Chapter 165: Blazing Sun Sect

As Ruchir and the group of True Sun Sect disciples advanced further into the secret realm, they suddenly heard the sound of rustling leaves and hurried footsteps.

Huojin, the leader of Ruchir's new allies, stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surrounding trees. The fiery aura around him flared slightly, a subtle warning to whoever might be approaching.

"Who's there?" Huojin called out, his voice firm and commanding.

From the shadows of the dense forest emerged another group of cultivators, their dark red robes almost blending with the dappled light filtering through the canopy.

However, unlike the True Sun Sect's vibrant fire, these newcomers emanated an intense heat that felt almost suffocating. Their auras burned with a different kind of fire—one more chaotic and volatile.

Ruchir quickly realized that these were no ordinary cultivators. The Blazing Sun Sect. He'd heard of them—a sect notorious for their aggressive tactics and relentless pursuit of power.

And from the expressions on Huojin and his friends' faces, it was clear that they shared no love for these rivals.

The leader of the Blazing Sun Sect disciples, a tall, wiry man with a sneering expression, stepped forward, his eyes flicking dismissively over the True Sun Sect group.

"Well, well, if it isn't the weaklings from the True Sun Sect," he jeered. "Fancy meeting you here, Huojin. I thought you lot preferred to stick to your own territory."

Huojin's jaw tightened, but he kept his tone level. "Rao, I see you're still as arrogant as ever. What do you want?"

Rao smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "What do I want? Isn't it obvious? We're here for the same reason you are—treasure. And it just so happens that the artifact you've stumbled upon is something we need. So, if you're smart, you'll hand it over."

Mei scoffed, stepping up beside Huojin. "In your dreams, Rao. You Blazing Sun lackeys think you can just waltz in here and take what isn't yours? You must have forgotten the last time we crossed paths. Didn't go so well for you, as I recall."

One of the Blazing Sun disciples, a burly man with a face full of scars, snorted. "You got lucky last time, Mei. But this isn't some sect competition. This is the real deal. We're not holding back."

Li chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Holding back? Is that what you call running away with your tails between your legs? Because that's exactly what you did when we wiped the floor with you last time."

The tension between the two groups was palpable, the air crackling with the suppressed energy of their conflicting auras. Ruchir stood slightly behind his temporary allies, observing the heated exchange.

His mind raced as he tried to recall what he knew about the Blazing Sun Sect.

Unlike the disciplined and focused True Sun Sect, the Blazing Sun disciples were known for their brute strength and recklessness.

It was said that their sect's techniques burned hotter, but without the control that the True Sun Sect prided itself on.

It was like comparing a wildfire to a controlled blaze—one consumed everything in its path, while the other was harnessed for a purpose.

Rao's sneer deepened as he took a step closer, his aura flaring as if to intimidate. "You talk a lot, but words won't save you from what's coming. You True Sun cowards always hide behind your so-called discipline, but in the end, you're just scared to unleash your full power."

Zhen, the giant of a man who had been silent until now, rumbled with a low laugh. "Coming from a group of hotheads who can't even control their own flames, that's rich. "

"How many times have you burned yourselves trying to show off your strength? Maybe that's why your sect keeps losing to us."

The Blazing Sun disciples bristled at the insult, their auras flaring even hotter. The tension was rapidly escalating, and it was clear that a fight could break out at any moment.

But instead of immediately attacking, they resorted to another round of insults, perhaps to further provoke their rivals.

One of the Blazing Sun disciples, a woman with fiery red hair and a vicious smirk, pointed at Mei. "And you, Mei, always acting like you're some kind of untouchable queen. But we all know you're just a little spark compared to the inferno I can unleash."

Mei's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she held her ground. "Inferno? More like a campfire, and a weak one at that. You couldn't light a match without setting yourself on fire, Suyin."

Ruchir watched the exchange with growing amusement, noting how the two groups seemed more interested in trading barbs than actually fighting.

They were circling each other like predators, trying to find the best way to wound without drawing blood just yet.

As the insults flew back and forth, Ruchir couldn't help but think to himself, Are they just going to speak with their mouths? But what about the promised hands?

Huojin must have sensed the same thing because he finally raised his hand, his expression turning cold. "Enough of this nonsense, Rao. "

"We're not here to entertain your pathetic attempts at intimidation. If you want the artifact, you'll have to take it from us. But be warned, we're not the same disciples you faced before. We've grown stronger."

