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

"The situation is getting more and more complicated."

After the two left, Li Xuancang frowned, feeling increasingly anxious.

With the rebellion in Yunzhou, Anzhou lost contact with the imperial court and could no longer obtain its support.

Now we not only have to face barbarians and demons, but we may even face an attack from Yunzhou. The situation is not optimistic.

"I hope there's still time so I can steadily improve my skills."

Li Xuancang was just a minor general with a hundred men, but to ordinary people, he was already an unapproachable figure.

But in the Great Yan Dynasty, it was nothing more than a slightly larger ant, only able to drift with the tide and possibly be crushed at any moment.

He can only make himself stronger now, because in this chaotic world, one's own strength is the greatest reliance.

He can only hope that the war will break out later, giving him enough time to become stronger.

Inside the army's command tent, eleven battalion commanders and six centurions were gathered together.

After numerous battles, the army suffered heavy losses, with some battalion commanders and centurions killed in action, and they have not yet recovered.

Zhou Xingzhan sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and said in a deep voice, "The Prefect's Office has ordered us to abandon Cangyun Ridge and retreat to the prefectural city."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd, with some people even standing up in excitement.

"My lord, how can this be?"

"My lord, you mustn't!"

"My lord, we must not abandon Cangyun Ridge."

"..."

Everyone advised that the orders from the prefectural governor's office should not be obeyed.

Cangyun Ridge is a crucial defensive line against barbarians and demons. If it is abandoned, the demons and barbarians can easily advance into the area.

At that time, the entire nine counties of Xuanyang Prefecture will become a hunting ground for demons and barbarians.

If the nine counties fall, their retreat to Xuan Yang County will only lead to their death. Under the siege of the demon race and barbarians, they will not be able to hold out for long.

Zhou Xingzhan was well aware of this principle, but he was also in a dilemma.

They could not ignore the orders from the prefectural governor's office, otherwise the prefectural governor's office would cut off the supply of resources to the army.

A falling out with the prefectural governor's office would be very disadvantageous for them.

"Sir, why not report to the garrison commander and ask him to make a decision?"

Zhou Xiong spoke up.

The highest commander of the Anzhou army is the garrison commander, who commands 30,000 troops within Anzhou, and even Cangyunling must obey his orders.

Whether they stay or leave is entirely up to the garrison commander to decide.

"That's all we can do."

Zhou Xingzhan had no other choice but to follow Zhou Xiong's advice.

"The betrayal of Yunzhou cannot be kept secret. The demons and barbarians will soon find out, and they will never let this opportunity pass. Be careful during this time."

Zhou Xingzhan reminded everyone that they must be wary of barbarians and demons.

They are the most important military force in Xuanyang County, and there must be no problems with them.

"Yes, ma'am."

Everyone readily accepted the order, knowing the seriousness of the situation, and no one dared to be careless.

Half a month passed quickly, and when the military camp learned of the rebellion in Yunzhou, everyone was filled with anxiety and worry.

"Bang!"

Li Xuancang threw a punch, shattering a fist-sized rock.

"Very good. My current strength is enough to rival those in the Bone Forging Realm, and I am not weak among them either."

Having been in this world for nearly half a year, Li Xuancang's power has increased to more than six times its original strength, completely surpassing the realm of humanity.

With a punch force of over a ton, one can easily punch through a reinforced concrete wall several tens of centimeters thick, easily lift a weight of two or three tons, and casually leap more than ten meters high. Ordinary swords and knives can no longer harm one.

"The further I went, the faster my strength increased, and I was transformed every day."

Li Xuancang was very satisfied with his current strength.

A 1% daily increase may seem slow or even imperceptible in the early stages, but it becomes a rapid and dramatic change every day later on.

Based on Li Xuancang's understanding of experts in the Bone Forging Realm, there has never been anyone who could compare to him.

Even if some people are as strong as me, their speed is far behind, and their physical strength is incomparable.

"With my current strength, I am not invincible even against a Blood Condensation Realm expert."

Li Xuancang desperately needed a major battle to prove his strength.

After six months in this world, he finally gained the ability to protect himself.

Inside the main camp's command tent, Zhou Xingzhan once again convened a meeting with the battalion commanders and centurions.

"The garrison commander has ordered us to abandon Cangyun Ridge and defend Xuanyang County to the death."

As soon as he finished speaking, the command tent fell into a deathly silence. No one had expected this outcome.

"Go and prepare! We'll evacuate in three days."

Military orders are absolute, and even if Zhou Xingzhan did not want to give up Cangyun Ridge, he had no choice but to obey them.

"How could this happen?"

The people found this outcome hard to accept; this retreat could very well bring annihilation, and they would no longer be able to contain the barbarians and demons.

"Go and carry out the orders!"

Zhou Xingzhan looked haggard and waved for everyone to carry out his orders.

The crowd's faces darkened, and they retreated without uttering a word.

Before long, the entire camp knew that they were about to retreat to Xuanyang County.

"Haha, great! It's much safer to retreat to the county town than here."

"The city walls are high and the resources are abundant, making it difficult for barbarians and demons to breach."

"Retreating to the county seat was a wise move."

"..."

Most of the soldiers had no resistance to retreating to the county town; on the contrary, they were overjoyed.

For them, all they wanted was to save their own lives and protect their families.

Cangyun Ridge is the front line, and it may face attacks from barbarians and demons at any time.

After retreating to Xuanyang County, it was equivalent to retreating to the rear, where they no longer had to directly confront the demons.

Not only is their life guaranteed, but they can also enjoy life in the bustling city, which is much better than living a precarious life in Cangyun Ridge.

Only the battalion commanders and centurions looked worried. Abandoning Cangyun Ridge meant abandoning all territory except for Xuanyang County, with unimaginable consequences.

"If the army retreats to Xuanyang County, won't Qingyang County be exposed to the attacks of barbarians and demons?"

After receiving the order to retreat, Li Xuancang's first thought was of his family in Qingxi Village.

Once the army withdraws, the barbarians and demons will have no way to stop them and will inevitably unleash a massive massacre, which will be a catastrophic disaster for the people.

"Nangong Zhan".

Li Xuancang absolutely could not allow his family to die tragically, so he loudly summoned Nangong Zhan.

"My lord, what are your orders?"

"Go to Qingxi Village immediately and ask the local government to cooperate in bringing my parents and my eldest sister's family to Xuanyang County City for resettlement."

Li Xuancang needed to act ahead of time and bring his family to Xuanyang County City so that he could feel at ease.

"Sir, what if the government doesn't cooperate?"

Nangong Zhan expressed his concerns.

He was just a soldier, and even though he represented Li Xuancang, he was not Li Xuancang himself. It was hard to guarantee that the government would not shirk its responsibilities and refuse to cooperate.

"My military medals have already been sent home. When the time comes, I will use them directly, and the government will not dare to refuse."

Li Xuancang was no ordinary centurion; he had military merit medals, and the government dared not offend him.

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Zhan had no more doubts. With the military medal, he would be invincible.

Li Xuancang wrote a personal letter, handing over all the silver he had to Nangong Zhan, instructing him to take it with him when he left.