novelraw Chapter 82: The Sun on the Long River of Destiny
Chapter 82: The Sun on the Long River of Destiny
'If I didn't have the Mist Raven's perspective, I really would have been fooled by you.'
'Just as I thought, the more beautiful a woman is, the better she is at lying,'
'but don't even think about deceiving me, the number one innocent in the Beast Taming World.
'
Lu Yu complained inwardly, turning his head to look at the girl who had trapped his right hand in a soft embrace, enjoying the feeling of "snow-capped mountains."
But that wasn't the main point.
He was curious as to why Yu Xiyan and the "Ten-time Champion" Qi Wei would also be exploring the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm.
He didn't know that both of them had been at the Black Market earlier; he was just shocked by the scene transmitted by the Mist Raven.
Neither of them was even a Silver Beast Tamer, yet they dared to venture deep into the Wilderness, face the Stitched Demons without running, and even actively provoke them. Was this a case of a newborn calf not fearing a tiger?However, since he was going to hunt the Stitched Demons anyway, and considering they were classmates, he was prepared to act silently, hiding his contribution and fame.
But Yu Xiyan's performance left him astonished.
This easily flustered girl was exceptionally calm and composed in battle.
Without even summoning a Pet Beast, she toyed with all the Stitched Demons using just her bow and arrow. Killing them one by one was only a matter of time.
It wasn't because this golden shortbow was some top-tier divine artifact.
Lu Yu had seen this item at the Dark Moon Chamber of Commerce.
It was a standard-issue Secret Treasure called the 【Elemental Bow】, which could condense Elite Rank Elemental Arrows by consuming one's own Spirituality, priced at around one and a half million.
Its power was decent, allowing someone at the Red Copper Rank to possess the combat strength of a Silver Mid-tier, but using it well was not so simple.
It required powerful Spiritual Energy, a calm mind, exceptional archery talent, and precise calculation abilities.
Otherwise, the stronger the Secret Treasure, the greater the consumption.
If you shot randomly, you would collapse from exhaustion before you could kill your opponent.
And Yu Xiyan's combat performance was nearly perfect.
She grasped all the external factors, even calculating the fall of the beehive, almost as if she were predicting the future.
'It's not necessarily that she didn't summon a Pet Beast.
'
Lu Yu realized he had almost fallen into a mental trap, making an empirical error.
After all, in this Beast Taming World dominated by Spirituality, not all pet beasts were corporeal.
Some could possess or fuse with a Beast Tamer's organs, allowing the Beast Tamer to wield extraordinary power and fight personally.
The most famous were some Curse Arts Pet Beasts, which could merge with the body.
For example, a rare Curse Arts Pet Beast—the 【Eye Sword Curse Spirit】—could enter a Beast Tamer's eyes, transforming into an eye-sword curse that killed opponents through eye contact.
Literally killing people with a glare!
There was also a Strength-type pet beast called the 【Monstrous Strength Arm】.
It had no physical form but could make a Beast Tamer's hands swell into giant arms, like a child driving a big truck, granting unparalleled strength to easily lift objects far exceeding their body size and throw them, causing violent tremors.
However, since the Eye of Truth needed to see something to be triggered, otherwise only showing a human tag, Lu Yu could only speculate that Yu Xiyan's Pet Beast or Beast Tamer talent was related to abilities like Divination, wisdom, or super vision.
But for such a calm and composed girl in battle to act so weak and pitiful in front of him…
Thinking of the letter from their first meeting, was this the so-called "love makes people childish"…
Just as Lu Yu was pondering, Qi Wei also spotted his "lifelong rival." He froze for a moment, then stopped in his tracks.
Snort, snort!
The Bronze-armored Baboon saw Qi Wei suddenly stop, turned to look at the approaching Stitched Demons, and grew anxious. It urged its Master to run, or they'd be minced into meat paste!
However, Qi Wei stood firm as a mountain, his expression suddenly becoming calm and composed.
He turned to face the Stitched Demons, stood with his hands behind his back, and said with his back to Lu Yu:
"Lu Yu, you've come at a good time. Take my Cousin and retreat first.
Leave these ugly things to me and my warmed-up Bronze-armored Baboon. It's been a while since I've had such a thrilling fight…"
The Bronze-armored Baboon beside him had a look of utter confusion:
"???"
