"Uncle, are we just going to sit here?"
"Cultivate."
"Just cultivate?"
"Yes."
Cultivation is indeed monotonous.
In the Thirty-third Heaven, Cao ErZhu sat cross-legged, occasionally chatting idly with the voice in his mind.
After this dry conversation, he clearly couldn't sit any longer. His eyelids fluttered twice, then he chose to open them, asking dejectedly:
"Uncle, what if we finish cultivating?"
"SiShe, you've finished cultivating too?"
"Yes."
"...Your old man really built a good foundation for you."
"My old man is amazing." Cao ErZhu gave a thumbs up, his eyes filled with admiration.
KuiLeiHan, indeed, was amazing.
ShenYi couldn't help but fall silent.
With his temperament and achievements, he rarely admired anyone to this extent. BaZunAn was one, and KuiLeiHan was another.
Leaving Xu XiaoShou aside, the father-son duo's physical training talent was the greatest ShenYi had ever seen in his life.
His father was regrettable; he mistakenly entered the path of spirit refinement, yet managed to stumble and cultivate a Grandmaster body.
Later, he only taught him a basic ancient martial art called "Gentleman's Body Forging Method," and he quickly cultivated a Throne body.
Such talent was extraordinary in the world.
However, in order to imprison himself, he voluntarily dispersed his Throne body, leaving no hope of further progress in this life.
If he had focused on cultivating ancient martial arts, he would have achieved great things.
His son...
Cao ErZhu should be called "terrifying"!
Though his father was constrained, his ambition could be glimpsed from what ErZhu cultivated.
Spirit refinement thunder-element mysteries, the six transformations of CheShenNian, twenty-five years of only cultivating basic ancient martial arts...
According to this little guy who fully confided in him, he had also dabbled in ancient swordsmanship, possibly under YouTu, but that path didn't materialize.
It didn't matter!
Just based on the first three, which path wasn't a broad road leading to the Ancestral God?
With KuiLeiHan leading the way and arranging everything, Cao ErZhu's path to Half-Saint had almost no wrong steps, nor any wasted time.
Even cultivating all three simultaneously, they didn't hinder each other; on the contrary, they complemented each other.
In fact, the ancient martial arts Xu XiaoShou cultivated were somewhat unorthodox, not pure.
Cao ErZhu was completely different!
KuiLeiHan seemed to have long anticipated that his son would one day meet him. He had already improved the "Gentleman's Body Forging Method" he taught him, transforming it into the "Gentleman's Violent Hammer Method," laying an almost "perfect" ancient martial arts foundation for his son.
If an outsider were to improve the basic body-forging method of ancient martial arts, ShenYi would disdain it.
KuiLeiHan...
This guy was truly cultivating with his brain.
He innovated, saving the vast amount of time, materials, and money required for the "Gentleman's Body Forging Method" by replacing them with thunder-element mysteries and FaShenXingJie.
Thunder-element spirit refinement stimulated the muscles, vitalized the entire body, and nourished muscle regeneration;
FaShenXingJie deeply excavated potential, reforming ErZhu's physical body from childhood, continuously for over twenty years.
A body nurtured in this way had an even stronger foundation than ShenYi's body, which was cultivated through acquired medicinal baths!
ErZhu wasn't a Holy Body, nor even a Spirit Body... of course, it was also possible that ShenYi admitted he was undiscerning and couldn't tell.
But he could tell at a glance that after over twenty years of tempering, his body's sensitivity to thunder, CheShenNian, and ancient martial arts surpassed even that of a Holy Body!
Now, upon encountering true ancient martial arts, ShenYi was truly tired of saying the phrase "accumulate broadly and burst forth" for several days.
Eight Gates achieved quickly.
Seven Mansions achieved quickly.
All Six Paths comprehended within a few days.
Even SiShe, which reached the Transcendent Dao Transformation level, was effortlessly grasped.
How many people immersed themselves in ancient martial arts, grinding for half a lifetime, yet couldn't cultivate Eight Gates or Seven Mansions?
Wang DaChui was the best example.
What does "sharpening the axe doesn't delay chopping wood" mean?
Twenty-six years of grinding the Dao foundation, and less than a month to cultivate "SiShe Cao ErZhu," that is the best example.
Of course, KuiLeiHan's secret recipe for quick leveling also had its drawbacks.
