After returning home, although there were many things to do, the plants in the backstage area were ready to be harvested!

Jian Xingyi wasted no time and listed the food items for sale.

The upgraded version of the “Pot Sprouts” had also brought him quite a bit of profit these past few days. When he first listed it, Jian Xingyi made 80 million. That sounds like a lot, but if each “Pot Sprout” costs 3,000, that means he actually sold nearly 27,000 of them. Given that the target audience was likely players in Zone 5 who kept buying them repeatedly to pull cards, this was a very reasonable figure.

Two days later, Jian Xingyi checked and saw the total had already hit 100 million!

Jian Xingyi happily clicked to collect the payment, then began preparing food. Just like before, with the zombie tide currently raging, he focused more on listing items that provide combat power bonuses rather than adventure-type foods.

Large quantities of “Sugar Cane Stir-Fried Pork” priced at 10,000 dawn coins—which, when consumed, provided a 60% boost to both melee and ranged attack power—were practically snatched up in a frenzy. Grapevine Peak and Long Live For A Hundred Years were also relieved that they’d taken the backdoor approach, as Jian Xingyi simply gave them away.

Large quantities of Lychee Juice, priced at 30,000 dawn coins, grant 100% accuracy and a 30% increase in penetration upon consumption. Initially, top-tier players weren’t particularly eager for the 100% accuracy, and the bulk of the buyers were mid-to-high-tier players. But once the 30% penetration was added, everything changed—now it’s a frenzy for everyone.

The medium-sized portion of roasted potatoes, priced at 2,000 dawn coins, was affordable and filling. As for why the roasted potatoes aren’t offered in large quantities, it’s because Jian Xingyi considered that most people would likely buy the sugarcane-stir-fried pork first—since it provides both a stat boost and fills them up—and might not buy potatoes after purchasing the meat.

The medium-sized portion of sweetened watermelon juice, priced at 3,000 dawn coins, replenishes stamina.

A medium-sized cup of coffee with sugar for 3,000 dawn coins, to boost energy.

After Jian Xingyi listed these items, there was no need for any special promotions—the food started flying off the shelves as people snapped them up like crazy.

The reason Jian Xingyi made as much as 170 million last time was because he sold off a month’s worth of stockpiled lychees and game meat all at once; on an average day, he’d make no more than 30 million.

This time, Jian Xingyi didn’t have much inventory left, but the earnings would still exceed 30 million anyway, thanks to the lychees and the additional game meat available for harvesting. Not only that, but Jian Xingyi originally had 290 plots of B-grade farmland and 25 plots of A-grade farmland. However, after merging his homestead with Shanhai’s—transforming a single-person homestead into a dual-person homestead—the farmland and breeding areas in the courtyard also expanded, so now he has 350 B-grade plots and 25 A-grade plots.

In the end, Jian Xingyi made a total of 90 million, three times as much!

Including the profits from the pot sprouts, Jian Xingyi gained 190 million.

Jian Xingyi kept this money aside without spending it, treating it as a safety net.

After all, the funds weren’t needed for the wall repairs this time—Bai Jie had covered the entire cost, amounting to several hundred million. It seemed the zombie horde had dealt them a severe blow.

In return, Jian Xingyi gifted them a substantial amount of enhancement food. Since Jian Xingyi’s food was priceless, the residents of Grapevine Peak contributed without a single complaint.

Jian Xingyi firmly believed that to achieve a lasting partnership, fairness must be maintained; excessive sacrifice by either side would tip the balance of the relationship.

After the plants were listed and replanted, Jian Xingyi began to sprout the seeds in the pots.

Phew…

To be honest, Jian Xingyi had long since given up hope of pulling an SSR. Each pull cost him 165 credits, and he’d done this dozens of times—over 500 pulls in total—without ever landing a single SSR.

His only hope now was that the guaranteed SSR synthesis wouldn’t fail again.

Jian Xingyi began tapping.

