Depthless Hunger

Even though Kai had ventured out from the Bloodcoral sect multiple times, that usually meant hunting monsters near the coast, so this was his first time venturing deep into the Western Wilds. At first he practiced using his flying sword, but eventually Cor Li Xan brought out his floating disc and gestured for him to fly over.

"We're about to visit the Pits of Strength," Cor Li Xan said once Kai landed on his disc. "It's time to explain exactly what we'll be doing here."

"Why not tell me earlier?" Kai asked.

"Because this is a great potential danger for the weaker members of the Bloodcoral sect. It is a chance to acquire power, yes, but the risks are high. In the past, we had many cultivators go out to enter the competitions, only to lose their lives. For that reason, we forbid anyone to join and keep the matter a secret. But today, if we are successful, we might change that."

They had left the coasts behind and now flew over the supposed "wastes." Unlike the wasteland Kai knew, there was greenery all over the landscape: the trees had sharp ridges and many of the plants had bladed leaves, but spiky life was still life. The qi in the air felt chaotic, but it was still strong, and he could sense mana and chakra in the plants around him. He supposed that his standards had been distorted, because what would have been a paradise of power on Deadwaste was undesirable land on Cloudspire.

"Don't worry, our destination is stronger than this," Cor Li Xan said, misunderstanding his reaction. "In this region, power accumulates in great pits, where it can be harvested. Even qi can be found here, though it needs to be refined and purified for proper cultivators to use."

Kai nodded and strained his senses forward to find these pits. "You called them pits of strength?"

"No, I refer to the Pits of Strength. An immense collection of extraordinary pits, one of the top four most prestigious resources in the Western Wilds." Cor Li Xan shook his head. "Unfortunately, they are controlled by the Thundering Scorpion tribe, so they cannot be simply accessed by anyone."

"And no one else can take over?"

"Not exactly. The Thundering Scorpion tribe is formidable, but the Blueblade sect or the Manticore tribe are more powerful. If they tried to completely control the Pits of Strength, others would rise up to destroy them, so instead they merely profit off access. Anyone can challenge for the right to use the pits, so other sects can still gain access for their strongest while the Thundering Scorpion tribe builds more power than it otherwise could."

"So the competitions are about gaining rights to the pits? You said that some Bloodcoral cultivators lost their lives."

"Yes, many perished. They don't officially endorse killing, but these are the Western Wilds - if someone loses their life, it is considered their own fault." Cor Li Xan paused and stared toward the horizon, as if considering his words carefully. "In order to access the Pits of Strength, we will need to confront Thundering Scorpion champions. I believe that you and I would be capable of it together."

Kai glanced over at the cultivator, evaluating his strength again. "So their champions are Earth Souls? Why not bring one of the other Earth Souls from the Bloodcoral sect?"

"The others feel the risk is too high. With you, however, I can prove them wrong."

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"Just the two of us?"

"Ah, I forget how little you know." Cor Li Xan made a vague gesture forward. "The Thundering Scorpion tribe fights in pairs: the claw and the stinger. They require challengers to fight in pairs as well. The Bloodcoral sect should actually be well-suited to their challenges, because we have pairs of spear and chain, but they have the advantage over us and use it to continue exploiting the pits."

Finally Kai got a real sense of what they were trying to accomplish. He would have preferred to be briefed before they started on the multi-day journey, but he was getting used to how Cloudspire cultivators liked their secrets. It did seem like Cor Li Xan had a good idea that would benefit them both, unless these champions proved much more challenging than Kai expected.

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They passed an unremarkable village filled with mud brick hovels before Kai felt the surge of power ahead of them. The greenery became larger and more vicious, capable of fending off the beasts he saw prowling around the edges. None of them dared get near the first real civilization he'd seen since leaving the coast, however: there was a wall and a town that could only be the Thundering Scorpion tribe.

Kai was less interested in the buildings, which seemed very similar to the other Cloudspire architecture he'd seen, than the pits he could just glimpse beyond. The rocky wastes were filled with holes, as if some vast force had punctured it in many places. They varied in size, but the average seemed to be about five paces across and the height of three men... well, four men on Cloudspire.

