Chapter 343: The Brocade Carp Lives

The meat is tender and flavorful, melting in the mouth, the sauce—balanced between salty and sweet—coats the palate, flooding one with happiness.

Accompanied by the vegetables and fragrant rice, Cheng Shuili ate with exceptional satisfaction.

The golden rice bowl also lived up to its name, popping up a panel that told Cheng Shuili her stamina had increased a bit.

After the meal, Cheng Shuili could truly say she was content.

Afterward, she cleared the dishes and pondered what she should do this afternoon.

The radio's battery still had three charges left, and there was an unused Designated Dungeon Activation Card.

She lowered her head and rubbed the bridge of her brow, noting that every matter has its priority and cannot be handled all at once.

The Abyssal Ring's upgrade has been delayed long enough; moreover, she doesn't just have a single special equipment evolution card, so it's better to first enter an Instance to find Abyssal Stones and cultivate Shadow Essence.

Cheng Shuili held the Designated Dungeon Activation Card in her hand, about to use it, when she received a message from Jiang Tang.

【Liang Shan Bo Yu Zhu Ying Lai】: Boss, I opened a chest and got a weird item; I asked Xinxue and she doesn't know what it is, she said I could show it to you.

A weird item even Xinxue doesn't know about?

So… there's probably no description. An item with no description… a Spatial Stone?

Cheng Shuili felt a bit excited, but her reply showed none of it.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: Send it over for a look.

【Liang Shan Bo Yu Zhu Ying Lai】: Sure, Boss, it's just a pitch‑black stone; the chest was a golden one, who knows it turned out to be six broken stones full of question marks.

Seeing this, Cheng Shuili was certain it was a Spatial Stone, and that this guy produced six of them at once!

That luck… it's hard not to be envious.

Almost the instant the message sent successfully, a gift prompt popped up.

Cheng Shuili suppressed her excitement, checked the item sent to her, and six completely black stones appeared in her hand.

She held them carefully and examined the details.

It's a Spatial Stone!

It really is a Spatial Stone!

The fact that even Xinxue doesn't know what this is already shows how rare it is, and Jiang Tang managed to pull out a full six… this luck is truly extraordinary.

Cheng Shuili took a deep breath, trying to make her tone sound calm and even, and replied.

【Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji】: Got the item, it's a good one. I'll credit you this time; the snack I penalized you with before is returned, and the other rewards will come later.

【Liang Shan Bo Yu Zhu Ying Lai】: Really, Boss?! That's great! Heh, I knew this wasn't simple! If I get another one next time, I'll give it to you!

She closed the chat window, and Cheng Shuili immediately slipped the six Spatial Stones into the Abyssal Ring; she had long felt the ring's two‑cubic‑meter storage was insufficient, so these stones arrived just in time!

The surface of the ring suddenly shimmered with a dark‑purple glow, and a familiar panel popped up:

【Detected Spatial Expansion Stones ×6. Fuse now? Current expansion progress: 0/3 (every 3 fused increase storage by 1 cubic meter)】

It can directly add two cubic meters, not bad.

Feeling pleased, Cheng Shuili lifted her hand and pressed "Yes"!

The stones silently dissolved inside the ring, and the Abyssal Ring's storage expanded to four cubic meters.

Cheng Shuili admired the enlarged space for a while, then refocused on the Designated Dungeon Activation Card.

She suddenly thought of a question: the system said future Instances would all be team Instances, does that also include those opened by this kind of card?

Cheng Shuili shook her head and directly used the card in her hand.

Just like last time, the foil‑stamped card surface rippled with blue light, then wrapped around Cheng Shuili's fingers like molten metal.

Nothing changed, except that now Cheng Shuili no longer panics over this minor effect.

【Detected Instance activation permission】

【Searching for enterable Instances...】

A translucent system panel unfolded again before her, and Cheng Shuili scrolled, looking for Instances that meet the criteria.

As the system's earlier notice said, all Instances now bear a conspicuous "Team" label, with recommended party sizes often 5, 10, or even more.

Even the previously two‑character "Solo" Instances have disappeared.

Cheng Shuili frowned slightly, her fingers swiftly sliding to filter.

She needs an Instance that yields Abyssal Stones and Shadow Essence materials, preferably with a low party‑size requirement.

But there are too many Instances; searching endlessly isn't a solution.

Just after Cheng Shuili complained about the system's lousy design, a tiny magnifying glass suddenly appeared.

Cheng Shuili: "......"

Real‑time monitoring edit, huh?

Fine, having this feature is enough.

She tried typing a keyword into the search box.

The list refreshed instantly, the number of Instances sharply dropped, leaving only a handful:

【Abyssal Corridor (Team)】: Recommended 10 players. Description: A twisted passage leading to the Abyss, haunted by forgotten guardians…

【Black Abyss Outpost (Team)】: Recommended 8 players. Description: A forward post on the edge of the Abyss, now occupied by dark creatures…

【Deep Dark Mine (Team)】: Recommended 2–3 players. Description: An ancient, long‑abandoned mine; legend says its deepest part connects to an unknown Abyssal fissure, suffused with heavy darkness. Perhaps it hides gifts from the Abyss, but also unimaginable dangers.

"Deep Dark Mine…", Cheng Shuili's gaze locked onto this Instance.

Its recommended party size of only 2–3 fits her perfectly.

"That's the one." Cheng Shuili lightly tapped.

【Selected Instance: Deep Dark Mine (Team)】

【Recommended players: 2–3】

【You are now the team leader! Please select team members bidirectionally!】

Without any notice, Cheng Shuili directly sent Jiang Tang a team invitation.

If Su Rui hadn't been unable to enter the Instance, Cheng Shuili wouldn't have had to call anyone else.

As for why she called Jiang Tang…

Who doesn't like a mascot?

Jiang Tang had just opened a bag of potato chips, adjusted the tail of her little dinosaur pajamas, and was about to spend a leisurely afternoon when that team invitation suddenly shattered everything without warning.

The one sent by Lao Da… there's no reason to refuse.

Her fingertip had just left the confirm button, and she didn't even have time to put the chips away, when a strong sense of weightlessness and spatial distortion suddenly seized her!

"Waaah—my potato chips!"

The familiar room before her shook and shattered violently, like water rippled by a thrown stone.

The next second, cold, damp air mixed with a heavy earthy smell and an indescribable musty rot rushed into her nostrils.

When the light faded, Jiang Tang found herself standing at the entrance of a dim, cramped cave. Beneath her feet were uneven, slick rocks, and around her rose jagged stone walls, with only faint light emanating from unknown mossy plants, offering pitiful illumination.