Simultaneous Transmigration: Inheriting the Legacy of Myriad Worlds

Chapter 434 The Future Is Yours

Before meeting the Sage of Qishi Mansion, Qin Sheng had wondered if the old mansion lord had designs on the Dream Essence or the Elixir of Immortality and wanted to sound him out.

However, the old manor lord never mentioned this matter from beginning to end.

This made Qin Sheng feel somewhat ashamed, realizing that he had been presumptuous and had misjudged his senior's intentions.

Yeah, I'll hold this against the dog.

"If you ever need any help in the future, you can come to my residence to find me," the old mansion master said.
"Although Qishi Mansion is only a short journey in your life, we will always regard every student as a member of the Mansion."

Qishifu will certainly treat students differently based on their different talents, but it will also truly provide everyone with the most basic benefits equally.

Even within individual families, it's normal for more capable children to be more favored.

"Then I'll try to bother you more often in the future," Qin Sheng said with a smile.

"Ha." The old manor chuckled.

"If my old bones can do something for a genius like you, it's worth it."

This is the way of life and survival in Qishi Mansion.

By cultivating good relationships with each great emperor in their youth and planting seeds of good karma, one can ensure that even small requests will be fulfilled once the emperor attains enlightenment.

"Speaking of which, there's something I'm curious about," Qin Sheng said, looking at the lake.
"Are there any other reclusive sages like you in the Big Dipper?"

"I'm not sure about the other four regions, but I do know that in the Central Region there's an old demon, who is also a saint." The old manor lord sighed.

"However, the last time I dealt with her was three thousand years ago. I don't know if she is still alive today."

"Even if they are still alive, their lifespan is probably not long. We are all getting old, and an era is about to end."

Qin Sheng's eyes lit up. "What kind of personality does that senior have?"

Life is the greatest miracle in the world. Places like Beidou are certainly full of pressure, but they also offer many opportunities. There will always be people who rise from adversity and turn the impossible into the possible.

In the ten thousand years since the Azure Emperor "passed away," it would be impossible for the Big Dipper to have given birth to dozens of reclusive sages. However, the actual number of sages must be more than those shown in the original timeline.

The world has never lacked geniuses.

"Most of the time she is very gentle, but there are also times when she is extremely irritable and stubborn. When I first met her, we were very happy at first, but after we had a disagreement on our spiritual beliefs, she kicked me out."

The old manor lord recalled, "She was a demon, and her true form was an ancient vine. I don't know her specific race."

It turns out he's a master from the lineage of vegetative state patients.

"Where is the dojo of that senior demon?" Qin Sheng asked.

"Don't worry, Elder, I have no ill intentions towards her. It's just that the ancient clan is about to emerge, and both the human and demon races will be targets of the ancient clan. I believe we should unite all forces that can be united."

It would be such a waste for a sage who has attained enlightenment to not make a name for himself on the grand stage of the Eastern Wilderness, but instead to waste his life in the mountains and wilderness.

"She doesn't like to move around, so it will be difficult to persuade her to come out of seclusion." The old manor lord wasn't too optimistic about Qin Sheng's idea, but he still told him the information.

"Her name is Xingchi. Three million miles east of the Valley of Death in the Wanmu Mountains, deep into the Great Wilderness, lies her place of origin."

Qin Sheng kept this in mind and planned to go and see it when he had time later.

After a while, having finished explaining everything, Qin Sheng bid farewell to the old manor lord and left with the golden dragon fish.

"In the ten thousand years before the Big Dipper Ancient Star, all the seniors who were able to become saints were truly virtuous and accomplished, with noble character and integrity," Qin Sheng thought to himself with emotion.

Whether it's Gai Jiuyou, the old madman, Wei Yi, or even the Cai clan saint who transformed the Dao, they can all be said to be like this.

In the original storyline, the old manor lord also protected Ye Fan's human holy body from the attacks of the ancient clan ancestral kings.

The Great Power of the Big Dipper and the Sage of the Big Dipper are not only vastly different in strength, but their character is also completely different.

This is very puzzling.

The saints in the ancient starry road were a mixed bag; some were extremely principled, while others were pure parasites on the human race. They should be sent to the forbidden zone of life to be close observers of the lives of the Dark Sovereigns.

"Is that Tosen?"

