Grand Return System

Chapter 224: A Grudge That Could Not Be Buried

A Grudge That Could Not Be Buried

Magnus carried Dario as their group hurried through the desolate mountain paths in silence. The atmosphere around them was suffocatingly heavy. No one spoke. No one even dared breathe too loudly.

The earlier arrogance they carried when descending upon the battlefield had completely vanished.

Now, only humiliation remained.

The cold wind of The Forsaken Domain swept through the rocky terrain, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and shattered earth. Behind them, the distant battlefield still trembled occasionally from the remnants of Leon’s terrifying sword intent.

Even after leaving, that pressure still lingered in their hearts like a nightmare.

Soon, the group arrived before a secluded cave hidden between two steep cliffs. Dense vines covered the entrance while jagged rocks concealed most of its presence from outsiders.

Max quickly stepped forward and waved his sleeve.

A barrier flickered briefly before dispersing.

Clearly, this place had already been prepared beforehand as a temporary resting point.

The moment they entered, the coldness of the cave washed over them. Pale blue crystals embedded in the walls emitted a dim glow, barely illuminating the surroundings.

Magnus carefully lowered Dario onto the ground.

Max immediately opened his Storage Space and took out a jade bed glowing with faint spiritual light. The bed emitted a calming aura capable of stabilizing internal injuries.

The others hurriedly helped place Dario onto it.

At this moment, Dario looked extremely miserable.

His robes were torn apart.

Blood stained nearly half his body.

His breathing was weak and unstable, while faint sword scars continued to flicker across his skin from the residual sword intent Leon had left behind.

Max’s expression darkened further after checking his condition.

"These injuries..."

"They’re worse than I thought."

Without hesitation, he quickly retrieved several medicinal pills from a jade bottle and carefully fed them to Dario.

The medicinal fragrance instantly spread throughout the cave.

Moments later, Dario’s pale complexion finally regained a trace of color.

His fingers twitched weakly.

Then—

"Damn it..."

Inside the silent cave, Dario suddenly opened his eyes.

The moment consciousness returned, the scene from earlier immediately surfaced within his mind once more.

Leon’s calm gaze.

That overwhelming sword formation.

The mocking words spoken before everyone.

His breathing instantly became ragged.

Veins bulged across his forehead.

"You..."

His trembling fingers clenched tightly against the jade bed.

"Leon... you and I are irreconcilable."

The killing intent within his eyes became terrifyingly dense.

The atmosphere inside the cave instantly turned cold.

Everyone present lowered their heads silently.

No one dared speak.

Dario slowly sat up despite the intense pain tearing through his body. The movement caused his internal injuries to worsen again, making blood drip from the corner of his lips.

But he no longer cared.

His pride had been shattered completely today.

The more he recalled Leon’s calm expression, the more hatred burned inside his chest.

Especially those final words.

"Sky Breaker Acedmy’s supreme inheritance... is nothing much."

Those words endlessly echoed inside his mind like invisible blades.

Dario’s eyes turned bloodshot.

He had cultivated for hundreds of years.

He had once dominated countless opponents.

Even among the elders of Sky Breaker Acedmy, he possessed extremely high status.

Yet today...

He had become a stepping stone for a junior.

No.

Not even a stepping stone.

A joke.

The sharp pain from his damaged meridians continuously reminded him of his defeat.

Dario clenched his jaw so hard that faint cracking sounds emerged.

He still could not understand it.

Why was Leon so strong?

How could someone at the sage Realm possess such terrifying sword comprehension?

Even a half-step pinnacle Realm expert like him had been utterly suppressed.

That sword...

Just recalling it made his scalp numb.

If Leon truly wanted to kill him earlier—

Dario suddenly fell silent.

A cold chill spread through his body.

For the first time, he realized something horrifying.

Leon had shown mercy.

That realization only humiliated him further.

"Hmph..."

Dario’s gaze darkened viciously.

"Leon, just you wait. I’ll remember today’s grudge."

His voice became colder and colder.

"I’ll come back to settle the score with you after I break through to the pinnacle Realm."

The hatred within his words was almost tangible.

After speaking, Dario forcefully suppressed the rage in his chest and began regulating his injuries.

