Jian stepped into the inner training grounds. The place was nearly empty this early in the morning, save for a handful of core disciples practicing their spiritual techniques. He kept his head low and maintained the calmest walking pace he could manage. Even so, he sensed people's eyes drifting toward him.
Some recognized him. Some didn't. But everyone felt something.
A strange pressure.
A cold shiver.
A sense of instability in the air.
Jian tried not to let it bother him.
As he approached the weapon racks, a figure dropped down from a stone pillar above. It was a senior core disciple—broad-shouldered, confident, and clearly proud of his cultivation. Jian could feel the man's realm instantly. Peak 8th Realm: Nascent Soul. A realm Jian had passed months ago.
The disciple stared at him, puzzled, as if trying to place the feeling Jian gave off.
"You," he said with a frown. "What's your name?"
Jian didn't respond immediately. He bowed respectfully as outer disciples were expected to. "Jian."
The man narrowed his eyes. "You feel… strange today. What did you do?"
Jian forced his breathing to quiet. He kept every strand of cultivation tightly sealed. "Nothing, Senior Brother."
The disciple didn't believe him. He circled Jian once like a hawk studying prey. "Your aura is warped. Even sealed, it bends the air around you. Only cultivators at the cusp of the tenth realm should—"
He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening.
Confusion turned to alarm.
Alarm turned to suspicion.
Jian felt his muscles tighten.
This was the problem the system warned him about.
The moment the senior disciple opened his mouth again to shout for an elder—
—Jian's system chimed.
[Warning: Exposure Detected.]
[Initiating Concealment Protocol.]
A pulse of invisible force spread from Jian like a silent ripple on a pond. It struck the disciple squarely in the chest—not with physical impact, but with a distortion of perception. The man blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if trying to recall something.
Then his expression slackened.
"…strange. I forgot what I was asking," the disciple muttered before turning away.
Jian exhaled silently.
The system had interfered—not by harming the man but by subtly severing a single thread of memory and altering the flow of awareness. A technique far beyond anything a normal cultivator could do.
Jian wiped his palms against his robe.
"This is getting dangerous."
He quickly grabbed a wooden practice staff and moved toward the far end of the training grounds where no one approached him. When he began swinging the staff, he noticed how different everything felt.
Every movement sliced the air.
Every strike was too precise.
Every shift of his weight naturally caused space to distort just a fraction.
Even holding back wasn't enough.
He was too strong.
Too refined.
Too… noticeable.
The system chimed again.
[Objective Updated: Learn Void Compression — Primary Concealment Method.]
A new technique flowed into his mind—not for fighting, but for hiding.
Jian closed his eyes and began practicing its circulation.
The world dimmed around him.
The ripples faded.
The distortions flattened.
His presence shrank.
For the first time since reaching the 10th Realm… Jian felt nearly invisible.
Nearly.
He still needed mastery.