Hall Gang, famous even in his early twenties, was widely expected to enter that year's Rookie King Tournament, yet the young powerhouse chose not to compete.

Years later, the genius young warrior of the past has matured into a steady adult fighter, his strength undoubtedly having grown significantly. However, his last few opponents failed to push him to reveal his full capabilities.

The once-prodigious bloodline warrior, now in his thirties, possessed the power of a True Saint! Major gambling houses unanimously predicted Hall Gang's strength to be at the True Saint realm. It was evident from the time he refused to compete that this bloodline warrior was intensely driven. His goal was surely the Rookie King's throne, but back then, he lacked the confidence and the necessary strength to claim it, hence his refusal. His participation now, at thirty, clearly signals he is prepared.

“Gang, be careful,” the Hall Family Patriarch said worriedly, watching the cold, burning song of Fentú Kuangge on the stage. “This young man is difficult to deal with.”

“Patriarch, rest assured,” Hall Gang laughed confidently. “I beat his brother back then; today, I’ll crush his younger brother! The victory will be mine! Don’t forget…”

Hall Gang leaned down and whispered mysteriously, “I still have a mystery potion, one I was saving for Qian Jin. If he truly forces me into a situation where I cannot win, then that mystery potion…”

Hall Tie looked at Hall Gang with envy. He himself had recently acquired four mystery potions during an adventure, one of which he used upon returning home to have the mystery alchemist analyze. The result showed it was an incredibly potent potion, but its effects were severe: unless consumed by a Saint-level warrior, the body would explode.

However, if consumed by a Saint-level warrior, their strength would skyrocket, though their body would feel extremely weak the following day.

If consumed by someone in the initial stage of a Void Saint, there was a thirty percent chance of temporarily surging directly to the True Saint realm, and a seventy percent chance of certainly reaching the peak of the Void Saint state.

If consumed by an early-stage True Saint, there was a half-percent chance of reaching the True Saint realm, a seventy percent chance of reaching the peak True Saint state, and the remaining two-and-a-half percent chance would still result in a significant power boost.

If consumed by a peak True Saint, there was a thirty percent chance of temporarily gaining the strength of a True Saint for half an hour, and a seventy percent chance of reaching the absolute peak of the True Saint state, potentially stepping into the true True Saint realm at any moment.

Hall Gang had once carefully tricked a Void Saint bloodline warrior into consuming it, resulting in that early-stage Void Saint immediately elevating to the peak Void Saint state for a full half hour; afterward, the only consequence was extreme fatigue the next day.

Since then, Hall Gang had kept those two mystery potions close to him, never having used them himself. He had intended to use them for survival on the Human-Demon Battlefield, but after seeing Qian Jin’s strength, he decided they were reserved for fighting him.

Fentú Kuangge? Hall Gang always believed that his own strength was more than enough to crush this ordinary warrior who didn't understand the might of bloodline warriors. He never even considered using those two mystery potions; mentioning them now was merely to reassure others.

Fentú Kuangge slowly walked onto the stage, paying no attention to Hall Gang standing opposite him. His gaze remained fixed on the slender figure of Fentú Kuangxiao in the spectator stands, sending waves of sharp pain through his heart.

Only those who had truly seen Fentú Kuangxiao could comprehend how powerfully built that genius ordinary warrior was. Even without using any Dou Qi, his sheer brute strength alone was enough to punch an ox to death with a single blow.

Now, never mind punching an ox to death—even a slight breeze could knock him down.

All of this, everything, Fentú Kuangge’s chest rose and fell violently—all of it was inflicted by the Explosive Bear bloodline warrior, Hall Gang!

If he hadn't gone mad, Elder Brother’s strength might have reached that terrifying peak—his body, however, would have been excellent, allowing him to serve as a commanding general on the Human-Demon Battlefield!

Now… Fentú Kuangge’s eyes misted over again. The moment Elder Brother transferred his Dou Soul onto him, his life was destined to last less than a year.

And now, it seemed, holding on for even another month was questionable.

“Perhaps…” Mùnè Zhèncè sighed. “Fentú Kuangxiao should have died long ago. The fact that he held on until now was just to see his younger brother one last time.”

Qian Jin nodded gently. Shattering a Dou Soul was different from transferring one. Shattering only damaged a part of the body, but transferring a Dou Soul required sacrificing one’s life—the damage inflicted upon the body was indescribable.