'Who's warmed up? Aren't we fleeing for our lives?'
'Take care of a few of them…'
'I can't even beat one of them, I was sent flying with a single slap.
If I face several Stitched Demons at once, won't I be torn to shreds?'
At that thought, the Bronze-armored Baboon couldn't help but shiver. It was still just a child, it hadn't married the female baboon next door back home, and it didn't want to die young.
Snort, snort…
'Maybe I should ask Cousin for help?'
It looked at its Master and saw him winking and making a pleading expression. Then it saw Lu Yu in the distance and instantly understood.
'He doesn't want to lose face in front of his arch-nemesis…'
'So he's just going to sacrifice me to face these beefy monsters??'
This feeling… it was like a tormented protagonist forcing his beautiful childhood friend into a room with three fat otaku Yellow Hairs who had always bullied him…
'I'm really going to break!'
"Don't panic, I have a brilliant plan!"
Qi Wei hadn't lost his mind and started disregarding his own life. He just figured that with his strength, even if he couldn't win, stalling for time shouldn't be difficult.
He'd slip away after Lu Yu and the others left.
He'd save face and keep his substance.
A total win!
Although the plan sounded decent, the Bronze-armored Baboon felt something was off. It hesitated for a moment but ultimately couldn't resist its Master's pleading gaze and chose to turn around.
It looked at the ferocious Stitched Demons, a helpless yet carefree smile touching its lips.
'If I make it back this time, I'll confess to the three female baboons on the next mountain and tell them, 'You are all my wings.
''
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The bronze armor on the Bronze-armored Baboon's body began to melt and boil at a visible rate, surging into its limbs and strengthening its power. A burning sensation spread throughout its body, and its crimson eyes blazed with battle intent!
This was the Racial Skill of the Bronze-armored Baboon clan—【Copper Devouring】.
Their clan coexisted with mineral veins. By devouring metals, they gained powerful, extraordinary Spirituality, forging it into armor to protect themselves.
At critical moments, they could also devour the armor to gain immense combat power for a short time.
After evolving, it would become 【Silver Devour】 and 【Gold Devour】, with its power increasing even further.
Its potential was extremely high.
If raised well, it even had a sliver of hope of becoming an Overlord Rank Pet Beast.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
But even though it went all out, the Stitched Demons on the other side weren't scared. Instead, they roared and charged forward.
After Yu Xiyan ran off, they realized it wasn't that she had let them go.
The only possibility was that her special ability had reached its limit!
Previously, Yu Xiyan must have used some kind of Secret Arts to slaughter them.
Now that its duration was over, she had to flee.
As for wanting a man?
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Why not kill them first? Who would be in such a hurry?
So the Stitched Demons prepared to avenge all their previous humiliation and pain, planning to chop that woman and the newcomer into mincemeat.
First, they would slaughter this lackey she brought with her.
As an appetizer!
"Roar!"
The Bronze-armored Baboon charged head-on, its fist shrouded in golden light, transforming into a Vajra Fist as it struck.
Like a wrathful Vajra, carrying immense force, to crush the demons!
'First, take down one Stitched Demon, then use kiting tactics against the other two.
That way, I can hold on for a while and retreat successfully.'
The plan was beautiful, but reality was…
Thud!
The Goat Hoof Stitched Demon crossed its hooves in front of it, colliding with the Vajra Fist.
There was only a dull thud, and after a slight wobble, the attack was easily blocked.
This left the Bronze-armored Baboon completely stunned.
Its all-out attack was completely useless!
The Goat Hoof Stitched Demon saw its shock and sneered:
"You're too weak!"
"How is that possible!?"
Qi Wei was also starting to question his existence. When he watched his Cousin slaughter them, didn't it look easy? Why was it that when he faced the Stitched Demons, each one felt like a final BOSS?
He didn't know that in the same game, the skill gap between a newbie and an expert could be miles wide, let alone in the game of real life.
The gap between a genius and an ordinary person was greater than the gap between a human and a dog.
"Bronze-armored Baboon, use Vajra Roar!"
However, Qi Wei was, after all, second in his tactics class.
