History's Strongest Senior Brother

Conversing with Yan Zhaoge in private, Zhao Shicheng was no longer as formal as before, switching to a very ordinary form of address instead.

“Even if we say that he just came to see the light one fine day, the changes in Hao’er are really just far too great, far too sudden.”

“Not even mentioning the changes in his temperament, his attainment in the dao of alchemy is such that even I would have to admit that mine is inferior. As for his cultivation attainment, while I have still yet to see it, his cultivation speed over the past half year has been far, far greater than before.

Zhao Shicheng was very honest, not looking down on Yan Zhaoge as a member of the younger generation.

As for the earlier Zhao Hao who had been a totally unremarkable character, Zhao Shicheng also could really not say how much he understood about him.

As for the Zhao Hao after the change… if Zhao Shicheng wanted to, he could naturally perform a thorough, clear check of most of the things that Zhao Hao had been involved in since birth. Otherwise, he would have been the head of a Kingdom for nothing.

“If it’s said that he had some extremely fortuitous encounters and obtained some martial legacies or was secretly accepted as a disciple by an expert, his growth would still barely be explainable.”

“However, the dao of alchemy does not merely look at talent but also the accumulating of experience; however did Hao’er attain the lofty heights of now?”

Zhao Shicheng shook his head slightly, “Still, all of this can still be slowly investigated. Having produced an even more outstanding son, it is naturally a good thing for the Eastern Tang.”

As Yan Zhaoge listened, he was also secretly smirking by the side.

To those in positions of power, those beneath them possessing ability was not something to be afraid of. The crux was whether the situation was still within their control.

As long as they did not lose the ability to control the situation, the more capable their subordinates were the better.

Oftentimes, it was not that they had failed to spot their abnormalities and flaws. It was only that even having done so, they would play dumb and observe the situation from the shadows.

Zhao Shicheng was already like this. Yan Zhaoge’s own father, Yan Di, was even harder to fool.

Thus, ever since having crossed over to this world, Yan Zhaoge had been doing everything in gradual phases.

Even if he didn’t manage to completely avoid all suspicion, at the very least, the difference between him and his body’s original owner could not be too great.

Although he had managed to reproduce the Internal Crystal Furnace, causing it to reappear within this world, that was only the creation of a tool; it had nothing to do with his own proficiency in artifact forging at all. The other artifact refining techniques that Yan Zhaoge used could only be considered somewhat better than average.

The Golden Needle Liberating Pill Technique that had he had let resurface was but a technique. Meanwhile, his overall proficiency in alchemy would gradually improve as time went by, increasing the impression he left on others slowly but surely.

Changes in his martial prowess as well as some strange discoveries could mostly be attributed to fortuitous encounters, or having a sudden flash of inspiration.

Progressing a little slower now was fine—the future whereupon he would spread his wings and soar high into the sky was already close at hand.

Actually, in thinking about it sometimes, Yan Zhaoge would be unable to resist breaking into a laugh. “Zhao Hao is indeed a good person ah.”

Yan Zhaoge’s current achievements were naturally far higher than that of Zhao Hao.

However, when compared to the Zhao Hao who bared his fangs openly and acted as he liked with hardly any reservation, Yan Zhaoge actually appeared somewhat more normal.

Of course, this was only comparatively.

In many people’s eyes, Yan Zhaoge was similarly high-profile and domineering like there was no tomorrow.

However, as his body’s original owner had also possessed such a temperament, the difference was actually not too great.

Therefore, having told Feng Yunsheng that he was acting low-key, it was because Yan Zhaoge truly felt that he himself was already being pretty low-key.

Faced with Feng Yunsheng’s somewhat disbelieving gaze, Yan Zhaoge really felt like he had been wronged…

With such a personality of loving to act and look cool, he had already been working extremely hard to suppress it!

Zhao Shicheng sighed rather emotionally, “The potential that Hao’er has currently revealed…even the Fourth Prince cannot compare to it, let alone the First and the Third Princes.”

Yan Zhaoge smiled slightly. Other than the First Prince Zhao Yuan and the Third Prince Zhao Sheng, the Eastern Tang royal family actually still had a Fourth Prince, Zhao Ming.

In terms of cultivation talent alone, not considering the black horse Zhao Hao, Zhao Ming was the first amongst all of Zhao Shicheng’s sons, at the same time also the most outstanding talent within the entire Eastern Tang Kingdom’s younger generation.

Many years ago, Zhao Ming had already entered Broad Creed Mountain to learn the martial way. He was an official disciple of Broad Creed Mountain.

With Broad Creed Mountain being the overlord of the Heaven Domain and the elites of the Heaven Domain seeing Broad Creed Mountain’s glory as their own, most of the top martial talents there had landed within its palm.

It was only that, having entered Broad Creed Mountain as a disciple, the position of the Eastern Tang’s next king would no longer have any relation to him if no major incidents happened.

While the Eastern Tang Kingdom was close to and subordinate to Broad Creed Mountain, it did not mean that the Eastern Tang was completely its vassal.

