"Is that the second-ranked 'Hagun Seikun'?"
"This is my first time seeing 'Hagun Seikun' in person."
"I heard 'Hagun Seikun' has been training at the Yellow Dragon Temple and rarely appears in public."
"To think 'Hagun Seikun' would show up in this Ranking Battle, and against one of the champions of the Phoenix Festa no less."
"Aren't they both disciples of 'Banyuu Tenra'?"
"This is going to be exciting…"
In the spectator stands of the arena, waves of murmurs began to rise, filling the air with a cacophony of voices that soon turned into cheers.
At the highest point of the stands, Fan Xinglou watched the two disciples facing off on the stage with a pleased smile on her face, her expression brimming with delight.
Beside her, Cecily, Zhao Hufeng, Li Shenyun, Li Shenhua, and the other disciples gathered, their faces tense as they observed the two figures below.
After a moment of stillness, one of the two finally moved.
"Hū————!"
With a sharp whistle of wind, Wu Xiaofei spun his hand, and the long staff in his grip whirled like a cyclone.
Seeing this, Fang Li raised an eyebrow in mild surprise as he hadn't expected Wu Xiaofei to choose a weapon.
It was somewhat unexpected.
But upon reflection, it wasn't entirely strange.
"I will go all out from the very beginning." Wu Xiaofei spoke in his usual monotone. "You can use Bo Xie if you wish."
Bo Xie, the Ogre Lux prepared by Fan Xinglou for his future disciples, was no secret to Wu Xiaofei, Fan Xinglou's first disciple.
Moreover, Bo Xie's existence was no longer a secret to anyone.
However, Fang Li had no intention of using it now.
"I want to see First Senior Brother's progress." Fang Li gazed at Wu Xiaofei and spoke calmly. "For now, I won't use Bo Xie. Like you, I'll fight with a regular weapon."
As he spoke, Fang Li's palm moved, gripping Moonlight Dagger, which spun deftly in his hand, its cold edge glinting.
"Clang————!"
At that moment, the school emblems worn by Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei emitted a glow. It was the signal that the duel was about to begin.
But before it could start, Fang Li suddenly asked a question.
"First Senior Brother, what is your purpose in training?"
The question caused Zhao Hufeng and Cecily's expressions to shift slightly, regardless of how Wu Xiaofei or the audience reacted.
Because this was the same question Fang Li had asked before their previous battle, the one that had corrected Wu Xiaofei's mistakes.
And just like back then, Wu Xiaofei gave the same answer.
"I want to become stronger." Wu Xiaofei's response didn't faze Fang Li.
Fang Li's expression remained unchanged as he continued.
"And what is your purpose in becoming stronger?"
The question was identical to the one he had asked before.
And Wu Xiaofei's answer remained the same.
"To fulfill Master's expectations."
He answered without hesitation.
And without any doubt.
But this time, he added something new.
"And to fulfill my own."
This was Wu Xiaofei's current state of mind.
He is no longer a puppet, no longer passively responding to others' expectations, but driven by his own will, striving to catch up to the mentor who was like a mother to him.
This resolve seemed to become Wu Xiaofei's strength, causing his aura to surge dramatically.
Feeling this overwhelming aura, Fang Li was genuinely surprised. This aura had already surpassed that of Amagiri Ayato.
Wu Xiaofei's growth over the past year, after his profound realization, has been remarkable.
At that moment, the school emblems on Fang Li and Wu Xiaofei's chests emitted a mechanical voice.
"BEGINS."
As the mechanical voice echoed throughout the arena, the cheers of the audience erupted.
Against this backdrop of cheers, dazzling prana erupted from Wu Xiaofei's body.
The prana, resembling a flickering aura of dominance, caused the air to distort.
Then, Wu Xiaofei moved.
"Boom————!"
The ground cracked as Wu Xiaofei's figure shot forward like an arrow, piercing through the air.
"Shī————!"
The shadow of his staff tore through the air with a sharp sound, released from Wu Xiaofei's hand like a bolt of lightning.
"Clang————!"
A clear collision rang out as Fang Li's dagger blocked the incoming staff, sending a shockwave rippling outward from the point of impact.
Fang Li casually raised Moonlight Dagger to deflect the tip of Wu Xiaofei's staff, then lifted his head to meet Wu Xiaofei's gaze.
"Shuā Shuā Shuā————!"
In the instant their eyes met, Wu Xiaofei's staff transformed into a flurry of shadows, each strike accompanied by a fierce gust of wind that tore through the air, aiming for Fang Li with sharp, whistling sounds.
"Dīng Dīng Dīng————!"
In an incredibly short span of time, Wu Xiaofei unleashed over a dozen rapid thrusts, each one striking the flat of Moonlight Dagger's edge, creating a series of crisp, rhythmic sounds.
Fang Li could feel that with each strike, the force transmitted through Moonlight Dagger grew stronger as if the energy was accumulating, ready to unleash a combined assault.
This extraordinary technique caused Fang Li's eyes to flash, and without hesitation, he abandoned the idea of blocking these attacks head-on.
"Shuā————!"
Another staff shadow sliced through the air, aiming for Fang Li's weapon.
But in that instant, Fang Li tapped the ground lightly, his figure retreating like a shadow, causing the incoming strike to miss and stir up a gust of wind.
However, even after missing, Wu Xiaofei showed no panic, nor did he press forward aggressively. Instead, he brought his index and middle fingers together as if forming a seal.
Seeing this, Fang Li instantly understood and, without hesitation, tossed Moonlight Dagger aside.
Almost simultaneously, Wu Xiaofei's low chant echoed.
"Choku!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the discarded Moonlight Dagger began to glow before...
"Boom————!"
In the next second, the Moonlight Dagger exploded, unleashing a fierce burst of flames that sent shockwaves and fire surging outward, engulfing an area dozens of meters in diameter.
The scene left Cecily in the spectator stands stunned.
"He used his attack as the trigger for a magical technique?!"
Yes.
Just now, Wu Xiaofei had used his own attack as the condition to activate a Seisenjutsu.
That was why Moonlight Dagger had exploded.
(End Of The Chapter)
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