Chapter 1872 : Ancient Ruins of the Mythic Lands

Eldrin (Person Name) simply smiled faintly and countered with a question instead: "The Ancient Immortal Ruins have always been perilous. Since you aren't from the 3,000 Immortal Domains, are you certain you wish to accompany me?"

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't dare attempt this. But now the Great Calamity has descended, and all the Great Luo Golden Immortals have entered seclusion. This is my best opportunity."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix spoke slowly, a trace of amusement glimmering in her eyes.

Eldrin nodded slightly without another word, then strode toward the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent.

They journeyed through the endless chaos, arriving at the core of the 3 1000 immortal domains, then ascended toward the celestial vault of chaos. Within a vast ocean of primordial mist, they discovered a majestic and ancient continent of immortal ruins.

"Is this the Immortal Ruins Ancient Continent?"

Upon witnessing the Mythical Ruins Continent, a look of yearning flickered across Eldrin's face, soon replaced by profound solemnity.

Having cultivated for too short a time, Eldrin knew little about the Ancient Ruins Continent. Yet upon witnessing it now, he faintly perceived its extraordinarily profound nature—it actually emanated an aura akin to the supreme essence of the Primal Immortal Realm.

"You noticed it too?"

The Ancient Ice Phoenix noticed his expression and couldn't help but chuckle.

Eldrin’s eyes flickered slightly before he spoke, “As a senior who rose to prominence in the Primordial Era, you must be aware of the secrets shrouding the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent.”

"I do know a thing or 2."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix spoke with a faint, ethereal voice, her gaze turning solemn as she said, "What is known as the Immortal Ruins Ancient Land is, in truth, a fragment of a 'Primordial Chaos Domain'."

Primordial Chaos Domain?

Eldrin (Person Name) froze for a fleeting moment, a trace of bewilderment flickering in his gaze.

The Ancient Ice Phoenix nodded, her expression profoundly melancholic as she spoke, "The Chaos Sea is boundless and endless, giving birth to myriad heavens, universes, immortal domains, and chaotic nests of various tiers."

Among all realms, the Primordial Domain and Chaos Nests of seventh-grade or higher are all supreme Chaos-level domains.

The realm of 3 1000 celestial domains you inhabit was known in the primordial era as the Primal Domain of Primordial Beginning. As the divine race declined and the demonic and human races rose to prominence, the outer realms came to call it the ‘Tri-Polar Primal Domain’. Of course, among your kind, it is still referred to as the 3 1000 celestial domains.

The Ancient Ice Phoenix spoke unhurriedly, and after a long while, gazed at the Xianxu Ancient Land as she said, "This Xianxu Ancient Land was once a fragment of an ancient primordial domain."

That was a supreme Primordial Domain, known as the Immortal Cosmos Primordial Domain. As early as the Primordial Era, it was guarded by as many as 7 Dao Ancestor Immortal Saints. Not only was its status equal to the Primordial Immortal Domain, but its power far surpassed it.

"Yet it was a pity that in the final years of the Primordial Era, a cataclysmic war of unprecedented scale erupted within the chaos. The Primordial Realm of the Immortal Cosmos was shattered into fragments, and the vast primordial domain was thus divided into 7 pieces."

"Speaking of which, the reason why the 2 Heavenly Emperors—Zhu Long (Celestial Beast) and Shi Huang (Celestial Beast)—from your 3,000 immortal domains were able to break through to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor realm was precisely because they obtained 1 of the greatest legacies from the Primordial Expanse of the Immortal Realm."

As the Primeval Ice Phoenix recounted the tale, Eldrin gradually came to understand the threads of karma binding them.

It turned out that after that great battle in those years, the various Chaos Heavenly Emperors of the Primal Immortal Domain joined forces and obtained a fragment of the Primal Expanse of the Immortal Realm. They sealed it deep within the chaos above the 3 1000 Immortal Domains, transforming it into a crucial array anchor to maintain the stability of the 3 1000 Immortal Domains.

This Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent emerges once every kalpa, each time manifesting as the core battlefield for proving 1's path to becoming a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Since time immemorial, the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent has opened through countless tens of thousands of kalpas. The number of Eighth Tribulation Ancient Immortals who have fallen within it must amount to over a million.

So many powerful experts had fallen, turning the Ancient Ruins Continent into a perilous and unpredictable realm. There were primordial malevolent spirits from foreign lands, undying vengeful souls of supreme beings from the Great Antiquity Era, and the legacy troves of 8-Calamity Ancient Immortals who had perished throughout the ages.

Yet at the same time, the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent brimmed with boundless opportunities. Though all innate spiritual treasures had long been claimed, the remaining Great Luo rare artifacts and partial legacies from the Primordial Immortal Domain remained objects of countless cultivators' deepest yearning.

Hearing this, Eldrin felt a flicker of interest, but then a sudden chill crept down his spine. With palpable trepidation, he said, "The strength of the Primordial Domain of Immortal Cosmos surpasses even that of the primordial immortal domain from back in the day. How could it have been completely shattered beyond repair?"

"Moreover, they had as many as 7 Chaos Heavenly Emperors. Where are they now?"

"I do not know."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix took a deep breath before speaking, "My cultivation level wasn't particularly high in that era, and I knew little about the Primordial Realm of the Immortal Cosmos."

"But as far as I know, the 7 Celestial Emperors of the Primordial Domain of Immortal Cosmos once joined forces and discovered an unparalleled treasure within the chaos, which consequently drew the attention of an extraordinary adversary."

With a single sword strike from across immeasurable distances of the Chaotic Realm, that man cleaved the Primordial Domain of Immortal Cosmos into fragments, leaving behind the Chaotic Abyss that now divides the northern and southern realms.

Chaotic Abyss.

Eldrin's expression shifted slightly. He had long heard tales of the Chaos Abyss.

It was a chasm spanning the boundless Primordial Chaos Sea, as though it had cleaved the entire sea in 2, stretching endlessly toward the infinite horizon of chaos. Even an 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal flying at full strength for over a 100 kalpas could never reach its end.

This Chaos Abyss separated the 3 1000 immortal realms from a supremely powerful alien world, putting an end to the protracted war that had spanned over a 100 kalpas between those immortal realms and that foreign land, while also completely extinguishing the final twilight of the Primordial Era.

At this thought, Eldrin took a deep breath and said, "What kind of supreme expert could annihilate a primordial domain with a single sword strike? Even the 7 Chaos Heavenly Emperors joining forces were powerless to resist."

"I do not know either."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix murmured slowly, then after a long pause, drew a deep breath and said, "From what I know, even among the Chaos Heavenly Emperors, there exist distinctions of strength and weakness. It seems they are divided into 3 tiers, with an immense gap separating each realm."

"With a single sword strike, that person annihilated 7 Chaos Heavenly Emperors. He must at least be at the Third Realm of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor, and might very well have transcended it entirely."

Eldrin's pupils abruptly contracted, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "There exists a realm beyond the 3 Realms of Chaos?"

"I'm not certain, but I can make an educated guess."

The Ancient Ice Phoenix spoke with an ethereal calm, her voice barely a whisper yet carrying the weight of eons. "Chaos Spiritual Treasures," she began, "are themselves divided into 3 grades—upper, middle, and lower—each corresponding to the 3 realms of the Chaos Celestial Emperor."

"But as we both know, the Chaos Cauldron born from Elder Zi's ambition was truly a Chaos Supreme Treasure in every sense."

Eldrin fell silent upon hearing this. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and said, "With my current cultivation level, envisioning such a realm is no different from an ant trying to comprehend the vastness of the sky."

"Enough, overthinking serves no purpose."

Eldrin shook his head, sighing once more at his own insignificance.

Yet the Primordial Ice Phoenix merely smiled and said, "The chaos is boundless and infinite, always concealing countless secrets."

"Yet legend holds that throughout the entire chaos, Chaos Supreme Treasures are finite in number. Some claim there are no more than 5, while others believe the count does not exceed 30. For each Chaos Supreme Treasure embodies nothing less than a supreme Chaos Dao."

