As a result, Fang Li was swiftly captured by Sylvia and taken to a guest room in Queenvail Girls' Academy, where he endured a brief three-second lecture.
Yes, only three seconds.
Because, just three seconds after Sylvia started her reprimand, Fang Li— already impatient— pulled her into his arms, silencing her with a deep, passionate kiss that lasted a full three minutes.
Naturally, once the kiss ended, they couldn't help but continue their playful teasing.
To an outsider, this would undoubtedly be considered public affection, wouldn't it?
In truth, neither Fang Li nor Sylvia could remain indifferent to their three-week separation.
After all, having recently shared the deepest level of intimacy, only to be suddenly apart for so long, it was inevitable that they would still yearn for each other.
Thus, their playful exchange helped ease the longing that had built up over that time.
Eventually, though, the two finally set aside their flirtations, sat down, and shifted their focus to more serious matters.
Speaking of which, the most pressing topic was none other than the upcoming "Gryphon Festa."
"The strongest team in our academy is Rusalka. Aside from them, no other team is likely to make it to the quarterfinals," Sylvia remarked. "But even Rusalka will have a tough time winning the championship this year— there are too many formidable teams competing."
For instance, Saint Galahadworth Academy had both the Lancelot and Tristan teams— obstacles that would have to be overcome if one hoped to claim victory.
Then there was Seidoukan Academy's Enfield team, which featured last year's "Phoenix Festa" runner-up and semifinalist duo, along with their captain, Claudia Enfield— ranked second in the sequence and wielding *Pan-Dora*, a unique ability granting her glimpses into the future.
That alone made them as much of a threat as the Lancelot team, which had secured back-to-back championships.
"Your Jie Long's Yellow Dragon team is also one of the top contenders. With 'Hagun Seikun' among their ranks, they should have the strongest individual combatants in this year's Festa, right?" Sylvia glanced at Fang Li with a knowing smile. "If you were to participate as well, I imagine the betting odds at the casino might even surpass those for Lancelot."
After all, the Yellow Dragon team was widely considered a favorite to win the championship.
Yet, despite their status, they had never once managed to defeat Fang Li in any of their practice matches over the past three weeks.
In other words, Fang Li alone was powerful enough to take down a team that was considered a championship contender in the Gryphon Festa.
Since Sylvia frequently video-called Fang Li, she was well aware of this fact.
Thus, if teammates like Wu Xiaofei, Zhao Hufeng, and Cecily joined forces with Fang Li, securing the championship seemed all but guaranteed.
That was precisely why Sylvia made such a statement.
However, Fang Li merely shook his head.
"First Senior Brother and the others are indeed strong, but their strengths lie in individual combat. When they face me— who is significantly stronger than any of them on a one-on-one basis— I can defeat them without much difficulty," Fang Li explained. "But the Lancelot team is different. Their strength is rooted in teamwork. If I were to take them on alone, the best I could hope for would be a stalemate."
A prime example of this was Rusalka.
Each member of Rusalka is individually weaker than the members of Wu Xiaofei's group, with some not even ranked. However, when those girls combine their strength with Lyre-Poros, even Fang Li was forced to activate his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
In contrast, the Yellow Dragon team is composed of elite fighters, but their strength lies in one-on-one combat. Against Fang Li's overwhelming speed and agility, they have been consistently outmatched and have never forced him to use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
From this comparison alone, it's clear which team poses a greater threat to Fang Li.
However, if the Yellow Dragon team were to face Rusalka, the outcome would be entirely different. The Yellow Dragon team wouldn't lose to Rusalka so easily, thanks to differences in combat style and team composition.
Moreover, the Lancelot team's coordination surpasses even Rusalka's. Even without Lyre-Poros, two of their members wield Ogre Lux, and all of them rank within the top five. If they can neutralize Lyre-Poros's active enhancements and interference-based debuffs— eliminating even one of these factors— the match would turn overwhelmingly in their favor.
"Based on my estimation, if I face the Lancelot team alone, I would at least need to rely on Bo Xie to achieve a draw. If I wanted to secure a victory, I'd have to use my hidden abilities…"
Fang Li had only spoken halfway when he noticed Sylvia's expression had turned somewhat strange.
This piqued his curiosity. "Why that look?"
"…Do you even realize how outrageous your statement is?" Sylvia sighed, looking exasperated. "The Lancelot team has won two consecutive Gryphon Festa championships. And you think you can draw or even defeat them by yourself? If people heard you say that, do you have any idea how many jaws would drop?"
She had a point.
Even Sylvia wouldn't dare claim Fang Li could single-handedly defeat Lancelot. She believed that if Fang Li joined the Yellow Dragon team, the casino odds would shift in their favor, but an outright victory was still uncertain.
Yet here Fang Li was, boldly suggesting that he could win alone, which made his statement seem particularly absurd.
"You..." Fang Li chuckled. "Maybe I'm just boasting?"
"Other people might not know you, but I do," Sylvia shot back, slightly annoyed. "You're always composed and perceptive. If you weren't confident, you wouldn't say something so direct. Since you said it, it means you believe it's possible."
Her mildly irritated response made Fang Li shrug in resignation.
"Well, regardless, since you're not participating, all this discussion doesn't really matter," Sylvia remarked with a knowing tone. "But those girls are. Aren't you going to say hello?"
"Say hello?" Fang Li raised an eyebrow before smirking. "Alright, I'll go greet them."
With that, he stood up, walked to the guest room door, and suddenly flung it open.
"Whoa!"
A chorus of startled gasps erupted, followed by a clatter of noise as five girls tumbled inside like an avalanche, landing in a heap at Fang Li's feet.
Looking down at the familiar group, Fang Li smirked.
"Eavesdropping again? You all sure stay busy. If you wanted to know something, you could've just asked me directly— it would've saved you all this trouble."
That teasing smile made the Rusalka girls freeze in place.
(End Of This Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date to date) subscription model on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395