My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

"what!"

No sooner had Li Xuancang left than angry shouts from the barbarian army camp pierced the night sky.

No one expected Li Xuancang to return and launch a surprise attack.

"What should we do? Li Xuancang could come back at any moment; we can't defend against it!"

Everyone was filled with unease, worried that Li Xuancang would strike again.

The bloody example of Tuoba Shou was right before their eyes, and they were terrified.

"We'll take turns keeping watch at night. If Li Xuancang dares to come, we'll make sure he doesn't leave alive."

The group couldn't think of a good solution for the time being, so they could only take turns keeping watch to prevent Li Xuancang from attacking.

Over the next few days, the barbarian army was filled with fear and unease, and everyone felt insecure.

They initially thought Li Xuancang would only make his move at night, but Li Xuancang completely defied expectations and sometimes stormed into the military camp during the day.

Relying on his powerful physique, he rampaged recklessly, targeting not only Qi Condensation Realm experts but also Blood Condensation Realm generals.

He acted decisively, striking without hesitation, regardless of whether he had killed his target or not, and quickly fled, giving the barbarian army no chance to encircle him.

Five days passed, and the barbarians were exhausted from running around. Even the experts at the Qi Refining Realm dared not be alone and could not eat or sleep in peace.

More than twenty people at the Blood Condensation Realm and more than seven hundred soldiers died at the hands of Li Xuancang. The morale of the entire army camp collapsed, and everyone was on tenterhooks, fearing that Li Xuancang would suddenly attack at any time.

"Withdraw your troops!"

After a few days, Wu Xiaotian looked haggard and had no choice but to order a retreat.

If this continues, Li Xuancang alone could completely break them down.

With two powerful demons killed by Li Xuancang, the demon race was leaderless and some demons were out of control. Only by withdrawing troops could they preserve their strength.

Seeing this, the three-eyed demon did not speak to stop him, as he was also worried that Li Xuancang would attack him.

"Waaaaah..."

The barbarian horns sounded in desolation, and the army quickly broke camp and fled in disarray.

Watching the barbarian army retreat, Li Xuancang looked relaxed. He had exhausted all his efforts and finally forced the barbarians to retreat, and Xuanyang County was temporarily saved.

Li Xuancang followed them all the way until he was sure the barbarian army had completely withdrawn before returning home with peace of mind.

When he returned to Xuanyang City unharmed, Zhou Xingzhan, who had been living in fear for days, finally felt relieved.

"Xuan Cang, you're finally back. If you hadn't come back, I would have sent people to look for you."

Zhou Xingzhan has been unable to sleep these past few days, constantly worried about Li Xuancang, and he was even preparing to send someone to inquire about the situation.

Fortunately, Li Xuancang returned safely, which put his mind at ease.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, adults."

Li Xuancang felt somewhat apologetic, realizing that his actions had indeed caused concern.

"My lord, the barbarians have already withdrawn their troops."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xingzhan didn't even have time to react before replying, "Okay, okay, it's good that you're back."

Suddenly, Zhou Xingzhan snapped out of his daze, his pupils dilated, and he gripped Li Xuancang tightly with both hands, his body trembling with excitement.

"What did you say? The barbarians have retreated?"

"My lord, the details are as follows..."

Li Xuancang did not hide anything and recounted everything he had done in the past few days.

As Li Xuancang recounted his story, Zhou Xingzhan's eyes grew increasingly shocked, and he gained a deeper understanding of Li Xuancang's extraordinary courage.

After Li Xuancang finished speaking, Zhou Xingzhan was still immersed in shock.

"Xuan Cang, you're taking too much of a risk."

Li Xuancang's actions were too impulsive; one wrong move and he might never return.

Then, Zhou Xingzhan changed the subject, "However, you deserve the greatest credit for saving Xuanyang City and forcing back the barbarian army. Such a tremendous achievement is enough to warrant a promotion to captain."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuancang's heart pounded, and he became somewhat agitated.

"Is this...is this okay?"

Although he really wanted to be promoted, he knew that becoming a captain was not easy and he was prepared to not get promoted for a long time.

But Zhou Xingzhan's words rekindled his hope; being promoted to captain as soon as possible would naturally be the best outcome.

Zhou Xingzhan nodded firmly and said confidently, "You have killed several enemies at the Gangqi Realm in succession and saved Xuanyang County from disaster. This achievement is enough to promote you to captain."

Zhou Xingzhan looked at Li Xuancang with a complicated expression, and made up his mind.

"I will do my best to recommend you and get your family involved. If you can also get the strong support of Captain Du, your promotion to captain will be a sure thing."

Seeing Li Xuancang's extraordinary potential, Zhou Xingzhan decided to fully support him.

The Zhou family is a prominent family in Anzhou. Although it cannot compare to top families like the Pei family, its influence should not be underestimated.

If Li Xuancang could gain Du Tianfeng's support, his promotion to captain would be a sure thing.

"Thank you, sir."

Li Xuancang bowed respectfully to Zhou Xingzhan.

The promotion from centurion to captain represents a leap in social class.

A captain can lead three thousand soldiers and hold sway over a region; he is a true figure of power.

Becoming a captain meant stepping into the upper echelons of Anzhou society.

With military power and his own strength, even powerful officials like governors, vice-governors, and registrars had to treat him with respect.

If Li Xuancang had been a captain back then, even if the Pei family valued the Marquis of Anzhou and Lin Jingyan more, they would have weighed the pros and cons and would not have dared to easily abandon Li Xuancang.

Li Xuancang clenched his fists, determined to obtain the position of captain.

The Pei family incident made him realize how rigid the class system was in the Great Yan Dynasty, and he became even more eager for power.

Zhou Xingzhan acted swiftly, immediately writing a personal letter and handing it to his trusted clansmen to take back to the Zhou family, asking them to use their resources to help Li Xuancang.

At the same time, news of Xuan Yang County's defeat of the combined forces of barbarians and demons, and Li Xuancang's killing of several Qi Refining Realm experts, reached Anzhou City, causing a great uproar.

The news of the barbarian army's breakup and retreat from the border of the Great Yan Dynasty spread like a thunderbolt, arriving at Anzhou City at top speed.

Prior to this, the entire city of Anzhou was already filled with fear and turmoil.

News of tens of thousands of barbarian troops pressing in, demons guarding the border, and elite forces being deployed had already spread throughout the streets and alleys, the mansions of noble families, and the military camps and government offices.

The people were terrified and couldn't sleep at night.

The loss of borders, the dominance of foreign tribes, and the insurmountable threat of demons are deeply ingrained perceptions in everyone.

Countless people were secretly terrified, fearing that the barbarian army would sweep across the border, breach cities and enter the country, slaughter counties and plunder the people.

The city was deserted and quiet, and merchants and travelers began to flee.

The hearts of the entire city hung on the line, all awaiting the devastating news of the city's fall and the army's defeat.

They also knew that Li Xuancang had led a thousand soldiers to support Xuanyang County, but a mere Li Xuancang and a thousand soldiers were nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the tens of thousands of barbarian troops, and could not affect the overall situation.

People thought that Li Xuancang and his thousands of soldiers had gone to their deaths in vain. When the news came back, people's first reaction was disbelief, followed by shock and curiosity.

They cheered with joy and were filled with awe. At the same time, they also wanted to know how Li Xuancang had managed to defeat the barbarians with such a large number of troops, forcing them to retreat.