Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”No ’buts’,” Su Wan said, her tone leaving no room for argument. ”Keep searching. We have to find a clue!”

”Alright...” Li Chang’an could only agree.

The group could only brace themselves and continue searching the Kars Mine Area.

Several more hours passed, and the sky gradually darkened.

”Minister Su, it’s getting dark. Why don’t we call it a day?” Li Chang’an suggested. ”Searching the mine area at night is too dangerous.”

”Yeah, Minister Su, let’s come back tomorrow,” Sun Yang chimed in.

Su Wan sighed. ”Alright... Let’s pull back for now.”

The group returned to the transport ship, preparing to fly back to the Interstellar Warrior Base.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared throughout the ship’s cabin.

”What’s going on?” Li Chang’an was instantly on alert.

”Unidentified flying objects approaching at high speed!” Bai Lin’s voice was hurried.

”Unidentified flying objects? What are they?” Su Wan pressed.

”There’s a lot of them! Preliminary estimates are at least several dozen ships!” Bai Lin reported quickly.

”Several dozen?” Li Chang’an’s expression changed drastically. ”Could it be people from the Galaxy Group?”

”It’s highly likely!” Su Wan’s expression was grim. ”It seems they haven’t come in peace.”

”Should we launch a preemptive strike?” Sun Yang asked.

”Let’s see what they want first,” Su Wan said calmly. ”If they dare to attack, counter immediately!”

”Understood!” Li Chang’an and the others replied in unison.

The transport ship hovered in mid-air, its alert systems running at full power, closely monitoring the movements of the unidentified flying objects.

Soon, a dense cluster of black dots appeared in their field of view, rapidly growing larger.

They were strangely shaped black ships with no markings on their hulls. They gave off an unusual, murderous aura, like some kind of private military force.

”It really is the Galaxy Group!” Li Chang’an gritted his teeth. ”They actually dare to provoke us. They must have a death wish!”

”Prepare for battle!” Su Wan commanded, her voice icy.

The transport ship’s weapon systems activated instantly, its cannons all aiming at the incoming craft.

”Fire!” Li Chang’an roared.

In an instant, the transport’s laser cannons let out a deafening roar as blinding beams of light tore through the night sky, hurtling toward the unknown ships.

The enemy showed no weakness, immediately returning fire.

An intense dogfight erupted in the skies above the Kars Mine Area.

Laser beams crisscrossed the sky, explosions shook the heavens, and the fiery light painted half the sky red.

Although there was only one transport ship, its firepower was extremely fierce and its defenses were as solid as a fortress. The unidentified flying objects were no match for it at all.

In the blink of an eye, several enemy ships were hit, exploding in mid-air and turning into fireballs that crashed to the ground.

”Keep firing! Leave no one alive!” Li Chang’an roared, ordering a full barrage.

The transport ship unleashed its full firepower. Its laser cannons were like the Scythe of Death, relentlessly reaping the enemy ships.

Eventually, all the unidentified flying objects were shot down, and a brief calm returned to the night sky.

”Whew, finally dealt with them!” Sun Yang let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

”Don’t celebrate too soon. This is just the beginning,” Su Wan said, her expression grave. ”The Galaxy Group will not let this go easily.”

”Then what’s our next move? Should we request backup from headquarters?” Li Chang’an asked.

”No need. We can handle a small skirmish like this ourselves.” Su Wan’s voice was calm, but it carried a powerful confidence. ”Let’s go. Back to the base first!”

The transport ship turned and sped toward the Interstellar Warrior Base.

...

「Interstellar Warrior Base, Command Center.」

Su Wan was reporting the situation in the Kars Mine Area to the Battle Team Alliance Headquarters.

”Commander-in-Chief, we have just repelled an attack by the Galaxy Group,” Su Wan reported concisely. ”They deployed dozens of private armed ships in an attempt to attack us, but we drove them back.”

”Well done!” A robust, elderly voice came from the other end of the communicator. ”The Galaxy Group is getting more and more lawless. To think they’d dare to actively attack a ship from our Battle Team Alliance!”

”Commander-in-Chief, what are your orders for our next course of action?” Su Wan asked for instructions.

”Continue investigating the truth behind Zhou Ze’s disappearance, and at the same time, prepare for battle,” the old man commanded. ”If the Galaxy Group dares to attack again, don’t hold back. Hit them back hard!”

”Yes, sir!” Su Wan replied crisply.

After ending the call, Su Wan looked around at the group and said in a low voice, ”You all heard him. The Commander-in-Chief’s orders are to continue tracking down Zhou Ze and prepare to face the Galaxy Group.”

