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"Ranking Battle?" At that moment, the disciples lined up in the audience room were all stunned.
Among them were Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei.
Zhao Hufeng, sensing something amiss, quickly spoke up.
"Master, you're not thinking of…" Hearing Zhao Hufeng's words, Fan Xinglou chuckled and gave his answer.
"That's right. It's Fang Li's Ranking Battle." With that, Fan Xinglou issued a command with an imposing air.
"Fang Li."
"Xiaofei."
"The two of you will have a Ranking Battle today!"
Her words, leaving no room for argument, caused the disciples to widen their eyes in surprise.
"As I thought…" Zhao Hufeng covered his face. "This is going to be interesting."
Cecily, who had been listless, suddenly perked up.
"First Senior Brother?" Li Shenyun frowned.
"A Ranking Battle with him?" Li Shenhua mirrored his reaction perfectly.
In the midst of this, Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei exchanged glances.
One's eyes were filled with surprise. The other's eyes flickered with emotion.
Finally, Zhao Hufeng couldn't take it anymore.
"Master, please hear me out."
Zhao Hufeng clasped his fists and spoke earnestly.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but holding a Ranking Battle between First Senior Brother and Little Junior Brother at this time will only bring harm to our academy. I believe this decision is too rash."
And he wasn't wrong.
The upcoming Gryps Festa was just around the corner.
At this stage, the intelligence-gathering war among the academies had already begun. Even Fang Li and Sylvie's presence at another academy during the School Festival had been suspected of espionage, highlighting the importance of secrecy.
In this context, holding a public Ranking Battle between Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei would be nothing but detrimental.
Regardless of Fang Li, if Wu Xiaofei were to fight at full strength, not only would his rank be exposed, but his fighting style would also be scrutinized. If other academies were to devise countermeasures based on this, it would spell trouble.
Thus, Zhao Hufeng's advice was spot on.
However, his well-reasoned argument was met with Fan Xinglou's nonchalant response.
"That sounds rather interesting. I'm curious to see how the other academies would try to counter Xiaofei."
It was a response driven purely by whimsy, devoid of any rationality.
"Master!" Zhao Hufeng's voice rose as he exclaimed, "Please don't be so unreasonable!"
"Oh? Hufeng," Fan Xinglou replied dismissively, "could it be that you're not interested in seeing Fang Li and Xiaofei face off?"
"Well…" Zhao Hufeng fell silent.
"See? You're interested too," Fan Xinglou said with a cheerful laugh. "So stop overthinking it and just indulge this old man's wish for now!"
Cecily chimed in, siding with Fan Xinglou.
"What's the harm?" she said, patting Zhao Hufeng on the shoulder. "You're curious about the match too, so why not just set aside all those tedious concerns?"
"I… I am interested, but that's not the point!" Zhao Hufeng protested. "What if this affects our performance in the upcoming matches?"
At this, Li Shenyun and Li Shenhua surprisingly agreed with Zhao Hufeng.
"I think so too. We shouldn't let this interfere with the competition."
"What if it costs us the victory?"
As usual, the siblings were selfish, concerned only with the outcome.
This only served to irritate Zhao Hufeng further.
But then, someone else spoke up.
It was Wu Xiaofei.
"I also wish to have a rematch with Junior Brother Fang."
For the first time, Wu Xiaofei's usually monotonous voice carried a hint of emotion.
This surprised everyone.
Fan Xinglou, on the other hand, leaned forward, her excitement growing.
"So you're feeling the itch too, Xiaofei?"
Fan Xinglou was genuinely pleased.
In the past, Wu Xiaofei had always acted solely to fulfill Fan Xinglou's wishes, with no trace of personal will in his actions.
But now, Wu Xiaofei had expressed his own desire.
"Junior Brother has done me a great favor," Wu Xiaofei said simply.
"I wish to repay him by showing how much I've grown."
He was referring to the time when Fang Li had corrected his mistakes during a battle, helping him overcome his obstacles and achieve his current progress.
For the first time, Wu Xiaofei was acting on his own will.
But it wasn't just about gratitude.
"I also want to see how far Junior Brother has come."
This, too, was Wu Xiaofei's own wish.
Feeling the weight of Wu Xiaofei's resolve, Zhao Hufeng finally fell silent.
Like Wu Xiaofei, Zhao Hufeng also wanted to know just how strong Fang Li had become.
"To be honest," Cecily added, "I'm curious too."
The pure martial artists among them had all reached a compromise.
Even the Li siblings glanced at Fang Li but ultimately said nothing.
"Good, that's the spirit."
Fan Xinglou nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Fang Li.
Under Fan Xinglou's gaze, Fang Li pondered for a moment before sighing and smiling.
"I, too, would like to see how much First Senior Brother has improved since then."
With those words, the Ranking Battle was set.
"Excellent!"
Fan Xinglou laughed heartily.
"Then I'll make the arrangements!"
With that, Fan Xinglou opened a space window with a flourish.
Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei exchanged one last glance.
Their eyes were calm, yet filled with determination.
---
Generally, official Ranking Battles were held in one of two locations.
The first was a public stage within the city.
The second was the academy's private arena.
The former was typically chosen for high-profile matches, serving as both a spectacle and a means to generate revenue and popularity while boosting the students' reputations.
The latter was usually reserved for less prominent students, with no live broadcasts, making it inaccessible to anyone outside the academy.
Logically, for renowned figures like Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei, the public stage would have been the obvious choice.
However, some academies took advantage of the private arena's secrecy to conceal the abilities of their hidden aces, using it as a means to protect sensitive information.
Thus, Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei's Ranking Battle was scheduled to take place in the academy's arena.
In the Chinese-style arena, reminiscent of a martial arts tournament, students began to pour in.
At the top of the spectator stands, Fan Xinglou and the disciples gathered, their eyes fixed on the stage.
Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei stood at the center of the arena, facing each other.
Their gazes met, calm and unwavering.
---
(End Of This Chapter)