Chapter 355: The Trial of the Mansu
Xu Zhi could feel that her [Lamp] energy was already abundant. That mysterious “Great Dream,” so elusive to others, felt to her as if it hung right before her—like a door she could open at any time. If she wished, she could simply close her eyes now and step into it.
But… it wasn’t the best moment yet.
She “looked” at the pathways within her body. Compared to over a month ago, her [Lamp] circuit had expanded another ring. The countless tendrils had now stopped their constant repair work, as if they had reached a bottleneck.
Behind it, however, the hidden [Moth] was still working tirelessly to catch up. It seemed it wouldn’t be long.
“…A little longer.”
She would wait—until [Moth] also reached Longevity Level 4.
No one would ever imagine that someone in this world would attempt to advance two extraordinary attributes to [Named] simultaneously.
The idea itself was insane. Even Xu Zhi didn’t know what she would encounter in the Great Dream.
But she had to do it.
Because she didn’t know whether the “great achievements” she had accomplished would be usable multiple times in the Dream—or just once.
If they were single-use, then advancing [Lamp] first would leave [Moth] stranded. Repeating those achievements again would be far too troublesome—and she didn’t have the time.
So she made a bold decision:
She would advance both attributes to [Named] at once.
There were about fifteen days left before the new term. Xu Zhi set herself a deadline—to complete the advancement before school resumed, then enter the Lost Lands.
She had no attachment to campus life, but disappearing outright wouldn’t be appropriate. She might still need the Academy later, and Qi Yanxin was still here. Using the Lost Lands as an excuse for absence would be perfect.
With resources poured in recklessly—treating money as nothing—Xu Zhi burned through nearly all her [Moth] cores. Finally, just before school resumed, she pushed [Moth] to Longevity Level 4.
The moment the [Moth] pathway stopped “growing,” an overwhelming pull descended from the “sky,” nearly making her black out.
That irresistible pull came from nowhere else—
It was the Great Dream.
Before “falling asleep,” Xu Zhi glanced at her bracelet. Many of her teammates were complaining about having resources but still being unable to enter the Mansu.
Her expression turned slightly strange.
Because just moments ago, she had almost been dragged into it by force.
Even now, her body felt light and drifting. An invisible pull guided her, as if a gentle voice whispered in her ear, urging her to come.
What the hell…
She had never seen the Mansu practically begging someone to enter.
Xu Zhi put down the bracelet, set the small aberration aside, and instructed Xiao Yi to guard her. Then she lay down and slowly closed her eyes, accepting the pull of the Mansu.
Her thoughts blanked out.
Her body seemed to disappear.
Everything became light.
Blinding white filled her mind, as if all things were dissolving into their essence.
She felt something like a “gaze.”
Or perhaps a warm light shining upon her, gradually restoring her senses.
The endless white faded.
Her vision returned.
And she found herself in a place both familiar—and unfamiliar.
She stood within thick fog. The path ahead was invisible, even the ground beneath her feet indistinct. Around her loomed faint silhouettes—towering shapes that required her to look up to see their tops.
Trees.
Xu Zhi quickly realized she was already within the Great Dream—and this was likely the trial for becoming [Named].
From past experience, trials usually required choosing a path.
But this…
There was no path at all.
Only fog in every direction.
Was she meant to choose her own direction?
Probably.
Xu Zhi didn’t act rashly. She stood still and observed for a while, then confirmed—standing still would change nothing. There was no danger, but no progress either. She couldn’t even “wake up.”
So she had to move forward.
Strictly speaking, all her previous experiences had been incomplete versions of the Great Dream.
This was her first true trial.
Some instinct told her—
This time would be different.
She reached out and stirred the fog. The white mist curled and flowed around her fingers, harmless, merely obscuring her senses.
“…Whatever.”
Xu Zhi closed her eyes, chose a direction by instinct, and stepped forward.
Though surrounded by fog, she didn’t feel dampness. Instead, there was a faint warmth—like a pleasant afternoon rather than a misty void. The gentle atmosphere made her feel lightheaded, her mind emptying, as if she could simply follow instinct without thought.
She walked forward aimlessly.
She wasn’t particularly tense.
Perhaps because there was no sense of danger.
Or perhaps because the warmth was simply too comforting.
After one hundred and eighty-five steps—passing her seventy-second tree—she finally saw something different.
A forked tree.
And hanging from it—
A Lamp.
It looked very familiar.
“…Huh? Isn’t that my Lamp?”
Xu Zhi stopped, looking up at it.
Yes—it was hers.
Why was it here?
Whatever. She would take it first.
The forked branch placed it within easy reach. Xu Zhi took the Lamp down.
The moment it touched her hand, it lit up on its own.
At once, the surrounding fog receded by about ten meters.
“So useful?”
Xu Zhi was pleasantly surprised. She glanced at the ground—still no visible path, only muddy earth—and continued forward.
At step three hundred and sixty-two, she saw something again.
A small wooden cabin.
It was simple—yet very new, as if freshly built.
It stood directly in her path, as though she had no choice but to enter if she wished to continue.
Xu Zhi didn’t hesitate. If this was the path, then she would follow it.
She walked up and pushed open the brand-new wooden door.
The moment it opened—
Her vision turned white.
And when it cleared—
She found herself back at the beginning.
The same fog.
The same starting point.
And the Lamp in her hand—
Was gone.
