Chapter 74: The Ancestor’s Belated Rebellious Phase (1)

After Sparkling reminded her that the mission was complete, Ling Qiong still chose to stay for another three years. After all, happiness, however brief, was worth savoring.

“What happens to this instance after I leave?” she asked.

[Dearest, what happens when you log out of other games?]

“It pauses?”

[That’s right. Once you log out, the instance is saved and left suspended.]

Ling Qiong’s eyes brightened. “So I can go back in?”

[Dearest, I don’t have any information on that at the moment.]

Ling Qiong’s lips instantly curled downward. “So what use are you?”

[…I can cheer you on!]

“…” Really? Does your father need your cheers?

Ling Qiong prepared to log out of the game, telling Sparkling in advance that she’d be going offline to rest. The time she’d spent in the instance wasn’t all that long, and it didn’t match real-world time, but she was still worried. The nutrient solution in her gaming pod would only last a month—she didn’t want to die.

…

Rumble—

The earth-shaking sound startled Ling Qiong, who darted aside as a massive boulder crashed down from above. She stepped back, only to realize there was nothing beneath her feet—her entire body was suddenly suspended in midair.

Flying?

Flying!!!

Ling Qiong was utterly shocked, flailing her limbs in the air, but managed to steady herself by sheer bodily instinct.

Her heart was pounding, her little face utterly bewildered.

Wait a minute!

What on earth was happening?!

Hadn’t she just said she wanted to log out?

What was this damned game doing? Did it take its players’ words as mere air?

[Dearest, we’re sorry, but the game has encountered a temporary error and the logout function is malfunctioning. We’re working on emergency repairs right now. Would you like to play another round? To make up for your inconvenience, we’ll give you a hundred draws.]

Ling Qiong’s tiny head was full of question marks.

She didn’t have time to argue with Sparkling. Right now, she needed to dodge the falling rocks and save her life first.

She was currently inside a cave.

She had no idea what had caused the collapse.

But the most pressing problem was—she was standing in midair!

Even though she had no idea what she was doing, her body’s instincts allowed her to keep her balance and dodge the debris.

Wasn’t that incredible?

She noticed something seemed to be lying below, but with her own life at stake, she had no time to see what it was.

The cave was sealed on all sides, with no exit to be found.

Was this the legendary “dead end at the start, survival depends on cunning”?

…

Ling Qiong had barely emerged from the cave, not even time to look at what she looked like, when she was greeted by a crowd of people kneeling in neat rows before her.

Ling Qiong was so startled she staggered back several steps.

What kind of welcome was this?!

“Welcome, Ancestor, upon your return!”

The unified shout soared into the sky, sending chills down her spine.

Ling Qiong: “…”

What was this?

Whose ancestor?

She’d just arrived and they called her ancestor?

Was her seniority that high?

Ling Qiong, baffled, suddenly heard someone shout, “Someone’s coming!”

On the horizon, a dark mass was heading straight for them.

Ling Qiong’s vision seemed especially sharp—she could actually make out that the dark shape was a group of people.

A group flying through the sky, either riding swords or strange things.

Good heavens!

They could fly!

So this was a fantasy game instance?

“How did they get here so quickly?”

“Should we retreat? We can’t let them discover us.”

“What about the Ancestor…”

“Ancestor, this isn’t cowardice—we’re merely lying low for now. One day, we’ll wipe them out completely!”

“Yes, Ancestor, let’s withdraw quickly!”

Ling Qiong, lost and helpless: “…”

Why did this feel so much like the villain’s side?

She had no clue what was going on, but these people were obviously on her side.

So Ling Qiong could only go along with their plan for the time being, swept away as they fled, a group of pursuers hot on their heels—strangely exciting.

Except…

The wind was too strong and kept slapping her in the face.

…

Her character was named Moonfall Candle.

On the Jiuzhou Continent, the Moon Clan had once been illustrious, their disciples spread far and wide, possessing the power to command the land.

But when a glorious clan turned into an evil dragon, it became a calamity for the continent.

To slay this dragon, every sect of the land joined forces against the Moon Clan.

That battle became known to later generations as the War of Ten Thousand Sects.

Ten thousand was, of course, an exaggeration, but many sects did take part.

The losses were catastrophic, but in the end, the Moon Clan was shattered and scattered.

Moonfall Candle was then the newly appointed clan leader—just ascended.

The previous leader had perished in that battle, forcing Moonfall Candle to take the seat, barely warm before she herself was sealed away.

Now, a millennium later, the Moon Clan was nothing but a memory, seldom mentioned at all.

After the War of Ten Thousand Sects, the continent’s spiritual energy mysteriously declined, and many things were lost to history.

The age when all could cultivate disappeared into the river of time.

Now, those who practiced cultivation were one in ten thousand; even a mere initiate was a great honor to any family.

The protagonists were born into this world.

It was your typical cultivation background—fighting monsters, leveling up, building relationships, treasure hunting, surviving crises, more fighting and leveling, and more relationship building.

According to the original plot, the female lead would not release Moonfall Candle during this treasure hunt—likely saving such an obvious villain for a later arc.

But then…the author dropped the story, and the heroine met her end.

So Moonfall Candle was released early.

Out she came.

But a group of people believed Moonfall Candle had killed the heroine, so they began hunting her down, declaring she must not be allowed to bring disaster to the world.

Back then, Moonfall Candle was a novice clan leader, just taking her seat and now immediately hunted.

How could her state of mind be anything but bleak?

In the end, driven to madness by their pursuit, she descended into demonic rage and died miserably in their siege.

Ling Qiong took a quiet breath—yet another bloodbath triggered by the heroine.

First rule for surviving and changing fate: stay far away from the protagonist.

At present, Ling Qiong was being led by the so-called “descendants of the Moon Clan,” settling in a grand and imposing manor set by mountain and water.

A disciple dutifully arranged her room. “Ancestor, please.”

Ling Qiong glanced around at the luxurious furnishings.

The disciples lined up, looking ready for a speech.

“You…” Ling Qiong began, their eyes shining with excitement, but her next words were, “Bring me some clean clothes first.”

“It was my oversight,” said the disciple at the front at once. “Ancestor, please forgive me. I’ll have someone bring them immediately.”

Ling Qiong nodded and waved her hand. “You may all leave for now.”

“Yes, Ancestor.”

No one dared object. After all, their ancestor had just returned—she needed time to acclimate. They had to be understanding.

The group withdrew from the room.

Some distance away, someone finally spoke. “Senior Brother Jiang He, why does the Ancestor seem a bit…dazed?”

“She’s just come out and hasn’t gotten her bearings,” Jiang He replied. “I’ll find a chance to explain our current situation to her.”

Noting the mixed expressions, Jiang He added, “That’s enough, don’t overthink it. Having the Ancestor with us is a blessing! Go, make preparations, and serve her well.”

Everyone assented and dispersed.