Grand Return System

Chapter 251: A Fragrance Beneath the Moonlight

A Fragrance Beneath the Moonlight

Then suddenly— A playful thought appeared in Leon’s mind.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

His finger moved. A tiny pebble rolled across the ground.

The Spiritual Mana Powered Cave was silent.

After months of cultivation within the time-accelerated formation, the cave had become eerily peaceful. The once-abundant Mana Lake had almost dried up, leaving only scattered pools of crystal-clear water reflecting the faint silver glow filtering through cracks in the stone ceiling.

Leon watched Maya from behind the massive boulder.

Her long blue hair flowed softly behind her as she moved through the cave.

She was still searching.

Still worried.

Still following the traces of his mana all the way from the coastline.

The realization made something warm stir inside Leon’s chest.

She had truly come looking for him.

At the same moment—

From somewhere behind Maya—

A strange sound echoed through the cave.

"Booh..."

A scream came from behind, and under the moonlight, her entire body trembled. Even a man would not be able to withstand this sudden shock, let alone her.

Maya spun around instantly.

Water mana exploded around her.

Several floating rings of water appeared around her body, ready to transform into deadly attacks at any moment.

Her beautiful face had gone pale.

Her breathing was uneven.

For a brief second, she genuinely thought some terrifying creature hidden inside the Martial Emperor Tomb had appeared behind her.

Then she saw the culprit.

Leon.

Standing there.

Laughing.

Maya turned around with a pale face and realized that the person who screamed was Leon. She immediately stomped her feet in anger.

"Are you crazy?" Maya was still in shock. Her face was pale. The sudden shock just now had made her legs go limp.

"Haha..." Leon let out a deranged laugh.

He had only wanted to tease her.

Seeing the usually cold and composed Maya frightened into such a state was something he had never expected.

Her blue eyes were slightly watery.

A trace of moisture lingered at the corners.

Combined with her flushed cheeks and angry expression, she looked surprisingly adorable.

The sight almost made him laugh even harder.

"You..."

Maya pointed at him with a trembling finger.

"You shameless bastard!"

"I spent days searching for you."

"I crossed half the tomb."

"I thought you might have died."

"And this is how you greet me?"

Leon immediately raised both hands.

"Senior Sister, calm down."

"Calm down?"

Maya almost laughed from anger.

"You frightened me half to death."

"That’s impossible."

Leon looked serious.

"With Senior Sister’s cultivation, how could a simple scare do anything?"

"Then why don’t I try it on you?"

"Because I’m handsome."

"..."

For a moment, Maya was speechless.

Then she became even angrier.

"Damn you, how dare you laugh... I’m so angry." Maya gritted her teeth in anger. She was so worried about Leon’s safety that she chased him all the way here. Now that she had found him, not only was she not happy at all, she was also very angry.

As she spoke, she reached out to hit Leon to vent her anger. However, that little fist was soft and weak. It didn’t look like she was taking revenge. Instead, it felt like she was flirting with him.

Leon didn’t dodge.

Didn’t block.

Didn’t move.

He simply stood there with a smile and allowed her to hit him.

Her punches landed against his chest.

Soft.

Light.

Almost ticklish.

After all, how much strength could she truly use against him?

After a while, Maya finally recovered from her shock, but she was still very angry.

Leon looked at her in amusement and said, "Senior Sister, why are you here?"

"Hmph, you still dare to say that? You tracked the Inferno Swift Bird here without saying a word or sending a message back." Maya said angrily.

Leon smiled helplessly.

"I was in a hurry."

"You were reckless."

"I was confident."

"You were reckless."

"I had a plan."

"You were reckless."

Leon laughed.

There was no winning this argument.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed.

The tension that had accompanied Maya for days slowly disappeared.

Seeing him standing safely before her made all the worries in her heart fade away.

Leon was amused when he heard this. He suddenly lowered his voice and blew into Maya’s ear.

"Senior Sister, are you worried about me?"

The warm breath brushed lightly against her ear.

Maya froze.

A strange numb sensation traveled through her body.

"Go to hell. Who would worry about you? I just happened to pass by here." Maya denied it as if her thoughts had been seen through. Her face turned red. She felt the wind from Leon beside her ear. It was itchy and had a special feeling.

Leon smiled and pretended to be disappointed.

"Oh... I thought Senior Sister was worried about my safety, so you came all the way here to find me. Sigh... Looks like I was thinking too much."

His expression became surprisingly lonely.

Maya’s heart immediately tightened.

"No..."

The word almost escaped instinctively.

She knew why she came.

She knew exactly why.

Every step.

Every search.

Every anxious thought.

All because of him.

Maya’s heart trembled when she saw Leon’s disappointed expression. She thought that her words had hurt Leon and panicked. She asked herself honestly. She was indeed worried about Leon, so she came.

Maya couldn’t bear it and was about to explain when she suddenly realized the slyness in his eyes. She immediately understood that this guy was tricking her again.

"Damn it!" Maya stomped her feet in anger. She thought that it was a display of his true feelings, but she didn’t expect it to be another trap. In the end, she gave her feelings to the wrong person.

Leon laughed openly.

That only made her more embarrassed.

Enraged, Maya punched Leon’s chest a few more times.

Unfortunately—

The ground beneath her feet was unstable.

The nearly dried Mana Lake was filled with slippery stones.

Suddenly, the stone under her feet slipped and fell into the spiritual spring.

Maya immediately lost her balance and fell down.

Everything happened in an instant.

Her body tilted backward.

Blue hair fluttered.

A surprised cry escaped her lips.

At the critical moment, Leon decisively reached out and pulled her back. He pulled her into his arms and took advantage of her. This was a chance given by the heavens. It would be a waste not to take it.

His hand wrapped around her slender waist.

Soft.

Warm.

Far softer than he expected.

The delicate curve fit naturally against his arm.

A faint fragrance drifted toward him.

Fresh.

Elegant.

Like lotus flowers blooming after rain.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stop.

Leon took a deep breath as he smelled the faint fragrance from the soft body in his arms.

He looked down.

"Hiss..."

It was a different scene that made it difficult for one to extricate themselves.

At this moment, Maya’s heart was thumping wildly, and she was extremely nervous. She felt completely safe in Leon’s arms. She was ashamed of her shyness and had no choice but to push him away. Her face was red and she was very moving.

"Damn it, he took advantage of me again." Maya cursed softly.

Leon looked innocent.

"I saved you."

"You enjoyed it."

"I was helping."

"You enjoyed it."

"I acted out of pure kindness."

"Liar."

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither spoke.

The cave became strangely quiet.

Only the sound of distant dripping water echoed through the darkness.

Maya quickly looked away.

Her heartbeat refused to calm down.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Her heart was racing just now. She even felt a little expectant and reluctant.

Maya, oh Maya, to think that you don’t even have this state of mind after cultivating for so many years.

She despised herself more than once, but when she met Leon’s eyes, her heart couldn’t help but beat faster.

Leon simply smiled.

The teasing look in his purple eyes made her want to hit him again.

Yet strangely—

She didn’t hate it.

After a long time, she finally recovered. She pretended to be calm and returned to her normal state.

"Phew..." She heaved a long sigh of relief to ease the awkward atmosphere.