Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

He had been racking his brain, trying to figure out how to break the siege of Yunchuan City and still get his men back home safely.

The only strategy he could devise was a lone-wolf mission: strike at the heart of the enemy, capture their leader to break their ranks. He would take down Andre himself and throw the Turkic forces into chaos.

When it came to leading troops in battle, Chu Lingguang was no expert.

Although his power had grown, making his mind sharper and allowing him to master worldly Cultivation and Martial Arts with ease, he was incapable of commanding an army or turning the tide of a battle.

Fortunately, he could entrust what he couldn’t do to others. Chu Lingguang had military strategists in his camp.

The Captain before him, Ma Zhong, was one such man. He was an outstanding officer—brave, resourceful, and Chu Lingguang’s most capable subordinate.

"Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Tell me what you’re thinking."

Chu Lingguang said, his voice full of expectation.

"We are going to raid the Turkic Headquarters."

Ma Zhong said thoughtfully.

Chu Lingguang nodded in approval. Ma Zhong had always been sharp, especially when it came to deploying troops. He could always grasp the intent behind Chu Lingguang’s orders immediately and handle matters to his complete satisfaction.

"And your reasoning?"

But he wanted to know how Ma Zhong had figured it out.

"If I may be so bold, I believe the National Border has already fallen. The flames of war will soon be at the gates of Yunchuan City."

Ma Zhong said.

"You figured that out, too?"

Chu Lingguang was surprised.

"Commander, a few months ago, a Turkic Army of three hundred thousand strong pressed our borders, and war alarms were lit throughout the Great Yuan Territory. Even under those circumstances, the Court sent ten thousand troops to reinforce Wolf Valley Pass. The Court would never mobilize the forces from Wolf Valley Pass unless the situation was absolutely desperate."

"The only scenario I can imagine is that Yunchuan City is on the verge of collapse. And the only way it could be defeated is if the National Border has been breached and the Turkic Troops are already at the city walls. Only then would the Court resort to such a risky gambit: sending us across the Hundred Thousand Mountains to raid the Turkic Headquarters."

Ma Zhong analyzed.

"Then what do you think our chances are?"

Chu Lingguang inquired.

"Unless the Court’s reinforcements can reach Mazhou Prefecture before the Turkic Army breaches Yunchuan City, our chances are slim. Our men face almost certain death."

Ma Zhong said dejectedly.

These words could easily shatter morale, so he only dared to whisper them to Chu Lingguang.

"You’re right."

But Chu Lingguang agreed with Ma Zhong’s assessment. If even he could see the truth of it, how could an expert like Ma Zhong not understand?

Still, he clung to a sliver of hope. "Is there any way for our men to make it back safely?"

"Only if Divine Soldiers were to fall from the sky."

Ma Zhong said with a bitter smile.

Chu Lingguang’s brow furrowed. He looked at the men of his army. Every one of them had a family. They knew they were marching to their deaths, yet they could not disobey.

His heart ached.

’If I were to break through to the Qi Refining realm,’ Chu Lingguang thought, ’could I be the "Divine Soldier" Ma Zhong mentioned? Could I turn the tide?’

He checked his Mental Realm Diagram.

His Qi Refining Art’s value had broken one hundred ninety thousand in the past two days. Of the three hundred sixty-three "responses," only sixty-three were left to be awakened.

He was awakening these responses at a speed that would make anyone envious.

However, the remaining responses were progressively harder to awaken. Chu Lingguang estimated it would take him half a year to awaken the last sixty-three. If this crisis had happened six months from now, his cultivation would have reached the Qi Refining realm. Then, perhaps, he could have single-handedly crushed the Turkic Headquarters, slowed the Turkic Army’s advance, and bought the Great Yuan precious time.

But alas, that was just a fantasy.

But events had unfolded too quickly, and military orders were absolute.

Ten thousand men marched without rest, crossing the Hundred Thousand Mountains through the night.

The mountain forests were teeming with vicious beasts, and demons often lurked within.

But with such a large army, even a Great Demon would sense their overwhelming presence and not dare to cause trouble. Furthermore, with an expert like Chu Lingguang anchoring the troops and clearing the path with his Spiritual Sense, they finally arrived in Turkic territory shaken but unharmed.

"Commander, there are sentries ahead."

Ma Zhong deduced the Turkic sentries’ positions from the terrain.

Chu Lingguang swept the area with his Spiritual Sense.

He found a squad of men hidden in the woods. There were even beacon towers built on several nearby peaks. If the army advanced any further, they would be discovered instantly.

"You wait here. I’ll go take care of them."

Chu Lingguang said.

