The Mighty Mage
Chapter 337: True Gu Jin

Chapter 337: Chapter 337: True Gu Jin

The supreme-rank beasts, once restless and ready to strike, froze in place.

Their fierce roars were silenced instantly, replaced by a tense, unnatural stillness.

One of the larger beasts, a tiger-like creature with black and gold streaks across its fur, lowered its head.

Its once savage gaze was now submissive, its massive body trembling as though acknowledging a higher presence.

The other beasts followed suit, bowing their heads as if compelled by an unspoken command.

The oppressive atmosphere shifted, and for the first time since his arrival, Gu Jihu felt the beasts’ hostility dissipate entirely.

"What is happening?" Gu Jihu muttered, his mind racing. He had never seen such an occurrence—not even when someone broke through to Emperor Rank.

Long Yifan, despite his condition, managed a weak chuckle.

"Gu Jin... is no ordinary Emperor Rank," he said, his voice faint but filled with awe. "I don’t know what’s happening, but might have surpassed the level of Heaven Rank."

To Gu Jihu’s surprise, Gu Jin suddenly started to levitate in the air and moved away from him.

Her emerald eyes, once warm and familiar, now gleamed with a detached coldness.

When they landed on Gu Jihu, there was no recognition—no warmth, no familial bond—only a sharp, analytical gaze that sent chills down his spine.

"Gu Jin..." Gu Jihu murmured, his voice uncertain as he tried to reach her.

But she didn’t respond. Instead, she lifted her hand, palm facing upward. In a flash of dark energy, a pair of sleek black gloves materialized in her grasp.

The gloves shimmered faintly with runic inscriptions, exuding a dense, ancient energy.

As she slid them onto her hands, her movements were deliberate and graceful, almost ritualistic.

Below her, the supreme-rank beasts quivered uncontrollably.

Their once-imposing forms now cowered, their massive heads lowered to the ground in submission.

"So," she began, her tone like silk laced with steel, "you were the ones who dared to disturb my resurrection?"

Her words cut through the silence like a blade, and the supreme-rank beasts froze even further, their trembling intensifying.

Gu Jin’s gaze swept over the creatures, her emerald eyes glinting with a mixture of disdain and amusement.

"Was it hunger that drove you? Did you think devouring my flesh would grant you the strength to break through your pathetic limits?" Her words dripped with venom, and her voice carried a resonance that echoed across the forest.

The beasts whimpered in unison, their massive forms pressing closer to the ground as if begging for mercy. None dared to meet her gaze.

Long Yifan, struggling to stay upright, managed to croak, "Gu Jin... what... what are you talking about?"

Gu Jihu’s sharp gaze snapped to Gu Jin’s figure, his mind racing. Something was wrong.

He quickly extended his senses, probing her cultivation level, and his heart sank.

"Transcendent Rank?" he muttered under his breath, his face pale. "Impossible... She was only at Advanced Rank before. How could she—"

Even Long Yifan, whose strength was impressive, looked shaken.

"Transcendent Rank? That’s not... How could she skip so many ranks?"

As if sensing their alarm, Gu Jin turned her gaze back to them.

For a fleeting moment, there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something human—but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"You look worried," she said with a soft chuckle, her tone amused.

"Do not fear. I won’t harm you. After all..." She tilted her head, her emerald hair cascading like liquid light. "You are not my enemies."

Her words did little to reassure them.

The disparity in their power was evident, and her demeanor was too alien to comprehend.

Turning her attention back to the beasts, Gu Jin raised a single hand.

The dark green glow intensified, and the air around her seemed to ripple.

"Your silence confirms your guilt," she said coldly, her voice laced with authority. "You dared to breach the safety zone’s barrier, hoping to ambush me at my most vulnerable. I should obliterate you for your insolence."

The beasts trembled, their massive forms huddling together like frightened children.

Gu Jin lowered her hand slightly, the pressure in the air easing. She smiled again, though it held no warmth.

"But," she continued, her tone almost playful, "I’m feeling generous. Submit to me, and I may yet spare your lives. Refuse..." Her eyes narrowed, and the glow around her surged. "And I’ll tear you apart."

The beasts roared in unison—not in defiance, but in acknowledgment of their defeat.

