Feiyin sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the grain of the wood as his thoughts churned. The gentle flicker of the candlelight cast long shadows against the walls, but his mind was far away, caught in a loop of curiosity.


    Inner Sense was already incredible.


    He could perceive everything inside his body with clarity, feeling the flow of his blood, the pulse of his organs, the tension in his muscles. He could trace the faint outlines of his unopened meridians, like dormant rivers waiting for the floodgates to open.


    But what came after?


    His parents always noticed his progress at first glance. No matter how subtle his advancements, they could see it. They spoke of spiritual sense, something that felt far beyond his current grasp.


    He needed to understand it.


    "Mom, Dad," he called, breaking the comfortable silence of their evening. His mother, seated on a cushioned stool, was combing through her long, obsidian hair, while his father sat by the window, idly wiping down his blade.


    Mei Liao turned first, her amethyst eyes warm. "Yes, my dear?"


    Feiyin hesitated for a moment before voicing his thoughts. "I’ve been thinking about spiritual sense… about how both of you always seem to see my progress right away. Is it possible to hide from it?"


    His father paused mid-motion, his sharpening cloth stilling against the steel of his saber. His mother, on the other hand, let out a small, pleased laugh.


    "My, my," Mei Liao said, setting down her comb. "That’s an excellent thought, little one. Having a trump card, a way to keep your abilities hidden, gives you more room to maneuver. Even at your age, you''re already thinking ahead."


    Cai Feng grunted in agreement, leaning back in his chair. "Spiritual sense is a powerful tool. But like everything else in cultivation, it has limits. Knowing when and how to suppress your presence can save your life in certain situations."


    Feiyin leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Then, what exactly is spiritual sense?"


    His mother smiled at his eagerness. "It’s an extension of Inner Sense, but not limited to just yourself. Right now, you can perceive within your body, right?"


    Feiyin nodded.


    She gestured outward. "Spiritual Sense is when that awareness extends beyond you, allowing you to feel everything in your surroundings—people, energy fluctuations, the very essence of the world itself."


    Feiyin''s brows furrowed. "How does that happen? How can my awareness just… extend?"


    Cai Feng tapped a finger against the table. "Because Inner Sense is tied to your soul."


    Feiyin stilled.


    His soul?


    Cai Feng continued, his voice calm but firm. "When you complete the Meridian Opening Realm and prepare to enter Qi Condensation, one of the key steps is to perceive your soul. That’s why your Inner Sense is important—it allows you to grasp what’s inside, including that which cannot be seen or touched."


    Mei Liao took over, her voice softer. "Once you''ve perceived your soul, it becomes the foundation of your next step. When you enter the Qi Condensation Realm, your soul, mind, body, and essence qi all merge into one, and that fusion naturally extends outward as Spiritual Sense."


    Feiyin let the words settle, trying to visualize what they meant.


    "So… Inner Sense lets me see my body. And once I sense my soul, I can use it to extend my awareness beyond me?"


    His father nodded approvingly. "Exactly. The stronger your foundation, the deeper and wider your Spiritual Sense will be. Some cultivators can only sense a few meters, while others—those with truly honed minds and spirits—can extend their perception over vast distances."


    Feiyin’s mind raced.


    That meant if his Inner Sense was already more developed than most, his Spiritual Sense would be even stronger when the time came.


    Feiyin’s fingers lightly tapped against the wooden table, his mind whirring with thought. Spiritual Sense was far more intricate than he had assumed. It wasn’t just about perceiving the world—it was about reading it, understanding it, seeing everything in absolute detail.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It was like having all five senses woven into one, allowing a cultivator to pick up on subtle cues that most would never notice—the twitch of a muscle, the precise weight behind a step, the way the wind reacted to movement.


    It was no wonder that his parents always knew exactly how much he had progressed.


    But his goal wasn’t to disappear. It was to conceal his true strength.


    He didn’t want to seem weak, but he didn’t want to display his full capabilities either.


    “Then how do I hide from it?” he asked, looking between his parents.


    Cai Feng leaned back, rubbing his jaw. “If you’re talking about hiding your strength, that’s a different matter.” He rested his forearm on the table, fixing Feiyin with a steady gaze. “Spiritual Sense doesn’t just pick up on energy—it picks up on everything. Body language, breathing, micro-movements, balance. Most people give themselves away without realizing it.”


    Feiyin’s brows furrowed in thought.


    His father continued, “The best way to hide your strength is to control every single part of your body. You must never reveal excess tension in your muscles, nor take steps that carry unnecessary weight. No sharp breaths. No abrupt movements. Strength isn’t just about force—it’s also about presence. If you carry yourself with too much stability, someone skilled will immediately know that you’ve trained your foundation well. If you allow power to gather in any one part of your body, an expert will sense the shift.”


    Mei Liao nodded. “A good observer will see through false weakness immediately, but a true master of control can make their body appear ordinary, dispersing their power evenly so that it seems like nothing extraordinary is there at all.”


    Feiyin’s mind sparked with inspiration. Dispersing his power…


    ‘Then… what if I took it one step further?’


    He knew that cultivators didn’t see the world the same way he did. They couldn’t see oscillations like he could, but they could sense things in a way that seemed just as precise.


    What if… instead of just dispersing his power, he tried to match the presence of someone at a lower level?


    If he mimicked the subtle fluctuations of someone weaker, perhaps he could mask his strength entirely.


    His fingers curled slightly against the table as he processed the idea.


    It was possible. It had to be.


    A slow grin crept onto his face.


    Cai Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. “That’s a dangerous look, boy.”


    Feiyin chuckled. “I just… thought of a way to take it a step further.”


    His mother raised a brow. “Oh?”


    Feiyin nodded, his excitement bubbling up. “I can already see how energy flows through the body. If I study how weaker cultivators carry themselves—the way their energy interacts with their movements—I might be able to imitate it.”


    For a moment, silence hung between them.


    Then, his father let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “You’re a terrifying kid, you know that?”


    Mei Liao, however, laughed in delight. “That’s brilliant, Feiyin! Even seasoned cultivators struggle to suppress their presence, but if you can mimic a weaker level of cultivation, then even those stronger than you will find it difficult to gauge your true strength.”


    Feiyin felt a rush of satisfaction.


    Yes. This was it.


    Cai Feng sighed, rubbing his temples. “You’ll have to be careful. Learning to mask yourself like this is not something you should let others see. There are plenty of people who would be uncomfortable knowing a child is capable of such deception.”


    “I understand,” Feiyin said seriously.


    His father held his gaze for a moment longer before nodding. “Good. Start with dispersing your strength first, then slowly work on shifting your presence to match different levels. But don’t rush. Precision is more important than speed.”


    Feiyin nodded, determined.


    His father’s words rang in his mind—intent shaped everything.


    And now he had a new goal.


    He would learn to control his presence down to the smallest detail.


    He would hide in plain sight.