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

The news of Li Xuancang defeating Huang Jiuxuan spread rapidly, causing a great uproar across the human land.

"How is it possible that Li Xuancang could defeat Huang Jiuxuan?"

"How old is Li Xuancang? How long has it been since he broke through to the Profound Realm? Could he be an old monster reincarnated and cultivating again?"

"Is this real? It feels unreal."

"..."

Previously, Li Xuancang single-handedly repelled the Hundred Herbs Sect's siege, and most people still didn't believe he possessed such terrifying strength.

Now that he has defeated Huang Jiuxuan in front of countless people, no one dares to question his strength anymore.

The Profound Realm is already the pillar of strength for all forces, and the later stages of the Profound Realm are even more crucial to the life and death of a force.

With Li Xuancang possessing such terrifying combat power, the Great Yan Dynasty now has another late-stage Tongxuan Realm expert, which will change the situation.

While various factions were shaken, the Great Yan court was filled with thunderous fury.

"Your Majesty, Li Xuancang has defied the imperial decree and must be severely punished."

An imperial censor stepped forward to impeach Li Xuancang.

Upon hearing this, the emperor and his ministers looked at him as if he were a fool.

Given Li Xuancang's current strength and the current situation of the Great Yan, wouldn't impeaching Li Xuancang be incredibly foolish?

"Your Majesty, the grassland people are eyeing the Great Yan with covetous intent. Lord Li's actions are also intended to deter the grassland people, which is understandable."

Du Tianyuan ignored the censor and spoke directly.

"Du Aiqing is right."

The emperor didn't give the censor a second glance, but nodded slightly to Du Tianyuan.

The Du family was an old and prestigious family, and now they had formed a marriage alliance with Li Xuancang, which the emperor could not afford to offend.

"Your Majesty, the war in Lingyang Prefecture is critical, and we must provide support as soon as possible."

Qin Huaiyuan was deeply worried.

Once Lingyang Prefecture falls, the rebel army can march straight to the capital and attack the imperial city.

The threat of the rebels is imminent; we must not allow them to occupy Lingyang Prefecture.

The hall fell silent. The emperor's gaze swept over everyone, and they all lowered their heads.

The forces behind everyone still have the power to support the battlefield, but they will never do so.

Preserving their vitality is the way for powerful families to survive; even if the dynasty changes, they can still rise again.

Looking at everyone, the emperor was both angry and furious, followed by a deep sense of powerlessness.

The royal family has already used up all the power they can control, and now he has no power left to mobilize.

The Imperial Guards and Zhao Chongwu were the last forces at the emperor's disposal, tasked with protecting the capital. They could not be easily mobilized, and the emperor was powerless to do anything about it.

Moreover, even if the Imperial Guards and Zhao Chongwu were to participate in the battle, it would be a drop in the ocean and would not be able to reverse the course of the war.

"Your Majesty, you may issue another decree to send Lord Li to the battlefield to oversee operations."

Gu Yanqing then stepped forward and spoke.

"Lord Li has made outstanding contributions in guarding the border and deserves to be richly rewarded and promoted again."

As soon as Gu Yanqing finished speaking, everyone knew what he was thinking.

This is an attempt to lure him with benefits, using incentives to motivate Li Xuancang to take action.

The emperor was furious, believing that Li Xuancang's disobedience was an act of opportunism, but the battlefield needed Li Xuancang, and he also knew that Gu Yanqing's suggestion was the best solution.

"Gu Aiqing is right."

The emperor approved of Gu Yanqing's proposal, pondered for a moment, and made a decision.

"By imperial decree, Li Xuancang is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an and appointed as the garrison commander of Yuzhou. All rewards and honors shall be distributed by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue."

Although the emperor was forced to compromise, he also had his own calculations.

The imperial decree appointing Li Xuancang as the garrison commander of Yuzhou reveals his sinister intentions to everyone.

