Chapter 356: Once Again
Even though she couldn’t identify this place through any coordinates or landmarks, Xu Zhi had a gut feeling.
She was back.
Back at the very beginning.
But why had she returned here?
Had she taken a wrong path?
Xu Zhi instinctively rejected that thought.
There was no such thing as a “path” here to begin with. Every step she took had been blind exploration, feeling her way forward without knowing what lay ahead. Only when she obtained that Lamp did a faint sense of joy arise in her heart.
But that “road” had no end. It simply stopped at the wooden hut. After entering it, she returned to the starting point.
Standing still, Xu Zhi’s drifting thoughts gradually settled. After pondering for a long time, she finally made a decision.
She would walk the path again.
But this time, she would tread more carefully and attentively.
The moment she made up her mind, the dense fog around her suddenly churned and rolled, slowly parting to reveal a muddy trail—the very path she had walked before.
Only, it had grown longer.
And as the mist dispersed, her Lamp was quietly placed by the roadside, within easy reach.
Without hesitation, Xu Zhi bent down, picked up the Lamp, and stepped onto the path once more.
She didn’t believe she had taken the wrong way. She was simply walking it again.
The moment she took her first step, a completely different sensation struck her—was it… a change in gravity?
She could no longer walk as easily or briskly as before. Her body began to feel heavy, as though some unseen protection that had always been with her had vanished.
With each step, her stamina drained at an exponential rate. Behind her, an invisible temptation seemed to beckon her to turn back, to abandon this uncertain and arduous road and choose an easier one instead.
With her talent, any other path would be easier for her than for ordinary people. Why insist on the most difficult one?
Xu Zhi did not turn back, nor did she hesitate in the slightest. She had absolute faith in herself—no road suited her better than the one she was on. There was no need to look back, no need to choose an easier route. No matter how harsh or treacherous the road ahead might be, it could not shake her resolve.
Xu Zhi would never regret her choices—even if they were wrong.
Besides, she had never believed she was wrong.
The tempting voice behind her did not cease. Each step forward grew harder than the last, yet Xu Zhi did not stop. Clutching the Lamp tightly, she pressed on unwaveringly toward the wooden hut—farther than she had reached before.
One hundred steps. Two hundred steps. Three hundred steps.
Rain suddenly began to fall from the sky. Cold seeped into the girl’s body, and the ground, soaked by the rain, became even more treacherously muddy.
Three hundred and sixty-two steps—the distance at which the hut had appeared last time. But now, she had only reached halfway.
Thunder rumbled faintly in the sky. Yet it seemed hesitant, refusing to strike, as if it couldn’t find its target.
The surroundings did not become clearer with the rain. The thick fog still obscured her vision on both sides. Xu Zhi could only see the path she had already walked.
She did not stop.
As she continued forward, the thunder grew louder, as if issuing a warning. It reminded Xu Zhi of the day she left the Federation—the thunder then had been somewhat similar, yet also different.
If anything, the faint but persistent rumbling above her now carried an even greater sense of oppression.
The thunder from that day in the Federation had been powerful, yes, but it lacked spirit—like a mere tool of punishment. The thunder above her now, however, seemed almost alive.
Xu Zhi ignored the thunder that felt as though it might crash down at any moment and continued toward her goal.
The rain falling from the sky was also unusual. She could feel the cold seeping into her limbs, her thoughts growing sluggish. These raindrops not only increased her physical exhaustion but also seemed to erode her will and spirit.
The ever-threatening thunder imposed immense mental pressure. The muddy ground made each step difficult. Behind her, the voice of “comfort” continued to lure her back. Though the path was only twice as long as before, Xu Zhi already felt both physically and mentally drained.
Yet none of these external pressures, obstacles, or temptations could stop her.
The Lamp in her hand began to emit a gentle glow. Within its range, the torrential rain weakened significantly, and the light radiated warmth, steadily dispelling the cold from her body.
Bearing the crushing pressure, Xu Zhi pressed on. After covering twice the distance, she finally approached the wooden hut once again.
It seemed like a good place to take shelter from the rain and rest. And this time, she likely wouldn’t return to the starting point again.
With that thought, Xu Zhi stepped forward, approached the hut, and pushed open the door.
Creak—
The sound rang out. As expected, this time she did not return to the beginning. Instead, she successfully opened the door she had failed to fully open before.
Xu Zhi let out a quiet sigh of relief. In truth, she was already exhausted—physically and mentally. She didn’t know how much farther she could go, so being able to rest, even briefly, was a blessing.
Inside, it was pitch dark. Fortunately, the Lamp in her hand was still glowing. As she stepped in, the dim hut was illuminated, and the wooden door behind her quietly closed.
Click.
A soft sound—the door shutting, and the instant she blinked.
When she opened her eyes again, fatigue still lingering within them, they filled with surprise and shock.
She saw the full interior of the house.
This was her old home.
The home in Yun City of the Federation that had long since been destroyed.
Everything was so familiar. Only the black mist flowing outside the window had turned white, and in her hand, she still held a Lamp that didn’t belong to this home.
Xu Zhi blinked, momentarily at a loss. She stood there in a daze for a few seconds before realizing she was still by the doorway and took a few steps forward.
Rainwater continued to drip from her body, and her muddy shoes stained the floor, but she paid it little mind. Walking over to the sofa, she gently placed the Lamp onto the coffee table, then sat down.
It was very quiet.
Or rather, peaceful.
She could hear the sound of heavy rain outside the window. Everything in the room was so familiar—an environment she neither particularly liked nor disliked, yet knew all too well.
When her gaze shifted from the window back to the coffee table, her pupils suddenly contracted.
What lay on the table was no longer the Lamp she had carried all along, but a white gaming console.
For a moment, Xu Zhi was speechless. She wanted to say something, yet didn’t know what to say.
An illusion?
Yes—of course, this was an illusion. Without a doubt, she was currently undergoing the trial of the Great Dream.
Simply put, she was dreaming.
Realizing this, her suddenly tightened heart gradually relaxed.
She first pulled out a few tissues from nearby, wiping the rainwater from her fingers, before reaching out toward the gaming console on the table.
