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

The boy's eyes shone brightly, filled with determination and anticipation for the future.

The boy's mother was taken aback, then her eyes reddened: "Son! Joining the army means fighting. Can't you just stay home?"

Although her son had become a cultivator, the battlefield was a dangerous place where swords and spears could strike at any moment, and the woman did not want him to join the army.

The boy looked determined as he glanced at his dilapidated house and the little food left in the house.

"Mother, look at our family, the rice jar is almost empty. I'm going to join the army. If I pass the exam, I'll get five taels of silver as a settlement allowance, enough for you and my sister to eat for half a year. Even if I don't pass, the government will still give me five taels of silver!"

Even monks need to eat and survive.

Because he was a cultivator, he ate more than ordinary people.

They want to improve their cultivation level, and they need cultivation resources.

However, cultivation resources are precious and difficult for them to access.

Cultivation costs money. Even with exceptional talent, without the support of resources, one will quickly become just another ordinary person.

The young man harbored great ambitions, knowing that if he did not seize this opportunity, he would be stuck at the Body Tempering Realm for the rest of his life, with no possibility of changing his fate.

The mother opened her mouth, but looking at her son's young yet determined face, she finally stopped trying to stop him.

Silently, she took out a string of copper coins from under the pillow and stuffed them into his hand.

"Go buy some meat and nourish yourself properly, don't go to the army on an empty stomach."

The boy clutched the coin, his nose stung with tears, nodded vigorously, and turned to rush out the door.

The next morning, a long line had already formed at the entrance of the military camp.

The procession stretched from the gate of the drill ground all the way to the official road three miles away, a dense mass of people.

Some carried knives, some carried guns, and some were empty-handed. Those who were empty-handed mostly practiced hand-to-hand combat.

Some were dressed in fine brocade robes, while others wore only tattered hemp clothes, but without exception, everyone's eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

A burly man in the middle of the queue glanced back at the increasingly long line behind him and grinned.

"Wow, how many people are there?"

Someone behind him echoed, "Roughly estimated, there are at least a thousand people right now."

"The notice has only been posted for one day. In a few more days, it will probably cost tens of thousands."

The burly man gasped, "Tens of thousands of people? Do we even have a chance of being elected?"

The person who echoed this smiled and said, "So what if there are many people? We're after skills, not heads."

"If you're truly capable, you can stand out among ten thousand people; if you're not, even if only ten people come, it won't be your turn."

The burly man choked for a moment, scratched his head, and chuckled.

"That's right, whether I'm capable or not, we'll see on the training ground."

The column moved slowly forward, and some soldiers looked down at the ever-growing line, exchanging bewildered glances.

An old soldier murmured, "I've been in the army for twenty years, and this is the first time I've seen so many cultivators vying to join."

These people are no ordinary people; each of them possesses cultivation. It's unexpected that there are so many cultivators in Ganquan County.

The other young soldier's eyes gleamed.

"This is a good thing. The more experts who come, the stronger the army will be. In the future, when we wipe out those monsters and resist the grassland people, we will lose fewer people."

The veteran paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I hope so!"

Accompanied by Wang Xiaoniu and others, Li Xuancang strode out.

"There are quite a few people here."

At a glance, there were at least two thousand people. Li Xuancang was somewhat surprised, and then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The more people come, the happier he is.

If he could keep all these people here, he would be more confident in dealing with the nomads and the Liangzhou army in the future.

"It is the garrison commander."

"Lord Li has arrived."

"Is this Lord Li?"

"..."

Upon seeing Li Xuancang approach, everyone quickly straightened their backs and presented their best selves.

All eyes were on Li Xuancang, their eyes filled with admiration.

They had all heard of Li Xuancang's amazing achievements, and most of them were attracted by Li Xuancang's reputation.

As Li Xuancang slowly approached, everyone felt an aura of war and battle rushing towards them.

Let's begin!

Li Xuancang ordered the selection process to begin.

"Follow me to the Body Tempering Realm."

"Those at the Bone Forging Realm, come here."

"Blood Coagulation Realm cultivator, come with me."

Wang Xiaoniu and the others led the group away, and the group of more than two thousand people quickly separated.

After everyone left, two people, one big and one small, stood still without making a move.

The two are so striking that it's hard not to take a second look.

One of them was 2.5 meters tall, with bulging muscles all over his body, exuding explosive power.

The other person was fair-skinned and thin, only about 1.7 meters tall.

The two stood out conspicuously together.

Why aren't you two moving?

The two remained unmoved, so Nangong Zhan stepped forward to inquire.

When questioned by Nangong Zhan, the burly man looked bewildered, subconsciously scratched his head, and chuckled.

The thin man bowed slightly to Nangong Zhan and said, "Sir, my brother and I are at the Qi Refining Realm. Where should we go for the assessment?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Zhan was greatly surprised, and his expression changed drastically.

He couldn't believe that the two people in front of him were actually at the Qi Refining Realm.

"Come with me."

Just as Nangong Zhan was horrified, Li Xuancang's voice rang out calmly.

"yes!"

The two followed Li Xuancang into the military camp and arrived outside Li Xuancang's tent.

"Where are you from? Why do you want to join the army?"

Li Xuancang stared at the two men, who felt as if they were being stared at by a ferocious beast, cold sweat pouring down their backs and their minds filled with terror.

The burly man's smile vanished, his fists clenched, as if he were about to unleash a violent attack.

The thin man trembled, his eyes filled with horror.

"Your Excellency, my brother and I are natives of Liangzhou. This is my younger brother, Ouyang Meng, and I am Ouyang De."

After careful consideration, Ouyang De's gaze gradually hardened, and he told them about their backgrounds.

"My lord, we brothers share half grassland blood..."

Ouyang De truthfully recounted the two men's unsavory backgrounds.

The two children's mother was insulted by the people of the grasslands, and eventually gave birth to them.

Their mother kept their identities a secret and struggled to raise the two brothers alone.

Later, by chance, the two joined a gang and came into contact with cultivation techniques.

Who knew that the two were exceptionally talented and their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.

Just when everything was going well, their true identities were unexpectedly revealed.

Everything changed dramatically overnight.

Their gang expelled them from the sect, and everyone pointed fingers at them, regarding them as a disgrace.

Even so, the two did not give up their cultivation and ventured deep into the mountains and forests in search of resources.

As their cultivation levels rose, they became even more feared by others.

All factions wanted to kill them, but hesitated to act because of their strength.

Not long ago, the two offended the Liangzhou army, and in order to protect themselves, they had no choice but to seek refuge with Li Xuancang.