Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 310, 391-392: The Great Accomplishment of the Overlord Body, the Descendant of the God of Slaughter, Mid-Nascent Soul Stage (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Tsk! !
Seeing the numerous blood-red branches and demonic nets of the demonic tree's clones pressing down from all directions.

Lu Xianghan retreated in horror, biting his tongue and spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the Nine Aperture Locking Heart Plate.

The golden threads on the chart suddenly surged, transforming into hundreds of heart-piercing golden lines that intertwined to form a shield, barely managing to withstand the strangulation of the blood branches.

However, demonic energy suddenly surged on the surface of many blood branches.

The demonic energy of Tengsheng was filled with scorching and corrosive power, causing the golden threads to hiss and crackle.

"Yang Xiong! Do you really intend to exterminate them all?!"

Lu Xianghan shouted sharply, and then threw out three more talismans from his sleeve, which transformed into three golden rays of Nascent Soul level protective light that enveloped his body.

He retreated rapidly, attempting to escape using the formation, only to find that Zhao Wuji had already sealed off all directions with hand seals.

The Thunder Spear followed him like a shadow.

The spearhead roared with thunder, piercing through the outermost layer of golden light, its remaining power undiminished, heading straight for Lü Xianghan's heart!

“Master Lü, hand over Xiang Yu’s heart meridian now, and we may spare your life.”

Zhao Wuji's voice was icy. As he made a hand seal, purple spiritual light flowed around him, and the Qi restraint transformed into an invisible Qi rope that wrapped around Lü Xianghan, causing his escape speed to decrease drastically.

Lu Xianghan suddenly grinned maliciously: "So, in the end, you still want the lifeblood of my Lu family? Then we'll all die together!"

He slammed his fist on his chest, causing his robes to rip open and revealing a dark gold pattern on his chest.

"Bang! Bang!"
A series of sounds, like the beating of drums, suddenly erupted from his heart.

Each sound was like a heavy hammer blow to the chests of Zhao Wuji and the demon tree clone.

Both of them froze simultaneously.

The blood and qi in my body surged, and my heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. The excruciating pain swept over my entire body like a tidal wave.

"What's going on?!" Zhao Wuji's pupils constricted and he stopped in his tracks.

He looked down at his chest and saw a dark gold pattern similar to Lü Xianghan's appear on his heart.

It wriggled like a venomous snake, each throbbing bringing excruciating pain!

The demon tree clone also let out a muffled groan, and many flowers and leaves on its main trunk surged. The blood-red light in the double pupils of Xiang Yu's true head flickered.

Its massive body swayed slightly, and the tree heart was in excruciating pain, as if even its soul was being shaken by the eerie heartbeat!

"Die!!"

Lu Xianghan roared furiously, his face contorted with rage, and slammed his palm into his chest, where a blinding crimson light instantly erupted.

The throbbing of the heart was accompanied by deafening "thump-thump" sounds, like the core of a molten lava about to explode.

"Self-destruction of the heart meridian?!"

The demonic tree clone roared, and the bark at its neck exploded, revealing Xiang Yu's true head emerging from the branch.

His black hair danced wildly like black flames, his double pupils resembled two blood moons hanging in the sky, and his domineering and fierce aura was like a mountain crashing down.

It suddenly opened its huge mouth and let out a roar, a furious howl like thunder, the sound waves causing the valley walls to crack and crumble.

Lu Xianghan's protective aura shattered instantly, blood gushed from his ears and nose, and he staggered backward. The jade pendant at his waist exploded into dust with a "crack".

The domineering intent contained in that roar resonated with Lü Xianghan's heart meridian, forcefully suppressing the rampaging energy.

"Xiang Yu has appeared as a divine being?!"

Lu Xianghan stared in horror at the head with wildly dancing red hair, his legs trembling like a sieve, and his swollen heart suddenly stopped.

"ban!!"

Zhao Wuji endured the excruciating pain and attempted to suppress it using a forbidden technique.

But then, a blinding light suddenly erupted from the dark gold patterns on Lü Xianghan's chest.

"boom!!"

