Li Wei settled into the space he'd carved for himself, the low stone ceiling and uneven walls giving a sense of containment. Most of the time, he simply sat cross-legged, eyes half-lidded, breathing slow, the faint rhythm of the Desert Soul Technique pulling at the ambient qi.
The smaller bone slave handled the outside work. It pattered through the surrounding forest, a silent, tireless scout. Over the course of two days, it had traced winding loops out from the rocky outcrop, memorising every slope, ridge, and cluster of undergrowth within a reasonable radius. It had found game trails, a dry creek bed, and even a shallow depression littered with fallen pine needles that could serve as a fallback spot if things went wrong.
Sometimes Li Wei had it stay hidden in a bush when he didn't want to be bothered with managing its movements, calling it back with a thought when needed.
The larger bone slave scratched marks into the cave wall to keep count of the days.
By the time a couple more days had passed, the surroundings were mapped in his mind as clearly as if he'd walked them himself. The cave was clean, his days monotonous, and for now, the world outside could do as it pleased.
The stillness of the night broke with a single heavy crash. The ground shook, a dull vibration running through the stone beneath Li Wei. Dust loosened from the cave wall and settled across the floor. He opened his eyes and rose without sound.
From beyond the tree line came the sounds of movement. A low, broken sound followed, drawn-out and uneven, carrying through the night air.
Li Wei moved to the entrance and signaled the smaller bone slave. It slipped into the brush, pale limbs folding close as it dropped low and vanished among the roots. He remained at the edge of the stone, his body still, following the disturbance through the slave's advance.
The bone slave reached a clearing and dropped flat. Through its sight, Li Wei observed the beast that forced its way from the trees.
It was larger than anything he had seen at close range. In the dim light its outline was jagged, the body hunched and heavy. One leg dragged uselessly, the joint twisted and torn, leaving a dark trail across the ground. Wet patches spread where the blood fell, catching faint glints before sinking into the needles underfoot. The hide looked coarse and uneven, strips of leathery skin showing where the fur was patchy. Along its back rose a line that broke the outline, a ridge of bone standing out even in shadow. When the head lifted, broken teeth caught the light between torn lips. One side of the skull showed bare where the ear was missing. Each breath rasped, rough and broken, the sound carrying clearly across the clearing.
Li Wei searched its shape for something familiar. The body had the bulk of a boar, but the muzzle was too long. The legs bent like a wolf's, though thicker, built for weight rather than speed. In the hunch of its back he thought of a bear, yet the ridge of bone was nothing he had seen before. None of the pieces fit cleanly. It was not wolf, nor pig, nor dog, nor anything he could name.
Li Wei held his position. His thoughts measured the threat. Mobility was low. Reach remained uncertain. The ground here was even. He judged the distance from the tree line, the angles of approach, the space within which the beast could move.
For now, he did not act.
Li Wei did not move until the beast lowered its head. It dragged itself across the clearing, shifting its weight unevenly, then bent toward the mangled leg. Its snout pressed close to the wound, tongue rasping over torn flesh. When its movements slowed, he acted.
From the tree line, Li Wei drew on the pouch at his waist. Bone dust mixed with granite fragments streamed out, held tight by his qi. In his grasp the loose matter hardened, lengthened, and sharpened to a point. With a push of will, the spike shot forward and struck the beast's flank. It lurched sideways with a raw bellow, legs flailing against the soil. Before it could right itself, Li Wei was already moving, circling low through the trees to another position.
The beast's head snapped to where the spike had come from. Its jaws opened wide. A stream of dark liquid spat from its throat, spraying across the undergrowth. The fluid hissed as it struck bark and stone, smoke curling where it touched. Nothing lived in that place.
Li Wei waited until the beast stumbled again, then raised another spike. The mixture hardened to a point and shot through the shoulder, forcing it down. He shifted position once more, never giving it a line to fix upon.
The beast thrashed, snapping its teeth, more of the black spit burning holes into the soil. Its limbs failed to carry it far. Each strike weakened its movements. When it sagged, its head lowering for the last time, Li Wei shaped the final spike.
The bone tore through the skull. The body twitched once, then lay still. Less than a minute had passed.
The clearing settled into silence. The beast's body lay heavy against the soil, steam lifting faintly from its blood. Li Wei kept still until the last twitch faded. Only then did he give the order. The smaller bone slave shifted from its cover and began a slow circuit around the trees, silent in its watch.
