11: Fighting on the battlefield

The Elite Troops were, without a doubt, true elite soldiers. Each of them wore iron armor, and some individual soldiers not only carried long spears but also had swords at their waists and bows and arrows on their backs.

The entire Elite Troops numbered only about two thousand, but under the leadership of Commandant Zhang Hu, they charged into the enemy like wolves entering a flock of sheep, each one incredibly fierce and radiating a terrifying aura.

"Haaah!!!"

The leading Commandant Zhang Hu looked like a leopard-headed, round-eyed, fierce tiger, and his overall strength was much greater than that of the burly man Gu Chang had encountered before.

He wielded a heavy broadaxe in each hand, swinging them left and right. Any enemy blocking his path was no match for a single blow; he was practically a human Vicious Beast on the battlefield.

Ordinary soldiers often needed only one strike from him to be cut in half, person and weapon alike. His blood-soaked, axe-wielding figure was terrifying not only to the enemy but also to his own men.

But soon, enemy commandants also appeared, leading their elite soldiers, and the two forces immediately clashed.

The burly man Gu Chang had encountered before was also among them, clearly a role similar to a Platoon Leader, but now there were naturally others to deal with him.

"Pfft!"

"Stay close to me!"

"Kill!"

"Ah!!!"

This situation immediately drew the surrounding Auxiliary Army into their battle. It was Gu Chang's first time directly facing the brutal combat of elite soldiers.

Although the strength of these elite soldiers was still much weaker than that of the burly man from before, most of them were roughly on par with him. What was even more terrifying was their close coordination, coupled with their considerable strength, they slaughtered ordinary soldiers like chickens!

Gu Chang found himself steadily retreating in the face of these elite soldiers, with soldiers around him constantly dying or getting injured. Fortunately, the Elite Troops nearby were bearing the brunt of the pressure; otherwise, he and his subordinates would have been annihilated in just a few exchanges.

Even so, the situation was extremely dangerous. Gu Chang could only try his best to keep his men together, avoid the main force of the enemy, and prioritize his own survival.

"Rumble!"

"Kill!"

Suddenly, Gu Chang felt the ground tremble, followed by a cavalry unit charging towards the warring sides.

Hard cavalry sabers chopped down like cutting melons and vegetables on the battlefield. The ordinary soldiers, already terrified by the brutal slaughter, could no longer hold on and began to scatter and flee.

"Hahahaha!"

"Chase them all!"

"Kill them all!"

"Charge!"

Fortunately, this cavalry unit was led by the general on Gu Chang's side. Their strength was even greater than that of the elite Elite Troops, and a single charge changed the tide of the battle.

Soon, the great battle came to an end. Most of the enemy soldiers either died or fled, and a small number who couldn't escape chose to surrender.

"Hoo~ Hoo~"

Only then did Gu Chang collapse onto the ground, exhausted. This fierce battle had truly drained all his strength.

At the same time, he turned his head to look. Of the soldiers who had surrounded him, only a dozen or so remained. Even his trusted soldiers, whom he had painstakingly armed, had lost half their numbers. Fortunately, Li Ergou and Wang Da Niu, the child soldiers who had followed him, were only injured.

"Finally, we made it through!"

Facing such a result, Gu Chang had only one thought left in his mind: such a perilous battlefield was not something a martial artist who had just entered Flesh Refining could change.

"Strength! I must acquire more powerful strength!"

"Just Flesh Refining is not enough! Flesh Refining! Refining Bone! Even Marrow Refining!"

At this moment, an unparalleled desire for power erupted within Gu Chang!

After a brief respite, Gu Chang immediately began collecting spoils of war and clearing the battlefield.

Gu Chang didn't know what the generals and commandants planned, but he understood that acquiring powerful strength required the support of resources!

The entire war ended quite quickly, and by evening, all the wounded soldiers had returned to the military camp.

However, compared to previous days, the military camp was much quieter tonight, with faint sounds of suppressed weeping and painful groans.

Although they ultimately won, as a price, the Auxiliary Army suffered heavy losses, with their overall numbers reduced by nearly half.

Such a number was already quite terrifying for ancient armies. If not for the existence of powerful martial artists to stabilize the situation in this world, they would likely have mutinied or disbanded by now.

However, it was clear that for King Mu and his subordinate generals, only those few Elite Troops were truly important. The other Auxiliary Army were truly just cannon fodder to be consumed.

Therefore, even if the Auxiliary Army suffered heavy casualties, it would not be a fundamental blow. After all, there were plenty of common people who couldn't get enough to eat now, and more cannon fodder could be recruited into the military camp at any time.

Deeply realizing this point, Gu Chang understood even more clearly that only his own strength was fundamental.

So, after returning to the military camp, he immediately began practicing martial arts. With his current wealth and gains, he would achieve Major Achievement in Stone Skin within the next month or two. By then, he would have a sliver of self-preservation when facing strong opponents.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A wooden stick wrapped in cloth repeatedly struck Gu Chang's body, making his skin red and swollen. However, with the vigorous Qi and the aid of secret medicine, this level of injury would mostly heal after a night's sleep.

Thus, five or six days quickly passed. During this time, severely injured soldiers were continuously sent away, and newly recruited soldiers were delivered.

There were also some veteran soldiers who survived the battlefield who were selected to join the ranks of the Elite Troops.

In just a few days, the faces in the military camp seemed to have been completely replaced.

At the same time, the second round of rewards for merit had also been completed. Due to his performance on the battlefield, Gu Chang once again received rewards, but this time he only gained some money and land, and was additionally awarded some better equipment.

His position was not promoted. After all, above Platoon Leader was Commandant, and that position was a proper military officer. The merits accumulated from just one battlefield engagement were simply not enough.

"You are brave in battle and willing to endure hardship. You are truly good material for becoming an elite soldier."

In the training ground, Commandant Zhou Yun suddenly spoke to Gu Chang, who was persistently training hard.

Of the dozen or so Auxiliary Army Platoon Leaders who had practiced martial arts with Gu Chang, only a few remained.

These people either died on the battlefield, were severely injured and unable to continue their military life, or were disheartened and could not afford the continued expenses of martial arts training.

Seeing Gu Chang still diligently practicing martial arts after experiencing so much, Zhou Yun developed an appreciation for his talent.

"Thank you for your promotion, Commandant!"

Gu Chang was startled when he heard this, then immediately replied to him.

"Don't thank me, you earned this!"

"However, after joining the Elite Troops, you will no longer be able to serve as a Platoon Leader. Instead, you will be demoted to a squad leader. Are you willing?"

Zhou Yun smiled when he heard Gu Chang's reply, and at the same time, explained it to him in detail.

"Can my comrades and brothers under my command also come with me?"

"You mean the few who survived? That's fine, after all, they are also veteran soldiers who fought their way out of the battlefield."

Zhou Yun thought for a moment when he heard this, then nodded in agreement. After all, the Elite Troops also had some casualties this time, and they needed to replenish with some veteran soldiers.

"Thank you, sir!"

Gu Chang thanked the other party again. With such a core group, he would not feel isolated after joining the ranks of the Elite Troops.

"Alright! Pack your things, then report immediately to the Xuanjia Camp!"

As a Xuanjia Commandant, Zhou Yun was naturally recruiting for himself, so Gu Chang also joined the Xuanjia Army.

Gu Chang had no complaints about this. Compared to the Elite Troops, who needed to charge and fight head-on, the Xuanjia Army was clearly more flexible, and the benefits they received would not be less.

For him, joining such an elite troop was a very good choice.