novelFacing the Western Saints, Taibai Soul Search!
| ← Ch.599 | Ch.601 → |
Li Changshou raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard the Saint's voice transmission and sensed the Saint's Dao runes.
He did not expect that the one who came out this time was not the Saint Zhun Ti, but the one who had received him.
Could it be that Saint Zhun Ti was being taught by Teacher...
Uh, don't think too much about it. A Saint is a Saint. Even if he is beaten up, he is still a Saint. He cannot be underestimated and I cannot be disrespectful.
In front, the disciples of the Western Sect made way.
Li Changshou turned his head and said, "Generals, wait here. Take care of Deputy Commander Bian. I'll go and meet the Aunt-Master of the Saint and tell her about the pros and cons of this matter."
The generals agreed in unison.
Zhao Gongming wanted to enter with Li Changshou so that he could take care of him. However, he was stopped by Li Changshou's gaze.
He was 90% confident that he would not be in any danger.
It was not because he was arrogant and felt that he could face the Saint.
On the contrary, this was the safest choice for him now. He would try his best to reduce the consumption of the Heavenly Courts and preserve the essence energy of the Heavenly Courts. He would also avoid direct conflict with the Saints.
In the Purple Cloud Palace, the Dao Ancestor did not pursue the matter regarding the Primordial Violet Qi. However, he mentioned that after the Great God-Conferment Tribulation, he had promised Li Changshou to be carefree and unrestrained.
There were a few levels in total. The most obvious one was for Li Changshou to continue supporting the Heavenly Courts and establish a complete order in the world to assist the Jade Emperor in becoming the supreme ruler of the Three Realms.
Previously, Li Changshou had been expressing his attitude to the Dao Ancestor when he came to help the spiritual mountain trim its branches and leaves.
He...
He would not mess around. He would focus on retirement and get off work early.
Before Li Changshou went to the Purple Cloud Palace, he had already made plans.
He would directly push the Heavenly Courts to the position of prosperity. When the righteous gods of the various tribes of the Great God-Conferment Tribulation stabilized, the Heavenly Courts would be high and gentle—invulnerable.
Moreover, the matter of him returning from the Chaos Sea to the Purple Cloud Palace should not be hidden from the two Saints of the Western Sect.
Since he came out of the Purple Cloud Palace, he had been bold and ambitious. He could take it that the Dao Ancestor had given him an order. If the Saints of the Western Sect wanted to attack, they had to consider whether they would suffer the wrath of the Dao Ancestor.
Li Changshou sighed in his heart.
Originally, the first thing he should do after returning from the Chaos Sea was to go to the Grand Pure Palace to pay his respects and report to his teacher about his encounter in the Chaos Sea.
However, this... sigh, it's hard to explain.
His teacher's words were too vague. Li Changshou was worried that he would be gone for ten to eight years. He might as well resolve the problem that the Heavenly Courts had and report it to his teacher.
There was still more than half of the Shang Nation's destiny before the final God-Conferment Tribulation. At that moment, he had resolved the threat of the spiritual mountain, the demons, and the trichiliocosm. In the next few hundred years, he could cultivate in peace and make more arrangements. He would spend his efforts on cultivation and arrange for the God-Conferment.
He had to be steady. Later, he would go to Goddess Nuwa's place to obtain the Time Freeze mystical ability and give himself more opportunities to cultivate and comprehend it.
Let's talk about the matter at hand.
Li Changshou slowly took a deep breath, as if he was trying his best to remain calm. Only then did he walk into the "encirclement" of the disciples of the Western Sect.
His mind tensed up. The Mysterious Yellow Pagoda on his essence soul spun rapidly. His immortal senses turned into threads that surrounded him.
As long as there was any movement, the ordinary minister of the Heavenly Courts, Lord Taibai Jinxing, would use his mystical abilities to tell them!
What? That's a professional escape technique and a genuine Heavenly God!
After walking for more than a hundred feet, Li Changshou suddenly stopped and smiled."The scenery of the spiritual mountain is quite elegant. Everyone, do you mind if I release the situation of the Saint Daoist Sect and let the immortals of the Heavenly Courts broaden their horizons?"
Before the old Daoists on the spiritual mountain could reply, Li Changshou had already suspended a few bronze mirrors around him. He carried his horsetail whisk and continued to slowly enter.
