The training session dragged on for another hour. By the time it ended, Kai's body ached from the beating and his mind was tired from churning through plans. As the disciples began to disperse and head to their next tasks, Senior Disciple Chen Yun's voice cut through the noise.
"All outer disciples who failed to show any cultivation progress during the meditation session, step forward now."
Kai's stomach sank with dread. Along with about a dozen other disciples, he reluctantly stepped forward. Most of them looked nervous. A few looked completely defeated, as if they had been called forward like this many times before.
Chen Yun walked slowly down the line, his sharp eyes examining each one. When he reached Kai, he stopped and stared down at him.
"The farm boy who collapsed during the entrance exam. Elder Zhang said you showed some potential, but I do not see any of it here today." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping. "This sect does not waste its valuable resources on the hopeless. You have until the monthly evaluation to show some real progress, or you will be sent to work in the mines. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Senior Disciple Chen Yun," Kai said, working hard to keep his voice steady and respectful.
"Good. You are all dismissed."
As the training ground finally cleared out, Lin Wei caught up with Kai on the path leading away. "Do not let his words get to you. Chen Yun is harsh with everyone, but he is not lying. The sect really will send you away if you do not show progress. The good news is that one month is enough time to improve if you work hard every day."
"Where can a disciple go to train completely alone?" Kai asked. "I think I need to practice without any distractions around."
Lin Wei thought about it for a moment. "There are some old meditation caves on the eastern edge of the sect grounds. Most disciples do not use them anymore because the qi is very thin there. But for basic cultivation practice, they would probably work just fine." He hesitated, his expression turning a bit worried. "Just... be careful. Do not go there at night. Strange things are said to happen in those caves after dark. Disciples have gone missing."
[QUEST UPDATED]
[NEW OBJECTIVE: Locate isolated training area]
[RECOMMENDED LOCATION: Eastern meditation caves]
[WARNING NOTED: Night dangers]
It was perfect. A place where he could experiment with shadow cultivation without anyone watching, and even a built in excuse for why other disciples avoided the area.
"Thank you, Brother Lin. You have helped me more than you know today."
"Just do not make me regret helping you," Lin Wei said, offering a slight smile. "Now come on, it is almost time for the evening meal. The food is not great, but you need to eat if you want to build up your strength."
The outer disciple dining hall was exactly what Kai had expected it would be. It was large, crowded, and operated on a very clear hierarchy that everyone understood. The inner disciples sat at raised tables with noticeably better food. The outer disciples had to scramble for space at long, common wooden benches. Servants moved through the hall, handing out bowls of plain rice, simple vegetables, and a thin soup that somehow managed to smell better than it actually tasted.
Kai sat with Lin Wei, quietly observing how all the disciples interacted with each other. Everything here was about strength and status. The stronger disciples took the best seats, demanded the most food, and everyone else just had to work around them. It was the law of the jungle, plain and simple.
Zhao Ming and his two friends sat at a table not far away, laughing loudly and brazenly taking food from the plates of weaker disciples without any consequences. When one young disciple dared to protest, Liu Jian simply grabbed the boy's wrist and squeezed it hard until his face went pale and he nodded in terrified agreement.
No one stepped in to stop it. No one even looked surprised by what was happening.
"That is just how things work here," Lin Wei said quietly, noticing where Kai was looking. "The strong take whatever they want. The weak learn to accept it or they leave. That is the unspoken rule of the cultivation world."
Kai absorbed that information without comment. In his previous life, he had operated in a world that at least had laws and social consequences. Here, physical and mystical strength was the only law that truly mattered. It was simpler in a way, and more honest about human nature.
But it also meant that when he eventually eliminated threats like Zhao Ming, the consequences would be based purely on power dynamics, not right or wrong. He would have to be very smart about how and when he made his moves.
[DEATH SENSE ACTIVE]
[MONITORING FLAGGED TARGETS]
[ZHAO MING GROUP: Estimated 6 days until first serious incident]
[ALTERNATIVE TARGETS AVAILABLE: 23 disciples with imminent death markers]
As they ate their modest meal, Kai asked Lin Wei casual questions about daily life in the sect, carefully gathering information. Lin Wei seemed happy to talk, explaining the monthly evaluation system, the ranking tournaments held each season, and the various elders and their special areas of expertise.
"The most important thing is to reach at least Qi Gathering First Stage before the evaluation," Lin Wei explained between bites of rice. "Even if you are still weak compared to others, at least you will have officially entered the path of cultivation. That proves you are worth keeping in the sect."
"And what happens if someone does not reach it in time?"
"Then they had better hope they have other useful talents, like pill making, formation setting, or weapon crafting. Otherwise..." Lin Wei shrugged, not needing to finish the sentence. "The mines, or they get sent back to their home village in disgrace."
After the meal, Lin Wei showed Kai to the outer disciple dormitories. They were long, simple buildings with rows of small, identical rooms. Each room was barely large enough for a narrow bed and a small wooden chest for personal belongings. Kai's room was at the very end of the hall, right next to Lin Wei's.
"Try to get some rest, Brother Kai. Morning training starts at the first bell at dawn."
Finally alone in the quiet of his room, Kai let his body relax. He sat on the edge of the hard bed, feeling every single bruise and ache from Zhao Ming's so called training. But his mind was sharp and clear, already planning his next steps.
[EVENING STATUS SUMMARY]
[CURRENT STATUS]
[HP: 58/100 - Regenerating slowly]
[Shadow Energy: 100/100]
[Death Points: 0]
[Time Until Monthly Evaluation: 27 days]
He needed to start his real cultivation immediately, but he also needed to be extremely careful. The eastern caves Lin Wei mentioned would be the perfect place to experiment with shadow cultivation without drawing any unwanted attention.
As night fell and darkness wrapped around the Celestial Peak Sect, Kai lay back on his bed and stared at the plain wooden ceiling above. In his previous life, he had built a business empire through careful, long term planning and ruthless execution when necessary. This new world operated on different, more brutal principles, but the basic fundamentals of power were still the same.
Identify opportunities. Build strength. Eliminate threats when the time was right.
Zhao Ming and his friends thought they had found another easy victim to torment. They had no idea that they had just given him the perfect cover story. He was just the weak farm boy who needed "extra training" in isolated locations. It was the ideal excuse.
Tomorrow, he would begin his true cultivation. And in six days, according to the system's prediction, Zhao Ming's group would cross a line that the system considered worthy of death.
Kai intended to be ready for them when they did.