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

Chapter 794 Finale
The chilling, violent aura emanating from the earth intensified suddenly, and pebbles rained down. The tomb keeper's voice was now barely a whisper: "Quickly... use the Nine Yin Manual... combined with the Jade Maiden Manual... to suppress it..."

There was no time to hesitate. Yang Guo mustered his last breath of true energy, struggling to circulate the yin-like internal force of the Nine Yin Manual; Xiaolongnu immediately grasped his hand, transferring her pure Jade Maiden Heart Sutra power without reservation. The two forces of the same origin merged, transforming into a halo of pale gold and pure white, but it was clearly insufficient.

Guo Jing let out a deep shout, placing his palms on the backs of the two men. His unparalleled Nine Yang Divine Skill, at this moment, transformed into a perfectly balanced and harmonious bridge, not only avoiding conflict but also amplifying and merging Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu's internal energy several times over! The three men's internal energy was united as never before, and a solid and mysterious true energy seal suddenly took shape, carrying the balancing power of extreme yin and subtle yang, pressing down fiercely into the depths of the pit!
"boom--"

An invisible shockwave rippled outwards, and the awakened, ferocious being let out a resentful howl before being forced back into darkness. The pervasive chilling aura receded like a tide.

The cave was deathly silent, save for the three people's heavy breathing.

After a long silence, the tomb keeper's voice, tinged with endless weariness, finally came: "...Rest assured for now... This demon is the 'Heart Mirror Demon,' sealed by the combined power of Grandmaster Lin Chaoying and True Man Wang Chongyang. It reflects the evil thoughts in people's hearts; if the seal is broken, the world will descend into chaos... Only the combined power of the Ancient Tomb and the Quanzhen School of martial arts can strengthen it..."

His voice lowered: "Seven feet to the southeast... there's a crevice in the stone wall... a path to safety... go quickly..."

After speaking, he fell silent forever.

Guo Jing followed the trail and indeed found the hidden crevice. He widened the passage and helped Yang Guo up. Xiaolongnu looked back at the deep pit one last time, her eyes understanding all the burdens she carried, before finally turning and stepping into the narrow passage.

……

Dasheng Pass.

Li Zheng, dressed in a dragon robe, leaned back in his armchair, his gaze calmly sweeping over the kneeling rebel leaders before him. Beside him, Li Kan stood with his hand on his sword, the dark red bloodstains on his armor a testament to the fierce battle he had just fought against the Mongol cavalry.

"You want to join the Tang Dynasty?" Li Zheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

A general in tattered armor knelt forward, cupped his hands, and said, "This humble general, Zhao Yuan, pays his respects to Your Majesty the Emperor! I am willing to lead the Zhao Family Village rebels to submit to the Great Tang Dynasty, and I only ask that Your Majesty send troops to reclaim Zhao Family Village!"

“Zhao Family Village?” Li Zheng’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest. The name stirred up his deep-seated memories—two hundred years ago, the Zhao family that guarded the frontier for generations, those Zhao family sons who shed their last drop of blood to defend the borders of the Song Dynasty.

"How many of you are there?" Li Zheng snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze sharp as lightning.

"We now have eight hundred elite troops, each capable of taking on ten men!" Zhao Yuan raised his head, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge. "The Mongol Tartars breached Zhao Family Village half a month ago, slaughtering over three hundred of my people. I fought my way out and rallied the remaining troops, all for the sake of a chance to avenge them!"

Li Zheng slowly rose, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind. He walked up to Zhao Yuan and suddenly asked, "Who is Zhao Shoujiang to you?"

Zhao Yuan was shocked: "It was indeed my great-grandfather!"

"As expected." Li Zheng sighed. "Two hundred years ago, I fought alongside Zhao Shoujiang to resist the Jin army. Your Zhao family is full of loyal martyrs, and you should not have ended up like this."

He turned and looked into the distance, his voice suddenly rising: "Li Kan!"

"Your subordinate is here!" "Gather 30,000 troops and march to Zhao Family Village immediately!" "Understood!"

With tears welling in his eyes, Zhao Yuan kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty's great kindness is beyond measure; Zhao Yuan is willing to give his life for you!"

Three days later, the Tang cavalry arrived outside Zhao Family Village. The Mongol army built a fortress in the village, clearly using it as an outpost for their southward advance.