The Heavenly Generals in front of the mountain gate followed suit. They took out their copper mirrors. Some of them were spectators, while others were livestreamers. They aimed the mirrors at the Daoists of the spiritual mountain.
The people of the spiritual mountain were speechless.
Why do I feel offended?
Heavenly Courts,
"Lord Taibai Jinxing has started a live broadcast!"
"The Lord Taibai Jinxing has entered the spiritual mountain!"
"Has he already fought his way in or has he already finished? Has the spiritual mountain lost?"
"I have no regrets being able to witness such a major event in my life."
Amidst the commotion, from the Heaven Gate to the Lower Three Heavens, from the rough palm of the general guarding the Lingxiao Treasure Hall to the soft and wide sleeve of the Fairy of the Jade Pool.
The scene of Li Changshou strolling in the spiritual mountain was watched by pairs of eyes.
In the Lingxiao Hall, the Jade Emperor closed his eyes and rested. There was a faint smile on his lips. The old officials below held their bronze mirrors and looked at the image in the mirror nervously.
The Jade Emperor's incarnation had naturally arrived at the spiritual mountain. However, he was hiding among the Heavenly Generals and did not appear.
An old immortal smiled and said, "The cultivation in this spiritual mountain is not bad."
"I was smashed by Perfected Lord Qingyuan. I'm naturally much more pleasing to the eye than before."
General Dongmu smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that. It's not appropriate."
The other old Heavenly Courts officials smiled and did not say anything. They continued to observe the scene in the mirror.
Li Changshou strolled around leisurely. He walked at a moderate pace and tried his best to recall the charm of the old man who walked the birds in the park in his previous life. However, he felt that he was lacking.
He passed by Ksitigarbha and Truth Listener's personal corner, walked past the fountain that was made of white jade, and arrived in front of the main hall of the spiritual mountain.
It seemed to be to highlight the "barrenness" of the Western Sect. The hall of the spiritual mountain was a little ugly. It was built from huge gray rocks, but there seemed to be many treasures at the corners. The layout was very exquisite.
The figure of the Saint was sitting in the middle of the hall. Behind him was the statue of the two Saints of the Western Sect. However, including the statue, the hall was covered in a layer of golden fog.
The Dao runes of the Saint circulated everywhere. They were clear, orderly, and contained the truths of the world.
Li Changshou adjusted the angle of the copper mirror and did not dare to look at the Saint's true appearance. He bowed in front of the hall and walked in. After taking three steps, he bowed again and said loudly, "Lord Taibai Jinxing and Water God Li Changgeng of the Heavenly Courts greet the Saint."
After saying that, he stood up without waiting for the guide to speak. He held his horsetail whisk and smiled. He said warmly, "I came to the spiritual mountain to look for the ferocious Maitreya under the orders of the Jade Emperor. I have no intention of offending you, Saint."
The Daoist priest Jie Yin widened his eyes and said slowly, "Whether you offend or not, each of you is clear-minded. Li Changgeng, tell me what my disciple did, why the Heavenly Courts convicted him, and how they convicted him."
"This..."
Li Changshou pondered for a while and asked, "Uncle-Master, do you really not know? Hiss, I thought you knew."
"There's no need to pretend to be silly in front of me." Jie Yin frowned slightly and brushed his palm. The golden fog around him flickered with a faint golden light, isolating the place from the Three Realms.
Li Changshou's bronze mirror instantly cut off the signal.
"Uncle-Master, what do you mean?"
Li Changshou took two steps back, his eyes filled with vigilance. He said softly, "I'm here today with the greatest sincerity. Uncle-Master, are you going to... The Heavenly Dao protects me. Uncle-Master, please reconsider."
He sounded as if he was about to lose his virginity.
The Saint who received him said, "There's no need for outsiders to know that we're talking today."
Li Changshou said seriously, "The Heavenly Dao knows, Teacher knows, Uncle-Master, you and I know. There's nothing that can't be said to others. Uncle-Master, you have a noble character, and I have nothing to lose. Why are you hiding it?"
Saint Jie Yin squinted slightly.
Li Changshou smiled and lowered his head. He looked a little hunched, but his eyes were calm.
"Okay."
Daoist Jie Yin said warmly. The golden fog around him dissipated. Li Changshou's bronze mirror was connected to the bronze mirror that the Heavenly Courts had broadcast.
