Chapter 210 - The Collision
Chapter 210: The Collision
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Guo Huan’s responded uncourteously, “I do not know! Ask the Tibetan people!”
This was a crucial matter, Wen Leyang became serious as he asked the white-robed youth, “After the ‘firecrackers’ left your family’s cave, was there a specific direction the ‘firecrackers’ were heading to?”
The white-robed youth shook his head, “Ever since they escaped out of the Jianggendiru Glacier, they crawled onto the snow peak along the mountain slope, then they started wandering everywhere. There was not any direction that I could speak of…will the senior please show me the right path?” His final half of the sentence was meant for Guo Huan.
Guo Huan’s spoke impatiently, “Stop being noisy before the old father! It is the bugs that your own family is breeding yet you are asking me this question. Where do you find such a principle under the heavens? If I say I do not know, I mean it. Guo Huan will never lie ever since he was born!”
Wen Leyang felt goosebumps erupting all over his body as he heard Guo Huan’s words.
The white-robed youth appeared rather disappointed. He sat on the same spot and became a little distracted.
Wen Leyang’s injuries were mostly healed at this point. He had a rough idea of the Hua family’s events. He was concerned about his companions’ situation in his heart, so he looked towards the white-robed youth but did not speak. He could not help but to cough softly, “So are we just going to idle here?”
The white-robed youth was suddenly jolted back to reality by Wen Leyang’s words. He dropped the matter of heavenly water spirit temporarily, “We have already suppressed the ‘firecrackers’. A few of my brothers and sisters are on their way to inform the family elders. I am waiting for their arrival here to launch a magic spell together. We will first send the bugs back then we will discuss further, as for the Tibetan people…” As he was saying that, the white-robed youth looked at Wen Leyang with glimmering eyes. His voice was albeit hoarse, but his tone of speaking sounded very sincere, “We are bound by a common hatred for the same enemy. Will you please help our Hua family?”
The Hua family’s effort in dealing with the Tibetan people was futile, while the white-robed youth witnessed the supernatural power launched by Wen Leyang’s group of people with his own eyes. Hence, he risked his life to show himself in order to locate Wen Leyang and revealed the sequence of events to Wen Leyang with the aim to form an alliance with Wen Leyang.
The white-robed youth stopped for a moment before he complemented, “Whether it is the snow peak or the Jianggendiru Glacier, my family’s disciples know the places like the back of our hands. We also possess the water element magic to protect ourselves. There is utterly no way the Tibetan people can lose their trail before us. If all of you accept my family’s assistance, the effort to deal with the enemy is as easy as turning over your hand. After we are done eradicating the Tibetan people, I will plead my family elders to gift all of you the embodiment of true water! I will never die peacefully if I were to break my promise…”
Wen Leyang realized that the other party was swearing an oath. He hastily laughed and interrupted, “There is no need to swear an oath. I will still need to discuss with my companions before I can make a decision on this matter. If everything that you have told me is the truth, we will join hands with the Hua family to deal with the enemy!” As he was saying that, he saved the voice recording and pocketed the cellphone. He would still need to depend on this item to determine if the white-robed youth’s words were genuine from Fei Fei.
The white-robed youth did not waste time to persuade Wen Leyang. He nodded and laughed in an extremely joyous manner. He procured a small crystal clear icicle the size of the little finger from his chest. A streak of silver-colored mist enshrouded a talisman in the icicle. “You will only need to squeeze this into pieces, I will rush over to your side. I will be waiting for your good news respectfully.”
Generally, the cultivation sects or the well-known families possessed treasured weapons similar to the flying sword that delivered messages, capable of being used to communicate in a relatively small area. If Wen Leyang were to bring along this stick of icicle to Hawaii and squeezed it there, the white-robed youth would never sense anything regardless.
Wen Leyang placed the icicle cautiously into his chest pocket; of course, this treasured weapon would not be easily melted away by Wen Leyang’s body temperature. He stretched out his hand and pointed to the Kunlun disciples, “They…how long before they can…”
The white-robed youth pondered for a moment, “Our people who are engaged in the cultivation of water element magic art will need one to two years’ time. If these Taoist priests were hoping to attain freedom, they will need at least another three to five years.”