Though a carnivorous plant could be grown in a greenhouse, its mind was inferior even to a rose.
A rose still had thorns.
If Cao ErZhu didn't actively poke his head out of the vase, others would think he was a harmless morning glory.
In contrast, Xu XiaoShou, who was several years younger than him, was far stronger than Cao ErZhu in terms of worldly experience.
"Cultivating to SiShe, you should stop now."
After a sigh, ShenYi chose to stop him in time, because forcing growth was wrong.
After SiShe, came the Three Realms.
The Three Realms, however, most required worldly experience, something Cao ErZhu severely lacked.
"ErZhu, remember this."
"Whether it's the path of spirit refinement, the path of CheShenNian, or the path of ancient martial arts, your current fortune has reached the limit of human power."
"Next, what you need to cultivate is related to the soul and will, it's the understanding gained from entering and leaving the mortal world."
"I don't know if your old man taught you these, but in my opinion, these are things you can never learn in a blacksmith shop."
"That's why, perhaps, your old man is willing to let you enter the Spirit Refinement Realm today."
Old man...
At the mention of his old man, Cao ErZhu became sad.
Whenever he woke up at midnight, he would always see that handshake pattern, always see that head stuffed into a wine barrel by who-knows-who.
Fortunately, whenever this happened, the immortal-like Elder Li would appear, comfort his startled self, and perform immortal arts to wake him from the nightmare.
Elder Li should be stronger than Uncle Yi and his old man, right?
ErZhu was too sad to answer.
ShenYi could only sigh lightly, but didn't explain how KuiLeiHan could have had his head cut off. He continued, as if to himself:
"According to the cultivation method of ancient martial arts, next, you will comprehend the 'Three Realms'."
"What are the Three Realms? Disconnect, Detach, Annihilate!"
"From the perspective of the Buddhist school in the Western Regions, these are also the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm."
"What 'Disconnect, Detach, Annihilate' means, and what 'Desire, Form, Formless Realm' means, these, I will not tell you."
Why?
Cao ErZhu tilted his head, indicating he didn't understand.
If Uncle told him, since he was bored anyway, maybe he could succeed in cultivating it?
ShenYi merely said:
"The Three Realms cannot be fully cultivated."
"Mortals cultivating the Three Realms are like forcibly opening SiShe in the Saint God Continent; the outcome will surely be death."
"Of the seven emotions and six desires, you've only experienced familial affection. There's also friendship, love, and various other desires. These you cannot experience in a blacksmith shop."
I had friendship...
Cao ErZhu thought of Sister BaYue and the Old Man, but unfortunately, they had both left him, just like his old man.
Cao ErZhu became even sadder.
"Parting is also an emotion."
"Reunion is also an experience."
"When you can calmly deal with these emotions, then you can begin the formal cultivation of the Three Realms."
"And before that..."
ShenYi paused, then smiled: "You need to start by experiencing love. After you go out, don't cultivate anymore. Go find your beloved first!"
Love...
Cao ErZhu's face flushed, feeling a bit awkward.
He had heard of love, he had read about love in "Spirit Refinement Miscellany" and various readings from neighbors.
He knew ShenYi and XiangYaoYao.
He understood BaZunAn and YueGongNu.
He also knew that the reason he was born into this world was because his old man had also cultivated love, though...
Mother...
Cao ErZhu became even, even sadder.
ShenYi sighed deeply. Indeed, when a person is bored, they only let their mind wander, and a dark environment easily traps people in emotional pitfalls, leading to wild thoughts.
He changed the subject:
"Ancient martial arts are not practiced out, they are fought out. After you go out, you don't need to cultivate diligently anymore. Instead, you need to learn to 'play' and 'fight'."
"If you don't understand these, just follow Xu XiaoShou. You don't need to ask for guidance; you'll learn unconsciously."
Play...
Cao ErZhu didn't know how to play.
But following Big Brother XiaoShou, everything they experienced was exciting and happy. This must be playing!
Fight...
He could still understand that.
He looked ahead, into the darkness.
The tree house was clearly gone, the black branches covering everything had lost their vitality, and the restraints of the entire Thirty-third Heaven had long vanished.
Cao ErZhu's mind became active: "Uncle, then, shall we fight our way out?"
