Grand Return System

Chapter 221: The Sword Trapped Between Two Fingers

The Sword Trapped Between Two Fingers

"Be careful..." In the crowd, Fairy Fiona screamed with a pale face. However, the surrounding exclamations were too loud and completely drowned out her voice.

Her azure hair fluttered wildly beneath the violent pressure waves spreading through the battlefield. Her delicate fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of her sleeve, her teal eyes filled with tension as she stared at the black-robed figure standing alone in the sky.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

Dario’s Abyss Sword descended with unstoppable force, tearing through the heavens like a falling star. The sword light distorted space wherever it passed. Even before the blade arrived, the terrifying sword pressure had already shattered the clouds above and split the ground below.

The mountains trembled.

The river beneath the battlefield exploded into towering waves.

Yet Leon did not move.

Not even a single step.

"Damn, why isn’t he dodging anymore?"

"Could it be that he knows that he has already lost and has given up resisting?"

Everyone was puzzled and stared at the scene in the sky.

Even Hektor’s expression changed slightly.

"This brat..." he muttered under his breath, though his eyes still carried trust.

Harrier Taylor felt his throat go dry. Beside him, Harry Taylor clenched his fists so tightly his nails nearly dug into his palms.

"Teacher Leon..." Harry whispered nervously.

Only Leon himself remained calm.

His long black hair danced behind him beneath the roaring winds. The midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns fluttered softly, completely opposite to the chaos around him. His purple eyes were terrifyingly quiet, like a deep abyss no one could see through.

Then—

When Dario’s sword arrived in front of him, Leon suddenly extended his right hand and gently clamped down with two fingers.

Bang.

The instant his fingers touched the blade, a deafening explosion erupted across the heavens.

Sword intent collided violently.

A blinding shockwave exploded outward like a tsunami.

The surrounding mountains cracked apart. Countless trees were uprooted instantly. Dust and shattered rocks filled the sky as violent winds swept through the battlefield.

Many weaker cultivators were directly blown backward.

"Agh!"

"My eyes!"

The strong wind howled like demons screaming through the wasteland, forcing everyone to shield their faces.

For several breaths, nobody could see anything clearly.

Then slowly...

The dust dispersed.

The wind weakened.

And when everyone finally saw the scene in the sky clearly—

Silence.

Complete silence.

The entire world seemed to lose its sound in that instant.

"This..."

Someone instinctively cried out in disbelief, only for his voice to abruptly stop halfway.

No one could believe what they were seeing.

High above the shattered battlefield, Leon stood calmly in the air without moving even half a step.

And between his fingers—

The Abyss Sword was trapped.

Dario’s full-powered strike had been stopped with only two fingers.

Two fingers.

Nothing more.

The atmosphere instantly became terrifyingly quiet.

Even the wind itself seemed afraid to move.

Dario’s eyes widened violently. His old face had already lost all color. Veins bulged across his forehead as his sword trembled uncontrollably in Leon’s grasp.

"That’s impossible..."

His voice shook slightly.

This was not an ordinary attack.

This was one of the signature killing strikes of Sky Breaker Acedmy.

A sword capable of splitting mountains.

A sword strong enough to destroy the body of a sage Realm cultivator.

Yet Leon had blocked it barehanded.

No—

Not merely blocked.

He stopped it effortlessly.

Dario could not understand it.

His mind was in complete chaos.

How did Leon block this sword with just his fingers?

"What’s impossible?" Leon asked softly.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Golden runes slowly flowed between his fingers like ancient divine scriptures carved into reality itself. They pulsed with a sacred aura that made one’s soul tremble instinctively.

Most people present could not recognize those runes.

But Hektor’s pupils suddenly contracted.

"That aura..."

His breathing slowed.

Only Leon knew the truth.

The golden runes were the power of the Golden Physic of Prime Dragon.

The terrifying body-refining Sacred Art had already transformed his physique far beyond ordinary cultivators. Combined with the protection of the Font Sword Art’s sword intent, his body itself had become comparable to a spirit artifact.

Why was he fearless?

Why had he refused to use a sword from the very beginning?

Because Leon himself was already a sword.

And not weaker than any mortal weapon.

