Ah Hu’s expression had become serious without its usual ingratiating smile, “As you command, prince.”
Yan Zhaoge nodded and continued forwards. After walking a while, he suddenly stopped, “Tsk, I almost forgot the main issue. Ah Hu, I need you to make a return tip to the assignment hall.”
Ah Hu rubbed his fists and wiped his palms***, “If prince feels that he has not vented enough, then allow An to act. An will return immediately and beat that rotten old man into the ground.”
Yan Zhaoge waved his hands, “It’s not that. I forgot to pick up the sect’s assignment, investigate the abnormality of the Dragon Sealing Abyss. You go and pick it up.”
Ah Hu, “…”
At a later time, deacon elder Cui Xin of the assignment hall was relieved of his post due to accepting bribes and suppressing junior disciples. He further suffered an investigation from the punishment hall.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
In a certain darkness filled secret chamber within Broad Creed Mountain.
“The rumor was true. The internal crystal furnace possess such a miraculous ability.”
“Quickly spread this news.
“The current internal crystal furnace is still imperfect. It can only refine low grade artifacts. Its value, while significant, is still limited. Should we wait until there’s more progress before acting? We can avoid exposing ourselves and provoking the attention of Broad Creed Mountain that way.”
“We will remain hidden. However, this is important news that needs to be reported immediately. As for the follow up, we’ll just wait for instructions from the other side.”
“Okay.”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
In another place.
“The internal crystal furnace research has already been transferred to higher ups in the sect. However, the foundation was built up by this child, Yan Zhaoge.”
“If we had the foundation, we can also attempt to derive the rest.”
“This time he is leaving for the Dragon Sealing Abyss. He does have bodyguards, but their strength is limited. It would be a good chance for us to kill and steal.”
“Contact the remnants of Five Spirit Flags. Five Spirit Flags was destroyed in the hands of Yan Zhaoge’s father. The father’s debt can be paid by the son. If they move, it will not cause any suspicion. However, ensure that Yan Zhaoge does not actually die, at least not before we obtain everything associated with the internal crystal furnace. We can hand Yan Zhaoge to them afterwards.”
“As for news regard the internal crystal furnace, don’t let the people of Five Spirit Flags know yet, just let them capture the target.”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A large rift valley within Eastern Tang Nation in one of the five region, Eastern Heaven Region, this was the goal of Yan Zhaoge’s expedition, Dragon Sealing Abyss.
“Junior brother Ye, weren’t you born in Eastern Tang Nation?” a young disciple asked Ye Jing while the group was enroute.
Ye Jing nodded feeling deeply moved, “Ya, I am.”
In the present world, the strongest sects, Holy Grounds, ruled the entire world. Each had their own impenetrable ancestral hall and large amounts of land under their direct governance. With this land as the center, their influence expanded to the surrounding areas and thus the entire territory.
For example, Broad Creed Mountain itself directly controlled the heart of the five regions, the Central Heaven Region, and spread its influence to the entire Heaven Territory from there.
Other than the Central Heaven Region, the other four regions were occupied by various smaller sects, nations and clans, each of which were influenced by Broad Creed Mountain. These smaller powers expanded on their own, but each acknowledged Broad Creed Mountain as their supreme ruler.
Eastern Tang Nation is one of Eastern Heaven Region’s three large powers. It also constituted the eastern most edge of Broad Creed Mountain’s territory.
In places like Eastern Tang Nation, there will be other smaller powers that were less than first class, in the form of sects or clans.
Looking at the capital of the Eastern Tang Nation, Ye Jing’s thoughts drifted. He was born in the Ye family, which was only a small clan from a small city within the Eastern Tang Nation. With his efforts, the Ye clan was already the strongest power within that city. However, within the entire Eastern Tang Nation, it was still insignificant.
After he left the small city of his birth, and went to the Eastern Tang Nation capital, he truly had an eyeopening experience.