Going out now would mean directly facing the DiYing ShengZhu and CuiYin XieShen.
ShenYi shook his head: "There's no need to fight the Ancestral Tree and Ancestral God right after coming out. Your old man's standards, I really don't understand."
"But the branches are gone..."
Cao ErZhu was very tempted.
Early on, the branches had lost their vitality.
The woman in the black dress no longer appeared, and he subtly felt that the purple monster had also left.
This was a great opportunity. Perhaps they were busy with other things right now. If they fought their way out, they would win!
"ErZhu, do you believe in pie in the sky?"
But with Uncle Yi's words, Cao ErZhu calmed down again.
Just as his old man said, such good fortune and coincidence couldn't possibly happen, right?
"No."
"That's right. As soon as the enemy retreats a step, you eagerly rush forward, stepping into every trap ahead."
"But if we don't fight our way out, we won't know what traps are ahead!" Cao ErZhu pouted.
That's true...
ShenYi sighed helplessly. If this were his body, he would have fought his way out long ago, regardless of any traps outside.
But now this body belonged to ErZhu, so he really couldn't!
He himself could perish, because he could revive if given the chance.
If KuiLeiHan knew that his son, under his care, would still have to experience the pain of his body turning to ashes...
Not to mention KuiLeiHan wouldn't agree.
ShenYi himself wouldn't allow it.
As for ErZhu, this nephew, he didn't say it, but he cherished him greatly!
After a long struggle, Cao ErZhu suddenly made up his mind and spoke solemnly:
"I want to go out!"
"Oh?"
ShenYi was surprised, but he wouldn't rashly interrupt a young man's determined decision based on his own experienced judgment. He only asked: "Why?"
Cao ErZhu was overjoyed.
If it were his old man, he would be scolded or beaten at this point. Uncle Yi was too kind, he could actually discuss it?
He hastily explained: "I don't know what traps are outside, but I know I don't like staying still anymore..."
Having stayed in the blacksmith shop for twenty-six years, he finally found liberation in QingYuan Mountain, partly due to his old man's restraints being gone.
Cao ErZhu's heart began to thump.
He would rather face danger, face death, than sit idly and wait for death.
Just as Big Brother XiaoShou had said...
"Are kings, marquises, generals, and chancellors born to be so?"
What does this have to do with "Are kings, marquises, generals, and chancellors born to be so?"... ShenYi listened to ErZhu's emboldened roar, then after a moment of silence, said:
"Follow the feeling of your heart."
The cultivation of the Three Realms, perhaps, had already begun at this moment!
Cao ErZhu's blood boiled, and he suddenly stood up from the ground.
"Thank you, Uncle."
He extended a foot.
And stepped forward.
After taking one step, no trap was triggered.
ErZhu was overjoyed: "Uncle, no traps!"
ErZhu strode forward, taking another ten steps.
He vengefully stomped on the tree house branches that had previously trapped him. The latter didn't even react.
ErZhu was even happier: "Uncle, there really are no traps!"
Cao ErZhu began to stride, swing his arms, and run in the darkness.
His sturdy, giant-like physique, with every step he took on the scattered branches, could crack the withered branches.
The "crackling" sound of the withered branches breaking was like the sound of dry wood burning in a raging fire.
Blazing flames burned brightly in the darkness.
Cao ErZhu went from running, to sprinting, to transforming into a purple lightning bolt, traversing the dark environment of the Thirty-third Heaven.
The purple lightning shone brightly, as if splitting heaven and earth into clear distinction.
His heart, too, found liberation and regained freedom in the enclosed and dim environment!
"Zzzz—"
The purple lightning tore through the void, sprinting for a full three thousand li. Cao ErZhu could no longer contain the joy of liberation after being imprisoned in the tree house.
He faced the howling wind, spread his arms, and opened his mouth wide...
ShenYi timely sealed his six senses.
"Are kings, marquises, generals, and chancellors born to be so!!!"
His voice was like a thunderstorm, raging across the nine heavens.
The sky rumbled with a mighty roar, and thunderclouds subtly gathered. Cao ErZhu was startled.
About to break through?
But why did the tribulation come so quickly? Wasn't there still one more realm?
"Uncle!"
When in doubt, call out for Uncle.
ShenYi's six senses were sealed for only a moment. When he recovered, he also noticed this strange phenomenon.
