Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”Damn it, these rebels are treacherous!” Sun Yang gritted his teeth. ”We have to guard our flank, or they’ll catch us completely off guard!”

”Shen Qiuyue, hold the left flank!” Li Chang’an ordered quickly. ”Sun Yang, keep suppressing the Insect Race to the front. Don’t let them break through!”

Shen Qiuyue said nothing, just gave a cold nod and charged toward the left flank.

The High-Energy Sword in her hand moved with the lethal speed of a striking viper, precisely hitting every enemy who tried to get close.

The Rebel Army’s tactics were meticulous. They used the Insect Race as cover to launch a silent attack from the flank, but Shen Qiuyue’s decisive and ferocious Swordsmanship completely shut down their advance.

”Shen Qiuyue is incredible. She always manages to hold the enemy back!” Han Ruoxi exclaimed while unleashing her Electric Energy.

”Her Sword Skill is among the best in the entire Combat Group,” Li Chang’an said calmly. ”But this is no time for compliments. The enemy offensive has just begun!”

Bai Lin’s terminal let out a series of urgent beeps. He frowned. ”The Rebel Army is massing troops up ahead,” he said in a low voice. ”They’re preparing for a large-scale pincer movement.

We need to be careful. They’ll probably attack from multiple directions at once!”

”Just as I thought.” Li Chang’an looked ahead, calmly analyzing the situation. ”They want to break through our flank and front lines at the same time, using the Insect Race’s charge to pin us down. This is going to be a tough fight!”

”Sounds like we’ve got to dig in, then!” Sun Yang grinned, his Pulse Gun still spraying wildly. ”Don’t you worry. As long as Sun Yang is here, the Insect Race can forget about breaking through our front!”

”Why don’t you talk less?” Shen Qiuyue said coldly. ”One careless mistake and the enemy will have you surrounded.”

”Whoa, princess, you really know how to make a guy tense up!” Sun Yang was still smiling, but his movements grew a little more cautious.

Han Ruoxi kept releasing Electric Energy to block the enemy’s advance, but her stamina was draining fast. Fine beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.

”Han Ruoxi, pace yourself! Don’t use up too much energy at once!” Li Chang’an reminded her.

”Got it!” Han Ruoxi nodded, pulling back on her Electric Energy output and adjusting her rhythm.

Just then, the Rebel Army’s firepower intensified. Using advanced alien technology, they deployed several High-Energy Weapons and began to relentlessly bombard the base’s defensive line.

With a series of thunderous booms, cracks began to spiderweb across the outer defenses. Some sections had already been breached.

”Damn it, their firepower is too strong!” Han Ruoxi yelled nervously as she dodged for cover.

Li Chang’an made a swift decision. ”Sun Yang, intensify your suppressive fire! Prioritize their heavy weapon units!”

”No problem! Watch this!” Sun Yang immediately shifted his aim, targeting the Rebel Army soldiers manning the heavy weapons, and slammed the trigger.

With a roar of Energy Bullets, several enemy High-Energy Weapons were obliterated, the resulting explosions illuminating the battlefield.

”That’s one batch down!” Sun Yang laughed. ”But there are plenty more. We’ve got to be careful!”

While holding back the enemy assault, Shen Qiuyue said calmly, ”The enemy has broken through the outer perimeter. We have to fall back to the second defensive line, or we’ll be surrounded!”

Li Chang’an nodded. ”Everyone, maintain formation and fall back to the second defensive line! Bai Lin, keep monitoring the enemy’s movements!”

The Insect Hunter Squad quickly adjusted their formation, executing a fighting retreat. The enemy’s assault grew even more ferocious, the coordination between the Insect Race and the Rebel Army appearing unnervingly seamless.

The base’s defensive line was being torn apart, and the battle had reached its most critical moment.

”Damn it, there’s more and more of them!” Sun Yang’s expression was anxious. ”We’re not going to be able to hold them!”

”Calm down!” Li Chang’an commanded, his gaze sharp as electricity. ”This is our last chance. Hold the second defensive line! We cannot let them break through!”

