AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Morningstar Clan is back! đ
Hello everyone! How are you doing today?
I hope you are all doing well. After two weeks of restânecessary to clear my mind and recharge my strengthâwe are back with the novel!
Before we begin, a small technical detail: naturally, not every single treasure and technique from the loot will be displayed, for obvious narrative reasons, so I will focus on showing you the most important and influential ones for the plot.
Pay attention to this!
To celebrate our return, today I am bringing you 3 action-packed chapters. Starting tomorrow, we will return to the usual pace of 2 chapters per day.
Without further ado, I wish you an excellent morning, afternoon, or night, depending on your time zone. I hope you enjoy this chapter immensely!
The conquest continues! âđ„
â Void-Scribe
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CHAPTER 203 (Part 2): The Void Inventory and the Seed of the True Law
In the vast, dark hall of the Primordial Heritage Palace, time seemed to flow at a different pace. Samael Morningstar leaned back slowly in his obsidian throne, resting his chin on his knuckles. His piercing dragon eyes, glowing with a crimson-violet fire in the gloom, swept over the incalculable mountain of treasures, runic weapons, pulsating cores, and ancient scrolls piled before him. Then, his gaze settled on the women who had orchestrated the logistics of the looting and transport.
"Well done," Samael declared, his deep, silken voice echoing off the hall's millennial columns. "My gratitude to you, Sienna, for the flawless, perfect presentation of the Alliance's resources. And excellent work to Vexia and Lilith for securing the prisoners without impairing their value as spiritual batteries."
The three women bowed their heads elegantly, accepting their Patriarch's recognition.
Samael leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. A predatory smile, tinged with genuine, dark pride, curved his lips as his gaze descended to the forty-five young warriors standing firm in the center of the hall. Despite having been washed clean of enemy blood and healed of their most lethal wounds, the aura of massacre, survival, and death surrounding them was undeniableâthick as fog. They were no longer mere prodigies training in a paradise; they had crossed the threshold. They had matured in the forge of true war.
"Now comes the part you all love most," the Patriarch announced, his tone capturing the absolute attention of every soul in the room. "The rewards."
A collective shiver of intense anticipation rippled through the ranks of the Sequences. Even the ever-stoic Kael, with his sword resting on his back, and the usually unhinged Dante straightened up slightly, holding their breath.
"But before we speak of riches, I want every single one of you to be deeply proud of what you achieved under that ashen sky," Samael continued, his tone growing slightly more paternal, though never losing its sharp, tyrannical edge for a second. "You are monsters. Let there be no doubt about that. There are not many cultivators on this vast continent, nor in this mortal world, who can fight, endure, and slaughter enemies above their own cultivation levels with such brutality and efficiency. But mark my words..." Samael's eyes flashed with a freezing, lethal warning, "...do not let the spilled blood go to your heads. Blind arrogance is always the first and fastest step toward an early grave. Understand that well."
Samael paused deliberately, letting the heavy weight of his words settle into the spirits of the youth, before his predatory smile returned.
"With that said, the feast begins. First: a Base Mission Bonus. You will each be awarded two million Contribution Points, simply for surviving hell, fulfilling the Clan's objectives, and not taking a single step back in the face of death."
The youths' breath hitched in unison. Two million! Added to the one million points they had previously earned from exploring Xaloc's Primordial Tomb, it meant every single one of them now possessed a trove of three million contribution points! That figure made them filthy rich within the Clan's strict internal economy. They could empty entire pavilions of resources.
Yet, despite the euphoria, the gazes of forty-four youths shifted almost instinctively toward one person. Violeta.
Three million was an absurd fortune, yes, but it fell abysmally short compared to the staggering seven million points the Icy Executioner had accumulated thanks to her tomb reward. The eyes of the other Sequencesâfrom Kael to Eris, from Magnus to Elaraâwatched her with fierce competition. It wasn't envy; it was the pure hunger of a wolf pack where everyone aspired to be the Alpha.
Violeta remained entirely unfazed by the intense pressure of her brothers-in-arms' stares. Her mind was focused on something far more pressing. She wanted to ask her brother a vital question.
The young girl raised her pale hand, covered by her tactical glove.
Samael, who was about to communicate with the System to break down the rest of the points, paused his thought. He looked down at her from the throne and gave a slight nod, granting her permission to speak.