Being able to cultivate in Broad Creed Mountain or ascending as the Eastern Tang’s King—which option was better was a matter of personal opinion.

However, Zhao Ming was completely devoted to the martial way, so he was more than happy to enter the Sacred Ground to develop his skills.

While entering Broad Creed Mountain might make it seem like he had separated himself from the Eastern Tang Kingdom, the Eastern Tang could still make use this to improve the relation between the two sides from behind the scenes.

Having always been wholeheartedly devoted to Broad Creed Mountain, Zhao Shicheng had naturally not done something like placing bets on both sides. Thus, other than his fourth son Zhao Ming, who had entered Broad Creed Mountain, all of his other sons remained in the Eastern Tang.

Other than that, it was also worth mentioning that the son of Zhao Shilie, Prince Jin, had entered the Sacred Sun Clan.

The relationship between Zhao Shilie and the Sacred Sun Clan was remarkably close as a result, causing the Sacred Sun Clan’s influence in the Eastern Tang to be constantly encroaching.

Yan Zhaoge and Zhao Shicheng both did not mention this matter as though under a tacit agreement.

Yan Zhaoge said slowly, “I am unable to exactly determine Brother Zhao Hao’s situation. However, according to my conjecture, the changes on his body should be related to the Martial Saint expert of old, the Pill Fire Divine Sword Gao Zhe—perhaps he obtained his legacy.”

It was already enough that he had said that much.

Zhao Shicheng nodded his head, pondering deeply for a moment. “Excelling in sword arts as well as the dao of alchemy… The Smoke Cloud Powder… En, there is indeed this possibility.”

He raised his head to glance at Yan Zhaoge, “If I’m not remembering wrong, it was rumored that the Pill Fire Divine Sword’s relationship with Broad Creed Mountain was quite strained?”

Yan Zhaoge answered candidly, “I am not clear on the exact reason, but that is indeed true.”

“Other than that, it is not known if Gao Zhe passed down a message along with his legacy, and also what exactly Brother Zhao Hao inherited from him, having caused him to seem to be slightly hostile towards our clan.”

Zhao Shicheng sighed. “Having heard the report from my men, I also know of this matter.”

“Relax—I will work on clearing up that hostility. If no progress is made this way, other arrangements will naturally be made.”

His personal ties with Yan Di aside, Zhao Shicheng also wouldn’t let a son possessing hostile intentions towards Broad Creed Mountain become the successor to his throne.

Spending a lot of effort in grooming him was a sure thing, but the throne was something that he would have no hope of sitting on.

Yan Zhaoge bowed. “Uncle has his own arrangements; Zhaoge doesn’t dare to speak presumptuously on them. What we have talked about today has already been rather bold of me.”

Zhao Shicheng waved his hands. “It’s fine, your father having a son such as you means he has a great successor. It is a blessing—even I am a little envious of him.”

Yan Zhaoge smiled. “I also hope to have a relationship with various Brothers as strong and deep as the friendship between you and Father, Uncle.”

As the head of a Kingdom, perhaps Zhao Shicheng was somewhat acting on his emotions without thinking of the consequences.

However, this Uncle was absolutely loyal towards his father and took extremely good care of him as well.

The private conversation between Zhao Shicheng and Yan Zhaoge was naturally noted by Yan Xu.

His expression didn’t change, as he just minded his own business and walked off in another direction.

Following behind him, a person said rather worriedly, “Yan Zhaoge actually defeated the late outer aura Martial Scholar Xiao Shen with his mid outer aura Martial Scholar cultivation base.”

“If this goes on, I’m afraid Lu Wen…”

Yan Xu momentarily stopped in his tracks, his expression having turned a little dark and gloomy.

Lu Wen was the direct disciple of Yan Zhaoge’s second apprentice-uncle Fang Zhun, another elite of Broad Creed Mountain’s younger generation and an existence with much face.

He was older than Yan Zhaoge and begun cultivating earlier than him as well. He was currently twenty-five, the same age as Xiao Shen.

Broad Creed Mountain and the Sacred Sun Clan had been clashing for a long time.

Before the abnormalities in the Sealing Dragon Abyss, it had always been Yan Zhaoge against Chao Yuanlong and Lu Wen against Xiao Shen. The two sides were evenly matched, each possessing their own strengths.

Now, Lu Wen was currently in secluded cultivation back at Broad Creed Mountain. As a late outer aura Martial Scholar just like Xiao Shen, this secluded cultivation session was for him to attempt to break through the bottleneck and step into the Xiantian Martial Scholar realm before the latter did.

Lu Wen having seized the preemptive, he was already slightly ahead of Xiao Shen. If he could break through to become a Xiantian Martial Scholar first, he would really be a step ahead of him.

But no one could have predicted Yan Zhaoge’s sudden, even more domineering rise to power, not only suppressing the similarly-aged Chao Yuanlong, but also now having surpassed levels to defeat Xiao Shen.

Even his own cultivation was getting closer and closer to Lu Wen’s.

After thinking deeply for a moment, Yan Xu recovered his usual expression as he said indifferently, “All is still too early to tell.”