Nearly every wuxia story has some cliff or cave where people retreat from wulin to practice the next level of internal energy or to invent some new kind of palm (i.e. Z3F with Taichi).
Maybe I'm just in my consult fee billing mode, but how many hours of the week do you think are productive? Even if I give them a 10 hour day (5 to practice and 5 to meditate), 2 hours for meals - even if 3 meals they are alone in the cave, 7 to sleep, 2 for reading, that still gives 3 hours unallocated. Would a master "goof off" and play chess? Sneak out of the cave?
What do they eat and do they ever think "damn its veggies and tofu with rice again!" but don't complain because the master needs to maintain an aura of mystery and significance? How do they get their food if they don't have students/staff?
If he/she/they (i.e. Chuen Jen 7 practicing Big Dipper) are locked in a cave, what do they use for a bathroom? Even the princesses looked ill and became visibly upset when locked in a tomb with Xiao Yu er in Legendary Siblings and he had to setup a chamber pot.