Li Zheng climbed to a high vantage point and looked into the distance. He saw smoke rising from the village chimneys, but not a single villager in sight. He immediately understood the situation. He said in a deep voice, "The Tartars have used the village as a fortress and are holding the people hostage. This battle must not only be won, but also the lives of the surviving people must be saved."

As night fell, Li Kan led his elite troops in a night raid on the west gate, deliberately creating a disturbance to attract the defending troops. As expected, the main Mongol force rushed to the west gate to reinforce it.

Just then, Zhao Yuan led eight hundred righteous soldiers infiltrating through a secret passage from the east—a passage originally built by Zhao Shoujiang as a precaution, passed down orally through generations. The village erupted in shouts of battle. As the Mongol army fell into disarray, Li Zheng personally led the main force in a frontal assault. Caught in a pincer movement, the Mongol army was utterly routed.

At dawn, the battle was over. The Tang army rescued over a hundred imprisoned civilians from the cellar; they were all emaciated, a testament to the torture they had endured.

Zhao Yuan brought a Mongol commander to Li Zheng: "Your Majesty, this man is the garrison commander of this area."

The commander continued to shout, "You southern barbarians, once my army arrives, I will tear you to pieces!"

Li Zheng sneered, "Tell your Khan that the Central Plains are no longer a place he can trample on at will. Now that the Tang Dynasty has been established, it will surely reclaim its lands!" With that, he waved his hand, "Drag him away and behead him as a warning!"

Just then, a rider came galloping up: "Report! Urgent dispatch from Xiangyang!"

Li Zheng unfolded the military report, his face gradually darkening. After a long while, he looked up at his generals: "The Mongol Khan has personally led an army of 200,000 south and has already breached the outer city of Xiangyang. General Guo Jing is trapped in the inner city and urgently needs reinforcements."

The generals were in an uproar. Zhao Yuan immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty! Zhao Family Village has been recovered, and this humble general is willing to follow Your Majesty to aid Xiangyang!"

Li Zheng helped Zhao Yuan up, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers present: "The Tang Dynasty has just been established, and this battle concerns the fate of the nation. But I swear that I will not allow an inch of our land to fall into enemy hands again!"

Ten days later, outside Xiangyang City. The Mongol army stretched for a hundred miles, their camps imposing and menacing.

Standing atop his chariot, Li Zheng gazed at the Song flags still fluttering atop Xiangyang city walls, his heart filled with emotion. He turned to his entire army and declared, "Two hundred years ago, the Tang Dynasty lost this land; two hundred years later, we have returned! Today, we return not for the Tang Dynasty, nor for the Song Dynasty, but so that the people of the Central Plains may no longer suffer the ravages of the Tartars!"

As the war drums sounded, the Tang army surged towards the Mongol formation like a tidal wave. Li Kan led the charge, heading straight for the central army; Zhao Yuan led his rebel army to flank and attack the Mongol artillery positions.

The fiercest battle unfolded beneath the walls of Xiangyang. Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the gates of Xiangyang suddenly burst open, and Guo Jing led the defending troops out, launching a coordinated attack with the Tang army from within.

The bloody battle lasted a full day. As night fell, the Mongol army finally collapsed. The Tang Dynasty's dragon banner was raised atop the city walls of Xiangyang, fluttering alongside the tattered Song Dynasty banners.

On the city wall, Guo Jing bowed deeply to Li Zheng: "Thank you for your timely assistance, Your Majesty. If Xiangyang can be saved, it will all depend on Your Majesty's efforts."

Li Zheng returned the salute: "General Guo has defended Xiangyang for more than ten years; he is a true hero. Now that the country is in peril, why distinguish between Tang and Song?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, letting bygones be bygones.

Three months later, at the Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace.

Li Zheng conferred the title of Duke of Zhenguo upon Guo Jing, General of Anxi upon Zhao Yuan, and General of the Imperial Guard upon Li Kan. He also issued his first imperial edict: "Now that the Great Tang has been restored, it must inherit the orthodox tradition of China. All sons and daughters of the Han people should unite to resist foreign aggression and restore our land!"

That night, the city of Chang'an was ablaze with lights.

Li Zheng stood alone on the palace wall, gazing northward. He knew that this war had only just begun. But this time, the Central Plains were no longer a no-man's-land.

The dragon flag of the Tang Dynasty will surely be planted on every inch of the land it once was.

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