bantayden Chapter 125 Discord and Dispute as Prelude
Chapter 125 Discord and Dispute as Prelude
"These stars contain extremely strong vitality, but if the poor monk feels right, they don't seem to be prehistoric."
Glancing at Yuding, the Lord of Ten Thousand Buddhas, who is good at manipulating cause and effect, put his hands together and let out an admiration, while looking at him with burning eyes.
"The sage really has great wisdom."
Feeling the receiving gaze, Yu Ding smiled slightly, neither directly admitting nor refuting.
However, for people at their level, talking about this is actually tantamount to admitting.
"These stars contain heaven and earth, but judging from this projection, the method of creating them seems to be similar to the Buddha Kingdom in the palm of my Buddhist sect?"
Immediately afterwards, Zhunti also put forward his own opinions.
And different from Jieying, Zhunti is a man of action. When he was talking, he raised his hand and turned it over, and then there was a grain of sand on his palm.
From the outside, it is just the most common grain of sand.
But as the colorful glazed Buddha light poured into it, the myriad things in the sky appeared in this small grain of sand.
Just relying on Zhunti's display of this skill is enough to deter most of the great supernatural beings.
"One grain of sand, one world, one leaf, one bodhi, the Buddha's mother's cultivation is exquisite."
Seeing Zhunti Buddha's mother's actions, the white-haired old man sitting opposite him shook the whisk in his hand, and also praised it.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, his sleeves fluttered, and then the sun and the moon floated up from it, and then the stars in the sky were lit up by him one by one.
But in an instant, a small world also appeared in the wide sleeve robe.
"The sun and the moon are long in the pot, and the universe is big in the sleeve. Fellow Daoist Zhenyuanzi has also advanced in Taoism."
Facing the opponent's behavior like fighting in a ring, Zhunti was not unhappy in his heart, but just smiled and cupped his hands with the opponent as congratulations.
Although everyone belongs to different camps, they often fight for the sake of their disciples and incense luck on weekdays.
But the situation is different now. Seeing that immeasurable calamity is coming, it is really unwise to not integrate forces at this time, but to attack each other instead.
Those who can cultivate to this level are not fools, so how could they not understand such a simple truth?
"To be honest, this string of stars is a derivative of the extraterrestrial world. Before that, I crossed the void with Zhunti Buddha's mother to help fellow Taoist White Lotus, and also got a lot of useful news from that world."
Seeing them coming and going, I talked back and forth for a long time, but they didn't get to the point. Yu Ding paused, and then said: "So my idea is, if the fusion of the heavens and worlds is the general trend, then we might as well just Follow the trend."
"You mean 'drive convergence'?"
Originally, she had been meditating, but after Yuding said these words, Empress Nuwa's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands and laughed loudly: "This is a good idea."
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa, you are too quick to express your opinion."
Looking at Nuwa who seemed to have reached an agreement with Yuding, Zhunti Buddha's mother was a little puzzled, but she smiled on the surface.
"Your Majesty's move... isn't it a bit too fast?"
It's just that the Western sage has just made a start here, and the rest of the great supernatural powers have followed suit to express their thoughts.
The meaning inside and outside the words is very clear, that is, this method is a bit too radical.
It is true that the immeasurable calamity is coming soon, but there is no reason to rush to merge with other worlds!
Not to mention anything else, there are also protoss in that world, but because the civilizations inherited from each other are completely different, their temperaments and behaviors are also very different.
In this case, after the integration of multiple events is promoted, if a fight breaks out, let alone whether it can survive the infinite calamity, don't turn around and cause big trouble directly, it will indeed be more difficult to end.
"..."
Looking at the noisy crowd, Yu Ding frowned.
Regardless of personal feelings, Yuding can actually understand these people.
After all, most of these people with great supernatural powers are conservative people, and the reason why they were invited here by Master Yuding is nothing more than because they occupy a certain position and reputation in the casual cultivator.
In terms of its cultivation realm, it can be regarded as the existence of Hunyuan level, so it can be regarded as qualified to participate in the meeting.
Because this time it is considered that the whole world is running, of course it cannot be completely done by them here.
So Yuding, who listened to Tiandao's persuasion, then expanded his entire goal to the Three Realms, but he didn't expect such a strong dispute to arise.