He smiled with relief.
This was a good thing.
Dao Severing, Nine Deaths Thunder Tribulation, TaiXu, Saint Tribulation...
With Cao ErZhu's talent, once the mental shackles were removed, it was not impossible for him to ascend straight to the clouds and usher in the Saint Emperor Tribulation, ShenYi thought.
But before he could speak, telling ErZhu to focus on breaking through.
The guy suddenly clutched his stomach, saying in a strange tone:
"Uncle, what a strange feeling..."
What's wrong?
ShenYi was puzzled.
A spirit refinement breakthrough is a breakthrough. Although Uncle doesn't understand, he has also cultivated to the TaiXu level.
Is your tribulation perhaps another layer, breaking open from the inside out, from your stomach?
"Calm your mind, quiet your qi."
"This is your good fortune."
No!
It doesn't feel like good fortune!
Rather, it feels like...
"Uncle, I feel like I'm about to give birth again!" Cao ErZhu panicked.
DiYing ShengZhu?
Indeed, she was ambushed nearby. As soon as Cao ErZhu came out, she wanted to seize his Dao Infant again?
"Get rid of it first!"
"Try to preserve your physical body."
"If you lose this body, neither of us will have a vessel, and we'll truly fall into the hands of DiYing ShengZhu and XieShen."
Okay...
Although Cao ErZhu hadn't experienced love, he was already very experienced in the matter of getting rid of children.
He materialized FaShenXingJie and struck at the energy frantically gathering in his belly.
"Boom!"
Purple lightning surged, forming a sea of thunder around him.
However, this time, the powerful energy, like that of a Dao Infant, did not die out as before.
On the contrary, it grew more intense, surging from his belly into his chest, from his throat into his mouth...
"Uncle!"
"What's wrong again?"
"I, I seem to be truly giving birth!"
"Don't talk nonsense, just get rid of it. You're a boy, how can you give birth?"
"From, from my mouth..."
Cao ErZhu would rather die than give birth to another child through his mouth.
He desperately swallowed the power, he "vomited," he "swallowed," he "vomited" again, he "swallowed" again...
"Are kings, marquises, generals, and chancellors born to be so..."
Cao ErZhu roared to bolster his courage, but the last word couldn't come out. His cheeks puffed up, and he let out a "blech."
Birth...
No, after spitting it out, he felt much more comfortable.
Cao ErZhu wiped his mouth, feeling sticky, and looked down at his child...
It wasn't a child after all!
It was a lump of flesh that looked as if it had been electrocuted, with complex Heavenly Mystery formations on it.
Subtly, Cao ErZhu could feel that the power that had burned the formation was not from himself, but should belong to his old man's FaShenXingJie.
"How did my old man's power appear in my body?" ErZhu scratched his head.
Uncle Yi's voice suddenly appeared, this time no longer calm, but with a hint of panic:
"Have you ever come into contact with DaoQiongCang?"
DaoQiongCang? Oh, that Heavenly Mystery Diviner?
Cao ErZhu nodded: "I shook his hand once, but my old man helped me wash it off."
"It can't be washed off!"
ShenYi roared, saying definitively: "Immediately, right now, SiShe, abandon your physical body!"
What?
If so, won't the two of us have to drift as soul forms together?
Cao ErZhu hesitated for only a moment.
ShenYi sighed: "It's too late, the chance your old man created is gone..."
ErZhu was confused.
He hadn't even had time to ask a question.
In his mind, a "handshake pattern" suddenly lit up.
His face instantly turned deathly pale. Cao ErZhu hastily brought out the hand that had shaken the Heavenly Mystery Diviner's hand, and sure enough, there was a "handshake pattern" on his palm.
"No..."
"Impossible!"
"My old man helped me, my old man can do anything, my old man is omnipotent, how could you still..."
Cao ErZhu's voice trailed off. He suddenly knelt on one knee with a thump, raised his hands high, and chanted devoutly:
"Great God's Descent Art!"
On the Ten Thrones, ShenYi had witnessed the showy old Daoist's Great God's Descent Art.
This guy was like an immortal cockroach; smashed by a punch, he could revive in another form.
But this time, the feeling was completely different.
He was inside Cao ErZhu's body, temporarily residing in this body through the Path of Hell. He was equivalent to half of Cao ErZhu's soul...
