Douluo Continent: I can overdraft the future in advance

Luo Yun stood at the door of his house. A carriage was parked there, and two servants were carrying things into the courtyard.

I haven't been back for a year, and the house has changed quite a bit. The original three-courtyard house has been renovated, the main hall has new furniture, and there are several neatly trimmed potted plants in the yard.

Luo Xing came out of the main hall and looked him up and down.

The father and son sat down in the main hall. A servant brought tea and then withdrew. Luo Yun briefly recounted his year at Shrek Academy—champion of the freshman assessment, core disciple, level 30, and his third spirit ring.

"Level 30?" Luo Xing's voice was a little tense. "Third Ring?"

"Three rings." Luo Yun activated his martial soul possession, and three soul rings slowly rotated around him—one yellow, one yellowish-purple, and one purple.

Luo Xing stared at the purple spirit ring, his hand holding the teacup frozen in mid-air, not moving for a long time.

"Third Ring Road... Twelve-year-old Third Ring Road..." Luo Xing muttered to himself, then suddenly stood up, paced back and forth across the dining table, and slammed his hand on the table. "Good! Good! That's great!"

His eyes were a little red, and his voice trembled slightly.

"My son, Luo Xing, twelve years old, a three-ring Soul Master! A core disciple of Shrek Academy! The freshman champion!" He took a deep breath. "He's brought honor to our family! Yun'er, you've truly brought honor to our family!"

"Father, please don't get too excited," Luo Yun said with a smile.

"How could I not be excited?" Luo Xing sat down and let out a long breath. "A twelve-year-old with three rings—in our Wuyun City, that's practically the number one genius."

Luo Xing calmed himself down, put down his wine glass, and began to talk about what had happened in his family over the past year.

"The family business is stable now." His tone was much calmer than before, but still carried a hint of pride. "The Huami brand is well-known throughout the southwest of the Douling Empire. We have branches in seven or eight cities radiating outwards from Wuyun City, and our workshop has expanded three times."

"However, this expansion will stop here." Luo Xing changed the subject, his tone becoming more pragmatic. "Now the whole country is paying attention to our production model, and workshops of all sizes are learning from it. As far as I know, there are three or four imitations in Qing Shi City alone, some even making the packaging exactly the same."

"So now we can only rely on our early start and reputation to stabilize the market," Luo Xing said. "Fortunately, Huami has already made a name for itself, and people are more willing to buy our products. Moreover, our workshops are large-scale and have low costs, so we also have a price advantage."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion.

"But compared to before, it's a complete transformation. A year ago, our family was just well-off, but now..." He glanced at Luo Yun and smiled, "In Wu Yun City, our family is considered upper class. I can even sit at the head table when the City Lord's Mansion holds banquets."

"Oh, right." Luo Xing suddenly remembered something, stood up from his chair, walked to the cabinet, opened the drawer, and took out a small wooden box.

The box was small but exquisitely crafted, with simple patterns engraved on its surface. He placed the box on the table and pushed it in front of Luo Yun.

"Open it and take a look."

Luo Yun opened the box, inside were two small, white jade-like bottles, their mouths sealed with wax. Each bottle had a small label on its surface with three words written on it—Mysterious Water Pill.

He froze for a moment.

"Two?" He looked up at his father.

"Two pills." Luo Xing nodded. "The Mysterious Water Pill can be taken three times, with each dose having a slightly weaker effect. You've already taken one, so these two are perfect for continuing."

Luo Yun picked up a bottle and twirled it in his hand. The first dose of the Profound Water Pill was most effective; the second dose left about 60% remaining, and the third about 30%. After consuming all three pills, his innate soul power would likely increase by about two levels. His current cultivation speed was equivalent to the sixth level of the innate realm; after consuming these two pills, he should be close to the seventh level.

"I also prepared one for Master Fang," Luo Xing said, "but I've already given him his."

After finishing his meal, Luo Yun returned to his room, packed his luggage, and took one Xuan Shui Dan. He would take the remaining one after he had fully digested the medicinal effects.

The next morning, Luo Yun went to Master Fang's courtyard.

When he saw Luo Yun come in, Master Fang simply nodded, his tone as indifferent as if he had just been there yesterday.

"You're back? Come in."

Master Fang turned and walked into the studio, with Luo Yun following behind.

"What did you learn at Shrek this year?"

"Quite a few." Luo Yun sat down opposite him. "His soul power has reached level 30, and he's also obtained his third soul ring."

Master Fang paused for a moment, then looked up at him.

"Level 30?"

"Um."

Master Fang was silent for a few seconds, then nodded without saying anything more. He took out a small box from under the worktable, opened it, and inside was a silver-white badge engraved with the mark of a Level 4 Soul Master.

Luo Yun was stunned for a moment.

"Master, you..."

"You're at level forty-two." Master Fang's tone remained calm.

He paused and glanced at Luo Yun.

"Speaking of which, the Mystic Water Pill your father gave you was a huge help. The bottleneck that had been stuck for so long has finally been broken."

"Master, are you now a Soul Master?" Luo Yun asked.

Master Fang nodded. "Level 42."

His tone was calm, but Luo Yun noticed that his eyes were much brighter than they had been a year ago. That brightness wasn't from excitement, but from a sense of certainty that came from having found direction again.

"There's one more thing." Master Fang put down the metal plate in his hand and looked at Luo Yun. "Your father has also broken through to level 30."

Luo Yun was stunned for a moment.

"My dad?"

"Yes. He also took the Profound Water Pill, and with the accumulation he's made over the years, he finally overcame that hurdle." Master Fang's lips twitched slightly, as if he were smiling. "He originally wanted to tell you himself, to give you a surprise. Seeing how surprised you are, he probably didn't tell you. It's probably because you told him you were level 30 as soon as you came back that he felt embarrassed to say it."

Luo Yun was silent for a while, then smiled, feeling happy for his father.

Master Fang took a blueprint from the shelf and spread it on the table. The blueprint showed a complex level-three magic array pattern, with dense lines and numerous nodes, more complex than any blueprint he had practiced before.

"Enough of that," Master Fang's tone returned to its old self. "Let me see if you've been slacking off on your soul tools this past year."

Luo Yun didn't say much. He picked up the carving knife on the table, took a deep breath, and slowly channeled his soul power into the tip of the knife.

The blade tip landed on the metal plate and began to trace the wires.

Half an hour later, he put down his carving knife and handed the carved metal plate to Master Fang.

Master Fang took it, examined it over and over for a while, and then picked up a magnifying glass to check several key points.

"Do you have a dedicated soul tool teacher at Shrek Academy?" he asked.

"No." Luo Yun shook his head. "The Martial Soul Department and the Soul Guidance Department are separate. I applied for the Martial Soul Department. I practiced Soul Guidance on my own in my spare time."

Master Fang was silent for a few seconds, then placed the metal plate on the table and looked at Luo Yun.

"I'll set a goal for you—in your second year, you must become a Level 3 Soul Master."

"Level three?" Luo Yun asked.

"Level three." Master Fang nodded. "A level three Soul Master corresponds to a three-ring Soul Power level. You're already at three rings, so your Soul Power foundation is sufficient. What you lack is only proficiency and experience. A year is enough."

Luo Yun considered it in his mind. With the system's help, going from level two to level three in a year shouldn't be a problem.

"OK."