Chapter 281: The Same Origin, Different Sides
The Same Origin, Different Sides
At this moment, Leon suddenly turned around and looked at him. "Who wants to join forces with you? Am I very familiar with you?"
The words fell lightly.
Yet the effect was no different from a thunderclap exploding across the battlefield.
"Hmm?"
"Hmm?"
Two puzzled voices rang out almost simultaneously.
Drift Sword froze where he stood.
Even Anna, who floated high above the abyss beneath the vast celestial formation, could not hide the confusion flashing across her eyes.
The wind swept through the ruined landscape.
Broken stone pillars cast long shadows across the cracked earth.
For a brief moment, silence dominated the battlefield.
Neither of them understood Leon’s attitude.
A moment ago, he had been asking questions about the Sky Breaker Academy.
Naturally, Drift Sword had assumed there was some connection.
But now...
Everything seemed different.
Drift Sword’s smile stiffened.
The old man carefully observed Leon’s expression, trying to understand whether the young man was joking or serious.
Unfortunately, Leon’s face revealed nothing.
His long black hair moved gently in the wind.
His midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns fluttered softly.
His purple eyes remained calm.
Too calm.
The more Drift Sword looked at him, the more uneasy he became.
"Fellow Daoist," Drift Sword finally said, forcing out a smile, "what exactly do you mean?"
Leon glanced at him.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It’s actually very simple."
He stretched lazily as though discussing something completely unrelated to him.
"It would’ve been fine if you hadn’t mentioned Sky Breaker Academy."
His tone remained casual.
"I might not have bothered interfering in your battle."
Drift Sword suddenly felt a bad premonition.
Very bad.
Unfortunately, Leon continued speaking.
"But you’re the only one to blame."
His smile widened slightly.
"You just had to bring it up."
The old man’s eyelids twitched.
Then Leon calmly delivered the next sentence.
"I have some unfortunate news for you."
The smile on Drift Sword’s face disappeared completely.
Leon continued.
"I recently killed the First Elder of Sky Breaker Academy in the Fallen Leaf Domain."
"What..."
Drift Sword nearly choked on his own breath.
The expression on his face instantly became colorful.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Confusion.
Regret.
Every emotion appeared one after another.
If possible, he wanted to travel back a few minutes and slap himself.
Why had he mentioned Sky Breaker Academy?
Why?
The battlefield fell silent again.
Even Anna’s cold eyes revealed a trace of surprise.
She had expected many possibilities.
This was not one of them.
Meanwhile, Drift Sword felt as though a mountain had smashed directly into his chest.
He had originally believed Leon possessed some friendship with Sky Breaker Academy.
Instead...
The man had killed one of their highest-ranking elders.
The situation could not have been worse.
"Damn it..."
The old man cursed inwardly.
If Leon had revealed this earlier, he would never have tried using Sky Breaker Academy as a connection.
Now he looked like a complete fool.
High above, Anna almost laughed.
Almost.
Years of cultivation prevented any visible reaction from appearing on her face.
Still...
The sight was unexpectedly amusing.
The old man who had been confidently trying to recruit Leon now looked as though he had stepped into a pit he dug himself.
Drift Sword reacted quickly.
Very quickly.
His expression immediately became righteous.
"Fellow Daoist."
He cleared his throat.
"Although Sky Breaker Academy of the Azure Heaven Domain shares the same ancestral origin as Sky Breaker Academy of the Fallen Leaf Domain, the two lineages separated long ago."
The old man’s voice became increasingly serious.
"We are no longer connected."
He spoke with absolute confidence.
"If you have grievances with them, feel free to settle them."
A pause.
"I have no objections."
The battlefield suddenly became very quiet.
Leon stared at him.
Anna stared at him.
Even the distant storm clouds seemed to pause.
Drift Sword maintained a solemn expression.
As though he had never mentioned their shared origin before.
Leon couldn’t help but laugh.
Interesting.
This old man truly possessed thick skin.
A few moments ago, he had been proudly proclaiming they were one family.
Now they were strangers.
The speed of the change was impressive.
"You make a reasonable argument."
Leon nodded.
Drift Sword secretly sighed in relief.
Perhaps neutrality was still possible.
Perhaps this troublesome young man would stay out of the battle.
Unfortunately...
Leon’s next words immediately shattered that hope.
"However."
Leon raised a finger.
"I have another piece of bad news."
The old man’s heart skipped a beat.
Another?
Was there really something worse than this?
"Do you want to hear it?"
The smile on Leon’s face looked unusually bright.
For some reason, Drift Sword suddenly wanted to run away.
A strange chill crawled up his spine.
His instincts screamed danger.
Yet before he could speak—
Leon moved.
His right hand slowly rose.
A soft purple glow appeared above his palm.
At first, it resembled a small flickering flame.
Then countless ancient runes emerged.
The runes rotated one after another.
Mana gathered from every direction.
The surrounding sky began trembling.
Purple light illuminated the battlefield.
The ancient symbols formed circles.
The circles formed diagrams.
The diagrams formed a magnificent vision that seemed capable of connecting heaven and earth.
An indescribable aura spread outward.
Ancient.
Mysterious.
Sacred.
The moment the technique appeared, Anna’s expression changed completely.
Her beautiful eyes widened slightly.
She stared at the purple runes.
Her calm heart finally lost its balance.
"This is... the Purple Mist Mana Sutra!"
Her voice carried genuine shock.
The supreme inheritance of Celestis Academy.
One of its most important legacies.
She knew it better than anyone.
Countless memories surfaced in her mind.
Ancient records.
Lost branches.
Orthodoxies scattered after the Chaotic Calamity.
Yet she had never expected to witness this technique here.
Especially not from a cultivator of the Fallen Leaf Domain.
Anna’s red-pink eyes locked onto Leon.
Her heart became increasingly unsettled.
First, he possessed terrifying sword intent.
Then he recognized the Celestis Restoration Art.
Now he displayed the Purple Mist Mana Sutra.
Who exactly was he?
Far below, Drift Sword’s face turned pale.
Unlike Anna’s shock, his reaction was pure despair.
He recognized the technique as well.
His expression twisted.
Because he finally understood the meaning behind Leon’s words.
This was the real bad news.
Not the conflict with Sky Breaker Academy.
Not the death of the elder.
This.
This was the true disaster.
The inheritance of Celestis Academy was famous throughout the Forsaken Domain.
Anyone with sufficient knowledge recognized it instantly.
Leon stood calmly amid the swirling purple light.
The runes revolved around him like stars surrounding a sovereign.
His long black hair danced behind him.
The ancient aura surrounding him became increasingly profound.
Even the sky seemed to acknowledge his existence.
Drift Sword’s lips twitched.
His mind rapidly calculated every possibility.
Unfortunately...
Every result led to the same conclusion.
He had chosen the wrong side.
Very wrong.
Anna continued staring at Leon.
The more she looked, the stronger the sense of familiarity became.
The Purple Mist Mana Sutra and the Celestis Restoration Art came from the same source.
The same ancient orthodoxy.
The same legendary academy.
For countless years, she had believed her lineage existed only within the Celestial Crown Domain.
Yet today, a young man from the Fallen Leaf Domain had shattered that belief.
The distance between domains suddenly seemed much smaller than before.
Leon slowly lowered his hand.
The purple runes remained suspended around him.
Their glow reflected within his eyes.
Then he looked directly at Drift Sword.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Unfortunately, I’m also from the Celestis Academy."