Wen Leyang gave a forced laugh as he shook his head. This matter was beyond anyone’s control. The Kunlun disciples were considered extremely lucky that were given the opportunity to stay alive. Wen Leyang could only hope that it was as mentioned by the white-robed youth that several years later they would be awakened and received the embodiment of true water! However, Wen Leyang could not tell if the embodiment of true water was a good thing or bad thing as the Kunlun Taoist priests that engaged in the cultivation of their own cultivation method.
The Poison of Life and Death circulated within Wen Leyang’s body as he looked towards the densely-arranged Kunlun disciples on his two sides. He suddenly recalled something else, “Once a ‘firecracker’ pounce onto its host, is there a necessity for it to capture the human as well?” The first time they encountered the Kunlun disciples that were controlled on their journey, the giant pangolin was dragged into the ice wall.
“The bugs are actually helping the other bugs to capture new hosts. These ‘firecrackers’ are rather sensible you see.” As he was speaking, the white-robed youth used his hand to lightly glide past the ice surface. The Kunlun disciples’ expressions appeared as if they were enjoying the process without exception, akin to a cat that had just stretched its body.
Wen Leyang laughed, “So these bugs pounce onto its hosts then attempt to help its companions. What is its ultimate plan then? So that it could enhance its cultivation power as well?”
The white-robed youth shook his head and laughed, “How can that be. Not only the act was not helpful in enhancing its cultivation power, it will even exhaust the power of water element in itself. It is only its natural instinct as such!”
Wen Leyang burst out laughing, “These bugs should be not called the ‘firecrackers’, but they should be called the ‘Learn from Lei Feng’!” His clear laughter echoed in between the ice walls. The puppets smiled hearing his laughter, appearing unusually ghastly.
The white-robed youth did not understand such a profound sentence. He followed along and laughed foolishly for a few times before he spoke, “I will escort you to the top!”
Wen Leyang nodded in response, “I wish to take a look at the bug tide that had been frozen into ice and then I will gather with my companions.” The white-robed youth understood that the action would prove his words genuine. He nodded in an exceedingly delightful manner.
It was until this point when the crisp sound of a crack abruptly echoed from an area far away. The sound was albeit soft, it was akin to an extremely sharp razor blade, that suddenly slashed the silence in the depth of the ice sheets into pieces! Soon after, the two sides of ice walls shook in an obvious manner, every Kunlun disciple inside abruptly opened their eyes. Their gaze brought along a layer of deep panic! Tutatunte jumped up, he started squalling and jabbering, his skinny face was contorted in fear…
It only took a moment, the muffled thundering sound and layers of shaking echoed from afar as if the snow peak above them had just experienced another enormous avalanche once again!
The white-robed youth was only stunned for a moment before he reacted to the situation rapidly. He frowned as he asked loudly, “What happened!” There were many youth disciples from his Hua family that were on garrison duty around the surroundings. Everything that was happening on the surrounding was under their surveillance, even if an avalanche were to appear, it should not happen so abruptly.
A similarly hoarse voice immediately answered, “Hua Xiaosan and Hua Xiaocha have already gone out to check!”
The white-robed youth was apparently an esteemed personage amongst his fellow disciples of the same sect. His voice was heard continuously as he issued a series of instructions, “Xiaoduo Xiaoshi Xiaofeng go out and reinforce Xiaocha. Immediately inform me of what had happened. Hua Xiaodai and Hua Xiaomi come down and pacify the ‘firecrackers’ that are still in the process of recognizing its masters. Hua Xiaoliu and Hua Xiaozhu go over and welcome the family elders. They ought to have arrived now! The rest of the disciples form the Tibetan Buddhism mudra and protect the bug tide!”
A series of hoarse and unpleasant replies echoed in unison. A male and a female porcelain doll-like charming white-robed youths jumped out from the protruding ice wall in a flash and nodded lightly to Wen Leyang, They started drawing unsophisticated yet complicated ancient scripts continuously on the ice wall, while simultaneously pacifying the Kunlun disciples that were already slightly chaotic.
Wen Leyang squinted his eyes as he carefully spread out his water-like telegnosis ability but the area that was shaking was still too far away from here. He could not reach it.
The white-robed youth clasped his hands behind his back. His gaze was filled with solemnness yet he sounded convincing as he comforted Wen Leyang, “We will find out what happened in a while. Please be calm and do not be agitated.”
