Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”Shut up and run!”

Shen Qiuyue overtook him, her tone cold.

”Hey, Sister Qiuyue, are you made of iron or something? You’re even faster than me!”

Sun Yang looked helpless, but his legs just couldn’t move any faster.

”If you shut up and saved some energy, you might be able to run a little faster!”

Han Ruoxi passed him from behind, tossing out the comment with a smile.

Sun Yang sighed, lowered his head, and kept running, unable to stop himself from complaining under his breath.

’My teammates are all such good runners. How is an ordinary guy like me supposed to survive...?’

After the five-kilometer run, everyone was panting from exhaustion. Only Li Chang’an still looked as calm as ever.

”Ten-minute break. Prepare for combat sparring!”

Li Chang’an stood to the side, his fingers lightly tapping the hilt of his Saw Chain Sword.

”This time, we’ll split into random pairs. Two-person matches. Don’t hold back!”

Sun Yang plopped onto the ground, gasping for air.

”Can I sit out the sparring? I’m about to kick the bucket as it is!”

”Sure. If you don’t spar, you can go run another ten kilometers on the training field.”

Li Chang’an gave him a cool glance.

”Captain, I was wrong! I’ll do it!”

Sun Yang immediately scrambled up from the ground and started stretching his limbs.

”Today, I’ll go all out and train with you guys!”

The groups were quickly formed. Han Ruoxi was pitted against Shen Qiuyue, while Sun Yang was assigned as Li Chang’an’s opponent.

”Captain, isn’t this a little unfair?”

Sun Yang looked at Li Chang’an standing before him, his face a mask of misery.

”With your strength against someone at my level, isn’t this just bullying the weak?”

”Come at me!”

Li Chang’an wasted no words and directly assumed a fighting stance.

Sun Yang gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and charged. But just as he threw a punch, Li Chang’an sidestepped it and immediately followed up with an elbow strike that knocked him to the ground.

”Captain, I... give up...”

Sun Yang lay sprawled on the ground, raising a hand with a pained expression.

”Get up. Continue!”

Li Chang’an said coldly.

Sun Yang struggled to his feet and charged again, but every attack was effortlessly neutralized. After a few rounds, he was on the verge of collapsing.

”Five-minute break. Prepare for the third part of the training!”

Li Chang’an turned and walked away, not even sparing a glance for the fallen Sun Yang.

’The Captain is a real Devil...’

Sun Yang was splayed on the ground, without even the strength to move.

Han Ruoxi stood nearby, shaking her head with a smile.

”Sun Yang, you’re all talk. This kind of training is what’s best for you!”

”Good for me? I feel like I’m about to die!”

Sun Yang looked at her helplessly.

”You people... each one of you is more ruthless than the last!”

”Then stop complaining and recover your stamina!”

Shen Qiuyue said coldly.

The five-minute break was over in the blink of an eye.

Sun Yang hadn’t even gotten up from the ground when Li Chang’an’s cold voice rang out.

”Assemble! Prepare for a simulated Insect Race raid!”

”Captain, I can’t even catch my breath... Can you give us another two minutes?”

Sun Yang managed to stand up by holding onto a nearby railing, a look of resignation on his face.

”One more word out of you, and you can simulate getting eaten alive by the Insect Race!”

Li Chang’an didn’t even glance at him, his tone as cold as ever.

”I’ll shut up, I’ll shut up!”

Sun Yang, looking miserable, hurried into formation, unable to stop himself from muttering under his breath.

’Is this training or torture? What is the Captain’s heart made of...?’

”Sun Yang, keep it down. If you keep talking, you’ll probably get extra training tonight!”

Han Ruoxi, standing next to him, reminded him in a low voice.

”I wouldn’t dare! It’s just... I can’t help feeling a little resentful...”

Sun Yang shrank back, closed his mouth, and finally fell silent.

Li Chang’an swept his gaze over the team and said simply.

”The objective for this simulation is simple. The Insect Race will attack from four directions. You need to defend the camp. If any position is lost, the mission is a failure!”

”Captain, isn’t this simulation a bit too difficult? Four directions? There are only a few of us!”

Sun Yang immediately raised his hand, his face full of disbelief.

