Am I wrong for thinking this life only matters as a tool for the next?

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah, I need some advice about a talk I had earlier today on deen. I said something like this dunya doesn’t really count and the real life is the Aakhirah-this is what I’ve always gathered from Quran ayats and Hadiths. The person I was chatting with got upset and called my view “extremist.” They said we need balance and that the dunya matters on its own too. But I feel like the world is just a means to an end, you know? Like it’s a temporary farm or a test ground (Dar al-Bala) where we do good deeds, handle our duties, and work for our Aakhirah. Without the Hereafter, the pleasures here just don’t last. Am I off track with this? Is it extreme to see the dunya as only a path to Aakhirah, or is that normal in Islam? Would love to hear your thoughts, plus any scholars’ opinions, Quran verses, or Hadiths that help with the right balance. JazakAllah Khair!