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

"Run!"

The once arrogant and domineering allied forces of barbarians and demons suffered a crushing defeat.

They were already constantly fighting amongst themselves and scrambling to escape. Now that they were surrounded and besieged, they were powerless to resist, and their formation completely collapsed.

The barbarian soldiers were trampled by the iron cavalry, leaving no trace of their bodies.

The demons were slain by the powerful, their bodies left in pieces.

At this moment, Wu Xiaotian and the others no longer cared about the army; they only cared about escaping for their own lives.

Standing on the city wall, Li Xuancang watched as the barbarians and demons below were surrounded and routed, with no power left to fight back.

"Zhou Xingzhan did indeed have a backup plan, but the price he paid was far too cruel."

In order to lure the ruler into a trap, the number of ordinary people who sacrificed their lives was far more than a million, and the losses caused by the barbarians were countless.

Li Xuancang believed that such an outcome was completely unworthy.

The setting sun was like blood; the main forces of the barbarians and demons were annihilated, and corpses littered the fields.

The remaining scattered soldiers fled in all directions and were wiped out one by one by the Anzhou army, thus completely eradicating the major threat to the border.

On the battlefield, limbs and severed bodies were everywhere, and the thick stench of blood permeated the air.

The Anzhou army pursued them relentlessly, only returning to Xuanyang City three days later.

The army returned, and the bodies near the city walls had already been disposed of. Only the battle marks on the city walls told everyone how fierce the battle had been.

Three days later, Li Xuancang had fully recovered, but his force of five hundred men was reduced to just over one hundred.

Two of his personal guards were killed in battle, and Nangong Zhang and Yang Tiangang were also seriously wounded.

"They're back! The army is back!"

Outside the city gate, Du Tianfeng, surrounded by a group of generals and powerful figures, led his army back in triumph.

Zhou Xingzhan and a group of officials rushed forward.

"Greetings, Commandant Du."

Zhou Xingzhan bowed respectfully to Du Tianfeng.

Although both are captains, there are huge differences between them.

Du Tianfeng was a trusted confidant of Du Tianhao, the garrison commander. His cultivation was only one step away from the Tongxuan Realm, making him incomparable to Zhou Xingzhan.

"Captain Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. You've all worked hard in this battle."

Du Tianfeng spoke in a deep voice.

In this battle, they killed four powerful warriors at the Qi Refining Realm of the barbarians and two powerful demons at the Qi Refining Realm of the demon race, severely injuring the barbarians. Zhou Xing's contribution was indispensable.

"It was all thanks to the garrison commander's strategic planning; I dare not take credit for it."

Zhou Xingzhan was not complacent at all. Now he had very few soldiers left and was almost all alone, having lost his former confidence.

"Let's go into the city!"

The army quickly entered the city and headed to the military camp.

After entering the military camp, Du Tianfeng summoned Zhou Xingzhan for a private meeting.

After the two talked for a long time, Zhou Xingzhan's expression turned serious, and his tone became extremely solemn.

"Captain Du, the fact that we were able to hold out until you arrived is largely thanks to my battalion commander, Li Xuancang."

Zhou Xingzhan wanted to take this opportunity to recommend Li Xuancang for credit, so that Li Xuancang would be grateful for his kindness and become even more loyal to him.

He had only a few hundred soldiers left out of his three thousand county soldiers. All the centurions at the Blood Condensation Realm had died in battle, leaving only three battalion commanders. Compared to his peak, it was a world of difference.

He wants to make a comeback and needs manpower support. Li Xuancang is powerful and capable, making him the best candidate.

Du Tianfeng raised his eyes, intrigued, and asked, "Is it Li Xuancang, who previously killed the barbarian at the Blood Condensation Realm?"

Previously, Li Xuancang had killed Huyan Zhuo, and Zhou Xingzhan had already reported his merit, which Du Tianfeng had also heard about.

"It is this person."

"Oh? Tell me in detail what else he has done in Xuan Yang City."

Zhou Xingzhan, with a solemn expression, recounted all of Li Xuancang's achievements without any exaggeration, yet every word was filled with blood and battle merits.

Upon hearing that Li Xuancang had slain the barbarians and killed a tiger demon at the Blood Condensation Realm with his bare hands, Du Tianfeng's expression turned solemn, his eyes filled with astonishment.

As Zhou Xingzhan recounted the story, a look of shock appeared on Du Tianfeng's face, and his heart was filled with considerable turmoil.