Before Kai could get a better look at the power contained within the pits, their flight was interrupted by two figures streaking through the air toward them. These could only be the champions: two burly men wearing purple robes, flying atop swords fashioned to look like scorpion tails.

"The Bloodcoral sect is not welcome here!" the first man bellowed. "You lost your right to challenge the Pits of Strength!"

"We have returned to fight for that right," Cor Li Xan answered calmly.

"Is that so?" The challengers immediately looked them over and Kai felt spiritual attention closing on him, so he stared back.

The two tribesmen looked very similar to him except one had his head completely shaved. To his surprise, they actually had shrouds he couldn't pierce: most cultivators tended to broadcast their strength, but these were well-hidden. He estimated that the first champion had about 500 Power, while the bald one was closer to 550. ṝ

Given that Cor Li Xan was at 496 with little hope for quick advancement, they were a substantial barrier, even for two Earth Souls from the Bloodcoral sect. It seemed like Kai wouldn't have much trouble with them, and with his full power he could have fought both at once. Still, he would need to be careful not to start any blood feuds, and gaining access to the Pits of Strength was worth something on its own.

"Then we go to fight now!" the bald man declared.

"We have been journeying for days," Cor Li Xan objected, "surely you will extend us enough hospitality to rest?"

"These are the Western Wilds! If you lack the strength, you have no right to any hospitality!"

"Come this way," the other Thundering Scorpion tribesman said. "The challenge will take place in the great arena."

All of them flew down toward the town and Kai tried to identify this arena. He wasn't particularly worried, but one of the tribesmen flew off to apparently spread the word, so there was always the risk of ambush or entrapment. Before he could find it, Cor Li Xan stepped closer to him and spoke in a low voice.

"I anticipated their feeble trick," Cor Li Xan said, "and it should not trouble us. I have conserved my qi along the journey, and I've seen you have great stamina. We should be able to beat them."

"What are our tactics?" Kai asked. He wished that they could have fought together beforehand so they could coordinate better.

"Regrettably, I cannot face the more powerful of their champions - he is the stinger. But I can fight the claw and keep him from interfering, so I am confident that together we can win. Then the Bloodcoral sect will be able to enter the Pits of Strength without facing the champions again, which will be a great boon for our sect."

The arena itself proved to be a large square of stone with space for an audience, and to Kai's surprise, an audience was quickly gathering. It was formed almost entirely of tribespeople - men and women wearing similar purple robes to the champions. They all seemed like cultivators to him, though there were many weak cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage compared to elsewhere.

It seemed they were rushing directly to the duel, but Kai supposed he wouldn't complain. What he needed to decide was whether or not he would try to handicap himself in order to have an actual challenge, or whether he should take it completely seriously. It was always possible that the Thundering Scorpion champions had special abilities they had yet to reveal, though in that case Cor Li Xan would have been taking a near-suicidal risk challenging them.

A large gong hung beside the arena, which Kai guessed would start the match, but otherwise he wasn't sure of the rules. Maybe it was better not to go overboard just so he didn't accidentally break some unspoken rule. Yet a part of him was irritated by it all and wanted to just demolish both of the champions and go inspect the pits.

His irritation continued until the bald man removed his outer robe, revealing a muscular upper body. It was covered in a large tattoo of a scorpion, dripping with purple venom, which only mildly interested Kai until he felt the surge of power. The other man's shroud was beginning to lower, and as Kai examined his soul, he caught sight of something outside a normal cultivator's power.

Scorpion Tattoo (+50)

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The scorpion tattoo granted 50 Power, which explained why the bald champion was stronger than the average Earth Soul. But more importantly, the tattoo seemed to glow with mana. It was mixed with qi, of course, but it was undeniably a powerful formation of mana, the very first he'd seen on Cloudspire.

Immediately Kai's mind lit up with the possibilities. This was an entirely new path he'd never encountered before, potentially one that could help him advance in a new direction. The last time he'd been this excited, he had discovered the Savage Heart, which had unlocked chakra for him and helped redefine his combat.

Kai leapt down to the arena, staring at his opponents hungrily.