"Patriarch," Violeta began, her voice serene and cold as frost. "It is regarding the power of my eyesâthe ones that evolved in the tomb thanks to your direct support. I wish to know how I can use them at will, or the correct method to force their activation."
All the youths fell into a deathly silence, pricking up their ears. They, too, wanted to know the secrets of that absolute power; they wanted to understand how they could force their own evolutions and grow infinitely stronger to catch up to her.
Samael, seeing the burning thirst for power in all their eyes, merely smiled calmly. But before he could answer, Lilith intervened from beside the throne.
"You need to know something important," Lilith said, crossing her arms, her tone turning serious. "In this last battle, Violeta used them again. But she only did so when she was on the absolute brink of death facing the Alliance's Grand Saint, and the power only lasted a few instants before fading. That means this power does not answer to your conscious will, little one. It appears as a survival mechanism when your soul senses the thread of your life is about to be severed."
Samael grew thoughtful, gently rubbing his chin. System, he called mentally, his consciousness sinking into the void. Project the detailed profile of Violeta's ocular power. I want to see just how special those eyes truly are, considering the immense reward you granted meâInvestment and Cashback: Chrono-Spatial Singularity Eyesâwhen she awakened them in the tomb. Though I don't intend to use my own reward just yet, let's analyze their origin.
[Understood, Host. Processing and displaying the mutation profile of target: Violeta Morningstar.]
A translucent interface of spiritual light unfolded solely on Samael's retina, revealing the mysteries of his sister's soul.
Spiritual Profile: Violeta Morningstar
Law Affinity: Absolute Ice, Space. Awakened Bloodline (10%): Winter Void Dragon.
Base Ocular Power (Dual Nature):
The Left Eye (Neon Violet): Glows with an incandescent spiritual light that casts no shadow. Its pupil stretches into a vertical slit, characteristic of draconic nobility. With this eye, Violeta perceives the air filled with silver threads and seams vibrating in the fabric of the world; she can see enemy teleportation routes as luminous channels long before the adversary moves, and locates flaws where the fabric of reality is so thin her rapier can tear it with a mere brush. The Right Eye (Diamond Blue): A translucent, multifaceted crystal reflecting absolute stellar cold. It lacks a visible pupil; instead, it houses a slowly spinning fractal snowflake. This eye reduces the battlefield to a spiritual map where vital heat is visible: it detects the exact pulse of essence in the opponent's Qi Sea to guide the devouring cold of her needle toward the enemy's core. Combined Effect: The simultaneous glow of both eyes is so imposing that weak-willed enemies who look directly at her suffer instant cognitive paralysis; they feel a needle of pure ice piercing their souls, freezing their ability to formulate strategies or activate defensive techniques.
So this is the normal manifestation of her Dragon bloodline, Samael reflected, fascinated. One eye commands the fabric of space and the other is the sovereign of absolute ice. Hmm...
But the System continued deploying information, delving into the anomaly.
Hidden Evolution (Patriarch's Intervention):
Due to Samael's primordial support, Violeta achieved a heretical mutation. Instead of maintaining balance between ice and space, her soul fused both essences and forced them into her spatial domain, granting her tyrannical control over space itself.
[Eyes of the Celestial Abyss: The Gaze of the Absolute Void](Status: Semi-dormant and locked)
This gaze represents the purest inheritance of the Laws of Space. Upon activation, Violeta's eyes cease perceiving the dust of the mortal world to connect directly with the invisible fabric sustaining the universe. There are no longer combat calculations; there is a Spatial Providence granting her absolute control over distance, folds, and nothingness.
Visual Mutation:
The Twilight Iris: The entire iris transmutes into a circular jewel of vibrant neon purple. The background resembles a bottomless well of ethereal energy pulsing to the rhythm of her own vital Qi. The Void Emblem: In the exact center, replacing the pupil, the Imperial Seal of Space manifests. An intricate mystical emblem: a central rune shaped like a stylized eye, surrounded by arched lines and detailed filaments of glowing violet light. This runic seal appears to float a millimeter above the iris, releasing micro-sparks of energy, signaling that spatial power demands tribute.
