Chapter 309: The Ups and Downs of the Sea
Lu Changan remembered that when he did not leave the Liang Kingdom, the Chen Guoxiu Immortal Realm was destroyed, and the Yuanying Ancestor of the Tianluo Sect was destroyed in his physical body, and the Yuanying Soul Body fled for his life.
That was decades ago, though.
"Returning to Your Excellency the Black Lord, the Tianluo Sect has suffered many major defeats in the war against the Demon Dao, which has made the leader of the Guardian Dao Alliance, 'Chu Tianfeng', dissatisfied. A few years ago, Tianluo Ancestor was seriously injured again, and Yuan Ying was out of his body, and now he is recuperating and recovering his strength. The Lord of the Chu League simply handed over the command of the Jing Kingdom's Immortal Cultivation Realm to Xuanyin Sect Sect Liang Shaotian......"
Zhou Qingxuan replied, explaining the details.
was seriously injured again, and the baby was out of the body?
Lu Chang'an had a strange heart, it seemed that the strength of Tianluo Ancestor was five or five different from that of the Fire Master.
They are all in the same level as Yuanying, their strength is mediocre, and they are not very outstanding.
The Yuanying Zhenjun who is fighting against him is from the top Demon Dao Sect in Daqing, and there is naturally a gap in strength.
For the out-of-body Yuan Infant Spirit Body, Lu Changan instinctively moved.
But if you want to light up the fifth life, according to the vague information fed back from the Nine Seal Tablet, it is speculated that you need to devour ten Yuan Infants, or one Yuan Infant of the God Heavenly Monarch.
Lu Changan directly dispelled the idea, the risk was extremely high, and there was no benefit.
This is not a plan that can be implemented at this stage.
"A major defeat for the Tianluo Sect?"
Lu Changan was more interested in the affairs of Jing Guo's cultivation of the immortal realm.
The neutral Immortal Cultivation Kingdom not only gave birth to the son of luck, but also had a hero like Liang Shaotian in charge, as well as a bandit like Xiang Jinglong.
Lu Changan had cultivated in Jingguo for many years, and excavated Xia Wenyue, who was born with the Dao body.
According to Zhou Qingxuan's statement, Tianluo Sect mainly suffered three major defeats:
First, the Chen Kingdom was defeated too quickly that year, and was captured by the Valley of the Beast King, which made the Feng Kingdom sandwiched on both sides.
Second, the Tianluo Sect was heavily infiltrated by the Infernal Gate, and leaked information many times, affecting the battle situation and annoying the high-level leaders of the Guardian Dao Alliance.
Third, a few years ago, the Demon Dao captured half of the territory of Jing Kingdom, when Tianluo Sect got the command, but it was a mess again, and the Yuanying Ancestor was seriously injured, and the Yuanying Ancestor was out of the body again.
The Lord of the Chu Alliance was completely disappointed in the Tianluo Sect and gave command to the Xuanyin Sect.
Lu Changan was also speechless after hearing this.
Back then, Tianluo Sect suppressed internally and ran rampant. The Xie family developed the sect into a family style and covered the sky in the Chen State.
Invincible internally.
The foreign war resists the devil, but he pulls his crotch so much.
Not only that, Tianluo Sect also brought his domineering style to Jing Kingdom to compete for the territory of the spiritual vein.
The local forces of Jing State have a lot of resentment against the Tianluo Sect, and would rather support the Xuanyin Demon Sect in the past.
The Xuanyin Sect at least has strong execution, and there are not so many moths.
During the two serious injuries of Tianluo Ancestor, the command was temporarily handed over to the Xuanyin Sect, and the situation was stabilized.
After Ling Yu Zhenjun, the son of luck, intervened, the Demon Dao did not dare to send the Yuan Infant to Jing Kingdom.
In the absence of Yuanying Zhenjun on both sides, the Xuanyin Sect integrated the major immortal cultivation forces of the Jing Kingdom and expelled the demon army.
Of course, the success of the expulsion is also due to Ling Yu Zhenjun's prestige.
Liang Shaotian himself is actually not good at fighting.
However, his disciple Li Hai is good at commanding and strategizing.
Xiang Jinglong's protector, as a third-order body cultivator, is good at fighting small-scale battles.
Liang Shaotian's personal prestige is based on playing.
