Long Xiaoyao smiled and said: "By the way, let me tell you one more thing. My dagger contains the poison of the dark element. Even your ultimate ice cannot restrain it. Of course, she can't do it. She is a body of light.
, I'm afraid that with one strike, I'll lose half my life. I'll give you a minute to think about it, and then our new game will start immediately."
"Huo Yuhao, no!" Tang Wutong suddenly shouted. She just realized that she had recovered her ability to speak.
Huo Yuhao, however, seemed not to have heard anything. He slowly bent down and picked up the dagger, which was as black as ink.
The entire dagger was one piece, and the handle and blade seemed to be carved out of a piece of metal. It was cold in the hand, but the rich dark elements contained in it were definitely not what Huo Yuhao liked.
"Dragon King Douluo, do you keep your word?" Huo Yuhao straightened up again and asked. Although his face was very pale at this time, his mouth and nose were bleeding, and he looked a little embarrassed, his waist was as straight as a javelin.
He usually stood there. Facing Long Xiaoyao, he was not even willing to call him "senior". In his heart, Long Xiaoyao no longer had this qualification.
Long Xiaoyao smiled slightly: "With my identity, could I still lie to such a little guy like you?"
Huo Yuhao sneered: "What is your identity? You can threaten me with a girl as a hostage, what else can't you do? It's really a shame that the teacher was as famous as you back then."
Long Xiaoyao's expression changed slightly: "What a sharp-tongued boy! You have no choice, our game is about to begin."
As he spoke, he slowly raised the arm holding the dagger and pointed the sharp tip at Tang Wutong.
After Tang Wutong shouted, she didn't make any more noise. She just looked at Huo Yuhao silently. At this time, neither she nor Huo Yuhao had any choice. She just wanted to see how this man would face this.
A game of death. She knew that now she had become a prop in this game, and no matter what she said, she could not affect the progress of the game.
Long Xiaoyao's face suddenly darkened and he shouted: "One!"
Huo Yuhao moved. Without even a trace of hesitation, the short black blade in his hand turned into a streak of black light and instantly pierced his lower abdomen.
"Ah——" Tang Wutong finally couldn't help shouting.
Huo Yuhao's expression was surprisingly calm, as if the knife had not pierced his body at all. The cold blade penetrated his flesh and rubbed slightly. He only felt a chill in his lower abdomen, as if a strange force was frantically extracting his flesh.
The vitality and pain were actually not that intense, but the soreness and numbness made him very uncomfortable, as if the tendons had been severed. However, his face remained unchanged, as if he had done the most ordinary thing.
"Oh, I forgot, I want to add a rule of the game." Long Xiaoyao was still smiling, his old face looked a little strange at this time, and the dark dagger in his hand was still raised in the air.
Huo Yuhao asked coldly: "Do you want to regret it?"
"Of course not." Long Xiaoyao said with a smile on his face, "I just want to tell you that according to our rules, two holes need to appear with each cut."
Huo Yuhao's face turned cold. Tang Wutong tried desperately to break free, but how could she break free in the hands of an Extreme Douluo?
Huo Yuhao looked at Long Xiaoyao and asked, "Is there anything else you want to add?"
Long Xiaoyao shook his head and said: "That's it."
"Okay." Huo Yuhao's other hand suddenly pressed the dagger that had been inserted into his belly, and the dark dagger suddenly penetrated deep. His expression changed slightly. The sharp dagger tip protruded from his back. But strangely
Yes, there is no blood flowing out from either the front wound or the back wound.
"Okay!" Long Xiaoyao shouted, "As expected of you, you are a disciple of Mun En. You are strong enough, but I don't know if you are tough enough at the same time."
Huo Yuhao just looked at him coldly, holding the handle of the knife tightly with his right hand.
"Two!" Long Xiaoyao shouted loudly.
Huo Yuhao's right hand suddenly pulled out the dark dagger from his belly, and then stabbed it into another place like lightning. The dagger penetrated the flesh without making too much sound, but Huo Yuhao trembled violently because of the moment the dagger was pulled out.
.Two streams of black blood suddenly spurted out from his previous wound, gurgling.
"Yuhao!" Tang Wutong screamed. At this moment, her face also turned pale. Her vision was already a little blurry, but in the blurry light and shadow, the rock-solid man was deeply moved.