Wen Leyang nodded. He pointed to the two sides of Kunlun disciples in the ice walls, “Be sure to protect them. These Taoist priests are our friends, not foes. They entered the snow peak in order to pursue and killed those Tibetan people.
The white-robed youth spoke earnestly, “Don’t worry!”
Wen Leyang and the Hua family’s youth disciples were feeling uneasy and insecure as they waited for the people who went to find out the situation to return. Guo Huan was not concerned at all. It was muttering to itself in the jade knife, “Hua Laogao, Hua Xiaoshi…heh, your family elders are truly very lazy! Child, what is your name then?”
The white-robed youth could tell that the jade knife was an item of powerful influence. Even though he was slightly distracted, he still he gave out a forced laugh as he answered, “Hua Xiaoyao!”
The Hua family boy that was pacifying the puppet disciples in front of the ice walls turned around and laughed, “We address him by the name of Xiaoyao Er!” Perhaps it was the Hua family’s cultivation that was causing some specific injuries to the throat, these Hua family’s people. Whether it was that severely injured Uncle Quan or this group of youth disciples, all of them sounded like a broken gong. They did not even sound like a whole broken gong, at best they sounded like a half a broken gong.
Wen Leyang was stunned for a moment, whether it was Xiaoyao or XiaoYao Er, these were all female names. He observed the white-robed youth before him closely once again. The white-robed youth had crystal clear complexion and was unusually charming. However he was still young his small body had yet to grow and develop, judging on his innocent appearance, it was difficult to tell his gender, Wen Leyang could not help but to laugh and asked, “Mister Hua? Or Miss Hua?”
Hua Xiaoyao had yet to speak when the shaking in their surroundings had already turned stronger and stronger. The land under the snow peak was jumping ferociously as if there was an ancient gigantic beast that was roaring and attempting to break through the soil! There were large chunks of floating ice that started collapsing and rolling down continuously from the snow peak. Tutatunte could no longer care about squalling at this point. He stood on the ground, tumbled to the left and right and finally he crawled onto the ground and dared not budge anymore.
A layer of icy-cold rage enshrouded Hua Xiaoyao’s body. He glared at the Hua family disciple that was reporting the enemy’s situation as he spoke in rage, “What do you mean that they came by breaking the ice? Do not panic, please explain in detail!”
That Hua family disciple gestured with his hands continuously but there was no way he could describe what really happened. Out of anxiety, his forehead was dotted with sweat beads the size of a bean.
Hua Xiaoyao realized that he did not manage to find out the situation so he frowned and changed his question, “How many Tibetan people are there?”
The Hua family disciple that who went to find out the situation hastily answered, “I do not know!”
Hua Xiaoyao howled in rage, he clenched his teeth as he shouted, “Hua Xiaoshan are you kidding me? Go out again and find…” Before he could finish his sentence, Wen Leyang suddenly scoffed, “There is no need! There are a total of eight enemies that are coming!” The enemies had already dashed into his telegnosis ability’s detection at this moment!
Hua Xiaoyao was slightly stunned for a moment, his expression obviously calmed down. He knew that it was difficult to deal with the Tibetan people. However, just by depending on the dozens of Hua family disciples, it was absolutely not difficult for them to fight the eight enemies. Nevertheless, Wen Leyang’s face was more rigid than iron. He stretched out his leg and drew a circle on the ground. He then walked around the circle and drew another eight long lines in the area surrounding the circle like a child that drew out a sun, “Eight people, coming in from eight directions! Moreover, every single person is coming by breaking the ice!”
Eight Tibetan people surrounded them from eight directions. Every single person was rippling with unparalleled tremendous force, just like an incisive Icebreaker with unmatched horsepower, shattering the ice sheet as thick as a hundred meters and dashed towards them at full speed!
Hua Xiaoyao finally understood what happened. He turned ghastly pale as he almost fell on the ground. One person’s strength was enough to blast through the ice sheet. Even a top master cultivator became too inferior in the face of such supernatural power and even so there were eight that were approaching them! He clenched his teeth ferociously then and left behind the severely injured Uncle Quan to his fellow youth disciples. His voice sounded hoarse as he issued a command rapidly, “Everyone…retreat!” His two final words were almost squeezed out from the gaps between his teeth! There would still be other opportunities to capture the bugs after the bugs were released but there would be no way for human lives to be resurrected after death. Hua Xiaoyao’s command was blameless.