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged violently like boiling water, causing rocks to crumble and vegetation to turn to dust within a ten-mile radius!
The violent, domineering intent swept through like a hurricane, even causing the void to distort and tremble!
"Whoosh!!"

At the same time, Zhao Wuji's Thunder Spear burst forth from the sky, its body crackling with lightning, instantly transforming into a hundred-foot-long thunder spear that ripped through the air!

The spearhead, crackling with purple lightning, roared like an angry dragon and pierced through Lü Xianghan's chest in an instant!
"Pfft!"

The sound of flesh and blood exploding rang out as Lü Xianghan's body was pierced through by the violent power of lightning, shattering his beating heart along with it!
"what!!"

Amidst a piercing scream, his body was carried away by the lightning spear like a rag doll, crashing heavily into the rock wall behind him with a loud "boom"!
"Crack! Click!"

The mountain rocks collapsed, and spider web-like cracks instantly spread for dozens of feet. Lightning raged, scorching the entire rock wall black. Arcs of electricity slithered through the cracks like venomous snakes, crackling and hissing!
Before the dust had settled, Zhao Wuji's figure approached like a ghost.

His black robes fluttered in the wind, and the Thunderclap Spear had somehow returned to his hand, its tip gleaming coldly as it pressed firmly against Lü Xianghan's throat!

In the lightning's glow, the old face was deathly pale, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with horror and despair.

"Let...let me go..." Lu Xianghan pleaded hoarsely.

"one question."

Zhao Wuji's voice was icy cold, more chilling than the edge of a spear, "Where is Xiang Yu's heart meridian?"

Lu Xianghan's Adam's apple bobbed, and the stinging pain from the gun tip left him with no doubt.

A moment's hesitation, and you'll be decapitated in the next second!
He glanced to the side and saw the dark golden demonic patterns on the right arm of the demon tree clone surge, thousands of blood branches raised their heads like venomous snakes, the Seven Emotions Demonic Flower bloomed, the Six Desires Demonic Leaf trembled, and the terrifying baleful aura almost solidified!

“The heart meridian… is hidden in the third underground palace of the Lü family ancestral hall…” His lips trembled as he spoke with difficulty.

however……

"Boom!"

Before he finished speaking, a stream of dark golden light suddenly shot out from the top of his head!

It was actually the Nascent Soul Blood Escape Technique!
Lu Xianghan's mangled body instantly withered, while the blood rainbow tore through the sky like lightning, shooting straight into the heavens!

"Stubborn."

Zhao Wuji sneered, and the Thunder Spear suddenly spun.

The lightning patterns on the gun body lit up one by one, and the nine lightning rings exploded one after another, finally condensing into a dazzling white light at the tip of the gun.

"Generate light!"

The white light, like the sun falling from the sky, arrived first and caught up with the blood rainbow.

No matter how fast the Nascent Soul Blood Escape is, how can it possibly reach the speed of light?
Lu Xianghan screamed in agony as his escape light shattered, and his nascent soul plummeted like a bird struck by lightning. He then fled again, but his speed had greatly decreased.

"Soul Chaser!"

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes. His right hand formed a hand seal like lightning, while his left hand suddenly grabbed!
"Buzz!"

The void trembled, and a wisp of dark blue soul fire burst forth from his palm, instantly transforming into hundreds of soul-locking threads, enveloping the entire world like a net!

At the same time, his eyes suddenly burst forth with a crimson-gold light, like a sharp sword piercing the sky.

Exorcise the spirits!

The two secret techniques intertwined and instantly struck the nascent soul, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to boil.

"Do not!!"

The nascent soul figure's face was contorted, and the spiritual light around its body struggled wildly. However, the soul-locking threads, like a malignant sore, instantly pierced through the protective spiritual light and bound it tightly!

He was horrified to discover that his true essence was trapped in a quagmire, and he couldn't even self-destruct his nascent soul.

"return!"

Zhao Wuji let out a cold shout and clenched his five fingers like hooks!
"boom!"

The void exploded with a deafening roar, and a shockwave ripped through the air.

Lu Xianghan's nascent soul was forcibly dragged back like a puppet on strings, struggling wildly in Zhao Wuji's palm.

"Ancestor Tiannan! Spare me!"

