History's Strongest Senior Brother

HSSB1063: A Fallen Deity who pointlessly dabbles in everything

Looking at Yan Zhaoge, Heng Xianda and the others felt uncertain.

They suddenly realised that many of their guesses about Yan Zhaoge from earlier might be mistaken.

Yan Zhaoge did not speak much about this as he simply requested for Heng Xianda to help prepare a secluded chamber for him, next entering it.

With the embryonic sword located within the Internal Crystal Furnace, Yan Zhaoge spoke no further as he directly guided thunder in descending, this being the most orthodox version of the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art.

This was somewhat inferior as compared to the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art of Wind Thunder Manor’s.

Still, just from watching Yan Zhaoge’s motions alone, Heng Xianda and the others all had solemn expressions on their faces.

Those outside of the trade simply watched the commotion while those in the trade saw proficiency.

While those of Wind Thunder Manor with lower cultivation bases might not be able to tell this, Heng Xianda and the other masters of the art could all tell from a single glance that Yan Zhaoge possessed extremely high attainments in the dao of artifact forging.

It was not just the Internal Crystal Furnace and Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art.

Yan Zhaoge walked around the Internal Crystal Furnace, striking it with a palm every step he took.

Traces of light were left behind amidst space as a massive nine palace grid appeared from nowhere, enveloping the Internal Crystal Furnace.

The lid of the Internal Crystal Furnace opened, directing heavenly thunder within. Meanwhile, light intermingled within the furnace, forming a nine palace grid diagram that harboured the embryonic sword within.

Upon seeing this, an old man with white brows who stood beside Heng Xianda frowned, secretly sending to him via sound transmission, “Third brother, is this the Internal External Nine Palace Suppressing Furnace Art?”

“It would appear so…” Heng Xianda nodded with a solemn expression on his face.

He suddenly sighed softly, “We can know the result without even having to watch any further. Despite his apparent youth, this Mister Yan is probably even more skilled in the dao of artifact forging than this old man is.”

“What is laughable is how we thought that he was just doing so on a whim before. From how it seems now, if not for the fact that he wants to save preparatory time for the initial stages, there would be no need for him to look for us at all.”

“Just from what he has currently demonstrated, based on his proficiency in this, he would easily be able to totally jostle out the business of our Wind Thunder Manor if we were to compete normally.”

The expressions on the faces of the other Wind Thunder Manor martial practitioners changed slightly as many of them opened their mouths as if wishing to speak, yet were unable to utter anything in the end.

Everyone quietly pondered on Heng Xianda’s words, all gradually understanding his meaning.

The Internal External Nine Palace Suppressing Furnace Art was also an artifact forging technique that originated from pre-Great Calamity times.

Comparing it with the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art, neither could be called superior as both had miraculous uses of their own.

Wind Thunder Manor had always been renowned for artifact forging, being rather proud of this. Having been further developed by them, the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art had reached a whole new level that surpassed the version from pre-Great Calamity times in terms of efficiency.

Yan Zhaoge’s Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art was the version from pre-Great Calamity times.

Frankly speaking, it was inferior as compared to the version currently possessed by Wind Thunder Manor.

Still, if one were to freely control the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art and the Internal External Nine Palace Suppressing Furnace Art, fusing them seamlessly together, their efficacy would be in a whole new realm.

In the forging of artifacts, be it the success rate, the quality or the handling of the minor aspects, they all surpassed that of the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art of Wind Thunder Manor on its own.

The difficulty of executing two techniques simultaneously certainly had a difficulty greater than one plus one equals two.

If one could not do so effectively, it would end up as a mere mess and a joke in the end.

Still, with Heng Xianda’s powerful discernment abilities, while he had not learnt the Internal External Nine Furnace Suppressing Furnace Art, simply from how Yan Zhaoge had started out with his artifact forging, he knew that he had extremely high attainments in both that Internal External Nine Furnace Suppressing Art and the Splendid Thunder Metal Forging Art.

Failure was really totally impossible here.

Others were not as skilled as Heng Xianda in the dao of artifact forging as their proficiency levels all varied. Still, as time passed and they watched Yan Zhaoge, they were gradually able to witness that overwhelming skill too.

Therefore, everyone’s expressions ultimately turned complex.

