Yuantian

"Senior Tianxu, I'll be here right away." Wu Yuan bowed his hands in salute, and immediately stepped into the glow of light at his feet.

There seemed to be strange fluctuations in the glow, which led Wu Yuan to fly towards the dark void in the far distance. The speed was extremely fast, faintly surpassing the limitations of time and space.

"It's so fast, it's no less than the original shuttle of my great avenue." A trace of surprise flashed across Wu Yuan's eyes.

According to his induction, the current senior Tianxu should still be at the True Saint level.

What method is this?

After a while.

This ray of light had carried Wu Yuan forward a long way. Suddenly, the time and space in front of him opened to both sides like a huge sky curtain, tearing a hole and revealing a vast and endless world.

"This?" Wu Yuan showed a hint of surprise.

Just now, he had not noticed at all that there was such a world hidden under this dark void.

"There is no original fluctuation? Is this an area that cannot be covered by the original rules?" Wu Yuan was increasingly shocked.

For a moment, he thought of the 'Nine Realms' in Qing Sheng's Tomb, which were also areas that could not be covered by the original rules.

"What a vast world."

Wu Yuan looked down and saw that the strength of the Eternal Power comes from his Tao, so even if he cannot sense the original and cannot use the power of the Tao, his own strength will not be lost.

With just a thought, Wu Yuan could sense the vastness and endlessness of this land. The origin of this world was probably as powerful as the entire Lingjiang Universe.

Countless creatures live there.

Many of them have reached the level of monarchs, and many even exist eternally, but most of them are immortal, and there are not many at the level of saints... Wu Yuan is still guided by the rays of light.

Soon, he shuttled through the clouds and arrived at the end of the void where countless creatures in this world could not reach.

Here, there is a palace suspended in the void.

At a glance, Wu Yuan saw the two simple characters on the palace plaque - Xingyan.

"Xingyan Palace?" Wu Yuan asked secretly, does it have any meaning?

call!

Wu Yuan flew to the gate of the palace. On the square, a middle-aged man wearing a green robe had already laid out his documents.

On the document, there is a pot of tea and two teacups.

"Wu Yuan, here you go, please sit down." The middle-aged man in green robe said with a smile.

"Senior Tianxu, you?" Wu Yuan held his breath slightly. He could feel that the senior Tianxu in front of him seemed to be very different from what he had seen before.

"Sit down first." The middle-aged man in green robe said with a smile.

"Yes." Wu Yuan was quite respectful and sat down opposite Senior Tianxu.

Taoist Tianxu poured tea for Wu Yuan, and Wu Yuan quickly took it.

Until then.

Taoist Tianxu just spoke and said with a smile: "As soon as you broke through, you sensed my place so quickly. It seems that you have perfectly integrated the origin of the time and space avenue. Among the many Tao masters in the past, you should be the first to do it. .”

"In terms of strength alone, you can be called the strongest Taoist since the beginning." Taoist Tianxu said with emotion.

The strongest Taoist? Wu Yuan was not surprised, he had expected this.

"Senior, aren't other Tao masters able to perfectly integrate the origin of the Tao?" Wu Yuan asked curiously.

"It can't be done."

"Neither I, Taoist Shan, nor other Tao masters could do it at the beginning." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "We opened our own way by relying on the origin of the Tao... We have shortcomings in our own way, and we want to perfectly integrate the Tao. The origin is almost impossible. Like you, if you use the origin of the time and space avenue to carry out time and space teleportation, the speed may be extremely astonishing."

"Yes." Wu Yuan couldn't help but nodded: "It only took me three days to drive here from Yuhe."

"Three days? It's much faster than me." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "Back then, it would have taken me several months."

Wu Yuan was surprised.

Looking back now, when Senior Tianxu was the Taoist Master of Time and Space, his various magical powers seemed to be inferior to his own.

If you want to control the power of the avenue, you must be strong enough.

"You must have a lot of curiosity in your heart." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said: "Originally, I wanted to wait until your strength has improved further and I have become the Holy Saint before I talk to you."

"However, since your qi-refining deity has become the Holy Saint and has come to me, it doesn't hurt to tell you in advance." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile.