In the Demon Dao battlefield, Liang Shaotian once killed the Beast King Valley's Jiedan Overhaul, and there were more Demon Dao real people who died in his hands, and his achievements were impressive.
He was undefeated against the "Peacock Saint", even if he was suppressed to a certain extent.
Liang Shaotian is known as the first monk of the Weidao League.
After the Xuanyin Sect was established on the border of Jing State, it recruited disciples, continued to draw new blood, and grew stronger day by day.
After experiencing the war, the strength of the Xuanyin Sect increased instead of decreasing, and became the first immortal cultivation force in Jing Kingdom.
"Two hundred years of ups and downs, the notorious evil cultivator who was wanted by the sect back then has now faintly become a giant in the world of cultivating immortals."
Lu Changan recalled the beginning, meeting Liang Shaotian.
At that time, the other party was also a small person.
An injured evil cultivator in the early stage of foundation building was chased and injured by others, and his cultivation fell for a time, and he was in danger.
……
Half an hour later, he ended his questioning of Zhou Qingxuan.
Lu Changan has a comprehensive and general understanding of the situation of the Demon Dao War of the Weidao Alliance.
The main battlefield of the Weidao League is the Fengguo Immortal Cultivation Realm, and there are three major Yuanying sects in the country.
The two countries of Chen and Yan in the southwest have been captured by the Valley of the Beast King.
Feng Country is vast, cultivates immortal sects, and has many family forces, which is the most difficult bone to gnaw on in the Demon Dao, and it is also the backbone of the Weidao Alliance.
As long as the Feng country is destroyed, it means that the general trend of the entire Weidao Alliance has gone.
The strategy of the Valley of the Beastmaster has formed a half-pack.
If you defeat Jing and Liang again, it is equivalent to copying to the rear of Feng State.
At that time, the besieged Feng Kingdom will not be able to escape.
The appearance of the son of luck in Jing changed the pattern of war, so that the invasion momentum of the Beast King Valley stopped in front of Jing Guo.
"That Ling Yu Zhenjun can be regarded as saving Liang Guo by the way."
Lu Changan said secretly.
Liang and Jing are adjacent to each other, and once Jing is defeated, it will be Liang's turn.
With the serious injury of the Sect Master of the Beast King Valley, the offensive of the Demon Dao invasion slowed down.
The two camps are currently in a stalemate.
Zhou Qingxuan also mentioned a small piece of news.
It is said that there is a possibility of a truce between the Guardian Alliance and the Valley of the Beast King, and there are high-level contacts between the two sides.
This is good news for the vast immortal cultivation realm of the Guardian Dao Alliance.
Lu Changan frowned.
For him personally, this is bad news.
Over the years, the Peacock Holy Maiden has not come to him for trouble, mainly because she was involved in the Immortal Cultivation War.
On the battlefield of the Demon Dao, there are relatively few confrontations between Yuan Ying.
As a top-notch Jiedan overhaul, the Peacock Holy Maiden is an important combat force on the battlefield of the Demon Dao, and has a great impact on local wars.
This woman couldn't spare more than a year or two to go to the boundless desert area to hunt down Lu Changan.
During the war, it is also risky to go around to the rear of the enemy.
Moreover, the Demon Dao War is a rare opportunity for her.
Plunder resources, obtain battle merits, and exchange them for precious resources at the Yuan Infant level.
The greater the merit, the higher the priority for obtaining the Infant Pill in the Valley of the Beastmaster.
Once the Demon Dao War ceases, even if it is suspended for several years.
The Peacock Saintess will be able to free her hands!
This woman failed once and tasted bitterness here in Lu Chang'an.
If you act again, you will definitely not take it lightly, and you may even ask for the help of powerful colleagues.
"Fortunately, the worst didn't happen."
Lu Changan was fortunate that both Jing and Liang were defended.
The influence of the Beastmaster Valley could not radiate to the Fengyuan Kingdom in the vast desert.
The Peacock Saintess dealt with Lu Chang'an, mainly relying on her own ability, and she could not overwhelm people with power.
……
The puppet clone did not leave the Imperial Beast Zhou family immediately.
For the Demon Dao battlefield, Lu Changan also needs to know more information to help with future divination.
He wanted to personally ask Xing Peng, the incense master of the Infernal Gate.
