Chapter 487: When the Old Guard Acknowledged Him

When the Old Guard Acknowledged Him

After several minutes of thinking about Leon’s words, Mike finally laughed.

"Haha..."

The sound was quiet at first.

Then it grew warmer.

His laughter carried across the ruined Academy premises, breaking through the heavy silence that had settled after the battle.

Mike slowly shook his head.

He had spent far too many years worrying about these things.

Maybe Leon was right.

Maybe he really didn’t need to think so deeply about everything.

Mike let out another quiet laugh before waving his hand dismissively.

"Forget it."

He didn’t care anymore.

For years, they had fought.

Sometimes openly.

Sometimes behind closed doors.

They had looked down on one another and competed at every opportunity.

The various Divisions fought for recognition.

Their students fought for rankings and glory.

Even the Division Heads had clashed from time to time.

Resources.

Reputation.

Inheritance.

Nothing had been too small to become a reason for competition.

Yet beneath all of that rivalry, there had always been something they shared.

Something none of them could deny.

No matter which Division they belonged to, they all carried the same Powerful Sect of inheritance in their hearts.

They had different teachers.

Different traditions.

Different beliefs.

But they all belonged to the same place.

The Celestis Academy.

Their home.

Mike stood silently, his eyes moving across the ruined grounds.

The sight before him was enough to make anyone’s heart feel heavy.

The once-familiar grounds of the Academy had been torn apart. Stone paths were cracked. Buildings had been damaged. Dust still hung faintly in the air, refusing to settle completely after everything that had happened.

Mike looked at it all for a long moment.

Then something inside him shifted.

For the first time in a long while, the old rivalries between them suddenly felt... small.

Almost insignificant.

They had spent years competing with one another.

They argued over resources. They fought over students. They disagreed over decisions and challenged each other’s authority whenever they got the chance.

Sometimes, those arguments had become fierce enough to make outsiders think they genuinely hated one another.

But that was never the whole truth.

No matter how vicious their internal competition became, none of them would ever allow an outsider to destroy their home.

The moment an external enemy stepped onto their land, everything changed.

They were no longer rivals.

They were members of the same Academy.

They were family.

Mike slowly glanced toward the other elders.

Several of them had already understood what he was thinking.

They exchanged brief looks.

A faint smile appeared on a few weathered faces.

No one needed to say anything.

There was no need.

Their grudges could wait.

Their arguments could continue tomorrow.

If they wanted to fight among themselves, they could do it within the walls of the Celestis Academy.

But when an outsider came knocking, they stood together.

That had always been the unspoken rule.

And perhaps it was one of the reasons the Academy had survived for so long.

Leon watched them quietly.

His purple eyes moved from one elder to another.

He did not interrupt.

He simply observed.

For the first time, he understood something about the Celestis Academy that he had never truly considered before.

Its strength did not come only from powerful cultivators.

It was not simply the number of experts standing within its walls.

It was not even the reputation the Academy had built over countless years.

Its real strength was something far harder to measure.

Belonging.

These old monsters could argue for days.

They could compete with each other until neither side was willing to back down.

They could hold grudges over the smallest matters.

Yet beneath all of that was something none of them were willing to abandon.

The Academy was their home.

And because it was their home, they protected it.

Leon lowered his eyes slightly.

A quiet feeling settled in his chest.

That was something worth protecting.

Not just the buildings.

Not just the territory.

The people.

The bond between them.

The sense that, despite everything, they still belonged to the same place.

Before Leon could say anything, footsteps sounded behind them.

Slow.

Steady.

Each step carried a faint weight.

No one spoke.

A powerful aura approached from behind.

It was not concealed.

Whoever was coming had no reason to hide their presence.

Leon turned around.

Through the lingering dust, a white-haired old man slowly walked toward them.

His robes were slightly damaged from the battle.

There were traces of dust across his shoulders.

A few small tears could be seen along the fabric.

Yet his expression remained calm.

It was Guardian Elder Smith.

The old man continued forward until he was only a short distance away.

Then he stopped.

His eyes immediately fell upon Leon.

He said nothing.

For several breaths, he simply stared.

There was curiosity in those old eyes.

But that was not all.

There was also shock.

Guardian Elder Smith carefully looked Leon over.

From his black hair to his purple eyes.

From his calm expression to the aura quietly surrounding him.

He studied every detail.

It was almost as if he were trying to convince himself that the young man standing in front of him was truly the same person everyone had been talking about.

The stories he had heard had already been difficult to believe.

But seeing Leon with his own eyes was different.

This was no longer a rumor.

No longer a story passed from one person to another.

Leon was standing right in front of him.

Alive.

Calm.

And far more extraordinary than Smith had expected.

The old Guardian Elder remained silent for another moment.

Then he finally let out a slow sigh.

There was a trace of amazement in his voice when he spoke.

"I never expected that, even before Senior Brother passed away, he had already prepared such a powerful trump card."

Guardian Elder Smith’s voice was filled with genuine emotion.

"He even managed to nurture a genius like you."

His eyes settled on Leon again.

"To reach the Paragon Realm at such a young age..."