As for after he left Eastern Tang Nation, and became a disciple of Broad Creed Mountain, that was even more of an eyeopening experience like a frog who jumped out of his well and was finally able to see the true heaven and earth.
He still needed to look up to many of the Eastern Tang Nation’s stronger warrior. However, this time his return to Eastern Tang could be considered a triumphant return of the youth who left home.
“After entering the city, I will pay a visit to the Lord. I also need to visit the sect’s local presence, the affairs elder who oversees the Eastern Tang Nation to retrieve intelligence on the Dragon Sealing Abyss’s condition in advance.”
Yan Zhaoge who walked at the very front of the group stopped his footsteps at this time. His eye took in the Eastern Tang Nation capital. To everyone present, he said, “Go find a place to rest temporarily. You may do as you wish for the next while. However, we will gather in two time periods before heading out to the Dragon Sealing Abyss. Understood?”
The young disciples replied collectively, “Yes, senior brother Yan.”
Ye Jing’s face was expressionless.
* This means to demonstrate one’s attractiveness to talented people in order to get capable followers… basically it comes from a story in a story. The story in a story has a king who is trying to buy a fast horse. He fails at first until some guy brought the bones of a fast horse. The king buys it anyways and suddenly everyone thinks if the king is willing to pay so much for just the bones, then how about a live horse? The king quickly gets his horse. As for the story, King Zhao of the state of Yan has an adviser named Guo Wei. His adviser tells him the horse story and gets him to build a gold terrace for him. Then King Zhao attracted many brilliant minds and the state of Zhao became more prosperous for a time before the king died and the next generation did stupid things. And no, this Zhao isn’t the same Zhao in Yan Zhaoge’s name because it would be stupid to name your prince using the same character as you enemy’s name.
** Of course this one means to kill one person to warn off the others.
*** This one is like rolling up your sleeves and preparing to fight. Warming up your instruments of pain.
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 7: Ye Jing’s Thoughts
TN: I haven’t really been well but I’ve decided to promise 2 chapter week, maybe more if I’m in the mood. I don’t have a donation button so that’s the best I can do for now. Though there will be two chapters release together this week to avoid cliffhanger and to make up last week’s chapter.
Okay, here’s some changes, never mind. Also notable is the fact I dislike info dumps and therefore they are now written in present tense… that probably made more sense in my head.
The speaker spoke without design, and yet the listener somehow detected hidden intent.
Yan Zhaoge spoke casually, but Ye Jing, who had just returned to his home town in glory, no longer held the complicated feeling from before.
Everyone else was in a good mood. Despite being overshadowed by Yan Zhaoge, they suddenly realized that they were no longer in Broad Creed Mountain, which meant in this place, Eastern Tang Kingdom, East Heaven Region, they were also gifted geniuses.
As a disciple of one of the Holy Grounds, Broad Creed Mountain, they were originally tested and chosen from the very best talents of large powers like Eastern Tang Kingdom. How co
uld any one of them be bad?
It was just that each time one of them started to feel the slightest bit conceited, a single glance forward to that leisurely proceeding blue mantled back would immediately eliminate their fickle thoughts.
When their hands came into contact with their artifacts, ideas of striving harder and reaching higher would occupy their thoughts.
In Eastern Tang Kingdom, only the best elites of the Royal Palace Defense Army had cultivation comparable to theirs, and even then, their weapons were superior to the Royal Palace Defense Army’s demi artifacts.
Of course, they could not be compared to Yan Zhaoge at all.
Even the people they interact with are on a completely different level.
The person Yan Zhaoge would visit first was the king of Eastern Tang Kingdom who needed no introduction. He was Eastern Tang Kingdom’s number one warrior. He was the ruler of one of the three great powers of the East Heaven Region, which belonged to Broad Creed Mountain, a powerful and influential figure in the area.