From his own perspective, he watched himself—Cao ErZhu's body began to split open little by little, from his belly, chest, to his head...
Blood spread across the ground.
Cao ErZhu, who had cultivated to SiShe, had no power to resist.
He had strength but was utterly clueless on how to deal with this internal and external conquest, how to fight against a sneak attack from a fully mature Ten Thrones from the past.
ShenYi also didn't know.
He was powerless to change the current reality, only calmly stating:
"If you kill him, I will kill you."
"Up to the highest heavens, down to the deepest underworld."
*Tear*...
Cao ErZhu's eyeballs fell out, his limbs disintegrated, his entire body was like a bursting dam, unable to stop the flood.
Suddenly, the spilled water gathered.
The Sky Painting Scroll unfolded beneath Cao ErZhu's feet. A mysterious light of Heavenly Mystery fell upon him, and his body rapidly repaired itself.
His limbs, like broken lotus roots, reattached along with the blood...
His eyeballs were snatched, stuffed into his mouth, then pulled out, wiped across his nostrils, and pushed back into his eye sockets...
The wounds on his body healed little by little, his powerful muscles no longer tearing, becoming perfect like jade sculptures...
Cao ErZhu's features returned to their previous simple and honest appearance.
But this time, after his features moved...
His eyes gained a playful power that he should not have been able to possess!
And a smile that seemed both a smile and not a smile, which he might never cultivate in his lifetime, hung on his lips!
Cao ErZhu opened his mouth, his voice no longer deep, but rather very gentle:
"How could that be?"
"This isn't just your nephew; when he was so small, I even held him!"
Cao Er... no, DaoQiongCang handled these two large arms, uncomfortably making a gesture of holding a baby and rocking a cradle.
After a pause, ErZhu's eyebrows were raised high by him:
"Indeed, you're here too!"
ShenYi was silent.
I'm here too?
What does that mean?
You possessed his body, and you also knew I was in him?
This seemed completely impossible to calculate, but if it was DaoQiongCang... ShenYi didn't think further, only sneered: "DaoQiongCang, KuiLeiHan will kill you."
"Watch out for yourself!" Cao ErZhu laughed heartily, holding his stomach, but DaoQiongCang's voice came out of his mouth:
"ShenYi, you have such gall."
"This is ErZhu. You have such a good relationship with his father, and you possess his body?"
After a pause, DaoQiongCang spoke sarcastically, eloquently:
"Are you really not afraid of me complaining to Cao YiHan? You, the venerable one, possessing ErZhu's body, have you respected his privacy?"
"For the sake of survival, you've utterly lost your conscience!"
"What difference is there between you today and a beast?"
"Where is the 'Ghost Gate Pass, God is God' I knew, the 'Overlord in hand, the world is mine'?"
"Hiding in the Dead Futu City for over twenty years, I thought you were cultivating, but you actually regressed?"
"You'd be better off committing suicide than talking to me from inside your nephew's body right now. If I were you, I'd shut up from now on!"
ShenYi fell silent.
He had taught Xiang'er how to deal with DaoQiongCang.
He hadn't expected that upon meeting again, he still couldn't help but speak.
He should have remained silent from the beginning, not giving this guy a chance to spout nonsense, and certainly not shutting up only when he was told to.
ShenYi truly shut up.
He didn't want to give DaoQiongCang any more leverage.
"Heh, spineless coward, not daring to utter a single word."
DaoQiongCang sneered, bent down, and picked up the lump of organ on the ground. This was the superficial "handshake" imprinted that day, precisely for KuiLeiHan to wash away.
The true Great God's Descent Art imprint was etched in memory. If Cao YiHan were proficient in the path of memory, he could indeed wash it away.
It was a pity, he was thunder-element, not memory-element.
"ShenYi, I'm not you. I possess ErZhu's body for a reason, and of course, I've also preserved his soul."
DaoQiongCang patted the lump of organ, activating the second layer of the great formation within it, which could capture Cao ErZhu's soul.
Either restrain or exchange.
Anyway, having possessed ErZhu's body, there was nothing more to say to KuiLeiHan. It would be good to exchange his son's soul for something.
And now ShenYi was here too, which was great.
The law doesn't punish the multitude. This soul must be well protected; it's a favor.