【Congratulations to player 【Xinghe】 on obtaining Winter Melon x3】

【Congratulations to player 【Xinghe】 on obtaining Pea Shooter x2】

【Congratulations to player 【Xinghe】 on gaining Luck! You’re sure to get something better next time!】

Same old story—mostly SRs and Rs.

He’d already synthesized one SSR from Pea Shooters before, so he currently had only two varieties left. After this harvest, he added three more—after all, Pea Shooters are always the easiest to obtain.

Currently, Jian Xingyi has 5 varieties of Pea Shooters, 10 varieties of mushrooms and flowers, 9 varieties of melons—just one short of the goal—and 6 varieties of vegetables. With only one day left, that gap feels quite far away.

Jian Xingyi checked with Shanhai, who once again helped him complete the final melon variety.

Shanhai sighed, “Sorry, I could only help with one.”

“No…” Jian Xingyi said, both happy and a little annoyed. “A lucky guy is a lucky guy! Don’t you really feel how lucky you are?!!”

“?”

Jian Xingyi explained, “Last time, I was missing just one Pea Shooter, and you helped me complete it. This time, it’s the same with the melons.”

Shanhai’s “Good Luck” lay in the fact that he always managed to provide Jian Xingyi with that final missing piece.

After all, the later you get, the harder it is to get new varieties, but this guy Shanhai was just too outrageous—he clearly hadn’t planted many plots, yet everything he grew was the SRs he needed, with basically no junk.

“I’m just glad I could help.”

Jian Xingyi then went to the guild channel to ask for vegetables.

There’s strength in numbers, and Jian Xingyi actually managed to secure four vegetable varieties.

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath. Now he had a complete set of varieties: mushrooms, flowers, melons, and vegetables.

Four types in total.

Jian Xingyi resorted to his old method, holding Shanhai in one hand and clutching the Koi Necklace in the other.

“Shanhai, I’m starting now.”

“Mm-hmm.” Shanhai earnestly “channeled good luck.”

Click… Synthesize!

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 in progress, 10%, 20%…】

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 successful! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained the ultra-rare SSR-tier plant 【Enchanted Mushroom】!】

Yay!!!!

Even though it’s not really useful right now, yay!!

Let’s keep going!

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 in progress, 10%, 20%……】

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 successful! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained the ultra-rare SSR-tier plant 【Slime Melon】!】

Taking a look, it’s a plant that can spray endless slime to hold back zombie attacks—it can even hold back 【The Godfather】.

Hmm……

Damn.

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath, reminding himself not to lose sight of the bigger picture—don’t let the small things overshadow the big ones. Giving up the SSR might mean missing out on a special item that could turn the tide of battle!

Keep going!

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 in progress, 10%, 20%……】

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 successful! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained the ultra-rare SSR-tier plant 【Mad Corn】!】

It’s pretty much the same as the Super Shell Pea Shooter, and it even has a weakening debuff.

Jian Xingyi took another deep breath.

Stay calm, stay calm.

On to the last one!

Jian Xingyi’s heart rate had been rising steadily since the synthesis began, and at this moment it had nearly reached its peak; Shanhai could feel the palms of Jian Xingyi’s hands turn ice-cold.

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 in progress, 10%, 20%……】

【【Guaranteed Synthesis】 failed. Player 【Xinghe】, please try again!】

“……”

Thank you. My heart, which had been hanging in the balance, finally… died!

Jian Xingyi’s heart stopped abruptly just as it reached its peak, and he nearly fainted.

Jian Xingyi was completely drained, collapsing limply into Shanhai’s arms like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

“I knew it…” Jian Xingyi’s gaze was vacant. “Four successes in a row were already great. Anything more isn’t something a non-RNG-god should have…”

“……” Shanhai opened his mouth, unsure what to say, and could only silently rub the back of Jian Xingyi’s head.

“Waaah…” Jian Xingyi wanted to cry but had no tears left.

“It’s okay, we’ll have another chance.” Shanhai helped Jian Xingyi to her feet and led her to the fields. “Let’s plant something with a shorter growth cycle. We can still harvest a few times before midnight.”

“Waaah…”

“You’ll get it next time. You can also buy some on the public channel.”

“Waaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… waaaah… 

Jian Xingyi didn’t have time to adjust the planting time for the pot sprout before he “confirmed” it, so it was planted with the default time, half an hour. Not only that, but after realizing his mistake, he panicked and tried to undo it, only to accidentally double-tap the “Fertilize” option instead. This immediately consumed an entire backpack’s worth of fertilizer, yielding just a single potted sprout.

【Congratulations to player 【Xinghe】 on obtaining the SSR plant—Fiery Chili x1】

“Waaah… Huh?”

Huh?

Huh????!

Jian Xingyi rubbed his eyes.

Huh???

【Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained an SSR for the first time through harvesting, completing the achievement 【Lucky Streak】, and has received a reward of 66,666 dawn coins, 5 Management Vouchers, and the special item 【Hunting Trap】】

Management Exchange Vouchers were already old friends, and the Hunting Trap was said to attract high-level creatures—it would surely come in handy if Jian Xingyi needed to collect materials for the Interdimensional Container in the future.

None of that was the point, though. The point was…

“Aaaaaah!!!!” Jian Xingyi screamed and jumped to her feet, making a sound like a piece of white sugar bread.

No way?

No way, no way??

What the hell is this!!!

Is this what a rollercoaster life feels like?? Is this the law of extremes? Is this… is this the defining moment for a farming player!

Family, rise up!

As for me, Jian Xingyi, I’ve risen up too!

Jian Xingyi threw himself into Shanhai’s arms, hugging him tightly and shaking him. “I pulled an SSR! Ah ha, I’m even luckier than you!”

“Yes.” Shanhai chuckled softly, holding her to keep her from falling. “You’re luckier than I am.”

Jian Xingyi felt light as a feather.

No regrets in this life…

Wait, no!

I can’t have any regrets!

Jian Xingyi snapped back to reality.

Now that he had 5 SSRs, he could craft special items!

Before tossing the plant into the crafting station, Jian Xingyi took a curious look at the description of the Explosive Chili.

【Fiery Chili: Upon detonation, clears all zombies in a straight line, excluding the Godfather and Giants.】

Even though it can’t clear the Colossal Giants, being able to wipe out all the other zombies in one go makes it an absolutely amazing item!!

Since only three were needed for synthesis, Jian Xingyi selected three and placed them in the synthesis slots, but suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

Among the SSR plants he’d chosen, excluding the Enchanting Mushroom—which was useless for this—the remaining two were both top-tier items. Staring at the interface shimmering with gold, Jian Xingyi felt an even sharper pang of regret.

Sigh…

Life is a gamble!

The greater the risk, the greater the reward!

【Player, do you confirm consuming 3 SSR plants to craft 【Special Item】?】

Jian Xingyi tapped 【Confirm】.

【Synthesizing 【Special Item】… 10%, 20%…】

【Synthesis of 【Special Item】 successful! Player 【Xinghe】 has obtained an ultra-rare item!】

Jian Xingyi couldn’t wait to open it, and then… he froze.

6.

Shanhai was also curious. “What is it?”

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard and asked, “Have you ever played Plants vs. Zombies?”

“No.”

Jian Xingyi pulled the item directly from his backpack and showed it to Shanhai, “Then take a look yourself.”

“A little cart…?”

“That’s right!”

“Is it powerful?”

Jian Xingyi shouted, “Super powerful!!!”

Wow!!!

Jian Xingyi couldn’t hide his excitement as he said, “Just imagine this: in Plants vs. Zombies, all the plants are planted on the lawn in front of the house, each doing their part. But this little cart is placed right in front of the door. When all the plants have been destroyed, when the game is in a deadlock, and there’s absolutely no hope left, this little cart will go ‘whoosh!’ and clear the entire path in one go! No matter what it is, it’ll be swept away!”

Shanhai paused. “That’s actually pretty powerful.”

So… that’s why the description says “Turn the tide, come from behind”!

Jian Xingyi grew even more excited: “It takes 3 SSRs to synthesize one cart. I have 2 left now; if I collect one more, I’ll have a second cart!”