Hall Gang felt even more irritated watching Fentú Kuangge opposite him; the young man was utterly ignoring him! From the moment he stepped onto the stage, his gaze hadn't shifted an inch.

Humiliation! This was true, blatant disregard! Hall Gang took a deep breath. The only way to wash away such insult was to beat him until he knelt and kowtowed.

The referee called Fentú Kuangge’s name several times, but failed to recall his attention. He glanced at the time, realizing he couldn't delay any longer.

“W-well…” The referee shook his head repeatedly, sighing. “Is the Fentú family going to forfeit due to this distraction? What a pity. Now, begin!”

The word ‘begin’ was still forming on the referee’s tongue when Hall Gang let out a fierce roar and activated his Bloodline War Body. Brown bear fur instantly covered his entire body. His physique swelled instantly, completely tearing apart his warrior uniform. The power of a Saint instantly surged into the True Saint realm.

The spectators gasped in unison. The gambling houses’ prediction was correct; this Explosive Bear bloodline warrior had indeed reached the True Saint realm. Does this mean… he isn’t at the same level as Fentú Kuangge? Does this mean… the Fentú family is in danger?

That’s right! In battles between those of the same rank, bloodline warriors could always easily defeat ordinary warriors, and it frequently happened that they could even challenge and defeat ordinary warriors at a higher level.

Hall Gang instantly boosted his power to the True Saint state. His arms exploded again and rapidly thickened, his physique becoming far more massive than a normal person’s thigh, comparable to an adult man’s build!

As his strength erupted, Hall Gang’s movements did not cease. The moment he reached the True Saint state, he appeared before Fentú Kuangge. Before his Bloodline Dou Skill, Mountain Uprooter, could land, the flesh on Fentú Kuangge’s cheek was already visibly trembling from the pressure of the impending punch, and his clothes snapped audibly under the sheer force.

Fentú Kuangge remained staring blankly at Fentú Kuangxiao in the stands. The Mountain Uprooter bloodline Dou Skill slammed directly into his head.

Hit! Won!

The instant Hall Gang’s fist connected with the skin of Fentú Kuangge’s cheek, a surge of wild elation shot through him. Although he knew he could defeat this ordinary warrior, he hadn't expected it to be so simple. He had anticipated a grueling battle, yet his opponent was completely distracted.

Boom! The clash of Dou Qi against muscle produced a roar that made many people instinctively shut their eyes, fearing they would witness Fentú Kuangge’s head being smashed in by one punch.

As the fist pressure and Dou Qi struck Fentú Kuangge’s cheek, scattering sparks of energy, his head tilted slightly to the left with the force of the blow. His gaze finally drew away from his brother, locking onto the stunned Hall Feng with a chilling intensity in his pupils.

How could this be? When Hall Gang’s fist connected with Fentú Kuangge’s cheek, the initial muscle contact felt normal, but immediately afterward, everything changed…

Pain! Hall Gang’s fist bones groaned with an unfamiliar agony, like the pain he felt as a child learning to fight, when his father made him punch a small tree without any Dou Qi—the pain in his hand bones.

Why? How was this possible? Hall Gang couldn't comprehend it. He had clearly landed a punch on Fentú Kuangge’s face. Based on past experience, this opponent should have been sent flying, spinning rapidly in the air—even if his cheekbone shattered and blood sprayed out of his nose onto the ground, it would have been normal.

But… but…

“Is that all your strength?” Fentú Kuangge rolled his eyes up at Hall Gang. “With such a weak punch, how could you possibly beat my brother?”

“You… you…” Hall Gang’s arm suddenly swelled again. “Sea Overturn!”

The Sea Overturn Dou Skill, stronger than Mountain Uprooter, made his arm explode with renewed force, slamming into Fentú Kuangge’s face under the pressure of the contact.

Hiss…

Fentú Kuangge’s feet scraped against the ground, sliding back three meters. The friction instantly shredded the soles of his boots, but his head remained cocked at the same angle as when he was first hit, staring coldly at the empowered Hall Gang. “Is that all your strength? Such soft punches could never beat my brother.”

The exact same tone, the exact same words, drifted from Fentú Kuangge’s mouth, causing a prickling numbness to spread across Hall Gang’s scalp.