Yuzhou borders Xuantian Sect, and everyone knows that Li Xuancang and Xuantian Sect are sworn enemies.

Li Xuancang's appointment as the garrison commander of Yuzhou will inevitably lead to a life-or-death struggle with the Xuantian Sect.

By using Li Xuancang to contain the Xuantian Sect, and letting the Xuantian Sect and Li Xuancang become entangled, the imperial court can reap the benefits.

"Your Majesty is wise..."

The courtiers saw through the emperor's intention: to kill two birds with one stone, and to serve the interests of all parties involved.

Du Tianyuan did not object.

Although the emperor's move was insidious and malicious, overall, the benefits outweighed the harms.

Liu Jin soon left the capital and headed to Ganquan County again.

Before them, the Du family's team had already set off, traveling day and night to Ganquan County.

"kill!

On the battlefield of Lingyang Prefecture, the sounds of battle were deafening, blood splattered everywhere, and an atmosphere of despair enveloped the battlefield.

Not only the imperial army felt despair, but the rebel army was also filled with despair.

Under pressure from the heretical cultivators and the Prince of Fu's mansion, these troops were completely wasted as cannon fodder.

Most of them were ordinary people who were forcibly conscripted.

The Prince of Fu's mansion and the evil cultivators didn't care about their lives at all; they only wanted to use them to weaken the imperial court.

Even if they die on the battlefield, their corpses will be used by evil cultivators.

Watching their comrades turn into zombies, the surviving soldiers felt a sense of shared fate and could already foresee their own end, leaving them utterly despondent.

Faced with an endless horde of enemies, the imperial army was completely numb, fighting only on instinct.

They had no idea when they would die, becoming puppets controlled by evil cultivators, and their hearts were filled with despair.

"Zhu Xuanye, come out and face your death."

Yang Yuntian's voice resounded across the battlefield, his aura surging forth.

"kill!"

Zhu Xuanye did not avoid the battle, nor could he, and immediately charged towards Yang Yuntian.

"Hahaha, die!"

The experts from the Prince of Fu's Mansion, all at the Tongxuan Realm, swarmed forward and attacked Shen Chongyuan and his group.

"Don't separate, everyone."

Duanmu Lei had everyone gather around him, huddling together for warmth, and struggling to hold off the enemy.

"Bang!"

"boom!"

"Click!"

"..."

When the strong clash, the winds and clouds change color, and sand and stones fly.

Both sides are old rivals and know each other very well. There was no probing; they went all out from the start.

Hang in there.

The enemy outnumbered them and, despite their desperate efforts, Duanmu Lei and his men were in grave danger.

"boom!"

High in the sky, Zhu Xuanye and Yang Yuntian fought fiercely, their battle creating a deafening roar.

After a long and fierce battle, the imperial court was on the verge of collapse.

"boom!"

Suddenly, the sky cracked open, and several terrifying beams of light shot out unexpectedly, heading straight for Duanmu Lei and the others.

"Oh no, everyone be careful!"

Duanmu Lei and the others sensed the danger, their expressions changed drastically, and they tried to hide.

"Hahaha, prepare to die!"

The powerful figures from the Prince of Fu's mansion held them firmly in check, giving them no chance to escape.

The beam of light was incredibly fast, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

The group was entangled with the enemy, unable to break free or escape, their lives hanging by a thread.

"boom!"

At the critical moment, a blazing light shot into the sky, its sacred and majestic aura sweeping across the battlefield.

"puff!"

"what!"

"Well!"

"..."

Caught off guard, the powerful figures from the Prince of Fu's mansion were all sent flying and injured.

The radiance quickly condensed into a barrier, blocking Duanmu Lei and the others.

"Bang, bang bang bang..."

The barrier and the beam of light clashed fiercely, like needles pointing at each other.

"Retreat quickly."

Duanmu Lei and the others escaped death and hurriedly retreated.

"Snap!"

After they escaped, the barrier could no longer hold and shattered, and the beam of light was also exhausted.