[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-grand-return-system":3,"chapter-grand-return-system-grand-return-system-chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Grand Return System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1080186,1397,"Chapter 16: The Weight of a Promise","grand-return-system-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>The Weight of a Promise\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junior Brother Leon! I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you this time. My Secret Sword Summit is determined to win this Martial Meeting championship...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shera’s smug grin said everything. He’d already seen the future — and in that future, Leon lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon merely glanced at him, then turned toward Selena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Selena, your Guardian Elder Shera doesn’t seem to have much confidence in you,\" he said lightly. \"You’ll need to cultivate seriously. Don’t disappoint your Guardian Elder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call of her name tightened something in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressure surged in like a tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon had placed his wager on her shoulders — not just a treasure, but dignity. The honor of the Amethyst Summit Division rested there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she failed... he’d be mocked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers curled at her robe sash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher, don’t worry,\" Selena said, steadying herself. \"I will work hard. I definitely won’t disappoint Guardian Elder Shera.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t only her battle anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shera chuckled lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha — then let’s see who stands higher in three months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly didn’t take her words seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s eyes held quiet confidence. \"Sure. Three months, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mike said nothing further. After finishing his business, he and Shera drifted into the sky, vanishing toward another Division like drifting clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountains breathed. The wind tugged softly at Selena’s long white-silver hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And suddenly, she couldn’t contain it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped behind Leon, eyes shimmering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher... it’s my fault. Because of me, you angered Guardian Elder Shera — and you even wagered your treasure. I swear I won’t ever be so reckless again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon turned, watching this snow-robed girl with tear-bright eyes... and laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn girl, who said I stood up for you? Don’t think too highly of yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked — stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So... hedidn’tstand up for her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she cried for nothing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment she felt helpless — then something inside her warmed instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No... he’s just saying that so I won’t feel guilty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stubborn, sharp-tongued — yet gentle under it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled faintly to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having someone like this watching over her...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t such a lonely path anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher, with your personality, you’d never pay attention to someone like Guardian Elder Shera. You acted because of me. I know it. I’ll never forget it. Don’t worry — I’ll train hard and get a good ranking, so your loss won’t be too terrible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s face darkened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl... we haven’t even fought yet and she’s already assuming we’ll lose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop right there. Remember something.\" His gaze sharpened, but there was humor beneath it. \"The tradition of our Amethyst Summit Division — even when you’re wrong, you never admit it. Even if it kills you, stay stubborn. Don’t apologize so easily.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selena: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So stubborn?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet... somehow that stubbornness felt strangely reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon chuckled when he saw her bewildered look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That ridiculous tradition... handed down from Respected Zeon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What good could come from a man that unreasonable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. Don’t carry this burden,\" Leon continued, tone softening. \"Just do your best. Even if I’m embarrassed — what reputation do I have left to lose, anyway?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten bitter years washed behind his eyes — the ridicule, the whispering, the label of \"useless Teacher\" that clung like frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a spark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three months remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three months to sharpen a blade in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three months to let the world see what they had chosen to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked toward the distant sky — toward the arena that awaited — and something cold and certain burned quietly inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The future wasn’t decided yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even close.\u003C\u002Fp>",613,"2026-06-03T10:40:08.506Z","2026-06-03T10:40:16.814Z",1,"novelbin.me","91bd6b10b7c6885dfa4d264c433255ff83f6399b900fe55134b646a36d4347c6","grand-return-system-chapter-17","grand-return-system-chapter-15",234,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgrand-return-system-cover.jpg"]