The Skyward Leaf Sect was in chaos.
Not because of an invasion. Not because of a rogue beast tide or a heavenly tribulation.
No.
Because one guy with trash-tier roots slapped an elder into a wall and skyrocketed four cultivation stages during a nap.
It had been twelve hours. The sect's emergency council was already on its third pot of tea and seventh failed theory.
"He must be a hidden expert in disguise," Elder Zhou said for the fifth time.
"He's a spy from a higher realm," insisted Elder Ren.
"No!" cried Elder Qiu, pounding the table. "He's possessed by a demon lord!"
Sect Leader Lian calmly raised a hand. "Enough."
The room quieted.
"I've reviewed the reports, seen the crater in the training yard, and spoken with Elder Ping—once we dug him out. This Jin Ye... may not be what he appears."
Elder Qiu scoffed. "He's clearly dangerous! Look at this!" He held up a scroll. "His spirit root is literally classified as 'aggressively bad.'"
"And yet," Lian said, "he broke through four stages with a technique meant for breathing. Air."
"Maybe he refined a forbidden pill?"
"No traces in his meridians."
"A divine artifact?"
"No items found."
"…Maybe he's just, you know. Evil?"
Sect Leader Lian paused.
"…Send someone to watch him. Quietly."
---
Meanwhile...
Jin Ye was doing something truly profound.
He was making noodles.
And by "making," we mean "bullying the sect kitchen staff into letting him use the stove."
"Brother Jin Ye," stammered the cook, "the kitchen is reserved for inner disciples—"
"Relax. I'm testing the Dao of Carbs."
He stirred a pot lazily with one hand, Qi swirling around him like steam.
The cook blinked. "Is that... spiritual wheat?"
"Nope. It's from a discount market stall in the outer city. Had a rat on the sack. Very authentic."
Mu Shun sat nearby, watching his "guru" with full reverence.
"Senior Brother," he whispered, "are you... cultivating through soup?"
"Yes," Jin Ye said flatly, slurping a noodle. "It's called Culinary Qi Absorption. Very advanced."
Mu Shun nodded as if this explained everything. "Incredible."
---
From a distance, a young disciple watched Jin Ye with narrowed eyes. His name was Li Feng, a junior spy from the internal security hall, hand-picked to observe "suspicious elements."
He scribbled notes in a scroll.
Subject: Jin Ye
Current activity: Cooking noodles
Cultivation method: Unclear. Possibly food-based Dao?
Spiritual presence: Passive but terrifying
Conclusion: Avoid eye contact
---
That Afternoon…
Jin Ye walked into the cultivation library like he owned the place.
Because mentally, he did.
Rows of dusty scrolls lined the stone walls, each one more disappointing than the last.
"Swift Leaf Palm"
"Cloud Step (Beginner)"
"Inner Breathing for Stupid People"
He grabbed one called "Golden Leaf Reversal Technique."
The scroll proudly stated:
"A technique abandoned due to 87% chance of inner combustion."
"Perfect," Jin Ye said, tucking it under his arm.
The librarian, an old man with shaky hands, stared in horror. "Young man! That technique was banned after a disciple turned into smoke!"
Jin Ye nodded. "I'll read it while eating lunch."
He picked another one called "Passive Qi Absorption: A Cultivator's Guide to Doing Nothing"
"Oho," Jin Ye grinned. "Finally, a technique that understands me."
---
Meanwhile, Elder Ping sat in his room with a bag of ice on his face and a soul-deep grudge forming in his heart.
"That brat… humiliated me…"
He stood, wobbling slightly, and walked to a hidden compartment in his floor. Inside was a black scroll sealed with demonic runes.
"If the sect won't punish you," he whispered, "then I will."
---
The Next Morning…
Jin Ye sat cross-legged on a cliff, holding the Passive Qi Absorption scroll in one hand and a steamed bun in the other.
The technique was meant to teach disciples how to "tune in" to ambient Qi without exerting effort. Most considered it a joke. Useless. Ineffective.
Jin Ye thought it was genius.
He activated the method.
Boom.
A quiet ripple spread around him. Birds flew away. Trees rustled unnaturally.
Within seconds, the environment shifted. Wind patterns bent toward him. Tiny specks of elemental energy drifted across the sky, curving into his dantian like it was the world's best vacuum cleaner.
His cultivation jumped again.
Qi Condensation, Fifth Stage.
He sipped tea.
"Too slow," he muttered.
---
Across the courtyard, Li Feng's scroll was shaking in his hands.
Subject: Jin Ye
Current activity: Sitting and sipping tea
Phenomenon: Wind, birds, small animals now orbit him
Personal assessment: I think he can hear my thoughts. Request reassignment.
---
Later, Jin Ye wandered back into the sect's training yard.
Dozens of disciples were gathered for sparring drills. Elder Qiu was overseeing it with a smug grin.
"Ah," he said, spotting Jin Ye. "The miraculous genius."
Jin Ye yawned. "You want to fight too?"
Qiu sneered. "No, no. I'd never strike a junior disciple. However…"
He gestured to a muscle-bound disciple built like a sentient boulder. "This is Xi Bao. Foundation Establishment, peak stage. Top ten in the outer sect. He would love to spar."
Xi Bao cracked his knuckles. "I'll go easy on you, junior."
Jin Ye sighed. "Fine. You get one hit."
Xi Bao grinned and stepped forward. His aura flared. A visible wall of spiritual pressure surged around him.
Disciples leaned in, eager to see Jin Ye crushed.
Xi Bao leapt.
Jin Ye moved.
Barely.
It wasn't even a technique. He just pivoted, stuck out a foot, and watched as Xi Bao tripped, spun midair, and slammed face-first into the ground.
THUD.
Silence.
Jin Ye stepped over the unconscious body. "Next."
---
That evening, the sect council met again.
"…He defeated Xi Bao with a trip."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"Deliberate?"
"Impossible to tell. Looked accidental. May have weaponized laziness."
Sect Leader Lian looked tired. "Anything else?"
Elder Ren cleared his throat. "We've discovered his latest cultivation technique is… called 'Passive Qi Absorption.'"
"And?"
"It's working."
Sect Leader Lian slowly rubbed his temples.
"Fine. Promote him to inner sect. Effective immediately. If the heavens are determined to mock us, we may as well laugh along."
---
Later That Night…
Jin Ye received his promotion scroll.
He used it to fan himself while reclining under a tree.
Mu Shun beamed beside him. "Senior Brother, you've made it to the inner sect in three days!"
"Cool," Jin Ye said. "How many levels are there again?"
"Nine, including the core sect!"
"So I'm a third of the way to the top just by napping?"
"Y-yes."
Jin Ye stared at the stars. "At this rate, I'll be Sect Leader by next week."
Mu Shun laughed nervously.
Jin Ye didn't.
---