”Understood!” the group responded in unison, their morale high.

”Good. We’ll split up.” Su Wan quickly gave out assignments. ”Li Chang’an, you take the Insect Hunter Squad and return to the Kars Mine Area. You must find a clue about Zhou Ze.”

”Yes, ma’am!” Li Chang’an accepted the order.

”Everyone else, with me. We will reinforce the base’s defenses and prepare for the Galaxy Group’s next attack!” Su Wan’s gaze was sharp.

”Yes, ma’am!” everyone responded in unison again.

Li Chang’an led the Insect Hunter Squad and once again set out for the Kars Mine Area.

Meanwhile, Su Wan remained at the base to command the defensive preparations. The atmosphere in the base instantly grew tense.

...

「Kars Mine Area. The night was heavy.」

Li Chang’an led the Insect Hunter Squad, stumbling and picking their way through the jagged, strange rocks.

At night, the mine area looked even more menacing.

The darkness was like thick ink, smearing everything together into a single blob.

Mixed in with the sound of the wind were all sorts of strange noises, rustling and scratching, making one’s skin crawl.

Sun Yang’s voice was hushed, tinged with unease. ”Captain, do you think we’ll be able to find Zhou Ze?”

”I don’t know,” Li Chang’an answered frankly. ”But we have to.”

Zhou Ze’s disappearance weighed on everyone’s mind like a giant stone.

The future of the 42 Combat Group was at stake; no one dared to be careless.

”But this place is way too big, isn’t it?” Sun Yang complained. ”It’s like a maze. Where are we even supposed to look?”

”Besides, those guys from the Galaxy Group definitely aren’t going to let us search in peace.”

”I know,” Li Chang’an said, his tone heavy. ”We don’t have a choice.”

They had to find Zhou Ze, or at least, the truth behind his disappearance.

Only then could they clear themselves of the baseless suspicions.

Sun Yang sighed, his voice even lower now. ”Let’s just hope luck is on our side.”

”It will be,” Li Chang’an said. ”As long as we don’t give up, we’ll find a clue eventually.”

The squad continued to feel their way through the darkness.

Suddenly, Li Chang’an stopped in his tracks.

”What is it?” Shen Qiuyue asked.

”Listen,” Li Chang’an whispered.

Everyone held their breath and focused.

A faint buzzing sound, barely perceptible, drifted over from the distance.

”The sound of insects?” Shen Qiuyue tilted her head, trying to make it out.

”Let’s go check it out,” Li Chang’an gestured.

The group lightened their steps and crept in the direction of the sound.

After a few hundred meters, a huge pile of rocks appeared before them.

The buzzing was coming from behind the rock pile.

”Be careful,” Li Chang’an warned.

Drawing his Saw Chain Sword, he cautiously moved around the pile of rocks.

The sight before them made everyone gasp.

Behind the rock pile was an enormous cave.

Deep inside the cave, countless black beetles were crawling everywhere.

They were the same Black Obsidian Beetles they had seen in the ruins!

”Holy crap, there are so many!” Sun Yang exclaimed.

”A nest?” Shen Qiuyue’s face paled slightly.

”Most likely,” Li Chang’an said, his gaze serious. ”Looks like we’ve found our clue.”

”A clue? What clue?” Sun Yang didn’t get it.

”Before Zhou Ze disappeared, we encountered these insects in the ruins,” Li Chang’an explained. ”At the time, we just thought they were mutated creatures, but now it seems it’s not that simple.”

”You mean...” Shen Qiuyue’s eyes sharpened. ”Zhou Ze was taken by these insects?”

”We can’t rule out the possibility,” Li Chang’an said. ”Their numbers, the nest’s location... it’s all near the ruins. It can’t be a coincidence.”

”So what do we do now?” Sun Yang asked. ”Go in and take a look?”

”Go in?” Shen Qiuyue’s voice rose. ”Are you crazy? With so many insects, we’d be walking to our deaths!”

”If we don’t go in, how are we supposed to find Zhou Ze?” Sun Yang retorted.

”We’ll use fire,” Li Chang’an said in a low voice. ”We used them last time. Incendiary grenades. Burn them to death.”

”Great idea!” Sun Yang’s eyes lit up. ”Captain, you’re really something!”

”Less chatter. Get the incendiary grenades ready,” Li Chang’an said irritably.

Sun Yang fumbled around in his backpack, pulled out an incendiary grenade, and handed it to Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an took the incendiary grenade and drew a deep breath. ”Everyone, be careful. The insects might attack.”