“Even if he is blessed by the heavens, his fortune overflowing beyond measure as he obtained the complete version of two great secret techniques on his own, being so young, however would he have had the time to analyse and comprehend them?” A martial practitioner of Wind Thunder Manor was unable to stop himself from sighing.

Understanding a technique and actually managing to control it were two different things altogether.

Using and actualising the knowledge written on paper in reality had never ever been a simple thing.

Heng Xianda muttered to himself, “His accomplishments in the martial dao are even more shocking and unheard of.”

Thinking of this, everyone of Wind Thunder Manor could not help but smile bitterly.

All of them were passionate about artifact forging, their skills having been passed down through the generations as they devoted a great amount of time and energy to researching it.

Their accomplishments in the martial dao were actually comparatively limited.

While they did still cultivate usually, they lacked experience in combat and life and death battles too.

As a result, while the average strength of the martial practitioners of Wind Thunder Manor could not be called low, it was definitely not high as well.

This could be considered ‘you win some, you lose some’.

In recent years, the Manor Lord Heng Xianda had gradually come to prioritise this matter more and more as he was already conscious of the fact that this was something which they needed to rectify.

Still, as he gazed upon Yan Zhaoge at this moment, Heng Xianda too was only able to smile wryly.

He looked towards the other martial practitioners of Wind Thunder Manor beside him, sighing, “Fallen Deity…”

Everyone else too sighed in a grand, vastly emotional manner, “Fallen Deity!”

Forging a mid-grade Sacred Artifact was not a tough thing at all for the current Yan Zhaoge, especially when it was already a half-completed product.

When the Sacred Artifact was produced, a majestic beam of thunder-light shot into the heavens, resonating with the heavenly thunder in the sky up above.

Yan Zhaoge flung his sleeve, the Internal Crystal Furnace closing as the thunder clouds in the sky up above gradually faded.

The silhouetted nine palace grid condensed momentarily before fading till it eventually vanished.

Now, Yan Zhaoge reopened the lid of the furnace as another bolt of lightning instantly flew out.

He causally grabbed it, pulling out a blade that was three feet long, the patterns on its exterior bright at times whilst dim at others as it was as if a thunder dragon could indistinctly be spotted within.

“I have displayed my mediocre skills,” Yan Zhaoge handed the sword over to Heng Xianda.

Heng Xianda’s fingers trailed across the blade as he did not speak.

Even if the process of forging the sword had not been interrupted for him as he had forged it with all his might, it would probably still not be able to compare with this reforged sword of Yan Zhaoge’s.

A short while later, Heng Xianda handed the sword to someone beside him before soundlessly bowing deeply towards Yan Zhaoge.

The sword was passed around amongst the Wind Thunder Manor martial practitioners.

Then, the Wind Thunder Manor martial practitioners all bowed respectfully towards Yan Zhaoge like Heng Xianda.

“You are too polite, everyone,” Yan Zhaoge made a raising motion with his hand as everyone ceased bowing to him, straightening upwards.

Heng Xianda said, “Mister Yan has really let this old man see a whole new world today as a former frog in a well. I hope that I will have chances to seek advice from the Fallen Deity in the future.”

Yan Zhaoge smiled, “I dare not live up to the seeking of advice. It is more about mutual interaction.”

Qiu Jiahai felt rather admiring of him too as he watched on by the side.

While he had previously been supportive of Yan Zhaoge’s decision, he had not been fully certain of success as he had only been helping him as best he could due to the ties between them.

Now, he could finally completely rest assured for real.

After the two had finished discussing the initial stages of their cooperation with Heng Xianda, they left Wind Thunder Manor, with Qiu Jiahai saying appreciatively, “You are not just powerful in the martial dao, junior apprentice-brother Yan. Your abilities in other fields are truly marvellous too.”

Yan Zhaoge smiled, “I was often lectured by my elders when I was young for pointlessly dabbling in everything.”

The two conversed happily as they returned to Kunlun Mountain.

On their way back, they received a piece of news.

The Brocade Emperor who had been missing for quite some time had finally returned to the World beyond Worlds.

Yet, his first stop upon his return had not been his cave manor back at Ingenious Flying Peak as he had instead headed straight for the southern Blazing Heaven Territory!