648: The successful return of the great hero

Upon hearing this explanation, He Dong was first taken aback, then helplessly shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Well, he thought to himself, he had been wondering why the Imperial Military Department would send only their incomplete division deep into such a massive Cultivation World harboring top-tier Tribulation Crossing Stage combatants. Now it seemed there had been arrangements all along, with such a large-scale backup force secretly in place.

He looked up at the sky-obscuring starship fleet, and a sense of awe welled up in his heart.

To be honest, this time they had relied on meticulous planning, using Potion inducements, ideological infiltration, and faction subversion to take the entire Cultivation World without shedding a drop of blood, never resorting to large-scale force throughout the process.

But if the plan had deviated, forcing them to adopt the Empire's traditional frontal assault mode, facing the desperate resistance of billions of Cultivators and Tribulation Crossing Stage powerhouses in this world, their small force would have surely struggled to quell the situation... In the top-floor office of the Longlan Star Cluster's Administrative Center, within the spacious and bright room, a holographic screen floated quietly in mid-air, with various Galaxy operation data and administrative reports scrolling in an orderly manner.

Li Yang sat behind his desk, handling the administrative documents at hand, when a light screen suddenly popped up with an encrypted communication.

It was a victory report sent by He Dong from the distant Cultivation World.

Li Yang lightly tapped his fingertip to unlock the message. The moment he saw the content, genuine joy spread across his face, and he couldn't help but murmur in admiration.

"Excellent! Taking the entire Cultivation World without expending a single soldier."

According to He Dong's detailed report, the Empire's dispatched Reception Team, Reorganization Office, and Administrative Takeover Group had already arrived in the Cultivation World and were completing a series of tasks according to the established procedures, including faction takeover, personnel registration, territorial demarcation, and rule integration.

All matters were progressing smoothly. Once all handovers and verifications were completed, this cross-dimensional conquest mission would be considered thoroughly and perfectly accomplished.

And the troops led by He Dong had also concluded their mission and embarked on the return journey.

Thinking about how this mission was accomplished without bloodshed and brought to a perfect conclusion, Li Yang's mood lightened considerably.

But before he could rejoice for long, another official notification from the Supreme Political Council directly reached his light screen, with an extremely high permission level marked "Read Immediately."

Li Yang casually opened it, and a line of clear, standardized official text came into view.

"Comrade Li Yang, in recognition of your nomination and commendation at the Xili Empire's Centennial Best Officials Awards Ceremony, and upon verification by the Supreme Political Council, the corresponding reward is hereby issued: your administrative rank is promoted by two levels."

Looking at this formal promotion notice, Li Yang was first delighted, then somewhat amused.

This promotion directly jumped his administrative rank from C8 to C6 by two levels, seemingly a significant leap, but he knew well in his heart.

It precisely landed at the upper limit edge of the rank for the position of Chairman of the Longlan Star Cluster—neither more nor less, just meeting the highest compatibility standard for the current position without exceeding it.

He calculated privately that if he could be promoted one more level to C5, it would exceed the rank-bearing capacity of the current Chairman position.

According to the Empire's administrative regulations, he could then be smoothly transferred to a higher-level administrative position, achieving a simultaneous promotion in both position and rank.

But it was stuck at C6, neither high nor low, giving him a solid promotion reward without triggering the threshold for position adjustment, leaving him with a slight sense of regret.

However, in an instant, Li Yang thought of another important matter, and anticipation reignited in his eyes.

This time, cooperating with He Dong, he had led and completed the major cross-dimensional mission of conquering the Cultivation World. Although the mission's main body belonged to the military sequence.

According to Empire convention, after completing a mission of this magnitude, besides corresponding military commendations, there would likely be additional promotions in administrative rank.

Thinking of this, the regret in Li Yang's heart instantly vanished, replaced by full anticipation.

He temporarily set aside the documents at hand, sat quietly at his desk, his gaze fixed on the flickering light screen, lost in thought... In the blink of an eye, over half a month of navigation quietly passed.

The long jumps and cruises did not dull the soldiers' edge. When He Dong's troops slowly entered the Longlan Star Cluster's garrison, navigation beacons across the starry sky lit up one by one, as if welcoming a battle-hardened force returning in triumph.

The airspace of the Nineteenth Division's garrison had long been cleared of traffic lanes. Giant Docking Platforms were brightly lit, alloy decks gleaming with cold metallic luster under the starlight. Guard formations stood in neat, solemn rows, the atmosphere dignified yet fervent.

Li Yang, in a crisp General Officer uniform with shining star insignias on his epaulets, had long been standing at the foot of the Boarding Ramp, waiting. His gaze remained fixed on the slowly docking flagship's hatch, a hint of barely contained anticipation hidden between his brows.

He Dong was the first to step down the ramp. The long mission had not left him looking weary; instead, his posture seemed even more upright.

As soon as he reached Li Yang, he immediately stood at attention, sharply raised his right arm in a standard, forceful military salute, his voice loud and resounding.

"Reporting, Division Commander, the Nineteenth Division's expeditionary force has successfully completed its mission, all personnel have returned to base!"

Li Yang's face instantly bloomed with genuine delight. He stepped forward and heavily patted He Dong's shoulder with strong force, full of praise and satisfaction.

"Good, good, good!"

He said "good" three times in a row, his gaze sweeping over the neatly lined-up officers and soldiers behind He Dong, his tone unable to conceal excitement.

"He Dong, you've accomplished a great feat this time, truly the Nineteenth Division's deserving hero! The entire mission was clean, efficient, exceeding expectations, executed brilliantly!"

This operation was of great importance. Li Yang, stationed in the Longlan Star Cluster to oversee the overall situation, couldn't personally lead the expedition. The command, on-the-spot decisions, and tactical execution of the entire operation almost entirely rested on He Dong's shoulders.

Being able to smoothly achieve the set objectives in the complex and ever-changing environment of the Cultivation World, even exceeding key milestones, He Dong's capability and responsibility were evident to him.

Facing Li Yang's high praise, He Dong slightly bowed, his expression humble, without a hint of arrogance or self-importance.

"Division Commander, you flatter me."

He said sincerely.

"Without Division Commander Li's comprehensive coordination in the rear, setting the core strategy, especially the crucial Breakthrough tactic of Subconscious Indoctrination, relying solely on my original plan would have taken at least another year or two, and might not have gone so smoothly. This success is due to the unity of the entire division and the Division Commander's adept planning."

To outsiders, these words might sound like modest remarks, but only He Dong himself knew they were not mere courtesy.

The core approach provided by Li Yang directly broke the deadlock in his original deployment, doubling the efficiency of the entire mission.

Without this superior's foresight and decisiveness, even with his utmost effort, such a perfect outcome would have been hard to achieve.

Hearing this, Li Yang smiled and didn't engage in excessive modesty with him. He just raised his hand and lightly patted He Dong's shoulder, then turned and gestured.

"Come, the Division Headquarters has long prepared an awards ceremony. All the division's key personnel are waiting to celebrate your success. You've worked hard these days. Rest for a moment first, then receive the division's commendations."

The two walked side by side, slowly heading toward the Division Headquarters Building deep in the garrison, quietly exchanging details from the mission and follow-up matters.

The stars of the Longlan Star Cluster hung quietly in the sky, witnessing the glory of this elite force's triumphant return...