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

Chapter 778 Huo Du's Life-or-Death Struggle
The setting sun, like blood, illuminated the battlefield outside Xiangyang City, where corpses lay strewn everywhere.

The Mongol prince, Khodu, knelt in a pool of blood, his magnificent brocade robe soaked through. His left arm hung limply, clearly broken. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his sinister eyes burned with a mad flame as he stared intently at the towering figure before him—Li Kan.

Li Kan's black armor was covered in sword marks, yet he stood tall and straight as a pine tree. He gripped a bloodstained longsword in one hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, blood slowly dripping down the blade. The surviving Mongol soldiers around him all looked fearful, and not one dared to step forward.

"Hmph, I refuse to believe I'll lose to you!"

Huo Du suddenly let out a roar and struggled to his feet. His muscles bulged strangely, and veins writhed under his skin like earthworms. His once handsome face was now contorted into a hideous demon.

"Your Highness! No!" a Mongol centurion exclaimed.

But Huo Du ignored him. He slowly raised his right fist, his bones making a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound, clearly activating some kind of secret technique to forcibly unleash his potential.

Li Kan watched coldly, a mocking smile playing on his sharp lips: "Overestimating yourself."

Huo Du's right fist suddenly transformed into a blur, hurtling straight towards Li Kan's face with a piercing sound!
The punch was so fast that it sparked in the air; the punch was so heavy that it could shatter a shield made of fine iron into pieces!

"This guy's gone mad!" the Mongol soldiers watching the battle exclaimed.

"Are we going to die together?"

In a flash, Li Kan remained completely still, merely tilting his head slightly—

"boom!"

Huo Du's fist grazed Li Kan's temple and slammed into empty air, the force of the punch snapping a pine tree as thick as a bowl in half behind him!
"What?!" Huo Du's pupils shrank sharply; his desperate attack had missed!

Before he could change his move, Li Kan's left fist slammed into his abdomen like thunder!

"puff--!"

Huo Du spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a rag doll, crashing heavily into the city wall ten zhang away, creating a dent in the rammed earth wall!
Amidst the billowing dust, Huo Du slid to the ground like a rag doll, his eyes filled with disbelief. His prized "Blood Wolf Secret Technique" hadn't even touched the hem of his opponent's clothes!
Li Kan stepped forward slowly, his long sword dragging on the ground, leaving a trail of sparks on the bluestone slab: "A Mongol prince, nothing more than this."

Just as Li Kan was about to end Huo Du's life, a sudden change occurred!

"Whoosh!"

Three poisoned arrows shot from different angles, aiming straight for Li Kan's back, throat, and temple!
Li Kan didn't even turn his head; his long sword moved with effortless grace, drawing a perfect arc behind him.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

All three poisoned arrows were cut down at the same time!
But this delay allowed six Mongol experts dressed in black robes to leap out of the shadows and protect the heavily injured Huo Du in the middle.

"The Heavenly Wolf Guard!" a Mongol soldier exclaimed.

These six men were elite assassins personally trained by the Great Khan of the Mongols. Each of them possessed the strength of a top-tier martial arts master and rarely showed themselves. Unexpectedly, they were mobilized today to save Huo Du!
The leader of the black-robed men said sinisterly, "General Li's martial arts are unparalleled; why don't we experience them for ourselves?"

The six attacked simultaneously, their blades flashing and shadows instantly enveloping Li Kan!

Li Kan sneered, and his longsword suddenly burst forth with a dazzling cold light!
"Heavenly Strategy Blade Technique - Sweeping Through a Thousand Armies!"

A crescent-shaped blade of energy swept out, and the six Heavenly Wolf Guards hurriedly tried to block it, but they were still knocked back several steps. Two of them even had their tiger's mouths split open, and blood was flowing freely!

"Form up!"

The six men swiftly shifted positions, forming a bizarre six-pointed star formation that trapped Li Kan in the center. Their weapons glowed with an eerie blue light, clearly coated with deadly poison!