He hurriedly swallowed several more healing pills one after another before finally managing to stabilize the violent mana inside his body.

Only then did he slowly regain control over his breathing.

"Senior Brother... are you alright?"

Magnus finally spoke carefully from the side.

His voice carried obvious nervousness.

The moment Dario heard him speak, the calmness in his eyes instantly vanished again.

A cold glare swept toward Magnus.

Magnus’ body stiffened immediately.

He suddenly realized something was wrong.

Dario stared at him silently for several seconds.

The atmosphere inside the cave became terrifyingly oppressive.

Everyone lowered their heads even further.

No one dared intervene.

Dario understood very clearly why things had escalated to this point.

If Magnus had not continuously instigated him earlier...

Would he have personally challenged Leon?

Would he have suffered such humiliation before the entire Forsaken Domain?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

All the suppressed frustration and humiliation instantly exploded.

Slap!

A loud sound echoed throughout the cave.

Dario directly struck Magnus across the face without warning.

The terrifying force sent Magnus flying instantly.

Boom!

His body smashed heavily against the stone wall before falling to the ground miserably.

Blood immediately flowed from the corner of his mouth.

The cave fell completely silent.

Max and the others were shocked.

Yet none of them dared say a single word.

Because everyone knew—

Dario’s anger had already reached its limit.

Magnus slowly climbed up while clutching his swollen face. Fear flickered across his eyes, but he didn’t dare show dissatisfaction.

Instead, he immediately knelt.

"This junior deserves punishment..."

His voice trembled slightly.

Dario coldly looked at him without speaking.

The pressure within the cave became increasingly suffocating.

Today’s defeat had completely disgraced Sky Breaker Acedmy.

Once this matter spread throughout the Forsaken Domain, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Especially Leon’s final sentence.

"This is Sky Breaker Acedmy’s supreme inheritance?"

That single sentence was enough to destroy years of prestige.

Countless talented cultivators would inevitably compare the two factions afterward.

And Sky Breaker Acedmy had lost.

Completely.

That fact could no longer be changed.

Unless—

Dario’s eyes narrowed slowly.

Unless he successfully stepped into the pinnacle Realm.

Only then could he reclaim today’s humiliation with overwhelming strength.

Only then could he wash away this disgrace.

After a long silence, Dario finally spoke coldly.

"All of you can leave. Let me rest for a while and recover."

His tone remained emotionless.

However, everyone could still sense the suppressed fury hidden beneath it.

Dario truly wanted to kill Magnus earlier.

But after thinking carefully, he ultimately endured it.

Over the years, Magnus had indeed contributed greatly to Sky Breaker Acedmy.

Killing him now would only weaken their forces further.

Especially with the situation inside the Land of Silence becoming increasingly unstable.

They needed manpower.

After a brief pause, Dario continued coldly,

"I don’t want to fuss too much about today’s matter."

He slowly closed his eyes.

"Regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, we’ll talk about everything when we return to the Acedmy."

The atmosphere remained tense.

No one dared interrupt him.

"The situation in the Land of Silence has already begun. Soon, there will be a bloody battle."

As he spoke those words, his tone became much heavier.

Even Max and the others subconsciously straightened.

Because everyone understood what that meant.

The Martial Emperor Tomb was about to open.

And once it did—

The entire Forsaken Domain would descend into chaos.

"We need people," Dario said coldly.

Then his sharp gaze landed on Magnus once more.

"I hope you can redeem yourself."

"If you perform well, I can let bygones be bygones."

The moment Magnus heard those words, his eyes instantly lit up.

It was as if a drowning man had suddenly grabbed onto hope.

He hurriedly lowered his head deeply.

"Eldest Senior Brother, don’t worry."

His voice carried excitement and relief.

"I will definitely perform well and save Sky Breaker Acedmy’s dignity."

Dario merely closed his eyes indifferently.

"Alright, you may leave."

His expression no longer showed emotion.

He had already entered a meditative state.

Faint mana slowly circulated around his body as he forcefully suppressed the sword intent Leon had left behind.

He needed to recover.

As quickly as possible.

Because soon—

A far bloodier battle would begin within the Land of Silence.