"Fellow daoists, don't be impatient, and listen to me."
Seeing that everyone was noisy and disorderly, the veins on Yuding's forehead twitched slightly, but he still had to hold back his anger and interrupted the people who were arguing endlessly.
"What is the opinion of a real person?"
Although they did not agree with this approach in their hearts, just like they did not dare to criticize Nuwa directly, these people also had to save face when facing Yuding, so they stopped arguing at this moment.
"Everyone is practicing the way of heaven, and should have the upper body of the heavenly mind, but you fellow Taoists seem to disagree with this matter?"
Looking around, seeing that no one dared to look at him, the corner of Yuding's mouth curled up, and then said: "If you follow the words of the poor, it's better to just be natural."
"Naturally?"
After repeating the sentence, Zhen Yuanzi, Yang Mei, and Shi Chen looked at each other, and they all agreed, "It's so natural."
"Something will occur if it belongs to your life, if not, do not push it."
Immediately afterwards, the guiding sage who was twirling the rosary also stopped his movements and agreed with him.
Because his senior brother had already stated his position, Zhunti would certainly not be able to disagree with the other party at this time, so there was naturally no other way but to applaud the other party.
Ever since, the general policy that should promote the active operation of heaven and earth has become a natural attitude of resignation.
Due to this change, several variables have been added to the fate.
……
In the western time and space, which is extremely far away from the prehistoric times, the Roman world also ushered in very drastic changes at this time.
After Amon devoured the brilliance of Hyperion and successfully divided into three independent sun gods, the divine column that symbolized the radiance of the Roman world completely collapsed.
The original force of light has been emptied, but for the light god inside the world, this accident is like a blow like destruction.
In the realm of the gods, invisible to mortals, stands a temple shining with eternal brilliance.
The name of this temple is "Pantheon". As the name suggests, it is the place where all the gods of this world gather, and it is also the holy place where the gods condense their own origin.
At this moment, the Thunder King sitting in the Pantheon opened his eyes.
Looking down at the sky, the Thunder King sighed, "Apollo has fallen."
The voice was not loud, but because it touched the law, this sentence rang directly in the ears of the gods.
"How could it be so sudden?"
"Apollo actually fell, what happened?"
"In the end what happened?"
After getting this news, accompanied by a series of voices of astonishment or doubt, countless divine lights lit up in the Pantheon.
All the gods set their sights on the temple, and asked the god-king Jupiter who might know part of the inside story.
"What's going on? Jupiter."
On the throne next to Jupiter's position, a goddess appeared at this time.
She is Jupiter's wife, the goddess Juno, and she is also the second most powerful existence in the entire Roman mythology.
"The specific situation is unknown, but with the riot of the power of light, I can feel that our companion has disappeared in the long river of fate."
The voice became heavy, and the Thunder King looked down at the world with those bright golden eyes.
After a pause, Jupiter's voice suddenly became very chilling, "But the only thing that is certain is that it was definitely done by the outside world."
"You mean that world?"
Following Jupiter's words, the gods cast their eyes beyond the sky and the earth.
In a time and space not far from their world, the gods can feel that a huge world is there, and it is slowly approaching them.
If there is no mistake, there seems to be a very familiar atmosphere in that world?
"Yes."
Nodding his head, the king of the gods then said: "The fall of Apollo is definitely not an accident. I can be sure that there must be a conspiracy of the extraterrestrial protoss behind this. Gods, it is time to take up your weapons. Fight to protect the honor."
"Did you hear that? This is an order from His Majesty the God King. What are you waiting for?"
Immediately afterwards, Juno, the always loving Queen of God, didn't have a smile on her face, but also showed a cold expression, and issued a mobilization order.
"Go, our future lies in the world outside the world. Killing the protoss on that side and using their origin as a sacrifice is enough to exchange for Apollo."
After making such a "prophecy", Jupiter raised his weapon.
A ray of divine light emanated from the top of the scepter, and then illuminated the void of this world.
"If you say that..."
"It seems that there is indeed no possibility of avoiding it."
"This is also the expected result."
"Then let us follow the orders of the God King and God Queen, and contribute our strength to protect the world together."
Followed by the corresponding gods of "Apollo" in this world, Diana, the goddess of moonlight, Venus, the god of love, Puneton, the god of the sea, and Mercury, the messenger of the gods.
