Fu Qingyang snapped awake, gazing at the crisscrossed beams and fish-scale tiles. He rolled to his feet and surveyed his surroundings—he now found himself in an ancient military tent. Several sturdy bows hung on the walls, three swords stood on a long table, and spears, halberds, shields, and pikes were arranged on the weapon racks. His upper body was bare, with thick bandages wrapped tightly around his right chest, faint traces of blood seeping through. When he gently pressed his fingertips, sharp pain radiated. This body had sustained serious injuries, affecting his heart and lungs. At that moment, the "Yanshi" mark on his forehead warmed slightly, and a fragmented, brief memory surfaced. Fu Qingyang was now the youngest general of the Southern Dynasty, a first-rank official named Yang Ce. One month prior, the Northern Dynasty had gathered 400,000 troops for a southern campaign, advancing steadily, capturing cities and fortresses. The Southern Dynasty's forces proved weak—many abandoned their posts in flight, others defected to the enemy. Yang Ce, the General of the Imperial Cavalry, was appointed at a critical moment, granted the title of Supreme Commander, and led the last five thousand elite troops of the Southern Dynasty to defend Lingxia City, vowing to halt the Northern Dynasty's advance and keep the enemy outside the capital. That's all the information available. It was clearly a "role-playing" quest—hence the main storyline being a "character-based task." As an experienced traveler of the Spiritual Realm, Fu Qingyang wasn't unfamiliar with such quest formats. Role-playing quests typically present high difficulty. Moreover, this particular quest has one distinctive feature: the team members' roles remain unknown. 【Ping! Main storyline activated: Defeat the Northern Dynasty's army or preserve the capital of the Southern Dynasty.】 Since the Spiritual Realm has placed no restrictions, it means my identity doesn't need to remain confidential and can be shared with my teammates—this makes sense given my position as the overall commander. Fu Qingyang sensed his body. As a Yanshi, all his skills were intact, and his inventory could be accessed. The skills and items of a Lingjing traveler remained unimpeded, yet his physical injuries were very real and significantly weakened his combat effectiveness. He walked to the bronze mirror standing on the table and saw a pale, handsome face—identical to Fu Qingyang, unchanged in appearance. He quickly assessed the situation: his Lingjing mission required no decryption, no concealment, no political maneuvering—only war, war, and more war. "A clear and straightforward mission often means the enemy is overwhelmingly powerful. We must first understand the current situation before taking action," he thought. With practiced ease, he donned his fish-scale armor, picked up a sword at random, and stepped out of the tent. "General!" The two soldiers at the entrance bowed respectfully as he emerged. Fu Qingyang nodded coldly and turned to the soldier on his left, saying, "You go and summon all the military commanders for a meeting." "He turned to the soldier on the right and said, 'You lead the way.'" The soldier on the left nodded and departed. Though the soldier on the right didn't fully understand why it was he who should lead the way to the "Office of Military Affairs," he was certain to carry out the marshal's orders faithfully. Along the way, Fu Qingyang took in the surroundings. This was a military quarters within the city. Looking northward, he could see the towering city walls, the fluttering banners, and the troops equipped with sharp weapons. Not long after, Fu Qingyang followed the soldier to a building with eaves that curved gracefully. Hanging beneath the eaves was the sign: "Office of Military Affairs." The soldier remained outside, while Fu Qingyang kept his sword at his side. Pushing open a lattice gate and stepping over the threshold, he casually surveyed the room: several high-backed chairs were arranged around a large sand table. Behind the marshal's seat hung a detailed ancient map. Approaching the map, Fu Qingyang gazed at it intently and soon located the position of "Linxia City," which lay directly north of the capital. The two cities were forty li apart; once the city of Linxia fell, the army could advance directly on the southern dynasty's capital. Fu Qingyang gazed at the map, slowly forming a three-dimensional mental image of the terrain—mountains, rivers, and landforms appearing one by one in his mind. Within just five minutes, he had fully imprinted the landscape within a ten-li radius of Linxia City—assuming the map was accurate. At that moment, Fu Qingyang heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the door. Twelve elite officers—three