And the Eastern Tang Kingdom’s affairs elder is Broad Creed Mountain’s representative in the Eastern Tang Kingdom. He is the prime consecrated within the nation and his position was higher than elder Cui, who forced Yan Zhaoge into an awkward position at the sect.
Even though there’s a difference between internal and external positions, cultivation levels, and degree of authority, but under sect regulations, deacon elders like elder Cui when they are outside the sect in places in the Eastern Tang Kingdom serve to oversee important cities or rich lands, or the extraction and use of important resources. Their duty is to protect the sect’s interests.
On the other hand, affair elders serve to oversee kingdoms, nations or large sects or clans. They become the consecrated of those forces and serve to ensure Broad Creed Sects influence and income in those places. As consecrated, they are also responsible for dealing with any unexpected situations that may arise.
After entering the city and choosing a meeting spot, Yan Zhaoge left for the palace alone. Ye Jing and the others separated and acted on their own in the national capital.
Ye Jing did have any interest in revisiting his old haunts. He walked along the river that flowed through the city until he reach a bridge. Setting foot on the bridge, he stood by himself as he looked down at the fast flowing water, calmly without words.
Si Kongqing soundlessly appear behind him. Ye Jing detected her arrival without concern, “Senior sister.”
“Are you thinking of the thing just now?” asked Si Kongqing as she slightly tilted her head.
Ye Jing shook his head, “At the time, I felt he was purposefully showing off, but after giving it some thought, it seemed unlikely.”
Si Kongqing said, “Then you are thinking about the artifacts senior brother Yan granted to everyone?”
When they were at the sect, only Ye Jing of the sixteen people in the expedition did not choose one of the artifacts Yan Zhaoge brought. The other fifteen people including Si Kongqing each chose an artifact.
“Senior brother Yan might be showing off, but he does have the qualification,” said Si Kongqing as she moved to stand at Ye Jing’s side, “Low grade artifacts are without thoughts; they cannot take sides. But our future achievements will not be decided by a single low grade artifact. Senior brother Yan treated everyone equally and gave an artifact to each person. Thus I see no reason to decline an artifact. He will not miss it because in the future he will have even better things.”
Ye Jing nodded. Even though Si Kongqing picked out an artifact just like everyone else, but she did not place much weight on this act due to her confidence in her future achievements.
“You choose not to accept an artifact. It might show your determination to walk your own road,” said Si Kongqing, “But it could also be interpreted as you refusing senior brother Yan’s kindness. The fact you refused means you are unable to differentiate good from bad. However, I feel senior brother Yan was not specifically expressing any intentions towards you. There is not much difference between the way he looks at us and the way he looks at you.”
Her words unexpectedly caused Ye Jing to tighten his fists. That figure from yesteryear that took way his childhood sweetheart and completely ignored him seemed to once again appeared before his eyes.
“I don’t know what he thinks, but I will not accept anything from him,” Ye Jing said. His words gradually grew more tranquil and his eyes were filled with a vigor stemming from confidence, “To the current me, a low grade artifact is naturally something very good, but my body and my cultivation are still more important.”
Si Kongqing said, “That is also true. So long as your mind is clear and your heart unclouded, your cultivation will be more successful. A clouded heart will cause your cultivation to easily suffer. It is worthwhile to simply let yourself go and act purely guided by your feelings.”
Ye Jing clenched his fist and said, “Yan Zhaoge is currently stronger than me. That is the truth. Not only is his strength stronger than mine, there is also the internal crystal furnace artifact refinement method, but I will not always lose to him. I will definitely surpass him.”
“A young martial scholar is not much. I will compete with him. Who can become a martial grandmaster first? And after that, who can transcend the impure and ascend into the realm of martial saint first!”
In this world, martial cultivation is divided into stages. Starting with the body refining stage, there are three large stages, first the corporeal body, then unblocking the meridians, and finally conducting qi. Each of these stages is divided into three phases, initial, middle and late.