Zhou Qingxuan is Xing Peng's upline, controlling the latter's Gu worm ban and stabilizing it every three years.
A few days later.
A mysterious man in a gray robe and a hood quietly entered the Imperial Beast Zhou family.
"Xing Peng, I've seen Your Excellency the Black Lord."
Xing Peng bowed and saluted, but he didn't see the reality of the puppet clone, and sensed the fluctuation of his divine consciousness far beyond himself, and his heart was awe-inspiring.
A few years ago, Lu Changan traded the mutilated puppet inheritance of the Thousand Machine Sect at the auction and absorbed the simulation skills in it.
Ordinary puppets have no real divine soul power.
Lu Changan's puppet clone doppelganger.
With the simulation skills of thousands of machines, as long as you don't fight with all your strength or contact for a long time, it is not easy to detect the real people in the middle and middle stages of Yudan.
"According to Xiao's understanding, the high-level leaders of the Beastmaster Valley are currently controversial about whether to negotiate a truce, and there is no unanimous opinion. Even if there is a truce, it is a delaying tactic, and it will still be liquidated in the future. ”
Xing Peng replied.
His cousin is the Peerless Helmsman of the Infernal Gate, who was promoted to the late stage of the Jiedan twenty years ago, and has a certain status in the Infernal Gate.
Stemming from this relationship, Xing Peng's sense of smell of the news of the upper echelons of the six sects of the Demon Dao is better than that of ordinary incense masters and altar masters.
"How likely do you think a truce is to negotiate peace?"
Lu Changan interrogated through the puppet clone.
"It's about five to five, depending on two factors."
Xing Peng groaned.
"First, look at Ling Yu Zhenjun's attitude and the degree of maintenance of Jing Guo and the Weidao Alliance."
"Second, can the other five sects of the six sects of the Demon Dao free up their hands and give some assistance. In the Six Sects of the Demon Dao, it is not for nothing that there are monks who can balance Ling Yu Zhenjun. ”
Hearing this, Lu Changan was thoughtful.
The six sects of the Demon Dao expanded eastward, invading multiple realms at the same time.
The Guardian Alliance is just one of them.
The strength of the Beast King Valley is among the top among the six sects, and one of them hits the borders of all countries.
If it weren't for the variable of the Son of Luck, the Valley of the Beastmaster would have succeeded.
If the other cases have spare strength in the event of an invasion, they can help each other, but they must be paid handsomely.
"In addition to asking for reinforcements, the Valley of the Beastmaster also has a hole card. The sect has a forbidden fourth-order beast king, with a heavenly bloodline, which has survived for thousands of years, and its combat power is comparable to the peak of the middle Yuan Infant period. ”
"It's just that the strongest fourth-order beast king can't be completely controlled, and it's easy to get out of control and backfire, and it almost brought the danger of extinction to the Beast King Valley. Unless forced to do so, the Valley of the Beastmaster will sacrifice this double-edged sword. ”
Xing Peng revealed the secret of the Beastmaster Valley again.
The Strongest Beastmaster of the Seal!
Lu Changan couldn't help but gasp, the foundation and strength of the Beast King Valley were too terrifying.
almost let the Beast King Valley be wiped out, and the strength of the strongest Beast King is probably close to that of the Yuanying Great Monk.
If he can perfectly control the Sealing Beast King, the Beast King Valley may be able to compete for the position of the leader of the six sects of the Demon Dao.
"Jin Yungu, what is the current situation?"
Back then, Lu Chang'an's situation forced him to run away from Jinyun Valley, which was not honorable.
"The sect master of Jinyun Valley, after being taken over by Tianfeng Zhenren, has generally made steady progress."
"Five years ago, Tianfeng Zhenren cut off the arm of the Black Crow Zhenren on the Demon Dao Battlefield, and almost killed him, and his reputation was shocked."
Tianfeng is the real person of Zhang Tieshan.
The black crow real person is a strong hand in the middle stage of the Beast King Valley, and the direct murderer who killed Zhao Siyao.
Such news made Lu Changan's mood fluctuate slightly.
Xing Peng presented another jade slip, which recorded the detailed information of Jinyun Valley.
"Two years ago, Zhao Tan'er was promoted to the middle stage of the Jiedan, and became the first female cultivator of Jinyun Valley."
"The Great Elder was seriously injured, his strength was damaged, and he took a back seat."
