Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne

I felt my own Qi trembling within me, like a faint spark ready to ignite into a flame. This was the first step. For the first time, I had something that truly belonged to me. But discovering it was one thing—controlling it, mastering it, was an entirely different challenge.

I couldn't let Qi remain just a vague presence inside me. I had to guide it, mold it, turn it into my weapon, my foundation. Perhaps that was the true essence of cultivation—not forcing Qi into submission, but achieving harmony between it and my body.

From the conversations I had overheard, Qi was described as a force that cultivators guided through their meridians, shaped, and wielded according to the principles of martial arts and spiritual refinement. The problem was, I had neither developed meridians nor any knowledge of such techniques. I was too weak, too unformed to use Qi the way they did.

So if I couldn't control it in the conventional sense... could I use it in another way?

I began to experiment.

Instead of pushing Qi outward, I allowed it to sink deeper into my body. At first, it was subtle—barely noticeable, like a gentle warmth spreading through me. But the more I focused, the more I felt Qi responding.

It was like pouring life into myself. Every cell in my body began to pulse with newfound energy. I could feel it in my bones, in my skin, in the organs still developing within me. My body absorbed Qi greedily, as if it had always needed it, as if it had been made to devour this energy.

And then I realized what that meant.

Qi could strengthen me.

It wasn't just a tool for battle, not merely a weapon used by sects and warriors. It could be something more—a source of power that would allow me to be born stronger, more advanced. My heartbeat grew steady, my breath in this dark, confined world became more stable.

Did this mean I could shape myself even now? That I could prepare my body for birth and surpass others before I even took my first breath?

The excitement I felt was beyond words. I was a pioneer in my own evolution.

But it couldn’t be that simple.

The more Qi I absorbed, the more I felt something shifting. My body was drinking in energy too quickly, like a sponge tossed into an ocean. For a moment, it felt perfect—like I was distributing Qi evenly, reinforcing every part of my body.

And then... the wave came.

My heart pounded.

Suddenly, Qi surged within me like a wild storm. It no longer flowed smoothly and harmoniously—it was a raging river forced through a narrow stream, too powerful to contain.

And then...

Mother flinched.

“Ah… something’s wrong…” Her voice was faint, laced with confusion.

I froze. A cold shiver ran through me, as if doused in ice water. Had I done it again? Was the Qi I absorbed affecting her? Could she feel every shift, every drop of energy I tried to take in?

“Your Highness, are you alright?” One of the healers' voices cut through the silence.

“I don’t know… I feel… strange. As if… my body is more stimulated than usual. As if something is coursing through me faster than it should… like an energy that should be stable is suddenly spinning out of control. This sensation is… foreign. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

The healers whispered among themselves. My breathing quickened.

Did this mean Mother could sense my actions? That the Qi I absorbed somehow resonated with her body as well? If so… then if I went too far, I might end up harming her again.

No. I couldn't let that happen.

I clenched my metaphorical fists and tried to withdraw the Qi, to calm its flow, to lessen the intensity. If my body was a sponge, I had to learn how to regulate how much energy I took in.

I had to find balance.

I couldn’t stop, but I couldn’t let Qi consume me either.

This was another lesson—Qi was not just a power to be claimed. It was a living force, something to be in tune with.

My thoughts grew heavy. The energy I had absorbed blurred my consciousness, exhaustion creeping in like a relentless tide. I couldn't fight it. With each passing second, I drifted deeper into darkness, until at last… everything faded away.

As the tension in the chamber settled, the Queen exhaled heavily, trying to steady her breath.

“That was… unusual,” one of the healers murmured, still eyeing the Queen with cautious concern. “The energy within Your Highness was circulating in a way that should not be possible.”

“Perhaps it was just a temporary anomaly,” another added, though his voice betrayed uncertainty.

“No,” the Queen interrupted. Though her voice was calm, there was a sharp edge of certainty. “It’s something more. Summon Master Jian. If anyone can make sense of this, it’s him.”

Minutes later, the chamber doors opened with a soft creak. The footsteps that followed were steady, yet carried an undeniable authority. The healers instinctively stepped back, as if suddenly dwarfed by the presence that had entered. A faint scent of herbs drifted through the air, and the aura of the newcomer commanded even the Queen’s full attention.

“Master Jian!” One of the healers bowed deeply.

The man who had arrived was someone known to every member of the royal lineage. Master Jian—the greatest healer and Qi scholar in the entire kingdom. He was summoned only when situations spiraled beyond control.

For a moment, he remained silent, stepping closer to the Queen. His eyes, though aged, were as sharp as blades—seeing not just what lay before him, but deeper, into the unseen.

“Something is not right,” he finally murmured, running his hand above the Queen’s body, as if sensing what others could not. A brief flicker of surprise crossed his face, his brows lifting slightly. “No… this isn’t the Queen’s Qi.”

The healers exchanged confused glances.

“It’s the child,” Master Jian continued, narrowing his gaze. “It is absorbing Qi. And it is doing so consciously.”

Silence fell over the chamber, heavy and absolute.

“That’s impossible…” one of the healers whispered in disbelief. “A child in the womb should not have such an ability. Absorbing Qi requires control, awareness… and yet, it hasn’t even been born.”

“And yet, it is happening,” Master Jian replied calmly, his gaze never leaving the Queen. “Can you not feel it? The Qi surrounding this child is not passive. This is not a random phenomenon—it is something forming with intent.”

The Queen was silent for a long moment before she finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm.

“What does this mean? Could it harm my child?”

Master Jian did not answer immediately. He moved his hand gently over her abdomen, as if attuning himself to the delicate vibrations of Qi within her.

“I wouldn’t call it a danger… but it is certainly an anomaly,” he said at last. “I have never encountered anything like this before. If the child is already absorbing Qi instinctively, then its potential may be… immeasurable.”

The healers exchanged glances, their minds already spinning with speculation.

“Could this be the first sign of an extraordinary talent?” one of them asked. “Perhaps a result of the royal bloodline…?”

“Or something far older,” Master Jian muttered, his eyes narrowing. “If this child possesses such an ability, it means its path of cultivation will be unlike anything we have ever known.”

The Queen tightened her grip on the silk sheets. Her expression was unreadable, but one thing was certain—her child was not ordinary. And that could mean either greatness… or danger.

After a pause, she looked at Master Jian and asked quietly:

“Is there anything I can do to help my child? If it is truly absorbing Qi… is there a way to make this process safer?”

Master Jian studied her carefully, as if weighing every possibility.

“It is a delicate matter, Your Highness…” he began slowly. “Excessive interference in the child’s natural development could have unforeseen consequences. But if this process remains uncontrolled, it could be both a blessing and a curse.”

“Then what can I do?” The Queen leaned forward slightly, her voice taut with determination.

“We cannot stop it,” Master Jian said. “But I can prepare energy seals—gentle ones, meant to regulate the Qi flow. They will protect both you and the child from any unintended consequences.”

The Queen’s gaze hardened.

“Do it. I will not allow anything to endanger my child.”