Engraved in her heart.
Two knives without hesitation! He didn't even have time to think about it. Two knives fell, two knives, four holes!
Long Xiaoyao smiled: "How does it feel? Light will bring life, and darkness will devour life. It feels good to experience the loss of life for yourself, right? Don't worry, the poison of the dark element contained in my dagger will not
It's not too strong. With your soul power and mental power, you should be able to hold on for a few more cuts. Of course, you can also ask her to help you share some of the burden."
"Yuhao, give me the next blow!" Tang Wutong suddenly shouted. Tears finally slid down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly and murmured: "Wutong, I have something to ask you, is it okay?"
"Three!" Long Xiaoyao suddenly interrupted him.
Black light rises, blood spurts, the third knife, six holes!
"Don't—" Tang Wutong yelled, tears falling instantly. She felt that her spirit was about to collapse, and a feeling of heartache that made her unable to breathe made her tremble violently.
"Wutong, when I entered Shrek Academy, I was only eleven years old. At that time, I was still a hateful boy, ignorant and ignorant. Only under the guidance of my senior brother and teacher Xiaoya did I qualify to enter Shrek Academy.
.And from that time on, Shrek Academy became my home.
"When I first went there, life was very hard, and I kept practicing every day. I knew that my talent was much weaker than others, so I had to work harder than everyone else to catch up.
"At that time, I had a roommate, a roommate who was mysophobic but a little lazy. He never cleaned the room, and I was the one who cleaned it every time. He was very talented, almost the most talented among the freshmen of our class.
One of them. He has a handsome appearance and strong strength. He became the center of attention as soon as he entered the academy. His name is Wang Dong."
Listening to Huo Yuhao's narration, Tang Wutong seemed a little dull.
"Four!"
"Don't—" The dazed Tang Wutong was instantly awakened by the cold and heartless number.
Black light flashes, the blade falls, four knives, and eight holes.
The third knife was in the center of the lower abdomen, and the fourth knife was in the stomach!
Huo Yuhao's voice became a little weaker, and his clothes were stained black with black blood. His eyes were always fixed on Tang Wutong.
She is not Dong'er, but she looks exactly like Dong'er. Huo Yuhao doesn't feel any pain at this time, and he even feels that he is very happy. Even if he dies, he doesn't seem that sad to watch his beloved woman die.
.
"When Wang Dong and I first met, we had a little quarrel. But as we studied in the college, we quickly became friends. I have been trying to catch up with him. Suddenly one day, we inadvertently discovered that we
The Martial Souls of the two actually had a very high degree of compatibility. So, we went to the wild to experiment. Unexpectedly, we could actually fuse the Martial Souls and perform the Martial Soul Fusion Skill. However, at that time, our strength was still very weak. One
After the martial soul fusion skill was performed, both of them exhausted their soul power and fell into a coma. We were both late the next day and were punished."
Having said this, Huo Yuhao's face was filled with tenderness. Everything in the past was echoing in his mind.
"Later, because of our outstanding performance, Wang Dong and I participated in the first continental advanced soul master academy soul fighting competition with the seniors. We were all reserve members. But we didn't expect that several seniors would be injured by evil soul masters.
, had to withdraw from the competition. But we pushed forward and actually became a real participating team member.
"That time, it was really difficult. But we all united as one, worked together, used our strongest strength to face powerful enemies, created miracles again and again, and made the impossible possible. In the end, we defended Shrek
The glory of the academy, winning back the championship for Shrek Academy! Because of this, we were named the new generation of Shrek Seven Monsters by the academy. This will be one of the most important honors in my life."
"five!"
Black light flashed, the knife fell, and penetrated the other side of the stomach, five knives and ten holes.
This time, Tang Wutong did not cry out. She seemed to have been completely immersed in Huo Yuhao's story, forgetting what kind of situation they were in.
"Later, we experienced many, many things together. Until one day, the college held a Poseidon Pavilion Dating Conference for the inner court disciples. It was an event that only our inner court students could participate in, in order to allow male and female students to have a romantic relationship.
An opportunity to express our feelings. We are usually too busy and too shy in terms of relationships. Poseidon Lake and Shanghai Divine Fate is our best opportunity. With the encouragement of my friends, I also participated.