Han Ruoxi’s Electric Energy once again coalesced into a bolt of Lightning that struck a large swarm of the Insect Race ahead, momentarily halting their advance.

”I can still keep going!” Han Ruoxi gasped, still giving it her all.

Meanwhile, Shen Qiuyue continued her tenacious defense of the left flank. Her Swordsmanship was like an invisible wall, precisely intercepting any enemy who tried to break through.

Bai Lin’s terminal suddenly blared an urgent alarm. He looked up instantly. ”New enemy movement detected behind us! The Rebel Army is trying to cut off our line of retreat!”

”Damn it!” Li Chang’an’s brow tightened. ”They’re trying to hit us from behind. We have to find a way to break their encirclement!”

Sun Yang gripped his Pulse Gun and gritted his teeth. ”I’ll hit them from the rear. Give me some cover!”

”I’m with you!” Han Ruoxi responded instantly, her Electric Energy gathering once more.

”I’ll provide covering fire,” Shen Qiuyue said, quickly repositioning herself to assist.

Li Chang’an looked at his team calmly. ”We have to break their encirclement, and fast. Everyone, give it your all. This is an all-or-nothing move!”

The Insect Hunter Squad split up and coordinated their attack once again. Sun Yang led Han Ruoxi in a rapid assault on the enemy’s rear. The Pulse Gun laid down a wide arc of fire while Han Ruoxi’s currents cut off the enemy’s reinforcements. They tore through the enemy’s line with lightning speed.

”We did it! We’re through!” Sun Yang yelled.

”Nice!” Han Ruoxi said, panting, a victorious smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Shen Qiuyue continued her dogged defense at the front. Li Chang’an and the remaining squad members stabilized the second defensive line, successfully halting the enemy’s advance.

Facing such a powerful defense, the enemy’s attack began to lose its edge. Their formation fell into disarray, and the Insect Race’s charge lost its momentum.

”Looks like we’ve successfully repelled their assault,” Bai Lin said quietly, his terminal showing the enemy’s firepower was diminishing.

”Don’t let your guard down. The enemy might still have another card to play,” Li Chang’an warned. ”Keep monitoring them. Make sure they don’t launch another attack.”

The Insect Hunter Squad had just managed to stabilize the line, but no one could relax yet. A thick, murderous aura still hung heavy in the air over the battlefield.

Although the enemy assault had been temporarily suppressed, they all knew this was just a brief lull. The real attack could erupt again at any moment.

Sun Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned against some cover, gasping for breath. ”Man, that was a close one. For a second there, I really thought we were done for!”

Han Ruoxi remained vigilant, scanning her surroundings. ”Don’t celebrate just yet. I have a feeling this attack from the Insect Race and the Rebel Army isn’t so simple. They must be waiting for an opportunity.”

”Agreed.” Li Chang’an frowned, his gaze fixed on the distance, still full of caution. He issued his orders quickly. ”Everyone, stay on high alert. Don’t let up.

The enemy might be adjusting their tactics. Be ready for the next wave!”

Shen Qiuyue’s sword was still clutched tightly in her hand, her gaze calm and sharp. ”The enemy’s main force hasn’t been deployed yet. That last charge was just a probe.

We can’t let our guard down.”

”I agree,” Bai Lin said quietly, rapidly checking the data on his terminal. ”The enemy’s comms frequency just went encrypted. They seem to be planning something new—probably a fiercer assault.”

”Well, so much for taking it easy today,” Sun Yang said, getting to his feet and patting his gear. ”But whatever. My Pulse Gun’s still got plenty of juice. I’ll take down as many as they can send!”

Han Ruoxi let out a small laugh, but her tone remained serious. ”Don’t get too optimistic. The next fight will probably be even harder than that last one.

The enemy isn’t going to give up that easily.”

Li Chang’an nodded slightly. ”Correct. We have a slight advantage for now, but we haven’t identified their tactical command, and the Rebel Army’s main force hasn’t even made a move yet.”

Just then, a low, deep rumble suddenly echoed from the distant battlefield, like some kind of heavy machinery powering up.