Grand Return System

Chapter 318: The Test of Sincerity

The Test of Sincerity

Isn’t this actually a perfect opportunity?

A rival in love had appeared out of nowhere. If he handled this situation flawlessly, wouldn’t that naturally improve Anna’s opinion of him?

Wouldn’t this become the perfect stage to prove himself?

The more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became.

Maybe... if I perform well enough, this temporary relationship can finally become official.

His heartbeat sped up slightly.

There was another reason he found the idea so appealing.

The reward.

The Grand Return System...

Ever since discovering its terrifying capabilities, Leon understood one thing better than anyone.

The greater the investment...

The greater the return.

If this temporary relationship truly became official...

Then the reward from the Grand Return System would likely undergo another unimaginable leap.

A hundred-thousand-fold return...

Just imagining that possibility made his breathing become a little uneven.

It gives far too much.

Who could possibly resist something like that?

Leon silently steadied his thoughts, forcing himself to calm down before anyone noticed the strange look in his eyes.

Beside him, Anna tilted her head ever so slightly.

She seemed to ponder his question seriously instead of answering immediately.

After several quiet breaths, she finally spoke.

"In terms of cultivation, you might not be able to defeat him."

Her tone remained calm and objective.

She wasn’t belittling Leon.

She was simply stating what she believed to be the truth.

Then her beautiful red-pink eyes lifted toward him with quiet certainty.

"But in terms of combat strength..."

"I don’t think he can defeat you."

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her tone.

She had watched Leon fight more than once.

Others judged people by cultivation stars.

Anna judged them by what they accomplished.

Leon possessed too many hidden cards.

The First Mist Immortal Sword alone was enough to overwhelm countless cultivators of the same realm. His mysterious Sacred Arts, his unpredictable methods, and the composure he maintained in every dangerous situation all left an unforgettable impression on her.

That was why she had never truly worried.

From the very beginning, she believed Leon could protect himself.

Otherwise...

She would never have pulled him into this situation.

Beneath her calm expression, another thought quietly surfaced.

I want to know...

When someone stronger stands in front of him...

Will he still choose to stand beside me?

That was the answer she wanted.

Not sweet words.

Not promises.

Actions.

Only actions mattered.

Leon looked at her for a long moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.

He finally understood.

So...

This had been a test from the very beginning.

Everything suddenly made sense.

Her public declaration.

Holding his arm.

Calling him her man in front of Caelan Everwind.

She hadn’t acted impulsively.

She had deliberately pushed him onto the stage.

Leon couldn’t help smiling inwardly.

Testing me?

Fine.

I’ll give you an answer you’ll never forget.

His confidence quietly grew.

If defeating one rival is enough to make you acknowledge me...

Then I’ll gladly do it.

After all...

A rival’s greatest value was sometimes becoming someone else’s stepping stone.

Leon almost wanted to thank Caelan Everwind for appearing at such a convenient moment.

While Leon was planning ahead, Anna secretly observed him from the corner of her eye.

She expected him to look troubled.

Or perhaps annoyed.

Instead...

He was smiling.

Not the forced smile of someone hiding pressure.

It was the relaxed smile of someone who genuinely didn’t view the situation as a burden.

For reasons even she couldn’t explain, the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly.

It was only for an instant.

Then her usual indifferent expression returned.

Far behind them, Caelan Everwind slowly suppressed the turmoil inside his heart.

The pain gradually disappeared from his face.

So did the disbelief.

Only icy calm remained.

He stared at Leon’s retreating figure, his black eyes growing colder with each passing second.

To him, Leon was nothing more than an unfamiliar cultivator whose name he had never heard before.

Someone unknown.

Someone ordinary.

Someone completely unworthy of standing beside Anna.

He refused to believe that she had truly chosen Leon over him.

No.

There had to be another explanation.

She’s only trying to force me to give up.

She’s deliberately using him.

That conclusion finally allowed his breathing to steady.

Otherwise, nothing about today’s events made any sense.

He had spent years pursuing Anna.

He possessed extraordinary talent.

His background was unmatched among his peers.

His appearance was admired by countless women.

His strength was recognized throughout numerous domains.

How could he possibly lose to an unknown cultivator?

Impossible.

His pride simply couldn’t accept it.

A cold breeze swept across the barren battlefield, carrying the increasingly rich medicinal fragrance drifting from the Eternal Genesis Pill.

The experts surrounding the old earth spiky turtle remained tense.

No one moved.

Everyone waited.

The atmosphere became heavier with every passing breath.

Caelan’s eyes never left Leon.

In his judgment, Leon’s cultivation wasn’t worth mentioning.

Even if he possessed some talent, it would amount to nothing once the true battle erupted.

Soon...

The entire battlefield would descend into chaos.

When that happened, countless experts would fight without restraint.

An ordinary Pinnacle Realm cultivator like Leon would likely become one of the first victims.

If Leon died...

Wouldn’t everything return to how it should be?

Perhaps then...

Anna would finally understand who truly deserved to stand beside her.

Thinking of this, the bitterness in his heart eased slightly.

Of course...

He wasn’t foolish enough to attack Leon personally.

That would only make Anna despise him even more.

No matter how furious he was, he still understood her personality.

Force would never earn her affection.

Patience...

That was his only option.

Suppressing every trace of emotion, Caelan Everwind looked toward Leon once more and spoke in an icy voice.

"I want to see what’s so special about you later."

His words were calm, yet everyone nearby could hear the challenge hidden beneath them.

Leon merely glanced back with a faint smile.

He neither argued nor became angry.

To him, actions had always spoken louder than empty threats.

Soon enough...

The battlefield itself would provide the answer.