Chapter 204: Grinding Dungeons
When Li Zhi’s fans received the notification that she had gone live, they were just as surprised.
After all, they had grown accustomed to her entering a dungeon once every ten days to half a month. This sudden broadcast left them both delighted and curious, and they quickly called their friends to flood into the livestream.
But this was only the beginning.
In the following days, Li Zhi’s livestream notifications never stopped. By the time she entered her third dungeon without pause, the audience finally began to sense something unusual.
The forums were instantly flooded with speculation and discussions about Li Zhi, the once-casual player, suddenly transforming into a dungeon-grinding machine.
The surge in popularity from her relentless dungeon runs pushed Li Zhi’s ranking from third to second place. Soon, the audience realized her true intention—
She was challenging Xie Qiong, the current top-ranked player.
The forums erupted with excitement.
A showdown between two elite players was always thrilling. Not only were domestic forums buzzing, but international discussions also centered around these two. Some spectators even started polls and betting pools, wagering on whether Li Zhi could overtake Xie Qiong and claim the top spot or if Xie Qiong would successfully defend his throne.
The global hype and Li Zhi’s bold challenge significantly boosted her popularity beyond anything she had achieved before. Her growth rate in popularity points during this period even surpassed the cumulative gains from all her previous dungeon runs.
Yet, despite the endless speculation, neither of the two involved parties made any public statements. While Li Zhi buried herself in grinding dungeons, Xie Qiong seemed to sense this silent challenge and increased his own dungeon frequency.
The two engaged in a fierce back-and-forth, with Li Zhi’s popularity rapidly closing in on Xie Qiong’s.
This relentless dungeon-grinding spree continued until the day before New Year’s Eve, when Li Zhi finally took a break. Fans who noticed she hadn’t gone live on New Year’s Eve were sorely disappointed.
Meanwhile, Xie Qiong was still grinding.
Li Zhi’s supporters were beside themselves: How can you take a holiday at a time like this?! By the time you finish celebrating, Xie Qiong will have pulled even further ahead! Sure enough, Li Zhi had reverted to her lazy ways.
The villa was already decorated with red lanterns, couplets, and paper cutouts.
The couplets had been written by Pink Hair. Despite his edgy appearance, his calligraphy was surprisingly elegant. This year’s couplets were also more practical than usual.
The first line read: United we stand, guarding the essence of humanity.
The second line read: Together we strive, banishing demons and monsters.
The horizontal scroll declared: Li Zhi is the best.
Chi Yi remarked that the couplets sounded like slogans, but she begrudgingly allowed them to be hung up—mostly because of the last line.
Shang Jinru had sent over a heap of New Year’s goods from the safe zone, delivered by Yao Mingfeng. Though supplies outside were plentiful, seeing these items from the safe zone gave everyone a sense that society was still functioning, that there was still hope for normalcy.
With Ou Wendong, a professional chef, in charge, the options for the New Year’s Eve feast were overwhelming. Eventually, everyone agreed on hot pot—nothing else could match the lively, communal atmosphere of a bubbling pot.
Preparations started early in the morning, with chopping, prepping, and stir-frying. Ou Wendong took the lead as head chef, while everyone else contributed a signature dish. Li Zhi made Li Feng’s favorite chicken and tofu soup, following Shang Jinru’s step-by-step instructions over a video call.
On the other end of the screen, Li Shuang, wearing a red scarf and hat, stood behind her mother, cheerfully wishing them a happy New Year. Fireworks crackled outside the window, and Shang Jinru turned the camera to show the streets adorned with red lanterns—the safe zone’s festive atmosphere was far more vibrant than outside.
When Li Feng arrived after completing his mission, the table was already steaming with food. White Hair immediately sniffed out the roasted lamb he was carrying and pounced. “Bro Feng! Is this your contribution?”
Li Feng handed over the lamb, brushing snow off his shoulders. “Ran into two groups fighting on the way. Took care of them, and this was their roast.”
White Hair: “…?”
Damn… that’s hardcore!
The roasted lamb added even more abundance to the feast. Since everyone came from different regions with different New Year’s customs—some celebrating at noon, others in the evening—there was more than enough food for both meals.
With Li Feng joining, all ten seats at the table were filled. This was the first time Li Zhi was spending New Year’s with friends rather than family. She and Li Feng exchanged a glance and smiled.
Chi Yi raised her glass and shouted, “First toast—to a happy New Year!”
Glasses clinked above the steaming hot pot as everyone laughed and cheered. For a moment, it felt like the world was just as it used to be.
Midway through the meal, gunfire echoed outside. Everyone exchanged glances, and Chi Yi scowled. “So annoying!”
Han Wenlin lazily remarked, “Just treat it as firecrackers. Sounds the same.”