However, a scan with Saint Thought revealed the spirit formation was empty.
Cao ErZhu's soul was gone.
"What!"
At this moment, even DaoQiongCang's hand trembled involuntarily.
ErZhu, dead?
A catastrophic, world-ending thunder calamity flashed through his mind.
How could ErZhu die? If he died, who would contain that thunderous storm?
Before he could speak, a strange voice appeared in his mind:
"Uncle, so this is how you're possessing me?"
Cao ErZhu?
DaoQiongCang was startled.
ShenYi was also startled. After a moment of愣, he understood something.
This guy, after being possessed, returned to his body through the Path of Hell?
He was still in his own body, but the body was no longer his own... ShenYi felt a bitter taste in his heart: "DaoQiongCang, what a good job you've done!"
As soon as DaoQiongCang heard ErZhu's voice, he forgot about ShenYi and everything else. Regardless of how he remained in his mind, he said:
"ErZhu, want to experience a 'God War'?"
Cao ErZhu was silent.
He had no good impression of this strange uncle.
Especially since this guy had a bad relationship with Uncle Yi, which further proved how right his old man's words were:
No one who plays with those patterns is a good person.
Except for Big Brother XiaoShou.
DaoQiongCang knew children's temperaments too well, and chuckled:
"Your Uncle Yi is a coward. If he possesses you, you can only wait for death, so he lures you with kind words so you don't feel disgusted by him."
"But your Uncle Dao, I don't have so many hidden motives or dirty tricks. I swear I'll only borrow your body for a bit and return it to you after the fight."
Is that so?
Cao ErZhu was bewildered. Uncle Dao, Uncle Yi, which one is the good uncle? It should be Uncle Yi, right!
ShenYi did not speak.
DaoQiongCang chuckled again, saying:
"Or let's put it this way, your Big Brother XiaoShou is currently locked in a death battle with CuiYin XieShen. Your Uncle Yi possesses you and orders you to stay put."
"I don't know what his intentions are, but he definitely can't be one of CuiYin XieShen's people, can he? He's so powerful, and he even has the beautiful legend of 'Ghost Gate Pass, God is God'."
Big Brother XiaoShou?
Big Brother XiaoShou is in danger?
Cao ErZhu panicked; he wanted to help.
"He's going to die!"
DaoQiongCang spread Cao ErZhu's hands, shrugging along: "Your Uncle Yi is silent!"
"Uncle Yi isn't like that!"
Cao ErZhu could see a person's essence, just as he could see Elder Mei's true appearance.
He believed in Uncle Yi's character; perhaps he just didn't know...
"Ignorance is also a fault."
"Stupidity is an unforgivable evil."
DaoQiongCang let out a light chuckle, knowing when to stop, no longer overly stepping on ShenYi. Now he didn't even need to inflate his own worth, merely saying:
"Choose."
"I can also abandon your Big Brother XiaoShou, because I don't want you to get hurt, or even die."
"After all, on the other side is CuiYin XieShen..."
Cao ErZhu didn't hesitate: "I want to help!"
"Alright."
DaoQiongCang tapped ErZhu's head, saying with interest:
"But you need to know that you and ShenYi don't need to do anything. One says a word, the other is even silent."
"And because of this, I might have to pay a price as high as my life to participate in the Evil God's war."
Cao ErZhu felt a pang of unwillingness: "Thank you for your trouble."
DaoQiongCang laughed heartily: "Actually, it's no trouble. Xu XiaoShou and I are also friends..."
"How about this!"
He paused, then calmly said: "You say 'Yi Dog, get out of my body,' and I'll go save Xu XiaoShou."
ShenYi was furious.
Cao ErZhu fell into a dilemma; he simply couldn't say it. Uncle Yi was his teacher.
DaoQiongCang chuckled, waved his hand and said:
"I'm not teasing you anymore."
"Call me Uncle Dao. Uncle will take you to fight the Evil God."
Call him Uncle...
Cao ErZhu became even more hesitant.
His old man had said that this guy was absolutely not a good person!
"Very well, Xu XiaoShou and the others, let them die. After all, they're just friends..."
"No!"
Cao ErZhu anxiously cried out: "Uncle! Uncle Dao! Please save my Big Brother XiaoShou!"
[2 minutes ago] Chapter 1104: Heavenly Demon
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