Grand Return System

Chapter 243: The Sword of Secret Sword Summit

The Sword of Secret Sword Summit

"My students of Celestis Academy don’t need punishment."

Shera’s voice wasn’t loud.

Yet every word carried clearly across the battlefield.

"They deserve praise."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as his gaze swept across the disciples standing behind him.

"After all..."

He slowly turned toward Lavish.

"What exactly did they do wrong?"

Lavish’s expression stiffened.

Shera chuckled softly.

"The only thing they did was hold up a mirror."

"A mirror that happened to reflect your sect heir exactly as he is."

The smile on his face widened slightly.

"Arrogant."

"Entitled."

"And completely incapable of accepting reality when someone stronger stands in front of him."

Silence.

Complete silence.

The battlefield became so quiet that the sound of the wind passing through the shattered terrain felt unusually clear.

No one spoke.

No one even dared to breathe too loudly.

Lavish stood frozen in place.

Her face had already turned red from humiliation.

Her fingers tightened around the sword hilt until her knuckles turned white.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to suppress the anger boiling inside her.

Around her, countless cultivators exchanged strange looks.

Some lowered their heads, afraid their expressions might be noticed.

Others openly glanced toward the Prison Holy Sect disciples.

After all...

No matter how much they wanted to deny it...

Shera hadn’t said anything false.

Ronan’s face darkened immediately.

The muscles near his jaw twitched.

A terrifying pressure slowly leaked from his body.

The humiliation was unbearable.

His disciple had lost.

His sect had become a laughingstock.

And now this old monster was rubbing salt into the wound in front of everyone.

Taking a deep breath, Ronan finally spoke.

"Senior Shera."

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

The kind of calm that existed only because anger had already reached its limit.

"What exactly are you trying to imply?"

Shera looked at him lazily.

"Nothing."

He shrugged.

"Why would I imply anything?"

"I’m merely stating what everyone here already saw with their own eyes."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

"Then are you saying my sect heir deserved what happened?"

Shera blinked.

"Didn’t he?"

The answer came so quickly that Ronan almost choked.

The surrounding crowd immediately lowered their heads.

Some disciples nearly burst out laughing before forcibly controlling themselves.

Ronan’s face became even darker.

"Senior..."

His voice grew heavier.

"Those are dangerous words."

Shera folded his arms.

"Are they?"

"Or do they simply sound unpleasant because they’re true?"

A vein bulged on Ronan’s forehead.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Even the elders from various factions were silently watching.

Nobody dared to interfere.

Nobody wanted to become involved in this clash.

Ronan stared directly at Shera.

"Tell me honestly."

"Do you look down on my Prison Holy Sect?"

The battlefield instantly became silent again.

Countless eyes shifted toward Shera.

Everyone waited for his answer.

Shera remained completely relaxed.

He looked at Ronan as if he had just heard something amusing.

Then he raised an eyebrow.

"So what if I do?"

Boom.

The simple sentence struck harder than a divine thunderbolt.

Many cultivators nearly stumbled.

Several elders sucked in cold breaths.

No one expected him to answer so directly.

Ronan’s body trembled.

His face alternated between red and pale.

For a moment, he genuinely felt blood rushing into his throat.

"You—!"

He pointed at Shera with a shaking finger.

The pressure around him exploded uncontrollably.

"Shera!"

His voice thundered across the battlefield.

"Do you truly believe Celestis Academy can insult my Prison Holy Sect without consequence?"

Shera remained unmoved.

Not even a flicker crossed his eyes.

Instead, he casually dusted off his sleeve.

"Consequence?"

He laughed.

"Ronan, don’t make it sound like your sect is some untouchable heavenly power."

The surrounding cultivators sucked in cold breaths.

Shera wasn’t holding back at all.

Not even slightly.

Ronan’s eyes became bloodshot.

"Then answer me!"

"Is Celestis Academy trying to provoke a war with my Prison Holy Sect?"

The surrounding crowd sucked in cold breaths.

War?