"Zhang Tieshan, as the sect master, is in charge of the power of Jinyun Valley......"
Lu Changan was full of emotion, whether it was the war pattern of the Weidao Alliance, or the forces and old people that he was once familiar with, they were all constantly changing and advancing in the ups and downs of the years.
Two hundred and twenty years ago.
Zhang Tieshan, Lu Changan, Zhao Siyao, Lin Yi, and Li Erqing are all immortal seedlings of the same era, and they have known each other since the Qi refining period.
In the early years, the little marquis Lin Yi befriended Zhang Tieshan during the qi refining period, but I am afraid that he did not expect that the latter would have such achievements and become the helmsman of Jinyun Valley.
It was Lu Changan, who didn't expect that Zhang Tieshan could reach such a height two hundred years ago.
During the period of Huanglong Immortal City, Lu Changan killed the "Evil Face Flying Eagle" and cooperated with Zhang Tieshan, a foundation monk of the Law Enforcement Hall, to take what they needed.
At that time, Lu Changan complimented: A few years later, Lu may be able to see the day when Brother Zhang becomes an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall.
At that time, Zhang Tieshan was smiling and silent.
"Lao Zhang has become the helmsman of Jinyun Valley, which is good news. Waiting for Lao Zhang to make Jinyun Valley stronger and bigger, the future is a way to take refuge. ”
Lu Changan thought so.
Golden Cloud Valley possessed medium and large third-order high-grade spirit veins, and even had the potential to be conceived into quasi-fourth-order spirit veins.
Lu Chang'an will become a knot pill overhaul in the future, and he needs a third-order high-grade spiritual vein.
What!
Jinyun Valley doesn't welcome monks who once ran away?
Lu Changan believes that after more than 200 years of deep friendship, Lao Zhang will definitely overcome public opinion and welcome his king back again.
"Lao Zhang avenged Si Yao on the battlefield and relieved his anger, it can be seen that he is the same as my generation, and he is a person who values love and righteousness!"
Lu Chang'an has a kinship.
He speculated that Zhao Tan'er's successful promotion to the middle stage of Yudan may also be taken care of by Lao Zhang.
In fact, Lu Changan ran away back then, and he didn't owe Jin Yungu.
Before leaving, he left key information about the inner ghost to Jin Yungu.
According to Xing Pengyu's records:
A few years ago, the Jing Kingdom was half captured by the Demon Dao, and the Liang Kingdom cultivated the immortal realm with strong support, resulting in an internal emptiness.
The ghosts of the Infernal Gate, lurking in the major forces of the Liang State, took the opportunity to cause chaos in the rear.
In that chaos, Jin Yungu was vigilant because of cleaning up the tumor in advance, and minimized the loss.
This is Lu Changan's biggest feedback to Jin Yungu before he ran away.
……
A few days later, the clone puppet gains enough information and returns to the desert.
Lu Changan put the hat assassin puppet into a storage bag.
"Half-step Jindan...... Taiyin Jade Liquid ......"
Before returning to the Fengyuan Kingdom, he looked in the direction of the Feng Kingdom and the Aoyue Palace.
After the knot, Xia Wenyue's innate Dao body of "Cold Spirit Chalcedony" had already begun to give birth to Taiyin jade liquid.
In the early stage of knotting, Taiyin jade liquid is still in the initial stage of gestation, and it is of little help to the baby.
It is necessary to get the middle and late stages of the Dan, and the Taiyin jade liquid can be considered mature, which is of certain help to the promotion of Yuan Ying.
According to ancient records, the Taiyin jade liquid conceived in the later stage of the knot pill is almost half a baby pill.
Lu Changan is currently only in the middle stage of Dan formation, and even if the pregnancy is successful, taking it too early will waste the effect of the "Taiyin Jade Liquid".
For so many years, Lu Changan has never been to Aoyue Palace, and he has not contacted Xia Wenyue in order to avoid the association of others.
"After 80 years, that girl is in the Yuanying faction, and she has achieved a half-step Jindan, she is well-informed, and her feelings must be light......"
In Lu Changan's early years in Jingguo, he just did it casually and sowed one, without investing too much.
Even if you fail, you don't have much to lose.
He never thought of kidnapping Xia Wenyue with his feelings.
I don't believe that after more than 100 years, the other party can keep its original intention.
