Grand Return System

Chapter 320: The Price of Showing Off

The Price of Showing Off

Suddenly, the Inferno Swift Bird that had been cut in half reconstructed itself once again.

Scarlet flames erupted from its severed body as flesh, feathers, and bones rapidly reformed before everyone’s eyes. Within moments, the enormous beast was completely restored as if the previous sword strike had never happened.

Not only that, its aura became even more terrifying.

The surrounding Mana churned violently as its pressure continued to climb.

The Inferno Swift Bird flapped its massive wings with excitement. It stared directly at Caelan Everwind, tilting its head with an almost human expression. Its eyes were filled with provocation, as though it were mocking him.

"Yo, kid... not bad. Send me more energy."

Although it spoke no words, everyone seemed to understand exactly what that expression meant.

For a brief second, the battlefield fell in dead silent.

Then—

"Hahaha..."

Leon’s laughter broke the silence.

He tried to hold it back, but the scene before him was simply too amusing.

Caelan had wanted to amaze everyone with a single strike.

Instead...

He had accidentally made the beast even stronger.

It was truly a textbook example of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

Caelan’s face instantly darkened.

The muscles around his jaw tightened.

His fingers slowly clenched around the sword hilt until faint cracking sounds echoed from his grip.

He had imagined Anna looking at him with admiration after that strike.

Instead, Leon was openly laughing at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

His voice was cold enough to freeze the air.

Leon coughed lightly and forced himself to become serious.

"I’m sorry," he replied with an apologetic smile. "I suddenly remembered something happy..."

The apology sounded sincere.

Unfortunately...

The smile on his face completely ruined it.

Several nearby cultivators immediately lowered their heads.

Their shoulders trembled slightly.

No one dared laugh out loud in front of Caelan, but everyone was trying their hardest not to.

The butcher grinned from ear to ear.

Even Eldric Northwind’s lips twitched ever so slightly before he returned to his calm expression.

Anna quietly looked at Leon.

Her beautiful pink eyes sparkled with amusement.

She didn’t say anything.

But she almost smiled.

Leon noticed the tiny change in her expression and whispered just loudly enough for her to hear.

"See? I wasn’t laughing at him."

Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"I was laughing at the bird."

"The bird?"

"Yes."

Leon nodded seriously.

"It has better timing than most comedians."

Anna bit her lower lip to stop herself from smiling.

"You really enjoy provoking people."

"I don’t."

Leon looked completely innocent.

"They provoke themselves. I merely appreciate the results."

Anna glanced sideways at him before quietly muttering,

"You really are shameless."

Leon smiled.

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

Anna rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.

Meanwhile, Caelan’s expression became uglier with every passing second.

He could naturally hear the sarcasm hidden inside Leon’s words.

He had embarrassed himself.

And worst of all...

It happened in front of Anna.

His pride could barely endure such humiliation.

He slowly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Calm down.

Lose your temper now, and you’ll only look more foolish.

When he opened his eyes again, the anger had mostly disappeared, replaced by a dangerous calm.

His gaze settled on Leon.

A faint sneer appeared on his face.

"So..."

"It seems like Brother Leon is very confident in your strength?"

His tone sounded polite.

Yet everyone could hear the challenge hidden beneath it.

"Then why don’t you show everyone how powerful you are?"

As soon as those words fell, countless eyes shifted toward Leon.

Everyone’s interest had been completely piqued.

After all, everyone knew Caelan Everwind.

He was the celebrated genius of Celestial Mist Mountain, a prodigy who had stood beneath the spotlight since childhood.

No matter where he went, attention naturally gathered around him.

His talent.

His appearance.

His cultivation.

His background.

Everything about him was extraordinary.

His pride had never accepted defeat.

As for Leon...

Outside the experts who had witnessed his achievements in the Chaos Lands, almost no one knew his name.

The mysterious young man standing beside Anna had suddenly become the center of everyone’s curiosity.

One cultivator whispered,

"Who exactly is this Leon?"

Another shook his head.

"No idea. I’ve never heard of him."

"But judging from his composure..."

"He doesn’t seem ordinary."

A third person added,

"Anyone who can make Caelan this angry definitely isn’t simple."

The butcher laughed loudly.

"Interesting."

"Looks like today’s entertainment isn’t over yet."

Eldric Northwind silently folded his arms.

His deep eyes carefully observed Leon.

Instead of worry...

He felt anticipation.

Anna gently looked toward Leon.

"Do you have to accept?"

Leon smiled faintly.

"He already invited me."

"And besides..."

He leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice.

"If I refuse now, won’t your ’man’ lose face?"

Anna looked away, pretending not to care.

"I never said you had to."

"No?"

"No."

"Then should I surrender?"

Anna glanced back at him with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

"If you surrender..."

"I’ll be disappointed."

Leon laughed softly.

"So you really do have confidence in me."

"I always have."

Her answer was short.

But firm.

Leon could clearly hear the trust hidden inside those three words.

He smiled even more brightly.

"Then I suppose I can’t disappoint my beautiful and cute lady."

Anna’s cheeks warmed ever so slightly.

"Stop talking nonsense."

"I’m only telling the truth."

"You enjoy teasing me."

"And you don’t hate it."

Anna remained silent.

That Pin drop silence itself was enough of an answer.

Leon finally make a moved forward.

His long black hair drifted gently in the wind as his midnight robes embroidered with thin amethyst patterns fluttered behind him.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of nervousness on his face.

Every step was calm.

Every movement was relaxed.

Facing countless experts and the murderous gaze of Caelan Everwind, Leon simply smiled.

"Alright! Since Young Master Caelan is so free, I can only embarrass myself..."