"Who knew that I met her at that blind date meeting. She had long pink-blue hair and a beautiful face, and she looked so similar to Wang Dong. I thought she was Wang Dong's sister at the time.
.But who knows, Wang Dong is actually Wang Donger. She has always been by my side, but I was stupid and didn't know anything.
"She called me a fool. Yes, am I a fool? But I am willing to be her fool for the rest of my life. We came together naturally. I really like her. Everything in the past is spinning in my mind.
, I never dreamed that the goddess in my mind would be able to be with me in the end. Yes, she is my goddess.
"Wutong, actually you are not the first person who looks very similar to her. There is another girl who also looks very similar to her. That girl's name is Wang Qiuer. After Poseidon Lake and Shanghai Divine Fate, I
I met her. I even thought they were the same person before, but later I realized they were not the same.
"What I like is Dong'er, and Qiu'er has gradually entered my world. She helped me and saved me. What's even more strange is that she and I can actually complete martial soul fusion skills. But, in my case,
There is always only Dong'er in my heart."
"Six!" Long Xiaoyao's voice seemed a little deeper, but he still shouted out the sixth number.
Huo Yuhao raised his hand and dropped his sword.
Black light flash, six knives, twelve holes.
When the knife went down, his body shook violently and he staggered two steps. The ground was already covered with black blood. His face had changed from pale to pale gold, his breath was vague, and even his eyes were
Everything started to turn gray.
"Yuhao, stop. Please, stop. Leave the last three swords to me and let me do it, okay?" Tang Wutong was already sobbing.
Huo Yuhao shook his head gently and said: "I am a man. Even if you don't look like her, I will still do this. I want to protect my partners and my friends. We are friends, right?
?Listen to me."
"I was very conflicted for a time. I was sure that I liked Dong'er, but I didn't want to hurt Qiu'er either. But I don't know when Qiu'er really fell in love with me. Sandwiched between her and Dong'er, I don't know.
What should be done? As a result, various problems increased.
"Until we entered a place called Qiankun Wenqing Valley. There, we experienced many hardships. In the end, Dong'er chose to commit suicide in order to save me. At that moment, Qiu'er gave up, but Dong'er fell into a deep sleep.
.I personally took her back to her home. That was the last time I saw her. When I went back, she had already left. Her family told me that she woke up but lost her memory.
"How can I find her in the vast sea of people and the Douluo Continent is so vast! And not long ago, in a mission, Qiu'er also died trying to save me. I asked myself, I really don't have anything in my heart at all.
Qiu'er? No. I can feel that she also has a deep imprint in my heart. However, my love cannot be divided into two halves. I have already given it to Dong'er, so Qiu'er is my
The most sorry person in my life."
"seven!"
The hand rose and the knife fell. This time, the black light became obviously slower, not because Huo Yuhao's determination was reduced, but because in an extremely weak state, his body was already somewhat out of control. This knife
It is closely connected with the sixth knife, both near his stomach.
After this stabbing, Huo Yuhao finally couldn't hold on anymore and fell into a pool of blood. His body trembled slightly and he needed to use his other hand to support himself on the ground to prevent him from falling again.
"Wutong, do you remember? I was going to try to inject soul power into your body that day. In fact, at that time, I always regarded you as her who had lost her memory. I hope to be able to confirm that you are her through the fusion of our martial souls.
.But, I failed. Our soul power could not be fused, and the martial arts seemed to be completely incompatible. At that time, I realized that you are not her. You are Tang Wutong, and she is Wang Donger. You are not her. I hope to get better.
The bigger, the bigger the disappointment. At that moment, I was really in pain. I really hope you are her! If that is the case, there will be light in my world again."
Huo Yuhao's eyes had completely turned gray at this time, and his pupils had even dilated a little. He could no longer clearly see Tang Wutong in the distance, and could only see vague pink-blue light and shadow.
"I originally had two wishes in my life. The first wish was to avenge my mother. But as time went by, this wish seemed to fade away. Because I gradually found that the hatred in my heart became less and less. Maybe my mother
You don't want to see me take revenge. Moreover, I really can't take revenge on my father.
"My other wish is to be with Dong'er, live together, marry her, have several lovely children, and accompany them every day. I only have this wish." At this point, Huo Yuhao's pupils
Tears flowed down from his eyes that had dispersed.