Qin Sheng returned to his cave in broad daylight, attracting the attention of many geniuses from the Qishi Mansion, who all looked up and gazed at him.

What is Tosen carrying?

"What a huge fish!"

"Its body is covered with dragon scales, as bright as gold. This is a rare golden dragonfish from the Qishi Mansion. It tastes extremely delicious. If one can eat it year-round, one can cultivate golden blood and qi!"

Where did Dongxian go fishing?

As Qin Sheng passed by a sacred mountain, a demonic aura suddenly rose into the sky, which startled him.

Who's trying to steal my fish?

A tall, imposing young man emerged from the sacred mountain cave and looked at Qin Sheng.

"Brother Qin."

"Fellow Daoist Qi." Qin Sheng nodded to him; this was none other than Qi Lin, the Southern Demon.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman with a graceful figure, her gaze towards Qin Sheng filled with complex emotions and surprise.

Qi Qi, the younger sister of Nan Yao.

"Brother Qin, how about we have a chat?" Nan Yao invited.

Qin Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly, but still agreed, and landed on the sacred mountain.

The Nan Yao siblings' gazes immediately fell on the golden dragonfish, their eyes filled with strange expressions.

What kind of design is this?
"It was a gift from an elder in the Qishi family; the child likes to eat it," Qin Sheng explained.

"That child... is quite extraordinary."

Nan Yao thought of Xiao Nannan's face and nodded, "I keep a Three Treasure Chicken in my temple, which I can give to Brother Qin."

Qi Qi hesitated, then said, "Brother, that's my chicken."

"Then I will thank Fellow Daoist Qi on behalf of my child." Qin Sheng accepted all offers without hesitation.

Everything is for the children.

In fact, many people in Beidou noticed that there was something wrong with Xiao Nannan. The little girl had appeared next to Qin Sheng when Ye Fan was breaking through the Four Extremes.

Over the years, she has remained unchanged in appearance every time she appears, showing no signs of aging, which is clearly abnormal and has long attracted people's attention.

With the help of the all-knowing passerby from Beidou, the world has confirmed that the little girl is a divine infant.

About 2,500 years ago, the little girl was taken in by a secular couple and lived a very happy life. Unfortunately, she lost her memory every month and could never grow up.

Later, the elderly couple died one after another. The little girl, who never grew up, was regarded as a monster by ignorant mortals and almost drowned in the water, but was fortunately released by a kind old man.

Such incidents were not uncommon during Xiao Nannan's long period of homelessness; they occurred many times.

Everything that exists leaves a trace.

Many people searched and discovered that the little girl had been wandering in the Eastern Wilderness for at least several thousand years and had remained unchanged ever since.

This is undoubtedly a very horrifying thing.

Some people suspect that Xiao Nannan might be a powerful person who had a problem with their training and had fallen into worldly depravity; others believe that Xiao Nannan is a kind of spiritual root of heaven and earth that has transformed into human form.

If it's the former, then in the eyes of the world, even a saint would be considered a saint.

If it's the latter...

That would be very appealing.

However, because Xiao Nannan not only often followed Qin Sheng, but was also once brought out by the God King, and they were very close, no one jumped out to investigate anything.

Everyone has already accepted that the Divine Infant belongs to the Yao Guang Holy Land.

If Ye Fan continues to take care of the children, then unless there is a life-threatening danger, the siblings will end up on the run.

The Southern Demon General Qin Sheng was invited into the cave, and Qi Qi acted as a maid, brewing tea and arranging fruit.

Qi Qi has a fiery temper and is a femme fatale. She has many followers outside and is always a proud figure like a little dragon. But here, she is just a little sister.

"Slaying the Dao to become a king, free from all shackles, Brother Qin's talent is truly admirable," Nan Yao praised.

A person of his stature possesses exceptional character; even if he is temporarily outmatched, he will not become twisted or collapse.

"I'm just taking the lead; Fellow Daoist Qi will achieve the same thing sooner or later," Qin Sheng said.
"The Demon Emperor's Palace is ancient and unpredictable. Fellow Daoist Qi was able to stand out from the crowd, and it's no surprise that he will rule a region in the future. I currently only have a few minor advantages, which are not worth mentioning."

"The future is yours."

Tosen is a very humble person.

