Grand Return System

Chapter 241: The Sword Summit Appears

The Sword Summit Appears

When Shera arrived, Ronan’s expression changed and he felt regretful. How could he not know Shera, the master of Secret Sword Summit who was once an influential figure?

A cold wind swept across the ruins, carrying loose dust and fragments of shattered stone into the air. The atmosphere that had been tense moments ago suddenly changed.

People instinctively stepped back.

Some names alone carried pressure.

Shera was one of them.

His black robes fluttered quietly behind him as he walked forward with unhurried steps. His expression remained dark and indifferent, his black eyes carrying an emotionless sharpness that made people avoid meeting his gaze directly.

Even without releasing his aura, an invisible pressure slowly spread outward.

Not far away.

Rex Vine also stopped in his tracks, who came for helping Selena and the group while he looked at Shera and said with a strange expression, "I’m a little surprised! Why is it him?"

His brows furrowed slightly.

This development had exceeded even his expectations.

Rex Vine did not expect Shera to suddenly come here. From the looks of it, he wanted to support Selena. He hadn’t forgotten how Shera had vomited blood from anger because of Leon during the Seven Division Martial Meeting. Shouldn’t he resent Leon for such humiliation? Why would he support Selena?

His eyes narrowed.

Something felt wrong.

Or perhaps...

There were things happening beneath the surface that even he could not understand.

Once again, Rex Vine chose to stand by and watch the show.

He folded his arms and leaned against a giant cracked boulder, silently observing.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"This is great. Guardian Elder Shera is here. I believe that old fellow won’t dare to make things difficult for us anymore."

At this moment, Amaya finally felt relieved.

The tension in her shoulders slowly disappeared.

Just now, she had nearly clenched her fists hard enough to draw blood.

She had truly been anxious.

The students of Celestis Academy had been bullied by elders from other Powerful Sects while none of their own elders had appeared.

That feeling...

It was a grievance difficult to describe.

Like swallowing a mouthful of fire but being unable to spit it out.

Sana softly asked beside her,

"Senior Sister, isn’t Guardian Elder Shera on bad terms with Guardian Elder Leon? Why would he help Selena?"

Amaya froze.

"Hmm? That’s right. The grudge between Guardian Elder Leon and Guardian Elder Shera has lasted for a long time. Why would Guardian Elder Shera help?"

She became confused as well.

Not only her.

Selena and Rias exchanged glances.

Even Harry Taylor stared blankly.

His mouth twitched.

"Did this old man Shera drink fake wine? We humiliated him so much before, but he’s still willing to help us?"

Harry was stunned.

Then strangely...

He felt a little guilty.

Very guilty.

After all, he had mocked Shera plenty of times in private.

Rias blinked in disbelief.

For a moment, she thought she had seen the wrong person.

Then she looked again.

No.

It was really him.

"...I didn’t expect this either," she admitted quietly.

In all her years at Celestis Academy, Shera had never been someone associated with kindness.

He was ruthless.

Calculating.

The kind of person who would remember a grudge for years and wait patiently for the perfect opportunity to repay it.

Ever since Leon’s group entered the academy, the conflict between their divisions had never stopped. Arguments, competitions, hidden schemes, open confrontations...

Shera had been involved in plenty of them.

Which was exactly why his appearance now made no sense.

None at all.

Even Selena couldn’t understand it.

The evening breeze gently lifted strands of her silver hair as her blue eyes remained fixed on the figure standing before them.

A strange emotion flickered within her gaze.

Not long ago, she had publicly defeated Shan.

In doing so, she had embarrassed Shera in front of countless spectators.

If anything...

He should have been happy to watch her suffer.

He should have been the last person to step forward.

Yet here he was.

Standing between her and danger.

Standing in front of her.

Protecting her.

Selena unconsciously tightened her grip around the sword hanging at her waist.

Her emotions became unexpectedly complicated.

Maybe...

No matter how fierce the conflicts inside Celestis Academy became...

No matter how much the students and divisions fought among themselves...

Outsiders would always remain outsiders.

At least today...

Shera had chosen where he stood.

And for some reason...

That realization made her chest feel a little warmer.

Meanwhile, Ronan’s expression had become considerably uglier.

A bead of cold sweat slowly slid down the side of his face.

Just a few moments ago, he had been feeling rather pleased with himself.

There were no elders nearby.

No powerful protectors backing Selena.

Everything had seemed under control.

Helping Lavish vent her anger had looked like an easy opportunity.

But now?

Shera had arrived.

And suddenly, things weren’t so simple anymore.

Ronan knew exactly where he stood.

Against Selena, he still had confidence.

Against Shera?

That was an entirely different matter.

Forget teaching anyone a lesson.

He would be fortunate if he managed to leave without embarrassing himself.

The confidence on his face vanished.

Replacing it was a forced smile that looked uglier by the second.

"Haha..." Ronan laughed awkwardly. "Fellow Cultivator Shera, it’s been quite a few years, hasn’t it? I have to say, your cultivation has advanced tremendously."

No response.

The surrounding crowd subconsciously held their breath.

Shera simply looked at him.

His eyes were calm.

Too calm.

The kind of calm that made people uncomfortable.

Then, slowly...

The corner of his lips curled upward.

Not into a friendly smile.

But into something far more unpleasant.

"Years?"

Shera tilted his head slightly.

"When exactly did we become familiar enough for you to greet me like an old friend?"

The moment those words came out—

The atmosphere froze.

Absolute silence.

Ronan’s smile instantly stiffened.

His face darkened at a visible speed.

Embarrassed.

Utterly embarrassed.

Shera wasn’t leaving him any dignity at all in front of so many people.

The surrounding crowd looked at one another awkwardly.

Harry almost burst out laughing.

He forcefully held it in.

His shoulders shook violently.

Amaya immediately pinched his arm.

"Don’t laugh!"

"Ow! Senior Sister!"

Harry grimaced in pain.

Meanwhile, Ronan’s expression became increasingly ugly.

His eyes twitched slightly.

Veins nearly popped on his forehead.

He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Fellow cultivator, what do you mean?"