Grand Return System

Chapter 227: A Disciple or a Wife

A Disciple or a Wife

Leon suddenly sighed emotionally.

"Unfortunately..."

"You’re neither my student..."

"Nor my Pathbound Companion."

The wind drifting through the ancient courtyard seemed to pause for a moment.

The distant clash shaking the sky above the Celestis Academy premises still rumbled like muted thunder, yet the atmosphere around the stone pavilion had turned strangely quiet. Even the disciples and elders nearby instinctively lowered their breathing, sensing the strange pressure hidden beneath Leon’s casual words.

Leon stood there calmly in his midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns that shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight. His shoulder-length black hair moved gently with the breeze, framing those deep purple eyes that carried both amusement and genuine regret.

Then he shook his head slowly.

"Otherwise..."

"I would definitely teach you the strongest technique."

He let out another sigh, this one even heavier than before.

"What a pity... what a pity..."

Fairy Fiona froze.

Her long azure hair fluttered softly behind her as her teal eyes widened slightly. The silver embroidery on her dark blue robes glimmered beneath the light while the slit along her robes revealed glimpses of her smooth legs whenever the wind brushed past.

At first, she thought Leon was merely joking.

But when she looked into his eyes, she realized he truly meant it.

That sincerity hit her harder than expected.

A faint blush slowly spread across her beautiful face.

Her heart suddenly felt strangely warm.

Not his student...

Nor his Pathbound Companion...

Fiona lowered her gaze slightly, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her sleeves.

For some reason, the second option did not sound bad at all.

The thought startled her.

Her cheeks instantly grew hotter.

She quickly looked away, pretending to remain calm, yet the small trembling in her eyelashes betrayed her emotions completely.

Meanwhile, on the other side—

Hektor’s expression changed instantly.

This sigh made Hektor feel a terrifying sense of danger.

His old face twitched violently.

What does that mean?

You want to snatch my student in front of me?

I treat you as a friend, but you actually have designs on my student?

Good lord...

You actually had ulterior motives.

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

Hektor slowly turned his head and glanced toward Fiona.

The moment he saw the trace of joy hidden in her eyes after hearing Leon’s words, his heart nearly skipped a beat.

That was a bad sign.

A very bad sign.

He had spent countless years nurturing Fiona himself. Sacred Arts, rare treasures, protection from political storms, cultivation resources—Hektor had poured an enormous amount of effort into her growth.

To outsiders, Fiona was merely the future Fairy of the Soft Water Divine Sect.

But to Hektor, things were not that simple.

He had watched that girl grow up step by step. Watched her stumble during cultivation when she was young. Watched her force herself to remain strong even while carrying the pressure of an entire sect on her shoulders. In many ways, he had long since begun treating her like his own daughter.

Which was exactly why he cared so much about her future.

The world was changing.

Beneath the calm surface of the Forsaken Domain, chaos was already beginning to move. Old powers were weakening, hidden monsters were awakening, and a new generation of geniuses was rising into the spotlight.

And among them...

Leon was the most terrifying of all.

Hektor had lived for many years and met countless so-called prodigies, yet none of them gave him the same feeling Leon did.

That young man was simply different.

Powerful beyond reason.

Calm despite his strength.

Humble despite his monstrous talent.

And most frightening of all...

His future seemed almost unimaginable.

As long as Leon did not die midway, there was little doubt he would one day stand at the very peak of the Forsaken Domain, looking down upon an entire era.

Hektor understood this better than anyone.

Which was why he had already started considering the future relationship between the Soft Water Divine Sect and Celestis Academy.

If Fiona could truly walk beside a man like Leon in the future, Hektor would honestly feel relieved.

Not because he wanted to use her as some political marriage tool.

No.

If it were another man, Hektor would never even consider it.

But Leon was different.

A man like him only appeared once in thousands of years.

If Fiona genuinely came to like him one day, Hektor would not oppose it at all. In fact, he would probably support it wholeheartedly.

Because he knew clearly—

A woman needed more than status and power to live happily.

She needed someone worthy of her.

And Leon...

Leon was worthy.

That was why Hektor hoped Fiona could stand beside Leon in the future not as his student—

—but as his Pathbound Companion... his wife.

Only then would the relationship between the Soft Water Divine Sect and Celestis Academy become truly unshakable while also securing Fiona a future beyond imagination.

But becoming Leon’s student?

Absolutely not.

Those were two completely different things.

If Fiona entered Celestis Academy directly under Leon as his student, then the balance between both powers would tilt heavily toward Celestis Academy alone.

The Soft Water Divine Sect would gradually lose its initiative in the relationship.

Most importantly...

Leon was too dangerous.

That man always looked calm and harmless on the surface, smiling leisurely as though nothing in the world could disturb him.