Upon hearing this, Nan Yao was in a good mood. He felt that Qin Sheng recognized him. With Dong Xian's status and strength, there was no need for him to lie.

So that's really what Tosen was thinking.

“Actually, I know a little about Brother Qin’s background. I wonder what kind of ancient star could give birth to both Brother Qin and the Holy Body at the same time,” Nan Yao said.

"So you know we come from beyond this realm?" Qin Sheng smiled.

"I've heard that there's a Heavenly Eye within the Demon Emperor's Palace. Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qi saw something with that eye?"

Inside the Demon Emperor's Palace is a blood altar with a Heavenly Eye on it, which can be said to be one of the most magical and precious things in the world.

This thing was not made by man, but was created by nature.

Only the Great Emperor's magical power can activate the Heavenly Eye, at which time one can observe the Three Realms and Six Paths, the universe and starry sky, and even the past and future.

The people of the Demon Emperor's Palace naturally do not have the ability to use it voluntarily. However, the Heaven and Earth Eye will flash automatically every ten thousand years. During this period, even without injecting magic power, one can still use it to observe the ten directions of heaven and earth in a rudimentary way.

Nan Yao nodded, "Previously, when the ten thousand-year period had arrived, the elders in the hall used their Heavenly Eyes to observe the forbidden zones of life and search for the elixir of immortality."

"By chance, we witnessed the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin Down from the Sky and Falling into the Ancient Forbidden Land. Brother Qin, you and several dozen others emerged from the coffin and descended into this world."

Because Qin Sheng also rode the Nine Dragons Coffin, none of Ye Fan's classmates died on Mars, and they all arrived at Beidou in good condition.

As for how they lived in Beidou afterward, Qin Sheng didn't know much about it. He wasn't in the same university as Ye Fan, and he didn't know most of Ye Fan's classmates.

"The Eye of Heaven and Earth is truly miraculous," Qin Sheng exclaimed.

With the simplest application, the Demon Emperor's Palace in the Southern Ridge can see the forbidden zone of life in the Eastern Wilderness, not only by crossing the distance, but also by ignoring most of the dangers within the forbidden zone.

If that divine eye were truly activated by an ancient emperor, its effects would be unimaginable.

"When I attain enlightenment in the future, I may need to borrow the Heavenly Eye to observe all the heavens. At that time, I will ask Fellow Daoist Qi for a favor," Qin Sheng said.

Nan Yao: "..."

Didn't you say the future was mine? How did it turn into you becoming emperor?
"Why can't it be my brother who achieves enlightenment?" Qi Qi asked, somewhat unconvinced.

My brother was never inferior to anyone in his life!

"Hmm... because I'm a king now?" Qin Sheng sipped his tea.

Qi Qi was speechless, feeling that the argument was reasonable and undeniable, and muttered something under her breath.

"Slaying the Dao is impressive."

Nan Yao was promoted to a powerful figure before entering the Qishi Mansion. Now, several years have passed, and he hasn't even reached the peak of the second level of immortality, let alone the Dao-severing realm.

In order to catch up with Dongxian as soon as possible, Nanyao is already considering using the incomparably precious and irreplaceable treasures in the Demon Emperor's Palace to improve himself as quickly as possible without affecting his foundation, potential, and combat power.

This isn't just his opinion; many people share it.

Qin Sheng's act of cutting off the Dao truly terrified the world.

No matter how fast Dongxian cultivated in the past, everyone agreed that he would stay at the threshold of the Dao for a considerable period of time, giving others a chance to catch up.

In this way, falling behind temporarily is not a big problem. Everyone will be on the same starting line in the future, so there is no need to be too anxious or pay too high a price.

But now that Qin Sheng has overcome the most difficult hurdle, everyone is getting restless and is starting to consider using all available resources to pursue him.

If we don't fight now and don't rush now, Dongxian might already be a saint. What's the point of fighting then?

"Fellow Daoist Qi, you've come to find me, surely not simply to reveal my identity?" Qin Sheng said leisurely.
"My identity as an extraterrestrial visitor and Ye Zi is actually nothing special. The Yao Guang Holy Land knows this very well, as does the God King of the Jiang family. Moreover, with the inheritance of the Demon Emperor Palace, they must also know that most of the ancient emperors came from other ancient stars."