The nascent soul screamed shrilly, "I said! It's in the Lü family ancestral hall!"

"No need."

Zhao Wuji's eyes suddenly erupted with two swirling, eerie lights.

"Soul extraction!"

"Shh!"

The wisps of soul-tracing threads, like venomous snakes, burrowed into the Nascent Soul's brow, actually tearing out a semi-transparent soul!
"Do not!!"

The moment the soul left the body, the nascent soul instantly withered, while the soul itself twisted wildly on the chains, its face contorted in agony.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, and he opened his mouth to inhale.

"Swallow the soul!"

"Whoosh!"

Lu Xianghan's primordial spirit, enveloping his soul, was sucked into Zhao Wuji's mouth like smoke and mist.

In an instant, a massive amount of memories exploded in my mind like a torrent.
Xiang Yu's vital essence is hidden in the third forbidden area of ​​the Lü family's ancestral land.
Lu Xianghan secretly attempted to contact the Zhou family.
He actually wanted to use Xiang Yu's heart meridian control power to control Hua Qingshuang in the future.
"Ah"

Zhao Wuji slowly opened his eyes, and dark golden lightning seemed to flicker in his pupils.

Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, the once vast and boundless divine consciousness began to compress to the extreme, condensing into countless dazzling crystals.

Ancient Dao patterns appeared on the surface of each crystal, with faint traces of primordial spirit Dao rhythm flowing through them.

"Out of control."

He coldly glanced at the limp body of Lü Xianghan, then looked at the demon tree clone beside him.

"laugh!"

The demonic tree's clone understood, extending a blade-like blood branch that instantly pierced Lü Xianghan's heart, entangling the flesh and blood containing the true blood of Xiang Yu's heart meridian.

Xiang Yu's true blood flowed like a hundred rivers into the sea, and was frantically devoured by the blood branches.

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhao Wuji sent the storage bag from Lü Xianghan's waist flying into his palm.

He then threw the corpse directly into the First Heavenly Space.

Instantly, it attracted thousands of Gu worms to fight for the food, and flesh and bones turned into nutrients with a "crack" sound.

He stared at the withered nascent soul in his hand, and as he pondered, his divine sense crystallized and solidified by three points.

Within the crystals of divine consciousness that condensed in his sea of ​​consciousness, faint, blurry images of his face began to emerge.

This clearly shows signs of condensing a primordial spirit; though it has not yet taken shape, it already exudes a terrifying pressure.

His divine soul and spiritual power have been greatly enhanced after he successively devoured the divine souls of Nascent Soul experts such as Zhou Wu.

"It seems I need to prepare for some training."

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then looked at the demon tree clone.

"Go to the Lü family and retrieve Xiang Yu's heart meridian. I will wait for you here."

Upon hearing this, the demon tree clone nodded slightly, its size returned to normal, and it used the illusion technique to transform its appearance into that of Lü Xianghan.

It immediately transformed into a blood-red rainbow that pierced the sky, heading straight for the ancestral home of the Lü family in Beiyun Dizhou.

After the demon tree's clones departed, Zhao Wuji looked at the withered nascent soul in his hand.

Suddenly, he made a hand seal, opened his mouth as if swallowing a whale, and took the withered nascent soul into his belly.

"Refine!!"

In an instant, the ingestion technique surged within his body, transforming into countless golden chains that tightly bound the nascent soul.

The nascent soul let out a shrill scream, but it disintegrated inch by inch under the strangulation of the chains, turning into a torrent of spiritual liquid.

"Boom!!" The six core divine senses within the Purple Mansion spun like the sun, bursting forth with dazzling golden light.

The vast divine consciousness was like a furnace for forging the heavens, repeatedly tempering the power of the nascent soul.

The pure energy transformed into three torrents, which poured into the three golden pills in the dantian.

The golden light of the immortal elixir suddenly surged, and the Dao patterns on its surface seemed to move like living things, condensing into nine illusory shadows that circled around the elixir. With each rotation, the elixir became more solid.

The inner golden core shone brightly, with streaks of thunder patterns and the illusory image of the Jianmu tree spreading like a spider web.

