I felt my own Qi trembling within , like a faint spark ready to ignite into a fla. This was the first step. For the first ti, I had sothing that truly belonged to . 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 . 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 ridians, shaped, and wielded according to the principles of martial arts and spiritual refinent. The problem was, I had neither developed ridians nor any knowledge of such techniques. I was too weak, too unford 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 experint.
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 . 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 . 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 ant.
Qi could strengthen .
It wasn't just a tool for battle, not rely a weapon used by sects and warriors. It could be sothing more—a source of power that would allow to be born stronger, more advanced. My heartbeat grew steady, my breath in this dark, confined world beca more stable.
Did this an 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 excitent 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 sothing shifting. My body was drinking in energy too quickly, like a sponge tossed into an ocean. For a mont, it felt perfect—like I was distributing Qi evenly, reinforcing every part of my body.
And then... the wave ca.
My heart pounded.
Suddenly, Qi surged within 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… sothing’s wrong…” Her voice was faint, laced with confusion.
I froze. A cold shiver ran through , 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 sothing is coursing through 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 an Mother could sense my actions? That the Qi I absorbed sohow 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 taphorical 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 consu either.
This was another lesson—Qi was not just a power to be claid. It was a living force, sothing 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 sothing 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 newcor commanded even the Queen’s full attention.
“Master Jian!” One of the healers bowed deeply.
The man who had arrived was soone known to every mber 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 mont, 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.
“Sothing 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 phenonon—it is sothing forming with intent.”
The Queen was silent for a long mont before she finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm.
“What does this an? Could it harm my child?”
Master Jian did not answer imdiately. He moved his hand gently over her abdon, 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… imasurable.”
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 sothing far older,” Master Jian muttered, his eyes narrowing. “If this child possesses such an ability, it ans 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 an 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 developnt 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, ant 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.”
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