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

"Come on, let's go inside first."

Li's mother held Li Xuancang's hand, and Li Ling'er held his other arm as the family walked into the courtyard.

Seeing Li Xuancang's family reunited, Nangong Zhan smiled broadly, genuinely happy for Li Xuancang.

This was a time for Li Xuancang's family to reunite, and he didn't want to disturb them too much, so he prepared to turn around and leave.

"Xiao Zhan, you should stay too!"

Before he could leave, Li Xuancang's voice came.

"My lord, this..."

Nangong Zhan was surprised that Li Xuancang would let him stay, which meant that Li Xuancang completely regarded him as one of his own.

"That's an order."

"Your subordinate obeys."

Nangong Zhan followed behind Li Xuancang with an excited expression.

This was the most relaxed day for Li Xuancang since arriving in the Great Yan Dynasty, as if he had finally put down a heavy burden.

His family showed him great concern and inquired about his experiences over the years.

Li Xuancang downplayed the issue, glossing over it to avoid making them feel guilty.

The Li family settled down in the county town, and Li Xuancang shuttled between the military camp and his home every day.

Several days passed, and almost all the surviving remnants of the defeated army arrived in the county town, while those who failed to come had perished in Half Moon Gorge.

Of the more than 3,000 soldiers, only a little over 1,000 survived and made it to the county town. Only three centurions and six battalion commanders remained, a devastating loss.

The military camp was shrouded in sorrow and extremely oppressive.

"My lord, the captain summons you."

Li Xuancang was resting in his tent when Nangong Zhan rushed over to report to him with a look of anxiety.

When Zhou Xingzhan summoned him, Li Xuancang dared not be careless. After tidying himself up, he hurriedly went to see him.

When Li Xuancang arrived, there were already quite a few people in Zhou Xingzhan's tent.

All three centurions and six battalion commanders are here.

Li Xuancang did not see Wang Xuanshan, so he thought he was probably in grave danger.

"Greetings, Captain."

Li Xuancang clasped his hands in a salute to Zhou Xingzhan.

Zhou Xingzhan looked intently at Li Xuancang, holding the appointment document in his hand, his voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the entire camp.

"General Li Xuancang has repeatedly performed outstanding feats in suppressing bandits, defeating barbarians, beheading enemy chieftains, and breaking out of desperate situations, and his military achievements are outstanding."

"For his skillful command and the loyalty of his troops, he is hereby promoted to battalion commander, leading five hundred elite soldiers, under the command of the central army, and awaiting orders."

The appointment surprised everyone, and they all looked at Li Xuancang.

Li Xuancang was also surprised; this promotion came completely unexpectedly.

Compared to a centurion, a battalion commander holds real military power, commanding 500 elite soldiers. He is a mid-level general in the army, completely breaking away from the ranks of lower-level officers, and has the qualifications to participate in military intelligence discussions and lead an army in combat.

Although everyone was shocked and surprised, no one objected.

Li Xuancang's achievements are evident to all. In the Battle of Half Moon Gorge, dozens of barbarians died at his hands, including many cultivators.

He killed as many as six demonic beasts, the strongest of which, a black bear, was comparable to a Bone Forging Realm cultivator.

With his merits, no one objected to his promotion to battalion commander.

Li Xuancang stepped forward, accepted the battalion commander's seal, general's seal, and brand-new general's flag with both hands, and solemnly accepted the order: "This humble general will certainly not fail in the trust placed in him by you, sir."

As soon as he finished speaking, the generals around him looked at Li Xuancang with no trace of contempt.

In a short period of time, he fought his way up from a lowly soldier to the position of battalion commander. Such a rapid promotion is rare in the border army, and no one knows how far he will go in the future.

No one dared to underestimate Li Xuancang in the slightest; he was now on equal footing with everyone else.

Zhou Xingzhan looked at Li Xuancang with admiration. He appointed Li Xuancang as battalion commander not only because Li Xuancang brought back Zhou Xiong's body.

Li Xuancang's strength and achievements are sufficient. Now that the army is severely weakened and in need of capable personnel, it is only natural for Li Xuancang to be promoted to battalion commander.