These Tibetan people’s purpose could not be any clearer. They were here to release the bugs once again. Not only the bug tide that was frozen into ice but also the thousands of firecrackers that were assimilating with the Kunlun disciples.
In case the ice surface was shattered, the firecrackers would escape out of the Kunlun disciples’ mouths. All the Taoist priests would turn into dried corpses.
Hua Xiaoyao looked towards Wen Leyang after he issued the command, he asked softly, “How about you?”
Wen Leyang shook his head, “I will give it a try at stopping them before I discuss any further!”
Guo Huan sniggered coldly, “These eight living dead are completely different from yesterday’s rubbish that were slaughtered by the Yin’s Error and Yang’s Mistake. It is best for you to consider thoroughly! It is difficult to tell who will win in a match of one-on-one, let alone eight at once!” Upon saying that it stopped for a moment before it hastily bided, “Do not count on my demon body breaking spell anymore, I can no longer break anymore!”
Wen Leyang burst out laughing, he inhaled a deep breath and abruptly gave out a loud roar that sounded like a muffled thunder. He selected a location then jumped up high in the air. After he jumped past every single one of the Kunlun disciples’ heads, he dove head first into the thick and hard ice!
The Tibetan people encircled the area in eight directions but some were approaching faster while some were slow. The slower ones were a few kilometers away from them, while the faster ones were already a stone’s throw away! Wen Leyang headed towards the enemy that was closest to him.
The white-robed youth Hua Xiaoyao gave out a long and sharp howl simultaneously. He launched the water element escape spell to follow closely behind Wen Leyang. The rest of the Hua family disciples no longer guarded the Tibetan Buddhism mudra, they were akin to a school of agile silver fishes as they shuttled through the ice walls continuously akin to ghosts. They followed right behind Wen Leyang and Xiaoyao like a swarm of bees.
One strong person could triumph against ten martial art expert. Standing before the Tibetan people who were capable of blasting through the ice sheet and dashing madly all the way, their Tibetan Buddhism Sect’s mudra was as fragile as the spider web. There was not even half an ounce of effectiveness from it.
All the white-robed disciples including Hua Xiaoyao realized in astonishment that the speed that Wen Leyang exerted his strange Art of Punching to break the ice was surprisingly even faster than their Art of Water Escape!
From the bird’s eye view, this stretch of snow peak’s ice sheet was akin to a sudden chaos. Two streaks of snow lines that blasted through countless gigantic ice cliffs all the way were akin to two trains that were approaching head on and refused to give way to one another. The trains approached nearer and nearer in lightning speed and finally exploded with a loud bang that blasted through the heaven and the earth, colliding into one another ferociously!
The bold and unrestrained tremendous force that felt like the heaven and earth was destroyed. Every single one of the white-robed disciples was blown away by the collision ferociously in the midst of their squalling sounds. A puff of avalanche that could measure up to a raging volcano surged skywards accompanied by wild roars and shattered the snow peak’s already thin sunlight all at once.
Under the collision, Wen Leyang’s countless joints on his entire body were rippling with the tremendous force of the Faulty Punch. The moment it came into contact with the air, it was converted into almost a hundred heavy blows at one go. Just like a storm, that slammed into the enemy’s body magnificently! While at the same time a gush of a similar strong power of countercharge echoed from the Tibetan people’s body, Wen Leyang felt as if he had truly collided with a train. He swung his limbs as he squalled and was blown away.
Fortunately, the ‘train’ was knocked down by him as well, making the Hua family disciples that escaped into the ice sheet once again cheered in joy. Wen Leyang stood up with his facial features contorted, while the Tibetan people convulsed for a few times, then he lied on the ground unmoved.
Wen Leyang felt as if the teeth in his entire mouth were shaking. He drew in a cold breath and felt as all his teeth gaps were leaking air. He could not help but say, “Oh my goodness!”
The jade knife Guo Huan gave out a ‘heh’, “I cannot believe that someone still knows how to launch this form of magic spell!”