After listening, Du Tianfeng nodded slowly, his eyes full of approval. He slapped the table and exclaimed, "What a fine Li Xuancang! What a brave and resolute young general! I have already made up my mind."

Du Tianfeng's eyes were full of praise, and he decided to reward Li Xuancang handsomely.

Seeing the strange look in Du Tianfeng's eyes, Zhou Xingzhan's alarm bells rang, and he had a bad feeling.

"Is Du Tianfeng trying to steal my talent?"

He suspected that Du Tianfeng wanted to transfer Li Xuancang to his command, and immediately regretted that he shouldn't have revealed everything and given Du Tianfeng no reason to do so.

Although he regretted it somewhat, the die was cast, and Zhou Xingzhan could only hope that Du Tianfeng wouldn't try to take the person away from him.

He currently only has Li Xuancang as a capable subordinate. If Li Xuancang is transferred away, he will truly be all alone, with no one left to rely on.

Three days later, Xuanyang City gradually returned to order.

"Thump, thump thump thump..."

The sound of drums rang out in the military camp, and everyone immediately put down what they were doing and rushed to the drill ground as quickly as possible.

The main force of the Anzhou army and the remaining garrison of Xuanyang City gathered here.

Banners fluttered, armor gleamed, and all eyes were fixed on the general's platform in the center of the square, filled with anticipation as everyone waited for Du Tianfeng to reward those who had rendered meritorious service.

On the platform, Du Tianfeng sat in the main seat, surrounded by officers of various ranks. On the table were appointment documents, military tallies, general's robes, and various rewards.

Du Tianfeng's authoritative and resonant voice rang out as he read out the army's achievements in this battle.

"The Xuan Yang County army deserves the greatest credit for annihilating the main force of the barbarians and demons in this battle..."

Then, he began to reward everyone for their contributions.

"Colonel Zhou Xingzhan led the Xuan Yang County army to defend the city walls to the death, holding off the enemy and buying crucial time for the encirclement of the enemy forces..."

The first to receive the reward was Zhou Xingzhan. He was already a captain, and if he wanted to be promoted, he could only be appointed by the court and the emperor himself. He could not be promoted for the time being, but only received some pills, silver, land and other rewards.

After Zhou Xingzhan, it was Li Xuancang's turn.

Du Tianfeng turned his gaze to Li Xuancang, his voice booming and echoing throughout the entire training ground.

"In this battle, the main force of the barbarian demon race was completely annihilated. Li Xuancang made outstanding contributions, bravely defending the pass, fighting to the death, turning the tide, and saving the collapsing empire. His achievements surpass those of the entire army, and he is hereby specially rewarded in an exceptional manner."

As soon as he finished speaking, the messenger, holding the appointment document, read it aloud.

"Li Xuancang was promoted to commander of a thousand elite soldiers, directly under the command of Colonel Du Tianfeng."

Li Xuancang was not only promoted to centurion, but also came under Du Tianfeng's command, making countless people so envious that their eyes almost popped out.

"That despicable Du Tianfeng."

Hearing about Li Xuancang's appointment, Zhou Xingzhan gritted his teeth and wanted to punch Du Tianfeng in the face.

Immediately afterwards, a series of generous rewards followed, with treatment far exceeding that of the battalion commander.

His monthly salary tripled, and he was also given a thousand taels of gold, a hundred bolts of silk, two hundred acres of fertile land, and his entire family was exempted from taxes. He was also provided with Qi and Blood Pills and Blood Clotting Grass every month for his cultivation.

He was assigned twenty personal guards, and his journeys were accompanied by carriages and ceremonial regalia. He was bestowed with a black and gold military tally and a gilded general's robe, and his armor was replaced with top-grade black iron heavy armor, which was impervious to swords and spears.

The bestowed residence is a detached general's mansion within Anzhou City, which can be moved to at any time.

They possess the authority to independently train and deploy troops, participate in important military affairs discussions, have priority in the allocation of military equipment and provisions, and have the right to act first and report later.

Each honor bestowed was extremely generous, and each treatment drew the attention of everyone present.

After the reading was completed, Li Xuancang stepped forward and accepted the commander's tally and gilded general's robe with both hands.

A brief silence fell over the entire venue, which was then followed by deafening cheers and murmurs.

"Commander Li is a young man of great talent and truly deserves his reputation!"

"I've never seen a centurion of this age before."

"Lord Li defended Xuanyang City to the death; he truly deserves these rewards!"

"..."

Exclamations of envy, admiration, and praise echoed across the training ground.