Unlocked Supreme Abilities:
Vision of Celestial Seams: The Ley Lines of Space become tangible to her. It grants her the divine ability to predict the spatial annihilation routes of Saint Kings or supreme assassins long before they can even blink. Blade Destiny Lock: By focusing the Imperial Seal on an enemy, Violeta establishes a spiritual "anchor" in the rival's Dantian. The space between the tip of her Absolute Zero Needle and the opponent's heart bends through pure mystical intent. Her thrust does not travel through the air; it manifests already inserted within the rival's body, bypassing physical armor and magical shields because the weapon traveled through the folds of the void straight to their internal coordinate. Spiritual Void Oppression: Any cultivator daring enough to look directly into the Eyes of the Celestial Abyss suffers instant Qi submission. They feel the space around their own brains contracting, blocking their energy channels and numbing their Sea of Consciousness.
Samael blinked slowly in the real world, his own violet eyes brimming with fierce, dark pride.
Well, well. What absolute insanity of power. Worthy of being my sister, he laughed inwardly. It makes complete sense why she has only been able to use it when I infused my energy into her or when her life hung by a severed thread. They are far too overwhelming for her current vessel. If she tries to force them at will right now, her own brain will turn to mush under the spatial pressure.
But Samael was not satisfied with the System's cold reading. He wanted to see the truth with his own eyes.
Invoking his Crimson Destiny Law, Samael ceased perceiving the physical matter of the hall. The world transformed into a vast, complex tapestry of causal threads. His vision, linked to the blood of the Primordial Dragon, pierced through Violeta's flesh and bones, plunging straight into the deepest depths of her Soul Sea.
Violeta's astral landscape was breathtaking. In the center of a placid energy ocean, Samael saw the soul of an immaculate White Dragon, adorned with subtle violet and blue tones, sleeping peacefully. It was not alone. Above the dragon's majestic head, the projection of Violeta's human soul meditated in a perfect lotus position, slowly absorbing the primordial beast's immense power.
Yet Samael instantly noticed the bottleneck. The fusion reached an exact point and stopped completely.
I see, the Patriarch understood, watching the energy flow. That is the reason she has only managed to assimilate ten percent of her draconic heritage. Her current human soul simply lacks the capacity to absorb or process more dragon power without shattering. No matter how much earth Qi she absorbs, her vessel has a limit.
Samael deepened his vision beyond the dragon. In the abyssal depths of the girl's soul, he found the anomaly.
Floating there, immense and formidable, were the Eyes of the Celestial Abyss. But they were not free. They were tightly bound, crossed, and sealed by thick, relentless chains of golden light.
Suddenly, as if the immense pupils bearing the Void Emblem had sensed the intrusion of an unauthorized gaze, the giant eyes snapped open in the astral space.
So these are the Eyes of the Celestial Abyss in their spiritual form... but what are these chains? Samael extended his will, attempting to touch the golden links with his consciousness.
The instant his intent brushed the spiritual metal, a violent, pure repulsive force erupted, burning his astral fingers.
Ummm... fascinating, Samael thought, withdrawing his hand, unfazed by the phantom pain. If I really wanted to, I could use the Authority of my crown to shatter these restricting chains right now. But the backlash of destroying a natural seal would harm Violeta's soul. And a direct wound to the soul's origin is not something easily healed, not even with all the treasures in this hall.
At that moment, the gigantic White Dragon sleeping beneath Violeta opened a single eye. It fixed its reptilian gazeâimmense and ancientâdirectly on Samael's projection. The dragon's stare was intense, laden with a silent warning that read: One false move that hurts my bearer, and I will destroy this Soul Sea along with you.
Curiously, Samael noticed the dragon possessed no physical eyes in its spiritual form; the sockets were empty, because its true eyes had already merged with Violeta's physical body.
Samael smiled into the vastness of the soul. Calm down, you arrogant little dragon, his will broadcasted with a crushing calm that made the beast's spirit tremble. I have not the slightest intention of harming my own blood. Take good care of her, and make sure she matures, or you will answer to me.
With that promise hanging in the astral air, Samael's consciousness vanished from Violeta's soul.
Returning to his body on the throne, Samael kept his Crimson Destiny Law active for a few brief moments longer. His eyes swept over the causal threads binding the forty-five youths present. What he saw intrigued him greatly.