He had basic reflexes and wasn't about to stand there dumbfounded, so he chose to injure his opponent with a close-range sonic blast.
Unfortunately…
The other guy didn't play by the rules!
Smack!
The Goat Hoof Stitched Demon swung a hoof straight at the Bronze-armored Baboon's face, slapping it several times until it was dazed, then kicked it to the ground.
In a single exchange, he had failed again!
"Why is this silly kid only targeting the Goat Hoof Stitched Demon? Does he really judge strength based on appearance? If he'd picked any other one, it wouldn't have been this pathetic…" Lu Yu couldn't help but facepalm at the sight. He could barely watch anymore.
Normally, the Bronze-armored Baboon's power surge from 【Copper Devouring】 would indeed allow it to barely contend with an Early-stage Elite Rank, and maybe even score a counter-kill.
But it was facing a Stitched Demon with four hooves from a 【Fat-Rich Rock Ram】.
This extraordinary demonic beast lived on cliffsides, was carnivorous, and stored large amounts of fat in its legs. Therefore, it excelled at deflecting brute force and counter-attacking, earning it the nickname "Fighter's Bane."
It was the nemesis of Strength-type pet beasts of the same rank.
However, its weakness was also obvious: extremely low resistance to elemental or spiritual attacks. Since the Stitched Demon had grafted its body parts, it naturally inherited this weakness.
Qi Wei's theoretical knowledge of tactics was good, but when it came to applying it on the fly, he was severely lacking. He needed a lot of time to accumulate life experience.
Perhaps some would say it wasn't entirely his fault, as most people couldn't identify a pet beast just from two hooves.
However, Lu Yu was precisely one of those few.
Even without the Eye of Truth, he knew this information by heart.
If it were him, he would have used Vajra Roar from the start to intimidate the opponents while simultaneously attacking the Great Axe Stitched Demon, either killing it outright or seizing its great-axe-insect head.
Then, with the weapon bonus, he'd go on a rampage.
Of course, if the Bronze-armored Baboon had mastered a skill like Blazing Fist, it wouldn't need to be so troublesome; one hit could have severely injured the Goat Hoof Stitched Demon.
But life has no "what ifs"…
Defeat in battle means death.
'What a foolish otouto!'
At this thought, Lu Yu glanced at Qi Wei's Cousin, the astonishingly well-endowed Yu Xiyan, and asked curiously:
"Are you sure you're not going to help him?"
"With you here, these little demonic beasts can be swept aside easily!" Yu Xiyan's eyes were practically melting with adoration, completely ignoring Qi Wei's life-or-death situation.
However, Lu Yu wasn't some hot-blooded youth who would get carried away by a few words of praise. He glanced at her and said flatly:
"Who said I would step in? After all, he and I are practically enemies.
It's perfectly normal for me to stand by and watch, isn't it?"
In reality, Qi Wei had been sensible enough not to cause any more trouble, and there was no real hatred between them. If they hadn't run into each other this time, Lu Yu would have almost forgotten about him.
He wasn't acting now simply because he saw five Early-stage Elite Stitched Demons and couldn't be bothered, preferring to let Yu Xiyan handle it herself.
He would just be a lurker and harvest some materials.
However, Yu Xiyan remained silent for a long time. Lu Yu watched Qi Wei being chased all over the place and asked in confusion, "It's normal for me not to save him, but aren't you two relatives?"
"That's right, but…" Yu Xiyan looked up and said in a weak voice, "You said he's an enemy, so I won't interfere. I'll collect his body after he dies. When the time comes, I'll tell my uncle that I was the one who stood by and watched."
Although her expression was meek, her pair of cyan eyes gazed at Lu Yu with an indescribable persistence.
Lu Yu gave her a deep look. Even as several Stitched Demons closed in on Qi Wei, she showed no intention of picking up her weapon.
In other words…
She was serious!
Just because he had called Qi Wei an enemy, she wouldn't even save him? And she was prepared to bear the consequences alone.
This woman was like a girl completely smitten by love.
Once she fell for someone, she would stand by his side unconditionally, even if it meant betraying everything and making an enemy of the world.
For a relationship, this kind of woman would be great.
But on the other hand, this kind of paranoid thinking more or less made her a yandere.