However, if outsiders were to investigate, they would only be able to see Li Changshou's figure. The Saint was still shrouded in fog.
Saint Jie Yin raised his hand and attracted a meditation cushion. He landed near the door of the hall.
Li Changshou thanked her and sat cross-legged. Then, he went straight to the point and smiled."Uncle-Master, how much do you know about the Eldest Senior Brother of the spiritual mountain, Maitreya?"
"Are you interrogating me?"
"I don't dare to. I'm just a little puzzled." Li Changshou took out three Shadow-Retaining Balls from his sleeve and placed them in front of him. Three images appeared in the ball.
In the first image, an ancient cave appeared first. There were simple tables and chairs in the ancient cave, and wisps of spiritual dust scattered on them.
The so-called spiritual dust was a fine powder condensed from solid spiritual energy. It could not be formed unless it was hundreds of thousands of years old.
It was obvious that this place was quite old.
The scene changed. Clearly, the person holding the Shadow-Retaining Ball saw something and walked over with it.
There were hidden traps in the stone wall beside him. After opening a secret door, he found a small treasure vault. It was filled with precious materials that could only be found in ancient times. The most eye-catching thing was a portrait on the wall.
The Daoist in the painting was slightly plump and had a faint smile on his lips. His eyes squinted as he smiled, giving off a kind and amiable feeling. The black Daoist robe on his body was especially eye-catching.
His face and expression were 70% like Maitreya.
Then, the scene slowly rotated. The precious materials were put into his sleeve and slowly retreated from the ancient cave.
However, when he looked further away, he realized that the ancient cave was actually on the back of the Kun Fish...
The first image of the Shadow-Retaining Ball quietly dissipated.
There was dead silence on the spiritual mountain.
Li Changshou asked, "It's not appropriate to suddenly think of that. Why don't we close the door and let me listen to your instructions, Uncle-Master?"
Saint Jie Yin opened his eyes and looked at Li Changshou expressionlessly. He said, "There's nothing that can't be said to others. Disciple-Nephew, your words make sense. Let's do this."
"I'll listen to you." Li Changshou smiled and pointed at the second Shadow-Retaining Ball. He quickly presented the scene inside.
This time, the "Li Changshou" who appeared on screen was naturally the Great Daoist Master Xuan Du or Kong Xuan.
Kun Peng's essence soul floated in front of Li Changshou. Its body emitted a faint stream of light. However, its essence soul was more than 100 feet long and kept emitting buzzing sounds.
Li Changshou formed a seal with his hands and sealed Kun Peng's essence soul.
"God Searching Technique!"
Wisps of light surged out from Kun Peng's essence soul."Li Changshou" raised his hand and grabbed one of them. He crushed it with his fingers, and another scene appeared in front of him.
The black-robed Maitreya flew out of the Cave Abode in Kun Peng's body. He raised his head and laughed three times. With his hands behind his back, he entered the Chaos Sea.
The scene stopped. Li Changshou stopped the second Shadow-Retaining Ball and secretly observed the Saint's reaction.
Li Changshou could not tell if the Saint was happy or angry.
If he did not give him any feedback, he would easily take the wrong path.
"Uncle-Master, do you still want to see the third painting?"
"There's no need." The Daoist priest shook his head slightly."There should be a misunderstanding. I know everything about Maitreya. That Kun Peng might be deliberately framing me."
Li Changshou nodded. Just as everyone thought that Li Changshou would "argue" and force the spiritual mountain to hand over the Maitreya, Li Changshou suddenly changed the topic and said seriously,
"I think so too. This matter is a little strange. Kun Peng is an ancient demon master. It had escaped into the Chaos Sea at the end of the ancient times. If it has any feud with Fellow Daoist Maitreya, it is not impossible for it to deliberately frame him like this."
Li Changshou paused and shattered the three Shadow-Retaining Balls in front of him. He smiled and said, "I destroyed this item. Uncle-Master, let Maitreya come out and confront him. As long as he can prove that he is not a ferocious person who impersonated me and attacked the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals, I will immediately bring people away and apologize to him another day."
The guide said slowly, "Maitreya is not in the mountain."
"Can't you summon him back?" Li Changshou asked in concern.
