Grand Return System
Chapter 290: No More Senior Sister!!!
No More Senior Sister!!!
A storage jade and a bronze cauldron remained suspended in the air.
The Four Symbols Cauldron.
The true reason behind this conflict.
With a wave of his hand, both treasures flew toward him.
Leon caught the storage jade and tossed it aside without interest.
Then he picked up the cauldron.
After examining it briefly, he turned toward Anna.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Senior Sister."
Anna suddenly had a bad feeling.
"What?"
Leon lifted the cauldron.
"I told you I’d get it back for you."
The afternoon sunlight reflected off the ancient bronze surface, causing faint runes carved across the cauldron to shimmer softly.
The battle had ended.
The dust had settled.
The sky that had been torn apart by sword energy moments ago was gradually returning to normal.
Yet for some reason, Anna felt more nervous now than she had during the fight.
Leon casually tossed the cauldron toward her.
His movement was relaxed, as though he were handing over an ordinary object instead of a priceless treasure coveted by countless cultivators.
"Senior Sister, take this cauldron as my gift to you."
Anna instinctively caught it.
The moment the cauldron landed in her hands, her heart skipped a beat.
For a brief second, she forgot how to breathe.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
It wasn’t because of the cauldron.
It wasn’t because of its value.
It was because of who had given it to her.
The feeling arrived suddenly.
Like an unexpected gift during a festival.
Like receiving something precious from someone important.
The sensation was unfamiliar.
Dangerously unfamiliar.
Anna’s grip tightened slightly around the cauldron.
Her cheeks became faintly warm.
Fortunately, nobody noticed.
At least she hoped nobody noticed.
"This guy must have used the bewitching spell again. Otherwise, how could I have such a feeling?"
The moment that thought appeared, Anna immediately seized it.
Yes.
That had to be the explanation.
There was no other possibility.
She had cultivated for so many years.
She had seen countless geniuses.
How could she suddenly become like this?
It had to be Leon’s fault.
Absolutely.
Definitely.
There was no way these were her true feelings.
Convinced by her own reasoning, Anna finally relaxed.
"Oh, thank you..."
She accepted it without any hesitation.
After all, the Four Symbols Cauldron had originally belonged to her.
Drift Sword had only stolen it through force.
Technically, Leon had merely returned what was hers.
Yet somehow...
The meaning felt different.
The cauldron had changed hands.
And because of that, it felt strangely like a gift.
The more she thought about it, the happier she became.
The happier she became, the more confused she felt.
Why?
Anna couldn’t understand.
Leon glanced at her oddly.
The expression on her face changed every few seconds.
One moment she looked happy.
The next moment she looked suspicious.
Then happy again.
Women were truly mysterious.
After a brief silence, Anna looked at Leon.
Her gaze carried a complicated mixture of admiration, frustration, embarrassment, and unwillingness.
She had spent years establishing herself as one of the strongest geniuses of Celestis Academy.
Then Leon appeared.
Not only was he stronger than her—
He was much stronger.
The difference was undeniable.
After witnessing everything, she finally surrendered to reality.
Her lips moved slightly.
The words seemed difficult to say.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke.
"You... should call me Junior Sister."
The moment those words left her mouth, Anna felt as though a knife had pierced her heart.
It hurt.
It genuinely hurt.
Only a few minutes ago, Leon had been calling her Senior Sister.
Now everything was gone.
Boohoo...
Anna wanted to cry.
Reality was simply too cruel.
This world respected strength above all else.
Without a clear inherited seniority, power determined status.
The Celestis Academy of the Celestial Crown Domain and the Celestis Academy of the Fallen Leaf Domain had been separated for countless years.
The original hierarchy had long become blurred.
In situations like this, strength became the deciding factor.
And unfortunately...
Leon was stronger.
Much stronger.
Leon stared at her for a second.
Then another.
Finally, he almost laughed.
The reluctant expression on Anna’s face was simply too amusing.
She looked like a child who had just lost her favorite toy.
This cold beauty was nothing like the image she tried so hard to maintain.
Underneath that proud exterior was someone surprisingly genuine.
Someone surprisingly pure.
Someone surprisingly cute.
"Alright, Junior Sister."
A satisfied smile appeared on Leon’s face.
Anna immediately regretted everything.
The smug look on his face made her want to hit him.
Hard.
Very hard.
She turned her head away immediately.
Maintaining a cold expression.
At least on the surface.
Unfortunately, a few moments later, she couldn’t resist sneaking another glance in his direction.
Then another.
And another.
Leon pretended not to notice.
That only made Anna even more embarrassed.
At that moment—
[Ding...]
A familiar mechanical notification sounded inside Leon’s mind.
His eyes lit up instantly.
[You gave Anna a Four Symbols Cauldron, triggering a Critical Hit Return.]
Leon blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Eh, it really works?"
He had only been testing a theory.
The gift had partly been genuine and partly experimental.
After all, Anna belonged to the Celestis Academy of the upper realm.
He wasn’t entirely sure whether the Grand Return System would recognize her.
Unexpectedly...
It worked.
It actually worked.
Leon immediately became interested.
This was important information.
If his theory was correct, it would greatly expand the system’s usefulness.
"System, what’s going on?"
The question appeared in his mind.
The Grand Return System quickly responded.
[Host, the orthodoxy certified by the system does not refer to a certain faction or sect, but to inheritance.]
[Therefore, even the Celestis Academy of the outer realm can still trigger a Critical Hit Return as long as the legacy techniques they inherit originate from the Celestis Academy.]
Leon’s eyes brightened.
The answer immediately solved a mystery that had puzzled him for a long time.
The system didn’t care about names.
It didn’t care about territories.
It didn’t care about organizational structures.
What it recognized...
Was inheritance itself.
As long as the lineage remained connected, the system considered it part of the same orthodoxy.
"I see..."
Leon suddenly understood.
Everything became clear.
For a long time, he had assumed that orthodoxy referred to a sect or organization.
Only today did he finally realize the truth.
Orthodoxy referred to inheritance.
To the continuation of teachings.
To the passing down of knowledge from one generation to another.
If he hadn’t tested it today, he might never have discovered this hidden rule.
The discovery immediately opened countless possibilities in his mind.
Meanwhile, Anna remained completely unaware of the conversation happening inside Leon’s head.
She was still holding the Four Symbols Cauldron.
Still occasionally stealing glances at him.
Still trying to convince herself that everything she was feeling was definitely caused by some mysterious bewitching technique.
Unfortunately for her—
The more she tried to convince herself...
The less convincing the explanation became.
And that realization made her even more flustered.