Jian Xingyi took a closer look and discovered that this cart could actually be upgraded at the synthesis station.

【Upgrade Materials: Iron x10, Plant Essence x1000】

Huh?

Essence?

Jian Xingyi was still a bit dazed.

But using Essence to upgrade the cart… it just feels both absurd and perfectly logical…

Jian Xingyi opened the backend to check; he currently had 1,410 Essence points remaining.

Luckily, he’d saved quite a bit earlier and hadn’t spent it recklessly. Although it was enough for an upgrade right now, still…

Jian Xingyi rubbed his chin, weighing whether it was worth it.

But in any case, he’d better get that other cart together first!

Full of energy, Jian Xingyi set to work planting new plants with gusto.

Late at night.

【Attention players of *Dawnbreaker* V3.0: The Midnight Session of the Five-Day Zombie Tide Feast—The Final Showdown—will begin in one system hour!】

Everyone was in position, having consumed the buffed food provided by Jian Xingyi. With an extra 60% weapon attack power, 100% accuracy, and 30% bullet penetration, they were all primed and ready to strike.

The walls along the side and back entrances were fully intact, densely covered with plants.

The layout at the front gate, however, was vastly different—there wasn’t a single wall there, as walls serve little purpose if they aren’t fully enclosed.

But even without walls, a deep trench separated the guild from the outside world. The trench was wide enough for four or five people to lie across it; achieving this width required everyone to work tirelessly day and night.

Inside the moat lies Jian Xingyi’s interdimensional container. In a moment, with a single click to open it, lava will be teleported from the dungeon to fill the moat, incinerating the zombies.

This way, aside from the clever Godfather and the giants, smaller zombies will essentially be unable to cross over.

The edges of the trench were lined with barbed wire and sharp artificial fences—these were the tools designed to stop the giant zombies.

Jian Xingyi took a deep breath and stood with Shanhai, patiently waiting out the final night.

Jian Xingyi had harvested several rounds of crops that afternoon and collected plants from the public and guild channels, which finally allowed him to successfully craft another cart.

Not only that, but Jian Xingyi finally decided to spend 1,000 essence points to upgrade one of the carts.

Hopefully, the upgraded cart will come in handy!

【Attention players of *Dawnbreaker* V3.0: The five-day “Zombie Tide Feast” Midnight Session—The Final Showdown—is about to begin!】

A piercing siren wailed.

The sky grew darker all around, thick fog engulfing the area. Jian Xingyi closed her eyes and prayed silently.

Whether they won or lost, with Grapevine Peak as a backup, perhaps there was no need to worry too much.

Jian Xingyi just hoped no one would die, that everyone could get through this crisis safely.

Amid the sirens, the system’s voice rang out.

【Good evening, players of *Dawnbreaker*! Congratulations to those who have successfully reached the final night—the Ark awaits everyone in the sky! Use your will and strength to board it!】

【The passion you players have poured out over the past four days will be remembered forever. To honor this fervor, all the Godfathers will come out in full force tonight!】

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard.

Thank you… Though honestly, it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t respond.

Boom—

Boom———

The familiar, earth-shaking sounds echoed all around once more. Jian Xingyi also noticed one of the dark clouds in the sky slowly shifting aside, revealing the outline of the Ark.

Not far away, a row of Godfathers approached in perfect formation, while below, a dense swarm of rotting corpses rolled toward them.

Alright, alright, the Godfathers are just going all out.

“Bang—!”

The final battle had finally begun. Gunfire pierced the sky, and Jian Xingyi activated his lava. As he did, the trenches were instantly filled with lava. The churning magma gushed forth, melting and devouring every zombie that fell into the trenches.

Everyone present could smell the sickening stench of burning flesh, their ears filled with the zombies’ shrill, agonized screams.

The lava effectively cut off all the smaller zombies, allowing everyone to focus on taking down the Giants and the Godfathers. High-powered fighters like Shanhai all used ropes to charge into the fray, risking their lives to engage the Godfathers in a fight to the death.

