Grand Return System

The Clash of Pinnacle Realms

"This..."

"A Pinnacle Realm!"

The battlefield instantly erupted into chaos.

Shock spread across every face.

Eyes widened in disbelief as countless cultivators stared at Leon.

No one had expected...

He had also stepped into the legendary Pinnacle Realm.

"How is that possible..."

Voices filled with disbelief echoed one after another.

Many people simply could not accept what they were witnessing.

Even Headmaster Mike’s usually calm expression showed a rare hint of astonishment.

He had never imagined that Leon would reach the Pinnacle Realm before him.

Among everyone present, only those who had previously witnessed Leon’s battle remained relatively composed.

The rest were completely stunned.

None of them had expected that the youngest Guardian Elder of Celestis Academy...

The Teacher of Amethyst Summit Division...

Had already entered the legendary Pinnacle Realm ahead of everyone else.

"Teacher has already broken through to the Pinnacle Realm!"

For a brief moment, Selena and Rias stood frozen.

Shock swept through their hearts before it was quickly replaced by overwhelming joy.

To them, Leon had always been an invincible existence.

No matter how desperate the situation became...

No matter how powerful the enemy appeared...

As long as he stood before them, every impossible battle suddenly seemed winnable.

He was not merely their Teacher.

He was the pillar supporting their faith.

The light guiding them through every darkness.

Knowing that Leon had stepped into the legendary Pinnacle Realm filled them with boundless confidence.

At the same time...

They could hardly believe it.

Even Guardian Elder Smith frowned slightly, surprise flashing across his aged eyes.

He had expected Leon to become a Pinnacle Realm expert one day.

He simply had not expected that day to arrive so soon.

Even Headmaster Mike remained silent.

A faint smile slowly appeared on his weathered face.

The academy truly had a successor worthy of carrying its future.

High above the battlefield, Leon slowly rose into the sky.

His black robes embroidered with delicate amethyst patterns fluttered gently in the wind.

Unlike Dario, whose aura surged violently like a storm born from chaos...

Leon remained calm.

The surrounding Mana flowed peacefully around him as though heaven and earth willingly acknowledged his presence.

His purple eyes locked onto Dario.

There was neither contempt nor arrogance within them.

Only an icy calm.

Only absolute resolve.

Stopping several dozen meters away, Leon spoke quietly.

"Are you looking for me?"

His voice was neither loud nor threatening.

Yet every cultivator on the battlefield heard it clearly.

The moment those words reached Dario’s ears, his body instinctively stiffened.

That calm gaze...

Those emotionless eyes...

They awakened memories he desperately wanted to forget.

Twice.

He had already lost twice to this man.

Those defeats had carved themselves deep into his soul.

Fear...

The emotion he hated most...

Slowly crept back into his heart.

His breathing became uneven.

Suddenly—

"Argh!"

Dario grabbed his head.

Veins bulged across his forehead as unimaginable pain exploded inside his mind.

A sinister black mist seeped from his eyes and ears.

The Strange Origin that had been quietly lurking within him finally seized the opportunity.

It devoured the last remnants of his sanity.

His pupils gradually turned blood-red.

Reason disappeared.

Only endless slaughter remained.

He slowly lifted his head.

A twisted smile spread across his face.

"Hmph..."

"Leon..."

"You came at the right time."

His voice sounded distorted, almost inhuman.

"We’ll settle our old and new debts today."

Fear no longer existed.

After losing himself completely, all that remained inside him was endless destruction.

Leon watched him quietly.

He could clearly sense that the man before him was no longer entirely himself.

The Strange Origin had almost completely consumed his soul.

Without changing his expression, Leon answered calmly,

"Alright..."

"Then let’s settle it."

The instant the final word left his lips—

Boom!

Leon disappeared.

He moved so quickly that countless spectators lost sight of him entirely.

A deafening explosion erupted beside Dario.

Without drawing a weapon...

Without using any Sacred Art...

Leon simply struck forward with his bare palm.

The terrifying force compressed the surrounding air into visible waves.

The Ultimate Hand Strike descended like a collapsing heaven.

Dario’s eyes narrowed.

He immediately raised his black sword horizontally.

Boom!

Palm met blade.

An explosion shook the entire battlefield.

The collision created a violent shockwave that swept across the sky, forcing nearby cultivators to retreat thousands of meters.

The clouds above were instantly torn apart.

Before Dario could regain his balance—

Leon was already in front of him.

His fist shot forward.

Simple.

Direct.

Yet it contained overwhelming physical strength reinforced by pure Mana.

Dario twisted his body and swung his sword downward.

Clang!

Although Leon possessed no weapon, his fist collided against the sword with a metallic explosion.

Golden sparks burst across the sky.

The sword trembled violently.

Dario’s expression changed.

What terrifying physique...

He was actually resisting a divine weapon with nothing but his own body.

Before he could react—

Leon stepped forward again.

Another punch.

Another palm.

Another elbow.

Every movement flowed naturally into the next.

There were no wasted motions.

No unnecessary flourishes.

Each strike carried the weight of a collapsing mountain.

Dario continuously swung his sword.

Black sword light flashed across the heavens.

Dozens...

Hundreds...

Thousands of sword shadows appeared simultaneously, weaving together into an enormous net that sought to tear Leon apart.

Leon did not retreat.

His fists became afterimages.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Every sword light shattered under the impact of his punches.

Fragments of Mana exploded like fireworks across the sky.

Seeing his sword techniques repeatedly destroyed, Dario roared in fury.

Dark Mana surged wildly around him.

The black mist condensed into countless giant spears before raining toward Leon like a storm.

The sky darkened.

The earth trembled.

Every spear possessed enough destructive power to erase an entire mountain.

Leon finally raised one hand.

He calmly pushed his palm forward.

Pure Mana erupted from his body like an endless ocean.

The invisible force spread in every direction.

Every black spear froze in midair.

For a heartbeat...

Time itself seemed to stop.

Then—