W.R. Eternal: Here is this week's chapters.

Chapter 14: Blade Dancers

"What are you doing?" the empress asked Consort Yu.

"My Empress, these are Blade Dancers. They are masters of the saber and scimitar and are here to demonstrate the martial arts of their respective dukedoms. They are also wanted criminals, but their spirit energy cultivation is sealed to Foundation Establishment. Such weakness cannot pose a threat to even one of the palace guards," the concubine smiled.

"On behalf of the eastern dukedoms, we thank you for the opportunity," the lead blade dancer wearing gold bangles bowed before all of the blade dancers wore gold masks.

"Begin," the empress said, snapping her fingers. The musicians in the throne room began playing their zithers and lutes after receiving the command. The blade dancers saluted the empress and Consort Yu by holding their swords and blades horizontally before them and made them vertical before performing their exhibition.

"What is in the scroll?" Xin whispered as every watched the swords slash and stab the skies in harmony.

"Now is not the time nor place to discuss this," Wei muttered. "Right now, the two factions are engaging in a silent war. They are trying to showcase their position to the imperial court ministers and generals while also trying to discover the stances of the dukes."

"Is it the blade dancers?" Xin asked.

"Yes uncle. The empress did not invite them, and she did not send them away. This is Consort Yu displaying her power and proving she currently has the emperor's favor. However, her son does not seem like an ideal emperor," Wei answered softly.

"So we support the First Prince?" Xin asked as the empress snapped her fingers and invited blade dancers of her own. Now, the two groups sent half of their own to demonstrate their dominance in the way of the blade. Axes, swords, short spears, and sabers clashed as the blade dancers fought. Only the generals and cultivators knew it was no simple mock duel for an exhibition.

"We'll talk when there are less ears to overhear us," Wei finished as he watched the blade dancers. His eyes widened as he recognized the spirit energy of one of the new blade dancers. His intuition was proven as his eyes met the eyes of one of the short blade dancers.

"Lu Mang. Why is he here?" Wei muttered.

"Someone you know?" Xin asked.

"That one is friends with Shen Qing," Wei answered.

"The princess is the daughter of the empress. The empress has many minor noble families serving her own family. This boy must be one of them. Probably infatuated with the princess too," Xin grinned.

Han Cong Wei said nothing as the two blade dancer groups bowed and made an opening. The empress, sitting at the end of the throne room with her children, laughed as all tables were now ordered to position themselves to face the end of the hall instead of the aisle.

Wei noticed none of the ministers or generals were eating their food now. It could only mean that the real fight was about to begin. The empress clapped her hands twice, silence now filling the gigantic throne room over two hundred meters in diameter.

"Duke Han, you were promoted to Minister of the Second Class. That means your table is moved closer to the throne from eighty meters to fifty. You and your uncle will now move closer," the empress ordered, the palace eunuchs and maids swiftly arriving by Wei's side to move his cushion and table.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Wei and his uncle bowed in unison before assuming their new places.

"It is a rare honor to even have a seat in the throne room. I'm sure we would all like him to show us the results of his miraculous recovery," Consort Yu agreed. "How about him facing one of your blade dancers? One of them seems to be of Foundation Establishment. Shall we let them fight, Your Highness."

"Then he will fight one of yours as well. It will be a duel between the representatives of the two blade dancer groups and the Han Clan," the empress said as she faked a smile and grit her teeth.

"Good! Very good!" the concubine laughed merrily and snapped her fingers. One of the blade dancers stepped forward and stood in the center of the clearing. He removed his mask and bowed to the empty throne, to the empress, to the concubine, and then to the rest of the hall.

The empress turned to Shen Ling, the girl nodding before sending a telepathic command with her spiritual senses. Wei was surprised such communication were possible as he saw Lu Mang nod and appear in the clearing as the other blade dancer had.

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Finally, it was his turn and he bowed as the previous two did before he noticed the two blade dancers with their upper bodies completely naked. They wore the pants of their martial robes with a black sash to secure the pants in place as Wei cocked his head to one side before taking off his martial robes and secured his pants with his sash.

"Did you come to fight me, Lu Mang?" Wei asked him as Mang looked him in the eye.

"I did not know it would come to this," Lu Mang answered.

"And you, I don't even know you," Wei said to the blade dancer who looked to be in his early twenties with a cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment.

"I am sorry to offend the duke, but I received an order. It must be obeyed," the blade dancer said as he brandished his two short spears. "I am named Fu. Duke Han, prepare yourself."

Wei grit his teeth and drew a Chinese jian that he had enchanted through the turtle-shell cauldron. Mang and Fu yelled as they charged at Wei together. Wei was the anomaly as he was under neither faction. He couldn't be trusted, so he had to be eliminated first.

Facing two short spears and Mang's long sword, Wei was at a disadvantage in range. Wei narrowed his eyes as he was forced to step back continuously as he blocked or deflected spear head and sword alike. Annoyed, Wei cast three fireballs in succession. Fu was taken by surprised and was blasted onto the ground by two fireballs while Mang cut the third in half.

"You cheated," Mang growled.

"I use spells, mate. I use spells far better than I do swords," Wei laughed as he launched five lightning arrows at Mang.

"Fire energy shield!" Mang roared, holding a palm toward Wei as a half-sphere of flames blocked two arrows and gave Mang enough time to dodge the rest.

"Don't get cocky. I gave you the Spirit Pearl," Wei growled as he stomped his left foot. Mang cried out in pain as a rock spike scratched the back of his right thigh and pierced below the right shoulder.

As Wei was about to laugh, he got blasted by a sphere of water and crashed against one of the throne room pillars. Fragments of rock chipped off and fell as Wei fell onto the ground.

"Duke Han shouldn't be cocky as well," Fu said, causing some of the ministers to stifle laughs as the generals looked on.

Wei rolled his shoulders as he stood up and grabbed his sword. He put a finger onto his forehead and muttered. As Lu Mang also rose to his feet, Wei's magical beast appeared in the palace with a roar. The palace guards were about to move, but realized it was Wei's magical beast as the tiger-sized magical beast stood beside Wei.

"It was good to give you my spirit crystals. Who knew I'd need your help so soon," Wei said calmly as he stroked the back of its head.

"Can he do this, Your Highness?" Fu asked the empress.

"Mages are allowed to duel with their magical beasts. This is a warrior's duel, but he knows spells besides martial arts," the empress nodded and approved its addition.

"Gratitude, Your Highness," Wei dipped his head to her and pointed at Fu. "Fight that one. Just don't kill him."

The magical beast roared with pleasure and charged. It had also reached Foundation Establishment due to consuming the liquid spirit energy and the energy crystals Wei got as his reward. It was eager to learn its true strength and smacked its lips as it lunged at Fu.

"I always wanted to fight you, Cong Wei," Mang smiled as he brandished his sword. Wei wrinkled his nose and tossed his sword aside, wielding two of his flying daggers in his hands.

"Why me? You think I'm in your way? Is it because I am in the advanced class, and you're not?" Wei asked.

"Because I trained my whole life, and you became stronger than me in a matter of days. You made my effort look like nothing," Mang said and pointed his sword at him. "This duel means status is disregarded. I will beat you, Cong Wei."

"Cripple this. Cripple that. Honestly, these memories make me sick. It makes my own efforts look like a miracle. You don't know anything about ME!" Wei roared, his spirit energy rising high enough to crack the floor beneath his feet. "You want a battle of steel? Fine. I'll cut you up. Don't blame me if you die bleeding all over the floor."

"Argh!" Fu screamed as the sabertooth magical beast bit his arm. Wei and Mang used Fu's scream as a gong signal and rushed at each other simultaneously.