Zhao Heng was a patient man, even more so than his imperial brothers.
Though Tao Yu's sudden appearance had shocked him, he quickly steadied himself. With a smile, he cupped his hands and said,
"You must be Young Master Hong Xuanji, the Primordial Successor. I thought the rumors in the Martial World were exaggerated, but now that I've met you, I see your strength truly is astonishing."
For someone to appear here without him, a Half-step Outer Scenery expert, noticing at all—and at such close range—was something even an ordinary Outer Scenery expert could never manage.
"Mm, not bad."
Tao Yu looked Zhao Heng over and nodded.
This fellow cultivated a Human Dao cultivation technique, too, and in Tao Yu's eyes, he had greater potential than Prince Jin.
As for the Crown Prince...
There was an obscure aura about him. Tao Yu hadn't been certain before, but now, after learning quite a bit through the Human Emperor Sword, he suspected the Crown Prince might be a pawn of some mighty figure. Whoever it was, their methods were less subtle than the Six Paths or the Primordial Heavenly Venerate's.
Zhao Heng had no idea what Tao Yu meant by "not bad," but it sounded like praise, so he kept smiling.
"You're the star of the Qionghua Banquet. Why sneak in? You could've come openly. The imperial family and the great clans would surely have hosted a banquet for you."
Since they came from the same world and had cultivated together for two months, Meng Qi was much more relaxed around Tao Yu.
Zhao Heng was secretly startled by his words. It seemed their relationship was closer than he'd imagined.
"I just didn't want the hassle. Besides, I wanted to take a look around first. I have a feeling something's going to