Depthless Hunger

There were no judges or officials, just four fighters standing on the wind-swept stone. Kai doubted that there were any rules about falling out of bounds, so the contest was likely to be decided by strength alone. Cor Li Xan landed beside him and swallowed a qi pill to prepare for the battle, so Kai's focus narrowed down to solely the combatants.

As the shroud fell away, Kai took a proper look at his opponent's soul.

Name: ???

Total Power: 544

Cultivation: Earth Soul 33% (398)

Scorpion Tattoo (+50)

Physique Level: E-0 (80)

Soul Level: 4 (16)

>

The "stinger" of the champions was primarily a cultivator at the Earth Soul stage, with an additional boost from the scorpion tattoo and his E-0 Physique. He was a little weaker than Kai had estimated, but given that he was a champion and had unknown powers, Kai decided to take him completely seriously as an opponent.

"That's our champion!"

"His Earth Soul cultivation base has nearly reached 400!"

"I've never seen such an exquisite tattoo of power!"

Kai blinked as the voices interrupted his focus. People in the crowd were blurting out comments on the battle for some reason, in rather loud voices. That would never have happened on Deadwaste and he kind of hoped they'd shut up, but they kept talking. Apparently this fight was a big deal to them.

Soon the other champion removed his outer robe and his shroud at the same time.

Name: ???

Total Power: 498

Cultivation: Earth Soul 16% (321)

Scorpion Tattoo (+50)

Physique Level: E-2 (86)

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Heavenly Sands Tattoo (+25)

Soul Level: 4 (16)

>

His scorpion tattoo looked identical, and it granted the same 50 Power, but he was weaker overall because his cultivation was substantially lower despite being at Earth Soul - maybe that was one of the deviations Zae Zin Nim was always worried about. What was more interesting to Kai was that he had other tattoos, golden lines spiraling down his arms. They also had mana within them, but he felt more chakra and they seemed to boost his physical strength instead of his cultivation.

"The Heavenly Sands tattoo!"

"That's the Heavenly Sands tattoo! How did he get it?"

"If not for the injury to his cultivation base, he would be one of the most powerful champions!"

"He may not be the most extraordinary, but he's still in the tribe's top four!"

Everyone in the audience speaking up actually offered him a little information this time, because Kai had been wondering how an Earth Soul could be so weak. The Brightwind sect really did seem to have stronger cultivation techniques, given how they had so many Earth Souls at peak strength. They might not have had any additional powers, but the "purity" they sought clearly had strength.

As Cor Li Xan raised a coral spear to fight, the audience's attention seemed to turn toward him and Kai glanced at his soul again since he knew what was coming.

Name: Cor Li Xan

Total Power: 497

Cultivation: Earth Soul 8% (442)

Physique Level: F-8 (46)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

The cultivator had barely advanced since they'd met, though the improvement in his qi represented a lot of cultivation time. Actually, the largest boost available to him would have been moving from F-rank Physique to E-rank. If he'd consulted Kai beforehand, Kai could have helped him reach the next rank and they could likely have won handily.

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"Such a powerful cultivation base! That's the Bloodcoral sect!"

"His Physique isn't extraordinary, but it's not ordinary either."

"But without any resistance to poison, how will he compete with the champions?"

That wasn't exactly how Kai would have evaluated things, but he supposed the local crowds were a better judge of cultivators in general. Like Zae Zin Nim had told him, they definitely had different standards for Physique levels.

Kai felt their attention turn on him and was grateful he'd spent so much time shielding his true power. Since he knew what was coming, he didn't attempt to shroud himself and just let them see his human strength. He could even guess what they might see...

Name: Kai Clanless

Total Power: 596

Cultivation: Body Refinement 99% (121)

Savage Heart: 14 (144)

Physique Level: D-9 (245)

Beggar King's Robes: +1 (5)

Soul Level: 9 (81)

>

"He's only a Body Refinement cultivator! Is this some sort of joke?"

"But such beastly Physique! Can muscles make up for lack of cultivation?"

"What is that 'Savage Heart' mess in his soul? Is that chakra?"

"Could he be from the Manticore tribe?"

"He seems to have spent years training his Soul Level. Barbarians must not realize that's a dead end."

"Can so many different powers possibly work together?"

For a moment Kai felt the impulse to smash his opponents into the arena floor, but he suppressed it. It didn't matter what a bunch of random idiots said, he just needed to win and reach his objectives. He resolved that he wouldn't use Baleful Breath or any clearly monstrous power, just focused on refined strength.

How long was the talking going to continue? Kai was beginning to wonder if they were going to argue instead of fight when someone rang the gong beside the arena, and in an instant the Thundering Scorpion champions lunged into action.

The weaker man crouched forward and raised his hands to either side, purple qi rising around them in the shape of claws. Simultaneously the bald champion stepped behind him, one claw-like hand rising in front of his chest. It wasn't merely a pose: flickering waves of qi bound them together, forming a scorpion formation that must boost their strength.

"Someone will have to take the formation's sting," Cor Li Xan said quietly. "I trust you to do that."