Slowly, each one lowered itself completely to the ground, their heads pressed against the earth in submission.

Gu Jin’s smile widened. "Wise choice."

Gu Jihu and Long Yifan exchanged uneasy glances.

"She’s not herself," Gu Jihu muttered, his voice low. "This isn’t Gu Jin."

Long Yifan nodded, his face pale. "It’s as if... something—or someone—has taken over her."

Gu Jin descended gracefully to the ground, her aura still emanating an oppressive power that made the air thick and stifling.

She approached the tiger-like quasi-supreme-rank beast.

The beast instinctively backed away, its massive frame trembling, but a single glance from Gu Jin froze it in place.

Her hand extended toward its forehead, her palm glowing faintly with the same dark green energy that surrounded her.

"Don’t resist," she murmured, her tone devoid of warmth.

The tiger-like beast roared in protest, its eyes wild with fury and fear.

But as Gu Jin’s palm made contact with its fur, the energy around her pulsed, and a strange chant began to flow from her lips.

The chant was ancient, melodic, and incomprehensible to both Gu Jihu and Long Yifan.

The beast thrashed and growled, but its movements grew sluggish, its resistance waning with every syllable Gu Jin uttered.

Long Yifan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "This... this can’t be possible. Beast taming?" he whispered, his voice shaking.

"That art was lost centuries ago."

Gu Jihu’s expression turned grim.

He had heard the legends of beast taming—the ability to bind powerful beasts to one’s will—but it was supposed to be a forgotten practice, erased from history.

Yet here was Gu Jin, effortlessly reviving the ancient art.

The tiger-like beast’s growls softened, its eyes glazing over as if it had fallen into a trance.

Gu Jin’s hand remained on its forehead, the glow intensifying for a moment before fading completely.

The beast lowered itself to the ground, docile and submissive, its once-fierce gaze now filled with a strange serenity.

Gu Jin straightened, her gaze flickering to the remaining beasts.

Without hesitation, she moved to the next one—a wolf-like creature with silver fur streaked with black.

This one attempted to lunge at her, its jaws snapping ferociously, but a single wave of her hand sent thick, vine-like tendrils shooting from the ground to restrain it.

"You’ll submit, or you’ll perish," Gu Jin said coldly, her voice echoing through the clearing.

The wolf struggled, its movements wild, but as Gu Jin placed her hand on its head and began chanting again, its resistance ebbed, and it too fell into the same dazed state as the tiger.

One by one, Gu Jin approached the beasts.

Those who submitted willingly were tamed without harm, but those who resisted met a swift and brutal end.

Thick vines burst from the ground to pierce and crush the rebellious beasts, leaving no room for defiance.

The air was heavy with the aftermath of the carnage. Sixteen supreme-rank beasts now knelt before Gu Jin, their massive forms radiating an eerie calm.

Gu Jin turned to Long Yifan, her expression unreadable. "You," she said, her voice softer but still commanding.

"I cannot see when I was unconscious but I can sense how loyally you stayed by my side. You protected me when I was vulnerable."

She raised her hand, and four of the supreme-rank beasts stepped forward, their heads lowered.

"These are yours. Offer a drop of your blood to contract with them."

Long Yifan, still shaken, clenched his fists.

"Where is Gu Jin? The real Gu Jin?" he demanded, his voice strained with emotion. "I don’t want beasts—I want her back."

Gu Jin’s gaze flickered, a hint of something almost human crossing her face before it vanished.

She ignored his question, her voice cold.

"Do as I say. A drop of blood is all it takes."

Long Yifan’s fists trembled, his nails digging into his palms. "Answer me! When will she return?"

Gu Jin turned away, her emerald hair shimmering in the faint light. She approached Gu Jihu, her expression unreadable.

"For you," she said, gesturing to a single beast—a panther with glowing red eyes and sleek, black fur.

"You didn’t contribute much, but you bought me the time I needed. Consider this a reward."

Gu Jihu’s piercing gaze locked onto hers, unyielding.

"Where is the true Gu Jin?" he asked, his voice sharp and deliberate.

Gu Jin paused her hands still at her sides. For a long moment, she was silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... am Gu Jin."

Her words sent a chill through both men.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.