Chapter 452: Blood Debt

Blood Debt

When Mike heard this, he was very unwilling.

His hand tightened around the sword.

The flames burning across the Sky Breaker Academy reflected in his grey eyes, but the fire inside him was far hotter.

When he thought of Shera's death, his heart ached.

That pain had never truly faded.

It had only been buried beneath years of cultivation and restraint.

Now, standing amid the ruins and bloodshed, that buried grief finally broke through.

"No… I can't let this matter rest. I want the Sky Breaker Academy to pay with their blood."

His voice was low at first.

Then it became firm.

There was no room for negotiation.

Even when facing Gareth, Mike did not give him any face.

Just like back then.

Just like the time he had stood alone before the mountain gate and dared the entire Sky Breaker Academy to come out.

He had never been someone who feared powerful opponents.

If anything, the stronger the opponent, the clearer his heart became.

Mike slowly raised his sword.

His eyes locked onto Gareth.

"Gareth, stop talking nonsense. Today, I will completely destroy your Sky Breaker Academy."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mike instantly slashed over with his sword.

Boom!

The sword light exploded across the battlefield.

The air was split apart.

The surrounding flames were violently pushed away by the force of the strike, forming a huge empty corridor through the burning mountain.

Gareth's expression changed.

He had not expected Mike to attack without even giving him a chance to speak.

He immediately raised his sword.

Clang!

The two swords collided.

The sound shook the entire Sky Breaker Academy.

A terrifying shockwave swept outward.

Mountains cracked.

Trees were uprooted.

Even the disciples fighting in the distance staggered backward under the pressure.

The two pinnacle Realm experts fought the moment they met.

There was no probing.

No polite exchange.

Only killing intent.

Gareth's eyes narrowed as he blocked another sword.

The force behind Mike's blade was astonishing.

He had originally believed that Mike's strength, even if extraordinary, should not have reached his level.

But after exchanging several blows, Gareth's expression became increasingly solemn.

He finally understood.

In merely a hundred years, Mike had actually reached the pinnacle Realm.

How was this possible?

His heart trembled.

He had watched Mike grow over the years.

He knew exactly how terrifying his talent was.

But reaching the pinnacle Realm in such a short period was still beyond what Gareth had imagined.

As another sword strike descended, Gareth twisted his body and narrowly avoided the blade.

The sword aura passed beside him.

A distant mountain was instantly cleaved apart.

Boom!

Stone fragments rained from the sky.

Gareth's expression became ugly.

Then he glanced toward the battlefield behind Mike.

His heart suddenly sank.

His disciples.

His grand-students.

They were lying everywhere.

Some were motionless.

Others were barely breathing.

Blood had soaked the earth beneath them.

The ancient academy that had stood for countless years had been reduced to a battlefield.

Gareth's aged hands trembled slightly.

Grief flashed through his eyes.

Then his grief turned into anger.

He suddenly stepped forward and forced Mike backward with a powerful sword strike.

Clang!

Mike slid several steps across the ground.

His boots carved deep lines through the scorched earth.

Gareth seized the brief opening.

He stared at Mike and shouted,

"Mike, my Sky Breaker Academy and your Celestis Academy have always minded our own business. The grudge from back then has long been resolved. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the heavens for what you did today?"

His voice carried across the battlefield.

For a moment, even the fighting around them seemed to quiet.

Gareth's gaze was sharp.

He genuinely could not understand what had happened.

The old conflict between them had already been settled.

He had personally apologized back then.

He had even treated Mike's injured junior brother.

That matter should have ended long ago.

So why had Mike suddenly come with such overwhelming killing intent?

Mike slowly lifted his head.

The sword in his hand trembled faintly.

Not from fear.

From anger.

"Punished by the heavens? You asked for it."

His voice was cold.

There was no warmth left in it.

He stepped forward.

The ground beneath his feet cracked.

"Your Sky Breaker Academy dares to bully my Celestis Academy and kill my junior brother…"

The moment he said those words, something inside him twisted.

His chest tightened.

The memory of Shera's death flashed through his mind.

That final moment.

That blood.

That helplessness.

Mike's eyes became colder.

His fingers tightened around his sword until his knuckles turned pale.

He had endured enough.

He had spent years telling himself that hatred could not control his Principle heart.

But there were some debts that could never be washed away with time.

He suddenly raised his voice.

"Today, I'll make your Sky Breaker Academy pay with blood."

The words were like thunder.

"What!"

Gareth's face immediately turned pale.

His pupils contracted.

His mind raced.

The people of the Sky Breaker Academy had actually killed Mike's junior brother?

Which one?

How could such a thing have happened?

He couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Which fool had caused such a huge disaster?

Did they really think the Celestis Academy was something an ordinary household could provoke?

Back then, an elder of the Sky Breaker Academy had accidentally injured Mike's junior brother.

That single incident had almost brought disaster upon the entire academy.

Mike had personally blocked the mountain gate.

He had stood there alone.

Nobody had dared to pass.

The matter had grown so serious that it had almost attracted Zeon himself.

If Gareth had not personally stepped forward at that time, apologized to Mike, and treated his junior brother's injuries, the Sky Breaker Academy might have been destroyed even then.

That memory was still fresh in Gareth's mind.

And now—

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Grand Return System* into existence. If you're loving the chapters, I'd love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don't hesitate to share!

With love,

Scoturn777

Creator of Grand Return System

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