"You will still lead your original troops, and the remaining soldiers will be replenished soon."

Zhou Xingzhan has already begun recruiting soldiers in the city. A large number of people have fled here and are eager to join the army. He will soon be able to recruit three thousand men.

When ordinary people join the army, they are initially in the reserve. Only by making meritorious contributions can they become regular soldiers.

Even so, countless people were eager to join the army.

Joining the army at least guarantees you enough to eat, and gives you the chance to risk your life and change your destiny.

After the appointment was announced, everyone dispersed one after another, and Li Xuancang returned to his own tent. Soon, Wang Xiaoniu and the others learned about his promotion.

"Haha, sir, you have killed a large number of enemies in every battle, so it is only natural that you have been promoted to battalion commander."

"With your promotion to battalion commander, we also have the opportunity to advance further."

"Following the adults was the wisest choice I ever made in my life."

"..."

As Li Xuancang rose in rank, Wang Xiaoniu and others under his command also rose in rank, and they were all very excited.

With his status as battalion commander confirmed, Li Xuancang's treatment underwent a dramatic leap compared to his time as a centurion.

He was granted a private mansion in the county town, with a spacious courtyard, complete side rooms, pavilions and terraces, enough to accommodate the whole family.

The monthly salary increased tenfold. In addition to the full amount of silver, the monthly allowance included top-quality rice, meat, silk, and refined salt, as well as qi and blood pills and spiritual rice specifically for cultivation, which was enough to support the individual's cultivation and the family's comfortable expenses.

Zhou Xingzhan was also granted an additional two hundred taels of silver and thirty mu of fertile land as extra rewards, and all taxes on the land were waived.

They changed into the battalion commander's exclusive standard armor, forged entirely from black iron, impervious to swords and spears, with the general's insignia engraved on the chest, exuding majesty.

They were issued battle guns made of high-quality steel, which were incomparably sharp.

The number of personal guards increased to five, dedicated to protecting, relaying orders, and managing internal affairs. They traveled on tall warhorses, displaying a grand regalia.

He has full authority to command 500 elite soldiers, and can appoint any military officers below the rank of centurion.

They possess the authority to make on-the-spot decisions during wartime and can independently allocate their troops without having to report everything.

As a general in the central army, he has the right to participate in military intelligence discussions across the entire army, and his voice is far more powerful than before.

The preferential treatment for family members has been upgraded again. The monthly pension and rations of the Li family and the eldest sister's family have been doubled, and they enjoy exclusive protection in the military and are not required to kneel before officials.

The numerous benefits are self-evident.

Seven days later, the army camp was filled with 3,000 men, and Li Xuancang was assigned 500 men.

Li Xuancang, holding the battalion commander's seal, stood on the command platform, and five hundred men saluted in unison.

"Greetings, Battalion Commander Li!"

The sound was deafening, and the momentum was overwhelming.

Many of them were new recruits, looking nervous, their eyes darting around, not daring to look Li Xuancang in the eye.

Li Xuancang surveyed his troops with a calm and dignified demeanor, displaying the bearing of an army commander.

"Wang Xiaoniu, brave in battle, killed eight enemies and was promoted to platoon leader."

Li Xuancang was promoted, and naturally he would not forget his subordinates.

Wang Xiaoniu has recently broken through to the early stage of the Body Tempering Realm and is now qualified to serve as a squad leader.

"Thank you, sir."

Wang Xiaoniu was so excited that his body was trembling and his face was flushed.

Following Li Xuancang for such a short time, he rose from an ordinary soldier to a platoon leader. It all felt like a dream to him, and he was afraid it was all a dream.

"Zhang Dajun, effective today, will serve as squad leader..."

As Li Xuancang appointed his men one by one, the lowest-ranking soldiers who survived under his command were all squad leaders.

The new recruits looked at the veterans who had been promoted to corporals with envy and longing in their eyes.

After making the appointments, Li Xuancang said in a deep voice, "Go and train!"

"Yes, ma'am."

The crowd quickly dispersed, and soon the sounds of intense training filled the military camp.