These existences comparable to the main gods each emitted their own divine light, and under the will of the god king, the gods each contributed a part of their power.
And under the impetus of such changes, the speed of the fusion of the two worlds, which was slowly approaching, has also become faster.
"Strange, why do I feel like something is wrong?"
And at this moment, Hermes' eyelids twitched wildly several times as he was walking in the void, and he glanced back.
The chaotic void is still dark, and it is impossible to tell what kind of changes there are just by looking at it.
It's just that the jittery feeling before was not fake, and at the same time, even Hermes suddenly became irritable for no reason.
"what happened?"
Feeling his uneasiness, Thanadus on the side was a little strange, so he asked.
"It's nothing, I just feel something is wrong."
Shaking his head, Hermes had a flickering light hovering in his hand.
This is not the brilliance of sun, moon, or stars, nor the light of elemental fire, but the light of miracles kindled by the hope I have.
Breaking fate with the power of miracles, this is the unique power of Hermes, and it is also his biggest move.
At this moment, Hermes is relying on this power to spy on the changes in fate.
It's just that he felt it for a while, but he didn't notice anything wrong.
So no matter how confused he was, Hermes still couldn't put this matter down for the time being.
On the other hand, Hermes is not clear about the changes that happened in the wild.
After hovering in the void for a while, they immediately chose to return to the world of Chaos.
"Hey, Aphrodite got really angry this time."
After returning to Heaven and Earth, Thanadus also looked distressed when he saw the bruise on Hermes' face that couldn't be concealed, and he blamed him a little, "Why don't you dodge it?"
There is no doubt that the reason why Hermes' face was painted was because Aphrodite, who was in a rage, didn't hold anything back.
To be reasonable, this goddess has always been regarded as a vase by everyone, and everyone thinks that the goddess of love has no fighting power.
The reason why this His Highness was able to sit on the throne of the Lord God was all because of his noble birth, and Gaia, the mother of the earth, kissed him behind his back.
But is this really the case?
If there is really no combat power, how could Aphrodite and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, go to aid Hermes and fight against the two ocean titans?
Therefore, Aphrodite has force value, and force value is not weak.
No, Hermes angered the goddess by leaving without saying goodbye, and ended up being beaten up by the other party.
That's right, Danadus originally wanted to help Hermes resist, but was pushed away by the other party.
Speaking of this matter now, Thanadus also regretted it.
"Look at what you said. It was originally my fault. If I dodged just now, this goddess would not be able to vent the anger in her heart, and she might continue to make trouble later."
Looking at the worried eyes cast towards him, Hermes smiled and shook his head, saying that he was fine, and then wiped his face with divine power, and then the scar disappeared.
Just now I said that I would not do that all the time, but in fact it was just to let the two gods turn their attention to this and let him go.
Now that the plan has been successful, there is no need to do it again.
"Then you shouldn't just let her hit you!"
Thanadus said words of reproach, but he still raised his hand to support Hermes.
Before Hermes fought against Hyperion alone, his divine power was not insignificant.
After returning now, it seems to be safe, but Thanadus still does not dare to take it lightly.
After all, from another perspective, even if they are in the world, they have many opponents and enemies...
"Some things you will understand later."
Without further arguing with the other party on this topic, Hermes paused, and said again: "Facing your doubts, I am very clear in my heart, but please give me some time, after I return to the temple, I will tell you everything exactly."
The reason why he was beaten, in the final analysis, was because he left without saying goodbye.
This behavior eventually triggered the two gods to search across boundaries, and it also made them very dissatisfied with Hermes.
As the instigator of all this, Hermes certainly understood the impact he had caused.
The real result was that after everyone left, he was beaten up by the angry Goddess of Love immediately after.
After beating Hermes, Aphrodite rushed back to her temple angrily after giving them the Golden Arrow of Love.
It's just that although the goddess of love said that she had left, Hermes' troubles did not stop there.
Because among the people who were responsible for looking for her back then, besides that best friend, there was also Thanadus as a partner.
After venting the anger in her heart, the best friend clapped her hands and left, but can Hermes drive her lover out as well?
The answer is of course no.
Therefore, when Hermes and Thanadus rushed back to the holy mountain of Olympus, looking at the other party's hesitant expression, he finally made a promise.