Wen Leyang chose another direction this time. He continued to collide on a grand and spectacular scale as Guo Huan explained to him in a leisurely manner, “The Nine Tripod Cauldron is forged in the Xia Dynasty for the purpose of suppressing the entire country of China. There was a sect that cultivated in ancient black magic used this as a pretext for their spell, and called the spell the ‘Great Xia’s Nine Tripod Cauldron’! Anyone that was cast with this spell became hard and strong and robust as the Xia’s Tripod Cauldron that could suppress the heaven, but that person would not last long, when the magic spell was exhausted, the person that was cast with the spell would perish with his bones shattered as well.”
Wen Leyang was so furious he was clenching and grinding his teeth. It was only then he realized that the Tibetan people were using the trick of suicide bombing with them now. He knew that there was no need to acknowledge them obviously. It would not take long before these living dead were doomed but he could not just wait and watched helplessly as the living dead came running over and blasting the Kunlun disciples into pieces…
The second puff of snow raging flame that appeared grander than the world-crushing fireworks surged into the sky accompanied by a roar. Wen Leyang slammed heavily for the second time. After the second collision, he felt as if his eyeballs had already impeded his eyelids when he was blinking his eyes…
After the first round of intense collision, Wen Leyang fell backwards for a dozen meters. After the second round of collision, Wen Leyang directly fell from the intense spot back to Tutatunte’s side, startling his African brother. Tutatunte thought that Wen Leyang’s cultivation of suddenly appearing and disappearing was horrible.
Two were destroyed, there were still six Tibetan people left. Two of them were in front while two were behind. They dashed towards him without a pause.
Wen Leyang did not have the time to consider whether he could defend this place or not. He was attempting to stand firmly on the ground with great efforts. Every time after Tutatunte helped him to stand up, the moment Tutatunte loosened his grip, Wen Leyang fell on the ground with limp limbs like a marionette that lost its strings. Yet, Tutatunte was still persistent as ever…there was no way Wen Leyang could even catch a breath, he could not even speak but he was pondering in his heart whether he had ever offended the African brother…
Just as Tutatunte was letting go of him for the third time, suddenly a pair of strong huge hands firmly plugged under Wen Leyang’s armpits. A voice that was filled with heroic spirit laughed aloud, “Let me help you this round, you can take a short rest!” As he was saying that, he placed Wen Leyang firmly onto the ground then turned around and bided Tutatunte, “Do not pull him to stand anymore alright!”
Another voice muttered and scolded, “The lama is always full of nonsensical talks, the opponent is already here, we shall brace them side by side…separately then!” Where the voice was heard, a huge tail that was covered in scales before Wen Leyang’s eyes swung, accompanied by the demonic evil energy that rolled across the heaven and the earth. A gigantic shadow dove head first into the ice sheet and braced towards a Tibetan person!
The four persons of Old Gu, Xiao Sha, Fei Fei and Ji Song had already been escorted down by the pangolin. They looked towards the thousand Kunlun Taoist priests in the ice walls with their faces filled with astonishment.
After daybreak, Rangjung and the giant pangolin had already regained most of their combat capabilities. They immediately departed and sought after Wen Leyang. Xiao Sha had already patted the mechanism of ‘Mystery in Every Step’ onto Wen Leyang before he left. Even though they were traveling at a slow speed during the journey, it was just the perfect opportunity for the two master cultivators to recuperate. It was only when the ice surface was shaking earlier and the eight Tibetan people dashed over, Rangjung and the giant pangolin exerted their power simultaneously. Their telegnosis ability was spread out far and wide. As the African brother was so conspicuous, he was a great position indicator, they managed to rush over just in time for the crucial moment.
Wen Leyang’s experience of the heaven’s thunder that crashed into the hellfire for two times was fully reflected in Rangjung and the giant pangolin’s telegnosis ability. Amongst these two persons, one was a wild and unyielding great demon, while the other devoted particular care to free his heart and his character. Their heroic spirits burst out entirely for a moment, the giant pangolin swung its tail and dashed out, while the lama Rangjung suddenly turned over his hands. His thick and plump palms were abruptly plated in thick gold dust. Tthe clanking sound of iron and stones was heard in the midst of his palms’ cross strikes, he shouted loudly all of a sudden, “Oṃ vajra sattva hūm…” In the midst of his raging shouts of mantra, his plump and sturdy body shattered the layers of ice walls all the way. He chose a Tibetan people and braced forward as well!