"Junior, I am all ears." Wu Yuan said respectfully.

Taoist Tianxu is too mysterious. Although beings such as Nuwa, Houtu Ancestral Witch, and Emperor Tian are extremely powerful, they still have traces to follow... Only Taoist Tianxu is mysterious to the extreme.

No one can spy on all his secrets.

"I, born with great luck, am the first living being born in this primitive era." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "In a sense, I am the spirit of the original origin, the starting point of time and space, and the source of everything. the source.”

"Since my birth, in this primitive era, time and space have meaning, and everything has a beginning."

Wu Yuan was shocked when he heard this.

He had thought about the special identity of Senior Tianxu, but what the other party said was still beyond imagination.

The beginning of everything.

The starting point of the Primeval Era?

So shocking! This is definitely the other party's biggest secret.

"So, I easily became the first eternal strongman in the sea." Tianxu Taoist said slowly: "Then, as the source of time and space, it is logical to be favored by the origin of the time and space avenue, and I became the master of time and space. He was the strongest Taoist before."

"Taoist Taoists like Shan, who became Tao masters, not only worked hard to become eternally strong, but also had some luck."

"Only me."

"When you are born, you are destined to be the Taoist Master of Time and Space." Taoist Tianxu looked at Wu Yuan with a smile.

Wu Yuan was shocked and sighed in his heart.

A natural Taoist? And the strongest Taoist? This is fate! The starting point of Taoist Tianxu is the end point that countless lives cannot reach.

"At the beginning, I thought I was lucky."

"But when I became a Taoist master and awakened many memories, I realized that none of this was luck... You should understand that this primitive era is not the only time." Taoist Tianxu looked at Wu Yuan: "You have obtained the Xuanhuang Taoist Treasure. , you should have entered Tianhan Mountain."

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded and couldn't help but said: "Senior, do you know about Tianhan Mountain?"

Taoist Tianxu was silent for a moment and nodded slightly: "I know, that is an incredible existence, and the residence opened by him will be eternal."

"They are all great beings from previous eras."

"Ruyuan Sheng!"

"Ruqingsheng!"

"They are all creatures born in the original era." Taoist Tianxu said slowly: "Taoist Shan became a Taoist master because he received the guidance of the Origin Saint."

Wu Yuan listened quietly.

Senior Tianxu knows too much...it seems like there is no secret that he doesn't know.

"Yuan Sheng, are you really still alive?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, alive." Taoist Tianxu nodded: "Like the great leader of Tianhan Mountain, Yuan Sheng, Qing Sheng, etc., including the long gone Empress Nuwa... they all took the fifth step. Existence! That is the realm of the Supreme!”

"Empress Nuwa, has she achieved supreme status?" Wu Yuan was shocked and looked at Taoist Tianxu in disbelief.

If this news spreads, it will definitely shock the entire sea area.

after all.

As Hou Tu Zuwu and himself said, neither of them knew the situation of Nuwa Empress. They only said that the other party had gone deeper into the sea.

"I can't completely confirm, it's an 80% probability." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said: "But I can confirm that she is still alive. After all, there is still her mark on the ancestral tower. If she falls, the mark will naturally dissipate."

"The mark of the Ancestral Pagoda?" Wu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses: "Is the Empress Nuwa also the original one of the Ancestral Pagoda?"

Taoist Tianxu nodded slightly.

"Nuwa is actually the original master of the ancestral pagoda?" Wu Yuan's thoughts immediately started to race at high speed: "When I became the original master of the ancestral pagoda, Shiling once told me that the ancestral pagoda has at most eight original masters, but now there are only three. Empress Nuwa is one, and I am one, so what about the last one?"

Wu Yuan couldn't help but look at Taoist Tianxu: "Senior, are you also the original ancestral tower?"

"No!"

"I was once, but not later." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said: "Do you remember Taoist Shan? He was also the original ancestral tower, and later passed on the mark to you."

Wu Yuan was stunned. In an instant, he had figured it out.

It’s like hindsight.

"Did the identity of the original ancestral pagoda of Empress Nuwa come from you?" Wu Yuan said in a low voice, feeling horrified in his heart.