That word carried terrifying weight.

Yet Shera did not react.

Instead—

He smiled.

Calmly.

Casually.

"The Celestis Academy has always been a force that doesn’t create trouble."

He paused.

Then his expression gradually turned cold.

"But..."

"We’re not afraid of trouble either."

The air suddenly grew heavy.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

Shera slowly stepped forward.

His black robes moved violently beneath the wind.

"Old thing..."

"You’re bullying the weak."

"How shameless."

His gaze sharpened instantly.

"Looks like your Prison Holy Sect is very dissatisfied with this spar."

"That’s fine."

"After the juniors finish fighting..."

"Us old fellows can also spar."

His lips curled upward.

"Let’s see what Prison Holy Sect has to be proud of."

"You can also think I’m bullying the weak."

The instant he finished—

Boom!

Shera moved.

Without warning—

He struck.

His palm suddenly pushed forward.

In an instant—

The surrounding Mana exploded.

The earth beneath his feet cracked apart.

A terrifying pressure swept outward like an endless ocean swallowing heaven and earth.

Everyone’s expressions changed drastically.

"Peak Sage Realm!"

"Heavens!"

"Peak Sage Realm!"

"How is that possible?!"

The crowd erupted.

Even Rex Vine’s eyes widened.

He stared at Shera with disbelief.

Wasn’t Shera previously only in the middle stage?

How had he reached peak Sage Realm?

The terrifying palm force descended.

Ronan’s face instantly changed.

"Not good!"

He hurriedly raised his hands.

A bronze Dharma treasure instantly appeared before him.

Boom!

The impact exploded.

The violent force smashed into him like an avalanche.

Ronan felt his chest shake violently.

Crack!

The ground beneath his feet shattered.

Then—

His body flew backward.

Thousands of meters.

Dust exploded everywhere.

The crowd stared blankly.

One strike.

Just one strike.

Shera calmly lowered his hand.

Meanwhile inside—

He was laughing wildly.

Damn.

Peak Sage Realm really felt amazing.

He almost wanted to laugh toward the sky.

After returning from the Seven Division Martial Meeting, he had repeatedly thought about Leon’s words.

He thought about his own foolishness.

His own obsession.

His own jealousy.

And eventually—

He let it go.

That knot in his heart disappeared.

And after releasing it—

His cultivation naturally broke through.

Shera suddenly felt emotional.

That bastard Leon...

Without realizing it, he had unknowingly helped him.

Still—

Shera narrowed his eyes.

Now that his strength had risen...

Maybe...

Just maybe...

He could fight Leon again.

A dangerous thought suddenly appeared.

Immediately afterward—

Shera shook his head violently.

No.

Forget it.

That monster wasn’t normal.

On the other side—

Ronan slowly stood up.

Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

His expression looked extremely ugly.

His arm trembled slightly from numbness.

"Damn it!"

Anger exploded in his heart.

Even though he knew he wasn’t Shera’s opponent—

He couldn’t retreat.

Because this was no longer about him alone.

It was about Prison Holy Sect’s reputation.

Their junior already lost.

If he lost too—

Wouldn’t the entire Forsaken Domain laugh at Prison Holy Sect?

Ronan suddenly roared.

Boom!

Violent Mana exploded around him.

He instantly drew out a long saber.

The sky trembled.

Dark clouds gathered.

The saber released overwhelming pressure.

Without hesitation—

He unleashed his strongest sword art.

A terrifying saber shadow tore through the sky and descended toward Shera.

The expressions of everyone watching drastically changed.

"Move!"

"Quickly move!"

"Don’t get caught!"

The surrounding cultivators retreated frantically.

Trees shattered.

Stones exploded.

Violent winds swept through the battlefield.

Yet in the middle of that chaos—

Shera stood unmoving.

Straight.

Calm.

Like a mountain beneath the storm.

He quietly looked toward the incoming saber.

Then—

He slowly raised his right hand.

"Sword, come!"

The flying sword on the ground instantly returned to his hand.