He had plenty of experts under his command, including an assassination squad. But with the beacon towers up ahead, the mission would be compromised if they were spotted and the signals were lit. A successful raid on the Turkic Headquarters would become nearly impossible.

The mission was already a near-suicidal gamble.

If their position was revealed, allowing the Turkic Troops to prepare, it would mean certain death. Not only would they fail to buy time for the Court, but every single one of his soldiers would die here.

So, to be absolutely sure, Chu Lingguang decided to handle it himself.

"Commander..."

The commander-in-chief himself going to assassinate a team of sentries—Ma Zhong had never heard of such a thing. But as he watched Chu Lingguang vanish from sight, all he could do was order a squad skilled in forest ambushes to follow and provide support.

「Half an hour later.」

Chu Lingguang and the ambush squad returned, completely unscathed.

The members of the ambush squad gazed at Chu Lingguang with expressions of pure awe and reverence.

They had trailed after him, only to find all the hidden Turkic sentries dead where they stood. Some had been hiding in the cracks of rocks with only a single eye exposed, but Chu Lingguang had still found and killed them without a sound.

The same was true for the soldiers at the beacon towers.

They all fell without ever knowing what hit them.

"Captain Ma, the Turkic Headquarters is just over that mountain and down the other side."

Chu Lingguang said upon his return.

"Commander, permit me to scout it out myself."

Ma Zhong requested.

"Go ahead."

Chu Lingguang naturally wouldn’t refuse.

A short while later, the army reached the foot of the mountain. From the other side, they would be able to see the Turkic Headquarters.

This "headquarters" was actually the primary supply depot for the Turkic army, providing troops and provisions.

There were fifty thousand troops stationed here.

Every day, it funneled provisions and reinforcements to the front lines.

It was guarded by Andre’s elite troops.

The camp was built against the mountain, sprawling out onto a vast grassland.

To charge down from the forest, they would have to break through several defensive checkpoints at the rear just to get into the camp and destroy the supplies.

This was the scene that greeted Chu Lingguang’s eyes.

"Commander, I suggest we divide our forces into three. One detachment will circle around to the left of the forest and attack from the left flank. Another will circle to the right and attack from the right flank."

"The two detachments will charge simultaneously to draw the enemy’s attention. Once the Turkic Troops are focused on the left and right flanks, you, Commander, will lead the third detachment in a frontal assault. They will think they’re being attacked on three sides. We can use the chaos to shatter their morale and take them down in one swift stroke."

Ma Zhong explained his analysis, lying on the hilltop as he studied the terrain of the Turkic Headquarters.

"Alright. We’ll do it your way."

Chu Lingguang did not refuse.

When it came to leading troops, Ma Zhong was the expert.

Besides, he agreed that Ma Zhong’s plan was sound.

As long as the forces in the Turkic Headquarters were split, their attention drawn to the flanks, the unit he led could punch straight through to the camp’s core.

With his level of skill and power, that part wouldn’t be difficult.

The only thing that worried Chu Lingguang was the possibility that he would be the only one to make it out alive.

If that happened, even if he succeeded in buying the Court enough time, the guilt would torment him.

’A single general’s victory is built on a mountain of bones.’

This was something Chu Lingguang had never experienced.

And so, the army was divided into three detachments.

Once everyone was in position.

WHOOO!

With a blast from their horns, the two five-thousand-man detachments on the left and right flanks charged out of the forest, storming toward the Turkic Headquarters.

The five thousand men led by Chu Lingguang remained in ambush within the forest.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

"Commander, it’s time."

Ma Zhong said, seeing that the forces inside the Turkic Headquarters had split to either side, drastically weakening the defenses at the rear.

"Charge!"

Chu Lingguang roared.

His voice thundered through the mountain forest.

Riding Little Red Horse, he shot down from the forest like an arrow from a bow. From a great distance, he summoned the Wind and Wave Power, blasting away the stockade fences at the rear of the camp and annihilating the front line of enemy soldiers.

The soldiers had rarely seen a general charge into an enemy camp alone. He was an unstoppable force, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake. Chu Lingguang’s actions truly inspired every man on the field.

"Wipe out the Turks! Capture Andre alive! Charge with Commander Chu!"

Ma Zhong roared.

He led five thousand men, charging in right behind Chu Lingguang.

ROOOAR!

Inside the Turkic camp.

A Wizard, deep in Meditation, let out a dragon’s roar from his chest. A smile played on his lips as he watched Chu Lingguang come into view. He had long ago sensed an unusual presence approaching from the Hundred Thousand Mountains behind the camp.

Chu Lingguang thought he was catching them unprepared.

In reality, the Wizard was luring him right into a trap!