In the original timeline, when the Black Emperor was talking to an elder of the Ji family, he said that Wu Shi and Ruthless Man must be the Great Emperors of Beidou. From this, it can be deduced that not only the Void and Hengyu, but even the Western Emperor are probably outsiders.

Therefore, it would be a grave mistake to think that knowing Qin Sheng's alien identity gives you leverage over him and allows you to threaten him. Dongxian has always been half a Hokuto person.

“I am very curious about the outer space. Brother Qin himself is from beyond the space and has been to the Ziwei Ancient Star and experienced legendary things, so I would like to ask Brother Qin for some advice.” Nan Yao said, indicating his intention.

"I understand, you also want to embark on the ancient starry road?" Qin Sheng said knowingly.

It's highly likely that the Southern Demon saw the Eastern Immortal become wealthy after returning from a trip to the outer realms, and thus developed a longing for it.

The immortals can go there, and so can the demons.

It can only be said that they were still too young. The people of Beidou only saw the glory when Qin Sheng returned, but they did not know what kind of joys and sorrows he had experienced in Ziwei.

"Brother Qi, let me give you some advice. The waters beyond our borders are very deep and difficult to navigate," Qin Sheng said earnestly.

"The starry sky is vast and extremely dangerous. It is not suitable for a powerful cultivator to leave their home planet. At least one should cultivate to the point of severing the Dao before considering these matters."

“Just like Ziwei, a great master who is invisible in the Big Dipper, there are five or six of them who have shown themselves there, and there must be more hidden.”

"Just think about it, how terrifying would it be if a person of great power were hunted down by a fully accomplished king? Even the greatest heroes would not survive."

People like Nan Yao and Zhong Huang have no grudges against Qin Sheng, nor do they have any conflicts of interest with him, because Qin Sheng has never regarded these people as opponents on the path to becoming an emperor.

They are all heroes of the Big Dipper, and Qin Sheng really doesn't want these people to take him as an example, rush into the outer realms, and then type "gg" amidst laughter and cheers.

It's worth noting that even if figures like Nan Yao and Zhong Huang didn't achieve what they did in the original story, they would still be guaranteed to become quasi-emperors.

It's such a pity that he died young.

Live well now, and when Dongxian becomes an emperor in the future and rules over the nine heavens and ten earths, he can come and work for the Chaos Emperor. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Is Ziwei really that dangerous? There are so many Great Accomplishment Kings?" Qi Qi was both surprised and doubtful.

"I have no reason to lie to you." Qin Sheng shook his head and showed a screenshot of his divine sense.

It was at the Immortal Ascension Cliff that the kings fought for the first half of the Ancient Scripture of the Gods.

"This is a Human King, a Human King Body, whose strength is unbelievably powerful. His Sea of ​​Wheels was broken and his Sendai was damaged when he was young, but he still reached the realm of a Great Completion King. He is a very terrifying opponent."

"This is the Golden Crow King. I don't need to say more about the power of the Golden Crow bloodline. He has the aura of a ruler of Ziwei and is a powerful being that makes people tremble."

"Qinggu Daoist..."

Qin Sheng told Nan Yao and the others about the situation of these Ziwei Kings, "Fellow Daoist Qi, what do you think if these people attack you?"

Nan Yao remained silent, then frankly admitted, "There is no way out; death is inevitable."

"Therefore, there is no need to rush into cultivation outside the realm. It is not too late to let things settle down further."

Nan Yao was persuaded, mainly because he hadn't made up his mind to begin with, so there was no question of him lacking willpower.

"You were also present at this war of kings. What was the final result?" Qi Qi asked with bright eyes and great curiosity.

Since Jiang Taixu was trapped in Zishan, the people of Beidou have not yet witnessed the battle between Great Accomplishment Kings.

Purple Star Earth Beetle and Big Dipper Earth Beetle, elder brother, don't laugh at the second brother.

"The Human King and the Golden Crow King are both formidable opponents," Qin Sheng acknowledged.

"Although they died at my hands, I will never forget them for the rest of my life."

Nan Yao and his sister: "..."

"You killed so many Grandmaster Kings?" Qi Qi's eyes widened, her full chest heaving.

"It's nothing. The Golden Crow King and the others are just ordinary, only at the seventh level of combat strength." Qin Sheng inadvertently revealed the strength of the Golden Crow King and his group.