Among the multitude of shining threads, one cord emerging from Eris's chest vibrated with an unstable, luminous frequency, showing clear signs of an imminent, massive awakening. Oh? So Eris will be next. And it isn't a simple bloodline advancement... it is the manifestation of a hidden power, something latent and unique, just as happened with Violeta's eyes. Interesting.
Samael felt tempted to delve deeper and foresee the future of that power, but a sharp pain throbbed in his temples from the overexertion of keeping the causal Law active, and he decided to pull back.
Before shutting off his vision, his gaze crossed the firm threads of Kael. The boy was surrounded by an aura sharp as glass. Samael saw how the essence of Kael's sword heart and the relentless fire of his primordial bloodline had merged into a single, indissoluble entity. So you managed to fuse your devotion to the sword with the fire of your blood in that ocular power of yours... I'll be waiting to see just how absurdly strong you become, Kael. Let's see if one day you will truly be worthy of inheriting my own sword technique.
Down in the hall, Violeta, Kael, and Eris simultaneously felt a deep, primordial shiver run down their spines. It felt as though a deity had stripped their souls bare, examining their deepest, darkest secrets in the blink of an eye, bypassing any barrier that could hide them.
Samael deactivated the Destiny Law. The natural darkness returned to his eyes, and he opened his mouth to answer, his voice breaking the hall's silence.
"Regarding your question, Violeta, Lilith is entirely right," the Patriarch ruled, resting his chin on his hand. "You cannot use that power on your own. Your blood and the immense weight of your bloodline, seeing you in imminent danger of annihilation, react out of pure preservation instinct and release barely a minuscule fraction of that sealed power to save your life."
Samael straightened up, his tone turning strict and deadly serious.
"But let me make something very clear to you, and to everyone listening. What you used is not even a shadow of its true power. Do not try to force that awakening under any circumstances. You could place yourself in extreme existential danger. That power is not a toy you can wield freely right now; your vessel, your soul, is too weak to contain it. If you try, your own brain and meridians will shatter. There is only one path forward: become infinitely stronger, expand your Qi seas, and temper your wills. And a piece of advice for you, Violeta, and the rest... the answers you seek have always been hidden deep within your bloodlines. Listen to your blood."
Violeta and the others nodded silently, absorbing the heavy wisdom. Understanding that the path of impatience would only lead to self-destruction, Violeta exhaled softly, calming her heart. The neon glow in her eyes stabilized.
Samael, pleased with his sister's composure, turned his face toward Kael.
"Congratulations, Kael," Samael said, his voice ringing with clear recognition. "Managing to fuse the purity of your sword heart with the ferocity of your bloodline is no small feat. You have forged an ocular power that carries the weight of death itself. You are carving out your own path to becoming a true Sword Saint. I want to see exactly how far your limits reach."
Samael smirked, his eyes sweeping over the remaining forty-four Sequences, who were eyeing Kael like a pack of starving wolves.
"But don't get comfortable on your throne of swords, boy. You have a lotâa damn lotâof competition breathing down your neck. Who knows? Perhaps on the next mission, someone will cleanly strip you of the title of the strongest Sequence."
Kael didn't flinch. Knowing nothing in heaven or earth could be hidden from his Patriarch's piercing gaze, the young swordsman simply nodded, his face expressionless but his eyes burning with an unbreakable flame.
"As expected of the Patriarch, my growth cannot be hidden from you," Kael replied, his voice firm as tempered steel. "And do not worry about my throne. I will not be defeated, nor will I yield my place so easily. In this round, Violeta took the glory of the points, but I assure you I have no intention of holding back my blade for anyone."
Hearing that open declaration of war, the eyes of the other forty-three youths in the hall ignited. The air grew heavy with pure competitive intent. Magnus, Dante, Elara, Eris, Ciro... they all burned with a visceral need to surpass one another, to devour each other in their race to the summit. The collective rivalry of the forty-five Sequences was an uncontrollable wildfire.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Samael's thunderous laughter shook the dust from the palace rafters. "GOOD! I LIKE THAT SPIRIT! I WILL BE EXPECTING GREAT THINGS FROM ALL OF YOU!"
As the youths absorbed their leader's words and feverishly calculated what treasures they could buy with their impending points, Samael closed his eyes for a second.