earth-element monsters, two wood-element immortals, two fire-masters—entered the military hall as the gate was pushed open. Fu Qingyang turned to look at the grid gate and immediately spotted several familiar faces—Ling Jun, Zhao Chenghuang, and Tianxia Guihuo. Their appearances remained unchanged, now gazing curiously at the surroundings and their companions, while carefully concealing their sense of being new arrivals. At that moment, the three also spotted Fu Qingyang, their expressions brightened momentarily before they composed themselves. Fu Qingyang stood with one hand resting on his side, gazing at the senior officers entering the hall, and said calmly, "Sit down!" The nine indigenous officers naturally found their places; upon seeing this, Ling Jun, Zhao Chenghuang, and Tian Xia Gui Huai promptly claimed the remaining three chairs. Before Fu Qingyang could speak, a sturdy man with a rugged face and slightly flushed eyes emitted a cold sigh, saying, "General, with our army pressing in and our duties mounting, please speak directly. But do not make hasty moves that might inconvenience our entire army." As the man spoke, Fu Qingyang noticed that the other officers' expressions ranged from disdain to contempt to outright hostility—clearly dissatisfied with Yang Ce. He then turned his gaze toward Ling Jun. Lingjun, truly the longtime beloved of Qian Gongzi—his longtime partner—understood without needing words, spoke with solemnity: "Marshal, you defied the objections of your troops last day and led your forces out of the city to attack the enemy camp, only to fall into a trap. Your men fought valiantly, sacrificing three thousand soldiers to bring you back safely. As a commander, such boldness is both reckless and deeply disappointing—disappointing to the court's trust, to the people's trust, and even to the soldiers who gave their lives because of you." The officers stood in profound respect, gazing at Lingjun with admiration. Fu Qingyang remained expressionless, now fully aware of his first challenge—his disintegrating morale. A commander must command the loyalty and respect of his army; without such authority, he cannot lead effectively, and if war comes, he will surely lose. Now, his foremost task is to establish authority and rally the hearts of his men. Fu Qingyang fell silent. Typically, the most straightforward and effective approach would be to lead troops out of the city and secure a decisive victory. Yet now, as a commander who lacks widespread support, he finds himself in a precarious position—having recently, without authorization, led his forces out of the city, resulting in heavy losses for the Southern dynasty army. Should he repeat the same course of action, the morale of the troops would only grow more resentful, and victory would become all but impossible. To advance out of the city would be to court certain death. Fu Qingyang sat at the head of the table, his elbows resting on the desk, his expression cold as he listened, occasionally nodding and then shaking his head. In short order, with guidance from several generals, Fu Qingyang gained a clear understanding of the enemy's situation. The commander of the Northern Dynasty's forces was Tuoba Guanghe, renowned as the foremost warrior of the northern frontier. Having first emerged on the scene over a decade ago, Tuoba Guanghe had steadily risen to claim the title of strongest in the north, shaking the foundations of every major sect and becoming virtually unbeatable throughout the martial world. After achieving this stature, he entered the imperial court to serve as a general, establishing the "Juju" army, which became unrivaled across the land. His most celebrated achievement came six years ago, when he led just five hundred Juju troops on a campaign against the northern barbarians, advancing over eight hundred miles until he reached the barbarian capital, ultimately quelling the barbarian threat and enabling the Northern Dynasty to focus its efforts on southern expansion and the unification of the realm. According to legend, Tuoba Guanghe himself is as solid as a tower of iron, possessing three heads and eight arms, capable of holding off a The ancient war god, whose army consists of enchanted spirits—this stirred a serious expression on Fu Qingyang's handsome face. The ancient war god was born for slaughter and warfare, and even more so, he has assembled an army of enchanted spirits, whose combat prowess is beyond imagination. Yet Fu Qingyang was not at all concerned, for Yanshi was also born for warfare—just as ancient novels often describe: "Southern Yanshi, Northern War God; the rivalry between them is inevitable." Following this, Fu Qingyang gained a thorough understanding of the military units on both sides, the