Taoist Tianxu sighed softly and looked at Wu Yuan: "She is extremely talented. In a sense, she is no less talented than you. She just lacks some luck... Fate is really important sometimes."

Wu Yuan was shocked beyond measure.

Many secrets seem to be clear.

It seems that Empress Nuwa was able to rise so quickly in that era because of the guidance of Senior Tianxu.

but.

What Wu Yuan didn't know was that Nuwa's choice to create the human race had a close relationship with Taoist Tianxu...

"Then the last original ancestral tower?" Wu Yuan was slightly confused.

"You haven't made a breakthrough in body refining yet?" Taoist Tianxu asked.

Wu Yuan shook his head.

"When you break through, you will get the induction from the Ancestral Tower, and you will naturally know who the last person is." Taoist Tianxu: "The true original person of the Ancestral Tower must be the Holy Saint."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

He remembered that the Prime Spirit had said similar words when he left.

Shi Ling once said that when his level of strength is comparable to that of a mountain Taoist, he will be able to contact the true form of the ancestral tower.

No wonder.

Taoist Tianxu has always seemed to know the Ancestral Pagoda very well. It turns out that the other party was once the original owner of the Ancestral Pagoda.

"Since Yuan Sheng and Nuwa Empress are both alive and have taken the fifth step, why haven't they appeared in the sea?" Wu Yuan asked slightly puzzled.

He was curious.

"Because of the original." Taoist Tianxu smiled lightly: "Just like in the Yuhe River, the eternally powerful are not allowed to stay forever."

"The same is true under the cover of the original rules. With the existence of the Supreme Realm, their own ways can be called the original ways, and they have been deduced to perfection! In short, their ways are no less than the original rules."

"Naturally, the original rules will be extremely resistant to their existence."

"Only in the original era, that is, at the beginning of each original era, when the original rules were not fully functioning, could the Supremes occasionally appear and make arrangements." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile.

Wu Yuan suddenly realized.

So that's the case, no wonder there is no trace of the Origin Saint except for his sudden appearance in the original era.

Empress Nuwa even left far away and never came back...

"However, according to what Hou Tuzu Wu said, it seems that Nuwa was fighting against a certain disaster...there is some discrepancy with what Senior Tianxu said." Wu Yuan hid these confusions in his heart.

Keep listening.

"Before this original era, there were many eras." Taoist Tianxu said: "In these eras, supreme beings would occasionally be born... Although the supreme beings have gone far away, most of them will leave behind some relics and means."

"Relic means?" Wu Yuan was stunned.

"Ruqing Sheng's Tomb is the relic left by Qing Sheng." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "Tianhan Mountain is where the great leader lives."

"And the space and time we are in, called 'Changfeng Space and Time', was left behind by another super being."

Wu Yuan became more and more frightened and looked around again.

He hadn't noticed it before, but now after being reminded by Taoist Tianxu, he looked carefully again and became more and more aware of the specialness of this world.

"Can't the original rules be covered?" Wu Yuan thought thoughtfully.

"That's right."

Taoist Tianxu glanced at Wu Yuan with approval: "These special places have the majesty of the supreme way. The original cannot be invaded...the original and the final tribulation cannot be destroyed, so they can be passed down from generation to generation."

"In this Changfeng time and space, senior...it seems that you opened up a small world in the Blood Dream Realm, and it is also called this." Wu Yuan said with slight doubts.

"Haha, it's just a thought." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "You don't need to ask more."

"Yes." Wu Yuan was curious, but did not ask further.

"The entire Changfeng time and space is as huge as the Qingsheng Tomb. I only control some of the secrets, and you can spy even less." Taoist Tianxu said casually.

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

This place seems to be left by a mysterious supreme being, and it may contain very terrifying power in the dark.

Think of this.

"Senior, who is the super being who opened up Changfeng time and space?" Wu Yuan asked curiously.

"Hong." Taoist Tianxu uttered one word and immediately said no more.

flood?

Wu Yuan silently noted that he had never heard of it!

I haven't seen it in any records, so I'm afraid it's not that powerful.

