Damian didn't usually like crowds or people watching his battles, but this time, it worked to his advantage.

If they were masked and robed, it was clear that they wanted to keep their faces and identity hidden, so seeing the crowd, they wanted to turn back.

Seeing that Milo had already made it to the academy with the items they were meant to steal, and Damian, who they weren't allowed to harm, in their way, the two figures looked at each other and reached a mutual understanding.

Both of them swung their arms down before Damian could fire another arrow and smoke engulfed the area as Damian prepared himself for a sneak attack, but after a few seconds, the smoke cleared and the two figures had disappeared.

After looking around and making sure that he couldn't be suddenly attacked, Damian placed his bow back over his shoulder and jogged over to the western academy gate where Milo was trying to persuade the guards to help Damian.

The guards had refused to leave their posts as they were instructed to stay at their stationed gate no matter what happened outside or inside the academy.

They would have protected Damian if he had gotten inside the academy as they wouldn't allow an outsider inside, but if Damian engaged them in combat outside the academy, even if he was the Direct Disciple of the great elder, there was nothing they could do.

After they refused a few times, Milo was going to turn back to help his friend fight, but when he turned around he saw Damian coming over unharmed.

"What happened?" asked Milo.

Damian shrugged and answered, "I think all they wanted to do was steal from us and after I held them back, they used a smoke bomb t conceal their escape" answered Damian.

Their actions were quite unusual, but they were by no means complaining and Damian knew that even with Milo's help, they still would have found it difficult to face them, let alone win and protect what Sarah had given them.

Damian and Milo both felt weak and defenceless as although in the Outer Academy they were two of the strongest, most in the Inner Academy would be able to easily beat them and they had 1 year before the Academy tournament.

They both needed to do well in that tournament if they wanted to be Core Disciples and have the chance to meet the principal and was also a good chance to get some fame and rewards for taking part.

At the rate that they were progressing, despite it being very fast already, their aims didn't seem possible.

They needed to work harder and also smarter.

Both understood what each other were thinking and knew it was the same as Milo handed over to Damian his jade bottle and case.

"Before the Inner Academy Exam, want to have one more spare?" offered Damian.

"Sure, and this time I won't let you win" accepted Milo as the two of them headed straight back to their residence to use what Sarah had given them.

Damian, before using the resources that his mother had given him, went to all of his friends that he shared a residence with and advised them to cultivate both types of cultivation, but to his surprise, they had all already began doing so without needing him to tell them.

All of them had become disciples of powerful elders within the academy that were capable and providing them with advice and resources, which pleased Damian who wanted to best for his friends but also ignited his competitive spirit.

He didn't give them the exact details and also hadn't told them anything definitive, but had hinted that it was important for them to do so to break through the Mortal Cultivation Level.

Although he trusted his friends, they had become disciples of elders that he didn't know if he could trust and also didn't want to shock them, so Damian decided that he would postpone telling them the full truth until they were stronger.

After checking in with them and telling them everything that he had to tell them, Damian was impressed with his friends and couldn't help but wonder who was the strongest out of them if they went all out, but he suppressed that thought and knew that they would find out soon enough.

They had all gained high level mastery over their powerful Soul Spirits and were managing to keep up with Damian and Milo, which also made them all great prodigies.

[I won't lose to them. They are my friends, but it is I that will become the strongest] thought Damian to himself as he entered his room.

His body was energised and although he still had a headache from transferring the knowledge to his mother, after all the expensive fruit and beast meat that he ate, which he would have never been able to afford, he felt great and ready to begin tempering his body.

[Utsusu, what should I use first?] asked Damian as he held the jade bottle and the jade case.

{Use the medicinal mixture in the jade case first and with the incredible tempering method that you got from the Golden Flame Inheritance, you should be able to handle all of it at once} answered Utsusu.

{It should take you about 3 days to absorb all of its medicinal properties and in that time, your external cultivation should improve by leaps and bounds. It will be very painful and hard to endure, but it is worth it. After that, you can use the 3 pills while training in the private training room and sing the pill's energy to improve the results of your training} continued Utsusu.

[Thanks Utsusu, I will do as you said] thanked Damian who completely trusted Utsusu's judgement.

With Utsusu's answer, Damian didn't have much else to think about and made the preparations he needed straight away.

He had prepared a bathtub filled with boiling hot water and was about to place the medicinal mixture into it so that he could soak his body and begin the tempering process, but Utsusu stopped him.