Guo Huan laughed out aloud suddenly, “Good baldy! Good pangolin! Now that is what I call a good fight! A bold fight! A heroic fight! A most decadent fight!”
All of a sudden, the lama’s mantra and Po Tu’s raging howl turned into the sound of loud laughter. A pack of old demons’ laughter echoed outrageously within the layers of the million-year-old glacier, startling the forever desolated world of the Geladaindong Peak to death!
An explosive yet muffled collision sound exploded with a loud bang!
The unrestrained, heroic sound of laughter that despised the entire world suddenly turned into agonizing screams…the lama approached with surging heroic spirits akin to a giant eagle that spread out its wings, yet as a result, he somersaulted and rolled back from the path that was opened up himself…
The sound of curses filled with Gansu province’s accent echoed from the giant pangolin’s side as well!
By the time the head lama clenched his teeth and stood up once again, the giant pangolin had already completed another collision. Po Tu was rather intelligent. As the first time it crashed with its head, the second time it changed to another direction, and used its body to block against the Tibetan people who was charging forward. The third time it changed to the other half side of its body and intercepted the Tibetan people that were closest to itself…
The lama also squalled once as he launched the Tibetan Buddhism Sect’s Vajrasattva’s mantra once again and used his lifetime’s cultivation base to summon the embodiment of Avinasitva. He dashed into the ice surface with a loud crash.
It was still the same violent sounds of collision. The sixth Tibetan people had died a violent death. The giant pangolin’s scolding became even louder, “The bald lama is not a good egg, you purposely arrive one step later!”
The lama refused to give the impression of weakness as he scolded back, “Then you could have dodged…”
Under the rivalry of the tremendous force without any fancy details, it was a clear judgment whose cultivation base was more profound. The giant pangolin resisted three Tibetan people by itself and it could still curse with great difficulties. Wen Leyang almost fell apart after he crashed away two Tibetan people, while the lama’s physical fighting skill was the weakest, perhaps he could still survive after colliding with one, but it was truly beyond his power to collide with two.
Eight Tibetan people, six had already collided to death. The remaining two were still running wildly and approaching from afar. These Tibetan people were akin to the iron frogs that were wound tightly. They did not understand what was fear, they only knew that their sole purpose was to surge forward.
Wen Leyang had a sturdy body. After bracing the tremendous force of the two collisions earlier, he suddenly felt as if the bones of his entire body were shattered but he was not severely injured under the protection of the Poison of Life and Death. This was purely a trial of strength, the Faulty Punch held the supremacy over the entire world! Now that he had already rested for a while, he reminded Po Tu and the lama loudly, “There are still two more of them!”
The pangolin and the lama gazed towards one another while giving each other a forced smile. If they were to clench their teeth in determination and collided the two Tibetan people into pieces, perhaps it was doable out of desperation but the two cultivators were already severely injured. Their old injuries had yet to fully heal. If they were to suffer new injuries, their next recuperation would take more than just a day and a half for a full restoration.
Po Tu continuously collided for three times, it could tell about the knack of the collision, so it spoke with slight puzzlement, “It seemed that the Tibetan people were cast with the ancient legacy spell of ‘Great Xia’s Nine Tripod Cauldrons’. They would never live long even if we were to disregard them…” These two cultivators did not even understand the purpose of this battle. They were only doing so because they saw that Wen Leyang crashed forward and then crashed backward. That was why they roared and charged forward as well! However, after analyzing the situation, as long as the matter was not threatening its own or Wen Leyang’s life, Po Tu would not be willing to risk its life.
On the other hand, the lama did not care about this. The small town’s Tibetan people were already subdued by the evil cultivator. The mission of the lama’s current trip was to eradicate them and that cunning evil cultivator. He suddenly clenched his teeth, his eyes widened into the size larger than bronze bells, he shouted akin to a Tibetan Buddhism Sect’s wrathful deity, “Stop wasting your time talking nonsense, let us go again!”
It was at this exact moment, a sonorous and forceful voice echoed magnificently in midair, piercing into the depth of everyone’s eardrums!
“Taoism code! The bullet swords! Execute the demon!”
This slightly hoarse voice sounded like the sounds of the nature that gladdened Wen Leyang’s heart and refreshed his mind. Wen Leyang was both surprised and joyous as he jumped up and roared loudly, “Liu Zheng!”
The sky above the snow peak suddenly darkened.