There was indeed some misunderstanding between them, but this time the mistake was not on Thanadus' side.
If it hadn't been for several times of leaving without saying goodbye, it would not have led to such inconsistent behavior between the two parties.
But those things happened in the blink of an eye, and Hermes himself didn't expect it, and of course it was impossible to inform the other party in advance.
"Where are you going now?"
Thanadus did not immediately respond to Hermes' words.
It's just that Thanadus couldn't keep silent after seeing that the other party's steps didn't seem to be going back to the Temple of Commerce.
Pursing the corners of his lips, he asked at the same time, "Who are you going to find?"
"Go and talk to Zeus about this first, so that he can have a bottom line."
Hermes didn't change his footsteps, while pulling Thanadus up the high rainbow bridge, he also explained it to him.
Because he suppressed the demon world together with Yuding, Zhunti, and the supreme god Amon of Egypt before, Luo Hu is currently in a state of injury, and it is estimated that he will not be able to come out for hundreds of years.
And they later solved the remaining problems caused by Hyperion, all of which can be regarded as the harvest of this operation.
But this matter is far from being as simple as it seems on the surface. At least Hermes is aware of the deep influence behind it while gaining something.
The Roman world is very similar to the Greek period, and there is also a system of main gods in heaven and earth.
And in that world, Hyperion stole the name of Apollo's God of Light. In addition to stealing the power of faith, more importantly, he also occupied a very powerful origin in that world.
Now that Hyperion is suddenly swallowed up, to the world of Roman mythology, it is tantamount to a bolt from the blue.
A powerful god suddenly fell in its heyday, not to mention the impact behind it, anyway, for them, this meant more than just benefits.
The powerful existences in that world are not for nothing, as long as they want to investigate, they can always detect the truth behind it with the clues that exist in the dark.
So in order to avoid falling into a passive state at that time, Hermes must make arrangements in advance now.
"Hermes, are you back?"
In the palace of the king of gods, it was rare for Zeus not to overturn the clouds and rain, but to sit there and correct the official documents honestly.
These documents all come from the nether world and the ocean, and it is also because of a series of chain reactions after the three kings reached a tacit agreement.
"Your Majesty knows that I have been out?"
Hearing what the other party said, Hermes raised his brows slightly, but he and Thanadus both showed surprise.
Because they locked themselves in the temple after the conversation before, during this period, Zeus did not send anyone to notify them.
Therefore, the news of Hermes' sudden departure should only be known to those in their circle.
Even Aphrodite and his wife were able to know that it was all because the other party ran over to give him the golden arrow of love.
"Anyway, I'm still a god king. If I can't even notice this change, wouldn't I be too stupid and incompetent?"
Smiling and shaking his head, Zeus put down the quill in his hand, then raised his finger, and two divine thrones emerged from behind Hermes and Thanadus.
"Sit down and talk first."
"Then I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness."
Because this time we are talking about official business, Hermes' name for Zeus is also very official.
After pulling Thanadus to sit down separately, Hermes first made a plan in his heart.
After rolling the words in his heart, he adjusted his expression, and then said to Zeus: "Since your majesty already knew that I left before, you must have guessed what I did this time."
"The light of those two worlds is very dim, presumably this is the biggest harvest you have done this time?"
Raising his eyebrows and looking at Hermes, when Zeus said this, a gleam flashed in his eyes.
Indeed, because those worlds have always been eyeing their world, so including Zeus, the three kings and the primitive gods are all paying attention to the movements of other worlds all the time.
It makes sense to be so nervous. After all, you have been paying attention. If the other party changes, you can quickly respond accordingly.
On the contrary, if you wait until the opponent comes over with great fanfare, you will be at a disadvantage for no reason.
"I did it."
Since Zeus behaved so well, Hermes was also unwilling to play Tai Chi with the opponent in this regard.
There was no time for wrangling, they simply said everything.
"Then why did you find me this time...?"
After learning about his brilliant achievements this time from Hermes, Zeus seemed to have the same expression on the surface, but in fact, a turbulent wave immediately set off in his heart.
But it's only been a hundred years, what did his son eat to make him so bloated?
Running out single-handedly to single-handedly challenge the powerful beings of the two worlds, this kind of behavior, let alone him, the god king, even if it was replaced by any of the original gods, probably would not dare to do that.