"1 might suppose that if there truly exists a power transcending the Primordial Chaos, they would still be among the countable entities within it."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin suddenly recalled the Pearl of the Returning Abyss.

After cultivating to this day, he had vaguely discerned the origins of the Abyssal Pearl.

The Nihility Pearl is a treasure that returns all things to the void, the very essence of ultimate endings. When fully formed, it shall become a Chaos Supreme Treasure.

And these 3—the Void-Returning Pearl, the World-Devastating Mill, and the Blade of Annihilation—were the 3 great Chaos Treasures of World Extinction.

Among them, the Blade of Annihilation was the supreme blade of Chaos, capable of slaughtering all living beings within it. The Millstone of Cosmic Extinction could grind true spirits into their primordial origins, returning them to their fundamental state. The Pearl of Oblivion could devour all things in Chaos, capable of reducing the entire Chaos to nothingness.

Should these 3 treasures fully emerge into the world, it may well herald the day when chaos is annihilated and all creation begins anew.

"Each Chaos Supreme Treasure reigns supreme, embodying the ultimate authority over the entire primordial chaos. To wield even 1 is to ascend as a paramount sovereign across the vast Chaos Sea."

"No wonder the Violet Immortal Lord of yesteryear fell prey to others' schemes and met his demise."

Eldrin sighed softly, a quiet murmur echoing in his heart.

Purple Sovereign was born with the Chaos Cauldron on his back, innately carrying boundless great fortune. It was even possible he was born with a destined purpose. Should he break through to the Chaos Realm, he would become a supreme powerhouse amidst the chaos.

Moreover, with a Chaos Supreme Treasure accompanying his birth, his potential is likely far greater than this. It is highly possible for him to cultivate to the third realm of Chaos, or even transcend beyond it.

At this thought, Eldrin took a deep breath and gazed toward the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent, saying, "These matters are far too distant for the likes of you and me. Our immediate priority should be setting foot upon this Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent."

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and immediately strode toward the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent.

At this moment, the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent had yet to open. The 3 of them halted outside its boundaries, only to discover countless powerful figures standing amidst the surrounding chaos. Among them were no less than 3,000 8-Calamity Ancient Immortals, while those below the 7-Calamity realm were truly innumerable.

Eldrin scanned his surroundings, but before he could utter a word, 3 figures emerged from the mist and approached.

The arrivals were none other than the Ancient Immortal Youwu, disciple of the Great Serene Emperor, and the Heaven-Rending Demon Emperor from the Great Frost Celestial Realm. The third figure was none other than his reincarnation avatar.

The ancient phoenix immortal glanced at Eldrin and gave a slight nod. "In this cosmic tribulation, I beseech you, fellow daoist, to grant some guidance and protection."

Eldrin gave a slight nod and said calmly, "Since I have accepted this commission, I shall naturally stand with you in battle, Fellow Daoist. Though given your cultivation level, it would be more accurate to say we are supporting each other."

Upon hearing this, the Ancient Immortal of Serene Phoenix smiled faintly and said no more.

Beside them, the Skyrend Demon Emperor couldn't help but start slightly upon witnessing this, somewhat surprised by You Wu's reverence toward Eldrin (Person Name).

Yet a mere instant later, he still cupped his hands and said, "This Tribulation is exceptionally perilous. Might I join forces with you, fellow Daoist?"

Eldrin let out a hearty laugh and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "With your assistance, fellow Daoist, we shall be like a tiger that has grown wings."

Eldrin then proceeded to introduce everyone to each other. Finally, he gestured toward the Reincarnation Body and declared, "This is my dear friend, the True Monarch of Samsara. He shall stand with us in this battle, fighting side by side."

Hearing this, everyone glanced at the Reincarnation Body and couldn't help but reveal a trace of astonishment.

Because the aura of the Samsara Body differed from that of an ordinary 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal, his energy was perfectly unified, exceptionally powerful and majestic. Within him, it was as if a great universe resided, radiating a brilliant and resplendent presence.

This power was fundamentally different from the immortal path, yet it was overwhelmingly domineering and majestic, rivaling even that of an 8-Calamities Ancient Immortal.