'If Qi Wei dies, I'll definitely be pestered by a yandere…'
'I can handle a 2D yandere, but a 3D yandere will literally stab you and stuff you in a fridge.
'
Lu Yu felt a chill down his spine and quickly pulled his hand away. Suddenly, Qi Wei seemed much more pleasant to the eye.
This kid looked like he was destined to live a long life!
"Roar!"
On the other side, the Great Axe Stitched Demon had finally regained its confidence from torturing the weak. It looked down at Qi Wei and the Bronze-armored Baboon on the ground, brandished its great axe, and laughed maniacally:
"Go to hell!"
"No!"
Qi Wei screamed in terror, as if he saw the Grim Reaper raising his scythe, heralding the arrival of death!
At this distance, not even his Cousin's arrows could arrive in time.
Perhaps only Lu Yu's spider girl could descend by crossing space.
But he was just a Red Copper Rank Beast Tamer.
Facing this kind of Elite Monster, his own Bronze-armored Baboon couldn't last a single round. Only a few days had passed; there probably wouldn't be much of a change.
'Am I really going to die…'
Qi Wei felt a pang of sadness. So many dreams were unfulfilled: he hadn't surpassed his former idol Lu Yu, he hadn't successfully become a fan of his current idol, the 【Collector】, and he hadn't even finished writing his new little essay…
As his mind wandered while waiting for death, he realized a long time had passed without the axe falling.
He glanced doubtfully at the Bronze-armored Baboon beside him and saw it lying on the ground, eyes wide with shock, staring at the sky.
'Why does this scene look so familiar…'
A bad premonition arose in Qi Wei's heart.
He subconsciously looked up and saw a familiar yet shocking sight. Countless thoughts intertwined, and all his emotions merged into a single sentence:
"Damn it, he's showing off again…"
In the sky above, a massive Void Fissure tore open, and Little Spider once again stood above the heavens.
Compared to before, despite not being accompanied by the six Void Eyes, she exuded an even more terrifying sense of pressure!
Countless Spider Silks poured out from behind her like a waterfall, splitting into three sections. Like giant pythons, they coiled around the three Stitched Demons again and again, tightening relentlessly.
Flesh and blood burst out, dripping onto the earth and dyeing it with blossoms of blood.
"Uuu… uuu…"
The three Stitched Demons let out terrified cries and struggled ceaselessly, but they couldn't tear through the tough spider silk.
They could only watch as they were bound, their heads eventually covered as well, and hung in the air like three mummies waiting to be air-dried, before the Void Treasure Chest was opened.
Inside, it had temporarily become a Life Bubble factory, with the tireless Blood-Corroding Insects as its best employees!
However, because the three Stitched Demons were too bulky and the Void Treasure Chest's space was not large, the process was a bit strenuous.
They had to be forcefully squeezed in. In the end, because it was full, a section even had to be chopped off before being stuffed inside.
The scene was bizarre. It was like a great void demon standing outside the world, opening a Giant Mouth that spanned endless space to devour the creatures in a sheep pen.
At the end, it seemed to be full but still forced more in.
Powerful and brutal!
Ying!
Little Spider glanced over, gave a bored yawn, then turned and walked into the Void Fissure, returning to Lu Yu's pocket.
For them, these were powerful demonic beasts, but for Little Spider, they were merely snacks to be caught at will.
Now, she didn't even have much interest in eating them.
Little Mouse, however, watched with excitement, holding a notebook condensed from shadows and recording in its own mouse script.
'I've learned this move.
'
'In the future, I'll be this cool too!'
As for Qi Wei, he was already questioning his existence. His brain had gone rigid, unable to comprehend why Lu Yu's strength had undergone such a drastic change in just a few days.
In their previous battle, it had also been a crushing defeat, but according to his post-battle analysis, if his Bronze-armored Baboon had been prepared, it could have taken two or three hits.
But now… even Early-stage Elite monsters were like dough in his hands, to be kneaded at will!
This leveling speed… not even performance-enhancing drugs could be this fast, right?
Could he really, as his father had said, surpass this kind of monster?
The Bronze-armored Baboon was also trembling.
Any lingering defiance or resentment from the previous battle had completely vanished. In the future, if its Beast Tamer wanted it to challenge this guy again, it would definitely throw a fit.