How… how could this be? Hall Gang’s arms trembled slightly. Wasn't he afraid of pain? That one punch of mine could have deformed even a nearly Soldier-grade shield! But… but why does it feel like I couldn't even break his defense? Could it be… could it be…

Hall Gang suddenly whipped his head around to look at Qian Jin, standing not far below the stage. Could it be that Qian Jin rigged this with necromancy? That’s right! He’s not just an alchemist; he’s a mystery alchemist! Could he have developed a special mystery potion that drastically increases a warrior's defense for a period of time?

Perhaps… Yes! It must be! Hall Gang’s eye twitched rapidly. The most terrifying thing in a fight is being unable to break the opponent’s defense. This fight is completely unfair…

“Where are you looking? Your opponent is here,” Fentú Kuangge took a step forward, his Rage Lotus Dou Qi erupting fully. The golden, massive true gold Dou Qi made the Rage Lotus bloom spectacularly. He instantly appeared before Hall Gang, casually raising and swinging his fist, striking Hall Gang squarely on the cheek.

This action was a perfect mirror of Hall Gang’s previous move, except the roles were reversed.

Bang! Crack!

Hall Gang took the punch before he could react to Fentú Kuangge’s speed. The blow landed on his jaw, completely dislocating it, sending him flying backward over ten meters. He barely managed to stabilize his retreat by using his Saint-level power to ascend.

Pain! Hall Gang’s jaw was dislocated, and a string of golden stars danced before his eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Fentú Kuangge flickered and appeared before Hall Gang again, raising his hand plainly once more to deliver another punch—exactly like Hall Gang’s previous attack, and the result was equally similar: it landed squarely on his cheek.

Bang! Crack!

Hall Gang was sent flying backward again. The jaw that had just been dislocated was slammed back into place by the second blow. The tremendous impact jolted his brain, adding even more stars to his vision.

The crowd was stunned silent. Everyone could see that Fentú Kuangge hadn't used his full strength in those two punches. The fact that this Explosive Bear bloodline warrior had no power to fight back against him was explosive news.

Defense breached! Truly breached!

Other participating warriors were astonished. A punch that wasn't even at full strength could effortlessly break Hall Gang’s defense!

Both possessing True Saint strength, the gap between them seemed like that between an adult and an infant; Hall Gang only had the right to be beaten.

“The ring is down here. Are you going to stand there and let me hit you?”

Fentú Kuangge appeared behind Hall Gang, placing both hands on the body much more robust than his own, and exerted a sudden downward force!

The two hundred thousand spectators watched as a massive brown bear transformed into a streak of brown light, a meteor falling straight from the sky to crash into the stage. The stage, built to withstand massive impacts, shuddered violently, then burst apart, scattering countless stones. The bear’s body gouged out a huge crater in the ground, from which acrid smoke billowed out.

“With such weak punches, how could you possibly beat my brother? If you hadn't used tricks, how could you have beaten my brother?”

Fentú Kuangge hovered in the sky, coldly observing Hall Gang lying amidst the ruins. “With strength like yours, how could you defeat my brother?”

Hall Gang lay in the wreckage, unmoving, his body trembling rapidly—not from pain, but from unprecedented rage. Shame! Being toyed with and humiliated in front of so many people!

Pain? What did it matter? Hall Gang suddenly stood up from the ground. Before he could fully straighten, Fentú Kuangge’s foot stomped down onto his face. The immense impact sent the Explosive Bear bloodline warrior, who hadn't regained his balance, crashing back to the ground once more.

Bang! Hall Gang fell again, half his face pressed tightly against the ground, making it impossible to even twitch. His entire head was pinned beneath Fentú Kuangge’s sole.

Hiss!

The spectator stands erupted. One-sided battles were common in the Rookie King Tournament, but a fight so utterly humiliating was unprecedented.

This wasn't a fight anymore; it was pure degradation! A powerful, same-level bloodline warrior was being stomped underfoot by an ordinary warrior, unable to move!

The patriarch of the Explosive Bear bloodline rose, gripping the table with both hands, glaring with hatred at Fentú Kuangge on the stage. Killing someone only requires severing their head; how dare this young man from the Fentú family humiliate someone like this! If this weren't the Rookie King stage…

Kill that brat… I must kill that brat! The Explosive Bear patriarch stared fiercely at Fentú Kuangge. Even if it means completely offending the Fentú family—I must kill this son of a—! I will kill him even if it means offending Qian Jin! No one humiliates people like this!