Rao's sneer faltered slightly at Huojin's confident tone, but he quickly masked it with a bark of laughter. "Stronger? We'll see about that. We've had our own advancements, Huojin, and we're more than ready to take you down."

Mei, Li, and Zhen each prepared for the inevitable clash, their auras sharpening as they readied themselves for battle. The mocking had done its job—both sides were now fully riled up, and there was no turning back.

Ruchir, feeling the tension rise to a boiling point, remained silent. He knew that while his new allies were capable, the Blazing Sun Sect disciples were not to be underestimated.

Yet, he couldn't help but find the entire situation darkly comedic. All this posturing, all this bravado—only for it to end in a clash of fists and flames.

Finally, Rao growled, his patience wearing thin. "No more nonsense. Let's fight it out!"

Just as the first sparks of the battle were about to fly, the scene froze in suspense, both sides poised for the first move. The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion of power.

And in that charged silence, the secret realm itself seemed to pulse with anticipation, as if aware that the true battle was only just beginning.

As the tension between the True Sun Sect and Blazing Sun Sect disciples reached its peak, both sides stood poised for the fight of their lives. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the inevitable clash of fiery auras and sharpened steel.

Ruchir found himself in a rather strange position. The leaders of both sides had advised him to stay out of the battle, as it was a matter of honor between the two sects. "You watch from the sidelines, Ruchir," Huojin had said with a firm nod, while Rao had grunted something similar, albeit with far less politeness.

Ruchir was more than happy to oblige. He wasn't exactly itching for a fight, especially not one that involved the intense rivalries of sects he barely understood. "Sure, no problem," he had replied, perhaps a bit too cordially. He quickly stepped back, finding a nice, relatively safe spot behind a thick tree.

As soon as he was out of the way, the battle commenced with an explosion of action. The disciples of both sects launched themselves at each other, their auras flaring like fireworks.

What immediately caught Ruchir's attention, however, was the sheer ridiculousness of some of the tactics being employed.

Mei, from the True Sun Sect, was the first to strike. She rushed forward with blinding speed, her fiery aura blazing as she threw what looked like a fireball at Suyin from the Blazing Sun Sect.

But instead of a direct hit, the fireball curved at the last second, turning into a flaming hoop that spun around Suyin, trapping her in a blazing ring.

Suyin looked momentarily confused, then angry. "What kind of childish trick is this?" she yelled, her own aura flaring as she tried to break free.

"Just warming you up," Mei quipped with a smirk. "You Blazing Sun types always seem to overheat too quickly."

Meanwhile, Huojin and Rao were going at each other with an intensity that would have been terrifying if not for the absurdity of their methods.

Huojin wielded a flaming sword, its blade crackling with controlled fire. Rao, on the other hand, had a weapon that looked like a giant, flaming mallet, and the way he swung it made it seem like he was playing a particularly violent game of whack-a-mole.

Their fight was a blur of sparks and flames, neither giving the other an inch. Huojin ducked under one of Rao's wild swings, the mallet narrowly missing his head.

In retaliation, Huojin aimed a slash at Rao's legs, but Rao leapt into the air, using his mallet to propel himself upward in a rather comical fashion.

He looked like a flaming pogo stick, and Ruchir couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sight.

On the other side, Li was engaged in a battle of wits with one of the Blazing Sun disciples, a wiry young man who seemed to rely more on tricks than brute strength.

The two were locked in what looked like a bizarre dance, each trying to outmaneuver the other with increasingly ridiculous moves. Li's technique involved summoning small bursts of flame that seemed to move in slow motion, while his opponent countered with what could only be described as a fiery yo-yo, spinning it around in circles as if he were trying to hypnotize Li.

Zhen, however, was having none of it. The giant of a man decided to forgo any finesse and instead opted for a more straightforward approach.

He charged at his opponent with all the subtlety of a runaway boulder, fists blazing with fiery energy.

His opponent, a lanky Blazing Sun disciple with a perpetual sneer, barely had time to react before Zhen's massive fist connected with his stomach, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.

The women from both sides were no less intense, though their methods were particularly ruthless. Mei and Suyin had moved from fireballs and flaming hoops to what looked like a full-on wrestling match, except with flames.

They grappled and rolled on the ground, each trying to pin the other down while hurling insults that would have made a sailor blush.

Ruchir watched all of this with a strange gaze, his mind torn between amusement and disbelief. "Are they playing or what?" he muttered to himself as he watched Mei suplex Suyin into the ground with a move that looked like it had been borrowed from a wrestling match.

Suyin retaliated by igniting the ground beneath them, turning the area into a small, fiery pit.