"So... you wiped out the advance force?"
Xu Cheng looked astonished.
Through the transparent window, he watched the Abyssal Creatures wailing inside the research room. They writhed constantly, trying to break out, only to be held fast by a transparent membrane of Soul Power...
"These are the ones capable of short-range spatial jumps. I killed all the others." Xiao Hongchen waved a hand, looking so righteous that nothing more needed to be said.
"A couple of compliments, and you're already puffing yourself up." Xu Cheng chuckled.
"You didn't see me commanding that battle. At that hair's-breadth moment, even the adjutant panicked. When it really mattered, I had to step in and direct the whole operation." Xiao Hongchen brushed it off, smugly blowing a strand of hair aside.
"But short-range spatial jumps..." A flicker of surprise crossed Xu Cheng's eyes.
The Abyss Plane really was a treasure trove.
Keeping it around as a whetstone for the Sun Moon Empire had been worthwhile.
If he had drained the whole thing to create the River of the Underworld in the Netherworld Realm, he would have missed these hidden little surprises.
"The advance force has arrived, but the main force is still about a year away."
Xu Cheng pondered aloud. "A true space force can't be tempered in a greenhouse. Keep developing it. Most of our experience with land and naval warfare won't apply to battles in space. This is an entirely new system. Even our training methods need to be built from scratch. The Space Academy hasn't even been established for six months yet, so you'll have to put more effort into it..."
"No problem. Leave it to me!" Xiao Hongchen nodded slightly.
"However..."
Xu Cheng swept his gaze toward the vast universe beyond the starship.
His expression gradually grew serious.
Just moments