22 receives an invitation from a game company to participate in a trial of their virtual reality game, The Sea in a Box. In the game world, a fishing village on the southern coast is where villagers bring their household deities to the streets for a "deity procession" to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

22 and three other test players discover a female deity they've never seen before, "Cizhou Shenggu" (Sacred Maiden Cizhou). As they delve deeper into Cizhou Shenggu's origins, they gradually discover traces of manipulation from outside the game, a mysterious force subtly influencing the NPCs within.

Meanwhile, 22's sister, 33, also discovers suspicious behavior from the employees outside the game. A scheming company, NPC fishermen secretly planning a mysterious ritual, and seemingly secretive companions—a vast conspiracy involving multiple forces gradually surfaces.