In the past, gunfire would have been unheard of here. Now, it was just background noise. The thought left everyone with mixed feelings.
The feast lasted two hours. Chi Yi, Lian Qinglin, and a few others got drunk and ended up sprawled on the carpet playing guessing games. The only sober ones in the villa were Li Zhi and Li Feng. As Li Zhi cleared the dishes, Li Feng followed her into the kitchen with a stack of bowls.
“The preliminary research results on the leaf are out,” he said.
This was the first good news of the new year. Li Zhi brightened. “And?”
Li Feng pulled out his phone and opened an encrypted document. “The conclusion is that the leaf is inscribed with an incomplete viral code. This virus targets running data programs, but after thousands of attempts, researchers couldn’t find any compatible system to execute it.”
Li Zhi skimmed the document. “So this virus is designed for a specific type of data? It won’t activate unless it’s in the right program?”
Li Feng nodded. “It’s also possible the code is incomplete—just a prototype. Researchers are now trying to complete it based on its patterns. Once it’s fully restored, we might understand its purpose.”
He pointed to a high-resolution image of the leaf. “The research team also found that the material used to make this leaf doesn’t exist in our world. Its atomic structure resembles metal but doesn’t match any known element. It’s likely made from a rare material from another world.”
His voice deepened. “This suggests the technological level of its origin world far surpasses ours. Did Li Jianxi tell you whether this was a system-given item or something from his world? Why did he give it to you?”
Li Zhi shook her head. “I asked him. He doesn’t remember anything.”
After exiting the Filial Piety dungeon, she had asked during her first grinding session, but Li Jianxi’s memories hadn’t returned.
He had given it to her purely on instinct—this was something to be entrusted to the person he trusted most.
After being trapped in the dungeons for so long, Li Zhi was the first person he had learned to trust.
After reviewing the document, Li Zhi mused, “Let’s assume this is something he brought from his world into the dungeon. Even after having his memories erased by the system, he remembered to give it to someone he trusted. That means this virus must target the system.”
Li Jianxi had already fought against the system before.
Someone as sharp as him wouldn’t have walked into hell unprepared.
He must have left something behind—and this leaf was his unfinished hope.
Li Feng nodded. “The research team leans toward that theory too. We’ll know more once the code is complete.” As he tied his apron, he asked quietly, “The plan to expel the [Ghosts] is progressing well. Have you figured out how to bring Li Jianxi out of the dungeon?”
Li Zhi’s expression didn’t change. “Not yet.”
Li Feng frowned, wanting to say more, but he held back. They’d had this conversation before, and repeating it wouldn’t change anything. “Just… don’t lose sight of what’s important,” he finally said.
The villa remained lively all day. By evening, the group had sobered up—just in time for another round of drinking at dinner.
Lian Qinglin slipped out at one point and returned with several crates of fireworks, which thrilled Chi Yi.
“Traded them for defense items!” Lian Qinglin exclaimed. “These things are ridiculously expensive now!”
Soon, fireworks lit up the garden, their brilliance cutting through the gloomy night sky. Neighbors who had mistaken the earlier gunfire for more violence now stepped outside to watch.
For a brief moment, the explosions of light illuminated the faces below—each one filled with nostalgia and longing.
Who didn’t miss the peaceful, joyful days of the past?
But none of them had a choice.
After the fireworks and the New Year’s countdown, the villa finally quieted down around 2 or 3 a.m. Li Zhi lay in bed, clutching the sunflower pendant, and whispered silently, Happy New Year.
Did Li Jianxi’s world celebrate New Year’s too?
Her relentless dungeon-grinding wasn’t just about reaching the top—it was also a desperate attempt to explore every possible way to extract Li Jianxi from the system.
But so far, nothing.
This seemed even harder than expelling the [Ghosts]. She hadn’t found even a glimmer of hope.
She never showed her anxiety, but Li Jianxi seemed to sense it anyway. Every time she entered a dungeon, he rushed to her side as quickly as possible. He never spoke of it, simply staying by her side as always.
Their time together felt like it was slipping away, second by second.
Li Zhi tightened her grip on the pendant and sighed softly.
The next morning was New Year’s Day. Li Feng only had one day off and left early to report back. Everyone in the villa had prepared red envelopes for each other, exchanging them with varying amounts of money inside—some more generous than others.
The disparity in generosity nearly sparked another brawl.
Just before lunch, someone knocked at the door. Chi Yi groaned. “It’s gotta be Yan Feishu! He always shows up when we’re eating!”
Grumbling, she went to answer—only to freeze when she saw the visitors.
Outside, Zhong Yun smiled and held out a large red envelope. “Happy New Year! We came to pay our respects.”
Shu Xinglan stood quietly behind her. When she spotted Li Zhi approaching from the living room, she offered a faint smile. “I hope we’re not intruding.”