Shadow Over the Heavenly Throne-Chapter 33: Without Qi, you’re nothing

Pharos stood at the edge of the beach, watching the calm waves lap against the shore. The sun hung low on the horizon, drifting slowly toward sunset, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet. A warm breeze brushed against his face, and the fine sand beneath his feet felt soft, almost soothing.

He exhaled quietly, gazing at the slender trees swaying gently in the distance. Behind him, a small grove stretched inland, while the vast ocean extended endlessly before him. Everything was too still, too perfect—like he had been ripped from one world and thrust into another.

He glanced at the sun. It was late afternoon.

"Perfect time for a nap," he muttered. "If only I had a hammock."

A faint, amused smirk crossed his lips.

***

Veynessa and Calista didn’t wait for explanations.

They didn’t ask. They didn’t hesitate.

The moment the mist began to part and the figure emerged from the darkness, they attacked.

Their blades sliced through the air, whistling with deadly precision. These weren’t wild, reckless strikes—they were calculated, lethal, meant to force their opponent into making a mistake.

Yet he didn’t move.

Their weapons struck his body and—

Stopped.

As if they had hit something harder than steel. The blades barely pierced his flesh, embedding only by mere millimeters, and the man before them didn’t so much as flinch.

Calista sprang backward, eyes narrowing.

"What the hell…?"

Veynessa frowned, stepping back as she assessed him. Her grip on her sword tightened.

"Iron Dragon Sect," she said quietly.

Calista’s eyes darkened with fury and disbelief.

"No… it can’t be…"

The man before them smirked slightly, as if pleased they recognized him.

"It’s been a while, Veynessa." His voice was low, calm, yet simmering beneath it was an unmistakable undercurrent of restrained rage.

Veynessa’s heart pounded. Now that the mist had fully cleared, she could see his face clearly. Short, dark brown hair, sharp features, and eyes filled with something that made her stomach turn.

"No…" she whispered, a cold shiver running down her spine. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. "What are you…?"

"Did you think you’d never see me again?" The man tilted his head slightly, as if pondering something. "How amusing. I never forgot you."

"Are you behind all of this, Rhaegar?" Veynessa growled, tightening her grip on her sword.

Rhaegar chuckled, though his eyes remained frozen over like a winter storm.

"Yes, I’m behind it," he said, satisfaction lacing his voice. A sinister glint flickered in his gaze. "You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment, Veynessa. How many nights I dreamed of the day I could finally make you pay for the humiliation you inflicted upon me. Today, I finally get what I deserve."

He spread his arms wide, his smirk widening.

His gaze sharpened. "I was cast aside for another. How humiliating, don’t you think? The entire sect watched as I was discarded—thrown away like trash. But now, here… you’re the trash, Veynessa."

Veynessa clenched her teeth, but before she could respond—

He disappeared.

No warning. No movement. Just an eruption of force as he struck.

Veynessa was sent flying, her body cutting through the air like a ragdoll. She crashed into the ground, pain exploding in her chest.

Calista didn’t even have time to react. A brutal impact slammed into her side, sending her tumbling several meters away, coughing up blood.

"Damn it…" she rasped, pushing herself onto one knee.

Rhaegar stood motionless, completely unfazed. He looked down at them as if they were insects beneath his feet.

"Without Qi, you’re nothing," he said, amusement dripping from his voice. "And I… am built for this place."

Veynessa didn’t wait for him to finish speaking. She lunged at him with everything she had, executing rapid, precise slashes. Her blade struck again and again—but each attempt was futile. She could feel her hands tremble from the force of her own deflected strikes.

Calista moved in from the side, attempting to flank him. She dodged his sudden swing and drove her blade straight into his side.

The metal screeched against his skin.

But didn’t leave so much as a scratch.

"Nothing?" Calista hissed, stepping back as Rhaegar turned toward her. "Tough bastard."

"Not tough." Rhaegar’s grin widened. "Unbeatable."

He lunged forward with terrifying speed, his fist rocketing straight toward Veynessa. She barely dodged in time, and the ground where she had stood shattered from the force of his strike. Dust exploded into the air, and Veynessa felt her pulse quicken.

Calista tried to take advantage of the opening, striking from the side, but before her blade could land, Rhaegar caught her wrist in a grip like iron.

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"Slower than I expected," he remarked, almost amused.

Before she could react, he yanked her forward and hurled her to the ground with brutal force. Calista crashed onto the stone, pain jolting through her body. She struggled to catch her breath, but Rhaegar was already looming over her.

Veynessa aimed a strike at his neck, but at the last moment, Rhaegar tilted his head and caught her blade between his fingers. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Your tricks end here," he declared, pulling her toward him and driving his elbow into her stomach. The blow was devastating, folding Veynessa in half as blood sprayed from her lips.

"No…" she choked, trying to stand.

"The more you resist, the more amusing this is for me." Rhaegar's gaze flicked over them, as if pondering how much longer they would last. "But you’re starting to bore me."

For the first time, something flickered in Veynessa’s and Calista’s eyes—

Helplessness.

Calista gasped for breath, her body screaming in agony. She clenched her teeth, swallowing down a curse. If only she could use Qi… She would have crushed him like an insect. But with that damned barrier cutting them off, they couldn’t even feel their energy, let alone wield it. And against someone from the Iron Dragon Sect—warriors who had dedicated their lives to forging their bodies into living weapons—this was a hellishly hopeless battle.

Rhaegar slowly stepped toward Veynessa, who was still struggling to push herself up on one hand. He looked at her as if analyzing something for his own amusement.

And then his expression changed.

The disdain in his eyes twisted into something else. Something that sent pure rage through Veynessa’s veins.

"Before I kill you, we might as well have some fun. After all, we were once engaged," he murmured, reaching for her chest.

Veynessa reacted instantly, jerking back in fury, but she was too weak. She saw the twisted smile curling on his lips.

Before he could touch her, Calista lunged from behind, striking his neck with all the strength she had left.

The attack did nothing.

Rhaegar exhaled, almost annoyed. He pulled away from Veynessa, turned to Calista, and in one fluid motion, clamped his hand around her throat.

"You're in the way."

Before she could react, his fist slammed into her stomach.

The force of the blow rippled through the entire space.

Calista didn’t even have time to scream.

Her world exploded into agony.

She felt herself being lifted off the ground, the sheer power of the strike sending her flying dozens of meters. There was no time to react—her body crashed against the invisible barrier with a deafening impact, and a wave of pain surged from her spine to the tips of her fingers.

Veynessa watched in horror as Calista soared through the air like a ragdoll, her body slamming into the unseen wall with a thunderous crack. Her breath hitched as Calista crumpled to the ground, motionless.