Nan Yao fell even more silent. Seven Forbidden Battle Power, just average. Are these two words right when put together?

"Speaking of which, Ziwei is indeed an extraordinary ancient star of life. The Golden Crow King and the others only had the advantage of being young," Qin Sheng sighed.

"Yin Tiande, the number one prodigy of Ziwei Ancient Star, is already attempting to break through to the Immortal Realm and achieve the Dao Severance. He has cultivated a divine form and touched the forbidden realm of the gods, showing the potential of an emperor."

"Even Ziwei has someone who has entered the Divine Forbidden Realm?" Nan Yao was shocked. Wasn't this another Dong Xian?
"Yes, Yin Tiande is indeed a genius of unparalleled talent." Qin Sheng nodded in praise.

"I will never forget what he gave me in my life."

"That Yin Tiande has caused you a lot of trouble?" Qi Qi guessed.

"No, I killed one of his sworn brothers and caused the decline of the clan of another of his sworn brothers, yet he never appeared before me from beginning to end," Qin Sheng said with some regret.

Even though Nan Yao and Qi Qi weren't directly involved in these events, they could tell that Yin Tiande was clearly avoiding Dong Xian's sharp edge.

Otherwise, who could put up with this kind of treatment? They're not some old tortoise.

"Then what did he bring you?" Qi Qi asked, puzzled.

Qin Sheng smiled but remained silent.

Nan Yao was silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh:
"The realm beyond the stars is indeed dangerous, a place where even the Great Emperor fought bloody battles in his youth. The ancient sages' notes have not lied to me."

Nan Yao pondered that Ziwei had a divine forbidden realm, but apart from Dong Xian, an alien, no one from Beidou native had entered the divine forbidden realm.

This shows that the overall strength of our BeiDou system is not as good as that of Ziwei.

Fortunately, the ancient starry road does not pass through Beidou; otherwise, if we were to be invaded by aliens, Beidou would probably be in grave danger.

"The current Big Dipper is enough for Fellow Daoist Qi to cultivate. As for opponents?" Qin Sheng pointed out the way to Nan Yao.

"Ancient clans will emerge, and all sorts of geniuses from the ancient era will appear. We will not lack sparring partners in the future."

"Brother Qin's words make sense," Nan Yao suddenly exclaimed.

"If you can't even reach the top of this small corner of the Big Dipper, how can you talk about conquering beyond the realms? What about the path to becoming an emperor?"

"Indeed." Qin Sheng wholeheartedly agreed.

If you can't conquer the ancient Big Dipper, what kind of emperor are you? Go raise pigs on the edge of the universe.

"As for what the starry sky looks like, Brother Qi, if you want to know, I will certainly tell you everything I know."

"My hometown..."

Qin Sheng gave a brief explanation, describing to the Southern Demons a different kind of civilization that he found very appealing.

"Technological civilization? I never imagined that such a unique ancient planet with life still existed in the world." Qi Qi was very interested in Earth.

"However, I did not expect that you, a dignified Eastern Immortal, came from an ancient star that was actually a mortal world with only a few minor cultivators."

That makes it even more shocking.

"Indeed, my home planet is too weak," Qin Sheng admitted.

Our Earth has only produced one native Celestial Emperor so far, which is quite different from the Celestial Emperors of Heaven. We still need to continue to work hard.

"Heroes come from all walks of life. Brother Qin embarked on his journey from Earth and has come this far, standing out from the crowd and truly amazing." Nan Yao praised him sincerely.

This conversation with Qin Sheng gave Nan Yao a real understanding of this Eastern Immortal.

Nan Yao felt that Dong Xian was only arrogant and domineering when facing enemies; otherwise, he was a humble and polite person.

It can be handled.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, I have long admired the Southern Ridge region. It is a divine land that has given birth to countless powerful figures."

Qin Sheng: "Especially the Heavenly Emperor of Nanling. I also obtained her secret techniques in Ziwei. I wonder how much the Demon Emperor Palace knows about this peerless expert?"

"Brother Qin has been honest with me, so I shouldn't hide anything from him..." Nan Yao also spoke frankly, telling Qin Sheng many secrets about Nanling.