After all, shooting the Godfathers from a distance was too inefficient; only by landing precise shots right on their heads could they be quickly eliminated.

But there were simply too many Godfathers. With only about ten high-powered fighters capable of charging in like this, having two people handle a single Godfather was still a bit of a stretch. As the Godfathers were about to breach the guild’s lines, Jian Xingyi pulled out the Spirit Battle Talisman.

【Do you wish to activate the Level 2 Spirit Battle Talisman to summon 300 foot soldiers to the battle?】

【Yes】

A white mist began to swirl around Jian Xingyi.

Everyone instinctively looked over. For a moment, Jian Xingyi’s figure was shrouded in the thick fog, appearing and disappearing as if he were about to vanish.

The white smoke gradually spread out from him, encircling the trenches to form a defensive line.

This white mist was different from the thick fog of the zombie horde. While the zombie horde’s fog obstructed vision and inspired fear and annoyance, this white mist had an ethereal quality, appearing almost sacred.

Jian Xingyi, the source of the mist, stood with his eyes closed, head bowed as he established a connection with the Spirit. To onlookers, he truly resembled… the arrival of a savior.

【Player 【Xinghe】, do you wish to establish a connection with the Spirit Heroes?】

【Yes】

Once the connection was established, Jian Xingyi could issue commands by manipulating the battle talisman.

【High-risk environment detected in the vicinity. Do you wish to establish a deep connection with the Spirit Hero?】

Establishing a deep connection would allow Jian Xingyi to set aside the battle talisman and connect directly through their souls, effectively transforming himself into a half-spirit.

Jian Xingyi thought for a moment, then clicked “Agree.”

At the same time, a system prompt and options appeared for Shanhai as well.

【“Savior” has used the Spirit Battle Talisman to summon a thousand troops. Do you wish to join the spirit in combat training?】

Shanhai glanced at Jian Xingyi and also selected “Agree.”

Under everyone’s stunned gaze, Jian Xingyi’s body turned translucent. He stood motionless in place with his eyes closed, his mind seemingly already wandering far away.

Meanwhile, the white mist surrounding him coalesced into human forms, transforming into… Spirit Warriors wielding greatswords.

Not far away, Shanhai—who had been riding atop the Godfather’s head—vanished entirely, replaced by a physical form condensed from white mist, identical to those Heroic Spirits.

“My God…”

Three hundred foot soldiers were no small number. Watching a small army summoned by Jian Xingyi slowly take shape before their eyes—with Shanhai joining their ranks as the sharpest weapon of all—everyone was naturally left speechless.

Boom—

At that moment, the trench was suddenly filled to the brim with an overwhelming number of zombies. The lava couldn’t melt them fast enough to keep up with the rate at which they were falling in. In many places, bridges formed from piles of flesh began to appear. The Godfather and the Giant were about to join them. At the last possible moment, the Spirit Warriors, under Jian Xingyi’s mental command, charged forward to defend, engaging the zombies in battle.

They swung their greatswords to sever the zombies’ heads; even without facial features or voices, everyone could see their high fighting spirit in their movements.

“Kill!!” Cola shouted, “We can’t lose to our reinforcements! Brothers, don’t disgrace yourselves!”

“Kill! Charge!” Bai Jie roared, “Join the Spirit Warriors and defeat the Godfather!”

“Kill! Kill!!”

Everyone was fighting with blind fury, their morale higher than ever before, with only one thought in their minds.

—Win!

Outside, Shanhai, having taken on the form of a Spirit, was now—the once-invincible top player in the entire server—even more invincible.

Shanhai had been constantly upgrading his Spirit’s combat level, practicing every night before bed or whenever he had a spare moment. Now, having fused the techniques of both Spirit and human, his moves grew more powerful and ruthless with each strike.

Moreover, freed from the constraints of his physical body, Shanhai could finally realize the fighting style he had long dreamed of—unrestrained, reckless, and utterly crazy. To everyone else, it appeared as nothing more than a cloud of white smoke, yet it exuded an overwhelming sense of terror.

Wherever the white smoke passed, a trail of blood followed.