System, he commanded mentally. Organize and project the distribution of bonus points. Divide them based on their exact hunting performance, confirmed enemy casualties, and captives taken.
A translucent holographic screen flickered on his retina, breaking down the staggering statistics of the Igneous Fault massacre. Samael opened his eyes and began dictating the awards of wealth, his voice turning methodical and official.
"We continue with the bonuses. I will begin with those who got their hands dirty clearing the trash from our path. Those who decimated the lower-level cultivators up to the Origin Realm, ensuring the endless cannon fodder didn't interfere with your brothers in the critical fights: Elara, Dante, Varian, Vorian, and Nylas."
The five named stepped forward martially, heads held high.
"Thanks to your relentless tactical effort and inexhaustible bloodlust, you kept the battlefield clear and in our favor," Samael decreed. "Therefore, each of you receives an additional 500,000 points. Furthermore, as a special reward, each of the five has the absolute right to select and keep one martial skill from the vast Heaven-Grade library we just looted from the Alliance. You may use the manual right now or store it in your spatial ring for later. The choice is yours."
The five youths bowed deeply in gratitude, their eyes gleaming at the thought of the ancient scrolls, and stepped back into formation.
"Next: Ciro and Voltar," Samael called out, and both stepped forward. "For the successful hunt and capture of four Enemy Saints ranging between Stage 1 and Stage 2 of their realm, your bounty increases. You receive an additional 800,000 points each, plus the right to choose any Heaven-Grade technique from the loot."
Ciro and Voltar subtly bumped fists, smiling beneath their invisible masks, before bowing deeply.
"Next: Magnus and Draven. For the pursuit and capture of four Saints ranging from Stage 1 to Stage 3... you also receive an additional 800,000 points each, and the free choice of one supreme technique."
Both nodded, their faces serious yet satisfied, stepping back into line.
"Next: Lyra, Darius, and Tamsin. For the coordinated assault, relentless hunt, and capture of three Stage 2 Saints, one Stage 3 veteran, and a Stage 4 master, your lethality bonus is 900,000 additional points a head, alongside the selection of one technique from the enemy arsenal."
Samael paused. The numbers kept climbing inexorably, and now they were entering the dark territory of the vanguard's heavy hitters.
"Altair and Maren, step forward into the light."
The two supreme assassins, who seemed to melt into the shadows of the columns themselves, advanced in utter silence.
"For ambushing from nothingness, neutralizing, and capturing alive Vorg, the Supreme Commander of the Saint squadâa hardened Stage 7 expertâyour feat deserves dark recognition. You receive 1,000,000 additional points directly to your accounts, and the free selection of two Heaven-Grade skills."
The hall murmured in low approval. Capturing a Stage 7 Saint without killing him required terrifying precision. But Samael raised his hand, demanding absolute silence, and fixed his intense gaze on the squad of female shadows.
"Next: Eris, Violeta, Xylia, Vania, Mira, Eira, Lys, Lia, and Lirael."
The girls, still wearing their tight, dark tactical combat suits stained with volcano ash, stepped forward and dropped to one knee in unison, moving as a single lethal entity.
"Congratulations on your flawless coordination in subduing and capturing Rurik, a formidable Stage 2 Grand Saint," the Patriarch praised, his voice filled with satisfaction. "For bringing to heel a power that stood an abyss above your mortal realms, each of you receives an additional 1,500,000 points. Furthermore, you are granted the choice of two divine skills and any material treasure from the Alliance's vast loot that will aid in strengthening your elemental domains."
Samael leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a tone of strict warning.
"Mind you, girls... do not be stupidly greedy. If you choose an ancestral treasure containing energy too wild or strong for your fragile current cultivation level, you will have to leave it locked safely in the Palace vault until you are worthy of absorbing it, or exchange it for something more useful right now. I do not want to see your meridians blow to pieces out of sheer avarice. Understood?"
The girls nodded obediently, murmuring a chorus of assent while their eyes sparkled with the wild anticipation of looting.
"Next: Aylin, Rowan, Joren, Eliam, Ignis, Goran, Korg, Sylas, and Ren," Samael called, and the group of young men advanced, chests puffed out with pride. "My congratulations on the hunt of Grand Saint Leng Bi, the elusive Stage 2 spymaster. For all of you, the reward is an additional 1,500,000 points each, the free choice of two skills, and an ancestral treasure of your choosing."
