CHAPTER 317: THE PIT’S FINAL TRIAL

Mo Tianheng sat against the cold stone wall of his small cave, breathing hard.

His lip was bleeding. His eye was swelling shut.

The first day had ended badly.

He had been too slow. Too weak.

He tried to run for the food, but four boys got there first when the food was thrown down.

One of them punched him in the gut. Another kicked him to the ground.

He didn’t get a single bite.

His body hurt all over.

The second day came.

He moved earlier and waited near the food chute.

As soon as the bag dropped, he rushed in.

This time, he fought back. He scratched. Bit. Hit with his small blade.

He got a piece of meat. Barely a half-portion.

But it was enough to keep him standing.

Later that night, he sat in his cave, looking at the books the elders had left behind.

He opened the one titled [Demonic Body Art] and read under the dim light from the glowing stone above him.

He didn’t know much, but he knew one thing:

"If I want to live... I need power."

His fingers shook as he pressed his palm to his stomach and began channeling his breath the way the book described.

He focused the dark qi in the air into his veins.

It felt like fire crawling through his muscles.

Then... His body arched in pain.

It felt like his bones were twisting. His muscles screamed.

His veins burned. He coughed up blood and collapsed.

But when he woke up the next morning, his eyes were clearer.

The pain was still there, but something inside him had changed.

He stood up again and tried once more.

Every night, he pushed his body through the pain. Every morning, he passed out.

But every time he woke up, he felt stronger.

Day after day, he trained his body.

He ignored the other kids fighting over food.

He stopped going to the center of the pit.

He didn’t need to eat as much now.

The Demonic Qi Art helped his body absorb dark qi from the air, giving him just enough energy to survive.

At first, others thought he’d given up, that he was hiding.

But he wasn’t.

He was becoming something different.

---

In another cave nearby, two boys whispered to each other.

"That kid. The one with the bruised face."

"What about him?"

"He doesn’t fight anymore. Just stays in his cave."

"So he’s weak."

"No. I saw him yesterday. He was... strange. His eyes were glowing red. Just for a second."

The other boy frowned. "Let’s avoid him. For now."

---

Back in his cave, Tianheng clenched his fists and stared at his own hands.

Veins slightly darkened. Muscles firmer. Breathing calmer.

He had memorized the Demonic Body Art. Step by step. Movement by movement. Pain by pain.

Now, he started reading the second book: [Demonic Qi Art]

This one was slower. More complex. But it made the Body Art even stronger.

He could now absorb qi faster and use it to harden parts of his body.

His punches started breaking stone.

His kicks left cracks on the cave floor.

One night, he heard footsteps outside his cave.

A kid stepped in with a smirk.

"You think you’re better now?" the boy asked, holding a sharp rock.

Tianheng didn’t answer. He stood up.

The boy rushed at him.

Tianheng moved without thinking.

One palm strike.

The boy flew out of the cave, slammed against the opposite wall, and didn’t get up.

Tianheng sat back down and resumed breathing practice.

No fear. No shaking hands.

Only silence.

---

Days turned into weeks.

Tianheng grew faster than anyone else.

He didn’t waste time. He didn’t speak to anyone.

The guards started calling him "Quiet Fang."

One of them even placed a bet.

"That kid’s going to make it. I’ll put ten spirit coins on him being in the top five."

Another guard laughed. "You’ll lose. He’s too calm. He doesn’t kill for fun."

"Exactly," the first one said. "That’s why he’ll win."

---

Zain leaned back from the story and took another sip of water.

The girls stared at him, eyes wide.

Savra was the first to speak. "So you really went full demon training mode."

Zain shrugged. "Had no choice."

Velra grinned. "Not gonna lie, I kinda like that ’Quiet Fang’ name."

Zain sighed. "That’s just the start. The real hell came after that."

Zelia leaned forward. "Then keep talking. We’re listening."

---

After a long year inside the dark pit, the number of children dropped fast.

At first, there had been hundreds of boys and girls from different places, all locked in this hell.

Now, only twenty were left.

Mo Tianheng sat near the wall of his small cave.

His eyes had lost the softness they once had.

His muscles were stronger, and the qi in his body flowed without pain.

He didn’t speak much anymore.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from above.

A guard appeared near the food chute.

But this time, he didn’t carry any food.

The children looked up, confused.

"Listen up!" the guard shouted. "There are only twenty of you left."

The pit was silent. No one spoke.

The guard grinned. "And today is your last day down here."

A few kids looked at each other, surprised. Some looked hopeful.

But then the guard continued.

"Only ten of you will leave. The rest will die here."

The hope vanished.

The air turned cold.

"You want out?" the guard said, pointing his finger around.

"Then kill. Kill until only ten remain. Then... the gate opens."

He grinned, his eyes full of cruelty.

Then he turned around and walked away, his footsteps echoing up the tunnel.

The heavy door behind him slammed shut.

Silence.

No one moved. No one even breathed.

Everyone was staring at each other, wide-eyed.

Then, the guard’s voice boomed again from a speaker hidden above.

"MOVE! Or I’ll bury all of you in that pit!"

That was the spark.

One of the older boys suddenly let out a wild scream and rushed forward with a broken blade in hand.

The others snapped out of their daze. Some grabbed weapons. Some backed away. Others panicked.

The death match had begun.