Gu Jin giggled softly, pushing Long Yifan away as his teasing lingered in the air.

"Stop playing around," she said, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Just tell me... what's your plan?"

Long Yifan chuckled, his gaze both calm and mischievous. "My plan?" he echoed, brushing a strand of her hair aside.

"Well, since they all love that so-called god so much… It's time for their beloved god to make an appearance and tell them the truth."

Gu Jin's laughter died, replaced by a glint of intrigue. Her lips curved into a smirk. "That's a good idea," she murmured. "In fact, I was thinking the same thing."

"Of course you were." Long Yifan's grin deepened as he rose from the bed.

"I've stayed by your side long enough to know how that brilliant mind of yours works. How could I not guess what you're planning?"

Their gazes met, two minds perfectly aligned, both knowing what was about to unfold.

They shared one last smirk before standing up. And just in time.

Barely five minutes later, an uproar echoed through the lower floors.

The angry roar of a crowd surged upward, shaking the quiet calm of the luxurious hotel. People shouted, footsteps thundered, and curses filled the hallways.

An angry mob was storming in.

Normally, the hotel's security team would have intervened immediately.

After all, this was a five-star establishment... customers, especially VIPs like Gu Jin and Long Yifan, were supposed to be protected. But this time, no one moved.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances. The manager stood behind the counter, his hands trembling slightly as he remembered Lady Ling's voice on the phone earlier that morning.

"Do not stop them," she had said coldly. "These people seek justice for the god. If you interfere, you'll only make yourself their enemy. And I assure you, that's not something you can afford."

How could a small-time hotel owner defy Lady Ling... the most influential priestess of the Mage Council and the guardian of the mage world?

He had simply nodded, swallowing his fear. "Understood. I won't interfere."

Now, as he watched the mob storm the lobby, he clenched his fists helplessly.

The angry crowd was a wave of chaos, faces twisted in rage. They weren't here to talk. They wanted blood.

Up on the thirteenth floor, Gu Jin and Long Yifan stood calmly by the window, watching the chaos below. The faint glow from the streetlamps painted their faces in soft gold.

"They're faster than I expected," Long Yifan said lightly.

Gu Jin's tone was serene. "The angrier they are, the more perfect this will be."

Meanwhile, the mob struggled to maintain its fury as they climbed floor after floor.

The elevators could only carry a few at a time, forcing most to take the stairs.

Some grew breathless halfway up; others sat on the steps, wiping sweat off their foreheads.

"Don't slow down!" shouted a woman from the back, one of Lady Ling's hired agitators. "Are you really going to stop now? Remember what we came for! Remember the god who blessed this world!"

Her words reignited the fire in their hearts.

"The god must be waiting for us!" someone shouted.

"Justice must be done!" cried another.

Once again, the mob roared in unity and surged upward, fury renewed.

By the time they reached the thirteenth floor, their faces were flushed with heat and exhaustion.

A few people conjured weak fire bolts, using them to burn down Gu Jin and Long Yifan's door. The wood hissed and crackled, then burst into ash.

They stormed in. But the room was empty.

The curtains fluttered gently by the open window. The faint scent of Gu Jin's herbal perfume lingered, teasing their senses. But there was no sign of either of them.

"Where are they?" someone shouted. "They ran away!"

Confusion spread through the mob like wildfire. Those planted by Lady Ling quickly sent urgent messages to their mistress.

They're gone. The room is empty.

When Lady Ling received the report, she froze mid-step in her office. Her brows furrowed, and a strange unease crawled up her spine.

"Ran away?" she muttered to herself. "No… they wouldn't hide. Not those two."

If Gu Jin and Long Yifan were hiding, that would mean fear, and fear was weakness. But those two were anything but weak. If anything, Lady Ling knew they might strike back, and that thought made her chest tighten.

Her unease deepened until she couldn't sit still. She immediately ordered her entourage to follow her to the hotel.