He seemed to see him and Dong'er cuddling together, and the children running happily not far away.
Tang Wutong stared at him blankly, completely immersed in this sad story.
"Eight!" Long Xiaoyao's voice suddenly became cold and hard again.
Huo Yuhao pulled out the black sharp blade again, but when he stabbed it, the strength was obviously insufficient. This time, he stabbed into his right chest. The sharp blade grazed his sternum, and he pressed it inward twice before it was completely
Pierced his own body.
At this moment, Tang Wutong's eyes had begun to become empty. She couldn't even say anything to stop her.
Huo Yuhao's voice became weaker and weaker, trembling and intermittent: "Wutong, if you see a girl with the same appearance as you in the future, maybe she will be my Dong'er. Please help me take care of her, but don't put her aside."
Tell her what happened between me and her. In fact, it’s okay if she forgets me. I carry too many things on my shoulders. If she forgets me, maybe she will live a happier life. As long as she is happy, I will be happy. Senior Long
, I hope you will keep your word, don’t make it difficult for her, let her go...Nine!"
Huo Yuhao shouted out the last number himself.
His collapsed pupils suddenly lit up, and even his whole body lit up with a strange light. He suddenly pulled out the black short blade with both hands and stabbed it towards his heart.
Recalling all the past experiences with Dong'er, isn't it a kind of release? At this moment, all he wants is relief. And at this time, no one can stop him, not even the Beast God Emperor Tian. Because
In his heart, there was no sense of danger at all, and everything was done willingly.
He really didn't want to live anymore, and now he just felt so tired. A bitter smile appeared on his face.
I'm sorry, my friends. I can only shirk responsibility like this. I am not afraid of death. Perhaps for me, death is the best destination. Dong'er has forgotten me and Qiu'er died because of me. I no longer want to
Revenge again. Snow Emperor, Ice Emperor, and Bajiao already have ten thousand years of black ice, which can solidify their origins, or they can find others to help them improve and reach the god level.
Everything seems to be complete, and I can leave this world. I am going to find my mother...
Under the flash of light, Huo Yuhao's sword was even more powerful than the previous eight swords. No matter how strong his physique was, once this sword penetrated his heart, he would never be able to survive.
The moment the knife fell, Tang Wutong's body went limp and he was completely unconscious.
"Pounce!" The sharp blade penetrated the flesh, nine cuts and eighteen holes.
Huo Yuhao's consciousness blurred, and his body fell backwards uncontrollably. There was always a smile on his face, full of relief and relief. In this world, he had nothing to be attached to, and leaving here seemed to be his fate.
The Holy Dragon of Darkness, Dragon King Douluo Long Xiaoyao slowly laid the unconscious Tang Wutong flat on the ground. A trace of sadness appeared on his originally indifferent old face.
"What a passionate young man!" He sighed softly, took a step forward, and came to Huo Yuhao's side. He slowly squatted down, held the black sharp blade on his chest, and suddenly
Pull it up.
Huo Yuhao lay there, motionless, and his life force seemed to have been drained away.
Long Xiaoyao's eyes suddenly lit up, and the surroundings fell into darkness again. The blood in Huo Yuhao's body stopped flowing outward.
In this dark world, Long Xiaoyao was the only one who could move. He slowly raised his right hand and pressed it on Huo Yuhao's chest. He could clearly see the black air flowing from Huo Yuhao's nine swords.
It spread out from the eighteen holes. After a while, a faint red color appeared in the wound.
The light in Long Xiaoyao's hand flashed, and a bead as white as jade appeared in his palm. His other hand was pressed on Huo Yuhao's chest, as if he was silently feeling something.
After a while, a look of satisfaction gradually appeared on his face, and then he stuffed the white bead into Huo Yuhao's mouth.
After doing this, he bent down, picked up Huo Yuhao from the pool of blood on the ground, walked to a cleaner place aside, and helped Huo Yuhao take off his blood-stained clothes.
Under the coagulation effect of the dark realm, Huo Yuhao's body did not continue to bleed, but when his body was completely exposed, the nine wounds appeared ferociously in front of Dragon King Douluo Long Xiaoyao.
