Daily Life and the Tide

The morning sun bathed the back mountain, the dew on the blades of grass refracting into tiny, shimmering shards of light.

Yi Chen sat cross-legged beneath an ancient tree, a pot of clear tea set before him, its fragrance curling into the air. His three disciples sat before their respective chessboards, engaged in their mandatory daily basic training: a simulation exercise in economic management.

"Rongrong, you spent all your gold by round 2-1. That is a major taboo."

Yi Chen held his teacup, his tone flat yet carrying an unquestionable sternness.

"The Battle of the Golden Spatula isn't about who spends their money the fastest, but who spends it where it counts. You must retain a portion of your gold to collect interest so you can exert power in the mid-game."

Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue and hurriedly adjusted her strategy.

"Xiao Wu, you've dumped all your resources into a single piece again."

Yi Chen's gaze shifted to Xiao Wu. "A single-carry lineup isn't impossible, but you must learn to leave yourself a way out. If your core piece is countered by an opponent, what will you use to turn the tide?"

Xiao Wu scratched her head and gave a sheepish grin. "I understand, Master."

"Zhuqing did well." Yi Chen offered a rare word of praise. "Your rhythm in economic management is excellent. Keep it up."

Zhuqing nodded slightly; though her face remained expressionless, a flicker of hard-to-detect joy flashed in her eyes.

The training lasted the entire morning. It wasn't until the sun climbed to its zenith that Yi Chen announced a break.

"Master, Master, look what I bought!" Xiao Wu ran over excitedly, holding up two oil-paper parcels. "A new pastry shop opened in Soto City, and I had to wait in line for so long to get these!"

She opened the parcels to reveal golden osmanthus cakes and flaky pastries, the sweet aroma immediately wafting through the air.

Ning Rongrong leaned in, her eyes brightening. "Wow, that looks delicious!"

"Let's all eat together!" Xiao Wu divided the pastries among everyone, then, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a teapot from behind her back. "I also brewed some flower tea; it's a specialty of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"

Ning Rongrong blinked in surprise. "How do you have my family's flower tea?"

"Last time your father sent supplies, I 'borrowed' a bag," Xiao Wu said righteously.

Ning Rongrong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is that what you call borrowing? That was clearly stealing."

"We're all family, why talk about stealing?" Xiao Wu waved her hand, poured a cup of tea for everyone, then plopped down on the grass and took a satisfied sip.

Yi Chen also accepted a piece of osmanthus cake and took a bite; it was sweet but not cloying, the delicate fragrance of osmanthus melting on his tongue.

He watched his three disciples sitting together, sharing pastries and tea with laughter and chatter, the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves to fall upon their youthful, vibrant faces. A rare sense of tranquility welled up in his heart.

Days like these were not bad at all.

"Master," Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke up, still chewing on half a pastry, and asked indistinctly, "What do you think the Battle of the Golden Spatula will become in the future? Will there really be millions of people playing it together?"

Yi Chen set down his teacup and looked toward the distant horizon. "Not just millions."

Ning Rongrong was stunned.

"The future of the Battle of the Golden Spatula will exceed your imagination," Yi Chen's voice was calm but carried a certain conviction.

"It will become an indispensable part of the Douluo Continent, as natural as a soul master's cultivation. By then, when people mention the Battle of the Golden Spatula, they won't think of it as just a game, but as a culture, a legacy."

The three girls exchanged glances, their eyes shimmering with longing.

"Then we have to work hard to become the best players!" Xiao Wu clenched her fists, full of fighting spirit. "When the eight-player mode opens, I'm going to be the first to reach Challenger!"

"In your dreams, the Challenger rank will definitely be mine!" Ning Rongrong retorted, refusing to concede.

"Then we'll see!"

The two girls bickered back and forth, while Zhuqing sat to the side, silently sipping her flower tea, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her mouth.

Yi Chen watched them, his own lips curling into a slight smile.

Just as the master and his three disciples enjoyed their rare moment of leisure, the wind of the Battle of the Golden Spatula was already blowing ever more fiercely across the continent.

Spirit City.

Bibi Dong stood on the second floor of the Golden Spatula Pavilion, overlooking the bustling hall below.

In just half a month, the number of registered players in Spirit City had exceeded five thousand, and hundreds of people arrived from all over every day just to experience a round of the legendary Battle of the Golden Spatula.

"Your Majesty," Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan hurried over, bowing to report, "News has come from the Star Luo Empire. They hope to introduce the Battle of the Golden Spatula and establish a branch pavilion in Star Luo City."

A satisfied curve touched Bibi Dong's lips. "Granted. Send a team of experienced deacons to assist them in building the pavilion."

"Yes!"

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi sat in the pavilion's office, his desk piled high with various files and ledgers.

Since the opening of the Golden Spatula Pavilion, the daily turnover had already surpassed many of the sect's traditional industries, and it was still growing.

"Sect Master," an elder pushed open the door, his face filled with excitement. "Good news! Several nobles from Heaven Dou City have written a joint letter hoping to cooperate with us to establish branch pavilions on their territories!"

Ning Fengzhi stroked his beard and smiled. "Good, very good. Reply to them that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to cooperate, but on the condition that we must control the operational rights of the branches."

"Understood!"

Heaven Dou City.

Dugu Bo sat in the garden of his estate, a Golden Spatula chessboard set before him. Sitting opposite him was a white-haired old man, the chief consultant of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family, a level 95 Title Douluo.

"Old Poison, is this thing really as miraculous as you claim?" The old man stared at the chessboard, his face full of skepticism.

Dugu Bo chuckled. "Why don't you try it and see for yourself? Don't go back on your word if you lose; that jar of century-old Huadiao wine you promised me better not go missing."

"Hmph, do you think I'm afraid of you?" The old man rolled up his sleeves and began the first Battle of the Golden Spatula of his life.

An hour later.

"One more round!" The old man's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the chessboard. "I refuse to believe I can't beat you, you old poison!"

Dugu Bo leisurely picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Bring it on, who's afraid of whom?"

Meanwhile, in every corner of the continent, more and more people were beginning to encounter this magical game.

In a blacksmith shop in Soto City, the old blacksmith set down his hammer and gathered with his apprentices to study a borrowed trial card.

In a small tavern in Nuoding City, several low-level spirit masters huddled together, fiercely debating the pros and cons of a certain team composition.

Even the spirit-hunting squads on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest would pull out their Battle of the Golden Spatula during breaks to relax and unwind.

Battle of the Golden Spatula was infiltrating every corner of the Douluo Continent with an unstoppable momentum.

And the mastermind behind it all was currently sitting under an ancient tree behind Shrek Academy, watching his three disciples argue endlessly over the placement of a chess piece, a leisurely smile playing on his lips.

"Master!" Xiao Wu suddenly turned her head, pouting. "You be the judge! Rongrong insists my positioning is wrong, but I followed exactly what you taught me!"

"That's just copying without understanding; you haven't grasped the essence at all!" Ning Rongrong retorted, refusing to back down.

Yi Chen picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and uttered two words:

"Restart."

"Ah—"

Both girls wailed in unison, but they obediently began the match over again.

Zhu Zhuqing watched silently from the side, the curve of her lips deepening slightly.

The sunlight was perfect, and the breeze was gentle.

Yi Chen leaned against the tree trunk, watching his three disciples playing with such focus, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

If only days like these could last forever.