The leisurely time always seems short; after resting in Harbor City for two days, Duke and Vivian bid farewell and went their separate ways.

Both of them were very busy. After Vivian returned, she had to work overtime to make up for the courses and tasks she missed in the past few days.

The Wizard Apprentices at the Thorn Holy Tower usually face a lot of pressure, with hardly any time to catch their breath, so Vivian couldn't stay for too many days.

Duke accompanied Vivian all the way to the Floating Airship, watched as it departed, and then returned to the Black Sail.

His return was much simpler; he just had to stand at the dock and send a message to the Black Sail Badge. The familiar dark demon would then row over with a small boat.

On this occasion, Duke sat directly at the stern, looking back, wanting to observe the process of returning to the Black Sail.

The results were the same; he didn't observe anything. Although he kept staring at Harbor City behind him, he couldn't pinpoint when it disappeared.

By the time he snapped back to reality, he was already facing an expanse of open sea, with no sign of Harbor City.

Duke didn't feel disappointed; everything was as expected. The protective force of the Black Sail wasn't something a mere Wizard Apprentice could fathom.

After a while, Duke returned to Academy Island and to his familiar dormitory.

He glanced at the Wizard's Mark and found that Simon had left him several messages.

"I heard a couple of days ago that a Wizard Apprentice named Duke smashed Bell's egg. It was one from our Black Sail. Could that be you?" Simon clearly had doubts about his speculation, so he sent a message seeking confirmation.

Seeing this message, Duke smiled, not expecting that word had spread all the way here.

But on second thought, it was quite normal. After all, it involved the Black Sail, so probably many of the Wizard Apprentices on Academy Island knew about it, though most of them didn't know who Duke was.

Duke usually kept to himself, his circle comprising only Simon and a few others, spending most of his time working on skill proficiency.

He replied, "It was me."

"It was really you, huh? You're quite fierce! A second-class Wizard Apprentice defeated a first-class Wizard Apprentice, especially Bell..." Simon still felt somewhat incredulous.

He knew Duke was mysterious and very capable yet extremely low-profile.

When Simon first heard the name Duke, he didn't immediately associate it with the Duke he knew.

Because he felt Duke was always low-key, perhaps it was just a coincidence with the name.

Now, upon Duke's confirmation, Simon realized Duke was even stronger than he had imagined.

Simon added, "Since you can defeat Bell, a first-class Wizard Apprentice, you must be close to becoming a first-class Wizard Apprentice yourself."

Duke's Spiritual Power was already nearing 26 points, not far from the 30 points required for a first-class Wizard Apprentice.

"Correct," Duke thought for a moment and replied.

"Then you should be careful. It's best to wait a while before becoming a first-class Wizard Apprentice," Simon advised.

Duke felt a bit puzzled, "Why?"

"Because the examination time is approaching. If you recently advance to a first-class Wizard Apprentice, you'll participate in the first-class Wizard Apprentice examination. Among the Wizard Apprentice examinations, the third-class is the easiest, the second-class is more difficult, and the first-class is even harder..."

With Simon's explanation, Duke could calculate the time; a little over half a year had passed since the last examination.

Examinations are typically held once every six months to a year. If he advances now, he'll be categorized into the first-class examination group.

This would be quite disadvantageous for a newly advanced Wizard Apprentice.

The Black Sail examination for Wizard Apprentices is not easy, and Duke's last experience was already the simplest level.

If he directly attempts the first-class Wizard Apprentice examination, the probability of passing would be very low.

If he steadies himself first, passes the second-class examination, and then advances to first-class Wizard Apprentice, he'd stand a much better chance.

Understanding this, Duke felt grounded. He indeed planned to max out his current skills before preparing for the advancement.

Now it seems he should enhance his Spiritual Power first without advancing.

Participating in the examination with the Spiritual Power of a first-class Wizard Apprentice would give him a greater advantage.

Armed with this information, Duke realized he should prepare for the next examination.

He glanced at his Skill Tree, organizing the skills that were not yet maxed out.

[Deep Blue Tide Meditation Technique: Level 4 (2220/2500)]

[White Orchid Antidote Potion: Level 3 (27/50)]

[Mud Corrosion Potion: Level 2 (15/40)]

[Mountain Magic Potion: Level 4 (16/30)]

[Rock Armor: Level 2 (114/130)]

[Petrification Skin: Level 2 (116/130)]

[Gravity Slowdown: Level 1 (56/100)]

[Rock Spike: Level 2 (121/130)]

The Meditation Technique was nearing an upgrade after this period of practice, and the auxiliary effect of the Starlight Meditation Potion was indeed excellent.

Besides that, of the three potions, only the progress of Mountain Magic Potion was closest to maximum level.

Once the Earth Breathing Technique is maxed out, Duke won't need Mountain Magic Potion much.

But he couldn't just ignore the progress of Mountain Magic Potion since it was already near completion.

However, refining Mountain Magic Potion now would be pure loss; it would neither sell nor be used.

The progress of White Orchid Antidote Potion can be accelerated, maxing it out soon since it's sellable and wouldn't be a money loser.

As for Mud Corrosion Potion, it's best left for now as its priority is lowest.

This potion's proficiency is the lowest, it's not easy to sell, and having a lot of stock would affect cash flow.

Duke maintained his needs by a cycle of refining and selling potions.

If Mud Corrosion Potion is maxed, it would require substantial investment in magic stones, which wouldn't be recovered by selling the potion.

Finally, there are four Earth Element Magic spells with relatively low proficiency, the highest being just level 2.

The proficiency of Earth Element Magic advances slowly; they consume too much Magic Power, especially Gravity Slowdown.

Duke planned to invest more Basic Magic Recovery Potions over this period to quickly boost proficiency of these four spells.

To him, it would enhance his strength as well as earn free attribute points to increase Spiritual Power.

"Time to dive into some serious work!" With his thoughts organized, Duke decided to focus on these skills in the upcoming period.

...

One month later.

Duke's Meditation Technique had long been maxed at level five, and upon reaching level five, the bud representing the Meditation Technique in the Skill Tree sprouted a green leaf.

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