supplies and equipment at his own disposal, the population of the city, and the reserves of grain and stores—details that were listened to intently by Ling Jun, Tianxia Guihuo, and Zhao Chenghuang. After each general had presented their views and proposed strategic plans, Fu Qingyang declared: "Each of you has offered wise and valuable counsel—these will be carefully noted and deeply pondered upon throughout the night. Given your busy schedules, today's deliberations shall conclude here. Return to your posts." Although the council reached no decisive conclusion, the several generals had each found an opportunity to express themselves and departed satisfied, gaining a slight appreciation for Yang Ce's initial arrogance. "Stay a moment," Fu Qingyang called out, halting Ling Jun and the others. Tianxia Gui, who had just closed the panel door, immediately resumed his lazy posture, only a few inches away from casually resting his foot on the sand map. Fu Qingyang said nothing further: "What have you each learned?" Zhao Chenghuang spoke frankly: "The most frequently mentioned sentiment among the soldiers is their private criticism of you. Yang Ce is a member of a prominent family, and his sister is the current empress. Thanks to their family background and network of connections, he was appointed as a cavalry general. This time, with the northern kingdom's invasion, the current weak emperor—whom the empress has been influencing through her bedside conversations—has unexpectedly appointed a relatively inexperienced noble youth as commander to lead the defense against a northern force of forty thousand troops, and against the northern region's foremost warrior, Tuoba Guanghe." "Throughout the realm, the fire returns, adding, "I've observed the soldiers in the camp. They are merely a competent army, far from being a formidable force like tigers and wolves. Against the northern dynasty's cavalry, they will surely suffer defeat. Moreover, Tuoba Guanghe has a strong penchant for warfare and slaughter—whenever he captures a city, he carries out widespread massacres. The civilian population is thus filled with fear. If it weren't for the military garrisoning the city gates and implementing a strategy of clearing the countryside and fortifying the defenses, the people would have fled long ago." Ling Jun sighs, "The morale of both soldiers and civilians is crumbling. With only fifty thousand troops facing forty thousand, alas. If this were a plain battlefield confrontation, and the southern dynasty had already fallen, we'd still have a chance. Fortunately, I've been monitoring the terrain of Linxia City through my flying birds. It's situated on a mountain to the south and by a river to the north, with a high elevation—thus, it's well-suited for defense." After speaking, he adds, "Indeed, our only advantage is the city walls." Fu Qingyang listens silently and then hands each of his three teammates a Linjun leapt to his feet, gritting his teeth: "I'm just a Saint..." The expressions of Tianxia Guihuo and Zhao Chenguang were more serious than ever before. After a moment's hesitation, Tianxia Guihuo said, "My primary mission is to survive for ten days. What about you two?" "Same here!" Linjun and Zhao Chenguang spoke at the same time. "Mine is to repel the enemy forces or defend the capital," Fu Qingyang added. Linjun cast a sympathetic glance toward his closest friend: "I promised you earlier that after ten days, I'd immediately step out of the Spiritual Realm—don't expect me to stay and help you." Fu Qingyang replied coldly: "I don't need a sacrificial pawn." Pausing, he asked, "Have you seen any of the others who returned with Yuan Shi and the Departed?" The three shook their heads. Linjun said, "I don't know where that young man is. Ah, we must find them quickly—once they're here, this battle can truly begin." Tianxia Guihuo and Zhao Chenguang shared the same thought: in such a challenging quest, Yuan Shi's Fu Qingyang sneered, "This realm is called the 'King Who Has Lost His Nation.' Since we've arrived at the camp, then, who do you think the incompetent king would be?" The three exchanged puzzled glances. Ling Jun exclaimed, "We must immediately retreat to the capital." At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted within the camp, waves of sound rolling out. The four members of the Military Council exchanged subtle expressions of concern. Fu Qingyang strode out, turning to the soldiers on duty outside, and said firmly, "Go and investigate immediately." The soldier remained motionless, his expression unimpressed, "General, it's the prisoner from the Northern Dynasty who's shouting—every day, it's the same. Have you forgotten?" A prisoner from the Northern Dynasty? Fu Qingyang's mind stirred. "Take me there."