Yet every single sentence he spoke carried hidden intentions.

The more Hektor listened to him, the more he felt like Leon was quietly digging a pit beneath his feet while smiling the entire time.

"Ahem... ahem..."

Hektor immediately coughed loudly, interrupting the dangerous atmosphere before things spiraled further.

He forced a smile onto his face.

"You must be joking, Fellow Cultivator," he said carefully. "With your cultivation and talent at such a young age, your students must all be peerless geniuses. My Fiona’s aptitude is merely average. How could she possibly enter your eyes?"

He laughed awkwardly.

"Fellow Cultivator is making fun of me. This is too much..."

Leon nearly laughed inside.

This old fox was panicking.

Before Leon could continue pressing him, Harry Taylor suddenly stepped forward with sparkling eyes.

His black hair swayed lightly as he looked toward Fiona enthusiastically.

"Hey, Fairy Fiona! Let me tell you something," Harry said proudly.

"My senior is famous throughout the entire Celestis Academy for treating his students ridiculously well."

The surrounding crowd instantly perked up.

Harry became even more excited as he continued.

"Treasures, spirit medicines, Sacred Arts, cultivation resources—he gives them away without hesitation. Even heaven-grade cultivation techniques are casually handed over."

He paused dramatically.

"Hell, he even gifted a precious bone from a Primal Ancient Magical Beast in the King Realm to his student without blinking."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Then—

"F*ck..."

"He gave away a King Realm precious bone just like that?"

"Are they even students at this point? Even biological children wouldn’t receive treatment like this!"

The crowd erupted instantly.

Shock spread through the area like wildfire.

Even some elders stared at Leon as though they were looking at a monster.

That kind of generosity was simply insane.

Leon glanced at Harry approvingly.

Not bad.

This kid understood timing perfectly.

Meanwhile, Fiona’s heart shook violently.

A Teacher like that truly existed?

Someone willing to hand over priceless treasures without greed or hesitation?

Her teal eyes unconsciously drifted back toward Leon.

The more she looked at him, the more mysterious he appeared.

The battle high above continued to shake the heavens, yet Fiona barely noticed it anymore.

"Ahem! AHEM!"

Hektor coughed again, much louder this time.

He was genuinely beginning to panic now.

He glared viciously at Harry.

That damn brat was helping Leon dig away his foundation right in front of him.

Hektor could already see danger signs appearing one after another.

Fiona’s expression was becoming softer every second she looked at Leon.

At this rate, she might actually agree if Leon asked her directly.

No.

Absolutely not.

Hektor immediately changed strategies.

He abruptly looked toward the sky.

"Fellow Cultivator," he said hurriedly, "how long do you think this battle will continue?"

Leon casually glanced upward before replying lazily,

"It’s still early."

He waved his hand dismissively.

"Let them fight. We should continue our discussion from before."

Hektor’s face instantly darkened.

Three imaginary black lines seemed to appear across his forehead.

Damn it.

This bastard was definitely doing this on purpose.

If he weren’t weaker than Leon, he truly wanted to slap this smiling fox unconscious.

The old man took a deep breath and quickly shifted tactics again.

"Fiona," he suddenly said warmly, "you’ve traveled outside for many days already. You must be exhausted."

Fiona blinked.

Actually...

She wasn’t tired at all.

After hearing Leon speak, she felt unusually energetic.

Hektor continued before she could respond.

"Go back and rest first. I’ll send some pills to your residence later. Use this opportunity to stabilize your Mana."

The meaning behind his words was crystal clear.

Leave immediately.

Do not stay here any longer.

Fiona hesitated.

Her beautiful teal eyes instinctively glanced toward Leon one last time.

A strange reluctance quietly surfaced within her heart.

Still...

She did not dare oppose Hektor openly.

In the end, she could only nod obediently.

"Alright... I’ll go then?"

"Okay, go on..." Hektor quickly replied.

Only after Fiona finally turned and left did he secretly release a breath of relief.

At the same time, he even threw Leon a smug look.

See?

You thought this old man had no methods?

Leon merely smiled faintly.

That calm smile somehow made Hektor even more uneasy.

As Fiona walked away, her azure hair danced behind her beneath the sunlight. The flowing silver patterns along her robes shimmered softly like moving water.

Yet before disappearing completely, she unconsciously turned around once more.

Her gaze briefly met Leon’s purple eyes.

For a moment—

Neither spoke.

But something invisible seemed to quietly settle into her heart.

Then she finally left.

Only after confirming she was completely gone did Hektor truly relax internally.

This farce had finally ended.

Harry Taylor clicked his tongue dramatically and sighed in disappointment.

"Sigh... This old man is too evil! He actually used such a method to send Fairy Fiona away. Otherwise, I would definitely let them know what a great hoodwinker I am today."