Time passed quickly in the academy.
Noah had almost no time left for his daily needs.
He used all his nights to cultivate his dantian and body and all his days between the Kesier rune, his martial art, his courses, and the Elemental forging method.
He had resumed sleeping only every two days in order to make room for all his exercises and some results were finally shown on his ninth month in the academy.
His mind had grown stronger due to the intensive training in the Kesier rune and the pressure exerted from the "Breath" inside his sea of consciousness.
His body had improved due to the Yin body and had finally entered the middle tier of the third rank.
His dexterity with the Three forms of the Ashura and the Shadow steps spell had vastly increased thanks to the continuous sparring sessions with June, the First form was still his limit though.
He had concluded three more missions successfully, they were all hunting tasks and Daniel's followers never created troubles for him again in them.
However, the most important advancement concerned his dantian.
Noah was slowly walking toward a building on the left side of the academy.
He would inspect his dantian from time to time and nod in satisfaction as he looked at its contents.
Black crystals were amassed in that organ attesting his successful breakthrough in the solid stage!
'It has been only two months since I became sixteen but I already reached the last stage of the first rank of the dantian.'
Only a week before, he had felt that he could not accumulate any more liquid "Breath" and he had hastily made preparations for his breakthrough.
He had already one Earth pill from Eccentric Thunder's inheritance, the only thing he needed was to be at his peak form to advance.
The breakthrough had gone smoothly, mostly thanks to the pill, and he had successfully entered the solid stage.
He had spent the following week cultivating to increase the amount of solid "Breath" stored in the dantian and then he had considered his options.
There were some useful facilities inside the academy that were accessible once a cultivator entered the rank 1 solid stage of the dantian but they also required merits points or Credits to be used.
'I only have two thousand and four hundred Credits remaining due to that scrounger but my merit points amount to one hundred and forty, they are enough for two hours inside the Sulfur domain.'
The scrounger he was referring to was, of course, Ivor that had stayed in his lodging for the whole time.
He wasn't much of an annoyance as he would spend most of his time sleeping or clearing some of Noah's doubts regarding the legacy of the previous practitioners in the Elemental forging method but the cost of his wine was beginning to weigh on Noah.
'I need to increase my strength in order to have access to more remunerative missions. With my level, I can just complete those that have only merit points as a reward.'
The Sulfur domain had precisely that use.
It was a closed area where an azure flame burned constantly and enduring the atmosphere near it increased the speed at which the mental sphere enlarged.
Noah wanted to train there not only to improve his sea of consciousness but also to obtain some relief from the constant headache caused by the "Breath" in his mental sphere.
He had never increased the quantity of "Breath" stored in his mind and the pain had indeed diminished due to the improvements in his sea of consciousness.
However, he wanted to speed up his training even more to experiment with the forging method, he had only studied the theory in the last period.
Yet, to enter the Sulfur domain, he needed to be at least in the solid stage of the first rank, so he had to train patiently until he reached that level.
Noah had already registered for one hour in the domain, spending sixty merit points in the process.
He was then left with eighty merit points and was quite eager to test the effects of that faculty.
Noah arrived in front of a circular one-story tall building.
It had a large emblem with a blue flame depicted on it.
Noah had his confirmation that he had reached his destination.
He took out his academy token and went toward the entrance door when three youths blocked his path.
"I'm sorry but today the Sulfur domain is reserved. If you want to complain, you can talk to some of the Professors and I'm sure that your merit points will be refunded."
Noah was quite jumpy in the last period due to the constant headache so he didn't hesitate for one instant to reply with a bit of annoyance in his voice.
"Who reserved it?"
Another youth neared him and made an ample gesture with his arm before speaking with a proud expression.
"Lord Daniel of course. He likes to be alone in the domain and we make sure that he remains undisturbed in there."
'That guy again.'
Noah looked at the three students and noticed how their clothes seemed clean and expensive.
Then he moved his gaze toward the side of the entrance door.
There was a guard in golden armor that feigned indifference to what was happening in his area of patrol.
'These three should be from large-size noble families and they most likely bribed that guard.'
He shook his head in disappointment before fixing his gaze on the closer student.
"I don't care. I have no time to waste for your ass-licking rituals. I registered for one hour and I will do my hour, the only difference will be in what I will step on to enter that building. It can be the terrain if you move aside now or your beaten bodies if you keep blocking my way."
The three students were enraged by Noah's mockery and began to reprimand him in a loud voice.
"How dares a simple junior speak to us in such a way! Get out of my sight bef-"
His phrase was interrupted since Noah's fist had clashed with his face.
Noah understood that his words had no effect so he didn't hesitate to attack.