A muffled rumble of thunder emanated from within the elixir, and one could vaguely see the Thunder Pool churning, electric snakes dancing wildly, and the Jianmu tree supporting the sky, its aura growing ever more ancient and profound.

The most terrifying of all is the Blood Fiend True Form Golden Core.

The surface of the blood-red golden elixir was covered with beastly shadows, spewing out thick, ink-like baleful energy.

From the malevolent aura condensed ferocious phantoms of dragons, lion kings, and demonic birds, their fangs opening and closing to devour energy.

The body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, pounding violently like a heart.

"Click, click-click!!"

His sea of ​​consciousness underwent an astonishing transformation under the impact of this abundant spiritual energy.

The vast, ocean-like divine consciousness condensed into countless crystallized divine consciousness crystals within the sea of ​​consciousness.

Each crystal reflected his phantom image, sparking brilliant starlight as they collided.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the cultivation level displayed on the surface of the Yin-Yang Pearl fluctuated wildly.

699847021371282!

His cultivation in the immortal path rose steadily like oil being poured over a raging fire, getting closer and closer to the perfection of the Golden Core stage.

The three golden cores, nourished by energy, grew increasingly round and full, radiating a terrifying pressure that made one's heart tremble.

...

Two days later.

The protective barrier of the Lü family ancestral hall shattered with a crash, and the moment the blood-jade box enshrined in the center of the ancestral niche was pierced by blood-red vines, the entire ancestral hall trembled as if an earth dragon were turning over.

The dark gold heart vein in the box pulsated as if it were alive. As soon as it appeared, it caused the true head of Xiang Yu at the neck of the demon tree's clone to roar angrily. As its black hair danced wildly, it swallowed the heart vein into the main trunk.

"The lifeblood of our ancestors!!"

The head of the Lü family, a Golden Core cultivator, roared in anger, unable to bear it any longer.

However, before he could even unleash his natal magic weapon, his neck was entangled by a blood branch and he was suspended in mid-air. The sound of his throat bones shattering could be clearly heard. Before his golden core power could even erupt, he was crushed into a bloody mist by the domineering pressure.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The dark gold heart vein in the box roared like an ancient war drum, shattering ten feet of floor tiles with each beat.

The main trunk of the demon tree clone twisted violently, and the red hair of Xiang Yu's true head stood up at its neck. It spewed out scorching blood mist from its seven orifices and opened its mouth as if swallowing the heart meridian into its body.

"Crack!!"

The bark on the main trunk was cracked inch by inch, and the five pieces of the remains miraculously pieced together under the guidance of the heart meridian.

The dark gold patterns on his left arm flowed like lava, the battle patterns on his right leg resembled lightning, and his torso bones burst forth with dazzling golden light.

Half of the Overlord's battle body gradually took shape inside the demon tree, its ferocious power causing the void within a hundred feet to distort like ripples.

"Greetings, King Xiang!!"

The remaining Lü family cultivators knelt on the ground, trembling. Their protective spiritual light flickered like a candle in the wind, and their expressions gradually changed from horror to awe and even fanaticism.

The thief of a thousand years seems to have found his true master.

at the same time.

The Wang family cultivators, like dark clouds pressing down, took over the Zhou family's ancestral land under the leadership of Hua Qingshuang.

Hua Qingshuang gently stroked the inscription on the clan's memorial stele with her delicate hands, and the character "Zhou" on the stele transformed into a flower shape in the golden flames.

Yang Su and Yang Peng, armed with magical spears, entered the Hongnong Yang family.

Just five days later.

The protective formations of the five great families have all been changed to the Hua clan's patterns, and the clan's resources are now under unified management.

On the back of each elder's waist tag, a double pupil mark has quietly appeared.

The remaining members of the Lü family surrendered completely under the intimidation of the demon tree's clone.

This towering demonic tree, rooted in the ancestral land of the Lü family, even its main trunk already exudes a strong domineering aura and the spiritual power of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Wherever its canopy covers, even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators can hardly breathe.

From then on, the five great families existed in name only, becoming mere appendages of the Hua family, only lacking the formal change of name and surname.