Lu Changan didn't want to test human nature.
Therefore, Xia Wenyue had to make a willing promise to make this woman make an oath of demons.
As an innate Dao body, it is expected to impact the Yuan Infant in the future.
Then the constraints of the "Heart Demon Oath" will be far greater than that of ordinary monks!
This constraint, coupled with the grace of the past, is reinvented.
If there is no external interference, it is more likely that Xia Wenyue will hand over the "Taiyin Jade Liquid".
Lu Changan plans to break through the late stage of Jindan, and when he is preparing to get married, he will go to Xia Wenyue again to fulfill the promise of Taiyin jade liquid.
……
Two months later,
Lu Chang'an, who returned to Fengyuan Kingdom, deliberately inquired about the war information of the Weidao Alliance in the deserted cities of the two tribes.
"The natives of Fengyuan Country, do you really not care about the intelligence of the outside world?"
The relevant information obtained by Lu Changan is very delayed and inaccurate.
Fengyuan Country, located in the center of the vast sand sea, has a harsh environment and a long distance, like an isolated island, and has little contact with the outside world.
Tens of thousands of years of experience give them confidence:
Even if the outside world turns the world upside down, it will not affect the "brilliant ancient civilization" in the center of the desert.
The Tianzhilou, which is owned by all the countries of the Guardian Alliance, has not established a branch in this barren land.
However, Lu Changan believed that the upper echelons of the Feng Yuan Kingdom, such as the Snow Mountain Holy Land, paid some attention to the outside world.
The "Heavenly Master" of the Snow Mountain Holy Land is said to be proficient in divination. As long as you get a little information and stay at home, you can calculate and know the world's major events.
With the Heavenly Master in control of the overall situation, the natives of those deserted city tribes do not have to deliberately care about the external war situation.
Back to the realm of the Outer Sect Alliance, the situation is better.
The Outer Sect Alliance brought together monks from all over the world, some from the realm of the two religions, and some from the Guardian Alliance.
Legend has it that over the long years, monks from outside Daqing have crossed over from areas further north in the desert.
The most mysterious intelligence organization of the Outer Sect Alliance, named "Yellow Sand".
From the Huangsha Organization, Lu Changan was finally able to obtain the war intelligence of the Guardian Dao Alliance, although there was also a delay, but it was relatively reliable.
This intelligence organization, which is said to be from the realm of the two religions, would not have focused on the situation on the side of the Guardian Alliance before.
But in recent years, the war between the Guardian Alliance and the Demon Dao has been too fierce.
The battle between the Son of Luck and the Sect Master of the Beast King Valley shook the Great Qing Eastern Regions and attracted their attention.
The Huangsha Intelligence Organization has given Lu Changan more reliable eyes and ears, so he doesn't have to go back and forth often, staring at the situation on the side of the Outer Dao Alliance.
……
On this day, Lu Chang'an returned to the Fangcao Oasis and the mountain gate of Xuanyin Pavilion.
That night, the Niyue Fairy personally visited, and in addition to saving himself, he asked Lu Chang'an about the war information of the Weidao Alliance.
The information that Lu Changan brought back was more comprehensive and detailed than that of the Huangsha Organization.
"If there is really a truce, Ni'er wants to go back to the homeland of Liang."
The Neon Moon Fairy smiled and said happily.
The Devil's Road War and the armistice negotiation are good for the majority of monks in the world, but not good for Lu Chang'an.
"The spiritual veins of the Xuanyin Pavilion in the past were occupied by the forces of the Jinyang Sect's camp. You'll only see the hurt when you go back. ”
Lu Changan poured a basin of cold water.
The Neon Moon Fairy glanced at him, and his clear eyes were also dim and a little sad.
"By the way, the 'Liu Qingyan' that Ni'er asked you to inquire about, is there a whereabout?"
That night, before Lu Changan left, the Neon Moon Fairy had some advice.
Many years ago, the same door from Liang Guo's side brought back news:
There was a female cultivator named "Liu Qingyan" in Xuanyin Pavilion who married a true pill and later disappeared in the war.
The Niyue Fairy once sent someone back to inquire, but unfortunately the cost of the exchange was high, and he did not get the exact news.
"Nope."
Lu Changan shook his head.
That Liu Qingyan is himself, so he doesn't need to inquire at all.