Eldrin gazed upon the Cycle Incarnation, a profound sense of satisfaction blooming within his heart.

This Reincarnation Body possessed an exceptionally profound foundation, with its lifelong cultivation base fully integrated as 1, unleashing a truly astonishing power.

Over these years, the Reincarnation Body had cultivated a True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundation. However, since its primordial spirit, magical power, Dao fruits, and Great Dao had all merged into 1, this True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root) foundation differed from those of ordinary immortal practitioners.

In terms of combat prowess, it was slightly more formidable than a single True Spiritual Root foundation. However, the Reincarnation Body could only cultivate this 1 True Spiritual Root foundation.

Generally speaking, a Samsara Body possesses significantly greater combat prowess than an ordinary 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal. However, lacking an Innate Spiritual Treasure and various other means, its combat strength cannot compare to that of an 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal who has cultivated a True Spiritual Root foundation.

"This Reincarnation Body has its pros and cons. Though it has fused various foundations to cultivate a True Spiritual Root foundation, it ultimately remains just a single True Spiritual Root foundation. Should it encounter a powerful foe who has cultivated 2 True Spiritual Root foundations, the Reincarnation Body would likely be no match for them."

"It appears this Path of Self-Sacrifice still has some flaws."

Eldrin's thoughts flickered as he pondered ways to resolve the matter.

But just then, You Wu suddenly spoke up, gazing at the distant 8 Calamity Ancient Immortals before declaring, "Due to the Violet Chance, this Cosmic Tribulation has already witnessed the descent of over 3,000 8 Calamity Ancient Immortals into the mortal realm."

"This is the first time in over a 1000 kalpas, you must handle it with utmost caution."

Eldrin withdrew his thoughts upon hearing this. After casting a glance at the group, a faint frown creased his brow.

Within the 3 1000 Immortal Domains, every 8-Tribulation Ancient Immortal represented the core foundation of a Great Luo Ancient Sect. It was common for an ordinary Great Luo Ancient Sect to fail in cultivating even a single 8-Tribulation Ancient Immortal over dozens of kalpas.

Thus, under normal circumstances, no more than 2 to 3 100 Eighth Tribulation Ancient Immortals would enter the tribulation each time a Cosmic Calamity arrived.

Under such circumstances, a single kalpic tribulation would typically elevate 1 Great Luo Golden Immortal, or perhaps 2 or 3 in rare strokes of fortune.

Of course, this probability only emerged after the ancient era.

In the primordial era of antiquity, the Great Primordial Dao Ancestor had yet to perfect the method of ascending to the immortal realms, and the 8-Calamity Ancient Immortals were unable to obtain the indestructible primordial radiance.

In that era, the 8 Calamity Ancient Gods and Celestial Immortals who sought to ascend to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm could only plead with Great Luo predecessors to bestow upon them the Primordial Undying Radiance. Alternatively, they had to venture endlessly through the primordial chaos, praying to stumble upon this divine light through sheer fortune.

In the Primordial Era, let alone a single kalpa, even 1 100 kalpas might not suffice for 1 to ascend to the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

It was precisely for this reason that, although the Primordial Era spanned millions of kalpas, the number of deities who had reached the Great Perfection of the Da Luo realm barely exceeded 1 100.

After the Primordial Era, the Solar Celestial Emperor devised a method to plunder the innate indestructible radiance from connate spiritual treasures.

Although such plundering would result in tremendous losses, it significantly increased the number of those advancing to the Great Luo Realm. Yet, during that era, the rate at which Great Luo Golden Immortals emerged had also accelerated dramatically.

但真正做到每个量劫都有大罗金仙晋升，还得看开天法普及之后，能够借助仙域晋升灵机孕育出先天不灭灵光的今古时代。

Yet even so, having 3 1000 8-Calamity Ancient Immortals undergoing their Heavenly Tribulation simultaneously was an exceptionally rare occurrence even across the 3 1000 Immortal Domains.

Based on historical ascension probabilities, with so many 8-Calamity Ancient Immortals undergoing tribulation, it is highly likely that over 10 to 30 Great Luo Golden Immortals will emerge after this cosmic calamity concludes.

