CHAPTER 639: CHAPTER 639: ATTACK

The days after the dinner passed quickly, and everyone in the Gu family was filled with excitement about the upcoming trip.

They had been planning it for weeks, and now that Gu Jin’s exams were finally over, nothing could stop them.

Gu Jin had done more than just finish her exams.

She had completely amazed the professors and the board with her performance.

Not only did she receive the highest grade in every subject, but she was also praised for her leadership skills during her service under the Guardian of the Mage world’s god... the most respected position any student could ever dream of.

"Jin, you are incredible," Principal Lan had told her when he handed her the report. "I have never seen such performance in my thirty years of teaching."

Gu Jin only nodded humbly. "I was just doing what I was supposed to."

But the truth was, her work was far beyond what anyone expected.

Her results were so good that the academy offered her a rare choice... she could skip an entire academic year if she wished.

Gu Jin accepted without a second thought. Long Yifan had already graduated, and she did not want to stay behind when she could be with him in the next stage of their journey.

Besides, staying in a place where she already knew everything felt dull.

She had mastered the course material, and there was nothing more the university could teach her. It was time to move forward.

Principal Lan, however, refused to let her go so easily.

After days of persuasion, he made her a deal.

"Gu Jin," he had said, "I will allow you to skip lectures and even exams if you want. But in return, you must lead our combat team and participate in mage competitions. Our team needs someone like you."

Gu Jin thought about it for a long time and finally agreed. "Alright. But I will not attend any regular classes."

"Done," Principal Lance said immediately. "I will even let Long Yifan join as a teacher. You two will be unstoppable together."

While Gu Jin had been focusing on combat and her mana cultivation, she had not forgotten about alchemy.

Every night during the past year, she spent hours reading ancient texts and experimenting with new formulas.

As a result, her alchemy, which had been stuck at Earth Rank, finally advanced to Black Rank.

It was a huge achievement. Most alchemists took nearly two centuries to reach that level, but Gu Jin had done it before turning thirty.

Still, she decided not to reveal this to the public.

"There is no need to draw unnecessary attention," she muttered to herself. "It is better to stay quiet until the next competition."

When the exams and preparations were over, the Gu family decided it was time to relax.

They booked an entire amusement park just for themselves. The day of the trip was bright and sunny, perfect for fun.

"This feels like a dream," Gu Jichun said as they entered the park. "We have the whole place to ourselves!"

Mrs. Gu was smiling too. "Let us make some happy memories today."

Everyone split into small groups to try different rides.

Gu Jin, Mrs. Gu, Gu Jichun, Gu Jihu, Gu Jishi, Long Yifan, and even Jasmine joined. They screamed on roller coasters, laughed during water rides, and ate too much cotton candy.

"This is the best day ever!" Gu Jihu shouted as they got off a spinning ride.

Gu Jin, who had never experienced such simple fun in her previous life, felt something warm growing inside her chest. It was the kind of happiness she had never known before... light, free, and full of life.

Later that evening, they all stayed in a large mansion near the park.

The view from the balcony was breathtaking, a sea of stars above and glowing city lights below. Inside, the family gathered in the living room and played board games together.

"Do not cheat this time!" Gu Jishi yelled as Gu Jichun tried to peek at his cards.

"I was not cheating!" she protested, laughing.

Gu Jin watched them with a soft smile. Every roll of the dice, every playful argument, and every burst of laughter felt precious.

For so long, her emotions had been unstable, appearing and disappearing like smoke. But now, they lingered. They stayed.

This is what warmth feels like, she thought. This is what family means.

Later that night, everyone returned to their rooms. Gu Jin, tired but content, changed into her nightclothes and was about to go to sleep when she heard soft footsteps outside her door.

A faint smile touched her lips. "You should leave before I throw you out myself," she said calmly, assuming it was Long Yifan trying to sneak into her room again.

After all, it was a move Long Yifan often pulled out when they were together near the cursed place.

But no familiar chuckle followed. Instead, the footsteps grew heavier, slower, almost eerie.

Her smile faded. Her eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.

Suddenly, the floor beneath her darkened. A spike-like shadow shot up from her own shadow and pinned her in place.

"Shadow manipulation?" Gu Jin muttered. "How boring."

With a flick of her wrist, she severed her shadow completely, breaking the enemy’s control.

Mastering the shadow element was something she had accomplished long ago. It was one of the many elements she had awakened after reaching Heaven Rank... along with light and earth.

"Is that all you have?" she asked coldly into the darkness.

No answer came. Instead, the intruder leapt forward.

But before he could get close, Gu Jin waved her hand.

A poisonous plant seed sprouted instantly, growing into thick vines that coiled around the figure and bound him tightly.

"Arghhh!" the man screamed as the toxin seeped into his skin.

Gu Jin walked over to the corner of the room and turned on the light.

Her eyes met a familiar face, one she had expected to see someday.

"Colin," she said calmly. "I should have known it was you."

The man glared at her with hatred burning in his eyes. "You... you monster..."

Gu Jin chuckled softly.

"I have seen the way you looked at me in the white palace. Hatred, jealousy, fear... it was always in your eyes. Did you really think I would forget your face?"

Colin tried to struggle, but the vines tightened around him.

"How... how is this possible? We are both at Transcendental Stage 10. You shouldn’t be able to overpower me so easily!"

Gu Jin tilted her head slightly.

"Transcendental Stage 10... in one element, maybe. But tell me, how many of your elements are at that stage?"

Colin froze. "What do you mean?"

Gu Jin smiled coldly. "All of mine are."

His eyes widened. "Impossible! No one can reach Transcendental Stage 10 in every element! You are lying!"

"You can believe what you want," Gu Jin said. "But I am telling you the truth."

"No... no, you must have cheated! You must have used forbidden techniques!" Colin shouted, panic rising in his voice.

Gu Jin sighed.

"Believe what you want. The truth is simple: while you were busy showing off your strength, I spent every moment training. I used every resource I had, not to raise one element, but all of them."

If Lady Ling thought she could limit her power by cutting our resources, she was wrong. They adapted instead.

"You are lying!" Colin screamed again, his voice cracking.

Gu Jin crouched beside him. "If I were lying, you would not be writhing in poison right now."

His eyes filled with fear. "No... this is not possible..."

Gu Jin looked away and walked toward her desk. She pressed a button, and a screen appeared, showing the security footage from the other rooms.

To her relief, everyone was safe, except for one thing. Long Yifan was fighting someone, too.

Her expression hardened. "Avery," she whispered. "So they came as a pair."

But as she watched, her worry melted into amusement. Long Yifan didn’t even need to cast a spell.

Just his aura alone was enough to crush Avery, forcing him to kneel and surrender.

Colin saw the footage too. "H-how... how is he that strong?"

Gu Jin glanced at him. "Because we stopped thinking like you. We stopped focusing on one element. Instead, we grew stronger in every direction."

Colin trembled, the reality hitting him like a storm. "No... no... this cannot be happening..."

Gu Jin walked over to the sink and calmly washed her hands.

"You should be grateful, Colin. I could have killed you the moment you stepped inside my room. But I decided to keep you alive."

"Why... why not finish me?" he rasped.

"Of course, to teach you and your partner a good lesson." Gu Jin gave an evil smirk, and her eyes shone with malice. She stared at Colin and used her plan vines to drag him out of her room while keeping his mouth covered.