"In addition to these relics, the supreme beings of many previous eras left behind three supreme divine objects." Taoist Tianxu continued: "These are the Ancestral Tower, the Original Sword, and the Heavenly Cauldron."

"Are the three supreme divine objects derived from the former supreme beings?" Wu Yuan nodded slightly, not too surprised.

After all, the three supreme divine objects do not seem to be born naturally. They are most likely artificially refined.

but!

Any supreme divine object can affect the operation of the original rules. This is definitely not something that the Holy Spirit can do.

Then, combined with what Taoist Tianxu said before, it is easy to deduce that they should all be created by the former supreme beings.

"Among the three supreme divine objects, the Ancestral Tower is the source and the most mysterious." Taoist Tianxu said slowly: "It was created by Hong."

"Hong?" Wu Yuan was stunned: "Isn't the Ancestral Tower created by Yuan Sheng?"

"Who said that?" Taoist Tianxu said with a smile.

"Senior Shan Taoist." Wu Yuan couldn't help but say.

"He knows nothing." Taoist Tianxu shook his head: "Original Saint has indeed come into contact with the Ancestral Tower, but I'm afraid the most he can do is take charge and create the Ancestral Tower... Only Hong can do it."

Think for a moment.

Taoist Tianxu just said slowly: "Really speaking, only the great being from Tianhan Mountain can rival Hong."

Wu Yuan was shocked when he heard this.

Now it sounds like this mysterious Supreme Hong is much stronger than Yuan Sheng, Qing Sheng, and Nuwa Empress.

Once upon a time, Wu Yuan thought that Yuan Sheng was supreme and invincible. As his strength gradually grew, he had to admit it.

This endless sea hides many secrets.

"Senior, you trained Nuwa, and then you trained me...what is your purpose?" Wu Yuan finally couldn't help but speak.

Taoist Tianxu has given so much.

Knowing so many secrets, what is the purpose? What exactly is it? What is he pursuing?

"Control the Ancestral Tower." Taoist Tianxu said with a faint smile: "All I want is to wait until you are strong enough to control the Ancestral Tower."

"Huh?" Wu Yuan was stunned.

Control the ancestral tower?

That's it?

"Can we also control the three supreme divine objects?" Wu Yuan was shocked: "They should all be existences that surpass the Xuanhuang Daobao."

There are thirty-six Xuanhuang Dao Treasures in the Endless Domain Sea, all of which are tangible.

As for the three supreme divine objects, let alone controlling them, it would be extremely difficult for ordinary saints to find them.

"The Holy One is naturally unable to control it." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "But what if it is the Supreme One? The so-called "can't do it" is just not strong enough. If the strength is strong enough, even the original rules must be retreated."

"Actually."

"The three supreme divine objects are all controllable. Among them, the Ancestral Tower is the most difficult, and the mystery it contains is also the most special."

"The so-called original one."

"In fact, he is a candidate for the controller." Taoist Tianxu said: "Only by becoming the original one can you have the basic qualifications to become the controller of divine objects."

"That Nuwa Empress?" Wu Yuan was confused.

It stands to reason that the Nuwa Empress should be able to control the ancestral tower after she has achieved supreme status.

"She can't!"

"This is what I said before, she was a bit unlucky." Taoist Tianxu shook his head and said: "Becoming a Supreme is only one of the conditions for controlling the Ancestral Tower. It does not mean becoming a Supreme."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

It sounds very difficult!

In fact, it is really difficult. In these long years, I have not heard of anyone who can control the supreme divine object.

"It seems that Senior Tianxu has great confidence in me." Wu Yuan thought to himself.

"No need to rush."

"When you become the Holy Saint, you have the basic qualifications to become the controller of the Ancestral Tower." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said: "When you refine your body and become the Holy Saint, you can go to the time and space of the Ancestral Tower."

"At that time, you will understand many situations."

"You will also understand why I say you have better luck than Nuwa." Taoist Tianxu.

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded.

Zuta time and space? It sounds like it is a special place where the ancestral tower itself is located.

Apparently, we have to wait until the body-refining deity becomes the Holy One.

"senior."

Wu Yuan suddenly thought of something: "The Ancestral Tower can control the three supreme divine objects, but what about the Original Sword and the Heavenly Cauldron?"