He slowly shook his head.

"Something like this has never happened before."

The elders around him fell silent.

They had already witnessed Leon’s strength with their own eyes. They knew just how terrifying his combat ability was.

But hearing those words from Guardian Elder Smith still stirred something deep within them.

Reaching the pinnacle Realm at Leon’s age was already extraordinary.

Yet Leon had gone far beyond that.

His cultivation was impressive, but his actual combat strength was even more frightening. He had displayed power that completely surpassed what someone at his realm should have been capable of.

Guardian Elder Smith looked at him for a long moment.

A faint trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though he was no longer looking at Leon.

Perhaps he was remembering the previous generation.

Perhaps he was remembering the person who had once placed the future of the Celestis Academy in their hands.

Those memories seemed to linger in his eyes before he finally let out a quiet breath.

Then he smiled.

"Haha..."

His voice became lighter.

"Now that someone like you is standing guard over Celestis Academy, I can finally put my heart at ease."

Guardian Elder Smith paused.

His eyes slowly moved toward the distant horizon.

The last traces of light were fading from the sky, leaving the ruined landscape beneath a quiet, dusky glow.

"And now..."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I can finally focus on my own Dao Seeking."

There was something different in his voice when he said those words.

Relief.

Real relief.

For years, the elders of the older generation had carried too much on their shoulders.

They had guarded Celestis Academy through countless dangers.

They had fought enemies who wanted to destroy everything they had built.

They had protected the Academy’s inheritance.

And, year after year, they had watched the younger generation grow.

Some became talented.

Some became powerful.

Some even surpassed the expectations placed upon them.

Yet despite all of that, the old generation had always carried the same quiet concern.

Who would eventually take their place?

Who would stand at the front when they could no longer do so?

Who would protect Celestis Academy after they finally stepped away?

Guardian Elder Smith had carried that question for years.

But now, as he looked at Leon, he finally saw an answer.

Leon himself was that answer.

For a moment, Leon didn’t know how to respond.

He had clearly not expected Guardian Elder Smith to say something like that.

His expression became slightly awkward.

Then he quickly stepped forward.

He clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Guardian Elder."

His voice was sincere.

There was not the slightest trace of arrogance in it.

Guardian Elder Smith looked at him for a moment.

His slightly narrowed eyes softened.

A faint smile appeared on his weathered face.

"Alright, alright."

He waved his hand.

"I can’t accept such a formal greeting from you."

Leon straightened.

A few elders nearby exchanged amused glances.

Guardian Elder Smith looked at Leon again.

Then he chuckled.

"At the rate your cultivation is progressing, I’ll probably be the one greeting you soon."

Several elders immediately laughed.

The heavy atmosphere from earlier eased considerably.

Mike shook his head with amusement.

"Guardian Elder Smith, you’re already joking with him before he’s even had time to get used to his new cultivation."

Guardian Elder Smith turned his head toward Mike.

His expression suddenly became serious.

"I’m not joking."

He pointed toward Leon.

"This young man has already reached the pinnacle Realm."

The smile on Mike’s face faded slightly.

Guardian Elder Smith continued.

"So tell me..."

He looked back at Leon.

"How long do you think it will take before he surpasses all of us?"

Mike’s smile slowly disappeared.

He turned his gaze toward Leon and studied him for a moment.

A brief silence followed.

Then Mike nodded.

"That is true."

Leon could only give an awkward smile.

He honestly didn’t know how to respond to that.

"Headmaster, Guardian Elder, you’re making me sound far more frightening than I actually am."

Mike immediately laughed.

"Don’t be modest now."

Another elder chuckled beside him.

"Exactly. We all saw what you did today."

Leon rubbed the side of his cheek.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

There really wasn’t much he could say.

They had seen it with their own eyes.

No matter how much he tried to downplay it, his performance today had already spoken for itself.

Guardian Elder Smith also nodded.

There was a faint look of relief in his eyes.

But the relaxed atmosphere did not last long.

Leon’s expression slowly became serious again.

He turned toward the old man.

"Guardian Elder, you must be joking."

His voice was respectful, but there was a clear firmness behind it.

He looked directly at Guardian Elder Smith.

"You’re an elder, and I’m a junior. How could I possibly let you bow to me?"

Leon shook his head.

"That wouldn’t be right."

His tone carried no arrogance.

There was no false modesty either.

He genuinely meant every word.

To Leon, strength was important.

But strength did not mean a person could simply throw away basic courtesy.

An elder was still an elder.

A junior was still a junior.

That order existed for a reason.

Even if one day Leon became stronger than everyone standing here, he would not use that strength as an excuse to abandon respect.

Guardian Elder Smith quietly watched him.

For several seconds, the old man said nothing.

His eyes remained fixed on Leon, as though he were trying to see whether those words were merely an act.

But Leon’s expression remained calm.

There was no flattery in his eyes.

No attempt to gain favor.

He simply believed what he had said.

Finally, Guardian Elder Smith gave a slow nod.

A trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

"Good."

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Grand Return System* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scoturn777

Creator of Grand Return System

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