Shi Feiyang, though in seclusion, was refining Mana, not practicing Effort.
If he had been cultivating Alchemy Dao, refining form, or nourishing his Nascent Soul, he would need to immerse his mind and soul entirely without any disturbances. Unaware of the outside world, a sudden awakening could severely damage his Primordial Qi.
However, cultivating the He Sha Book involved continuously absorbing the Five Elements Essence Qi from the outside world into his body, merging it with his Five Internal Organs Primordial Qi, and refining them into one. The external Five Elements transform into the internal Five Elements, and these internal ones then combine again with the external, thus mutually enhancing his Effort.
This was a slow and gradual process, and as long as he wished, he could still be aware of the external situation—the only difference was whether he chose to intervene or not.