“Humiliation? Ugly, isn't it?” Fentú Kuangge looked down at Hall Gang beneath his foot. “My brother carried this kind of shame for the past ten years! If you had beaten him honorably, my brother wouldn't have felt shame! My brother felt shame because he lost to a despicable wretch like you. Today, I am returning everything you took from my brother!”

“You… you…” Hall Gang forced his mouth open, one eye fixed fiercely on Fentú Kuangge. “You dare insult me like this, you must die… you must die… No one can save you now! Not even Qian Jin can save you!”

A pill was simultaneously forced into Hall Gang’s body. The massive Dou Soul of the Explosive Bear bloodline warrior let out a roar that shook the very soul. Hall Gang’s strength began to climb madly, climbing, climbing… as if without limit.

In that instant, Hall Gang braced one hand against Fentú Kuangge’s foot and slowly began to push upward. The foot that had previously pressed down on him like an unmoving boulder finally loosened its grip.

“Fentú Kuangge, you will pay the price for your arrogance just now!” Hall Gang’s arm suddenly swung upward, flinging Fentú Kuangge clean away. His massive body stood tall again on the stage, his blood-stained mouth opening in a roar of fury. “Fentú Kuangge! It’s too late for you to regret anything now! Back then, I broke one of your brother’s legs; today, I will break both of yours! No! I will break all four of your limbs! I will leave you like a pile of mud, forever pinned to the ground, a cripple just like your brother.”

“With you?” Fentú Kuangge smiled coldly, his two Dou Souls behind him facing Hall Gang’s Explosive Bear Dou Soul with imposing majesty. “Rumor has it that every bloodline warrior family possesses a unique secret technique—a special method that consumes life force to enhance strength. Our Fentú family has one too! Do you know why I let you stand this long? I told you, I would defeat you, utterly defeat you! Make you pay everything, only to realize you still couldn’t win—that despair!”

Hall Gang shuddered violently. He never expected this young man to be so ruthless, wanting him to lose so devastatingly.

“Too bad, you have no chance!” Hall Gang took a step forward, the surrounding air churning with his movement—Peak True Saint! The absolute peak! He unleashed the Mountain Uprooter Dou Skill once more, smashing it directly into Fentú Kuangge’s face.

Bang! As the Dou Qi erupted, Fentú Kuangge’s body did not move an inch. His feet scraped the ground, sliding back over twenty meters before stopping.

Fentú Kuangge’s cheek and body tilted slightly to one side. His eyes, peering through the long hair obscuring half his face, looked coldly at the fully unleashed Hall Gang. “Is that all your strength? Even after taking the pill, this is all you have? Such a clumsy punch doesn't even hurt me—how do you expect to beat my brother?”

The people in the stands were dumbstruck. That single punch, let alone a person, could punch a hole right through a city wall, allowing warriors to rush through it!

“Such immense defense? Is his body made of Soul Weapons?” Jiǔyáng Fēnghuá stood up from her seat, her beautiful eyes assessing Fentú Kuangge. “That punch from Hall Gang was a peak True Saint strike. Being hit in the head by a True Saint could easily result in instant death! He merely slid back? Not even a dislocated jaw occurred? How can his body be this solid? Could I break his defense right now?”

Qián Wú Xīngchén also rose from his seated posture, staring blankly at Fentú Kuangge on the stage. What kind of defense was this? Fortunately, this person is only at the True Saint level. Once I reach the True Saint state, I can shatter his defense! For now…

Qián Wú Xīngchén’s expression shifted rapidly as he tried to gauge how certain he was of shattering Fentú Kuangge’s defense in his current state.

Pán Hóngjī watched Hall Gang on the stage and shook his head repeatedly. Why did this Explosive Bear bloodline warrior have to provoke anyone but Fentú Kuangge? Last night, when I struck his fist, I was surprised. That kid’s defense is indeed outstanding. Even the superb defense of the Black Tortoise bloodline warrior has no advantage against Fentú Kuangge.