”The Insect Race won’t care if you have enough people!”

Li Chang’an’s cold gaze swept over him.

”If you think you can’t hold your position, you can quit now. I won’t force you!”

”Who said I can’t hold it?! I was just asking!”

Sun Yang waved his hands frantically, a fawning smile on his face.

”Don’t worry, Captain. I’ll definitely hold my position!”

”Positions!”

Li Chang’an didn’t say more and immediately started giving out assignments.

”Shen Qiuyue, you defend the north. Han Ruoxi, the east. Bai Lin, you’re on detection and logistics. Sun Yang, defend the south. I’ll take the west.

Begin!”

”Captain, isn’t this assignment a little biased? The southern side has the most insects, right?”

After hearing the assignments, Sun Yang couldn’t help but start complaining again.

”You want to switch?”

Li Chang’an stopped and glanced at him.

”No, no! The south is great. I love a good challenge!”

Sun Yang waved his hands dismissively and hurried to his defensive position on the southern side.

The simulation began quickly. Machinery whirred to life, and the camp was instantly enveloped in a virtual Insect Race environment. The screeches of insects echoed from all directions, and the atmosphere immediately grew tense.

”Han Ruoxi, report on the eastern front!”

Li Chang’an said calmly as he knocked back a virtual insect with his Saw Chain Sword.

”Not many insects on the eastern front. I can hold for now!”

Han Ruoxi’s voice came through the communicator, accompanied by the sound of crackling electricity.

”Status on the northern front?”

Li Chang’an continued.

”Stable for now, but the insects’ movement speed is a bit fast!”

Shen Qiuyue replied coldly, her sword a blur of motion.

”How’s the southern front?”

Li Chang’an asked.

”Captain! The number of insects here is insane! Are you sure this is just a simulation? I think this is scarier than the Insect King yesterday!”

Sun Yang’s voice was clearly panicked, accompanied by the continuous fire of his Pulse Gun.

”Hold your position. Your sector is critical!”

Li Chang’an said coldly.

”I’m trying my best, but it feels like there’s no end to these insects!”

Sun Yang yelled himself hoarse.

”Captain, can you send some support? I’m about to break!”

”You are your own support. If you can’t hold, then run.”

Li Chang’an’s tone was frigid, offering no comfort.

”Captain, that’s just too harsh!”

Sun Yang yelled as he pulled the trigger.

”Fine, I’ll go all out! You insects, let’s see how I turn you all into swiss cheese!”

The simulated battle lasted for nearly half an hour. Everyone was pushed to their limits, drenched in sweat, especially Sun Yang, who was collapsed on the ground, panting like an ox.

”Mission complete!”

Li Chang’an announced coldly, then shut down the simulation equipment.

”It’s over? I’m still alive?”

Sun Yang was sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling.

”Am I really still alive?”

”You’re not dead yet. Get up!”

Han Ruoxi walked over and nudged his leg with her foot.

”Just because the mission’s over doesn’t mean the training is!”

”What? There’s more training?”

Sun Yang shot up from the ground.

”Captain, can’t you give us a moment to breathe?”

”Back to the training field. Continue with physical conditioning!”

Li Chang’an turned and left, giving no one a chance to refuse.

”Physical conditioning? What a load of crap! I have absolutely no stamina left!”

Sun Yang followed, complaining and muttering nonstop.

’When will these days ever end...’

Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh at his pathetic state.

”Sun Yang, people like you are all talk.

If you actually had a day off, you probably wouldn’t even know what to do with yourself!”

”I’d rather be idle! I swear!”

Sun Yang clutched his chest, his expression tragic.

”This Captain is a total Devil. He won’t stop until he’s tortured me into a man of steel!”

The team members dragged their exhausted bodies back to the training field, where Li Chang’an was already standing, watching them coldly.

”Training continues!”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it made everyone’s nerves tighten.

On the training field, everyone stood in place, gasping for breath, but not a single person dared to complain out loud.

Li Chang’an’s gaze swept over each of them as he spoke in a deep voice.

”Your performance in the simulation just now was not outstanding.

The next phase of training will be to reinforce the weaknesses you just exposed!”