Chapter 630: Chapter 630

They began to walk toward it, but before they could go far, Lady Ling’s calm voice stopped them.

"Where are you going?" she asked, turning around with a raised eyebrow.

Gu Jin froze on the spot. "Uh... we were just curious," she admitted honestly. "We wanted to see what’s down there."

Though she usually remained calm and composed most of the time, today, she truly felt too curious.

Lady Ling sighed softly but didn’t scold them.

"Curiosity is good," she said gently. "But remember, not all doors should be opened before their time."

Gu Jin and Long Yifan looked embarrassed. "We understand," they said together and stepped back.

Lady Ling didn’t say anything more. Instead, she closed her eyes and began chanting in a language neither of them understood.

Only Gu Jin felt as if... she had heard the language somewhere before.

Magical symbols appeared in the air around her, glowing brighter and brighter.

The floor beneath them trembled slightly. Soon, a large portal formed in the center of the room, swirling like liquid light.

"Come," Lady Ling said. She floated into the air with ease and entered the portal.

Without hesitation, Gu Jin and Long Yifan jumped in after her.

This time, Long Yifan again wrapped his arms around Gu Jin before they entered.

Gu Jin rolled her eyes but didn’t push him away.

Lady Ling, watching them, chuckled softly. "Young people these days," she murmured. "Always lovesick."

The next moment, the world twisted around them, and when they landed, they were back inside the white palace they had seen before. It was just as beautiful, but something felt different.

As Lady Ling led them through the hallways, they realized why.

The palace was not floating in the air anymore; it was built above a slow, glowing river.

They walked through several large rooms until they arrived at a massive room.

In the center was what looked like a huge jacuzzi, filled with water that bubbled and shimmered with rainbow light.

Steam rose gently into the air, and the room gave a faint smell of herbs.

Around the pool stood several guards dressed in white robes, each one radiating an intimidating aura.

Lady Ling turned to the nearest one. "All of you, leave," she ordered. "From now on, Gu Jin and Long Yifan will cultivate here for the next month. No one is to interfere till then."

The guards bowed and left silently. The room grew quiet.

Gu Jin stared at the pool, her heart beating faster. "This is... the cultivation pool?" she asked.

"Yes," Lady Ling said with a nod.

Long Yifan’s eyes sparkled. "I’ve heard about this my whole life. A single month here is equal to one thousand years of cultivation."

"Correct," Lady Ling said. "This is the greatest treasure of the mage world."

Then she turned to them with a serious expression. "You will cultivate here together."

Gu Jin blinked. "Together? You mean... in the same pool?"

"Yes," Lady Ling said calmly. "I had hoped to give you separate pools, but time is too short. You both must grow as fast as possible. The pool’s power is strongest when shared between two mages with opposite elements."

Gu Jin sighed softly. "I understand."

"Good," Lady Ling said. Then she stepped toward the door. "I will leave you now. Before entering, you must strip completely and go into the pool without clothes. That is the only way for the mana to enter your body properly."

Gu Jin’s eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"

Long Yifan froze too, but then his lips slowly curved into a mischievous smile.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, turning toward her. "We have to strip. No choice."

Gu Jin’s face turned grim. "Y-you don’t have to sound so happy about it!"

"I’m just following orders," Long Yifan teased, grinning wider. "Lady Ling said we must do it. So, shall we start?"

"Shut up," Gu Jin hissed. She tried to appear confident, but she failed miserably. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

Lady Ling, seeing their reactions, laughed softly.

"It is a normal part of cultivation," she explained gently.

"Clothes block the flow of mana. You need full contact with the water. There is nothing shameful about it."

Gu Jin sighed deeply and nodded. "Fine... I understand."

"I’ll wait outside until you’re both in," Lady Ling said, smiling. Then she left the room and closed the heavy golden door behind her.

Silence filled the chamber.

Long Yifan looked at Gu Jin with playful eyes. "So... are you going first, or should I?"

"Don’t look at me like that!" Gu Jin snapped.

"Come on," he said gently. "It’s just us. We’re both mages. This is training."

Gu Jin sighed again and turned her back to him. "Fine. But no staring!"

"I won’t," Long Yifan promised, though his tone was far from innocent.

Slowly, Gu Jin removed her outer robe, then her inner layers.

The cool air touched her skin, and her face turned even redder.

She walked quickly to the edge of the pool and slipped into the warm water before Long Yifan could say anything else.

The water felt strange, not like normal water.

It tingled against her skin, and waves of energy rushed into her body.

A moment later, Long Yifan joined her. He slid into the water with a relaxed sigh. "It’s warm," he said, leaning against the side. His deep gaze remained fixed on Gu Jin.

Gu Jin tried her best to ignore it at first and hoped that a month would pass soon.

Just then, Long Yifan started to move in her direction.

"Stay back! What are you doing?" Gu Jin asked in a raised voice, her heart was skipping a beat, while she resisted the urge to run away.

"Why maintain such distance, Jin’er?" he murmured, "Are we not engaged?" Follow current novels on novel⁂fire.net

While speaking, he started to swim toward Gu Jin.

"We are but... but I haven’t given you any kind of rights! So stay back!" Her voice was laced with warning, while her eyes darted around in the hopes of finding anything to distract him.

"Rights? Hm... good point." By now, Long Yifan had already reached near her; they were only at arm’s distance. "But... rights are something we should fight for. Otherwise, we are destined to suffer, and I am here to demand my rights."

Gu Jin’s heart was thudding loudly against her ribcage.

She watched as Long Yifan closed in and the colonge unique only to him slowly evaded her senses.

Slowly, he leaned forward, and Gu Jin’s eyes remained widened. She was appalled by his boldness.

Wasn’t he worried that she would shout and ask for help?

Well, apparently, he didn’t, because he soon leaned in and started to kiss her.

Her lips were sealed tightly, a last, futile line of defense. A small, desperate sound of protest caught in her throat.

Long Yifan smiled against her mouth, a subtle curve of his lips she felt more than saw. He didn’t push. He persuaded.

He nibbled softly at her lower lip, a gentle, teasing pressure that sent a jolt of pure lightning straight down her spine, making her toes curl against the smooth stone floor of the pool.

The way he held her jaws, the way his kisses exuded gentleness... it was borderline obsessive.

A sigh escaped her, a shuddering breath that parted her lips. It was all the invitation he needed.

His tongue swept into her mouth, and the last of her defenses crumbled to dust.

His tongue danced with hers, a slick, hot caress that mapped the inside of her mouth with a lazy, thorough ownership that left her dizzy.

Her hands, which had been braced against his chest to push him away, now clutched at his shoulders.

One hand slid from her jaw into her hair, tangling in the wet strands, holding her fast for his kiss while his other hand slid down the slick skin of her back, pulling her flush against him.

He broke the kiss, both of them gasping for air.

A thin strand of saliva connected their mouths for a second before breaking. Her face was flushed a deep, rosy pink, her lips swollen and glistening.

Pressing their forehead together, Long Yifan murmured in a low voice,

"Jin’er... I give up..."

Gu Jin’s heart was thudding loudly against her chest, and she froze for a moment.

Give up? Give up on what?

She refused to think further, but a hint of nervousness crept in.

"Jin’er... I f*cked up. And I understand that something between us may never go back the way it did. When you loved me, I didn’t dare to accept you, and now when I love you... You don’t dare to accept me. I have hurt you too deeply, and I may never be able to forgive myself for it nor gain any forgiveness from you."

Gu Jin trembled slightly; her soul seemed to see everything happen from a space far away from her body, and for some reason, she feared the next words...

Was he going to give up on her?