Zhao De

Biodata

Power Progression

Zhao De’s cultivation is disclosed across historical instances and the present-day storyline; several apparent advancements are revelations of strength he already possessed.

Background and History

Rong State and the Zhao Family

Before Zhao State’s founding, Zhao De held the title of Zhao Heavenly King as a king outside Rong State’s royal clan. His son Zhao Chongxu attracted Arhat Temple’s attention at birth: unusual celestial phenomena reportedly appeared, and the temple’s reclusive abbot personally named the child 318 487.

Zhao State’s historical account claimed that Zhao De had been surrounded and killed while at the Human Immortal realm. Zhao Chongxu subsequently reached Land Immortal and killed the enemies involved. Zhao Xun’s account placed these events more than eight hundred years before his conversation with Yang Ling, although his knowledge was largely hearsay 332 686.

Zhao De survived and concealed his identity. He later explained that keeping the Great Dream Dynasty uncertain about his death denied it an opportunity to act against Zhao State 935.

Accepting Yang Ling in the Historical Instances

Zhao De accepted Yang Ling as a disciple while Yang Ling was at Upper Sixth Rank. Their new bond granted Yang Ling a wisp of dragon qi, unlocking the cultivation requirements for Great Grade Azure Dragon Force. Zhao De also offered to write to Tun Tian Dao Palace’s leader to secure Yang Ling’s release from that affiliation 324 326.

He subsequently arranged for Yang Ling to become Yun Tianqing’s personal disciple while privately retaining their own master–disciple relationship. During the Jingxiao Bandit campaign, he advocated giving Yang Ling Sky Wolf Battle Armor, rebuked Vice Minister Hua for striking him during a test, and rewarded his Fifth-Rank breakthrough with ten Supreme-Grade Blood-Nourishing Pills 486 491 493 504.

After Yang Ling rescued Ji Tianming, Zhao De took responsibility for his disciple’s actions. He forced Nangong Xun and Vice Minister Hua to withdraw their troops and disclosed his plan for an Iron Clothes Department independent of the Six Ministries. He then appointed Yang Ling its first Department Master 504 505.

Preparing Yang Ling’s Fourth-Rank Breakthrough

On meeting Yang Ling again, Zhao De believed his disciple had disappeared for thirty years. Yang Ling, whose experiences followed the instances’ unusual passage of time, understood their separation as only two or three months 685 686.

Zhao De assembled medicines and protective equipment for Yang Ling’s Fourth-Rank breakthrough, then sought additional help after discovering that his disciple possessed transcendent-grade stellar fire. He obtained aid from the Vast Heaven Ancient Tree and Qiguan Shande and helped Yang Ling seize the unripe Great Sun Golden Elixir 686 688 689 693.

Even these preparations proved insufficient for the stellar fire’s demands. Zhao De and the White Bone Divine Lord protected the breakthrough site, but Ji Tianming’s intervention was ultimately needed to drive away the pursuing Five Venom Emperor Lord 697 701.

Reunion Outside the Dream

In Jiayi City, Yang Ling found Zhao De living as Seal Keeper Zhao of the Cicada-Holding Directorate. Zhao De remembered their earlier encounters as a dream and initially questioned Yang Ling’s claim to be his disciple. After watching him demonstrate the Candle Dragon Seven-Star Sword Technique, he accepted that Yang Ling had genuinely received his legacy 846 847.

Yang Ling presented him with the First Rank Immortal King Armor and six Martial Way Sacred Medicines. Zhao De accepted him as his first disciple outside the dream as well, but insisted that he repeat the formal kowtows because the dream’s bows did not count 847 848.

The Grand Ancestor and Zhao State

Zhao De agreed to prevent the Cicada-Holding Directorate’s Grand Ancestor from leaving the Abyssal Beast Cavern. He later obtained the Purple Mansion Divine Dao Scripture from him and passed it to Yang Ling. When the Grand Ancestor revealed the scripture’s connection to the Shura Path Dao Lord and Youluo City, Zhao De questioned whether his visitor could act independently of that Dao Lord 847 886 910.

He subsequently acquired the Grand Ancestor’s treasure seal. Using his Directorate position, he disguised Yang Ling as his personal Lampbearer and escorted him out of the Abyssal Beast Cavern 916 917.

Back in Zhao State, Zhao De openly identified himself as Yang Ling’s master, subdued the Star Gazing Academy Head, and ordered the Rong delegation detained. He later reunited with Zhao Chongxu and the Eldest Princess, supported Zhao Zheng’s proposed succession, and departed to speak with the Blue-Faced Buddha at the Great Underworld Temple 926 937 958.

Appearance

• Tiger-like eyes: His present-day appearance is introduced with a sharp gleam in his eyes 846.
• Changed appearance: Yang Ling initially finds that he looks nothing like the Zhao De of his memories, although his voice remains similar 846.
• Official attire: Wears the robes of a seal-bearing chief while operating within the Cicada-Holding Directorate 917.
• Armored stature: Stands three meters tall when fully enclosed in the First Rank Immortal King Armor 847.

Personality

Zhao De has a public reputation for supporting talented younger martial artists. His treatment of Yang Ling substantiates it: he supplies medicines, negotiates for equipment, seeks favors from old friends, and accepts political responsibility when his disciple acts rashly 493 504 505 688.

His protectiveness comes with teasing and an insistence on proper respect. He calls Yang Ling a troublesome or good-for-nothing disciple while asking others to help him, demands fresh kowtows after their reunion, and asks where his own share is when Yang Ling produces an Immortal Spirit Pill 688 847 917.