Samael narrowed his eyes, projecting a hint of highly playful, cruel darkness into his deep voice.
"And just as I kindly told your female companions... do not be greedy or stupid when choosing. If I happen to find out that any of you take something you cannot handle just to show off your manhood to the rest... I will send you to train intensively for an entire month, without rest, inside Sienna's Mirror Dimension."
A collective, violent, and purely instinctive shiver ran down the spines of the nine youths. Goran and Korg gulped so loudly it echoed across the hall, and they turned stiffly, robotically toward the corner where Sienna stood.
The immaculate maiden, standing languidly beside heavy obsidian chests filled with gold, flashed them an absolutely sadistic smileâslow and devoid of any mercy. She slightly raised her pale hand and traced the red thread on her wrist with one finger. The golden bell emitted a soft, macabre Ring, ring that froze the warriors' blood.
Goran and Korg broke into a cold sweat, feeling their souls escaping through their throats. They snapped their heads back to the front so fast they nearly broke their necks, praying to all the gods never to end up in that endless labyrinth.
Samael, savoring his family's psychological terror, suppressed a laugh and finally looked at the last group. The absolute core of the vanguard. Those who had clashed head-on against annihilation and emerged victorious.
"And finally: Kael, Iris, Cedric, Elowen, Aion, Aia, Cassius, Selene, Bren, Orion, Jareth, Tormund, and Borg."
The Clan's heavy hitters took a decisive step forward. The marble floor seemed to tremble and groan under the overwhelming combined density of their auras, newly forged in the blood of Grand Saints.
"My congratulations on subduing pure brute force with your own tenacity," Samael said, nodding with genuine respect toward the deep, fresh scars visible on their necks, faces, and armsâmarks of true war. "For the immensely valuable capture of two high-caliber military Grand Saints, Stage 1 Zane and Stage 3 Kaelen. Each and every one of you has made monstrous progress by brushing the veil of death and surviving. Your bonus is the maximum: 1,500,000 additional points each, plus the sacred right to choose two master skills and one unrestricted treasure of your choice."
Samael leaned deeply back into the obsidian backrest of his throne, allowing the colossal, insane wealth he had just distributed to settle permanently in the minds of the young warriors. Now, all of them were armed to the teeth, immensely rich, and above all, lethally loyal to the Morningstar banner.
"With this, we officially conclude your well-deserved rewards for this hunt in the Igneous Fault, which will be immediately added to those you previously earned for exploring and clearing Xaloc's Tomb," Samael concluded, relaxing his posture and crossing one leg over the other.
The forty-five youths looked at one another, euphoric, wild smiles breaking out across their faces. But amidst the silent celebration, some couldn't help feeling slightly intrigued and confused. The sharpest minds, like Kael and Dante, knew deep down that the Clan now literally possessed wealth of continental proportions after sacking the vaults of a millennial Alliance.
Samael quickly caught those inquisitive, calculating, hungry looks. He let out a low, deep chuckleâdark and laden with mysteries beyond mortal comprehension.
"And if any of you clever little monsters are wondering right now why I didn't award you even more points than usual, considering our main vault is now overflowing with tons of gold, pure crystals, and spiritual metals..." Samael tilted his head. His violet eyes gleamed in the shadows with a cosmic secret that only he, maiden Sienna, Ashen Phoenix Lilith, and Blood Queen Vexia fully understood. "...Well... who knows. Heh, heh, heh."
The echoing, dense, chilling sound of the Patriarch's laugh filled the vastness of the heritage hall, bouncing off the immemorial stone ceilings. The forty-five Sequences stood in silence, trapped in a complex mix of absolute reverential awe and an immense, almost painful curiosity to know what kind of monstrous, cataclysmic, and deranged plans their young, inscrutable leader was weaving for the dark future of this world.
Note from Void_Scribe: đ
(Are you enjoying the story? Then don't forget to add it to your library and leave your votes to support the book! Every show of support counts immensely and motivates me to keep writing. See you in the next chapter! And if you want to directly support this humble author, swing by my ko-fi.com/void_scribe for a little coffee... wink, wink hehehe â. Thanks for reading!)
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