Chapter 110: Scheming Minds, Ranking Through Martial Arts
Chapter 110: Scheming Minds, Ranking Through Martial Arts
The seven of them walked side by side.
Yu Zhong Ge laughed and suggested, "How about this? I have an idea, what do you all think?"
In unison, they asked, "What idea?"
Yu Zhong Ge continued, "Over these five years, we can spar freely. The one with the most wins will be our Big Brother! Then, based on our strengths, we'll rank ourselves accordingly. If the Big Brother loses in the next sparring session, they'll naturally be demoted, and the new winner will take their place! We'll continue this until our fifth year, and by then, the rankings will mostly be set. What do you think?"
Yu Zhong Ge smiled as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, Mo Gaiyun, Jing Shuang Gao, and Qiu Yun Shang all lit up with excitement and agreed, "Great idea!"
Xie Gong Ping immediately gave his approval, "Yes!"
Fang Che's lips curved into a smile as he said, "This is a good idea."
Only Ding Jieren remained silent, the only one yet to express his opinion.
However, with six out of seven already in agreement, Ding Jieren's opinion became irrelevant. They collectively ignored him and decided, "It's settled then!"
Ding Jieren was taken aback, "Huh?"
Fang Che maintained a slight smile.
He observed this group of intriguing young men.
One thing was certain: at this moment, proposing the idea of 'the winner becomes the Big Brother' was undoubtedly driven by personal motives.
The ranking based on martial prowess was clear, from the eldest to the seventh, leaving no room for doubt.
It's worth mentioning that these seven individuals were the most talented among the new students at White Cloud Academy, and they were destined to have the brightest futures.
Perhaps, in the future, some clan disciples might rise after the innate Grand Master, but they might not surpass these seven.
At the very least, Mo Gaiyun, Qiu Yun Shang, Jing Shuang Gao, and Yu Zhong Ge were unmatched.
With equal resources, they had no shortage.
As expected, none of these clan disciples were ordinary.
If any of the four, like Mo Gaiyun, were to become the Big Brother and maintain their position, one could imagine the immense support they would receive in the future by harnessing the power of these geniuses.
Furthermore, it was conceivable that as long as the Big Brother was willing to dedicate themselves and treat everyone fairly, some of these brothers who competed through martial arts would gradually transform into genuine brothers!
Yu Zhong Ge, Mo Gaiyun, and the others would never lack resources, nor would they make decisions that would cause a rift among them. This was a fundamental lesson for members of prominent families.
Therefore, Yu Zhong Ge's true intention behind this proposal was to assemble his future team.
Mo Gaiyun, Qiu Yun Shang, and Jing Shuang Gao shared similar ambitions.
Or perhaps, the moment Yu Zhong Ge made the suggestion, these three already understood his intentions, but it didn't matter. The proposal itself was what they sought.
Because the ultimate winner might not be the one who proposed the idea.
Who would emerge victorious and become the Big Brother was yet to be determined.
What made this proposal intriguing was that it came from Yu Zhong Ge, whose family held the highest rank.
Hence, when he made the suggestion, no one had any other thoughts about it.
However, if Ding Jieren or Xie Gong Ping had proposed such an idea, Yu Zhong Ge and the others might have opposed it. Even if they accepted it, the proposer would soon be removed.
This was because it would imply ambition, a desire to climb the ladder of success, and a willingness to seize opportunities—even if they didn't have such intentions, taking the initiative to propose it would still suggest as much.
Fang Che's heart acknowledged the complexity of their calculations and schemes, befitting of members of prominent families, far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
The only ones who couldn't possibly take the lead in this group were himself, Ding Jieren, and Xie Gong Ping.
Despite their exceptional talents and determination, their families would never allow their direct descendants to become subordinates to those from eighth or ninth-rank families!
As for Xie Gong Ping, while his current thoughts were unknown, one thing was certain: his family was an eighth-rank clan, far inferior to the other four. By merely being a good brother in this group, the Xie family would naturally receive immense support, a pathway to success.
Ding Jieren... Ding Jieren had secrets, and his future involvement was uncertain. He might either be excluded, leave on his own, or undergo some other transformation.
Thus, after this proposal, those with weaker family backgrounds also had their own plans.
What seemed like a friendly ranking competition among young men, beneath their sunny and sincere smiles, concealed calculations, expectations for the future, and personal agendas... It was truly unimaginable.
Fang Che's gaze deepened as he watched their retreating figures.
Nonetheless, this didn't affect his decision to be the Big Brother for a while. The future could wait.
For now, none of them were his match.
...
As the seven headed towards the Grand Arena, there were three others also making their way there.
Wu Zhbing, Jun Hefang, and Hua Xie!
Inspired by the high-altitude battle between Yu Zhong Ge and others a few days ago, these three were now training with a near-reckless fervor.
With the upcoming Divine Martial Academy's tournament, they were all preparing intensely.
"What's your current rank?" Wu Zhibing asked as they walked.
"Where's the boss?" Jun Hefang inquired.
"I'm at Imperial First Rank now, and I just broke through," Wu Zhibing said calmly. "I feel like I have a good chance to make another leap within a few months."
"I'm at King Ninth Rank Peak," Jun Hefang replied. "I came back this time to prepare for my breakthrough."