"He went out to train and cultivate. He should not be in the Primordial World." The guide said, "Why don't we drop the matter today? When Maitreya returns to the mountain in the future, I will let him go to the Heavenly Courts to explain everything that happened previously."
Li Changshou pondered for a while and looked troubled.
"This is probably not appropriate. The Jade Emperor is furious and wants me to give an explanation. I work for the Heavenly Courts but I'm always on tenterhooks. The situation in the Heavenly Courts is not easy to come by. If the Heavenly Courts' prestige is damaged because of the Maitreya incident, everyone will be in danger. The Jade Emperor and us, the Heavenly Courts, have worked hard in the past. It's really wasted."
"Lord Taibai Jinxing, what do you want?"
"You can just call me by my name." Li Changshou smiled and said, "Why don't you let the Heavenly Courts' soldiers search the spiritual mountain? As long as I confirm that Maitreya is not in the spiritual mountain, I can return and report properly."
Search the spiritual mountain?
The expressions of the Daoists on the spiritual mountain changed. The eyes of the Heavenly Courts' generals lit up. Some of them even breathed heavily.
What does it mean by openly cultivating, secretly plotting, and lying with a treacherous smile?
On the surface, Taibai Jinxing was unhappy that he had come to look for Maitreya. He diverted everyone's attention to Maitreya, but he suddenly took a step back. The real Dragon Slaying Sword lit up in his hand, and the blade pointed at the ferocious beasts and demonic beasts hiding in the spiritual mountain!
That was the true goal of the Heavenly Courts to surround the spiritual mountain!
After slaying the demons in the North Continent, the Heavenly Courts' second wave of attacks targeted the external forces of the Western Sect!
Suddenly, many old Daoists of the Western Sect came to a realization.
Why would the Heavenly Courts suddenly seal the five continents when they were purely dealing with the demons?
Why did the Heavenly Courts search the Aparagodānīya Continent previously but leave behind paths that led to the spiritual mountain!?!
That was the method of the Heavenly Courts' Lord Taibai Jinxing!
No matter how ferocious Maitreya was, he was only an expert.
If the Western Sect lost the experts of the Primordial Beasts and the ancient demon experts who were attached to the Western Sect, it would be equivalent to breaking the Western Sect's hand and leg.
Previously, the Western Sect had stabilized the destiny of the sect and reduced the burden on the twelfth-grade golden lotus. They had greatly reduced the strength of the hidden factions. Now, almost the last elites were gathered on the spiritual mountain!
Li Changshou's short words hit the sore spot of the spiritual mountain and the Western Sect.
In the hall, Li Changshou waited with a smile. His expression was respectful.
Daoist Jie Yin's expression was calm. However, the long silence seemed to have highlighted the Saint's hesitation.
Li Changshou waited quietly. When the time was right, he said, "I lost a wisp of Primordial Violet Qi previously. Grandmaster blamed me and summoned me to Purple Cloud Palace to scold me. If I can't do something for the Heavenly Courts and make Grandmaster happy, I'm afraid I will have to take a step back."
The hall in the spiritual mountain fell silent again.
At that moment, Li Changshou did not guess what the Daoist priest was thinking.
The methods of Saints were no small matter. His teacher could obtain a vast amount of information in a short period of time and was infinitely close to being omniscient and omnipotent.
Although the strength of Saint Jie Yin was not as good as his teacher, his realm was not too far apart.
However, there was only one sentence on the surface.
"The Dao Ancestor has instructed us to weaken the Western Sect. Does the Saint of the Western Sect agree or not?"
Of course, Li Changshou had dragged the "Dao Ancestor's will" over himself. He had tacitly agreed with the Heavenly Dao.
At that moment, Li Changshou was sitting there and saying those words without being stopped by the Dao Ancestor. The Saint had already treated everything as the Dao Ancestor's arrangement.
Hence, the Daoist guide said slowly, "In that case, the Heavenly Courts can search."
"Teacher!"
"Teacher, why?!"
Two old Daoists could not help but shout in front of the mountain gate. However, just as they shouted, they were stopped by a hand.
Li Changshou stood up and bowed. He turned around and walked to the front of the hall.
"Where are the eight Heavenly Generals?"
The dozens of generals suppressed their excitement and knelt on one knee with cupped fists.
"I'm here!"
