Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Chu Ning's eyes suddenly became sharp, and his voice was filled with murderous intent:

"Because you are the last pillar supporting the Han Dynasty! As long as I kill you, my army can march straight into the Central Plains and sweep across it, leaving no one to oppose us!"

"Tonight, this place will be where you, Huo Quji, will be buried!"

These nakedly heartbreaking words and cruel truth were like the last straw that broke the camel's back and completely crushed Gongsun Ao.

Only then did he realize that he had become the bait that had led the Protector of the Country into a desperate situation! Boundless guilt and fear instantly overwhelmed him.

"My Lord Duke! It is I who have harmed you! It is I who am incompetent!"

Gongsun Ao's voice was filled with tears. He suddenly drew his sword, and a determined determination to die appeared on his face:

"Hurry up! Even if I risk my life, I will fight my way out for you! As long as you are still alive, there is still hope for the Han people!"

He turned around and was about to organize a death squad to launch a suicide charge.

"Stop!" Huo Quji shouted coldly, stopping him.

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, the indifference on Huo Quji's face gradually transformed into an almost crazy and fiery fighting spirit.

He slowly spurred his horse forward a few steps, staring into the distance at Chu Ning. His voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the night sky with a resolute determination and strong confidence:

"Leave behind? Break through? No need."

"It's still uncertain who will die here tonight!"

He suddenly raised his voice, his eyes like torches sweeping over the terrified Han soldiers around him, finally settling on Chu Ning:

"Chu Ning wants to take this opportunity to kill me. Don't I want to take this opportunity to kill him, the Emperor of Chu?!"

"If we can kill Chu Ning in this battle, the fate of the world will be decided in an instant!"

Huo Quji's earth-shattering words not only stunned Gongsun Ao and the Han army soldiers.

Even Chu Ning, who was standing opposite him, was slightly startled when he heard this. Then he narrowed his eyes, and a very dangerous cold light flashed in his narrow eyes.

After a brief silence, Chu Ning suddenly laughed, but there was no warmth in his laughter, only cold murderous intent:

"Oh? Interesting, really interesting! Even in such a situation, the Protector of the Country still has such a heroic spirit?"

He gently raised his hand and slowly grasped the hilt of the sword at his waist. His tone became stern and full of expectation:

"In that case, I will wait and see how you take my head!"

The two greatest commanders of the time, the pillars of their respective empires, stared at each other from a distance on this heavily besieged battlefield.

The smell of gunpowder and murderous intent in the air instantly reached its peak!

An original encirclement and annihilation battle seemed to have suddenly added a huge variable because of Huo Quji's astonishing counterattack declaration!

Chu Ning sat upright on his horse, his cold gaze passing over the battlefield and fixed firmly on Huo Quji, who remained undiminished in momentum even though he was surrounded.

In response to Huo Quji's almost arrogant declaration of "counter-killing", Chu Ning's lips curled up in an indifferent and cruel arc.

"interesting."

He murmured softly to himself, as if commenting on a play about to begin: "The struggle of a trapped beast is the most tragic, but also... the most futile."

He said no more, and slowly raised his right hand, which, in the light of the fire, looked like a scepter that would make the final judgment, and then he swung it forward suddenly!

The movements were quick and decisive, without a trace of hesitation.

"Your Majesty has ordered! All forces attack—annihilate the Han army, leaving no one alive!"

The messenger's hoarse roar, accompanied by the rapid and violent sound of war drums, instantly spread throughout the entire Chu army formation!

"kill!!!"

The Chu army, which had been ready for a long time, launched an overwhelming general attack from all directions towards the remaining Han army that was surrounded in the core, like a black flood surging out after a dam collapsed!

This time, it is no longer a test, no longer a distraction, but a fatal blow with all one's strength!

The infantry, holding a forest of long spears and huge shields, marched forward with heavy steps.

The cavalry were like nimble poisonous snakes, roaming around the periphery, looking for any possible flaws, and then pounce on them and bite them.

The archers continued to rain down deadly arrows on the Han army, suppressing their every attempt to raise their heads.

Facing this overwhelming attack, Huo Quji remained calm.

He stood in the middle of the formation, like a reef in a raging current. His voice was terrifyingly calm as he uttered clear commands: "Collect! Defend the circle! Shield bearers hold the line! Spearmen, raise your spears at a forty-five-degree angle, and mount the chevaux de frise!"

"Wounded soldiers, retreat to the inner circle! All those who can draw their bows, scatter freely. No need to fire in volleys. Focus on the approaching enemy!"

"Don't panic! Maintain your formation! Even if the Chu army wants to take us down, we'll have to break a few of their teeth!"

Under the command of Huo Quji, the Han soldiers desperately carried out orders relying on their last instincts and desire to survive.

Shields were stacked up layer by layer, spears extended from the gaps, and the entire circle was like a hedgehog that curled up in an instant.

They all knew that this was the final moment, there was no way to retreat, and they could only fight to the death!

However, the absolute disadvantage in manpower and the huge consumption of physical strength cannot be compensated by willpower alone.

"boom!"

The heavy infantry phalanx of the Chu army, like a moving iron wall, slammed heavily into the shield formation of the Han army!

The huge impact force caused the outermost Han soldiers to tremble all over, bleeding from their mouths and noses, and some were even knocked back into the inner circle!

The sound of shields breaking and bones snapping was heart-wrenching.

The Chu army's spears were like poisonous snakes, piercing through the gaps in the shields and often taking away a life.

The Han army's spearmen also fought back hard, piercing the Chu army that tried to approach, but there were too many Chu soldiers!

If one falls, two will immediately take his place!

Under the crazy impact, the formation inevitably began to deform and dent.

The soldiers on the periphery were decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eye, the circle was constantly compressed inward, and the space for movement was getting smaller and smaller.

"Hold on! Hold on for me!"

The Han army captains and generals at the grassroots level had red eyes and shouted at the top of their lungs, and some even went to the front, but were quickly swallowed up by the tide of the Chu army.

Huo Quji calmly observed every detail of the battlefield and constantly fine-tuned the focus of his defense.

The spear in his hand would occasionally stab out like lightning, accurately taking the life of a Chu army officer who tried to break through, and temporarily stabilizing a small front line.

But his personal bravery is just a drop in the bucket compared to the precarious overall situation.

The Chu army's offensive was wave after wave. Relying on their numerical advantage, they could attack in turns without sparing any physical strength.

Every member of the Han army was overdrawing his last bit of energy, casualties increased sharply, and the front line was crumbling.

In just half an hour, the Han army's formation will collapse!