As warriors from all over rose, Hall Gang’s fists rained down on Fentú Kuangge—each strike was a world-shattering blow. The air was punched through by his high-speed fists, creating visible holes, which were then instantly filled by rushing air with a booming sound, like countless war drums cheering on Hall Gang.

“Is this the power of your fists?” Fentú Kuangge stood his ground, taking several blows. He raised his fist high and delivered a vicious uppercut directly into Hall Gang’s abdomen. The intense impact bent his massive body into the shape of a question mark, and the residual force launched this question-mark-shaped body high into the sky.

“The sky is not yours.” Fentukuangge bent his knees and leaped high, reaching a higher point before Holg. His hands clasped together formed a giant fist, swinging his arm down decisively as if wielding a baseball bat, striking Holg on the back and straightening his question-mark shaped body into an exclamation point.

The exclamation-point-straight body plummeted back to the ground like a shooting star, violently shattering the already dilapidated ring and gouging an even deeper crater into the earth.

In the massive arena, the two hundred thousand spectators offered no cheers, no screams; they were utterly stunned by this sudden style of combat. It was the first time such a bizarre fighting method had appeared since the Rookie King Tournament began.

One side attacked desperately for a long time, unable to breach the defense of an opponent of the same level, only to be beaten by that same level opponent as easily as swatting a child.

Most importantly! The one being beaten belonged to the Burly Bear Bloodline family. In terms of the destructive power of fist and foot combat techniques, aside from the current Three Great Ultimate Bloodline Warriors, the Burly Bear Bloodline Warrior family ranked just below the Titan Bloodline in explosive power—a formidable bloodline warrior family indeed.

And the one who truly held complete command of the battle was the Fentuku Clan, who had challenged the Bloodline Warriors for countless years, only to be beaten down and unable to rise every single time!

“How could this be… why is this happening?”

Holg writhed, slowly climbing up from the ground, kneeling with his body bent, his fists incessantly pounding the earth—speaking in a voice bordering on collapse: “Why? Why is this happening? Why is it like this? I am a mighty Burly Bear Bloodline Warrior! I possess terrifying offensive power and destructive capability! Why… why can’t I break his defense?” “Steel! Stop fighting! We forfeit!” “No! I must fight!” Holg suddenly raised his head to look at the Patriarch demanding forfeiture: “I still have a trump card, my last trump card!”

“Could it be…” Holg felt a chill run down his spine. Every Bloodline Warrior of the Burly Bear family carried a pill—a suicidal, mysterious potion brewed by a shadowy apothecary. Once consumed, the user’s life would not exceed one year, and after the drug’s effects wore off, their bloodline power would vanish entirely, leaving them a cripple. However, for the half hour the drug was active, the user’s strength would be enormously stimulated, allowing them to challenge Bloodline Warriors of higher ranks.

“You’re finally planning to take it?” Fentukuangge hovered in the air, watching Holg coldly: “You crippled my brother; now I want you to cripple yourself.”

“Fentukuangge, even if I become a cripple, I will still fight you until you are a cripple.” Holg slowly stood up, a sufficient measure of smugness and pride on his face: “At least I personally crippled two from your Fentuku Clan! I, Holg, still profit!”

The mysterious potion was consumed again. Holg’s cheeks began to twitch—it was pain, unbearable pain. The rumbling sound of the Dou Qi spinning wildly inside his body was clearly audible even to the spectators watching around them, making people suspect his internal Dou Qi rotation speed must now be nearing one hundred million rotations per unit of time.

Another move: Uproot the Mountain!

Fentukuangge’s body shot backward into the sky, reaching a height of five hundred meters. Blood quickly trickled from the corner of his lips. He had been broken through!

Almost every warrior watching simultaneously shuddered. Fentukuangge’s defense, which had never been breached before, had finally yielded. Holg’s current strength meant he could contend with, or even safely retreat from, True Saint-level experts rather than being beaten to death.

If an Earthly Saint faced a True Saint, the ability to retreat usually depended entirely on the True Saint’s mood. Now, stimulated by the mysterious potion, Holg possessed the genuine ability to escape.

“Fentukuangge! Get down here! Today I will cripple you!” Holg’s entire being exuded a wild aura. His Bloodline War Body had completely transformed him into a massive, articulate bear-like beast: “The day I broke your brother’s leg, today I will break yours.”