Three days later, the demon tree's clone transformed into a blood-red rainbow and returned from Beiyun Dizhou, heading straight to the valley where Zhao Wuji was.

Deep in the valley, the entrance to the Pot Heaven Space rippled slightly, creating waves of spatial energy.

Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged on the core spiritual mountain of the fourth-level spiritual vein in the First Heavenly Pot, his spiritual energy surging like the tide.

At this moment, his inner golden core had already broken through to the perfect state, and it was the size of a bowl, exuding a terrifying pressure.

The spiritual power of a fully-formed Golden Core cultivator was as deep and vast as the ocean, stirring up ripples within the Pot Heaven space.

Within the third space of the Inner Realm, the illusory image of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass swayed slightly. Each blade of grass was engraved with supreme sword patterns, exuding a chilling sword intent that seemed capable of severing the void.

As the Golden Core was perfected, the illusory image of the sword grass became increasingly solid, and the sword intent surged like a tide, stirring up waves of sword energy storms within the inner realm.

Meanwhile, the Gate of Mysterious Female trembled slightly, and wisps of ancient immortal spiritual energy overflowed from behind it, causing the inner realm's heavenly space to expand continuously and the spatial barriers to become increasingly stable.

Behind the door, a mysterious Daoist aura seemed to flow, exuding the ancient charm of an ancient celestial court, making the ancient charm of the golden elixir inside even stronger, as if it were cast with dark gold.

What's even more astonishing is that the Immortal Golden Core and the Martial Immortal Blood Fiend Golden Core within his body are progressing at the same rapid pace, with profound Dao patterns flowing across their surfaces, faintly revealing signs that they are about to break through to perfection.

The three golden pills shone brightly, forming a triadic structure within the dantian, radiating a suffocatingly oppressive spiritual power.

call!
The demon tree clone stepped into the Pot Heaven space from the entrance.

"came back."

Zhao Wuji suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring intently at his clone.

"Let me see your current state."

The demon tree clone nodded and suddenly began to manifest its true form, which was a thousand feet tall. In an instant, the entire Pot Heaven space trembled.

Ripples spread across the spatial barrier, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged like a raging storm.

The majestic tree trunk was covered with dark gold patterns, like ancient divine runes, outlining mysterious trajectories on the bark surface, and finally converging at the heart of the tree.

There, a huge heart was beating powerfully, each beat like the booming of an ancient war drum, causing ripples to spread through the surrounding void.

The immense power and spiritual might of the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator erupted suddenly, stirring up the spiritual energy within the Pot Heaven space.

"Mid-stage Nascent Soul! Xiang Yu's true body has actually turned into true blood and merged into his heart."

Zhao Wuji looked at the demon tree clone, which had regained its original appearance, with joy in his eyes.

It turns out that after merging with Xiang Yu's heart meridian, the various remains of Xiang Yu that were originally wrapped around the demon tree clone turned into true blood.

Ultimately, like all rivers flowing into the sea, they all merged into the heart, condensing into a vast and unparalleled power of hegemony.

It was precisely this power, coupled with the accumulation from previously devouring Yang Tianci's nascent soul, that enabled it.

Only then was the demon tree clone able to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

At this moment, the demon tree clone, though having shed its previous ferocious appearance, appeared even more majestic and domineering.

The tree trunk, thousands of feet tall, stands majestically like a giant pillar supporting the sky, its dark golden branches twisting and turning into several thick and powerful arms.

With a casual wave, it unleashed a violent shockwave, seemingly capable of easily tearing apart mountains and rivers.

The rough tree surface, which was eight-tenths similar to Zhao Wuji's, had a blood moon rotating in its double pupils, bursting out blazing golden light, captivating the soul wherever it looked!

It can be said that the current demon tree clone is the reincarnation of both Zhao Wuji and Xiang Yu.

Although controlled by Zhao Wuji and created by him, it inherited the invincible physical power of King Xiang, who swept across the eight wastelands.

However, this power cannot be fully unleashed yet.

Zhao Wuji could clearly sense that if the domineering power dormant in his heart were to erupt completely, even a tree body as strong as the Demon Tree clone, which was thousands of feet tall, would not be able to withstand it and would explode and die instantly!

