Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 582: Chapter 283: Blue Electric Light (2)

Shen Qiuyue sheathed her sword, her expression cold.

With the death of the leading insect, the surrounding swarm instantly fell into chaos. Having lost their unified command, their movements became disorganized.

"Brother Li, can we pull back now?"

Sun Yang asked hurriedly as he continued to fire, "These bugs seem to have lost their commander. We don’t have to waste any more time on them, right?"

"Not yet!"

Li Chang’an scanned the area and said calmly, "Clear out another wave. Make sure it’s safe!"

Han Ruoxi, standing at the rear with electric light still flickering in her hands, added, "He’s right, we shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. Let’s retreat after we’ve cleaned up!"

Li Chang’an nodded. He swung his Saw Chain Sword again, leading a few squad members to quickly mop up the remaining Insect Race in the vicinity.

As the last few bugs fell, the battlefield finally grew quiet.

"Alright, we can pull back now!"

Li Chang’an retracted his Saw Chain Sword and waved his hand. "Back to base!"

The group immediately began to fall back toward the aircraft. Sun Yang let out a long sigh, his face etched with exhaustion. "Man, we finally did it! Good thing there wasn’t any major trouble this time!"

Han Ruoxi, however, remained calm. She said softly, "We can’t rule out more Insect Race activity. We need to report to the commander as soon as we get back!"

"Of course!"

"But for now, let’s just get back first!"

Li Chang’an waved for the squad to keep up as he walked. "This mission is over. Stay vigilant, don’t let your guard down!"

Sun Yang followed behind him, panting heavily as he spoke. "C’mon, Brother Li, this isn’t relaxing? We fought our way through all that. My legs are about to give out.

Don’t you think there were a few too many bugs this time? I’m telling you, these recon missions are no simple task!"

"Sun Yang, just stop complaining. A mission is a mission. What did you expect as a member of the Insect Hunter Squad?"

Shen Qiuyue retorted coldly. She walked on Li Chang’an’s other side, her Dueling Sword already sheathed, but she remained alert. "You should work on your leg strength. Otherwise, you’ll be whining about your legs giving out next time, too!"

"Hey, Sister Qiuyue, it’s not nice to be so discouraging!"

Sun Yang gave a wry smile and waved his hands. "I’m just trying to lighten the mood a bit. We just came out of a tough fight!"

Han Ruoxi, walking alongside them, glanced at Sun Yang with a slight smile. "You’re the most talkative one here, and you’re also the only one still complaining.

No one else is saying a word!"

"Whoa, Eldest Miss Han, you can’t say that this time!"

Sun Yang quickly waved his hands, forcing an aggrieved expression onto his face. "I’m the only one on our team who can use a Pulse Gun! That ranged fire support is crucial, okay? You guys were fighting so fiercely up front, but if no one was providing cover from the rear, wouldn’t all the bugs have just charged you? I was under a lot of pressure, too!"

"Alright, Sun Yang, your mouth is more dangerous than your Pulse Gun.

You can talk all you want when we’re back at the base!"

Li Chang’an cut Sun Yang off with a glance. "We’ll be there in two minutes. Maintain formation!"

The group continued toward the aircraft. Bai Lin walked with his head down, looking at the device in his hands and quickly scrolling through mission data. "This Insect Race activity really was a bit abnormal. The swarm’s numbers were much higher than expected, and there were several types we’ve never encountered before!"

"New types of the Insect Race?"

Han Ruoxi frowned. "Are you saying they might have new mutations?"

"Possibly. But we won’t know the specifics until we analyze the data back at base!"

Bai Lin looked up at Li Chang’an. "The commander will need a detailed report from us!"

"Right. We’ll deal with it when we get back!"

Li Chang’an nodded, signaling for everyone to pick up the pace.

Finally, the Insect Hunter Squad reached the landing pad. They quickly boarded the aircraft, which roared as it lifted off and flew toward the base.

Inside the aircraft, Sun Yang finally collapsed into his seat with a loud sigh. "We’re finally heading back safely. The Insect Race is getting more and more troublesome.

