Nie Xiwang jolted, opening her eyes with surprise, part of a dimly illuminated room coming into her view along with a part of a man’s robes.

She did not notice when her consciousness trailed off.

But the first thing she realized with the dizzy and disoriented mind was that she felt incredibly comfortable, the second being that she was still cuddled in his embrace. 𝘧𝘳𝘸𝓿.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Her eyes went up to meet a soft, gentle gaze and she melted at that sight.

“Sorry… I…?it must have been uncomfortable…” she murmured as he smiled, shaking his head.

“Hahaha, how can I be uncomfortable with such a beauty in my arms?”, he chuckled, as he truly carefully took a more comfortable pose while she slept, leisurely half-sitting half-laying on the throne, feeling quite happy about the circumstances.

Her cheeks lightly flushed as she reluctantly left his embrace, and then stood up from the throne.

The moment she slipped from his hold, the cold air made her lightly shiver, a feeling of loss and longing filled her as she widened her eyes at how quickly she got used to being cuddled by him.

“Haa~ it is already dusk”, she sighed as she looked at the twilight sky seen from the Throne Room which had large open wall with the view of the cityscape.

“Hahaha, it is dawn, Xiwang”, his laugh came from the throne as she widened her eyes turning her gaze to him.

She felt both a pang of sweetness in her heart at hearing him call her by her name, and at the same time shock at the fact she slept so deeply for so long.

As a Mortal Transcendence Realm cultivator, she did not have to sleep at all, let alone this deep and long of a sleep.

However, she knew that fatigue was still possible, and that one had to cultivate Spiritual Qi to relieve that weariness, and if taken to extreme it was still possible for the body to shut down and use the natural method of sleep to replenish energy.

Though she did not feel particularly tired either, which left only one explanation, which was mental and emotional exhaustion, as she realized just how on edge she was before.

“Haha… then I guess it is a new dawn for me”, she chuckled while turning back to the skies of the capital which were covered in early rays of morning sun, continuing her words with “I am not going to lie, I may need a bit of time to get used to not being the Empress though”

She knew that her way of life was different than common people, and that her status was something she may have gotten too used to. But…

“Why getting used to it?”, he asked in a surprised voice while standing up as she made a surprised look at his words as well.

“Am I not abdicating the throne?”

“You are, but only the one you were never meant to sit upon in the first place. You are only putting down the crown governing people.

However, you are still the Empress of Blades”

He smiled as a surprised look appeared in her eyes, turning them to the hilts of 12 golden swords sheathed into the Throne.

“Blades…”, she murmured.

The swords moved by her thought, drawn from the Throne and flying up with a smooth motion, hovering a couple of meters above her gracefully stretched palm with the blades pointing down, rotating in a cylindrical pattern around a central axis.

The swords then made a series of rotating patterns dividing first into two groups of individual movement and then more and more until each sword moved in its own unique way.

“You mean this?”

She asked as she turned to him with a bit of confusion and he nodded.

“This control, this ease and precision…”, he looked up at one of the swords, stretching his hand and she led the sword to approach him, as he traced the flat side of the blade with his fingertips.

“You may not realize this because of how natural it is for you, but this is not something just anyone can accomplish.

Most Blade Masters among Equilibrium Dao Cultivators use small specially refined weapons, and even then, the average number most can manipulate at once is 3-4 in the Mortal Transcendence Realm, some of the most talented ones can maybe use 6-7, and even the so-called Sons and Daughters of Heavens can probably manage 8-9.

The control over each individual one itself is usually far worse as well.

Being able to master control of 12 full swords which are not even designed for Blade Masters to such extent is extraordinary to say the very least”

Wu Long turned his gaze from the blade to Nie Xiwang as the beauty’s eyes widened.

“I knew I was better than most of my peers from early on, and am considered the best Blade Master of the Empire. At one point I was quite proud of my skill.

But from the moment I learned the truth about this world, and that I was a frog in a well, I believed that my skill must be mediocre compared to people outside…”

The Blade Empress spoke with a bit of disbelief.

“Hahaha, far from it. I would dare say if you do not stop improving you may very well become the best Blade Master I know of in the future, although you still have to work hard to reach that level”, Wu Long laughed with an amused look in his eyes.

It was quite ironic that many people who actually had mediocre skills but were isolated from the bigger pond usually considered themself on par with those outside when they learned of the existence of a wider world, while she, possessing skill that was far more magnificent, was mindful enough to become humble instead.

“But wouldn’t that make me unfit for the title of Blade Empress until I reach that level?”, she pondered while looking at the sword that floated down to her.

“Perhaps in terms of the entire universe, yes. But among your peers in cultivation, you can claim that title with ease.

So if you wish to keep that title, you have to work hard in the future”

Wu Long chuckled and Nie Xiwang smiled toward him, understanding the meaning behind his words., as the swords flew behind her back to resemble a form of spread wings, one that she had already shown him before.

That meaning was simple.

He was challenging her, challenging to keep that title.

Her natural pride which was part of her as much as her vulnerable side that she showed him and him alone, was awakened to the call of that challenge as her demeanor exuded a haughty and confident air and a glint appeared in her eyes, that made this stunning woman all the more alluring in his.