Hearing this, the Neon Moon Fairy expressed her disappointment, and the loss of a True Dan Female Cultivator was a loss for the Xuanyin Pavilion.
After returning to the Xuanyin Pavilion.
Lu Changan accelerated the promotion of divination and strengthened his strength to deal with possible threats in the future.
Improve divination, speed up kryptonite, and upgrade to the third-order upper grade as soon as possible.
The third-order high-grade divination skills, coupled with the six or seven third-order divination artifacts at hand, greatly increased the ability to calculate, and it can also cover up the heavens.
This is the highest priority.
Not only to deal with the Peacock Saintess, the Valley of the Beastmaster.
Lu Changan will face the "same door" in the Daqing Central Region in the future, and the fellow practitioners of the Evergreen Gong will be stronger in divination, so they can take the lead.
In terms of strength, it is impossible to improve in the short term.
Lu Chang'an's focus is on refining bodies, puppets, rune arrays, etc.
In the Xuanyin Pavilion, with the blessing of the wonderful music of the sound path, Lu Chang'an's cultivation of immortals and hundred arts improved faster.
……
Two and a half years later.
Lu Changan was 244 years old, and while practicing in the Xuanyin Pavilion, he silently paid attention to the war situation of the Weidao League.
With enough information media, Lu Changan sometimes calculates one or two.
The results of the projection are becoming more and more unfavorable.
In the past two or three years, although the Guardian Alliance and the Beastmaster Valley are still in a stalemate and have not yet ceased fighting, the situation has stabilized.
Based on intelligence and calculations, Lu Changan felt that the possibility of a truce in peace talks was gradually increasing.
The Valley of the Beastmaster may need to recuperate for some years, digest the territory already occupied, and wait for the Son of Luck to leave before starting the battle.
For the future crisis, Lu Changan has a plan to deal with it.
If the truce is short, you can hide for a while, and it will not have much impact on your cultivation.
Don't even dodge.
Stay in the Xuanyin Pavilion, join forces with the late overhaul Neon Moon Fairy, with the help of the third-order array, the Yuan Ying does not come out, and there is no opponent at all.
It's a big deal, the true identity of the turtle talisman master, confessed to the Neon Moon Fairy and gave her a "surprise".
Normally, it would be impossible for the Yuanying True Monarch to be dispatched by the Peacock Holy Maiden and take the risk of crossing the rear of the hostile forces and penetrating deep into the Fengyuan Kingdom.
The Heavenly Master of the Feng Yuan Kingdom will not allow the Yuan Infant of a foreign country to come to his own territory to make a mistake.
Moreover, if the Peacock Saintess wants to untie the knot, she mainly depends on her personal strength. If Yuan Ying is dispatched to scare Lu Changan away, he may never find a chance again in his life.
If the truce lasts for a long time, and the Peacock Saintess has enough time to deal with him, it will be a bit tricky.
Lu Changan has two options:
One is to run further.
Travel through the poison swamp to the realm of the two religions.
Or, take a detour to the Daqing Middle Domain, which is the territory of the Ten Sects of the Xuanmen, and the demonic forces dare not come to attack.
It's just that the road is long, and to go to the Middle Domain, you have to cross other territories invaded by the Demon Dao, and you have to take a long detour, and there are risks in the rush.
The second option: repeat the old trick, use the clues of Mr. Xu and Xuanyin Pavilion as bait, and take down the Peacock Holy Maiden.
Even if you can't solve the peacock saintess, take down the five-colored peacock and refine the alien spirit peacock puppet that imitates the form of the true spirit.
The premise of the second choice is to confirm that the Peacock Saintess's pursuit strength can be dealt with, without the help of Yuan Ying.
Even though this is extremely unlikely, it should be taken into account.
Either way, divination is important.
The third-order high-grade divination, although it is impossible to divinate the life of the infant, but in the case of preparation, the life expectancy can be calculated, and how much can be obtained.
In the past two years, Lu Chang'an has lived for 20 years, and his divination skills are approaching the third-order upper grade.
The effect of Krypton is excellent.
Although a lot of longevity was lost, Lu Changan also ushered in good news.
The third-order longevity fruit obtained from the Wanhua Chamber of Commerce back then finally ripened.
The materials for the third-order longevity pill have already been prepared.
(End of chapter)