“Drugging my brother before the fight, causing him to display less than fifty percent of his usual strength—you count such a filthy act as a glorious achievement?” Fentukuangge spread his arms and descended from the sky like a War God descending to the mortal realm. His Great True Gold Dou Qi reached its peak, bathing his entire form in a golden radiance, as if he were clad in unique armor: “This is your true strongest state, isn’t it? Today, I will not only defeat you, but I will also tell everyone that the Fentuku Clan’s dream of defeating the Bloodline Warriors will be completely realized through my hands!”

Holg sucked in a sharp breath. The Burly Bear Fighting Soul behind his back let out an enraged roar toward the sky, causing many to flinch away from the savage Burly Bear.

Jiu Yang Fenghua frowned deeply, staring at the ring, filled with confusion. Fentukuangge could have won easily before; why did he insist on pushing Holg to this extreme? Holg’s current strength was truly no longer inferior to Fentukuangge’s; the outcome of this match had become extremely difficult to predict—the odds were genuinely fifty-fifty now.

Fentukuangxiao looked at Fentukuangge on the stage, his eyes instantly filling with tears. This was his younger brother! Only he truly understood that everything Fentukuangge was doing was meant to be seen by him! He was trying to reclaim all the glory he had lost over the years!

Once, seeking ultimate power had driven him into a state of madness… In his mind, Fentukuangxiao recalled everything from the past—his younger brother’s innocent figure following behind him, so small and young. Now…

Fentukuangge ignored Holg, who possessed the power to shatter his defenses. He turned back to look at the massive Fighting Soul behind him that resembled Fentukuangxiao, muttering, “Brother, our glory will be eternal.”

Holg had been continuously suppressed. Although his strength surged, his momentum seemed slightly diminished. He looked up and suddenly opened his mouth, letting out another roar. This roar resembled a tiger, a dragon, a leopard, and a bear, carrying a savage dominance, giving the impression of the king of the mountains—as if intending to dominate the world with bear-like power!

With a hearty cry, Holg’s entire body of Dou Qi surged and churned. He straightened his chest once more, stepping out as if the gods themselves were chasing the sun. His body did not rebound or leap, but instead advanced with firm, deliberate steps, causing the earth to shake violently beneath him, generating cracks.

Ten steps in total! Holg reached Fentukuangge’s front. The sound of each of his footsteps was heavier and louder than the last!

Thump-thump-thump-thump…

That gigantic footfall sounded like the steps of a demon, beating against the hearts and souls of the crowd, displaying the most intense power of Holg’s life.

In an instant, Holg’s attack elevated his momentum to its absolute peak, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Mighty Soul Domain! Uproot the Mountains and Overturn the Seas!”

Holg struck with his full power. Compared to before, there was less impatience and anxiety, replaced by greater steadiness and confidence. Raising his hand to punch gave the feeling that he could casually uproot mountains and overturn seas, pluck the sun and moon—his massive fist looked as if it intended to completely smash the entire arena.

The warriors standing far off the stage all felt as if this punch was aimed at them; the entire stadium seemed on the verge of collapse beneath his fist.

Fentukuangge straightened his body like an ancient beast breaking free from its shell. Facing this punch that seemed capable of shattering the entire arena, he neither dodged nor reached out to block, but instead used his body to meet it head-on, just as he had in the beginning.

Rumble! Holg’s punch landed squarely on Fentukuangge’s lower abdomen. The violent fist force instantly shredded all of his clothing. Even the clothes on Fentukuangge’s back flew up violently, as if something inside was pushing outward, straining to tear the fabric open.

Sssshhh, sssshhh, sssshhh…

As Fentukuangge’s clothes shredded, his slightly bent and retracted abdomen did not draw attention. Everyone stared blankly at his raised fist.

No dodge, taking the punch head-on.

And then, just as simply, without any fancy tricks, returning a single punch!

This was the fighting style Burly Bear Bloodline Warriors favored most and were most accustomed to. Their defensive power was high; their bodies were strong. Few Bloodline Warriors dared to trade blows with them like this.

Now…

Fentukuangge’s punch struck Holg’s lower abdomen. The formidable power, like a speeding electric train colliding with a person, sent Holg flying backward without a shred of doubt, slamming violently into the table in front of the Burly Bear Bloodline Patriarch, shattering the table into dust!

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