The kind that couldn't be appeased!
"Has the future changed again, as expected…"
Yu Xiyan watched this scene, her eyes narrowing. Her cyan eyes were filled with a morbid fascination, and the corners of her mouth curved up into a pleased smile.
'That's right. This is the kind of unpredictable strength.
'
Before, she could still deduce Lu Yu's future and could feel an insurmountable pressure.
However, starting a few days ago, she couldn't even make deductions anymore, as if Lu Yu had completely vanished from this world.
Everything about him had become a void.
And the appearance of Little Spider let her know that Lu Yu had definitely embarked on a much faster path to power, a path completely different from her countless deductions.
A path leading to a Great Existence!
This change both fascinated her and made her eager to know what had happened.
That's why she wanted to come to the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm.
Originally, she planned to bring this "pet" cousin to find some opportunities for a strength-type Beast Tamer, help him get stronger, and then have him continue to challenge Lu Yu.
'You've been buffed, now go feed!'
It was to test Lu Yu's current strength.
Then, after the battle, she could use the pretext of seeking advice to get closer to Lu Yu, perhaps even become partners—the one in a favorable position gets the prize first.
But she never expected Lu Yu to actually come to the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm.
It was another future that had never appeared before; things had once again spun out of her control.
So Yu Xiyan deliberately acted a bit like a yandere.
The trouble-averse Lu Yu would surely step in to prevent her from clinging to him.
The result, indeed, did not disappoint her.
"As expected of the eternally correct one…"
Yu Xiyan looked at Lu Yu's back, as if she were once again feeling what she had felt when she saw him during her countless deductions of the future, while mired in the swamp of despair.
Knowing the future isn't a good thing.
For example, knowing of an inevitable death, or even the end of the world, and being powerless to change it despite countless simulations, would leave nothing but despair in one's heart, until one collapses and chooses to end their own life.
However, Lu Yu's first appearance came just as she was on the verge of a complete breakdown, like a beam of light that soothed her spirit.
The eternally desperate future was like a joke to him. The path he walked was Truth itself.
Behind him, one terrifying and bizarre figure after another emerged, radiating across billions of dimensions, easily crushing everything that stood in his way.
Once, twice…
A billion instances of brilliance converged, like a Sun, shining upon the River of Fate.
Even knowing she might be burned to ashes by getting close, she still wanted to touch it, to make it her own, forever…
Unfortunately, after this test, Lu Yu would become vigilant, making it harder to get close.
Just as she was lost in a daze, Lu Yu suddenly turned his head to look at her and asked:
"Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Go ahead."
Yu Xiyan looked up.
The breeze swept past, lifting a few strands of her dark hair. A gentle smile hung on her lips, like a fresh camellia, its faint fragrance refreshing the soul.
She didn't ask what it was, because…
She would not refuse Lu Yu's request!
Lu Yu gave a rough outline of the Demon Thief Group's Sacrificial Ritual plan, omitting the information related to the Eye of Truth and the Thousand-Faced Great Demon. He only said that he had overheard and speculated about it and wanted Yu Xiyan's help in destroying a few ritual nodes.
No matter what ritual was being held, it required the setup of rites and nodes. Destroying them would greatly reduce the ritual's success rate.
Originally, Lu Yu was supposed to do this himself. But considering his involvement had already triggered a butterfly effect, causing the 【Wings of Flesh and Blood】 Demon Thief Group to know someone was hunting them, they had returned to the altar with their previous sacrifices.
Lu Yu wasn't worried they would abandon the ritual, because if they failed this time and news got out, the 【Flesh Wing Demon Thief Group】 would face a thunderous crackdown from various factions, making it incredibly difficult to gather sacrifices again.
With the methods of a ruthless character like the Demon Thief Group's leader, he would likely go all-in, forcibly ambushing Adventure Groups entering the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm to collect sacrifices, or even hold the ritual ahead of schedule!
To prevent this, it was best for Lu Yu to enter the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm early.
But destroying the nodes would waste a lot of time and could lead to unforeseen changes. Yu Xiyan's strength and combat awareness were good, and with a wisdom-path pet beast that had Divination or enhanced computational abilities, plus Qi Wei in tow, their strength was sufficient to join the plan.
