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

"Your Highness, this is a good opportunity. Shall we make our move?"

Li Xuancang was engaged in a fierce battle with the grassland warriors, and Wang Qi and the others were also held back by the grassland people. This was the perfect opportunity to take Princess Zhaoyang away.

Upon hearing this, King Kang's eyes lit up, and he was about to order an attack.

"No."

The woman in black robes quickly spoke up to stop her.

"General Li is currently engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy; do not intervene, lest you distract him."

The woman had keen insight and a broad perspective.

They knew that the lives of everyone in the Great Yan Dynasty depended on Li Xuancang alone. If they took Zhaoyang away, causing Li Xuancang to be distracted and defeated, everyone would die.

Even if they rescue Zhaoyang, they will not escape the pursuit of the Transcendent Realm experts.

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, and everything could only be decided after Li Xuancang and the grassland expert had determined the winner.

The situation has changed now.

With the grassland people attacking the Great Yan, a marriage alliance is no longer possible. As long as Li Xuancang defeats the enemy, Zhaoyang will be safe, and they will no longer need to risk their lives.

"Bang!"

The earth-shattering battle raged on, but Murong Chong and his men grew increasingly alarmed with each battle.

Li Xuancang is like a limitless being, unfathomable.

The gaunt old man's gaze grew increasingly solemn as he discovered a terrifying truth.

Li Xuancang's soul was incredibly powerful, rivaling even his physical body.

At first, they thought Li Xuancang was a body cultivator with a powerful physical body, but his soul was his biggest weakness.

But as he continued to work on Kuaishou, he was horrified to discover that Li Xuancang's soul was equally terrifying, and he couldn't find any weaknesses at all.

After a long and fierce battle, their true energy and physical strength were rapidly depleted, while Li Xuancang fought with increasing ferocity and began to suppress them.

This is the terrifying aspect of body cultivation; the physical body is the most powerful weapon, and there is no need to rely too much on true essence.

True essence can be consumed and depleted, but the physical body's endurance far exceeds that of true essence.

The longer the battle lasts, the smaller their advantage becomes, while Li Xuancang's advantage increases.

"boom!"

Li Xuancang forced the burly old man back with a punch, and then slapped Huyan Jue away with a palm strike.

His fists were stained with blood, some of his own, some of his enemies'.

His clothes were completely torn to shreds, and his upper body was bare, revealing his muscular physique.

Bathed in golden light, they resembled lurking dragons, ferocious and majestic.

He stood in the center of the field, surrounded by five people, all panting and injured.

Blood trickled from the corner of the burly old man's mouth, his tiger's mouth split open, and his hand holding the spiked club trembled slightly.

The frail old man had a fist-sized hole in his chest; if he hadn't dodged quickly, the punch wouldn't have hit his chest.

Murong Chong and Agula were barely able to stand, and several cracks appeared on Huyan Juejian's sword.

Li Xuancang also had many wounds on his body, some of which were so deep that the bone was visible.

But his breathing remained steady, even stronger than before the battle.

The five people looked at each other, their shock no longer concealed.

The burly old man opened his mouth, his voice dry and horrified.

"Is this...is this guy a human or a ghost?"

The frail old man did not answer; his face was ashen, and the veins on his hand gripping the rusty sword bulged.

He had lived for over two hundred years and had seen countless geniuses, prodigies, and monsters, but he had never seen such a formidable opponent.

Murong Chong and the others were panting heavily, their bodies wracked with pain, and their eyes were filled with fear.

They knew that if the fighting continued, casualties would soon follow.

With Li Xuancang's powerful physical body and flawless soul, he could exhaust them all to death.

"Let's retreat!"

They came with great fanfare, setting up a deadly trap, only to leave in disgrace. The people were unwilling, but had no other choice.

Everyone underestimated Li Xuancang's strength; no one knew he was such a terrifying monster.

In fact, the grassland people already valued Li Xuancang enough. With three early-stage Tongxuan Realm cultivators and two mid-stage Tongxuan Realm cultivators, this force would not be an exception.

But who could have imagined that Li Xuancang would be so terrifying, so powerful that it was frightening.

"The entire army shall retreat."

The order to retreat came from the air, and the grassland people quickly withdrew.

They were all cavalry, swift as the wind, and the Great Yan could hardly pursue them. Moreover, this was a grassland, so they dared not pursue them.

"Walk!"

After the army withdrew, the five men stared intently at Li Xuancang and slowly retreated.

Li Xuancang remained unmoved as he watched the grassland people leave.

Even if he chased after them, he would have little chance of defeating them. If he attracted other powerful figures from the grasslands, he would be in danger.

"Withdraw from Ganquan County."

At Li Xuancang's command, the troops quickly returned to Ganquan County.

During their journey, Princess Zhaoyang ignored all advice and came to Li Xuancang's side.

"General Li, are you alright?"

Her eyes were filled with concern, and her eyes were slightly red.

"Princess, don't worry, I'm fine."

Li Xuancang offered gentle words of comfort.

Unexpectedly, Princess Zhaoyang suddenly burst into tears.

"It's all because of me, otherwise General Li wouldn't have been injured."

Zhao Yang looked remorseful, believing that she had implicated Li Xuancang.

"They came for me, Princess, you don't need to blame yourself."

The true goal of the grassland people is themselves; marriage alliances are merely a reason for them to enter the grasslands.

The group quickly returned to Ganquan County, attracting the attention of various factions.

"What happened? Why has the princess returned?"

"Wasn't Princess Zhaoyang going for a political marriage? Why does it look like everyone's been through a major battle?"

"What happened?"

"..."

Many forces were baffled; all of this seemed highly unusual.

Upon returning to Ganquan County, Li Xuancang sent someone to report the situation to the imperial court and awaited its arrangements.

"Lord Li, the marriage alliance has failed, and I am preparing to take Princess Zhaoyang back to the capital."

Wang Qi came to Li Xuancang to resign, wanting to take Princess Zhaoyang back to await the emperor's decision.

The failure of the marriage alliance was a huge disgrace for the court and the royal family.

Sending the princess to the grasslands for a political marriage was already a disgrace; now that the marriage has failed, it is an even greater humiliation.

In order to save face, the royal family and the court may choose to sacrifice Princess Zhaoyang.

Throughout history, beautiful women have been considered a source of trouble; by blaming women, the dignity of the royal family and the court can be preserved.

"The failure of the marriage alliance is the fault of the grassland people. They broke their promise. Princess Zhaoyang will remain in Ganquan County for the time being, awaiting orders from the imperial court."

Li Xuancang spoke coldly, directly rejecting Wang Qi's request.

He decided to protect Princess Zhaoyang from the impending storm.

"Lord Li, this is not in accordance with the rules."

Wang Qi's expression changed drastically, but he still forced himself to speak.

"rule?"

Li Xuancang scoffed, "Here, my word is law."

Li Xuancang's words were resounding and thought-provoking, leaving Wang Qi momentarily stunned.

This statement is utterly treasonous, showing a complete disregard for the emperor and the court.

Wang Qi was terrified, cold sweat poured down his back, and he dared not utter a single word in reply.

He witnessed Li Xuancang's overwhelming combat power firsthand; there were very few who could rival him in the entire Great Yan Dynasty.

Only Zhu Xuanye and General Lin Fengxian could consistently outmaneuver Li Xuancang.

Li Xuancang may only be spouting wild words, but as long as he doesn't raise an army in rebellion, neither the emperor nor the court will dare to do anything to him.