"Under the orders of the Jade Emperor, I order you to search the Saint's Dao field of the spiritual mountain today. Search the ground from outside the mountain gate to the top of the Netherworld! Six thousand Heavenly Soldiers entered the mountain gate of the spiritual mountain. They searched carefully everywhere and could not damage the spiritual mountain. The generals of the Plague Division, pay attention. Golden Roc, arrange for some agile people to sweep the spiritual mountain and change the water in the fish pond. It can be considered as a form of respect for the Saint."
Then, Li Changshou turned around and asked, "Uncle-Master, what do you think of this arrangement?"
The Daoist priest nodded slowly and closed his eyes.
Li Changshou walked back to the meditation cushion and sat cross-legged.
Outside the mountain gate of the spiritual mountain, dozens of Heavenly Generals transformed into streams of light and flew in all directions. They naturally led the Heavenly Soldiers back to search the mountain.
The Golden Roc was about to lead a troop when Zhao Gongming raised his hand and stopped it.
"Marshal Golden Roc, arrange a troop for us too."
The Golden Roc had already received Li Changshou's instructions. It knew that the ugly general was Zhao Gongming. It smiled and said, "General, please follow me. You can choose any elite troops you want."
Zhao Gongming smiled and floated out.
...
Lord Taibai Jinxing is really powerful. He even dared to trick the Saint. He is indeed that man's junior brother.
In the Cave Abode, Daoist Wen Jing sat on her bed. She was dressed in red, and her phoenix-like eyes were filled with passion. Her eyes were peaceful.
She suddenly understood what Li Changshou meant when he specially sent her a voice transmission.
The ones who were going to suffer this time were the ferocious beasts and demonic beasts in the spiritual mountain. The remnants of the Primordial World were going to be wiped out by the Heavenly Dao today.
Who asked them to become the unstable factor in the world?
Daoist Wen Jing sighed in her heart. The smile on her lips became calmer.
She would definitely win.
However, the Second Saint had previously instructed her to stand up under appropriate circumstances and see if she could refute the Heavenly Courts. Daoist Wen Jing naturally had to agree.
Anyway, Lord Taibai Jinxing would not attack her. Perhaps he would let her show off today and establish her position in the Western Sect.
What does Lord Taibai Jinxing want me to do...
That was not important.
Most importantly, Daoist Wen Jing believed in the Grand Pure One's promise and Li Changshou's vision.
The difference between the Western Sect and Ren School was actually in reputation.
Boom—
The sound of thunder echoed from all directions on the spiritual mountain. The million Heavenly Soldiers spread an inescapable net from the sky and the ground. They activated the power of the Heavenly Dao to support them. The Heavenly Punishment Divine Thunder guarded by the side.
It was like fishing in a pond.
What will happen to the spiritual mountain after today?
Wen Jing could not think of that. However, she could sense that the Great God-Conferment Tribulation would completely descend next. At the same time that the Dao Sect was in a civil war, the disciples of the Saints of the Western Sect would be pulled into the vortex.
As a nail hidden in the Western Sect, he might give the Western Sect a fatal blow at the crucial moment.
The Western Sect had schemed against the Dao Sect for a long time. They had probably angered the Grand Pure One.
That was the retaliation of Ren School and the most terrifying thing about the Grand Pure One.
"Stop! Who are you! The Heavenly Courts are searching!"
"Use the demon mirror!"
"It's the ancient ferocious beast, the Flying Mantis! Take it down!"
A shout suddenly erupted outside the Cave Abode. Wen Jing scanned with her immortal senses and realized that a ferocious beast hiding at the foot of the spiritual mountain had been discovered.
Dozens of Heavenly Courts' generals attacked with Heavenly Dao Dharma artifacts. There was also the increasingly powerful Golden Roc that was guarding the array. However, in the blink of an eye, they severely injured that fellow and tied him up with immortal ropes.
A bolt of blue-purple lightning struck the ferocious beast, severely injuring its essence soul.
Heavenly Punishment.
Daoist Wen Jing frowned slightly and pursed her lips slightly. Although she was a little confident, she was still nervous when faced with such a situation.
Not long after, two more Cave Abodes of ferocious beasts were discovered. They struggled with all their might, but when the heavenly might descended, they could not even injure the Heavenly Immortal generals.
The Heavenly Courts' battle formation technique was rather brilliant.