A faint smile appeared on Long Xiaoyao's face: "If this dragon pill hadn't required your body to have no resistance and be in an absolutely weak state, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much! Alas, to be honest, I
I was so moved by you just now that I couldn’t bear to do anything. However, I must fulfill Munn’s instructions. In fact, if you didn’t grow so fast, you wouldn’t need the Dragon Pill. But it should be just right now.
The timing. As for Xi Shui, I can't stop her, and I can't stop her. The task of fighting against the Holy Spirit Cult will be left to you. Little guy, you have to work hard!"
As he spoke, Long Xiaoyao moved his hands together, and kept turning Huo Yuhao's body over. The wounds on Huo Yuhao's body quickly closed up, but his face was still very pale due to excessive blood loss.
At this moment, a layer of faint golden light began to escape from his mouth containing the Dragon Pill. The soft golden light flowed down the river and spread to his whole body.
Long Xiaoyao brought Tang Wutong over and placed him next to him. The smile on his face became even stronger: "What a touching scene! It would be really strange if this little girl still can't like him. Silly boy
, In this world, unless they are twins, how can there be so many people who look alike! There will never be another three-eyed golden beast."
If Huo Yuhao was still awake at this time, he would definitely be shocked by Long Xiaoyao's words. It was obvious that the Dragon Emperor Douluo knew his affairs very well.
Sun and Moon Empire, Mingdu, Imperial Palace.
Xu Tianran sat quietly on a high-backed chair inlaid with various magnificent gems. Not far from him, Orange knelt there on one knee, lowering her head. It could be seen that her beautiful face was slightly pale.
"Get up. I can't blame you entirely for this." Xu Tianran waved his hand to her.
Orange lowered his head and said: "Your Majesty, this matter was my fault. If I had been more vigilant, the losses would not have been so heavy. This time I lost an army and spent so many resources. Please punish me."
Xu Tianran stood up, walked to Juzi, helped her up, patted her shoulder gently, and said: "Okay, what happened this time is so sudden, who would have thought that the soul beasts in the far north
Will there be a sudden uprising? According to what you said, there were at least two ferocious beast-level soul beasts that attacked you at that time. They were probably members of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North. It is not easy for you to escape intact.
The environment in the North is harsh and different from other places. It is basically the home ground of those ice soul beasts. It seems that we made a mistake this time and ignored such an important situation."
"I am aware of my guilt." Orange said with his head lowered.
Xu Tianran took her hand, walked to the side, and sat down with her: "What a crime! In the past year, you have worked hard for me and the empire, and you have lost a lot of weight. You have made so many great contributions.
, her prestige in the army has skyrocketed, and she is known as the Valkyrie in the army. What is a momentary mistake? No one can always win. After we completely occupy the Tianhun Empire and Dou Ling Empire, I will let you lead
The army went to destroy the soul beasts in the far north. By then, those rare metals will still be ours. As long as those soul beasts are there, I believe that the Dou Ling Empire will not gain much, so you don’t need to take this matter to heart.
."
Orange then raised his head and said with gratitude: "Thank you for your grace."
Xu Tianran looked at her and smiled, then suddenly sighed: "The situation on the front line is currently very stable. We have occupied a large area of the Tianhun Empire. However, due to the constraints of the Star Luo Empire, our military strength is somewhat stretched. Especially...
In the early stage of the battle, various resources were consumed greatly, and some supplies were not available in the rear. For now, let's maintain a stable situation and don't rush to continue the attack. Otherwise, the battle line will be stretched too long, which will create opportunities for the three countries that originally belonged to Douluo Continent.
."
Speaking of the battle on the front line, Orange regained his confidence and said: "Although our supply line is a bit long at present, the area occupied by us in the Tianhun Empire is relatively stable. You are right, the battle on the front needs to be stabilized. We
We still need to solve the trouble caused by the Star Luo Empire in the rear as soon as possible. In order to solve the problem of extending the supply line if we continue to attack, I suggest that after we are fully prepared, we invite Death God Douluo to take action and capture the Mingdou Mountains again to threaten us again.
Star Luo Empire. Only after the frontline defenses of the Mingdou Mountains are stabilized can the front line continue to attack without any scruples."
Xu Tianran said with a smile: "My little Orange has now become a famous commander. The old men in the military all praise you highly. You can arrange these military tactics. Just report to me every time there is a big operation."