Politically, he favors concealment, leverage, and manageable commitments over conspicuous victories. He maintains a Directorate identity despite his strength and opposes an immediate invasion of the Great Dream Dynasty because conquering territory without legitimacy or a workable administration would be pointless 886 935.

He is markedly less patient with challenges to his authority. When Nangong Xun questions his loyalty and his disciple’s conduct, Zhao De suppresses him, slaps him, and orders him into seclusion rather than continuing the argument 504.

Abilities and Skills

Candle Dragon Seven-Star Sword Technique

Zhao De practices and teaches the sword technique inherited by Yang Ling 501 847.

• Seven-Star Sword Formation: Light spreads from beneath his feet into a formation; seven descending meteor phantoms become suspended longswords 501.
• Control over the technique: Effortlessly dispels Yang Ling’s Seven-Star Sword Formation with a wave of his hand 847.
• Close combat: Exchanges sword attacks with Ji Tianming at speeds ordinary Fifth Ranks cannot visually follow 501.

Movement and Spiritual Perception

• Moves quickly enough that transporting Yang Ling can render his disciple unconscious, even after Yang Ling has developed substantial Mental Power 688 917.
• Extends his mental perception throughout Jiayi City and beyond its boundaries 848 849.
• Cannot locate Yang Ling inside the Grandmaster Network, but correctly identifies that he returns to precisely the same position 849 885.

Physical Regeneration and Suppression

• Regrows the flesh of his hand almost instantly after Yin-Sinking Water corrodes it down to bone 693.
• Suppresses Nangong Xun and Vice Minister Hua with pressure strong enough to drive their legs into the ground 504.
• Immobilizes the Star Gazing Academy Head by appearing behind him and pressing a hand onto his shoulder 926.

Cultivation Knowledge

• Explains the relationship between talent and breakthrough illusions, and identifies the resources needed to establish a Fourth-Rank martial way furnace 493 686.
• Distinguishes divine ability embryos from true divine abilities developed after a martial skill reaches Return to Simplicity 726 727.
• Recognizes that Yang Ling remains Middle Third Rank because his martial way furnace has not formed in his dantian 886.
• Describes Second-Rank rebirth through an unfamiliar, powerful Upper Realm and admits that he once killed himself to verify the phenomenon 930.

Confirmed Equipment Thresholds

Equipping the First Rank Immortal King Armor establishes minimum attributes, not Zhao De’s exact statistics 847.

Equipment and Resources

• First Rank Immortal King Armor — Gift from Yang Ling. Changes from a bracer into liquid metal that envelops his body; Zhao De estimates that it increases his combat strength by at least twenty percent 847.
• Grand Ancestor Seal — Obtained from the Cicada-Holding Directorate’s Grand Ancestor and used to support his authority when leaving the Abyssal Beast Cavern 916 917.
• Third-Rank Spirit-Protecting Jade Pendant — Lent to Yang Ling to resist breakthrough illusions, with instructions to return it afterward 686.
• Ten-thousand-year cold ice milk and flame dragon heart meat — Prepared for Yang Ling to reduce breakthrough pain and supplement furnace kindling 686.
• Wood spirit false body — Obtained from the Vast Heaven Ancient Tree; intended to provide his Abyssal subordinates with an explanation for Shi Tianhu’s death 688.
• Purple Mansion Divine Dao Scripture — First-class internal skill obtained from the Grand Ancestor and given to Yang Ling; its connection to Youluo City later becomes a major concern 886 910.

Relationships

• Yang Ling — First and senior disciple. Zhao De teaches, equips, promotes, and protects him, while regularly teasing him about etiquette and gifts 324 505 847 917.
• Zhao Chongxu — Son and Zhao State’s founding emperor. Zhao De makes him accept Yang Ling as his senior brother despite his objections 324 937 938.
• Eldest Princess — Daughter. He concealed his whereabouts from her because, at Second Rank, she could not reliably hide the truth from a questioning Land Immortal 958.
• Ji Tianming — Trusted collaborator. Zhao De arranged his contact with the Ministry of War and intended him to remain a mole in the Divine Guard Office; later permits him to stay in Zhao State’s Capital 504 931.
• White Bone Divine Lord — Strategic ally and Yang Ling’s other master. They cooperate during Yang Ling’s breakthrough and against the Grand Ancestor, although Zhao De rejects the Divine Lord’s proposal for an immediate invasion 697 910 935.
• Wubao Divine Tree — Longstanding ally who works with him against the Grand Ancestor and in preparations concerning the Shura Path threat 910 935.
• Qiguan Shande — Old friend approached for breakthrough fuel. Supplies aged Blackwood Snake-Gall Fruits and oversees a spar between their disciples 689 690.
• Yun Tianqing — Cooperates with Zhao De in taking Yang Ling as her personal disciple 504.
• Zhao Zheng — Succession candidate Zhao De supports, praising his character and exceptional talent among the branch families 958.
• Zhang Wei — Taken along at Yang Ling’s request to facilitate contact and help investigate Luo Kai 958.

Political and Administrative Activities

Notable Quotes

“Does my disciple need to submit a report to a Lower Third Rank like you about whatever he does?” 504

“Kowtow to your master a few more times. The ones in the dream didn’t count.” 847

“If you cannot govern the Great Dream Dynasty, all the effort you expend will be a complete loss. What would be the point of fighting this war?” 935