Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”Oh, right, thanks for the water!”

”Hmph!” Han Ruoxi turned her head away and ignored him.

”Captain, is this level of intensity really necessary?” Shen Qiuyue asked, leaning against the wall while catching her breath.

”We haven’t even gone on a real mission yet. This kind of training seems a bit too...”

”In a real battle, the Insect Race won’t wait for you!” Li Chang’an’s reply was simple and direct.

No one said another word.

After training ended, everyone gradually left the grounds and returned to the lounge.

”What’s for dinner tonight?” Sun Yang asked, flopped on the sofa, raising his most pressing concern.

”Whatever,” Li Chang’an said, sitting in a nearby chair and checking the training logs.

”What do you mean, ’whatever’?” Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes.

”We can’t just eat those compressed food rations every time. I’m so sick of them!”

”Let’s go to the restaurant. My treat,” Shen Qiuyue said, standing up and flipping her hair.

”Training ran late today, so let’s not just make do with what’s on base.”

”Whoa, if the Eldest Miss is treating, then I’d better order some expensive dishes!” Sun Yang immediately shot to his feet, his face all smiles.

”I’ll fight anyone who tries to stop me!”

”Getting all worked up over a meal. That appetite really is our ace firepower,” Bai Lin tossed out coldly from the side.

”That’s right! I represent our squad’s appetite!” Sun Yang replied shamelessly.

”Alright, enough nonsense. Let’s go,” Li Chang’an said, closing his datapad and leading the way out.

By the time the team walked into the restaurant, the sky had completely darkened. The base’s lights illuminated everyone’s faces, making Sun Yang’s smug expression all the more conspicuous.

”Eldest Miss, you’d better not go back on your word!” Sun Yang grinned at Shen Qiuyue, his eyebrows dancing with delight.

”You’re the one who said you’d pay for tonight. I heard you loud and clear!”

”Are you worried I’d skip out on the bill?” Shen Qiuyue shot him a cold glance, a hint of disdain on her face.

”Relax. As long as you don’t order anything too outrageous, it won’t be a problem.”

”Great, great!” Sun Yang said, rubbing his hands together as he beat everyone to it and pushed open the restaurant’s main doors.

”Everyone, pick any seat you like! I’ll be in charge of ordering today!”

”You’re ordering?” Han Ruoxi asked, following behind him with a skeptical look.

”I remember the last time you ordered. You got a ton of spicy dishes, and Bai Lin was so miserable he didn’t say a word all night.

You’d better not make the same mistake again!”

”Hey now, that was a mistake, a one-time thing! I guarantee I won’t repeat it today!” Sun Yang vowed, patting his chest before heading straight for the ordering counter.

”Just let him be. With Eldest Miss Shen footing the bill, no matter how ridiculously he orders, we won’t go hungry,” Li Chang’an said, casually pulling out a chair and sitting down, crossing his legs and leaning back.

”Everyone’s performance today was passable. Eat up, get some good rest, and we’ll continue tomorrow.”

”Continue?” Han Ruoxi sat down with a pained expression, resting her head on the table.

”Captain, I don’t think I’ll be able to get up tomorrow...”

”Cut the crap. Weren’t you full of energy during training?” Li Chang’an looked at her nonchalantly.

”Besides, will the Insect Race give you a chance to rest?”

”The Insect Race, the Insect Race, it’s always the Insect Race!” Han Ruoxi lifted her head, sighing dramatically as she gestured around.

”We train, eat, and sleep every day. Even my dreams are full of the Insect Race. If this keeps up, I’m afraid I’ll go crazy!”

”You won’t,” Bai Lin said, pushing up his glasses and looking down at his laptop screen.

”A person’s mental limit is much higher than you think.

As long as you don’t get beaten to death every day, the training is actually helping you strengthen your mental fortitude.”

”Geez, Bai Lin, nobody would’ve thought you were mute if you’d just kept quiet!” Han Ruoxi shot him an annoyed glare.

”I knew you’d say something so draining!”

”Alright, stop arguing,” Shen Qiuyue said as she sat down, tapping lightly on the table.

”We came out here to relax, so let’s not spend the whole evening complaining about training. Change the subject!”

”Right, right, new topic!” Sun Yang walked over, carrying a heaping platter of food.

”Come on, take a look, is this spread lavish enough? We’ve got light flavors, heavy flavors, everything! I guarantee everyone’s tastes will be satisfied this time!”

”It actually is...” Han Ruoxi glanced over, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

”Sun Yang, you actually managed to order such a normal spread of dishes?”

”Of course! Who do you think I am?” Sun Yang plopped down into a seat and smugly picked up his chopsticks.

”As the person in charge of our squad’s dining affairs, how could I possibly mess up?”

”Let’s eat,” Li Chang’an said, taking a sip of water from his glass, too lazy to say more.

At the dinner table, the team’s atmosphere was much more relaxed than it was on the training grounds.

”Captain, let me ask you something,” Sun Yang said suddenly, chewing on a piece of roasted meat.

”If we really end up fighting the Insect Race in the future, what are those High-Tier Insects everyone talks about like? Have you ever seen one?”

”I have,” Li Chang’an replied, putting down his chopsticks and glancing at him.

”But you don’t need to know that much right now.

You can’t even fully handle a regular Low-Tier Insect, so don’t worry about them.”

”Hey, I’m just trying to get a heads-up!” Sun Yang scratched his head, then turned to look at Shen Qiuyue.

”Eldest Miss, doesn’t your family have a lot of intel on the Insect Race? You must know something, right?”

”I know a little,” Shen Qiuyue answered slowly and deliberately, elegantly picking up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks.

”But the combat power of those High-Tier Insects far exceeds the limits of an ordinary Martial Artist.

For us to be discussing them now is a complete waste of time.”

”Tch, so secretive again,” Sun Yang muttered, pouting.

”No matter how strong a High-Tier Insect is, can it be stronger than our Captain? I’d bet five bucks the Captain could take one in a one-on-one fight and win, no problem!”

”Win, my foot!” Han Ruoxi almost spat out her soup, laughing as she cut him off.