At this thought, Eldrin couldn't help but ask, "Among these individuals, are there any formidable foes worthy of our attention?"

Youwu’s expression turned grave at these words, his gaze shifting warily toward the depths of the void. “Of these 3,800 8-Tribulation Ancient Immortals, the vast majority are merely ordinary ones. They shouldn’t pose too great a threat to you.”

Yet there were over a 100 peerless prodigies—true legends of their era—who had long possessed substantial confidence to assail the realm of the Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"However, to cultivate foundations beyond the Eleventh Limit, they deliberately engaged in prolonged seclusion. Many had trained for dozens of billions of years—each 1 a force to be reckoned with."

At this point, You Wu gazed toward the few figures radiating the most formidable auras on the battlefield and said, "Among them, there are a dozen or so individuals you must remember never to provoke."

"Oh?"

Eldrin (Person Name) paused briefly before responding, "Speak your mind."

"Look at the man on the left," Youwu pointed toward a figure on the left side and said.

Eldrin (Person Name) looked up and found the figure strikingly familiar. He couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment, "It's him."

"You know him too?"

Youwu’s gaze flickered slightly before she continued, “Indeed, the name of Zhulongzi (Person Name) resounds across the 3,000 immortal realms. It is only natural that you would know of him.”

"This Zhulongzi, named Zhuyin, is the direct grandson of the Candle Dragon Emperor and the most exceptional prodigy of the dragon race. Though he has yet to break through to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, his foundational strength surpasses that of many who have attained it."

"As far as I know, this individual has weathered 30-3 heavenly tribulations, and in each calamity, he carved a path of absolute dominance—unrivaled across all realms, yet never attaining the Golden Immortal of the Great Luo."

Throughout these 30-3 kalpas, he had forged an Indestructible Dragon Body, an Indestructible Primordial Spirit, and Indestructible Magical Power. Moreover, he had cultivated multiple 10-limit foundations. Most crucially, he had perfected a set of array artifacts—the 7 Stars of Turbid Malice.

"The 7 Stars Turbid Miasma Pearls consist of 7 individual orbs, each being an innate life-bound spiritual treasure. Once deployed in an array formation, their power can truly be called peerless in this world, comparable to establishing a foundation with 1 True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root)."

Hearing this, Eldrin (Person Name) slightly furrowed his brow.

The 7 Stars Turbid Miasma Beads were a set of innate spiritual treasure array artifacts. As a soul-bound array artifact, they constituted the Eleventh-Cycle Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass. However, given that the Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Pass was the most formidable combat force among the 9 Great Heavenly Passes, the power of this array artifact was undoubtedly no less than that of a single True Spiritual Root foundation.

According to Youwu's account, this Candle Dragon Master had also cultivated 3 eleventh-tier Indestructible Foundations, making his combat prowess likely astonishingly formidable.

"With my current strength, I fear I don't have full confidence in subduing it."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, a trace of solemnity flickering in his eyes.

Seeing this, Youwu spoke again, "Among those with combat prowess akin to Candleblight, there are also peerless prodigies like the divine clan’s Niyang, Thunderwild, and Diling, as well as monstrous talents from the demon race such as Peng’s Child, the Azure Phoenix Emperor’s Daughter, and the Kirin clan’s Purple Scale Lord."

They had long been capable of breaching the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, yet deliberately accumulated dozens or even hundreds of kalpas without breakthrough—all to lay the foundation for attaining the Primordial Chaos Emperor realm.

"If you ever encounter them, remember not to confront them head-on. Retreat from afar."

Eldrin nodded upon hearing this, yet his gaze shifted toward the most radiant figure deep within the chaos as he asked, "And what if we encounter that 1?"

Youwu followed their gaze, and his expression instantly shifted as he spoke.

Encounter this person?

"You'd best pray you never cross paths with this individual."

"Oh?"

Eldrin's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his features that instantly melted into understanding.

If it were Zhulongzi (Person Name) he was facing, though he had no certainty of capturing him, he was still highly confident of defeating him. But confronted with this golden figure, he felt an immense pressure weighing upon him.

