Chapter 486: Why We Draw the Sword!!! [Part 3]

Why We Draw the Sword!!! [Part 3]

The silence itself carried a strange weight.

No one spoke.

No one seemed willing to be the first to break it.

They had all witnessed Leon’s previous sword strike.

That single strike had been enough to change the entire battle.

Even now, the image remained fresh in their minds.

The terrifying sword intent.

The overwhelming power hidden within that single flash.

And the moment the Supreme Demonic Sword descended, the entire battlefield had seemed to hold its breath.

It was difficult to forget something like that.

Mike stood quietly among the others.

His grey hair fluttered gently in the night wind, occasionally brushing against his face. His black eyes remained fixed on Leon, carrying a complicated emotion that even he could not completely conceal.

He had known Leon for a long time.

He had watched him grow.

He had personally witnessed the changes Leon had gone through.

And yet...

Seeing Leon standing there now still felt unreal.

Mike let out a quiet breath.

There had been a time when Leon was regarded as the weakest Division Head in the entire Celestis Academy.

Back then, very few people had placed any expectations on him.

Some had even looked down on him.

Now?

Things had completely changed.

The man standing before them was no longer someone others could casually dismiss.

He had reached the peak of the Paragon realm.

More importantly, the strength he had displayed was enough to leave even the strongest people present feeling cautious.

No one had expected this.

Not even Mike.

His gaze slowly shifted toward the distant mountains.

The thought suddenly occurred to him again.

The Amethyst Summit Division had always been strange.

Compared with the other Divisions of the Celestis Academy, it had never had many students.

Its numbers were pitifully small.

Other Divisions could gather large groups of talented disciples.

The Amethyst Summit Division?

It had always been different.

There were fewer people.

Fewer resources.

Fewer voices.

And yet, somehow, every generation seemed to produce someone extraordinary.

Someone who could stand above the rest.

Mike’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Perhaps it was not a coincidence.

Perhaps the Amethyst Summit Division had always possessed something that the others did not.

A strange inheritance.

A mysterious destiny.

He remembered the previous Division Heads.

Each generation had produced an individual whose strength stood at the very top of the Celestis Academy.

And now...

Leon had taken that position.

Mike couldn’t help but smile.

A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

There was no jealousy in it.

Only a strange mixture of admiration and disbelief.

What a ridiculous turn of events.

The weakest Division Head had somehow become the strongest existence in the academy.

And he had done it without relying on the reputation of the Amethyst Summit Division.

He had created his own.

Mike’s gaze returned to Leon.

The young man stood calmly beneath the night sky.

There was no arrogance on his face.

No excitement.

Not even the slightest hint that he was enjoying the attention surrounding him.

He simply stood there.

Quiet.

Composed.

As though reaching the peak of the Paragon realm was merely another step on a much longer road.

Mike shook his head inwardly.

This was probably the most frightening part.

Leon did not look like someone who had just reached the summit.

He looked like someone who had already set his eyes on something far beyond it.

Mike glanced around.

There were not many people in this mountain range.

But every person who had survived until now was dangerous.

They had fought countless battles.

They had walked through blood and death.

They had survived situations where one wrong decision could have cost them their lives.

None of them were ordinary.

Yet among all of them...

Leon stood at the very top.

There was no need for anyone to say it.

Everyone understood.

Mike finally stepped forward.

His boots pressed against the rough ground as he slowly approached Leon.

The surrounding people instinctively looked toward him.

Mike stopped a short distance away.

For a moment, he simply stared at Leon.

Then his expression softened.

A laugh escaped his throat.

"Haha..."

The heavy atmosphere finally loosened.

Mike shook his head and smiled.

"Junior Brother, congratulations."

His voice carried genuine sincerity.

He looked Leon directly in the eyes.

"You’ve successfully reached the peak of the Paragon realm."

Mike paused.

Then his smile became slightly wider.

"From now on, you’re the undisputed number one of our Celestis Academy."

His voice was filled with relief.

Not envy.

Not jealousy.

Just genuine happiness.

For a long time, Mike had carried the weight of the Celestis Academy on his shoulders.

He had watched countless students grow.

He had watched countless geniuses rise and fall.

He had also worried about the future of the Academy more times than he could remember.

But now...

He finally felt a little more at ease.

Leon had grown too quickly.

Far too quickly.

He was still young.

Unlike Mike and the others, whose potential had already been developed to its limits, Leon still had an endless road ahead of him.

His future was impossible to predict.

With someone like him standing within the Celestis Academy, how could the Academy not rise?

Mike’s smile deepened.

Leon looked at him.

For a moment, he did not speak.

Then he cupped his hands and bowed slightly.

There was a polite smile on his face.

"Headmaster, you must be joking."

His tone was modest.

"I was just lucky and happened to encounter some opportunities. I barely broke through to the Paragon realm. How can I be the number one person?"

Mike’s expression froze for a moment.

The others exchanged glances.

They could not help but smile bitterly.

Barely?

That word alone was enough to make them speechless.

Leon had stepped into the peak of the Paragon realm.

He had done so after defeating an opponent that even they had struggled to deal with.

And yet he described it as merely being lucky.

Mike shook his head.

He knew Leon was not deliberately showing off.

Leon genuinely did not seem to care about such titles.

That was precisely what made him even more terrifying.

Leon continued.

"Senior Brother Headmaster, you’re the number one person in my Celestis Academy."

His expression became slightly more serious.

"As long as you give the order, I’ll continue teach everyone."

The battlefield suddenly became quiet around them.

Mike looked at Leon.

For a moment, he could not find the words to answer.

The wind passed through the ruined Academy Premises.

Dust drifted slowly through the air.

The broken banners of the Sky Breaker Academy swayed in the distance, their former symbols already stained by the aftermath of battle.

Mike’s eyes gradually softened.

He had spent countless years worrying about the Celestis Academy.

He had once wondered whether the Academy would eventually decline.

Whether future generations would still be able to protect its legacy.

Whether there would be someone capable of carrying the burden after they were gone.

Now, standing before him was Leon.

A young man who had already reached a height that most cultivators could only dream of.

Yet despite possessing such strength, Leon still bowed before him and called him Senior Brother Headmaster.

He did not seize authority.

He did not boast about his strength.

He did not place himself above the Academy.

Instead, he was willing to continue teaching the others.

Mike’s throat tightened slightly.

A quiet warmth spread through his chest.

Perhaps this was what the future of the Celestis Academy looked like.

Not one person carrying everything alone.

But a new generation rising while the old generation continued to guide them.

He slowly exhaled.

His gaze passed over the ruined battlefield.

Then he looked back at Leon.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a genuine smile.

At that moment, the cold wind seemed to become a little gentler.

The battle was not truly over.

The road ahead was still filled with countless dangers.

But for the first time in many years, Mike felt that the Celestis Academy’s future was no longer something he needed to fear.