Unable to log off

The players who were both watching and recording reacted similarly, though from their distant vantage point, they couldn’t discern Ye Qingyun’s eyes.

Soon, everyone, lost in their enchantment, saw the performance draw to a close. Yet, as the crowd prepared to disperse, the players eagerly called out to Ye Qingyun.

“Goddess, don’t leave! Let’s add each other as friends.”

The stout player, their leader, yelled.

Hearing their calls, Ye Qingyun slowly halted his steps. He secretly wished to engage with the players, if only to avoid spending every day alone in his room.

Unfortunately, just as the players began to rush forward, they were abruptly stopped by a group of burly men.

These were, of course, the enforcers of Sweetwater Lane.

“Halt! Step back! No approaching!” A leading strongman roared.

Seeing this, the players instantly showed signs of fear. To them, these men were marked with red names, signifying deadly threats.

Ye Qingyun, witnessing the scene, sighed helplessly before retreating into a passage and vanishing from sight. If he remained, he feared he would only bring harm to these players.

With Ye Qingyun gone, the players felt a pang of disappointment and were forced to leave Sweetwater Lane.

It was this stout player who had first discovered Ye Qingyun, and the video on the forums was his creation.

Driven out of Sweetwater Lane, each person was deeply disappointed.

After his performance, Ye Qingyun first returned to cleanse himself, then went to Li Yulian for lessons. Knowing that the Flower Queen selection was months away, he was to study diligently under Li Yulian.

To cultivate Ye Qingyun into a Flower Queen, Li Yulian had invested considerable financial and spiritual resources. For instance, she purchased expensive elixirs for Ye Qingyun to consume, all of which were undoubtedly beneficial for his physical conditioning.

Potions like Beauty Elixir and Grace Pills, among others, were considered high-grade tonics for women in this world. As a result, Ye Qingyun’s physique steadily improved, his skin glowed, and he appeared increasingly youthful.

[Beauty Elixir: An expensive tonic that slows the aging of a woman’s skin.]

[Grace Pills: Can make a woman’s body more mature.]

Ye Qingyun had largely grown accustomed to this lifestyle. It didn’t bother him; after all, it wouldn’t impact his real-world existence.

For players, the game was a vivid dream. Though memories lingered after waking, the sensations quickly faded into oblivion.

The brain wouldn’t retain the game’s tactile sensations, and without them, the line between reality and illusion naturally remained clear.

While sleeping, players wouldn’t log off. Instead, nighttime in the game became remarkably brief; mere seconds after lying down, day would break.

Before long, another half-month passed, and Ye Qingyun had fully adapted to life here. It felt like an alternate world, and apart from the system, it was indistinguishable from reality.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted. A whole month has finally passed. In reality, it’s probably been a day, and I should get up and eat,” Ye Qingyun remarked, checking the system clock.

Having said this, he opted to log out. However, at that very moment, something terrifying occurred.

[Alert: System malfunction. Unable to log out. Players may rest in-game while awaiting official repair of the log-out system.]

The system issued its warning.

The sudden alert stunned Ye Qingyun, leaving him bewildered for a long moment.

“What? A system malfunction? What’s going on?” Ye Qingyun urgently questioned.

[The system is unaware. Players are asked for their understanding and patience.]

“Brother, what’s happening? Why can’t we log out?” Ye Qingxue’s voice also reached Ye Qingyun’s ears.

“How would I know? It’s probably a system malfunction, given this is the first epoch-making game.” Ye Qingyun shook his head.

Naturally, Ye Qingyun wasn’t the only one to discover this issue. Virtually all players currently in the Jianghu realm found themselves unable to log out.

Rumors instantly began to spread across the game world’s channels.

“What in the world is the official team doing? Why can’t we log out? This is murder! If our consciousness is trapped in the game, won’t our bodies just die?”

“Not necessarily dead, but perhaps reduced to a vegetative state.”

“This can’t be the work of the officials, can it? Even the system doesn’t know what’s going on. Could the AI have malfunctioned?”

“Hmm, it’s probably a bug. After all, it’s a game, and it’s the first to use virtual technology. The AI might have issues. Let’s just wait patiently.”

Some rational players offered reassurance. After all, game issues were common, and Jianghu was a new type of virtual online game, so immature AI was inevitable.

Ye Qingyun, being a rational person, understood that with so many trapped in the game world, Fantasy International couldn’t possibly be unaware and must have already initiated repairs.

However, at that very moment, a system alert echoed throughout the entire Jianghu realm.

[Alert: Jianghu has officially entered independent operational mode. Players will enjoy a perpetual in-game experience. We hope all players live happily and cherish every day in this world. Farewell.]

After dropping this single sentence, the system fell silent.

The ambiguous message left everyone utterly baffled.

“What does ‘perpetual in-game experience’ even mean?” Ye Qingyun mused, utterly confused.

“What is the system trying to say? I don’t understand it at all.” Ye Qingxue, too, was perplexed.

“Hmm… I don’t quite grasp this situation either. It’s too soon to tell, we’ll need a few more days to understand. But the system shouldn’t be joking, so let’s just observe for now.” Ye Qingyun didn’t know how else to respond.

Seeing his reaction, Ye Qingxue could only agree.

Before long, they spent over a month in the game, while only a single day passed in the outside world. By then, it should have been evening.

Today, Ye Qingyun was performing his tasks as usual. However, just as he began his act, the area beneath the stage suddenly erupted in commotion.

“Number Four! Number Four! It’s me, Qin Yun! What’s going on? Why can’t I log out?” A player strikingly similar to Qin Yun appeared below the stage.

Upon seeing Qin Yun, Ye Qingyun’s expression instantly stiffened.

Ye Qingyun was inherently a calm individual. Even trapped within the game world, he wasn’t one to despair. His primary concern was his situation in the real world.

However, upon seeing Qin Yun, a new wave of emotions surged within him. Yet, he remained composed, giving Qin Yun a subtle glance, signaling him not to panic, as many other players were present.

At this moment, these other players were also in a foul mood. Coming here was meant to alleviate their spirits, but trapped in this world, all they could do was observe the unfolding situation.

Ye Qingyun quietly completed his daily routine. He hadn’t expected Qin Yun to also enter the game.

From the looks of it, he was likely trapped as well. However, since Qin Yun arrived after him, he should be aware of his current predicament.

For some reason, Ye Qingyun couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. If this game had truly trapped tens of millions of players, the relevant authorities in Huaxia should have long since sealed off Fantasy International.

Half an hour later, Ye Qingyun returned to the back courtyard. As he departed, however, Ye Qingyun suddenly cast a glance at the enforcer guarding the entrance.

The moment the burly man met Ye Qingyun’s gaze, he instantly became utterly bewildered. He had, of course, fallen victim to Ye Qingyun’s Blood Spirit Demonic Eyes, his mind entranced.

Once his mind was ensnared, Ye Qingyun spoke a few words to him. The man nodded incessantly, then proceeded to walk in Qin Yun’s direction.