across a large, ornate door covered in intricate carvings. The door seemed to pulse with energy, and as they approached, it creaked open, revealing a room filled with floating platforms suspended over a pit of bubbling lava.

Li let out a low whistle. "Looks like we've found our next trial. This one's got True Sun Sect written all over it."

Huojin grinned. "Perfect. Let's show this realm what we're made of."

The group moved together, their laughter and banter filling the chamber as they worked to navigate the trial. The platforms shifted and spun, but with their combined skills—Ruchir's precision, Mei's agility, Zhen's strength, and Huojin's fire manipulation—they made it through with surprising ease.

As they reached the final platform, Mei turned to Ruchir with a smile. "You're not so bad, Ruchir. Maybe you'll survive this place after all."

Ruchir grinned back. "With allies like you, I just might."

With that, they continued deeper into the secret realm, their newfound partnership a beacon of hope in the challenging trials ahead.