Hua Xie frowned and said, "I'm also at King Ninth Rank Peak, but I don't feel like I'm about to break through. I came back to think of a solution as well."
"Then you're a bit slow," Wu Zhibing said. "Today, we'll feed you some techniques and fight harder. Pay attention to your insights."
Hua Xie nodded, "Okay!"
Wu Zhibing sighed softly, "There's less than a year left. I originally wanted to become a Martial Lord-level student upon graduation, but it seems the hope isn't very high."
Jun Hefang snorted, "Boss, you're dreaming too big. In all these years, I've never heard of a non-graduated Martial Academy student reaching the Martial Lord rank! Our White Cloud Academy, the highest rank before was Imperial Third Tier. Boss, surpassing this goal should be half a point."
Hua Xie also advised, "Surpassing Imperial Third Tier would already create history for White Cloud Academy."
Wu Zhibing humphed, "The record at the Divine Human Martial Academy is Imperial Eighth Tier!"
Jun Hefang and Hua Xie remained silent.
"Have you forgotten how we lost at the Divine Human Martial Academy last year?"
Wu Zhibing's expression turned stern, "Starting today, not only will I fight with my life, but you two must also fight with all your might. Regardless, quickly improve your Cultivation. This time, we must avenge our past humiliation!"
Jun Hefang and Hua Xie's faces turned solemn, and their eyes suddenly became sharp.
The humiliation they suffered at the Divine Human Martial Academy lingered in their minds at all times. Defeating the Divine Human Martial Academy and avenging their past disgrace had become the top priority for the three of them.
As they spoke, they arrived at the Grand Arena.
"There's actually a battle going on. Are they this year's freshmen?" Wu Zhibing exclaimed.
"It seems so. It's a First-Year," someone replied.
Wu Zhibing's eyes narrowed in concentration as he observed, "This batch of freshmen has a strong foundation. It's only been a few days, and there are already Second and Third Rank Martial Ancestors fighting."
"Not bad, it's similar to us back then," someone commented.
The three of them found a spot to sit down and watch the battle.
After all, they had the task of guiding the freshmen. In the future, when the freshmen start going on missions, there will be senior students accompanying them in secret for protection. This protection is also a task for the seniors, and it will be counted towards their credits.
It's also an opportunity to observe their strength and prepare for recruiting them into their own factions in the future.
The tradition of mentorship continues, all the way until graduation.
Currently in the arena, Jing Shuang Gao and Xie Gong Ping were engaged in a heated battle. Although they hadn't used any weapons, they were already giving it their all.
Xie Gong Ping's Cultivation was similar to Jing Shuang Gao's, but his Martial Techniques were far inferior. Since the Grandmaster level, his foundation had gradually been exposed as insufficient.
Many of the battle techniques of the great families are only accessible to Eighth and Ninth Rank family members, something that most family members will never come into contact with in their entire lives.
The gap between people is evident everywhere, and it's shown here through their foundation.
"Xie Gong Ping lost."
Fang Che sighed.
Next up were Ding Jieren and Yu Zhong Ge. Ding Jieren won, but after the battle, he stood in the arena for a long time, his face darkening.
Ding Jieren's victory was due to his sharpness and Cultivation, but he lost in terms of foundation.
Even Fang Che and the others could see that once Yu Zhong Ge's Cultivation improved, Ding Jieren would no longer be a match for him.
Yu Zhong Ge's Martial Techniques, at his current Cultivation, couldn't unleash much power. However, as his Cultivation improved, the combat strength he could exhibit would also increase.
To put it simply, Yu Zhong Ge's Martial Techniques could already be considered 'Force'.
Ding Jieren's battle techniques, sword methods, and the like were already at the Eighth Rank peak, but he was still stuck at the level of sword techniques.
In the early stages, Ding Jieren wouldn't be at a disadvantage, but once their Cultivations were raised, his 'techniques' wouldn't be able to withstand Yu Zhong Ge's 'Force'.
Moreover, Yu Zhong Ge's Martial Techniques still had room for further improvement, while Ding Jieren's sword methods couldn't be raised any higher.
So, although Yu Zhong Ge lost, he had a smile on his face.
Ding Jieren won, but his expression was grim.
Then it was Mo Gaiyun's turn to fight Qiu Yun Shang. This battle was a fierce contest between the two.
The arena echoed with booming sounds.
Both were from Fourth Rank families, and this battle was a true clash of equals.
However, Mo Gaiyun's ability to withstand attacks had been honed by Fang Che over this period.
During this time, Fang Che had been like a large hammer, constantly pounding on Mo Gaiyun, who had already endured a thousand hammers and a thousand refinements.
Facing Qiu Yun Shang's strikes, Mo Gaiyun directly withstood them with his physical body, and then he unleashed a fierce onslaught, brutally rolling Qiu Yun Shang on the ground. Mo Gaiyun raised his hands and roared, "I won!"
Then, they began to fight in pairs.
Fang Che first fought against Yu Zhong Ge and defeated him. Then he fought Ding Jieren and won, followed by Xie Gong Ping and won, and finally Qiu Yun Shang, also winning... In the end, he faced Mo Gaiyun.
(End of Chapter)
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