The Empire's territory had expanded to more than five hundred galaxies, and its population was counted in the tens of quadrillions. Its vast population, excellent education system, and the bonus from Diligence Repays the Heavens had brought forth a steady stream of talent.
Take the military, for example. Hero Tier commanders had long since spread throughout the star systems, while only outstanding Legendary Tier fleet commanders were qualified to lead regular fleets. Even the less exceptional deputy Heroes, whose role was to provide auxiliary aura bonuses, were all above Legendary Tier.
Under these circumstances, commanders below the Great Sage level barely left an impression on the Imperial Military's senior leadership. There was no other reason: the competition was simply too intense, and there were far too many talented people.
Marshal Iron Wall had risen through the ranks from the bottom, but he wasn't a space fleet commander. He was a fortress commander, a specialized profession that had originated with the Space Wall Project. Its prospects were rather limited, since most Space Fortresses remained stationed in one place year-round, making promotion extremely difficult.
However, if someone awakened a powerful talent aura in that relatively closed environment, they could advance more easily than a space fleet commander, whose field was far more competitive.
Tang Xiping had been promoted under such circumstances. With his 2.7 aura bonus, the Dimension Fortress's performance in every area received a multiple-fold boost, giving it ten times the combat power its hardware design should have allowed.
At that moment, his arrangements had divided the Dimension Fortress Group visible on the Holographic Projection into four groups of different sizes. Positioned in entirely different directions, they had the incoming Corrupted Fleet surrounded.
While the Dark Empire's War Marshal remained unaware, the Empire's Dimension Fortress Group had already quietly dispersed, forming