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

Chapter 780 A Bet for Life and Death
The autumn wind in Xiangyang carried a chilling atmosphere, whipping up yellow sand from the training ground. The martial arts tournament had entered its third day, with heroes from all walks of life taking turns to fight. At this moment, the arena in the center of the training ground was stained with blood, a testament to the ferocity of the previous matches.

Guo Jing stood at the front of the crowd, his brow furrowed. He had just repelled three Mongol masters, and his sleeves were still stained with their blood. As the garrison commander of Xiangyang, he shouldn't have participated in this martial arts contest, but the masters sent by the Mongols were simply too formidable, forcing him to intervene.

"Next match, Yang Guo versus General Li Kan!" the emcee announced loudly.

Upon hearing this, Guo Jing looked up abruptly and saw a figure in green float out from the crowd, landing lightly in the center of the arena. The person was dressed in a green robe, with the empty sleeve of his right arm fluttering in the wind. His face was handsome but tinged with a sense of vicissitude. It was none other than his sworn nephew, Yang Guo, whom he had not seen for many years.

"Guo'er!" Guo Jing cried out, immediately squeezing to the edge of the arena. He never expected to see Yang Guo here, let alone that Yang Guo would challenge General Li Kan.

Yang Guo turned around, a complex look flashing in his eyes when he saw Guo Jing, before he flashed his signature nonchalant smile: "Uncle Guo, how have you been?"

Guo Jing, disregarding pleasantries, urgently said, "Guo'er, listen to your uncle, don't be impulsive. You can't defeat General Li Kan."

Yang Guo's smile deepened, yet his true thoughts remained unreadable: "Uncle, don't worry, I know what's important."

Guo Jing wanted to persuade him further, but seeing that Yang Guo had already turned away, he had no choice but to give up. This child he had watched grow up was now completely unfathomable. There was something strange about Yang Guo, neither the rebellious arrogance of his youth nor the boldness of ordinary people in the martial arts world, but rather a kind of unfathomable composure.

Across the arena, a tall man in a brocade robe slowly ascended the stage. He was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a resolute, chiseled face and piercing eyes. An ancient longsword hung at his waist. This man was none other than General Li Kan, a trusted and beloved general of Emperor Li Zheng of the Song Dynasty.

The training ground fell silent. Li Kan was not only a high-ranking official in the imperial court, but also a renowned swordsman in the martial arts world. He had once fought the Seven Demons of the Western Regions alone, and his name resounded throughout the martial arts world.

Li Kan's sharp gaze lingered on Yang Guo for a long time before he suddenly spoke, his voice deep and powerful: "So you are Yang Guo. I heard that you are so young, yet you have already mastered the Nine Yin Manual."

Yang Guo bowed respectfully, his posture humble yet not subservient: "Your Majesty flatters me."

On the high platform, Li Zheng, dressed in a dragon robe, leaned forward slightly, observing Yang Guo with great interest. This Song Dynasty emperor was about forty years old, his face dignified yet shrewd, and at this moment his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a hunter.

“Yang Guo,” Li Zheng began, his voice not loud but clear enough for everyone to hear, “your master, Guo Yaoshi, is a traitor, and you can hardly be considered a loyal and righteous person.”

These words caused an uproar in the training ground. Guo Jing's expression changed drastically, and he clenched his fists. Guo Yaoshi was the master of Yang Guo's biological father, Yang Kang, and had indeed defected to the Jin Kingdom. However, Yang Guo had been raised by Guo Jing since childhood, and there was no master-disciple relationship between them.

Yang Guo remained expressionless, though a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.

Li Zheng continued, "However, since you volunteered to go on stage, it proves you're a man of honor. I'm fair in my rewards and punishments, so I'll give you a chance today."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty," Yang Guo replied calmly.

“If you lose, I will kill you,” Li Zheng said, emphasizing each word. “If you win, I will grant you an official position, and you will serve me from now on.”

These harsh conditions caused another stir in the training ground. Guo Jing was sweating profusely, but he saw Yang Guo's lips curl into a slight smile, as if he didn't care at all.

“Alright!” Yang Guo readily agreed, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. “General Li Kan, please enlighten me.”

Li Kan nodded slightly: "Please."