But Hermes did just that, and judging from the results, his actions this time were very successful.
So even though he originally wanted to reprimand the other party, Zeus couldn't say anything to blame in the face of Hermes who showed a calm expression.
To be reasonable, in the face of this kind of son who doesn't need to worry about himself, but helps to solve his confidant's troubles, how can he blame the other party like this?
"My purpose of coming this time is very simple."
As if he didn't see the tangled look on Zeus's face, Hermes said bluntly: "Because this time I launched an attack on the powerful existence of the two worlds, so those two times probably have noticed us Here, in other words, Your Majesty, please be prepared for war at any time."
"Ready for war?"
His expression changed slightly, facing Hermes' words, everyone including Thanadus seemed a little surprised.
"Yes."
Slightly nodding, Hermes said that they did not misunderstand what he meant.
"Because I have already captured the incarnation of Hyperion in that world together with the supreme god of the other world, the power of light was absorbed by the supreme god of that world, and his spirit was brought back by me."
Flipping his hands, he summoned the crystal with the soul of the other party, and Hermes pushed the crystal to Zeus, and at the same time made a supplementary explanation, "Because of the help of the goddess of justice and the goddess of memory, Hyperion was able to successfully withdraw from our side. After escaping, he drifted to that world, and I don’t know what method he relied on, anyway, he stole the name of Apollo and became a first-class existence of the main god in that world through the light faith he secretly collected.”
"Sure enough, it's the spirit of Hyperion."
Hearing what Hermes said, Zeus took the soul crystal that floated into his hand and looked at it for a while, with a sneer on his face, "Iapetus is indeed worthy of being the wise man among the Titan gods. , without his planning, it would be impossible for them to escape from Tartarus."
"That's not the point."
Looking at the king immersed in the memories of the past, Hermes took a breath, and then deliberately circled the key point for Zeus, "Because Hyperion was considered a high-ranking god in that world, and now he suddenly Falling, will definitely attract the attention of the gods of that world."
"You mean they'll call?"
Raising his hand to put the crystal into the jewel box beside him, Zeus frowned and said, "How long?"
"No one knows the specific time, and it is impossible for me to estimate the exact result."
After exchanging glances with Thanadus, Hermes immediately replied: "However, it is always right to be prepared. I suggest that Your Majesty notify the gods in advance, so that even if they really attack aggressively later, we will not As for being caught off guard."
This is the true thought in Hermes' heart, and it is also the reason why he came here this time.
Danatus understood the good intentions behind Hermes' move, so he also chimed in at this time: "What Hermes said is not unreasonable. When we came back this time, we saw that the other two worlds seemed to have There are signs that it is getting closer, for this, His Majesty, please make preparations in advance."
"Forget it, since both of you have said such things, let me think about it."
Facing the suggestions made by these two people, Zeus's expression was also uncertain for a while.
After all, as the king of gods, he is also the leader of the gods, and what Hermes said this time is well-organized. If there is sufficient evidence to prove that the words are true, then Zeus cannot be treated irrationally.
But on the other hand, if possible, Zeus does not want to break out of a war across the world level.
After all, the ancient lessons are there. The original Titan War was just a dispute caused by the Olympus Protoss, but even so, it almost destroyed the world.
If a battle across the world is launched, then those who can participate are definitely at least at the level of the main god.
Although the Olympus Protoss has a profound foundation, they rashly fought fierce cross-border battles with other worlds—and more than one of them. Even if they can win, they will inevitably pay a heavy price.
What if another force suddenly makes a move at this time?
In the end, what Zeus was worried about was nothing more than their current efforts, and finally made wedding clothes for others.
"Then please think about it, Your Majesty."
Hermes understood the worries in Zeus's heart, but he was useless in this regard.
So after telling the other party what he knew, Hermes also bid farewell afterwards.
This time Zeus didn't keep them, because he was eager to communicate with Hera and those brothers now.
That's right, although Zeus usually seems to be very stupid, but he is actually a very rational male god.
Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of water, and this act gave Zeus a very powerful wisdom.
At this moment, the power originally belonging to the goddess of water is also helping Zeus silently calculate the gains and losses of the Toss protoss in this matter.
