Chapter 257: Chapter 256: A Gift Beyond Treasure

A Gift Beyond Treasure

"Junior Brother, congratulations on obtaining another treasure."

Maya walked forward with a gentle smile.

The faint blue light of the cave reflected in her eyes as she looked toward the Starheart Sapling that Leon had just secured.

Even after witnessing countless treasures throughout her years of cultivation, she still couldn’t hide the admiration in her gaze.

After all, this wasn’t an ordinary spiritual treasure.

It was a Starheart Sapling.

A heavenly treasure born from the blessings of heaven and earth itself.

Few cultivators in the entire Forsaken Domain would ever have the fortune to encounter such a thing.

"You really have terrifying luck," Maya said with a soft laugh.

"Everywhere you go, treasures seem to throw themselves into your hands."

Leon smiled.

"I nearly got poisoned for it."

"You call that nearly?"

Maya rolled her eyes.

"You chased away a beast that I wouldn’t dare challenge alone."

Her gaze returned to the sapling.

For a brief moment, admiration appeared in her eyes.

Not greed.

Not desire.

Simply appreciation.

Any cultivator would understand the value of such a treasure.

Yet she quickly withdrew her gaze.

Some things weren’t hers.

The Starheart Sapling belonged to Leon.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Spider’s strength had exceeded her own.

Without Leon, she wouldn’t even have been able to approach the treasure safely.

How could she claim any part of it?

Leon quietly observed her.

His purple eyes narrowed slightly.

He noticed the tiny change in her expression.

The brief hesitation.

The admiration.

The reluctance.

The way she forced herself to look away despite clearly liking the treasure.

Leon fell silent.

His thoughts drifted.

The Starheart Sapling was undoubtedly precious.

However...

Its usefulness to him wasn’t as great as it would be for Maya.

His current cultivation had already reached a level where ordinary treasures no longer produced dramatic improvements.

For Maya, however...

This treasure could become a foundation for future growth.

Suddenly—

An idea appeared in his mind.

A smile slowly formed on his face.

Maya immediately became suspicious.

That smile again.

Whenever Leon smiled like that, he was either planning something outrageous or preparing to shock someone.

"What are you thinking?" she asked cautiously.

Leon chuckled.

"Nothing."

"You’re lying."

"I would never."

"You absolutely would."

Their eyes met briefly.

The atmosphere lightened.

Then Leon suddenly stepped forward and held the protected Starheart Sapling toward her.

His expression became unexpectedly sincere.

"Senior Sister, this tree is for you..."

The words landed like thunder.

Maya froze.

Her breathing stopped.

"What?"

Her beautiful blue eyes widened.

For a moment, she genuinely thought she had misheard him.

The entire cave became silent.

Even the distant dripping water seemed to disappear.

"This..."

Maya stared at Leon.

Then at the sapling.

Then back at Leon again.

Her mind blanked completely.

This was a Starheart Sapling.

A heavenly treasure.

A treasure that countless powerful cultivators would fight to the death for.

Yet Leon was simply...

Giving it away?

To her?

Why?

Maya couldn’t understand.

A complicated warmth spread through her heart.

She knew Leon valued treasures.

Anyone who knew him understood that.

Yet at this moment, he was offering such a precious gift without hesitation.

A strange thought surfaced.

Could it be...

No.

She immediately tried to suppress the thought.

But her heart refused to listen.

Only his students had ever received this kind of treatment before.

Selena.

Rias.

Whenever Leon obtained something beneficial to them, he would give it away almost casually.

As though treasures meant less to him than the people he cared about.

Everyone within Celestis Academy knew this.

Many envied it.

Many admired it.

And now...

For the first time—

Maya felt as though she was standing in that same position.

The realization made her emotions become even more complicated.

However, that only made her more reluctant to accept.

How could she?

She wasn’t Leon’s student.

She wasn’t from Amethyst Summit Division.

They were merely fellow division leaders within the same academy.

Nothing more.

At least...

That was what she kept telling herself.

Maya slowly shook her head.

"Junior Brother, I appreciate your kindness. However, this fruit tree is incomparably precious. I have done you no great favor, so how can I accept this gift?"

Her voice remained gentle.

But there was determination within it.

She couldn’t accept.

Not because she didn’t want it.

Precisely because she did.

That was why she couldn’t.

Leon looked at her quietly.

Maya continued.

"This treasure belongs to you."

"You fought for it."

"You earned it."

"If I accept it, what would that make me?"

Leon listened silently.

The cave became quiet again.

Then—

His expression suddenly changed.

The smile disappeared.

A disappointed look appeared on his face.

"Senior Sister, we’ve been fellow disciples for so many years. Aren’t you treating me like an outsider by saying this? Could it be that in your heart, I’m just an ordinary junior brother?"

Maya panicked immediately.

"No... that’s not what I meant."

Her response came almost instantly.

She had never thought that.

Never.

Not even once.

But hearing Leon say those words made her heart tighten.

She suddenly realized how distant her reasoning must have sounded.

Leon remained silent.

His expression did not improve.

Maya became even more flustered.

"You misunderstood."

"I really didn’t mean it that way."

"I just..."

She stopped.

For once, the usually composed division leader didn’t know what to say.

Leon finally spoke.

"Since that’s not the case, why did you reject me?"

His voice softened.

Yet his eyes never left hers.

The direct question struck her heart.

Maya lowered her gaze.

She couldn’t answer immediately.

Because the answer was simple.

The gift mattered.

But the person giving it mattered even more.

That was what frightened her.

The warmth in her chest continued growing.

She had spent years walking a lonely cultivation path.

Receiving kindness was one thing.

Receiving such trust was another entirely.

For a long moment, neither spoke.

Eventually, Maya gathered her thoughts.

"I’m not. It’s just that this gift is too precious. If you want to give me a gift, you can choose something else that’s not so precious."

Her voice had become much softer.

Almost pleading.

She was trying to find a compromise.

Trying to protect both his interests and her own conscience.

Leon looked at her for several seconds.

Then he smiled again.

Not the teasing smile.

Not the mischievous smile.

A warm one.

The kind that reached his eyes.

"But I think... only such a gift is worthy of my naturally beautiful senior sister."

The words entered Maya’s ears.

Then her heart.

Then everything else disappeared.

For a brief moment, the vast Martial Emperor Tomb seemed to vanish around her.

The dangerous cave.

The treasures.

The battles.

All of it faded into the background.

Only Leon’s voice remained.

And the gentle smile on his face.

The gentleness in his words made Maya fall.