Brother Li, what do you think we should do if we run into a situation like this again?"

"What do you mean? We fight!"

Li Chang’an said calmly, without even glancing at him.

"Argh, I knew you’d say that!"

Sun Yang shook his head helplessly and turned to Han Ruoxi. "Eldest Miss Han, what do you think? If another huge swarm comes at us, shouldn’t we figure out a different strategy? We can’t just brute-force it every time, can we?"

Han Ruoxi gave him a cool look. "If the Insect Race really has evolved again, we’ll certainly have to make adjustments.

However, this was just a recon mission. You’re worrying too far ahead!"

"I’m just trying to be prepared!"

Sun Yang said with a wry smile, "We have to prepare for the future, right? If we run into even stronger bugs one day, I don’t want to be scrambling for my life again!"

"If you’re afraid of dying, you don’t have to come!"

Shen Qiuyue interjected unexpectedly, her tone as cold as ever.

"Sister Qiuyue, your words cut me deep!"

Sun Yang clutched his chest dramatically, pretending to be stabbed. "I’m just worried about the squad’s future! How can you be so heartless?"

"Just worry about yourself. Don’t meddle in the squad’s business!"

Shen Qiuyue remained unmoved, her gaze as icy as always.

Watching the two bicker, Han Ruoxi chuckled softly. "Alright, alright, stop fooling around.

We can discuss what’s next when we get back. The commander is sure to have new arrangements for us anyway!"

"Exactly! We’ll talk about it when we get back!"

Li Chang’an couldn’t be bothered to listen to their nonsense anymore. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "Think of this mission as a warm-up. Don’t overthink it!"

The aircraft landed smoothly on the base’s landing pad. The Insect Hunter Squad disembarked and headed straight for the command center.

"Li Chang’an!"

Just as they reached the entrance to the command center, Deputy Leader Li Hailong, who was already waiting for them, waved them over. "How’s the situation report?"

Li Chang’an reported simply, "Insect Race numbers were higher than expected. We encountered a Commander Level insect, but it’s been dealt with!"

Li Hailong frowned. "A Commander Level insect? Are you certain?"

"Confirmed. It’s been handled!"

Li Chang’an nodded and handed him a data slate. "Here are the mission logs and Bai Lin’s data analysis!"

Li Hailong took the slate and quickly scanned through it, his expression softening slightly. "Not bad. It seems your squad’s combat effectiveness has improved significantly!"

Sun Yang immediately chimed in from the side, "Of course! With Brother Li leading, we were bound to do a great job!"

"Cut the flattery!"

Li Hailong shot him a look before turning back to Li Chang’an. "However, the Insect Race’s recent activities have indeed been abnormal. The commander has already taken notice, so you’ll likely have to continue with follow-up recon missions!"

Li Chang’an nodded. "Understood. We’re ready to move at any time!"

"Good. Go get some rest and wait for your orders!"

Li Hailong waved his hand, dismissing them.

When the members of the Insect Hunter Squad returned to their dorm, Sun Yang immediately flopped onto the sofa. "Agh, finally, a chance to breathe! My back is killing me!"

Han Ruoxi, on the other hand, picked up a data screen and began checking the commander’s latest directives. "There’s a new mission scheduled for tomorrow. I guess we’ll be continuing to investigate the Insect Race’s movements!"

Shen Qiuyue sat to the side, organizing her gear. "As long as there are missions, we have to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Don’t think about resting for too long!"

"Sister Qiuyue, you’re going to work us to death with that attitude!"

Sun Yang said with a pained expression, "Can’t you let a guy catch his breath? At this rate, my body’s going to fall apart sooner or later!"

"If your body can’t handle it, then quit the squad!"

Shen Qiuyue replied bluntly.

"Jeez, you’re all so cold and heartless! It’s chilling!"

Sun Yang clutched his chest, feigning injury. "Brother Li, aren’t you going to do something about this?"

Li Chang’an ignored him and walked straight to his room. "You all can argue as much as you want. I’m going to rest!"

"Brother Li, don’t be so cold!"