Just report it."
"Yes. Your Majesty. Then please allow me to set off tomorrow and lead the Fire Phoenix Soul Instructor Group to participate in the domestic task of strangling the Star Luo Empire's soul masters. I must eliminate them in the shortest possible time and create more opportunities for Death Douluo."
Opportunity to attack the Mingdou Mountains."
Xu Tianran stood up. With the advancement of soul guidance technology, his prosthetic legs have reached the point where they can look real.
He shook his head gently and said: "Orange, it is important to suppress the bandits, but it cannot be accomplished in a short while, so let others do it. I have asked the leader of the Holy Spirit Sect Zhong Liwu to take action personally. Death God Dou
Luo is stationed at the border, and that is the Dinghai Shenzhen. Those soul masters from the Star Luo Empire can only create some trouble for us, but they can't really accomplish anything."
Orange was moved in her heart and asked: "Your Majesty, is there anything you want me to do?"
Xu Tianran nodded slightly and said, "That's right. There is something very important that must be done by you."
Orange quickly stood up, knelt down on one knee beside Xu Tianran, and said, "Please give me your Majesty's orders. As long as Orange can do it, I will smash my body to pieces without any hesitation."
Xu Tianran showed a trace of blame on his face, and bent down to help her up: "Silly girl, how many times have I told you that we are husband and wife now, and there is no need to pay such a courtesy, but you just don't listen."
Orange lowered his head and whispered: "In Orange's heart, you are the master at any time, and Orange is just your maid. Orange's life is given by you. As long as you need it, even if Orange dies immediately, Orange will never die."
Don't hesitate."
Although Xu Tianran is a generational hero, he is also a human being. In his early years, his brother secretly assassinated him and almost killed him. It was only after Orange was seriously injured that he was brought out. Over the years, he has been surrounded by countless strong people and confidants, but
The only person I trust most is orange.
Xu Tianran gently stretched his long arms and hugged Tangerine into his arms: "I said, you are my wife, not a maid, now and in the future. As long as you don't betray me, in the future you will be inferior to one person and among ten thousand people."
superior."
Orange leaned gently on his shoulder, with a satisfied smile on her face. But in fact, she sighed secretly in her heart. Your Majesty, don’t I know your character? If I behave a little bit in front of you,
If I'm not respectful enough, I'm afraid you will immediately become suspicious. I know you too well, so I must do this in order to continue to gain your trust!
"Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?"
Xu Tianran's face was startled, and he said in a deep voice: "After you go out this time, the ministers jointly submitted a letter to me to request you."
Ju Zi said: "What is causing your Majesty to be in such trouble? Who is putting your Majesty in trouble? I am going to take him..." When she said this, a cold light flashed in her eyes.
Xu Tianran shook his head and said: "If it were something else, who would dare to threaten me? But this matter is indeed difficult to stop everyone from talking about. They asked me to establish the crown prince as early as possible while I am young."
Hearing the words "early establishment of the crown prince", Orange couldn't help but tremble slightly and subconsciously raised his head to look at Xu Tianran.
A wry smile appeared on Xu Tianran's face: "Only you know my secret. How can I establish a crown prince? Since I came to the throne, I have only had you as the queen. Apart from that, I have never had any concubines. Outside.
To people, it seems like our deep love as husband and wife, but in fact, you know the reason."
Orange didn't say anything. At this time, she didn't know what to say. This was related to Xu Tianran's face.
Xu Tianran said in a deep voice: "Now, I must have a child, preferably a boy. Let's stop the crowd first. Even if it's not a boy, as long as we can have a child, we won't be afraid of what those ministers will say. So, let's go on
You will stay in the palace for a while. You are still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but you will not go to the battlefield for the time being. Give me a child first."
"This..." Orange looked at Xu Tianran dully. After being stunned for a moment, he asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what you mean is that we adopt a child?"
Xu Tianran shook his head and snorted coldly: "Those old guys from the previous dynasty are all staring at me. How can I hide the adoption from them? There are people from them in the Imperial Hospital. There is no room for error in this matter, so we must
Made like some. Do you remember? I told you last time that I can find a way to implant a seed in your body and let it take root and sprout. I can get such a seed from my relatives and give it to you. You will grow it.
Come on, this child will be my future heir.".Read.) (To be continued)