Douluo Continent: I can overdraft the future in advance

Luo Yun picked up the second piece of refined iron and began to engrave lines.

The second one is done.

The third one is done.

The fourth piece, the fifth piece, the sixth piece...

In one afternoon, he carved more than a dozen pieces of refined iron, each with a complete magic array pattern. Although the lines were not uniform and there were a few places where the depth was not quite the same, they were indeed complete.

Master Fang stood to the side, looking at the row of engraved iron plates, and remained silent for a long time.

"How did you do that?"

Luo Yun looked up: "What?"

"Yesterday, every single one I carved was ruined, and today it's like this." Master Fang stared at him. "How did you do that?"

Luo Yun was stunned for a moment.

How did he do it? He himself couldn't explain it. He definitely couldn't mention anything about the system.

"I don't know either," he said honestly. "It's just that I felt particularly focused today. As soon as I picked up the carving knife, it was like I knew how to apply force and how to channel my soul power. It was much smoother than yesterday."

Master Fang didn't speak, staring at Luo Yun, trying to glean some clue from his face, but Luo Yun was thick-skinned and didn't react at all.

Master Fang then turned and walked to the bookshelf, taking down another drawing from it.

It was a completely new magic array diagram, a bit more complex than the previous one, with more patterns and denser nodes. It wasn't just a branch magic array of a soul tool; it looked like a part of the core magic array of a soul tool.

"Carve this."

Luo Yun took the blueprint, looked at it for a while, and then picked up the carving knife.

The first piece, halfway through carving, went crooked.

The second piece is finished, but one node wasn't handled properly.

The third piece has complete texture and the nodes are correct, but some lines are uneven in depth.

For the fourth piece, he put down the carving knife and looked at the piece of iron in front of him.

The complete magic array pattern was perfectly straight where it should be, curved where it should be, with clear nodes and even lines. Although it couldn't compare to the fluid and graceful demonstration by Master Fang, it was already ridiculously impressive for someone who had only been practicing soul power inscription for two days.

He handed the sheet of iron to Master Fang.

Master Fang took it and examined it for a long time, turning it over and over in his mind.

"You brat..." He put down the metal plate, looked at Luo Yun, "Could you be a genius at soul tools?"

Luo Yun blinked.

He couldn't answer that. If he said no, there were over a dozen engraved iron pieces laid out in front of him. If he said yes, he knew it was all thanks to the system.

But if you think about it, the system is actually part of him too.

So he shamelessly said, "That's right, I might be a genius at using soul tools."

Master Fang was stunned for a moment, then his lips twitched, and he actually smiled.

That was the first time Luo Yun had seen him smile in the months since she had known him.

"A genius?" Master Fang scoffed. "There are plenty of geniuses out there. I've seen people who could independently create second-tier soul tools at ten, become fourth-level soul masters at fifteen, and enter the Mingde Hall at twenty. You think you're the only one?"

Mingde Hall? Luo Yun keenly caught this keyword, thinking, 'Could Master Fang be from the Sun Moon Empire? Isn't Mingde Hall the Sun Moon Empire's highest-level soul tool research institute? No wonder Master Fang's skin is a bit dark; I remember reading in the book that people from the Sun Moon Empire do indeed have darker skin than those from the original three kingdoms of Douluo Continent.'

Master Fang paused for a moment, then glanced at the piece of iron in his hand.

"However, it is indeed rare to have such a success rate when you are just starting out with soul power inscription."

He collected the pile of iron sheets and waved his hand.

"Alright, you can go home early today."

Luo Yun was taken aback: "Ahead of schedule?"

"I might need to adjust the schedule," Master Fang said. "The original plan was to give you a basic grasp of soul power inscription in six months, but you've already figured it out in two months. If I continue teaching you the old way, it will waste your time and mine as well."

He went behind the workbench and pulled out a few books and blueprints.

"You don't need to come tomorrow. Come the day after tomorrow."

Luo Yun stood up, packed his things, and walked to the door.

"Master Fang."

"Um?"

"Am I a genius?"

Without turning his head, Master Fang threw a book at Luo Yun. Luo Yun laughed, dodged it, and went out the door.

-

Back home, Luo Yun sat in his room, the smile on his face slowly fading.

He looked down at his hands.

Everything that happened this afternoon went through my mind.

The first set of magic arrays was completed after carving more than a dozen pieces. The second set of magic arrays was completed on the fourth piece. This rate of progress is indeed abnormal.

But the system is even more malfunctioning.

Why should I gain experience in crafting soul tools?

With a thought, the system interface appeared.

[Overdrafting the Future System]

[Next overdraft period: one year later: three months later]

[Next overdraft can be used for five years: Available]

He checked his soul power level again and found that he had actually reached level 13. He hadn't paid attention to his soul power level last night because of the experience of making soul tools.

How long has it been since he last broke through level ten? A little over half a year. Normally, it takes two to three years to go from level ten to level thirteen. If word got out that this speed was even more frightening than his Soul Tool talent.

He stared at the screen and began to ponder the events of the day.

He had overdrawn his soul power so many times before, all to boost his soul power. But today was the first time. After the system synchronized, not only did his soul power increase, but he also experienced those strange sensations—the feeling of holding a carving knife and carving stroke by stroke.

It's as if he also included his experience of diligently practicing calligraphy and making soul guide devices over the next year.

Why didn't it exist before?

Luo Yun reflected on the past few months of practice.

Soul power cultivation involves the participation of soul power.

Forging practice, without the participation of soul power.

The engraving practice did not involve soul power.

Today was my first time trying to inscribe soul power, and the system gave me experience.

He slowly pieced together a guess: the system's "overdraft of the future" might only synchronize things related to "the results of soul power cultivation." Forging and engraving did not directly use soul power, so the system did not consider them "cultivation results." But soul power inscription used soul power, so the system included it.

Luo Yun felt that his guess was correct, otherwise there would be no way to explain how he had just started using soul power to inscribe yesterday, and then had already overdrawn his future learning results last night.

In the future, will we be able to gain experience in advance for all things that require soul power?

If that's really the case, Luo Yun felt he could become both a Soul Master and a Soul Guiding Master. Even if he couldn't reach Huo Yuhao's level in the original work, becoming an eighth-level Soul Guiding Master shouldn't be a problem. After all, with the system's help, his cultivation speed could be three to five times faster, whether it was training or learning Soul Guiding Devices.

Master Fang said he would adjust the teaching schedule.

Now it seems he needs to adjust his goals; Luo Yun can now officially call himself a genius.