Even so, the combat power of this clone is still astonishing, surpassing that of ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

"Now that my clone has also broken through, it's time to go and settle scores with that Immortal Martial Sect."

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes as he slowly stood up: "This scourge that has been stirring up trouble in the rear and a bandit who has been digging up people's ancestral graves everywhere, there is no need to keep him alive any longer."

His gaze shifted to the demon tree clone, and the two nodded in tacit agreement.

The next moment, two figures burst out of the Pot Heaven Space like a hurricane, transforming into the wind and soaring up, heading straight towards the Immortal Martial Sect.

Immortal Martial Sect.

At this moment, the mountain-protecting formation was still fully activated, and layers of spiritual light enveloped the entire mountain gate like an inverted giant bowl.

Inside the main hall of the main peak, Sect Master Yan Haoyang and Supreme Elder Shi Xingyao sat upright, discussing the recent events with solemn expressions.

"The Zhou family, the Yang family of Hongnong, and even Lü Xianghan of the Lü family have all fallen one after another."

Shi Xingyao's voice trembled, and as he stroked his beard, he could no longer maintain his usual patriarchal dignity. "What about Patriarch Tiannan and that Nascent Soul monster?"

Yan Haoyang forced himself to remain calm, but his hands were clenched so tightly in his sleeves that his knuckles turned white. He said in a deep voice, "It's alright! The mountain-protecting formation is fully activated. With the two of us working together to defend it, even if they come, they won't be able to break through the formation!"

He paused, then added, "I have sent my disciples to the Wang family to negotiate with the Hua family, hoping to resolve this grievance."

The misunderstandings in the past all stemmed from conflicting interests. As long as we concede more benefits, we can eventually resolve them.

After all, our Immortal Martial Sect has two Nascent Soul cultivators; we're not made of clay. They might not dare to go all out.”

right now
"boom!!!"

The entire mountain gate shook violently, and the protective array emitted a cracking sound as it could not bear the weight. The array patterns crumbled inch by inch, and spiritual light poured down like a torrential rain.

The disciples guarding the mountain gate looked up in horror, only to see the sky full of clouds being torn apart by an overwhelming pressure, as if a hideous wound had been ripped open in the heavens.

A figure in black robes stood in mid-air, his robes billowing wildly under the violent spiritual pressure.

He held a long spear wreathed in astonishing arcs of lightning, radiating a terrifying and suffocating aura of danger.

Even more terrifying, a thousand-foot-tall demonic tree, which blots out the sky, was perched at its feet!

The gnarled tree trunk was as thick as a mountain, and blood-red patterns flowed on its dark golden bark, making it seem even more majestic and terrifying than the four main peaks of the Immortal Martial Sect combined.

At this moment, countless dark golden branches, like giant dragons, coiled around the mountain-protecting array, shrouding the entire mountain gate in a chilling shadow, completely blocking out even the sunlight.

"Boom!"

The earth suddenly trembled violently, and countless tree roots as thick as dragons burst forth from the soil, causing spiritual fields to collapse and medicinal gardens to overturn wherever they passed.

The thousand-year-old medicinal herb was uprooted, its spiritual energy instantly drained, and it turned into ashes and vanished.

Under this primal force, the light barrier of the mountain-protecting formation groaned in despair, and cracks spread rapidly like a spider web.

It was as if the entire mountain gate was about to be forcibly lifted up by that thousand-foot-tall giant tree.

"Ancestor Tiannan pays respects to the Mountain Immortal Martial Sect!"

The old man in black robes let out a cold shout, his voice booming like thunder from the heavens.

Wherever the sound waves passed, thousands of disciples bled from their seven orifices, and those with low cultivation levels fainted instantly. The pools on the main peak plaza exploded, sending up waves.

Inside the main hall, Yan Haoyang and Shi Xingyao suddenly stood up, their faces instantly filled with shock.

The two people's divine senses swept over the figure standing in mid-air outside the mountain gate, as well as the thousand-foot-tall tree shadow behind it that exuded a suffocating mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation. Their faces turned ashen.

This damned scoundrel actually dares to come knocking on our door?

(End of this chapter)