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

Li Xuancang defied the imperial decree in public, causing Liu Jin and others to change their expressions drastically.

"Lord Li, this is His Majesty the Emperor's decree! Are you truly going to disobey it?"

At this moment, Liu Jin no longer cared about being afraid of Li Xuancang and questioned him sharply.

Li Xuancang remained calm and composed.

"A general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders. If I, the garrison commander, leave, who will protect the people of Liangzhou? When the iron cavalry of the grasslands breach the gates, causing widespread suffering, who will bear the responsibility?"

Not long after the previous imperial edict of demotion, another edict is now ordering Li Xuancang to risk his life on the battlefield. What kind of good thing is this?

Li Xuancang was not a lackey they could summon and dismiss at will.

"this……"

Liu Jin was speechless for a moment.

The most important factor is Li Xuancang's strength. He has become a force to be reckoned with, and neither the court nor the emperor dares to do anything to him.

Not to mention, during this special period, they dared not punish Li Xuancang even more.

"Lord Li, once Lingyang Prefecture falls, the rebel army will advance unimpeded, plunging the world into chaos. The people will be slaughtered by the evil cultivators, and their lives will be miserable. We hope that you will consider the overall situation and send troops to support us."

Unable to force Li Xuancang, Liu Jin changed his attitude, appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him.

"The people of Liangzhou are also the people, and I, the garrison commander, will not leave."

Li Xuancang remained unmoved.

Although he had some compassion, his family was still the most important person to him.

The battlefield in Lingyang Prefecture was dangerous, and he could not take his family there. He was also worried about leaving his family in Ganquan County, so he had no choice but to refuse to send troops.

"Master Li..."

Liu Jin tried to persuade him further, but Li Xuancang interrupted him directly.

"You may leave now."

The dozen or so people felt an irresistible force coming at them. They had no power to resist and were all sent flying out of the tent.

Li Xuancang did not make things difficult for them, and none of them were injured.

"hiss!"

Liu Jin and the others were dumbfounded, horrified, and gasped.

"Let's go! Report to His Majesty the Emperor."

Li Xuancang's attitude was firm, and everyone knew that they could not change it, so they dared not force him and could only leave dejectedly.

"Hmph, does that old emperor really think his words are law?"

After Liu Jin and the others left, Ouyang Meng and his group looked at them with disdain.

The last time the court demoted Li Xuancang, it had already enraged everyone.

Now, a single imperial edict is enough to send Li Xuancang to the battlefield to fight to the death; this is simply outrageous.

"Go and cultivate, all of you!"

Li Xuancang dismissed everyone and did not take the matter to heart.

With his current strength, he no longer needs to be timid or hesitant.

He has weathered the most difficult time and is now safe enough to ensure the safety of his family.

The autumn sky was clear and the air was crisp. A figure swept across the sky, leaving a white trail on the horizon as it headed towards Ganquan County.

"Is this the city of Ganquan? It is indeed prosperous."

Outside the city gate, an old beggar, dressed in rags and with disheveled hair, slowly entered the county town after being inspected.

The old beggar traveled around, and when he saw some young and beautiful women, he couldn't help but show a look of infatuation.

Although he was sightseeing and observing at the same time, he was quite fast and soon arrived at the garrison commander's residence.

"This is it."

The old beggar stopped, and his demeanor changed.

The previous lewd aura vanished without a trace, and it was like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed.

"boom!"

A terrifying aura soared into the sky, shaking half the city.

A dazzling sword light shot into the sky, making it clearly visible to everyone in the entire city.

"This is bad, a powerful figure has made a move."

"What terrifying sword energy! Even from this distance, it sends chills down our spines."

"What a terrifying swordsman! He must be at the Profound Realm without a doubt."

"..."

Seeing the dazzling sword light and feeling the extremely sharp sword intent, countless people trembled.

"It's in the direction of the garrison commander's residence. Who would be so audacious?"

"To dare to make a move in the garrison commander's residence is simply too arrogant."

"Who is so reckless as to dare to act so presumptuously in the garrison commander's residence?"

"..."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sword energy, speculating wildly.

"Quickly, go and check it out."

All factions immediately went to the garrison commander's residence to find out what was going on.

Inside the mansion, Li Xuancang, who was spending time with his family, suddenly turned cold, his killing intent about to erupt.

"Father, Mother, don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Li Xuancang comforted his pale-faced parents, then transformed into a streak of light and rushed out.

"cut!"

The old beggar swung his sword downwards, and the Battle Heaven Sword Qi slashed towards the garrison.

If this sword were to fall, the entire garrison would be destroyed in an instant.

Seeing this, Li Xuancang's killing intent intensified.

"Bang!"

The sword energy cleaved through the air before Li Xuancang had already arrived.

With a single punch, a fist hundreds of meters long hurtled towards the sword energy.

The moment the sword energy clashed with the fist, the earth trembled and the wind and clouds changed color.

"Boom, rumble..."

The explosion was deafening, the clouds churned, and the terrifying aftershocks spread in all directions.

Li Xuancang braced himself with both hands, and boundless power rapidly spread from his body, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the area below and blocked the residual force of the spread.

"A strong person!"

The old beggar's gaze was as sharp as a blade as he stared intently at Li Xuancang.

Immediately, his entire body radiated sword intent, and his fighting spirit burned brightly.

He hadn't had a proper fight in many years, and Li Xuancang before him was worth his all-out battle.

"call out!"

His figure transformed into a streak of sword light, rushing straight towards Li Xuancang.

Li Xuancang's expression was cold, his eyes deep, and he already regarded the old beggar as a dead man.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, throwing a punch at the sharp sword on the old beggar's body.

"clang!"

The extreme collision was earth-shattering. A metallic clang exploded, causing many people to experience ear pain, blood to flow down their cheeks, and temporary blindness.

"Um!"

Li Xuancang looked at the wound on his fist, his gaze darkening slightly.

The sword in the old beggar's hand was no ordinary weapon; it could actually penetrate the protective aura around him and injure him.

The old beggar's eyes widened, which was even more shocking.

His divine sword was a top-grade Earth-level divine weapon, and coupled with his unparalleled sword energy, it was unbelievable that he couldn't seriously injure Li Xuancang.

"Again."

The old beggar's fighting spirit grew stronger, and he launched repeated attacks.

His swordplay may seem ordinary, but it has actually returned to simplicity, and every move is deadly.

Li Xuancang refused to be outdone, his body radiating dazzling divine light as he clashed head-on with the old beggar, showing no fear whatsoever.

People from all sides rushed over quickly, watching in utter shock the earth-shattering battle unfolding in mid-air.

"Protect the mansion."

Zhang Tianlong and the others immediately protected the mansion to prevent anyone with malicious intent from taking advantage of the situation to enter.

"That's Huang Jiuxuan, a late-stage Transcendent Realm expert."

"Huang Jiuxuan is a renowned and unparalleled expert of the Northern Liang Royal Palace. Why would he become an enemy of Li Xuancang?"

"Huang Jiuxuan has roamed the world for many years, and countless Transcendent Realm experts have died at his hands. Can Li Xuancang stop him?"

"..."

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

Some people recognized Huang Jiuxuan's identity and were worried for Li Xuancang.