[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-grand-return-system":3,"chapter-grand-return-system-grand-return-system-chapter-178":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},1080248,1397,"Chapter 178: Name That Shakes the Wall","grand-return-system-chapter-178",178,"\u003Cp>Name That Shakes the Wall\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I admit defeat today. You win... Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freddy Lavahound glared fiercely at Harry Taylor before turning to leave, his jaw tight, pride barely holding together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The single word drifted across the city wall like a blade sliding free from its sheath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly—silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise of the battlements, the low murmurs, even the wind carrying ash from the scorched wilderness seemed to freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freddy stopped mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spine stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something bad is going to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought didn’t come gently—it slammed into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That voice...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not through friendship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fear carved deep into bone and memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, under countless gazes, he began walking toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unhurried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each step light—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet every footfall landed like a hammer against Freddy’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lavahound experts behind him felt it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their breathing grew uneven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their legs... weakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not from exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bodies reacted before their thoughts could catch up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry, standing off to the side, blinked—then a grin slowly crept across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senior isn’t done?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah... this just got interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freddy forced himself to turn back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face had gone pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes locked onto Leon’s calm expression as if staring at judgment itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freddy wasn’t thinking about winning anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thinking about how he would die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kneeling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would collapsing make him look pathetic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would begging make it worse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts spiraled into absurdity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Se... Senior...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It barely sounded human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the Lavahound members behind him shifted slightly, sweat sliding down his neck, his gaze flickering nervously—never daring to meet Leon’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shoulders were tense, chest rising unevenly, as if even breathing too loudly might draw attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to everything they expected—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon showed no killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No overwhelming aura crushing them into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply stopped in front of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midnight robes stirred in the heated wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long black hair brushed lightly against his shoulders, moving with a quiet, effortless grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His purple eyes—calm, distant—like still water under moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unreachable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Freddy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then briefly—just briefly—his gaze flicked past him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not lingering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the members stiffened instinctively under that passing glance, his back tightening, spine straightening without thought—as if something had just brushed across his very bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if nothing unusual was happening—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon spoke, voice even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You guys just came back from outside the city?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question stunned them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freddy’s throat moved slightly, but no sound came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, no one responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lavahound Elder reacted first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old fox truly deserved decades of experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his back had already dampened with cold sweat, his expression steadied quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his posture adjusted subtly—shoulders squared, stance firm, hands steady as he cupped them in greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Respected Leon, we have indeed just returned from outside the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Measured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wonder if Respected Leon has any questions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon nodded faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted toward the distant burning wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames danced along the horizon, reflecting faintly in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the situation outside the city?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you found any traces of the Inferno Swift Bird?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inferno Swift Bird...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name dropped like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, attention across the city wall shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversations halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heads turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those pretending indifference could no longer remain still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman nearby instinctively pulled her cloak tighter around her body, as if the very name carried heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present reacted at the same moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man standing before them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swordsman who slew the Purgatory Giant Ape in one strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Celestis Academy’s Amethyst Summit Division... Leon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another blurted out, unable to hide the disbelief,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s actually him. When did he come?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shock spread like ripples through water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many had been speaking loudly near him just moments ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet none had sensed his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That only made the awe sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn... this god was standing beside me just now and I didn’t notice at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burly cultivator wiped sweat from his brow, his thick arms still tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart hammered violently in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he hadn’t said anything stupid earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even want to imagine it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leon’s reputation had long outgrown rumor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in Ashford City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, he had arrived alone—and before countless witnesses, crushed three elders of Sky Breaker Academy with a single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That legend had never faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In tea houses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In training grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In taverns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stories still spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some exaggerated him into a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some called him a sword immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others whispered of a young sovereign destined to shake the Forsaken Domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he stood here in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More terrifying than rumor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this felt real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some sharp-eyed cultivators noticed something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aura now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t explosive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t violent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was... heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like an ocean with no visible bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, he had already entered the Sage Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that uncertainty—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that lack of understanding—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was what made it frightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Lavahound Elder, who had maintained composure until now, felt his breathing tighten slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers pressed just a bit harder together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing such an existence...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anyone remain truly calm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry, meanwhile, nearly burst from happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looked right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saw every stunned expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his inner voice screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hehe, did you see that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you afraid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is too awesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He struggled not to laugh aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest swelled so much he looked half a head taller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harry Taylor had dreamed of showing off many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But never on a stage like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This... this was legendary-level pretentiousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest decision of his life truly had been following Leon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts ran so wild he felt he had already reached the peak of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone handed him a throne right then, he might have accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Leon remained focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the commotion mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lavahound Elder’s lowered his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the Inferno Swift Bird...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even speaking the name seemed heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We did not find it directly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1051,"2026-06-03T10:40:08.788Z","2026-06-03T10:40:17.095Z",1,"novelbin.me","802b36a92066b5d62c80613afb3b6bd4ae6e4d149053d9140a99a4e06fb13a21","grand-return-system-chapter-179","grand-return-system-chapter-177",234,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgrand-return-system-cover.jpg"]