Li Kan's expression hardened slightly, and he finally became serious. He took a deep breath, his bones cracking like popping beans, and his already imposing body seemed to swell even larger!
"Come on!" With a roar, Li Kan took the initiative to attack, his long sword turning into a flash of silver light as he engaged in a fierce battle with the six assassins!
The sounds of swords clashing were as dense as a torrential downpour, sparks flying everywhere. Li Kan, fighting six against one, showed no signs of being at a disadvantage; on the contrary, he grew stronger with each battle!
"puff!"

One of the Heavenly Wolf Guards was unable to dodge in time and had his right arm severed by Li Kan's blade, collapsing to the ground with a scream.

Seeing this, the remaining five men launched an even more frenzied attack, fighting a life-or-death struggle!

Just as the battle was at a stalemate, a clear and melodious sword cry suddenly rang out from the city wall!

A figure in white robes swooped down like a startled swan, sword light pouring down like a silver river, instantly forcing the two Heavenly Wolf Guards back!

"Yang Guo is here!"

At the same time, the sound of battle was deafening on the other side—dozens of Xuanjia warriors surged in like a tide, led by none other than Li Wangsheng, the young marshal of the Tian Ce Mansion!

“Protect the General!”

Seeing that the situation was not good, one of the Sky Wolf Guards suddenly threw a smoke bomb.

"boom!"

Thick smoke filled the air, and when it cleared, Huo Du and the remaining Tianlang Guards had vanished without a trace, leaving only a few pools of blood.

Li Wangsheng was about to give chase when Li Kan stopped him: "No need to pursue. First, treat the wounded and reinforce the city's defenses."

He looked towards the Mongol camp and said in a deep voice, "The real battle is yet to come."

That night, at the Mongol camp.

The Golden Wheel Monk looked at the dying Huo Du, his face ashen: "Useless! You couldn't even defeat Li Kan!"

From the shadows of the tent, a cold voice suddenly rang out: "Why must Your Majesty be angered? I have my own plans for tomorrow's battle."

The Golden Wheel Monk's withered fingers tapped on the armrest of his chair, his gaze dark as he stared at the dying Huo Du inside the tent. The once arrogant Mongol prince was now ashen-faced, black blood seeping from the bandages on his chest—Li Kan's punch had not only shattered three of his ribs but had also contained hidden internal force, injuring his lungs and internal organs.

"Useless!" The Golden Wheel Monk suddenly slammed his hand down, shattering the wooden table beside him. "You can't even handle a brute! All the high hopes the Khan placed on you have been for nothing!"

Huo Du coughed violently, blood and foam mixed with fragments of internal organs spilling from the corner of his mouth. He tried to explain, but no sound came out; he could only clutch the wolf pelt spread on the ground tightly, his knuckles turning white.

A foul, fishy stench suddenly filled the tent.

The candlelight flickered suddenly, and a hunched figure appeared at the tent entrance. The bronze mask gleamed eerily in the firelight, and the scales on the snake-headed staff opened and closed slightly with each breath, as if it were alive.

"Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison!" The Golden Wheel Monk's pupils contracted slightly. He had long heard that this old poison master had reappeared in the martial world, but he never expected him to come knocking on his door.

Ouyang Feng let out a strange chuckle, each step feeling as slippery as walking on slimy sap. The Western Region warriors following behind him were even more bizarre—their skin had an unnatural bluish-gray tinge, their eye sockets were deep-set, and their pupils glowed with a beastly green light in the darkness.

"Why must Your Majesty be angered?" Ouyang Feng's voice was like a venomous snake's hiss. "That Li Kan practices 'Iron Bone Qi,' which is specifically designed to counter external martial arts. However..." His withered, claw-like right hand pulled a jade bottle from his robes, "before my 'Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring Heart Powder,' even the hardest bones will turn to pus."

The jade bottle, no bigger than a thumb, caused the temperature in the entire tent to plummet. Inside, a swirling, dark green liquid was faintly visible, occasionally bulging into the shape of a pained human face before quickly dissolving.

Even a master like the Golden Wheel Monk couldn't help but lean back half an inch: "This is the legendary poison capable of wiping out an entire city."

(End of this chapter)