The smell of warm oats and damp earth filled Havenwood Refuge's dining hall. Liu Ming sat at the long wooden table, sunlight warming his back through the window. He lifted a spoonful of thick vegetable porridge to his mouth. As he swallowed, he felt it – the quiet hum of energy flowing from the food. His Heavenly Refined Body was working, pulling tiny threads of Qi from every bite, turning simple breakfast into fuel for his hidden growth.
This power came with a visible price. Liu Ming glanced at Wen, the eight-year-old across the table. Just weeks ago, Wen had been noticeably taller. Now, Liu Ming's head nearly reached Wen's shoulder. The sleeves of his rough tunic felt tight around arms that were no longer soft, but showing lean muscle beneath the skin. When he helped carry firewood, he had to pretend to stagger under the weight, though he could easily lift it one-handed.
"Little Sparrow!" Henna's voice was warm but surprised. She stood beside him, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. Her fingers squeezed lightly. "By the old spirits, you're growing like a weed after the rains! Look at these shoulders! And you've gained half a handspan in height this moon alone!" She chuckled, her kind eyes crinkling. "What magic is this? Are you stealing the sunshine?"
Liu Ming's heart skipped a beat. 'They see the change.' He forced a clumsy smile, letting his spoon clatter loudly against his bowl. "Just hungry, Henna Ma," he mumbled, deliberately letting porridge dribble down his chin. He wiped it messily with his sleeve, playing the part of an ordinary, slightly awkward child.
Inside, cold fear coiled. He looked at the truly young children – Mei struggling to lift her cup, Bao tripping over his own feet. I'm not like them anymore. His movements were too sure, his eyes held too much understanding. Henna had her small magics – the fireball, the revived flower – but it was weak, for chores only. She couldn't feel the ocean of power inside him: the dense energy of his cultivation, the sleeping giant of his Primordial Bloodline, the terrifying potential of his God Level Talent.
But what if someone stronger comes? The library books whispered of cultivators who could sense energy from miles away. What if an imperial official or a wandering elder visited Havenwood? What if they felt the ancient pulse within him or saw the unique glow of his Seven Elements Root?
They wouldn't see a child, Liu Ming realized with icy certainty. They'd see a treasure chest. Something to grab, to control, to break open. Stories told of talented orphans vanishing. The orphanage's safety felt fragile as a soap bubble.
'Hide. Hide everything.' The decision was final.
'System, is there any way that I can hide my cultivation?' Liu Ming asked the system internally.
[Yes, you can buy techniques from the store to hide your cultivation base.]
'Then tell me the best technique price that I can afford before the competition.' Liu Ming asked.
[You can buy the Hidden Flow cultivation base concealment technique]
[Grade: Saint level]
[Limitation: No one can find out your cultivation base unless someone is at the peak of the Saint realm.]
'Saint realm? System, isn't it bad if someone at the peak of the Saint realm is present at the competition?'
[Affirmative. However, it is highly unlikely for this world to have a peak Saint realm martial artist.]
[Therefore, there is no need to worry about this.]
"Oh!" He was surprised by this information.
'Then tell me the cost for this technique.' Liu Ming asked.
"Woo! It's quite expensive!"
One Month Later
Hidden behind the tall stack of sun-warmed logs near the back wall, Liu Ming breathed deeply. The air smelled of dry pine resin and the cool earth beneath him. Sunlight painted bright stripes on the ground through the gaps. Distant shouts from the courtyard were muffled.
He closed his eyes, focusing inward. He wasn't forcing wild Qi; that memory brought phantom pain. Instead, he concentrated on the Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method. He focused on feeling the constant, gentle stream of energy his Heavenly Refined Body pulled in – from the air, the sun on his skin, and every bite of food. It flowed like a deep, quiet river within him.
Guide it, he thought. Temper. Forge. The Heaven-Grade method shaped the passive energy effortlessly. He felt a familiar warmth spread from his core – not pain, but immense, building power. His muscles felt dense, his bones unyielding. The Qi around him – in the old oak tree, the packed earth, the nearby well – felt vibrant, almost singing to his heightened senses.
'It's working… steadily…' he thought, content with the slow, safe progress.
Then, without warning, the quiet river surged! The gentle warmth flared into an intense, forging heat, rushing through his pathways with incredible force! It wasn't agony like before, but a powerful, deep pressure, as if his entire body was being compacted and strengthened on a cosmic anvil. He instinctively braced, the Five Divine Paths Method instantly responding, guiding the torrent with flawless precision.
'What…? This speed…!' Shock warred with focus. He visualized his body solidifying, becoming denser than stone, tougher than steel. The pressure built, tighter, hotter… focused on a single point deep within.
CRACK!
A silent, internal thunderclap shook his very being. The surging energy blasted forward, shattering an invisible barrier he hadn't even realized was so close. The intense pressure vanished instantly, replaced by a profound, unshakeable sense of solidity and immense strength. He felt invincible. His senses exploded: he heard the scratch of a beetle's leg on a leaf two paces away, smelled the distinct sweetness of a single ripe berry near the garden gate, felt the minute settling of the woodpile logs against each other.
[BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED: Self-Tempering Realm - 5th Stage]
[REWARD: 1000 System Coins Added!]
Liu Ming opened his eyes, sucking in a slow, deep breath of the pine-scented air. A light sheen of sweat covered his skin, but it was overwhelmed by pure awe.
'Fifth Stage? Already? Just 3 days ago, I was solidly in the 4th Stage!' Liu Ming was stunned.
"Status," he whispered.
---------------------[STATUS]--------------------
[System coins]: 2560 (Previous balance + 1000)
[Character]: Liu Ming
[Age]: 6 years
[Cultivation Base]: Self-Tempering Realm (5th Stage)
[Body]: Heavenly Refined Body
[Blood Line]: Primordial Bloodline
[Talent]: God Level
[Spiritual Root]: 7 Elements Root (Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal, Yin, Yang - Latent)
[Cultivation Method]: Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method
The sheer speed was dizzying. The passive power of his Heavenly Refined Body, perfectly harnessed by the Heaven-Grade method, was terrifyingly efficient. He flexed his hands – strong, capable, belonging to a boy year older. And 1000 coins! As a bonus. The thing is, every time I break through, I get 1000 system coins.