Seeing this, Youwu took a deep breath and said, "He is Lingxiao."

"Lingxiao?" Eldrin frowned slightly, a crease forming between his brows.

"Indeed, this is Lingxiao (Person Name), the Golden Crow Crown Prince hailed as the Little Celestial Emperor—the most peerless prodigy the Golden Crow Tribe has produced in 3,000 kalpas, and among the most formidable demonic geniuses since ancient times."

"Young Master," Youwu spoke slowly, a trace of fear unexpectedly coloring his tone, "if we were to encounter the Candle Dragon, we might still have some chance of escaping with our lives. But if we face this Lingxiao, I fear we wouldn't even have the slightest opportunity to flee."

"Could He possibly be this powerful?"

Eldrin raised an eyebrow and remarked with some surprise.

Youwu nodded, then spoke, "This Golden Crow Little Celestial Emperor is said to have been born in the late ancient era. From birth, his bloodline was exceptionally pure, earning him the profound favor of His Majesty the Sun Celestial Emperor."

Before his birth, the Sun Celestial Emperor specially prepared a set of innate treasures for him—the "Pure Yang Cosmic Formation Diagram." This formation was refined by merging the Primordial Spiritual Treasure Scroll with 10 Primordial Spiritual Treasures known as "Pure Yang Celestial Fire Pearls," hailed as the foremost pure yang formation in the world.

With such profound foundations, the Golden Crow Little Celestial Emperor lived up to expectations. Not only did he cultivate into an 8-Calamity Ancient Immortal, but he also triumphed undefeated through 1 100 cosmic tribulations.

Throughout these 1 100 kalpas, he successively cultivated 11-limit indestructible Dao, indestructible magic power, indestructible primordial spirit, indestructible Dao fruit, indestructible supernatural powers, and indestructible numinous treasures. Moreover, he advanced his Great Luo body to the 12-limit True Spirit realm.

"True Spirit Body?"

Eldrin murmured under his breath, his expression betraying a flicker of astonishment. This Golden Crow Little Celestial Emperor was the first True Spiritual Root foundation he had ever encountered.

The True Spirit Body was inherently formidable beyond measure. Coupled with the 5 Eleventh Limit Indestructible Foundations and the Eleventh Limit 'Pure Yang Cosmic Array Diagram'—whose combat prowess rivaled that of a True Spiritual Root foundation—the foundation of this Golden Crow Little Celestial Emperor was likely no weaker than his own.

Moreover, Lingxiao’s cultivation realm was slightly higher than Eldrin’s (Person Name). If the 2 were to clash now, Eldrin (Person Name) might not necessarily gain the upper hand.

"Equivalent to 2 True Spirit Celestial Passes and 5 Undying Celestial Passes."

"He is indeed a formidable opponent."

Eldrin (Person Name) calculated inwardly, a rare trace of gravity flickering in his eyes.

At this thought, a faint chill glimmered in his eyes: "What a coincidence—he too cultivates the Path of Pure Yang."

Seeing this, Youwu sighed and said, "Lingxiao is too proud. He has always wanted to cultivate a second True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root). Over the years, in his pursuit of this second True Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), he has repeatedly unleashed great slaughter during the Tribulations."

"This tribulation will surely bring great slaughter. Let us only hope we do not cross paths with him when the time comes."

As the crowd was speaking, the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent trembled violently, and the grand formation enveloping the vast land slowly began to activate.

"Let's go."

Witnessing this scene, the Golden Crow Little Heavenly Emperor was the first to step forward.

Thereafter, Zhuyin, Kunpengzi, Niyang, and the others likewise tore through the skies and departed 1 after another.

Seeing this, Eldrin did not hesitate excessively. He glanced at Lyra and Seraphina Qu, saying, "Let's go. Remember to stay close behind me."

With those words, he took the lead, cleaving through the primordial chaos as the group soared toward the Ancient Immortal Ruins Continent.

Happy National Day! Going out for a meal today, so just 6,000 words for the chapter. Would appreciate some support while I'm at it.