A cold breeze swept past as Leon loosened his grip slightly, though the Abyss Sword still could not move.

Qi Wuhui—now Shera—had once mocked him for relying too much on treasures.

But now?

Leon no longer needed them.

This casual finger easily resolved Dario’s sword. Leon mocked, "This... is your Sky Breaker Acedmy’s sword technique?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely thinking about it.

"It doesn’t seem like much."

"You—!"

Dario nearly spat blood from rage.

His face twisted violently.

Humiliation.

Pure humiliation.

The words stabbed deeper than any sword.

The surrounding crowd exploded instantly.

"Haha... Isn’t this too embarrassing?"

"Previously, Dario acted like he was unmatched beneath the heavens."

"And now look at him..."

"He can’t even force Leon to draw a real sword."

"Too miserable."

Laughter spread throughout the battlefield.

Even some elders from other factions struggled to suppress their smiles.

Leon’s attack wasn’t physical.

It was psychological.

Every word he spoke landed like a slap across Dario’s face.

"I didn’t expect Respected Leon to be this ruthless..."

"He looks gentle and refined, but when he humiliates someone, he’s terrifying."

"There’s actually such a two-faced side to him. His ability to humiliate others can be said to be top-notch."

The discussions grew louder and louder.

Dario’s breathing became heavier.

The mocking laughter echoed endlessly in his ears like poisonous whispers.

Originally, he only wanted revenge.

Back then, Respected Zeon had beaten him so badly he nearly developed heart demons from the humiliation. Today, he wanted to recover that lost dignity through Leon.

But instead—

He had been humiliated even worse.

And now this battle no longer represented personal grudges.

It had evolved into something bigger.

A clash between inheritances.

A clash between academies.

If he lost today...

Then the entire world would believe Sky Breaker Acedmy was inferior to Celestis Academy.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

Dario’s gaze slowly turned icy.

Killing intent surged silently from his body.

"You forced me," he said coldly. His voice no longer carried any trace of politeness. "I hope you don’t regret your arrogance..."

The moment he finished speaking, an astonishing aura erupted from his body.

Boom!

Mana exploded violently across the heavens.

Dario instantly withdrew the Abyss Sword from Leon’s fingers before retreating thousands of meters backward.

Then—

He moved.

Sword shadows filled the sky.

Left.

Right.

Up.

Down.

His body transformed into countless afterimages as he performed an ancient sword dance beneath the heavens.

Each movement carved glowing symbols into the air.

Each slash distorted space itself.

The surrounding clouds twisted unnaturally as immense mana gathered toward the battlefield.

An even more terrifying sword force was born.

The expressions of countless experts changed instantly.

"That technique..."

"No way..."

"A sword formation!"

A moment later, countless sword lights descended from the sky.

The earth trembled violently.

Golden formation patterns spread across the wasteland beneath Leon’s feet like a giant divine diagram awakening from ancient times.

Rumbling sounds echoed endlessly.

The very air became heavier.

An enormous sword formation had appeared.

Leon lowered his gaze calmly.

Purple light reflected faintly within his eyes as he observed the formation patterns spreading beneath him.

The countless glowing sword marks intertwined together, forming an enormous killing domain.

He could feel it clearly.

The pressure inside the formation was enough to crush ordinary sage Realm experts instantly.

"Eh... Sword formation?"

Leon raised an eyebrow slightly.

Then—

He smiled.

"Hmm... Interesting."

The smile on his face was playful.

Almost amused.

As though he had just discovered a new toy.

Everyone watching was stunned.

"Why is he smiling?"

"Does he not know what formation this is?"

"That’s Sky Breaker Acedmy’s supreme inheritance!"

A sharp-eyed elder immediately recognized it.

"The Abyss Sword Formation!"

The crowd instantly erupted into chaos.

This was one of Sky Breaker Acedmy’s greatest killing techniques.

A heaven-grade sword formation.

A terrifying inheritance whose power was said to rival Celestis Academy’s legendary Mana Blessings Sacred Art.

Once trapped inside, escape was nearly impossible.

Even Hektor’s expression finally became serious.

But Leon?

He still looked relaxed.

Not a trace of panic appeared on his face.

Instead, his smile deepened slightly.

What was the meaning of this?