When she arrived, the mob was still rampaging across the hallways, checking each floor. Even after a thorough search, no one could find them.

Then, just as confusion began to settle in, a shout echoed from somewhere near the stairs. "They're on the terrace! Gu Jin and Long Yifan are live-streaming!"

"What?"

In an instant, the crowd's exhaustion vanished. They dashed to the elevators, some taking the stairs, others pushing and shoving their way upward once again.

By the time they reached the rooftop terrace, their bodies were drenched in sweat, faces pale from fatigue. Yet the moment they stepped out into the open air, they froze.

Before them stood Gu Jin and Long Yifan, calm, unflinching, surrounded by the glow of recording devices.

Cameras hovered magically around them, capturing every angle of the scene. A glowing rune in the air marked the livestream spell broadcasting their every move to the entire world.

"Welcome," Long Yifan said smoothly. "You're just in time."

Some of the mob raised their hands to attack, but before they could release their spells, Gu Jin's voice rang out clearly:

"We are here to summon the god."

The words echoed across the terrace, carried by the magic of the livestream. For a brief moment, silence blanketed the entire crowd.

Summon the god?

Even Lady Ling's face paled. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong. "Stop them!" she shouted. "They're lying! They're..."

But she couldn't finish her sentence.

A soft light began to shimmer in the air above the terrace. It started faint, like a ripple on water, then expanded into a radiant silhouette, an ethereal figure wrapped in divine luminescence.

Everyone froze.

Bit by bit, the figure solidified, its golden outline taking the shape of a man with long flowing hair and eyes that held galaxies within. The very air trembled beneath his presence.

It was Chang Yin, the God of the Mage World.

A crushing pressure descended upon everyone like a storm.

The mob dropped to their knees instantly, gasping for air. Even the strongest mages among them... people who had reached Stage Five, were pinned down, unable to lift their heads.

Lady Ling's body trembled violently as she, too, was forced to her knees. Her pride was shattered in an instant. The divine aura pressing against her felt like molten iron against her skin.

"W-why…" she whispered, but her voice vanished into the roaring silence.

Chang Yin's gaze swept across the terrace, and the world seemed to hold its breath. His voice was calm yet terrifying in its authority.

"Who are you," he asked, "to raise your hands against those blessed by me?"

No one dared to answer. Even Gu Jin and Long Yifan knelt respectfully, their eyes lowered but their hearts steady.

The mob began to realize its mistake. Whispers of panic rippled through them.

The god isn't dead…They were lied to…

Chang Yin's expression darkened, his voice thunderous.

"I have seen the injustice done to those under my protection. Gu Jin and Long Yifan, my chosen ones, were betrayed, humiliated, and hunted… all because of envy."

His gaze turned, sharp as lightning, toward Lady Ling.

"You," he said, and the word struck like a blade. "I warned you once not to let jealousy consume your soul. Yet you turned the hearts of my worshippers against them. You poisoned truth with lies."

Lady Ling trembled. She wanted to defend herself, to deny everything, but no words came out. Her throat locked, as though invisible chains had sealed it.

The crowd watched in horror and disbelief.

So it was jealousy? All this chaos… all this destruction… because of Lady Ling's envy?

Rage began to replace fear in their eyes. Whispers turned into murmurs, murmurs into growls. The people who had blindly followed her now looked at her with disgust.

Chang Yin raised his hand, and the world seemed to freeze. "You have defiled my name," he declared. "You will answer for it."

Lady Ling gasped as an unseen force seized her by the throat. She was lifted off the ground, her feet dangling helplessly in the air. Her eyes widened in terror as her body twisted unnaturally.

"No... wait...!" she tried to cry, but only a strangled sound came out.

Everyone could see it now, the once-powerful Lady Ling suspended in midair, choking, her limbs bending under invisible pressure. The divine power surrounding her shimmered with judgment.

Gu Jin watched quietly, her expression unreadable. Long Yifan's gaze softened slightly as he turned toward her.