Wen Jing waited quietly and was not in a hurry to appear. She even changed into a red dress and put on some light makeup for herself before sitting back on her throne.
This is probably the so-called apocalypse.
This world had been like this since ancient times. Every once in a while, a calamity would descend. The races that might have been favored by the Heavenly Dao previously would become the root of calamity in the world overnight and be easily destroyed by another race that had just risen.
Originally, there was no difference between negative karma and merit. The killing of living beings created negative karma. It was recognized by the Heavenly Dao as a way to maintain the stability of the world. The negative karma was also recognized by the Heavenly Dao.
However, gradually, negative karma became a symbol of "bad".
The strong were respected, and the strong fed on the weak. It was a rule that was hinted by the Heavenly Dao.
However, in the end, the Heavenly Courts began to protect the weak.
As a tyrant of the old era, she was just a ferocious beast living under someone else's roof.
The noise increased. The Heavenly Soldiers searched the sky and the ground. The ferocious beasts were "dug out" and suppressed by the Heavenly Dao.
There were even seven to eight ferocious beasts that secretly joined forces and attacked. After swallowing hundreds of Heavenly Soldiers, they were shattered by countless streams of light and divine lightning that filled the sky.
I can't win against the heavens.
The Heavenly Dao was number one in terms of being heartless and fickle.
Daoist Wen Jing raised her eyebrows. Suddenly, she heard a voice transmission from a few ferocious beasts that she was familiar with.
She pondered for a while and sent a voice transmission to ask them to hide in the dark cave behind her Cave Abode.
Daoist Wen Jing could not be sure if she could survive. After all, they had known each other for a while. They could be considered her direct descendant. If she was safe and sound later, they might be of great use.
The few ferocious beasts escaped secretly, but they exposed Wen Jing's Cave Abode.
Wen Jing sat cross-legged and waited quietly.
The two Heavenly Generals led a large number of Heavenly Soldiers to search around her Cave Abode. Soon, they discovered the concealment array formation outside and entered the array formation.
"General! There's a Cave Abode here!"
"The sanguine light here is surging into the sky. Be careful! Surround them and invite the Demon Reflection Mirror and Marshal Golden Roc!"
Daoist Wen Jing was speechless.
The troops led by Lord Taibai Jinxing were rather stable.
A moment later, a cry echoed throughout the spiritual mountain. The Golden Roc carried the bloodstained God-Slaying Spear and landed in front of the Cave Abode. He casually shot out a black beam and tore apart the layers of restrictions.
The sound of armor rubbing against each other was heard. Daoist Wen Jing looked up at the entrance of the cave. A dense crowd of figures rushed in. All of them held long spears and swords and were staring at her.
What are you looking at? Aren't you afraid that my First Consort will be jealous?
Golden light flashed, and the Golden Roc appeared in front of the Heavenly Generals. It made a gesture, and its eyes revealed a hint of fear.
"Who are you?"
Wen Jing smiled and remained silent. She squinted slightly.
A general raised his Demon Reflection Mirror and shone a golden light at Daoist Wen Jing.
A light flashed, and a round mirror appeared behind Wen Jing. Black wings appeared in it, and the golden patterns on them flickered slightly. The Heavenly Generals felt their scalps tingle.
The Golden Roc took half a step forward with its spear. It was filled with killing intent.
"Blood Sea Mosquitoes! Take them!"
"Marshal, can you report this?" Daoist Wen Jing said slowly. A wisp of Dao runes circulated, causing the Golden Roc's expression to become colder.
"I'm Wen Jing. Although I was born a ferocious beast, I have cultivated and accumulated good merit over the years.
I wonder if I can see Lord Taibai Jinxing. There's something that I'm not sure about. I want to discuss it with him."
The Golden Roc sneered.
That's it?
It's just a troublesome ferocious beast. How dare it clamor to meet Teacher!
I can use the spear in my hand today!
"Bring her over. You can't be too ruthless."
Li Changshou sent a voice transmission. The Golden Roc pursed its lips and put away its spear.
"Restrain your essence soul. Teacher has agreed to meet you. Hmph! If you dare to be presumptuous later, I will make you beg for death!"
Wen Jing raised her eyebrows slightly, her eyes filled with joy.
| ← Ch. 599 | Ch. 601 → |