After chatting with the Nan Yao siblings for a while, Qin Sheng left gracefully with the Three Treasures Chicken.

Nan Yao stared silently into the void, while Qi Qi looked at her brother, hesitating several times before Nan Yao finally spoke.

"How about Tosen?"

"He's so arrogant! He thinks he's really the Great Emperor!" Qi Qi said without hesitation, then paused, her voice becoming much softer.

"While he certainly has the qualifications, and aside from his sometimes awful way of speaking, he's actually a pretty good person. As for the Dao-Slaying technique, how did he cultivate it...?"

“Yes, with his strength, he has the right to say or do anything, and no one can question him.” Nan Yao nodded.

"After some time, I plan to go to the Eastern Wilderness and stay there for a long time."

What are you going there for?

"Ancient races are about to emerge, and the Eastern Wilderness will become the battlefield of the Big Dipper in the future." The Southern Demon's eyes held the rise and fall of stars.

"Just as Dongxian said, there are too many uncertainties in the starry sky, and Donghuang is a good choice."

After talking with Qin Sheng, Nan Yao also regained consciousness.

In fact, whether it is a clear record in ancient books or a rumor of unknown veracity, it is rare for a great person to travel far beyond the borders.

This has proven that people at this level should not be doing these things.

After leaving the Southern Demon's cave, Qin Sheng continued to fly slowly, but unfortunately, even after returning to the cave, no one else stepped forward to give him a gift like the Southern Demon had.

"Emperor Zhong, Xia Yiming, Princess Yudie, Princess Yueling..."

Dongxian remembered that these people did not give Qin Sheng any gifts.

Ye Fan was stunned when he saw Qin Sheng slowly flying back, carrying a fish in his left hand and a chicken in his right.

Does Qishi Academy offer such benefits to its students?

"That's right, this is a reward from Qishi Academy for outstanding students," Qin Sheng said seriously.
"You're involved too."

"What are you going to give me?" Ye Fan asked in surprise. He took it seriously and thought that the Qishi Mansion was quite humane, but the reward was a bit too simple.

"I'll send you an egg," Qin Sheng said with a smile.

Ye Fan understood perfectly well that it was just a joke, but he was already used to it. He asked, "What does the Qishi Mansion want with you?"

"A reclusive sage sought me out," Qin Sheng said casually.
"They said I am a once-in-a-millennium genius, and that the task of maintaining world peace will be entrusted to me from now on."

Ye Fan thought about it and nodded in agreement, "That makes a lot of sense. If you can't maintain world peace, then no one can."

"No, there's also you."

"Big brother!" the little girl called out happily as she ran over. She looked at the fish, then at the chicken, and asked with great curiosity:

"what is this?"

"It's an old man, and it's also a gift from Nan Yao to Nan Nan. We'll stew them in a bit."

"Grandpa? Southern Demon?" The little guy shook his head.

"The little girl doesn't remember who they are."

Very well, you were eliminated in the first round of the slave interview.

After handing the golden dragon fish and three-treasure chicken to the little girl, Qin Sheng and Ye Fan strolled through the mountains. They overheard Master Ye say:
"I don't plan to return to the Eastern Wilderness with you. Instead, I'm going to leave Qishi Mansion and venture into the Central Plains."

"So you want to make a name for yourself again?" Qin Sheng was not surprised at all.

"...Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, never underestimate a young man's potential!" Master Ye argued.

“Before I came to Zhongzhou, I made a vow to make everyone see me and respect me. I feel that I have already succeeded halfway, and it’s time to complete the other half.”

"The Three Evils of the Big Dipper, your name is known throughout the Central Plains, you have truly made everyone see you." Qin Sheng's approval grew stronger.

Ye Fan had nothing more to say.

"Black Emperor and Duan De have already left. Are you going to find them?"

"Even a dog wouldn't walk with those two bastards. There's never a peaceful day when you're with them," Ye Fan said angrily.

"I feel like I'm always being hunted down in Beidou because I'm being dragged down by them."

"Sigh." Qin Sheng sighed. It's important for a person to know their own limitations, but Master Ye clearly didn't.

"Go ahead."

I can only take care of your sister for you now.

(P.S.: This is a combined chapter. I'm going to visit relatives today, so I don't have time to write anymore. That's all for now.)

(End of this chapter)