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

Chapter 787 Grandmaster Showdown
As the sun set, the outline of Zhongnan Mountain was tinged with a blood-red hue. The mountain wind howled, swirling fallen leaves in the air. Guo Jing stood in the middle of the mountain path, his yellow robe fluttering in the wind, his gaze solemn as he looked at the two brothers, Li Kan and Li Zheng, standing side by side opposite him.

"Master Guo, we have long heard of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms' power that shakes the martial world. Today, my brother and I are fortunate enough to experience it firsthand, and we hope you will not hesitate to teach us." Li Kan clasped his hands in a salute, but his voice carried a hint of sarcasm. He was tall and slender, dressed in black, with a black-sheathed longsword hanging at his waist. Even without the sword being drawn, it already exuded a chilling aura.

Standing beside him, Li Zheng appeared even more rugged, with a full beard and holding a short halberd in each hand, the tips gleaming coldly in the setting sun. He grinned, revealing gleaming white teeth: "If Master Guo is afraid, it's not too late to admit defeat now."

Behind Guo Jing, Yang Guo clenched his fists, his youthful face filled with resentment. Xiaolongnu gently pressed his shoulder and whispered, "Guo'er, don't be impulsive."

"But Uncle-Master, they're too arrogant!" Yang Guo said through gritted teeth.

Guo Jing glanced back at Yang Guo, his eyes filled with both affection and admonition: "Guo'er, the world is a dangerous place. Some things cannot be resolved by acting impulsively." He then turned to the Li brothers and said in a deep voice, "Since you two insist on fighting, I, Guo, will oblige. However, swords have no eyes; I hope you will stop short of defeat."

Li Kan sneered, "Great Hero Guo, you're overthinking it." Before he finished speaking, he had already pounced on Guo Jing like a ghost, his longsword drawn, a cold light aimed straight for Guo Jing's throat. At the same time, Li Zheng crossed his twin halberds, attacking Guo Jing's waist and abdomen from the side.

Guo Jing remained motionless, slowly extending both palms in what was none other than "The Dragon Regrets" from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. The wind from his palms howled, simultaneously forcing back Li Kan's swordplay and Li Zheng's halberd strike.

"Excellent palm technique!" Li Kan praised, his swordplay suddenly shifting, transforming into a flurry of sword shadows, each strike aimed at Guo Jing's vital points. Li Zheng, meanwhile, circled behind Guo Jing, his twin halberds flashing like venomous snakes, focusing his attacks on the lower body.

Guo Jing took a deep breath, his body spinning like a top, his palms striking out alternately, the wind from his palms like the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers, deflecting the attacks of the two. The three exchanged blows with lightning speed, dozens of moves in the blink of an eye, the surrounding trees swept by the force of the energy, branches and leaves falling one after another.

Yang Guo was dumbfounded; he had never witnessed such a profound martial arts duel. Xiaolongnu's expression was also grave; she whispered, "This brother Li Kan's martial arts have actually reached a state of perfection."

Gongsun Zhi stood to the side, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. He had always thought his martial arts were first-rate, but now he realized there were always those more skilled than himself. His hand, gripping the folding fan, trembled slightly, both from shock and resentment.

"Master Guo truly lives up to his reputation." Li Kan suddenly sheathed his sword and stepped back, standing shoulder to shoulder with Li Zheng. "However, I wonder if Master Guo can withstand this next move?"

Guo Jing's expression was solemn: "Please, both of you."

Li Kan and Li Zheng exchanged a glance, then suddenly attacked simultaneously. Li Kan thrust his longsword straight forward, the tip trembling as it split into seven sword shadows, each one indistinguishable from the real one. Li Zheng, meanwhile, crossed his twin halberds, aiming for Guo Jing's legs like scissors. This move, called "Seven Stars Locking the Moon," was the ultimate technique of their combined attack, a skill that had brought countless masters to their deaths.

A glint flashed in Guo Jing's eyes, and he thrust out with both palms, unleashing the most powerful move in the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, "Shocking the Hundred Miles." The force of his palm strikes was like a tidal wave, colliding head-on with the attacks of the two men.

With a loud "boom," all three were forced back. Guo Jing took three steps back, his chest heaving slightly. Li Kan and Li Zheng each took five steps back, their faces pale.

"What a magnificent display of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms!" Li Zheng wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned maliciously. "But today, you are destined to lose!"

Guo Jing sighed, "If either of them were to meet me individually, I might be able to defeat either of them, but unfortunately they've joined forces now."