Shanhai swiftly took down one Godfather after another.

And amidst this madness and endless battle, he faintly heard Jian Xingyi’s gentle voice.

“Shanhai…”

That voice, though rough, seemed to be telling him that he would always be there, always by his side.

Shanhai paused, then swung his blade.

He didn’t know if the thought that crossed his mind in that moment belonged to the Spirit’s instinct or to Shanhai himself… He would fight for his savior!

The master of the Battle Talisman and the Heroic Spirits had achieved a spiritual connection. In that moment, Shanhai felt as though Jian Xingyi was clinging tightly to him—they were one!

Boom—

Boom———

More and more Godfathers fell.

The guild members, working in coordination with the Heroic Spirits and aided by the lava, gradually regained the upper hand.

Victory was within reach…!

Thud, thud…

Just then, an even louder sound echoed from the distance.

【Congratulations to the players of the final night! The Godfather kill progress has surpassed the halfway mark. Your strength has set the 【General】’s blood boiling—he will soon arrive on the battlefield to meet with you!】

Everyone was stunned.

So there was a General after all.

Just like last time, there was a boss on the final night—only this time, it arrived without warning, like a surprise.

But unlike the previous one, this General possessed the same intelligence as the Godfather and was clad head-to-toe in armor, making it even harder to defeat.

In short, this General was an upgraded version of the Godfather: uncontrollable and impervious to bullets.

Boom!

Boom!

The General was closing in.

But no one could break away; the Spirit Warriors were all busy fending off the Godfather, and fighting the zombie horde was already pushing them to their limits.

If they took their eyes off the Godfather to deal with the General, there would definitely be casualties…

The guild’s defenses would be breached!

Seeing this, Bai Jie shouted, “Everyone, get out of the way!!”

Everyone instantly understood what was happening; after all, Jian Xingyi had already explained it to them before the battle.

Once everyone had moved aside, they saw Bai Jie pull back the curtain covering an unknown colossal object behind them. As the curtain fell, what came into view… was a massive lawn mower.

It was the familiar little cart.

“Vroom—”

Bai Jie revved the engine, and the massive lawn mower charged toward the General amid a deafening roar.

The lawn mower plowed through everything in its path, mowing down every zombie blocking the General’s way—whether giants or Godfathers—leaving the ground littered with body parts and bloodstains. A sickening stench wafted through the air, choking everyone to the point of nausea.

The mower slammed into the General, slicing through both his legs.

Rotting organs and shattered bones spilled out of the massive gash in his legs, and blue blood nearly flooded the surrounding area as the General crashed to the ground.

But the General was too formidable; even without his legs, he continued to crawl forward, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.

“Bzzzzz—!”

Bai Jie started up another lawnmower.

This one was even more massive, standing as tall as a single-story building, and its serrated blades were even more terrifying.

This was the result of Jian Xingyi successfully upgrading it with 1,000 essence points.

With a deafening roar of its engine, the lawn mower charged toward the General once more.

Many Godfathers rushed over to protect the General, but it was nothing more than a suicide mission, merely lightening the burden on everyone else.

The lawn mower showed no mercy, flattening every living thing in its path.

It crushed the General’s skull, pulverizing his long-decayed brain into a pulp.

Even so, because the General was so massive—his brain alone was as large as several human heads—he tried to sneak away using the last shred of brain matter remaining. But Shanhai arrived right above his head in an instant.

“Thud—splat!”

The greatsword plunged into the General’s skull, obliterating the last remnants of his brain matter.

At the same time, Cola finished off the last Godfather.

With all the zombies in the vicinity wiped out, everyone was still in a daze.

Is it… over?

Jian Xingyi exited the linked state, opened his eyes, and his body returned to normal.

He looked around, still struggling to process what had happened.

We won, right?

“We won!!!”

No one knew who shouted it first, but soon everyone was celebrating wildly.

Jian Xingyi sat down, feeling completely drained.

We won.

The prolonged mental connection with the Heroic Spirit had exhausted his mind and spirit; he could no longer hold on… and fainted.