I, the military god of the Tang Dynasty, have risen since I destroyed the Turks

Chapter 774 Golden Wheel Monk
Deep in the Mongolian grasslands, the sacred site of the Vajrayana sect was shrouded in a somber atmosphere. Inside the hall, flickering candlelight illuminated the ancient, mottled scriptures on the walls, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of rust.

An old man with a skeletal face sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. His eyes were closed, his skin as dry and cracked as tree bark, and his deeply sunken eye sockets seemed to hold endless malice. He was the Mongolian National Preceptor—**Golden Wheel Dharma King**.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy pupils. At the same time, the golden wheel beside him moved without wind, emitting a low hum, like a ferocious beast awakened, trembling restlessly.

"Hmm?" The Golden Wheel Monk frowned, reached out and pressed down on the golden wheel, and whispered, "Could it be... that something has happened?"

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. A moment later, a man dressed in Mongolian attire, yet with Han Chinese features, strode in. His face was composed, his eyes sharp; he was none other than Li Xian, the prized disciple of the Golden Wheel Monk.

"Master!" Li Xian knelt on one knee, his voice low and urgent.

The Golden Wheel Monk slowly raised his head, his hoarse voice like sandpaper scraping: "What is it?"

Li Xian took a deep breath and said, "Mongke Khan... has been defeated."

"What?!" The Golden Wheel Monk's pupils suddenly contracted, and his withered fingers clenched tightly, making a "crackling" sound.

“Not only that…” Li Xian continued, “Guo Jing and his wife from Cigarette City… are still alive.”

"Guo Jing?!" The Golden Wheel Monk suddenly stood up, his wide robes billowing even without wind, and a chilling aura instantly filled the entire hall. His face was terrifyingly grim, and his voice carried a hint of disbelief: "This is impossible! Möngke has countless experts under his command, as well as tens of thousands of iron cavalry. No matter how high Guo Jing's martial arts are, he could not possibly turn the tide of the battle single-handedly!"

Li Xian said in a low voice, "Master, according to the scouts, it was not Guo Jing who defeated the Great Khan Möngke, but..." He paused, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, "...a force that calls itself the 'Tang Army'."

"Tang army?" The Golden Wheel Monk frowned and murmured, "When did a 'Tang army' appear in the Central Plains again?"

Li Xian said in a deep voice, "This army is extremely strange. Everyone is covered in armor and is impervious to swords and spears. Even the most ordinary soldiers are at least at the Acquired Realm!"

"The Acquired Realm?!" The Golden Wheel Monk gasped, his face contorted with shock. "How is this possible? Even the most elite Kheshig troops of Mongolia might not all possess such strength!"

Li Xian nodded: "What's even more terrifying is that their armor doesn't seem to be made of ordinary iron. Ordinary swords and blades can't even leave a mark when they cut into it."

The Golden Wheel Monk remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with uncertain emotions. After a while, he slowly spoke: "It seems... the Tang Kingdom is hiding its true strength."

He paced to the window, gazing at the vast grasslands in the distance, and murmured, "If what you say is true, this Tang army is enough to sweep across the world, and Mongolia... is probably in grave danger."

Li Xian said anxiously, "Master, what should we do? The Khan's side probably won't be able to hold out for much longer!"

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Golden Wheel Monk, and he said in a cold voice, "We can't rush this; this matter needs to be discussed at length."

Li Xian couldn't help but say, "But if we delay any longer, I'm afraid..."

"Hmph!" The Golden Wheel Monk snorted coldly. "Do you think I don't want to take action immediately? But this Tang army's origins are unknown. Acting rashly will only lead to their deaths!"

He turned and walked deeper into the hall, taking out a yellowed parchment scroll from a hidden compartment and slowly unrolling it. The scroll depicted an ancient map marked with many hidden symbols.

"This Tang army is no ordinary force," the Golden Wheel Monk said in a low voice, staring at the map. "There must be a master behind them." Li Xian asked doubtfully, "Master means... they might be elite troops trained by some hidden sect?"

The Golden Wheel Monk shook his head: "No, even a reclusive sect couldn't possibly cultivate so many acquired martial artists. Unless..."

His voice suddenly lowered, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes: "Unless, they have mastered some kind of secret technique that can make a person's strength increase dramatically in a short period of time!"

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat: "If that's really the case, then wouldn't we be..."

The Golden Wheel Monk sneered, "What's the panic? No matter how strong an army is, it's still just human. And humans have weaknesses."

He closed the scroll, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Send word to have our spies continue to investigate the Tang army's strength. Also, summon all the experts in the sect; they will accompany me out of seclusion in three days!"

Li Xian was startled: "Master, what are you going to do..."

The Golden Wheel Monk slowly raised his head, a chilling smile curling at the corner of his lips: "Since the Tang Kingdom dares to interfere in Mongolian affairs, then I... will let them know what true 'Vajra Wrath' is!"

The Golden Wheel Monk's voice echoed in the hall, carrying a chilling sense of oppression. The flickering candlelight illuminated his gaunt face, adding to his sinister aura. He paced slowly, each step feeling heavy and oppressive, as if treading on people's hearts.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Li Xian's forehead. He had followed his master for many years and knew all too well how terrifying the Golden Wheel Monk was. Yet, at this moment, he still couldn't help but feel a chill. Who exactly was this mysterious "Tang Army" that could make even his usually arrogant master so wary?
“Master,” Li Xian hesitated for a moment before speaking, “if the Tang army truly possesses a secret technique that can drastically increase one’s strength, wouldn’t it be risky for us to act rashly?”

"Hmph!" The Golden Wheel Monk whirled around, his wide sleeves whipping up a gust of wind. "Are you afraid?"

Li Xian quickly lowered his head: "This disciple wouldn't dare! It's just..."

"Just what?" The Golden Wheel Monk narrowed his eyes, his voice as cold as a venomous snake. "Do you think your master would fight a battle he couldn't win?"

He suddenly raised his hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and grabbed at the air. A bronze cauldron placed in the hall flew into the air and landed steadily in his palm. Under the influence of his internal force, the cauldron twisted and deformed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and was finally crushed into a lump of scrap iron!
"See that?" The Golden Wheel Monk casually tossed the scrap metal to the ground with a dull thud. "Before absolute power, any trickery is futile!"

Li Xian's pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with shock. His master's skills seemed to have improved considerably since his last seclusion.

"However," the Golden Wheel Monk changed the subject, a sly glint in his eyes, "what you said isn't without merit. The Tang army's ability to defeat Möngke is indeed not to be underestimated."

He walked to the sand table in the center of the hall, his withered fingers tracing lines on the surface: "Pass on my order: mobilize the entire 'Shadow Guard' and, within three days, ascertain the Tang army's supply routes."

"Furthermore," he turned to Li Xian, his eyes flashing coldly, "you personally go to the Western Regions and find the descendant of 'Poison Doctor' Ouyang Feng. Tell him that I want to use his ancestral 'Heart-Corroding Powder' formula."

Li Xian's heart skipped a beat: "Master wants to..."

"Indeed." The Golden Wheel Monk smiled sinisterly. "Since a direct assault is risky, let them taste poison. I want to see if impenetrable armor can withstand a deadly poison that seeps into every crevice!"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. A disciple in black rushed in, kneeling down: "Reporting to the Grand Preceptor, we just received a message by carrier pigeon! The Tang army... the Tang army has breached Yumen Pass!"

(End of this chapter)