Chapter 2: Timeline

The aroma of barbecued pork filled the air, enticing Li Luochen as he sat with his grandfather, Li Yusong. The scene was heartwarming, a simple moment of family bonding that many on the mainland might not have the luxury to experience.

"Come on, Xiaochen, start eating. Be careful not to get burned. Hahahahaha," Li Yusong chuckled, his eyes brimming with relief and joy. It was evident that seeing his grandson return to normalcy brought him immense comfort.

"Okay, grandpa, I won't be polite, ah!" Li Luochen responded, eagerly diving into the meal. The afternoon of sorting through his memories had left him mentally exhausted and ravenously hungry.

As they ate, Li Luochen's mind wandered to his current situation. He needed to understand the timeline and context of this world better. His grandfather had mentioned being a teacher at a college, and Li Luochen saw this as an opportunity to gather more information.

"Grandpa, I think you told me before that you are a teacher in a college. What college? Are there any outstanding students?" he inquired, aiming to piece together the specifics of the era he was in.

Li Yusong's eyes lit up with pride as he spoke about his work. "Grandpa is currently a teacher at a school called Shrek. The dean is a good friend of Grandpa. The four-eyed cat owl Flanders is now a Soul Emperor-level warrior. He is only about 40 years old. The vice president, Acala, Zhao Wuji, is also a Soul Emperor. There are also several Soul King teachers, so the teaching staff is pretty good."

He continued, detailing the notable students at Shrek Academy. "There are two students. We at Shrek Academy mainly teach monsters. One is Qin Ming, whose martial spirit is Fiery Wolf. He is now 19 years old, and his spirit power level is 42. He is very outstanding and has reached the age of graduation. The other one is Mo Yu, with the spirit Wind and Thunder Wing, 18 years old and spirit power level 37. He has good talent, but his mentality is not good enough, and he is often under great pressure, probably because Qin Ming is too outstanding."

Listening intently, Li Luochen realized these were among the first classes of Shrek Academy students. He recognized Qin Ming as a notable figure from his knowledge of the original timeline. The other student, Mo Yu, though not as renowned, still possessed significant talent.

"Grandpa, what you just said means that Mo Yu will not be able to graduate? Why is that? Being 18 years old and level 37 is already very impressive," Li Luochen asked, curious about the graduation standards at Shrek.

Li Yusong sighed, "The graduation requirement for our Shrek is to reach Soul Sect before the age of 20. Since he broke through level 35, it has basically taken him half a year to improve. Maybe it's because of the pressure."

He added, reflecting on the academy's limitations, "Our academy is just a small village and does not have any resources for cultivation. Although Dean Flanders is very protective of his students, he is a miser and even delays paying our salaries. Apart from being a miser, everything else is fine. Moreover, he was already a Soul Emperor at a young age and will definitely become a Soul Douluo in the future."

Sensing that his grandfather might not have all the answers he sought, Li Luochen decided to change the topic. He knew that acquiring more knowledge about soul masters and soul beasts would be beneficial. He also had a keen interest in learning some medical skills, thinking ahead to a potential future where he might need to rely on such abilities.

"Grandpa, my brain is normal now. Do you have any books about soul masters? Let me read them. I'm bored at home anyway," he asked, hoping to delve into some self-study.

Li Yusong's face softened at his grandson's request. "Okay, okay, Xiaochen, as long as you have something you like to do, here's Grandpa's soul beast collection. It contains a complete collection of soul beasts. I gave it to you when Grandpa was young."

Handing over an old, well-worn book, Li Yusong added, "Okay, I'll find one for you. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I don't have any big aspirations right now. If you're willing to learn, I'll find one for you."

"Okay, thank you, grandpa." Li Luochen hugged his grandfather happily, feeling a deep bond despite the time-traveling circumstances. The affection and care from Li Yusong made him feel truly at home in this new world.

From that day on, Li Luochen immersed himself in studying the soul beast collection and other materials his grandfather provided. With his sharp memory and previous life experiences, he quickly absorbed the knowledge, laying a solid foundation for his future endeavors in this unfamiliar yet fascinating world.