Wei Qi simply refused to believe that Jiang Fan had become an early-stage martial apprentice.
The announcement rang out again. "All students whose applications for the special training class have been approved, please proceed to the lecture hall..."
Lu Yi hurriedly said, "Why are you standing here talking nonsense? Wei Qi, Jiang Fan, hurry up and come with me to the lecture hall."
Those words undoubtedly confirmed to Wei Qi, and everyone else, that Jiang Fan really had passed the special training class registration.
For a moment, almost everyone found the news impossible to accept.
Before long, Jiang Fan followed Lu Yi to the lecture hall.
"Jiang Fan?" Tong Shuyao parted her red lips, her eyes full of confusion.
Jiang Youtian, Jiang Qifeng, and the others were equally puzzled by Jiang Fan's arrival.
"Xiao Fan!" Tang Fugui called out to Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan looked at Lu Yi, who nodded at him. Then Jiang Fan went over to Tang Fugui.
The other students also took their seats beside their families one after another.
The principal stepped onto the platform and picked up the microphone.
"Now that everyone is here, let's get down to business. First-"
"Wait a moment." Jiang Qifeng interrupted the principal.
The principal asked in confusion, "Family Head Jiang, what is it?"
Jiang Qifeng glanced at Jiang Fan, who was seated up front. "Everyone here today is an exam candidate who qualified for the special training class or a member of their family. So why are idlers like those two-Jiang Fan and Tang Fugui-sitting here? Sitting with people like them simply lowers our standing."
Hearing Jiang Qifeng say this, quite a few parents also showed signs of wanting to exclude them.
Tang Fugui was just about to explain when Jiang Fan held him back.
"No rush. There's no need for us to say anything."
Reassured by Jiang Fan, Tang Fugui stopped worrying.
Faced with everyone's doubts, the principal explained, "Jiang Fan's blood vitality test result a month ago was indeed 19N, but his result this time was 81N, reaching the standard of an early-stage martial apprentice. So he is now a member of the special training class too."
Shock!
Jiang Qifeng's eyes suddenly went wide and round. Had he not been concerned about his image, he would definitely have dug a finger into his ears to check whether earwax had clogged them and made him mishear.
Jiang Youtian wore much the same expression, but compared with Jiang Qifeng, he felt more lingering fear than shock.
Two days earlier, Lan Shengxue had told them that Jiang Fan had passed the special training class registration. They had originally assumed Jiang Fan had begged Lan Shengxue on his knees, getting her to help him lie.
Now that the principal himself had said it, if he still believed that, he might as well throw his brain away.
So it was all true. Jiang Fan really had become an early-stage martial apprentice!
But how was that possible? Jiang Fan had clearly been a piece of trash with only 19N of blood vitality before. How had he leaped through the dragon gate like a carp, transforming into an early-stage martial apprentice in one go?
For a moment, students and parents alike began whispering among themselves.
Sitting beside Jiang Fan, Tang Fugui looked at everyone's shocked, disbelieving expressions and felt so proud he wanted to cry.
"Ahem." The principal cleared his throat. "All right, let's get back to business. First, let's discuss the registration fee. Student council president Lan Shengxue has already informed the students about this. The registration fee is one hundred thousand. This money will mainly be used for the next three months of special training. Don't think this fee is too high, because we'll be inviting a middle-stage second-rank martial artist to give you special training."
At those words, the entire hall erupted.
Second rank!
Martial artists were already scarce throughout Ancheng, let alone middle-stage second-rank martial artists.
The fact that the school was actually hiring a second-rank martial artist as the special training class instructor showed just how much it was spending.
And just as the principal had said, paying only one hundred thousand a month would give them three months of training under a second-rank martial artist. Never mind being expensive-to a second-rank martial artist, that little money would barely fill a gap between their teeth.
Of course, they could also guess why the school had invited a second-rank martial artist. It was clearly for Lan Shengxue, who had already become a first-rank martial artist, in the hope that she could improve even further in the remaining three months.
At that thought, everyone couldn't help looking toward Lan Shengxue, their eyes filled with either envy or admiration.
The principal continued, "We didn't ask all you parents to come here today simply to pay a fee. More importantly, we need to make something clear to everyone. Special training and cultivation are themselves a difficult road of surpassing and challenging yourself. On this unusual road through life, setbacks are inevitable. Those setbacks might mean a mental breakdown, injuries or disability, or even facing life and death. So, to every student seated here, I ask you loud and clear: are you ready? Answer me loudly!"
As a first-rank martial artist, the principal had not shouted, yet his voice seemed amplified, its powerful force reverberating through every corner and making everyone present shudder.
Once they recovered, the students shouted in unison, their voices swelling with tremendous force.
"We're ready!!!"
The principal asked again, "The word 'regret' does not exist on this road. So are you truly ready?"
"No regrets!!!"
The principal was deeply gratified. "Good! Since you're all ready and have no regrets, may your martial fortunes flourish!"
Caught up in the atmosphere, the students' blood burned hot and their blood vitality surged, like soldiers ready to charge into battle at any moment.
Even Jiang Fan, who had always been composed and calm, was swept up in it. His blood vitality churned beyond his control, and an invisible sheen of light spilled from the depths of his eyes.
Yes, that was a sign of psychic power spilling out.
Hmm? The principal seemed to sense some unusual fluctuation and followed that sensation, looking down at the audience.
Jiang Fan immediately reined in his emotions, preventing the principal from noticing anything.
Was I imagining things? the principal muttered inwardly.
Seeing that the principal had stopped searching the audience, Jiang Fan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It looks like I'm still not steady enough. Just a few words from the principal got my blood so heated that I nearly lost control of my psychic power.
It really is laughable. I've lived two lives, past and present, and even suffered such a horrifying death. My heart should have been as still as water, not easily disturbed. Yet I still failed to keep my composure.
In truth, Jiang Fan could hardly be blamed. Although he had lived two lives, in his previous life, Jiang Youtian had killed him not long after he started university. He had only been eighteen then.
And in this life, he was only seventeen.
In either life, he was still a youth.
After signing, Tang Fugui looked at Jiang Fan and said, "Today is a great day in your life, so I'm not going scavenging either. Come on, let's head home early. Your dad's personally cooking you a feast today."
"Thanks, Dad," Jiang Fan said with a smile.
Just then, Jiang Qifeng caught up with them.