The ceaseless storm seemed to prevent Guang from moving forward. Holding red lilies in his left hand and a dagger in his right, his body was utterly exhausted. However, Guang's absolute resolve left him with no hesitation. He would walk any path, no matter how heavy, as long as it made him stronger.

  Finally, Guang saw the gates of the Heavenly Fire Sect. From a distance, he was almost there as night began to fall. His unsteady footsteps and the dagger clutched in his hand were clearly illuminated by the moonlight amidst the storm.

  "Finally, the gates of the Heavenly Fire Sect!"

  Yet, Guang's steps halted as he realized it was impossible to enter through the main gates in his current condition, especially given the Heavenly Fire Sect's reputation for being fiercely protective and brutal toward outsiders.

  "It is impossible to forcefully enter through the main gates with this damn dagger."

  He spoke from afar, accompanied by the heavy rain and the moonlight behind him, leaving only his sharp gaze visible as it pierced toward the Heavenly Fire Sect.

  The Heavenly Fire Sect looked incredibly majestic from the outside. It possessed eternal flames blazing all around it. The gates appeared sturdy and heavy, as if bearing an immensely dark karma. The pillars were enveloped in the scorching aura of the eternal flames, glowing red and radiating an intense heat that Guang could feel even from a distance.

  The aura of this sect felt like hell on earth. Its crimson glow clashed with the moonlight, creating a distortion of colors on the horizon.

  "No matter what, I must find a way in and discover something to heal my wounds. But how?"

  Guang thought to himself as his eyes glanced toward the sect's sturdy walls standing proudly with their eternal flames. He narrowed his eyes and began to sneak slowly toward the wall. He tried to stab his dagger into it, pulling his elbow back and aiming the blade precisely at the sect's wall. He struck with all his might, but instantly, the skin on his hand peeled off and suffered slight burns, sending the dagger spinning wildly in the air before crashing to the ground. It nearly hit his foot and slightly tore his robe. Guang took two steps back with a confused expression, panting heavily.

  "Damn it, what should I do? This building is surrounded by eternal flames. It is impossible to climb this wall."

  Suddenly, two sect disciples came out and opened the gates, their faces alert after hearing the clatter of Guang's fallen dagger. Guang quickly hid behind the open sect gates, holding his breath until his forehead wrinkled. The two disciples were standing right behind the gates where Guang was hiding. Guang pressed both his palms against the gate while turning his head to keep an eye on them.

  "Hey! Who is there?"

  The sect disciples walked out slowly from the gates, their eyes scanning left and right.

  "I am asking you one last time, who is there? If you do not come out and kneel before us, you are courting death!"

  One of the sect disciples went back inside to report the incident at the gates, instructing all disciples to be on high alert. This was a golden opportunity for Guang. The remaining disciple kept repeating the same question as he slowly walked forward. Now, Guang was positioned directly behind him. He crept up quietly from behind, a red cloth already prepared in his hand. Using his right hand, he covered the disciple's mouth and nose with the red cloth, while his left hand choked the man's neck until his eyes turned a pale white and his veins became starkly visible. Guang immediately dragged him into the thick bushes and retrieved his dagger.

  Next, Guang stole the disciple's red robe, which featured ancient characters stating that the eternal flame would never be extinguished. He did not forget to attach the gold ornament bearing the symbol of fire, which he had scavenged from the dead disciple, to his new robe. His eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for a river to wash his hair and face, as well as the dried blood. As Guang slowly emerged from the bushes, four other disciples suddenly came out, suspicious because one of their comrades had vanished without a trace. Guang abandoned his intention to step out, narrowed his eyes, and peeked at them through the gaps in the bush leaves.

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  "This is bad. They seem to be growing even more suspicious. I need to think of a solid plan. One single mistake, and I will surely die."

  Guang covered his own mouth to force himself from making any sound and coughed up blood. His throat felt like it was burning because he forcefully kept his mouth shut. Blood continued to seep through the gaps of his fingers as his face grimaced in agony, the thorny roots mutating further into his internal organs.

  "I must be fast. I have to treat this wound immediately."

  He tightly gripped the red lilies and the dagger in his hands. He sneaked away slowly while the sect disciples let their guard down, but unfortunately, Guang accidentally stepped on a tree branch.

  "Damn it, this is bad!"

  The sect disciples turned toward Guang and sprinted after him. With the last remnants of his depleting energy, Guang forced himself to run toward the orange mist river he had spotted from a distance. Clutching his chest and stomach, he kept running. His foot tripped over a rock, sending him flying into a tree branch. His head slammed into it, splattering blood and leaving a mark on the branch. He tried to stand up again, screaming in pain as he pushed his incredibly fragile body to its absolute limits.

  His vision began to blur, and he felt an excruciating pain in his head. His black pupils slowly rolled upward, almost exposing the whites of his eyes.

  "Just a little more. I have come this far, I will not die here! Do you hear me? I will not die!"

  Guang ran unsteadily, laughing maniacally as he headed toward the orange mist river with a completely unstable posture.

  "He is over there! Come on, catch him!"

  The sect disciples chased Guang from behind. He briefly glanced back over his shoulder. The hair that usually covered his eyes was blown away by the night wind and the rain, clearly revealing eyes that had almost turned a pale white. He laughed beneath the moon that illuminated his eyes with its dead light.

  Instantly, the four sect disciples were frozen in their tracks, gaping at Guang's horrific appearance.

  "You... you are not human!"

  Said one of the sect disciples to Guang, who was standing before them. Their hands trembled even though they wielded divine weapons. Their legs felt too heavy to take a step forward, and their muscles grew stiff, refusing to move. Guang looked back again and smiled. He threw the red lilies toward them and forced his legs into a combat stance, tightly gripping his dagger with both hands. With his energy nearly depleted and his breath at its absolute limit, Guang lunged at the four paralyzed disciples with all his remaining might. The grass on the ground he crossed was sliced into a thousand pieces. The rain felt as though it had slowed down, the wind stopped, and the raindrops hitting Guang's dagger reflected the moonlight, which remained a silent observer. Guang swung his arm to the right, forming a half-oval, and slashed their necks with lethal precision. The splash of blood mixed with the rain, merging in the air before falling to the ground as a complete yet fragile union swallowed by the earth.

  The four bodies of the sect disciples collapsed and sprawled on the ground after being struck by Guang's slash. Guang bent down, vomited blood, and took a long, deep breath. He tried to stand up with all his strength and walked slowly toward the orange mist river to wash his face immediately. He stepped on the red lilies without caring, the unbearable pain consuming him. Upon arriving at the orange mist river, the calm water reflected the moon shrouded in the orange mist. He smelled a very strong, metallic stench of blood. From behind a tree, Guang tried to peek slowly. Sure enough, the corpses of the Red Lunar Sect disciples were floating in the river. There were ten of them in total. Guang furrowed his brow, startled as he looked back toward the Heavenly Fire Sect. It turned out that the sect he intended to destroy was far more dangerous than he had anticipated. No one knew what awaited him behind those gates.

  "Does this have anything to do with them?"

  Guang was utterly confused, but he could no longer bear the pain. He kept holding his stomach and chest, ignoring what had happened because the thorny roots continued to ensnare and pierce him from the inside. He decided to quickly wash his face in a clear section of the river. He rinsed his hair, face, and wounds until the pristine river water was contaminated with his blood and the blood of the dead sect disciples. The water of the orange mist river could no longer reflect Guang's face, and the puddle beneath him turned the color of crimson blood.