CHAPTER 594: CHAPTER 594: WEAK LONG YIFAN

Its arms were thick like tree trunks, its claws sharper than blades.

"Yifan, dodge!" Gu Jin shouted.

But Long Yifan did not move back. Instead, he raised both hands high. A wall of wind formed in front of him, thick like a shield. The beast’s claws smashed against it, but the shield held.

With his other hand, Long Yifan sent fire underneath the beast, burning its legs. The creature roared, but before it could pull back, the wind shield exploded outward, throwing it off balance.

Long Yifan clenched his fist, and the fire rose higher, swallowing the beast whole.

The giant beast fell, shaking the ground.

Gu Jin’s lips pressed together. For a moment, her chest tightened. She had not expected Long Yifan to fight like this. Without his sword, he was even more dangerous. His elements moved like they were part of his body.

But the fight was not over. More beasts climbed out from the cracks of the rift, their red eyes blinking like stars in the darkness.

Gu Jin’s voice was low. "They are endless."

Long Yifan breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling. Yet his eyes still burned with determination. "Then I will be endless too."

He stretched out his arms, gathering both fire and wind at the same time. The air around him grew hot, his aura pushing back the black mist. His hair lifted slightly, blown by the power rising inside him.

"Watch closely, Gu Jin," he said quietly. "This is why I still stand beside you."

The beasts rushed at once, a dark tide filling the path.

Long Yifan slammed his hands together. Fire and wind fused into a storm of flames, spinning faster and faster until it became a blazing hurricane. The hurricane roared, its heat so strong that the rocks around them cracked.

The beasts were pulled into the storm, their screams piercing the air. One after another, their bodies were torn apart and burned to ashes. The firestorm lit up the rift, chasing away the shadows for the first time.

Gu Jin covered her face slightly, the heat pressing against her skin. She whispered to herself, "He is burning his own strength..."

Inside the storm, Long Yifan’s eyes glowed faintly, his body trembling from the strain. But his voice rang out clear.

"I will not stop! As long as you are beside me, I will never stop!"

The last of the beasts fell, their bodies crumbling into black dust. Slowly, the firestorm faded, leaving behind only smoke and silence.

Long Yifan staggered slightly, his knees almost giving out. But he forced himself to stand straight. His breathing was rough, his face pale, yet his eyes still shone.

Gu Jin walked over, her steps calm. She looked at the ashes covering the ground, then at him.

"You are reckless," she said coldly.

Long Yifan chuckled weakly. "Perhaps. But you are still safe, aren’t you?"

Gu Jin’s lips pressed together. For a second, she almost said something more, but the words stayed inside her.

Long Yifan’s knees shook again. His tall figure tilted as if he were about to fall.

"Yifan!" Gu Jin quickly reached out and grabbed him by the arm. Her hand tightened, steadying him before his body hit the ground.

His face was pale, his lips dry, and his breathing rough. She could see drops of sweat sliding down his forehead.

"What happened?" Gu Jin asked, her tone colder than her eyes. "Why are you like this?"

Long Yifan tried to smile, though his voice was faint. "I overused my strength. My body cannot carry it anymore... so now I pay the price."

Gu Jin froze. Her fingers on his arm trembled just a little. For a moment, she stared at him silently, her chest rising and falling.

"You burned yourself out... for me?" she asked slowly.

Long Yifan chuckled weakly. "Of course. Who else would I do it for?"

Gu Jin’s lips pressed together. She did not know what to say. Her mind felt messy, filled with emotions she did not want to feel. After a long pause, she took a deep breath.

"It will be better if we rest," she said.

Long Yifan nodded. "Yes... We should rest." His voice was tired, but the smile on his lips was still there.

The next moment, his entire weight leaned onto her. His arms hung loosely, but his head rested against her shoulder. Gu Jin stiffened, her eyes widening.

"You..." she started, but then stopped.

His hot breath brushed against her neck, and her body shivered slightly. For a second, her eyes shut tight. She had not felt like this in a long time, not since before her curse.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but in the end, she opened her eyes and sighed. She could not throw him away like trash. Not now. Not when he had just fought so hard for her.

She supported him with both hands, half-dragging and half-carrying him to a spot far away from the abyssal beasts.

When she found a quiet corner where the ground was flat, she was about to let him go. But before she could move her hand away, Long Yifan’s arm suddenly tightened around her waist.

"What are you doing?" Gu Jin’s voice turned sharp.

Long Yifan rested his chin lightly near her shoulder. His voice was low, almost playful. "I don’t want to lie on the ground. It is too dirty. Take us inside your space instead."

Gu Jin gritted her teeth. "Let me go first."

"No." His answer came instantly.

Her eyebrows twitched. "Long Yifan, leave me now!"

"I refuse," he said shamelessly. "You can scold me all you want, but if I let go, I’ll just fall. Do you want me to lie in the dirt?"

Gu Jin closed her eyes and counted in her heart. One. Two. Three. She could not believe this man. He had just burned his body nearly empty, and yet he still had the mood to be shameless.

In the end, she sighed heavily. "Fine. But once inside, you will let me go."

Long Yifan smiled faintly. "Deal."

She brought them both inside. The scenery changed instantly. They now stood on soft green grass under a bright sky, safe and peaceful.

Gu Jin quickly tried to push him away. "Now leave me."

But Long Yifan only hugged her tighter. His voice came soft but teasing. "It feels better like this. My energy is returning faster when I stay close to you. Maybe it is because you are the owner of this space."

Gu Jin’s expression darkened. "If you don’t let go right now, I will let you taste the mud on the ground!"

Long Yifan chuckled. "But there is no mud here, only grass. Even outside, the ground was stone, not mud."

Gu Jin’s jaw tightened. She realized he was right, which made her even more annoyed.

"That is not the point!" she snapped. "Let go!"

Instead of listening, Long Yifan clung to her like a koala. His arms wrapped around her waist, refusing to budge.

"Gu Jin, you are too heartless," he said with fake sadness. "One moment you act like my fiancée, the next you push me away. I have never seen anyone colder than you."

Gu Jin let out a sharp laugh filled with anger. "Heartless? If you want to see someone heartless, go look in a mirror. You will find the most heartless man staring back."

But Long Yifan did not look offended. Instead, his smile grew. "Your tongue is still as sharp as ever. I like it."

Gu Jin’s hand twitched. "You must be a masochist. Go find some sadist to pair with you. Don’t bother me."

Long Yifan nodded seriously. "Yes, I already found one sadist. And now, I am clinging to her at all costs."

Gu Jin stared at him, speechless. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. This man was impossible.

Finally, her patience snapped. Without hesitation, she raised her leg and kicked him away.

Long Yifan let out a grunt as his body rolled onto the soft grass.

He sat up, rubbing his side, his lips curved into a helpless smile. He did not try to cling to her again. His eyes, however, were filled with warmth.

"I understand," he said softly. "You’re angry. I will not push you anymore."

Gu Jin stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him. She wanted to scold him again, but when she saw his pale face and how weak his body still was, the words stuck in her throat.

After a moment, she turned her head away. "Rest properly. If you dare act shameless again, I won’t save you next time."

Long Yifan leaned back on the grass, closing his eyes. His smile did not fade. "Yes, my fiancée. I will behave."

For the next few hours, both of them stayed in the space. In reality, Long Yifan wasn’t tired at all. In fact, if he wanted, he could have let his contracted beast out and end the battle quickly.