His words silenced everyone, even Gongsun Zhi, who had been clamoring to teach Li Kan a lesson, shut his mouth, after all, he was no match for him.

Yang Guo was no longer as unconvinced as before. Without Xiaolongnu's comforting words, he shed his childishness and realized that his defeat was not unjust. Li Kan had clearly held back in their duel, otherwise he would not have been able to withstand dozens of moves from Li Kan.

"This is a true grandmaster." Yang Guo took a deep breath and looked at Guo Jing. "Is this what a martial arts grandmaster is?"

"I'm afraid he'd have to be more than just a grandmaster; he'd have to be a super expert." Guo Jing couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.

Yang Guo was quite content, after all, his parents were already top-notch masters, and now he had an uncle with high martial arts skills, so he should be satisfied.

"This...is this a martial arts master?" Wang Chongyang, who was watching from a distance, muttered to himself, "This is truly something that makes my Quanzhen Sect ashamed!" "Sect Leader, what should we do?" The Quanzhen disciples behind him were also astonished by Li Kan and Li Zheng's performance, and they were all speechless.

Wang Chongyang pondered for a moment: "Let's observe the situation. If Hero Guo is in danger, then we'll lend a hand."

On the mountain path, the battle resumed. The Li brothers seemed to have figured out Guo Jing's martial arts style, and their teamwork became increasingly seamless. Li Kan focused on attacking the upper body, his swordplay unpredictable and varied; Li Zheng, on the other hand, specialized in attacking the lower body, his twin halberds as cunning as venomous snakes. Although Guo Jing was highly skilled, he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position under their combined attack.

"Master Guo, admit defeat!" Li Kan thrust his sword at Guo Jing's left shoulder, while Li Zheng swept his twin halberds across Guo Jing's legs at the same time.

Guo Jing shouted and leaped into the air, performing three somersaults to narrowly evade the two men's deadly attacks. When he landed, beads of sweat were already on his forehead.

"Guo'er, step back!" Guo Jing suddenly turned and shouted to Yang Guo. It turned out that Yang Guo was so engrossed in watching that he had unknowingly moved closer to the battle.

In the instant Guo Jing was distracted, a cold glint flashed in Li Kan's eyes, and his longsword, swift as lightning, pierced straight for Guo Jing's back. By the time Guo Jing realized what was happening, it was too late to completely dodge; the blade grazed his right arm, drawing a spray of blood.

"Uncle Guo!" Yang Guo exclaimed, and was about to rush forward.

"Don't come any closer!" Guo Jing shouted sharply, striking out with his right palm to force Li Kan back. However, his movements were noticeably slower, indicating that he was seriously injured.

Li Kan smiled smugly: "Great Hero Guo, it seems that Zhongnan Mountain will be your burial ground today."

"Despicable!" Little Dragon Girl said coldly, her jade hand already on the golden bell rope at her waist.

Just then, a clear, melodious voice came from the mountaintop: "You two are bullying the few by outnumbering them and taking advantage of their vulnerability; this is a breach of the code of chivalry."

Everyone looked up and saw an old man with an air of otherworldly grace descending gracefully; it was none other than Wang Chongyang, the leader of the Quanzhen Sect.

Li Kan frowned: "Wang Chongyang? This matter has nothing to do with your Quanzhen Sect, why bother with it?"

Wang Chongyang landed beside Guo Jing and said calmly, "Great Hero Guo is a hero of our time. How could this old Daoist sit idly by? Moreover," he glared at the Li brothers, his eyes flashing like lightning, "that you two are causing trouble in my Zhongnan Mountain, showing utter disrespect to my Quanzhen Sect."

Li Zheng sneered, "Old Taoist priest, do you think you can turn the tide all by yourself?"

Wang Chongyang smiled slightly: "Why not give it a try?"

Having said that, he moved swiftly and appeared in front of Li Kan, striking out with a light, seemingly slow palm. This palm strike was actually as fast as lightning. Li Kan hastily raised his sword to block, but was forced back several steps by the force of the palm strike, his expression changing drastically.

"Innate Skill!" Li Kan exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Chongyang did not answer, but turned around and struck Li Zheng with another palm. Li Zheng crossed his two halberds and took the blow head-on. He felt an overwhelming internal force surge in him, which made his arms go numb. He had to take seven or eight steps back before he could regain his footing.

Taking the opportunity to regulate his breathing, Guo Jing cupped his hands to Wang Chongyang and said, "Thank you for your help, Master Wang."

(End of this chapter)