Li Wei approached the carcass without haste. The hide came away in strips under the edge of his blade, thick and resistant in places, loose in others where the flesh had torn. He worked in steady cuts, setting each piece aside in order. When the chest was opened, he removed the organs in turn, piling them into a shallow pit he had the slave dig. The earth closed over them quickly, the smell cut off.
The bones he kept. The spine came free with effort, the ridge of protrusions running its length intact. Ribs cracked as he prised them loose. The skull was taken whole, along with the limbs. Each was stacked neatly, ready to be dried and stored.
When the chest cavity was cleared, he reached deeper. At the centre, near where the heart had been, his hand struck something solid. He cut around it and prised it free. A core, smooth and dense, faint light pushing from within. Li Wei turned it in his palm, the surface warm against his skin. He had studied their use in potioneering but had never held one. The qi inside carried a steady, rooted quality. Wood affinity. He wrapped it with care and stored it away.
Straightening, he looked again to the rim of the basin. The beast had come from there. Its broken state confirmed it. Beasts were falling inward, whether by chance or force. The basin was a funnel, gathering what dropped from above.
He marked the thought in silence. The base of the rim would need to be checked often. Injured prey would gather there.
With the core and bones secured, he turned from the clearing. The small bone slave slipped back into cover ahead of him. Step by step, he retraced the path through the trees until the cave mouth came into view.
Inside, the stone walls closed around him once more. The larger slave waited motionless in the dark. Li Wei drew the pouch from his belt and released its contents.
When all was arranged, he sealed the entrance and sat.
The days stretched, marked by shallow grooves scratched into the wall. Li Wei stayed within the cave; his time divided between stillness and the rhythm of the Desert Soul Technique. The beast's bones lay near, stacked and ordered. Their presence thickened the qi around him. Each cycle of breath sank deeper, each draw of energy steadier.
He felt the difference. The marrow carried strength, enough that he judged the beast to have been no more than the level of an early Foundation cultivator. Even so, it was more than he had trained with before. Progress came quicker, the qi sinking through his frame with greater weight.
The small bone slave scouted as always, its paths pushing wider around the outcrop. Li Wei kept himself hidden, the work outside left to it. Within the cave, he remained seated, his focus set on the bones and the slow pull of the technique.
Inside the cave, he laid the beast's bones in a neat line along the wall. The core he stored deeper in his pouch. When all was set in order, he drew out a small porcelain vial from his own bundle.
He had made three Foundation Establishment Elixirs before entering the crater, each brewed with care from the herbs and reagents he had gathered. Now he uncorked the first. The liquid within carried a faint earthy scent. Li Wei tipped it back, letting the contents run down in one swallow.
The bitterness spread across his tongue and into his throat. A heavy heat pressed outward from his centre. He sat cross-legged at once, pulling the Desert Soul Technique into motion. The qi from the elixir surged rough and uneven, demanding control. He slowed his breathing and pressed it down, forcing each wave into bone and marrow until the current steadied.
The rush of qi did not break through his limits. It pressed hard against the walls of his channels, filling them to strain, but the barrier held firm. Instead, the energy sank deeper into his frame. Bone by bone, joint by joint, the marrow grew denser, the flow more rooted.
Li Wei guided it without impatience. He had not expected a single dose to force advancement. What it gave was steadiness — a stronger base, a clearer rhythm for the Desert Soul Technique to draw upon. When the last of the heat settled and his breathing returned to its slow pace, he opened his eyes.
The cave lay silent. The bones stacked along the wall seemed to hold more weight than before. His foundation had thickened. Nothing more. For now, it was enough
Time pressed on without measure. The marks on the cave wall climbed higher until weeks blurred into months. Li Wei kept to his place, the rhythm of the Desert Soul Technique carrying each day forward. The small bone slave ranged further, circling the basin's edge, reporting back when movement drew near.
Two more beasts came down in that time. The first was a scaled creature, low to the ground, its body long like a lizard, claws sharp enough to dig trenches through soil. It thrashed when cornered, but its weight made it slow. Spikes of bone ended it quickly.
The second was of the same kind as the first beast he had faced: thick hide, ridged spine, crooked teeth, and the same harsh breath. It moved with more strength than the wounded one, but its patterns were alike. Li Wei kept distance, striking from cover until its body dropped.
Both were stripped in turn. Their hides cut away, the offal buried deep. Bones stacked against the wall joined the growing pile. From their chests he drew cores. The lizard's qi was sharp, dry, and restless. The other matched the first, carrying the same rooted weight of Wood.
Within the cave the air thickened, the gathered remains pressing close. Li Wei's practice deepened with them, the bone of beasts anchoring his own.