In the Sect of the Slumbering Flame, there were many places where no one wanted to be.
The communal latrines.
The barracks where ten disciples snored as if competing to scare dragons.
And, of course, the medicinal herb garden, known as the "Garden of Pestilence."
It was no wonder it was one of the few places Li Wei could visit without receiving hostile glares or veiled threats. Perfect.
A place that smells of fermented onion, spiritual mold, and something that might have been a rat... Which means no one with neurons or a functional nose will come here. My kind of place.
The garden was on the northern flank of the mountain, where the sun barely caressed the withered leaves and twisted stems of plants that only an alchemist would value. And, clearly, there were no high-ranking alchemists around.
Li Wei walked among the patches of weeds and gnarled roots, pretending to be looking for medicinal ingredients... when in reality, what he was looking for was something more important: privacy.
His pavilion assistant's medallion allowed him to wander more than many believed. And after a couple of days studying the ancient maps that were casually piled up like trash, he noticed a small crack marked next to the garden. A nameless mark. A path that didn't connect to any other route. An illegible note in a corner of moldy paper.
"If that doesn't scream 'forgotten magic cave,' I don't know what would," he muttered, pushing aside a bush of spiritual brambles.
And there it was.
A small crevice in the rock, hidden behind a thick, rotting lotus root. So narrow that a muscular cultivator would have had a heart attack just looking at it. But Li Wei, with his still slender and underdeveloped body, was able to slide in without problems.
Inside... darkness. Silence. And something else.
A thread of Qi. Fine. Soft. Persistent.
...Is this real? A channel of spiritual Qi without protective seals, without guardians, without walls with inscriptions telling me "Certain death if you advance without a phoenix's soul"... This is suspicious. Which I love.
The cave was barely four meters wide by six deep. Enough to sit, stretch out, and keep one or two secrets. The air was humid but stable. And most importantly: the flow of Qi was constant. Not intense. Not like in the meditation chambers used by inner disciples. But enough to allow for slow, stable... and safe cultivation.
On the back wall, roughly carved by an untrained hand, was a forgotten inscription:
"Here I hide from everyone, even myself. Here I desire no glory. Only silence."
Li Wei smiled.
Sometimes I think the true geniuses of this world left their clues where idiots wouldn't even pee. And this place... is perfect.
That very night, Li Wei returned with a worn cushion, a teapot he had stolen—ahem, borrowed—from the common barracks, and some bitter tea leaves that helped cool the body during cultivation.
He lit a tallow candle. He sat cross-legged. And began to cultivate.
He applied the same inverted breathing technique he had modified from the ancient manual. But this time, within a space that slightly amplified its effect. It was like blowing on an ember instead of trying to light it with wet sticks. Small sparks began to emerge.
His lower meridians vibrated. The circulation of Qi became more fluid. And for the first time since he arrived in this world... he felt his body begin to respond.
Every particle of Qi I absorb is a decision. I have no margin for error. I need to be stronger... to think faster. To have time to react before the enemy acts.
Hours later, sweaty and exhausted, he opened his eyes. He hadn't reached the next level. But his foundation had solidified. He was laying the groundwork for the next advance slowly... and without mistakes.
And on his face... there was an almost childlike smile.
While the others break their bones fighting for pills in the fields... I cultivate calmly, surrounded by glowing mushrooms and the sweet aroma of rotten roots. How romantic.
From that night on, Li Wei returned to that cave every day. He showed it to no one. He made no noise.
And little by little, his presence within the sect changed from "an anomaly" to "a potential risk." Because when a nobody stops acting like a nobody... those at the top start to wonder if they should have crushed him when he was still manageable.