"After the plan succeeds, we'll split the mission reward evenly."
Lu Yu said this, and he wasn't making empty promises.
Even if they couldn't kill the Demon Thief Group's leader, as long as they could disrupt its Sacrificial Ritual and prove it to the Special Division, they could claim a hefty reward.
Although sharing the money pained Lu Yu, he knew his priorities.
The materials from the Thousand-Faced Great Demon were more important than anything.
Get it, and Little Mouse's Evolution Secret Food would be perfect, achieving a perfect Trinity.
Although destroying the nodes wasn't difficult, they might encounter guarding Stitched Demons, which posed some risk. So Yu Xiyan had to think it over carefully whether she wanted to join the plan.
Once it started, there was no backing out halfway.
"A Sacrificial Ritual…"
A look of shock flashed in Yu Xiyan's beautiful eyes, but not because of the ritual.
It was because the real-life Lu Yu was far more intelligent than the one in her deductions.
She didn't know about the Eye of Truth; she only saw that Lu Yu had analyzed most of the Demon Thief Group's plan based on just fragmented information.
He even wanted to attempt the impossible, treating a top-tier demonic beast that had undergone a Spirituality Transformation as his prey. How truly…
…delightful!
Yu Xiyan narrowed her eyes and nodded.
"We certainly can't let this guy succeed, or it will be dangerous for everyone in the future. I agree."
Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that she agreed. During their talk, he told her the locations of several nodes he had estimated with his Eye of Truth.
The latter actually knew all of them but pretended to take notes seriously, just wanting to spend more time with him…
After their conversation, Lu Yu, who never leaves empty-handed, naturally didn't forget to take the corpses of the other Stitched Demons.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.
And Yu Xiyan quietly watched his departing back, retracting her deep gaze. This plan was a good opportunity to get closer, and she would give it her all.
Although Qi Wei was mostly useless, he would still be needed as an assistant during the process of disrupting the ritual.
She walked over to the still-dazed Qi Wei and called out in a gentle voice:
"Cousin, you weren't scared, were you?"
"I wasn't scared at all!" Qi Wei, snapping back to his senses, retorted loudly.
Unable to let go of his pride, he couldn't help but say, "I was just trying to experience the great terror before life and death to temper my will. It's a shame that guy Lu Yu interrupted.
Forget it, I won't hold it against him. As expected of my arch-nemesis, he really is just a tiny bit stronger than me…"
As he spoke, he made a small gesture with his fingers.
But behind him, the Bronze-armored Baboon, to get back at its Master whose only tough part was his mouth, silently mimicked the gesture, but the gap it made was almost as large as Qi Wei's head.
A true "one billionth" of a bit!
Yu Xiyan said with a smile:
"It's good that you're not scared. We'll be facing more Stitched Demons next, so we'll be counting on you."
"What!?"
……………………
Dawn broke in the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm.
Compared to the outside world, the vegetation here was suddenly sparse. In its place were tenacious plants like cacti scattered about, presenting a scene of stubborn life, completely different from lush vitality.
The earth was carved by the knives of running water. Everywhere were wilds of dry, bare rock, complementing the vast desert of coarse sand and gravel, presenting a layered, tea-brown hue.
And deeper in, on a gobi covered in blood-red sand, stood stone pillars engraved with mysterious runes, forming a massive, eerie ritual formation that covered a vast area.
Within the formation, a giant circle entwined with tentacles was drawn in blood.
Inside the circle were nine smaller circles, overlapping and interwoven to form eye patterns.
A large number of bizarrely shaped Stitched Demons placed hearts filled with the power of Spirituality into them.
Crack! Crack!
The hearts instantly melted, mixed with the extracted red and white Brain Marrow, and were absorbed by the eye patterns below.
Then…
It came alive!
Countless eyes on the ground turned, opened, and closed, as if the earth itself, at this moment, had been resurrected!
And the range of the Ritual was still constantly expanding outward.
At the center of these stone pillars stood a massive black-red altar, forged from an unknown metal. Its shape resembled countless outstretched arms, like a lotus plucked from a hell of blood.
And upon the altar, as the ritual nodes lit up one by one, an ancient song began to drift across this desert:
"…God of Awakening… break through the cage…"
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