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 weren't 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 couldn't 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 hadn't used his state power, the attack was still extraordinary.
However, it did nothing.
Everyone couldn't 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 man's throat. With a slight move, his neck would be cut.
"Sorry for the offense." Jiang Chen was very stable. He turned around and inserted the sword into its sheath.
"Gosh!"
This time, no one there thought Jiang Chen was fake or arrogant.
They were only thinking about one thing—this 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.
"What's your name?"
Yan Kuan touched his neck and thought about what had happened in hindsight. In the first nine seconds, they hadn't been staring at each other.
In fact, they had been exchanging blows.
In the others' 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 hadn't changed anything.
"Jiang Chen," Jiang Chen answered. He didn't stop, but kept walking.
Ouyang Na and Tianxu were shocked when they heard his name. They saw the same surprise in each other's eyes.
Tianxu was sure that was his idol. Although he could have coincidentally been called the same name, he wouldn't carry the same sword.
"Where are you going?" Yan Kuan asked again.
Jiang Chen stopped and turned around. He said, "I don't mean to offend you, but the martial arts workshop won't do me any help."
People frowned. When they realized what he meant, they were shocked.
Jiang Chen didn't think the martial arts workshop was good enough for him!
"Don't you dare belittle the martial arts workshop." The man called Xiuru stopped smiling. His look was unkind.
"Xiuru."
Yan Kuan stopped him and gave him a hint that he shouldn't act on impulse. Then he looked over to Jiang Chen and said, "It's true you defeated me, but I don't represent the highest level of the martial arts workshop. You're very good. If you finish the course of the heaven-grade class, you'll achieve bigger things."
"Yeah?" Jiang Chen hadn't thought about that.
"Brother Yan, I think he came here just to make trouble, intending to become famous by defeating the martial arts workshop!" Xiuru said angrily.
"What can we say? We did lose."
Yan Kuan's answer shut him up, but he looked reluctant to stop there.
"Besides, I'm only responsible for the entry test."
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 Kuan's persuasion. He said, "In that case, there is something to be expected from the martial arts workshop."
"Of course. You won't be disappointed," 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.
"What did you say?" Gao Tian'ai looked towards her rival. She had been expecting to see Ouyang Na's reaction at this moment for a long time.
And she wasn't disappointed. Ouyang Na's disgusted expression pleased her.
Ouyang Na didn't even refute, but asked Gao Tian'ai, "He's the Jiang Chen?"
"Of course. Great at swordsmanship, named Jiang Chen, and so young, who else could he be?" Gao Tian'ai answered her with a question.
By then, Jiang Chen had come up to her. He touched her head after hearing her.
"Are you really a couple?"
Seeing such a close move, Ouyang Na shouldn't have doubted, but there was something unconvincing to her.
A genius like Jiang Chen shouldn't have stayed with them.
However, it was true. She could do nothing but feel jealous, but to her surprise, her fiancé came up to Jiang Chen and said sincerely, "Apprentice Brother Jiang Chen, I didn't know it was you. Sorry if I offended you. I'm a big fan of yours!"
Jiang Chen wasn't surprised. He smiled.
"I mean it!"
Tianxu thought he didn't believe him, so he hurried to say, "I went to see Liu Shayang's 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?!"
"Tianxu!" Ouyang Na couldn't bear it anymore. She pushed him to leave.
"Apprentice Brother Jiang Chen, I'm looking forward to learning more from you."
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.
"How funny."
Gao Tian'ai was still beaming after the two had left.
"Cousin, you're so great." Gao Tian'ai 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 couldn't leave.
The martial arts workshop seriously cherished their reputation. If their trainees didn't 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.
Tianxu's eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Chen. He came up to the latter right away and asked, "Have you heard?"
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 hadn't said anything false. The martial arts workshop was indeed worth joining.
"Eh?"
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 wasn't Master Chu Yun at that moment, so Yin Shuang didn't recognize him.
Instead, she frowned at his look and seemed unhappy with it.