The two stood facing each other, about three zhang apart. The autumn wind whipped at their clothes, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The crowd below murmured amongst themselves. Someone whispered, "Yang Guo is strong, but judging from his fight with the Mongol cavalry, he's already expended a lot of energy. I'm afraid..." "General Li Kan's 'Surprising Sword Technique' is said to have reached its pinnacle. Yang Guo has lost an arm; how can he possibly defeat him?"

Guo Jing listened to these discussions, his worries growing. He knew Yang Guo's martial arts were far superior to what they once were, but Li Kan was no ordinary person. What troubled him even more was the unfathomable glint in Yang Guo's eyes, as if he were plotting something.

On the arena, Li Kan slowly drew his longsword from his waist. The blade was entirely black, except for a thin line of silver at the edge, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

"This sword is named 'Ink Soul,' it is three feet seven inches long, weighs seven pounds and thirteen ounces, and has accompanied me in battle for over twenty years," Li Kan solemnly introduced, this being a formality before a duel between masters.

Yang Guo smiled slightly and took out a uniquely shaped sword from behind his back with his left hand. The sword was long and curved, and its entire body shone with a dark blue luster, like a pool of autumn water.

"This sword has no name; I created it myself. It is three feet three inches long and weighs five pounds eight ounces," Yang Guo said casually, yet it elicited gasps of astonishment from the audience. Creating one's own weapon is already rare enough, let alone such a divine weapon.

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Kan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "A fine sword. Please!"

"please!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Kan shot out like an arrow, his Ink Soul Sword drawing a dark arc, aiming straight for Yang Guo's throat. This sword strike was as fast as lightning, yet carried immense force; it was the killing move "Rainbow Piercing the Sun" from the Astounding Swan Sword Technique.

Yang Guo remained calm and composed. He slightly shifted his body, and with a flick of his left sword, seemingly casually but with unparalleled precision, he parried the fatal blow. The two swords clashed, producing a crisp metallic clang and sparks flying.

When Li Kan's first attack missed, he immediately changed tactics, unleashing a torrent of sword energy towards Yang Guo. His swordsmanship was fierce and ruthless, each strike carrying the brutality of battlefield combat, completely different from the fancy techniques of ordinary martial arts.

Yang Guo, on the other hand, used softness to overcome hardness. His movements were as elusive as a ghost, and his left-hand sword drew perfect arcs, deflecting Li Kan's attacks one by one. His swordsmanship seemed simple, but in fact it contained the supreme martial arts principles of the Nine Yin Manual, with each move perfectly timed.

After thirty moves, Li Kan suddenly sheathed his sword and retreated, a solemn look in his eyes: "What a brilliant 'using no moves to defeat moves'! Young Hero Yang truly lives up to his reputation."

Yang Guo smiled silently, but was secretly surprised. Li Kan's swordsmanship seemed familiar, vaguely resembling the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect, yet it also incorporated the ruthlessness of battlefield combat, forming a unique style.

The audience below the stage was completely captivated. Guo Jing was even more astonished; he had never seen Yang Guo display such exquisite swordsmanship before, clearly indicating that Yang Guo's martial arts had improved significantly over the years.

"Take this again!" Li Kan suddenly roared, leaping into the air. His Ink Soul Sword drew seven sword lights in the air, like seven black dragons pouncing towards Yang Guo. This was the ultimate technique of the Amazing Swan Swordplay, "Seven Stars Shining on the Moon," which was said to have never been escaped unscathed.

A glint flashed in Yang Guo's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, and the sword in his left hand suddenly blurred, as if transforming into dozens of sword shadows to meet the seven black dragons. The two sword energies collided in mid-air, producing a deafening explosion.

As the smoke cleared, a gash was visible on Yang Guo's left shoulder, from which blood seeped. Li Kan took three steps back, a corner of his robe torn off his chest.

"Excellent!" Li Zheng exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table from the high platform. "Brilliant!"

Li Kan took a deep breath and suddenly sheathed the Ink Soul Sword: "Our swordsmanship is evenly matched, how about we compare our hand-to-hand combat skills?"

Yang Guo sheathed his sword, saying, "Just what I wanted."

The two simultaneously assumed their stances. Li Kan's fist stance was powerful and heavy, clearly from the Shaolin lineage; Yang Guo, on the other hand, adopted a strange posture, his left hand forming a claw, his right sleeve moving without wind, which was the Heavenly Net stance of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

(End of this chapter)