One second was too transient, not even enough for people to communicate or find the proper words to express their surprise.
Those in the martial arts workshop werenât paying attention to Jiang Chen, but the middle-aged man.
They could see his muscles were stiff, a drop of sweat running down his cheek.
As the strongest person among them, he almost couldnât bear the intangible pressure.
It was so quiet.
For an undetermined amount of time, the whole house was so quiet that there was only the sound of breathing.
At the ninth second, Jiang Chen finally attacked, too fast to be seen, just like lightning.
The middle-aged man shouted loudly, brandished his sword, and struck!
The sword whooshed across the air, intense and ear-piercing. Although he hadnât used his state power, the attack was still extraordinary.
However, it did nothing.
Everyone couldnât help but step back and exclaim.
Jiang Chen stood beside the middle-aged man, staring ahead and holding the sword handle backhand.
The blade of the Red Cloud Sword was against the middle-aged manâs throat. With a slight move, his neck would be cut.
âSorry for the offense.â Jiang Chen was very stable. He turned around and inserted the sword into its sheath.
âGosh!â
This time, no one there thought Jiang Chen was fake or arrogant.
They were only thinking about one thingâthis man was too powerful!
Anyone who knew something about the martial arts workshop knew this middle-aged man was called Yan Kuan, and it was obvious how strong he was.
But Jiang Chen had completely defeated him in martial arts techniques.
âWhatâs your name?â
Yan Kuan touched his neck and thought about what had happened in hindsight. In the first nine seconds, they hadnât been staring at each other.
In fact, they had been exchanging blows.
In the othersâ eyes, they had been still, but in fact, they had exchanged hundreds of blows, and he had been at a disadvantage, being suppressed by Jiang Chen.
In the last second, he had made an all-out effort, but it hadnât changed anything.
âJiang Chen,â Jiang Chen answered. He didnât stop, but kept walking.
Ouyang Na and Tianxu were shocked when they heard his name. They saw the same surprise in each otherâs eyes.
Tianxu was sure that was his idol. Although he could have coincidentally been called the same name, he wouldnât carry the same sword.
âWhere are you going?â Yan Kuan asked again.
Jiang Chen stopped and turned around. He said, âI donât mean to offend you, but the martial arts workshop wonât do me any help.â
People frowned. When they realized what he meant, they were shocked.
Jiang Chen didnât think the martial arts workshop was good enough for him!
âDonât you dare belittle the martial arts workshop.â The man called Xiuru stopped smiling. His look was unkind.
âXiuru.â
Yan Kuan stopped him and gave him a hint that he shouldnât act on impulse. Then he looked over to Jiang Chen and said, âItâs true you defeated me, but I donât represent the highest level of the martial arts workshop. Youâre very good. If you finish the course of the heaven-grade class, youâll achieve bigger things.â
âYeah?â Jiang Chen hadnât thought about that.
âBrother Yan, I think he came here just to make trouble, intending to become famous by defeating the martial arts workshop!â Xiuru said angrily.
âWhat can we say? We did lose.â
Yan Kuanâs answer shut him up, but he looked reluctant to stop there.
âBesides, Iâm only responsible for the entry test.â
Defeated by Jiang Chen, he should be the one that wanted Jiang Chen to leave most, but he was a responsible person. He tried to persuade Jiang Chen to stay only out of responsibility.
Jiang Chen was hesitant. He finally made a decision after Yan Kuanâs persuasion. He said, âIn that case, there is something to be expected from the martial arts workshop.â
âOf course. You wonât be disappointed,â Yan Kuan said proudly.
In this way, Jiang Chen joined the heaven-grade class.
As if waking up from a dream, the spectators realized the man before them was precisely the Jiang Chen from the Hero Palace.
He was even more powerful than what the rumors claimed.
âWhat did you say?â Gao Tianâai looked towards her rival. She had been expecting to see Ouyang Naâs reaction at this moment for a long time.
And she wasnât disappointed. Ouyang Naâs disgusted expression pleased her.
Ouyang Na didnât even refute, but asked Gao Tianâai, âHeâs the Jiang Chen?â
âOf course. Great at swordsmanship, named Jiang Chen, and so young, who else could he be?â Gao Tianâai answered her with a question.
By then, Jiang Chen had come up to her. He touched her head after hearing her.
âAre you really a couple?â
Seeing such a close move, Ouyang Na shouldnât have doubted, but there was something unconvincing to her.
A genius like Jiang Chen shouldnât have stayed with them.
Tianxu thought he didnât believe him, so he hurried to say, âI went to see Liu Shayangâs dead body. When I saw his injuries caused by your sword, I was shocked! There were thirty-six wounds in different areas, and the sword attacks were made at the same time. How fast could your sword attacks be?!â
âTianxu!â Ouyang Na couldnât bear it anymore. She pushed him to leave.
âApprentice Brother Jiang Chen, Iâm looking forward to learning more from you.â
Tianxu was unwilling to leave, but at the thought that they would be classmates in the heaven-grade class, he realized they would have many more opportunities to meet each other.
âHow funny.â
Gao Tianâai was still beaming after the two had left.
âCousin, youâre so great.â Gao Tianâai looked like she completely admired him.
In the end, they left the house to pay the tuition.
The heaven-grade course would only last fifteen days, which was very short. During the course, the students would have to live in the martial arts workshop and couldnât leave.
The martial arts workshop seriously cherished their reputation. If their trainees didnât make obvious progress, it would harm them, too.
There was only one heaven-grade class at a time, each course starting when the previous ended.
The following day, the last heaven-grade course ended, and Jiang Chen became a new trainee.
When he learned the results the previous trainees had gotten at the end of their course, his interest in the training was piqued.
In the afternoon, the new heaven-grade course started. Jiang Chen and the other trainees came to the quiet yard deepest in the martial arts workshop.
Here, he saw Tianxu again.
Tianxuâs eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Chen. He came up to the latter right away and asked, âHave you heard?â
Jiang Chen was confused. It took him a while to realize what Tianxu meant.
That day, the martial arts workshop had gained considerable fame, since in the last heaven-grade class, a girl called Yue Lansheng had made extreme progress in the creation of nature and martial arts techniques. She had achieved the mysterious level in only fifteen days.
So Yan Kuan hadnât said anything false. The martial arts workshop was indeed worth joining.
âEh?â
People kept arriving at the yard. Judging from their expressions and ages, they were all members of the heaven-grade class.
Jiang Chen saw someone he knew, Yin Shuang, the auctioneer of the Bank of Sacred City, who had given him a peak as a gift.
However, he wasnât Master Chu Yun at that moment, so Yin Shuang didnât recognize him.
Instead, she frowned at his look and seemed unhappy with it.