So far, there are nine levels in total, and after those levels is the tenth level, which is also final stage of body refining, the minute stage. Thus, there are 10 levels in body refining.
Above the minute stage is a large bottleneck. If a martial warrior is able to break through, they can successfully enter the realm of martial scholar.
While it may not be apparent in Holy Grounds like Broad Creed Mountain, but in reality, someone who could become a martial scholar already has the qualifications to open their own minor school or establish their own minor sect.
The leaders of many tiny forces happen to be in the martial scholar realm of cultivation.
Martial scholars also have three large stages, they are individually, internalized astral qi, externalized astral qi, and xiantian. Each large stage is divided into three phases, initial, middle, and late. Plus there is a final stage at the end, the heavenly connection stage, which gives martial scholars ten levels as well.
And above the heavenly connection stage, there is an enormous gulf. People who manage to cross this gulf become martial grandmasters.
Once they reach that step, they are already powerful and influential figures in their local area, and they are also famous figures recognized throughout the entire Eight Extremities World.
Martial grandmasters also have four stages and ten levels. The final stage is called transcend the impure, as in transcend the impure in order to reach the sainthood. If a person manages to surpass this stage, they will have a slim hope of advancing into the martial saint realm, becoming someone of martial saint rank.
In the present world, the number of known martial saints can be counted on one’s fingers.
“His internal crystal furnace artifact refinement method can refine artifacts and spirit artifacts, but can it refine a sacred artifact? To a martial sect, how can any number of spirit artifacts be compared to the importance of a single martial saint?”
Ye Jing’s pupils shone with brilliant light. Even though he had already established his dantian’s qi ocean, he was only on the eighth level of body refinement, conducting qi middle phase. And Yan Zhaoge had long since become a martial scholar, moreover he had already reached internalized astral qi late phase.
However, Ye Jing was full of confidence. He believed he could definitely surpass the young man who seemed like his destined adversary.
He had suffici
ent perseverance and resolute conviction, furthermore he had his own trump card.
Ye Jing softly let out a breath of impure qi. His fingers twisted the dark red ring he wore on his right hand.
It did not matter that his starting point was low. He only needed to improve quickly. Then there will definitely be a day when he will catch up and surpass his target.
Si Kongqing looked at Ye Jing, “Junior brother Ye, your potential is extraordinary. Hold onto your lofty ambitions and keep your feet firmly on the ground, if so then there will surely be a time when you transcend the impure and grasp sainthood.”
Ye Jing smiled and said, “I am just boasting. Senior sister please don’t make fun of me. You have already reached the minute stage, only one step of reaching martial scholar. Right now, you are the one most likely to surpass Yan Zhaoge, and also the one most likely to become another early age martial scholar of Broad Creed Mountain.”
Si Kongqing said, “However, this time I do not think senior brother Yan holds any ill intent. On the contrary, elder Cui’s words in the assignment hall were truly suspicious as if they were meant to provoke conflict. Junior brother Ye, you must be careful of these hidden attacks in the future. There are many interpersonal relationships in the sect that are not easily understood. One could very easily be drawn into these dark undercurrents unknowingly.”
Ye Jing nodded, “I understand.”
History's Strongest Senior Brother Chapter 8: Adversary from the Past
TN: Since this chapter is a bit boring, so I decided to link it up to another chapter, which is coming soon…
First thing… Dragon Sealing Abyss becomes Dragon Sealing Abyss… maybe I should read ahead so I know what these things are beforehand…
Yan Zhaoge did not pay much mind to the thoughts of others. Whether it was Ye Jing or Si Kongqing or anyone else, he simply did not care.
While the matter of the Dragon Sealing Abyss was rather pressing, their current route crossed through Eastern Tang Kingdom. If it was just some bystander then it would not matter, but the current ruler of Eastern Tang Kingdom was someone Yan Zhaoge needed to pay his respects to in official capacity.
History's Strongest Senior Brother c1-1474 Page 12