"The Original Sword and the Heavenly Cauldron?" Taoist Tianxu pondered for a moment: "These two supreme divine objects actually also have original beings."

"Is there also an original one?" Wu Yuan was surprised and asked doubtfully: "I have never heard that these two supreme divine objects have marks."

Those with the ancestral pagoda mark have existed throughout the ages.

All the major forces in the Endless Territory Sea know a lot about it.

However, the original sword and Tianding seem to only affect the operation of the original rules, but I have not heard of anyone with the mark.

"The Original Sword and the Heavenly Cauldron indeed have no mark." Taoist Tianxu smiled slightly: "You have just become the Holy Saint, so you may not understand...the original sword's body is in the 'Realm of Destruction', one of the eight top dangerous places. .”

"The main body of Tianding is in the first dangerous place, 'Bian'an Cliff'."

The realm of destruction?

Bian Cliff?

Wu Yuan silently noted that he had heard of both of these two major dangerous places, but he did not know the internal information of the two top dangerous places before.

After all, among the eight top dangerous places, except for the Chaos Ruins and the Tomb of the Green Saint, the other six dangerous places are basically only entered by the Holy Saint.

True saints all know very little.

"All the most holy and powerful people can enter these two dangerous places. If they are lucky enough, they are expected to come into contact with the two supreme divine objects." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "However, if you want to become the original owner of the highest divine objects, you must In addition to luck, it also depends on strength... As far as I know, these two supreme divine beings should have given birth to their original beings."

"The original one was born?" Wu Yuan was surprised.

"I'm not sure who the Holy Saints are specifically." Taoist Tianxu shook his head and said, "If you are destined, you can try to explore in the future. If you can become their original ones again, the original ones can sense each other. .”

"Like your body-refining deity, once it becomes the Holy Saint, and then goes to the time and space of the Ancestral Pagoda to truly awaken the mark of the original, then the marks of the other two originals will be clear."

"Now? They can sense the birth of the third Original One, but who is it specifically? They can't sense it either."

Wu Yuan nodded lightly.

The original spirit of the Ancestral Pagoda also said that when he became the original being of the Ancestral Pagoda, the other two original beings would be able to sense it... but he still couldn't tell who they were.

"Senior, do you know who the other original ancestral tower is?" Wu Yuan asked.

"Do you think I am omniscient and omnipotent?" Taoist Tianxu smiled: "The other one was born and rose after Nuwa left. Although I know that another original one was born, but who it is has always been a mystery."

Wu Yuan suddenly realized.

"It seems."

"After the body-refining deity becomes the Holy Saint, there is no need to rush to the time and space of the ancestral tower." Wu Yuan thought silently.

Who will be the last original ancestral tower?

"When you know who it is, you can tell me via summons." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "I'm also very curious about who it is."

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded.

"OK!"

"I've told you everything I need to tell you." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "As for some ordinary secrets in the sea? With your current ability, you can explore it as you like."

"However, to save you some time, I prepared a small gift for you."

call!

Taoist Tianxu turned his palm and handed Wu Yuan several sacred slips. The material of the sacred slips was obviously very special.

"This?" Wu Yuan looked at several divine slips.

"These are some of the information I summarized during my long years of exploration throughout the territory and sea when I was the Taoist Master of Time and Space, and I will give them to you." Taoist Tianxu said.

"Thank you, senior." Wu Yuan's eyes lit up.

intelligence? The value of this gift is very small to say the least. After all, it has no actual value.

But in a big way, it’s very big.

Sometimes, information comes first. Based on Senior Tianxu's long years of exploration, I am afraid that it is no less than the information library of the Witch Court.

call! Wu Yuan waved his hand and put away the sacred slip.

"in addition."

"Meng Guan has sent me a message." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile: "You give him the Chaos Origin Heart... I promised you at the beginning that I would give you six Chaos Spiritual Treasures, so I took this opportunity to give them to you. .”

"Do you have any requests?" Taoist Tianxu looked at Wu Yuan.

"Request?" Wu Yuan pondered for a moment: "This junior needs some Chaos Spiritual Treasure Sabers."