"Fine." Kai formed a Tyrant's Claw and swept it through the air toward the enemy champions.

Immediately the crouching man moved to intercept it, and his qi managed to deflect the claw, but he staggered back and coughed up a mouthful of blood. There was no time to look at that, because the bald champion retaliated instantly. A bright purple qi bolt lashed out with stunning speed, striking Kai in the chest and actually piercing his skin.

Immediately he felt poison surge through his body, but Behemoth's Heart began to pump to resist it. After breathing Omilaena's poisons for months, Kai's body had largely adapted and he barely felt more than a twinge of pain. His opponent lunged at him, expecting him to be stunned or incapacitated, and Kai easily grabbed his lashing arm and hurled him to the ground.

Even the simple throw smashed the cultivator into the stone slab, cracking it and sending blood shooting from his mouth. He unleashed several more bursts of purple qi and Kai knocked them aside - he prevented his body from shifting with the Savage Heart, but to his surprise the bursts didn't even hurt his skin. They were definitely weaker than the first attack, perhaps because their formation was broken.

As the champion leapt up, his hand returned to the scorpion-like stabbing position and he lashed out. Kai grabbed his wrist and they wrestled for a moment: at first Kai was overpowering him easily, then the cultivator began to surge his qi and managed to struggle back.

"Such strength!" someone in the crowd called. "He's as strong as an Earth Soul stage!"

"But the poison entered his system! How long can he survive?"

Kai gritted his teeth and ignored the commentary. He was more interested in evaluating the battle in terms of the phases he'd learned at the Frontier: qi tended to slip upward through the phases in a slightly different way, so this cultivator could be more dangerous than a similar warrior on Rosemount, but he definitely hadn't mastered phases. His most polished attacks were a half-phase at best, and when he used his qi without preparation it felt weak to Kai.

He hadn't been using his full power in order to analyze his opponent, but the cultivator had used that time to prepare another technique. His arms were occupied in their struggle... and a scorpion tail of purple qi emerged from his back. It lashed out, the stinger striking Kai in the neck.

Where it glanced off.

For once the audience gasped instead of commenting, stunned, and Kai couldn't help but grin. He had fought Matiavel the Destroyer and taken one of his attacks head on. If he focused himself and attained a half-phase, he could probably shrug off most of his opponent's attacks. Despite the cries from the audience, this fight wasn't even close.

Since he didn't want to win too quickly, he began trading blows with the bald champion, qi against muscle. The conflict required most of his attention, but he had enough left to examine the fight between Cor Li Xan and the other champion.

It seemed that the Bloodcoral cultivator was struggling but holding his own. His coral spear was capable of meeting the scorpion qi blow for blow, the problem was that he was fighting too cautiously. Did the claw half of the pair have poison techniques as well? That would be the most likely explanation for the high levels of caution.

Eventually the Thundering Scorpion champion unleashed a poison bolt, and Cor Li Xan was so focused on dodging it that he opened himself to one of the claw strikes. The qi hit him in the chest, drawing some blood from the cut and more from his mouth. It was a shallow blow that wouldn't finish him, but he was definitely at a disadvantage.

Time to act: Kai grabbed his opponent's next strike and used his arm to hurl him into the other champion. Both crashed together across the arena, coughing up blood, but to his surprise they managed to spring off the surface and return to their feet in their scorpion formation.

Too bad it wasn't enough. Kai leapt forward with Thunderbird's Wings, trying to focus all his speed. His half-phase of speed couldn't make the battlefield freeze like the Windlord had, but it still made him the fastest thing in the arena by far. Before they could use their formation, Kai was between them, grabbing the bald champion by the neck and tugging him away from his partner.

Kai lifted him off the ground and the cultivator desperately stabbed at his arms, his attempts at poison strikes sliding harmlessly off Kai's skin. His partner turned, stabbing his claw technique into Kai's back. He'd prepared his defenses in another half-phase, so the qi shattered apart against his back. It would have been easy to take him out as well, but instead Kai waited a little longer...

Cor Li Xan acted, driving his spear through the claw champion's shoulder. Kai took that as his cue to smash the stinger champion down into the arena floor.

For a moment the arena was still and silent. The champions might have been able to fight a little longer, but their Physique was giving out and Kai could see the fear in their eyes: they knew it was hopeless. Cor Li Xan pulled back as well instead of pressing his advantage, immensely satisfied. Then it was finally over.

"The champions were defeated!"

"Impossible! How could the Bloodcoral sect have found such a powerful tribesman?"

"This means the Bloodcoral sect can enter the Pits of Strength again!"

He had almost forgotten about the crowds. Kai sighed and wiped some of the blood off his chest before the Beggar King's Robes repaired themselves from the fight. In the future he'd be completely immune to the Thundering Scorpion tribe's poisons, and even if they had substantially stronger versions, they wouldn't likely be as effective.

When he looked over at Cor Li Xan, the other cultivator nodded with pride. Then they'd won the fight... and Kai had gained access to the Pits of Strength.