A Thousandfold Return

At this moment.

[Ding... You have given Maya a Starheart Sapling, triggering a critical hit.]

"Hmm? It can really be triggered..."

Leon froze for a brief moment.

Then his eyes lit up.

The smile that had been forming because of Maya’s reaction instantly widened.

"So it works after all."

For a long time, he had been curious about this possibility.

Maya was not his student. She was his fellow division leader within Celestis Academy. Yet she had once been a student of the academy, and according to the rules of the Grand Return System, there seemed to be room for interpretation.

Apparently, the system agreed.

Leon couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

"Interesting. Very interesting."

A moment ago he had given the Starheart Sapling because he genuinely wanted Maya to have it.

Of course...

A tiny part of him had also wanted to test whether the system would respond.

Now he had his answer.

Meanwhile, Maya was still standing before him, her heart racing from the atmosphere that had formed between them.

Leon, however, had become distracted by a completely different matter.

According to the system’s previous description, any student under Celestis Academy could potentially trigger a Critical Hit Return.

Maya technically fulfilled that condition.

"Looks like the system isn’t as rigid as I thought."

Leon laughed inwardly.

"If this continues, I might never lose a deal again."

The more Leon thought about it, the more absurd the Grand Return System seemed.

He could help the people he cared about, give precious gifts to beautiful women, improve their strength, earn their goodwill, and somehow receive even greater rewards in return.

What kind of heavenly blessing was this?

No wonder cultivators spent their lives chasing destiny.

His destiny practically encouraged him to flirt.

Leon rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting... Very interesting."

Help the beauty.

Gain favor.

Receive treasure.

Everybody wins.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this system truly understood him.

For a brief moment, Leon almost wanted to thank whoever created the system.

This sudden surprise completely shattered his concentration.

Without realizing it, he stepped away while focusing entirely on the system interface.

At the same time...

Maya had already closed her eyes.

Her long blue hair swayed gently within the cave.

The cool breeze carried the faint scent of flowers from her robes.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

A few more seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

Slowly, she opened one eye.

Then the other.

Her expression immediately stiffened.

Leon was no longer in front of her.

He had somehow wandered several steps away while staring into empty space.

Maya blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then her face darkened.

"Leon..."

Her voice sounded dangerous.

The atmosphere had reached that point.

And this man had simply walked away?

Was he serious?

"Damn it."

Maya clenched her fists.

A moment ago she had been nervous.

Now she wanted to hit him.

"I’m so angry!"

She glared at his back.

"Can you be any more hopeless?"

For a brief second she truly considered kicking him.

Hard.

Unfortunately, Leon had already closed his eyes again while checking the system.

Seeing this, Maya huffed and marched toward a nearby stone before sitting down.

Her cheeks remained slightly red.

Her mood was terrible.

And for some reason...

That made her even more adorable.

At that moment, Leon focused on the system.

[Do you want to activate Critical Hit Return?]

"Activate."

[Ding... Congratulations. You have triggered a thousand-fold critical strike.]

[Obtained: Eternal Celestial Peach Tree Sapling.]

"F*ck... Eternal Celestial Peach?"

Leon almost jumped.

Even with his current composure, he nearly lost control.

The Starheart Sapling was already an extraordinary treasure.

Yet the reward he received was on an entirely different level.

A true immortal-grade treasure.

Its value was impossible to calculate.

A single fruit could transform destinies.

Increase lifespan.

Strengthen cultivation.

Purify the body.

Refine the soul.

The benefits were simply absurd.

Leon stared at the reward screen for several seconds.

"That’s insane."

Even he couldn’t help feeling shocked.

Of course...

Nothing in this world came without a price.

The quality of the treasure had increased dramatically.

Naturally, its growth period would be far longer.

Compared to the Starheart Sapling, the Eternal Celestial Peach Tree would require an incredible amount of time and resources.

Still...

The reward was worth it.

"Well... I can’t complain."

Leon smiled.

He had given Maya a gift she genuinely loved.

Received a thousand-fold return.

And...

He had also received a kiss. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Thinking about that last part made him grin.

"This wave was profitable."

Then suddenly—

His smile froze.

Wait.

Something felt wrong.

Leon slowly turned around.

The atmosphere from earlier returned to his mind.

Maya’s flushed face.

Her trembling eyelashes.

The way she had closed her eyes.

And the kiss he had been about to steal.

Then the system had suddenly interrupted everything.

Leon’s mouth twitched.

"What terrible timing."

He glanced at Maya sitting in the distance and sighed dramatically.

"A once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere ruined just like that."

The more he thought about it, the more regretful he became.

When he looked over, Maya was already sitting on a large stone while carefully examining the Starheart Sapling.

Her expression was calm.

Too calm.

Leon immediately felt regret.

"Aah... what a waste."

That perfect atmosphere had completely disappeared.

Trying again now would feel forced.

He sighed helplessly.

Some opportunities only came once.

"Senior Sister?"

Leon walked over carefully.

Maya lifted her head.

Her expression was composed.

"What’s wrong?"

Nothing in her voice revealed what had happened earlier.

It was as if she had already forgotten.

Leon stared at her for a few seconds.

Then he suddenly smiled.

"Sorry."

Maya narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry?"

"Yes."

"For what?"

Leon knew exactly why she was upset.

He sat beside her.

Then before she could react, he gently took her hand.

Maya’s eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

Maya tried to pull her hand back, but Leon gently held it.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I know I made a mistake, my beautiful Senior Sister."