"And flying swords."

Although a large number of treasures were seized from the Tenth Ruins Realm, they could be exchanged for Chaos Spiritual Treasures from the Witch Court.

And in the future, your own eternal world will also breed Chaos Spiritual Treasures that are most suitable for you.

However, first of all, Chaos Spiritual Treasures are extremely precious, and if you need them in large quantities, there may not be so many suitable for you in the Witch Court.

Secondly, the origin of the eternal world gave birth to the Chaos Spiritual Treasure? It’s all measured in hundreds of billions of years, and I can’t afford to wait.

"Chaos Spiritual Treasure Saber?" Taoist Tianxu nodded: "I do have a few swords, but I don't have one from the same source... I am afraid no one in the entire sea can refine a Chaos Spiritual Treasure from the same origin."

"Don't ask for the same origin." Wu Yuan said.

Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

There are only a handful of saints that can be refined alone in the endless sea of ​​​​realm. It is too harsh to want to refine the Chaos Spiritual Treasure from the same source.

"Okay, I have six Chaos Spiritual Treasure Sabers in my collection." Taoist Tianxu said, "Do you want them all?"

"I want it all." Wu Yuan's eyes lit up.

Not to be absolved.

If you want the body-refining deity to burst out with the strongest combat power, you need nine swords, and you already have one.

There are still eight more to go.

"It just so happened that I promised you six handles last time, so I'll give them all to you." Taoist Tianxu said with a faint smile.

A wave of his hand.

Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Time and space trembled, and immediately one sword after another exuding a terrifying aura appeared in the void on the other side. Even if the aura converged, countless tiny cracks still appeared in the void.

Six Chaos Spiritual Treasure Battle Knives.

"I have treasured it for many years, so I will give it to you." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "Put it away."

"Thank you, senior." Wu Yuan waved his hand and put away all six swords.

"correct."

"I still have five Chaos Spiritual Treasure Divine Swords. Do you want them?" Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "However, I can't give them to you directly this time. I have to exchange them for treasures."

"Yes." Wu Yuan said.

Once the transformation of the Qi Refining Master and the Dharma Body are completed, and they start fighting, they will only need eighteen Chaos Spiritual Treasure Flying Swords to form a sword formation.

"However, senior, you have to wait for a few days." Wu Yuan smiled helplessly: "I, the Qi Refiner, don't carry so many treasures with me."

"It doesn't matter."

"I believe you won't trick me, so I'll give it all to you first." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said, "When you have time, you can return the treasures of equal value to me."

call!

Taoist Tianxu waved his hand, and five more chaotic spiritual swords appeared in the void.

"Then thank you, senior." Wu Yuan was in need of these treasures, so he was welcome.

Put it all away.

"I know you are about to fight against other sages." Taoist Tianxu smiled and said: "That's all I can help you, the rest is up to you."

"The kindness of the seniors will be kept in mind by the juniors." Wu Yuan said solemnly that the other party did help him a lot.

"Um."

"If you, the Qi Refiner, want to exert your strongest strength, the Chaos Spiritual Treasure Flying Sword is the second best, and the most important thing is the Samsara Sword." Taoist Tianxu looked at Wu Yuan: "Your inner dream should still be transforming... Once it turns into Mengyuyu, combined with the Samsara Sword, tsk tsk! Very good."

"You'd better get the Samsara Sword as soon as possible, I won't keep you any longer." Taoist Tianxu said.

"Yes, then, junior, please take your leave first." Wu Yuan heard Taoist Tianxu's order to expel the guests.

He stood up and said goodbye immediately.

"Well, even though you have become the Holy Saint, don't slack off. I'll wait for the day when you take charge of the ancestral tower." Taoist Tianxu said with a smile.

Wu Yuan bowed his hands and said goodbye.

Shortly after.

As a ray of glow bloomed, Wu Yuan was led by the glow and left this mysterious Changfeng time and space.

Outside Xingyan Palace.

"The original one of the Ancestral Pagoda?" Taoist Tianxu watched Wu Yuan's figure disappear and sighed softly: "The original one of the original sword?"

"pity."

"You two are going to have a battle eventually!"