"Do you think Zeus would agree?"
After leaving the Temple of Thunder, Thanadus asked Hermes impatiently.
From his words and his tense tone, it is not difficult to hear that Thanadus was still very suspicious when faced with the suggestion made by Hermes.
"He will certainly agree."
Without the slightest hesitation, Hermes answered his question with a smile.
Hermes' tone was very firm, revealing a sense of self-confidence.
But the facts are indeed true, because at this moment, the world has faced a situation where there is no choice.
As the saying goes, the arrow is on the string and has to be fired, what Hermes did before is just like this move.
Hyperion's soul has already been brought back by him, and it can be said that it will be a matter of time before the Roman gods go to war with them.
Faced with this situation that can be called a foregone conclusion, as long as Zeus's head is not showing off, it is obvious what to do.
"Then we are now?"
Looking at Hermes with a confident face, Thanadus' doubts eased a little, and at the same time he asked again.
"Go back to the temple first, and I will explain to you the reason for the previous incident. I guess we will be busy later."
Turning his gaze to the earth, and seeing the vaguely presented chaos, the smile on Hermes' face became more thought-provoking.
Now that Hera is no longer the famous queen of jealousy, if this is the case, will the dispute over the golden apples caused by the discord with the goddess still unfold like a historical process?
Regarding this question, Hermes expressed his curiosity.
"My God, you guys are back!"
In the Temple of Commerce, Kerris looked extremely anxious.
As soon as Hermes and Thanadus came back, he impatiently stepped forward and said, "Something went wrong!"
"what happened?"
They all turned their heads and looked at each other, and Thanadus asked: "Don't worry, tell us, what happened during the time we left?"
"That's what happened before."
After taking a breath, Kerris lowered his voice and said, "It's about the three goddesses!"
"The dispute over the golden apples?"
Looking at the heavy face of the other party, Hermes' expression changed, and he said this sentence almost without thinking.
"It seems that you know it too."
It's not surprising that the other party will know this mythical allusion, but Kerris' tone sounds a little helpless.
"What do you mean?"
Captured a key word from the conversation between the two. While pulling Hermes into the temple, Thanadus asked, "Not with the goddess? Could it be related to Eris?"
The goddess of discord, Eris, is also one of a large group of girls conceived by the goddess of the night Nix. She is a dark god in her own right, and she is also the younger sister of Thanadus.
Thanadus was not familiar with this younger sister, but he was definitely not a stranger either.
"You do understand."
Glancing at him, Kerris said with a half-smile, "You little sister has made a big mistake this time."
Unlike Thanadus and Hypnos, powerful gods who ultimately had a definite vocation, Eris, the goddess of discord, was made to sow strife and discord.
Because of this, wherever this goddess is active, various disputes will follow.
It is also for this reason that the Goddess of Discord has never been popular with the host of the banquet.
However, this goddess herself is narrow-minded, the more she is not allowed to go, the more she will try to get involved and create conflicts in it.
This time was also no exception, and because of the cause buried by the Goddess of Discord, it also indirectly led to the consequences of the Trojan War in the future.
"Just when you returned to heaven and earth, Thetis, the goddess of the sea, sent out wedding invitations to the gods. Hera, the goddess of wisdom, Athena, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, were all guests, but accompanied by A golden apple fell from the sky, engraved with a few lines of small characters, saying that this golden apple will be dedicated to the 'most beautiful goddess'."
Seeing that Hermes closed his eyes, he might have seen the result, and Corus's tone no longer smiled, "You know the result."
These three goddesses are all arrogant and arrogant, so when faced with such a directional gift, or something that they have considered provocative, everyone will not be polite.
Therefore, a series of open and secret struggles broke out among the three goddesses, and finally the matter came to an end with the condition that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, gave Paris the love of the beautiful woman Helen.
But then again, is this matter really so simple to come to an end?
of course not--
Just looking at the corner of Olympus, where the chickens are flying like dogs and dogs jumping around today, you can get a glimpse of the huge hidden danger in the future.
Compared to Thanadus, who appeared silent after listening, Hermes overlooked the future with his miraculous eyes, and even discovered that the whole world had been shrouded in gunpowder smoke.
In other words, the fierce battle that will sweep the entire world in the future is imminent, and what is happening now is just a prelude to the beginning.