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

"Your Majesty..." Xue Huaide murmured, his voice choked with emotion.

He understood Chu Ning's intention—to use the emperor's body to buy time for the routed army to regroup.

This was to use the death-defying battle of these three thousand guards to awaken the last vestiges of the Chu army's fighting spirit.

"Soldiers!"

Xue Huaide turned around abruptly and roared, his voice even drowning out the clamor of the battlefield:

"Did you all see that? His Majesty has come in person! His Majesty hasn't abandoned us! His Majesty is fighting for us!"

He ripped off the tattered cloak from his shoulders, and his silver-white hair and beard danced wildly in the morning breeze.

"The Dragon Gate Formation has been broken, the formation is useless! But now—His Majesty is watching us! The Great Chu is watching us! Can we let His Majesty risk his life alone?!"

"Can't! Can't! Can't!"

The surrounding Chu soldiers roared in unison, their eyes blazing with renewed fire.

"Then so be it—"

Xue Huaide drew his longsword, its blade pointing directly at the Tang army surging towards him like a tidal wave: "Charge back! Protect His Majesty! For the sake of Great Chu, fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

The order was quickly relayed. The remnants of the Chu army, which had been retreating, began to stop, turn around, and regroup.

They abandoned their escape, abandoned their will to survive, and only one thought remained in their eyes—

Protect His Majesty.

Even if it means using my body to shield myself from arrows, or filling the road with my life, I will ensure that the black dragon banner does not fall!

"Dismantle the remaining Dragon Gate Formation!" Xue Huaide ordered sternly. "Assume a wedge attack formation! All troops—charge with His Majesty!"

"kill--!"

The morale of the Chu army reached its peak at this moment.

The emperor's personal participation in the campaign was the greatest trust and affirmation he could give to his soldiers.

For this, they are willing to give everything, including their lives.

Two massive armies, one with 70,000 men and the other with 40,000 remnants plus 3,000 personal guards, clashed violently on the plains five miles outside Jianghuai City!

This is no longer a contest of formations, nor a game of tactics.

This is a contest of wills, a burning of morale, a final showdown between two empires and two emperors, who stake their national destiny and lives on it!

Chu Ning took the lead, and his three thousand White Dragon Cavalry, like a silver lightning bolt, pierced into the vanguard of the Tang army.

Every time he swung his Shangfang sword, it carried the force of thunder, and wherever it passed, Tang soldiers fell like weeds.

The White Dragon Cavalry followed closely behind, their spears like a forest and their warhorses like dragons, and they actually managed to tear a gap in the Tang army's lines!

"Protect His Majesty!" Xue Huaide led his remaining troops to attack from the flank, attempting to rendezvous with the White Dragon Cavalry.

But how could Li Shiming give him that chance?

"Stop that old scoundrel!" Li Shimin personally led his imperial cavalry to intercept him: "Hand over Chu Ning to me!"

Two imperial guards met suddenly amidst the chaos of battle.

Chu Ning's white horse versus Li Shiming's dark horse.

The Imperial Sword versus the Emperor Taizu's Sword.

The black dragon flag versus the golden Tang flag.

When two dragons meet, one of them is bound to die!

"Chu Ning!" Li Shiming pointed his longsword directly at Chu Ning: "Today, this place will be your burial ground!"

Chu Ning sneered, twirling his Shangfang sword: "Li Shiming, you're far too confident."

Before the words were even finished, the two riders had already passed each other.

Swords clashed, sparks flew.

The first round ended in a draw.

Both men turned their horses around at the same time, a hint of seriousness flashing in their eyes.

They both realized that the other was a true rival.

This duel will determine the final outcome of this battle that has lasted for a day and a night.

This will also determine the fate of the Central Plains for the next hundred years.

The morning light completely illuminated the battlefield.

The bloody battle reached its climax.

And Jianghuai City was right behind them.

Everyone knew—the garrison inside the city, the reinforcements outside.

At this moment, history is being written.

The authors were these two emperors who fought amidst thousands of troops.

Whoever wins will become the new ruler of this land.

The morning light, as red as blood, illuminated this battlefield of carnage outside Jianghuai City.

The duel between Chu Ning and Li Shiming was intense from the very beginning.

Two fine horses darted and circled amidst the chaos of battle, their swords flashing like lightning, sparks flying everywhere.

Each clash of weapons produced a deafening metallic clang.

Although Li Shimin was over forty years old, he had spent half his life on the battlefield and his martial arts skills were by no means mediocre.

The Taizu Sword was as easy to wield as an extension of his own arm, and every strike carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.

His swordsmanship was wide and sweeping, targeting Chu Ning's vital points, clearly indicating his intention to end the battle quickly.

But Chu Ning's response made Li Shiming's heart sink.

This emperor of the Great Chu, who was in his early twenties, possessed a swordsmanship far more exquisite than Li Shiming had anticipated.

In his hands, the Shangfang Sword sometimes moved like a dragon playing in the water, agile and ethereal, avoiding the strong and striking the weak; at other times it moved like a tiger descending the mountain, fierce and violent, directly confronting and blocking.

What's even more terrifying is his agility—he moves on horseback as if walking on flat ground, and he narrowly avoids Li Shimin's several deadly sword strikes.

"Today I'll show you just how much you're worth!"

Chu Ning suddenly spoke, her voice as cold as ice.

Before he finished speaking, the Shangfang Sword transformed into a cold light, piercing straight for Li Shiming's throat!

This sword strike was as fast as lightning and at a tricky angle, precisely at the moment when Li Shiming's old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated!

Li Shiming's pupils contracted sharply, and he barely managed to raise his sword to parry.

clang--!

With a loud bang, Li Shiming's tiger's mouth split open, and the Taizu Sword almost slipped from his hand.

He and his horse were knocked back three steps, and his chest heaved with blood and qi.

"Let's see how many moves you can withstand."

Chu Ning gave him no chance to catch his breath and spurred his horse forward again.

This time, his sword technique changed; it was no longer a thrust, but a slash!

The Shangfang sword drew a strange arc, seemingly aimed at Li Shiming's left shoulder, but suddenly changed direction halfway and cleaved straight at his right rib!

Li Shiming gritted his teeth and blocked with the Taizu sword.

But Chu Ning's sword strike actually contained three layers of force!

The first wave was blocked, but the second wave followed immediately, making Li Shiming's arm go numb.

The third and most insidious layer, at the moment the swords clashed, was transmitted through the blade and penetrated directly into Li Shimin's internal organs!

"puff--!"

Li Shiming could no longer suppress his anger, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the dragon-patterned armor on his chest red. He swayed and nearly fell off his horse.

"Your Majesty!" The surrounding Tang generals all exclaimed in shock.

"Not bad, but it's time to end it."

Chu Ning's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable killing intent.

He spurred his horse forward, raising his Shangfang sword high, its blade gleaming with a deathly cold light in the morning sun—this sword was meant to take Li Shimin's head!

At the critical moment, a dark figure darted between the two like lightning.

"Do not harm my Emperor!"

Xue Che!

This Tang army vanguard general disregarded his own life and charged straight at Chu Ning with his long sword!

His strike was completely haphazard, a desperate act of desperation, solely to buy Li Shiming a chance to survive.

Chu Ning frowned slightly, changed his slashing motion with the Shangfang sword to a sweeping motion, and deflected the longsword with a clang.

But in that brief moment of delay, several Tang army guards rushed to Li Shiming's side, helped him off his horse, and hurriedly retreated to the rear.

"Protect His Majesty and return to the camp!" Xue Che roared hoarsely, while he stood with his sword drawn, blocking Chu Ning's path.