The morning sun spilled across the back hill, and the dew on the blades of grass scattered tiny glimmers of light.
Yi Chen sat cross-legged beneath an ancient tree, a pot of clear tea before him, its fragrance curling through the air. Each of his three disciples sat before a chessboard, working through their daily basic training: simulated economic management.
"Rongrong, you ran out of gold by the 2-1 round. That's a major mistake."
Yi Chen held his teacup, his tone calm but unmistakably stern.
"Golden Spatula isn't about who spends their money fastest. It's about who spends it where it counts. Save some gold to earn interest, and you'll have the resources to make your move in the midgame."
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 turned his gaze to Xiao Wu. "A one-carry lineup isn't necessarily bad, but you have to leave yourself a way out. If your opponent targets your core piece, what will you use to turn things around?"
Xiao Wu scratched her head and gave a cheeky grin. "I understand, Master."
"Zhuqing's doing well." Yi Chen rarely handed out praise. "You've got the rhythm of economic management down. Keep it up."
Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight nod. Her face remained expressionless, but a flicker of barely perceptible delight passed through her eyes.
Training continued for the whole morning. Yi Chen didn't call a break until the sun had climbed overhead.
"Master, Master! Look what I bought!" Xiao Wu ran over excitedly, holding up two paper-wrapped parcels. "A new pastry shop opened in Suotuo City. I had to wait in line forever to get these!"
She opened the parcels. Inside were golden Osmanthus Cakes and flaky pastries, and their sweet aroma drifted through the air.
Ning Rongrong leaned closer, her eyes lighting up. "Wow, they look delicious!"
"Let's all have some!" Xiao Wu shared the pastries with everyone, then conjured a teapot from behind her back. "I brewed some flower tea, too. It's a specialty of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Ning Rongrong blinked in surprise. "How did you get my family's flower tea?"
"I swiped a packet when your dad sent supplies last time," Xiao Wu said, perfectly unapologetic.
Ning Rongrong laughed helplessly. "You call that swiping? That's just stealing."
"We're all family. Why quibble over stealing?" Xiao Wu waved her hand, poured everyone a cup of flower tea, then plopped down on the grass and took a satisfied sip.
Yi Chen accepted a piece of Osmanthus Cake and took a bite. It was sweet without being cloying, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossomed across his palate.
He watched his three disciples sitting together, chatting and sharing pastries and tea. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling across their youthful faces, and a rare sense of tranquility welled up inside him.
Life like this wasn't bad at all.
"Master," Ning Rongrong suddenly asked, a half-eaten piece of pastry still in her mouth, her words muffled, "what do you think Golden Spatula will become in the future? Will hundreds of thousands of people really play it together?"
Yi Chen set down his teacup and gazed toward the distant horizon. "Not just hundreds of thousands."
Ning Rongrong froze.
"The future of Golden Spatula will be beyond your imagination." Yi Chen's voice was calm, yet carried an air of certainty.
"It'll become an indispensable part of Douluo Continent, as natural as Spirit Master cultivation. By then, people won't think of Golden Spatula as just a game. It'll be a culture, a legacy."
The three girls exchanged glances, their eyes shining with anticipation.
"Then we have to work hard to become the best players!" Xiao Wu clenched her fist, brimming with fighting spirit. "When the eight-player battle mode opens, I'll be the first to reach Challenger!"
"Dream on. Challenger will definitely be mine!" Ning Rongrong retorted.
"Just you wait and see!"
The two girls bickered back and forth, while Zhu Zhuqing quietly sipped her flower tea nearby, the faintest curve at the corners of her mouth.
Watching them, Yi Chen couldn't help but smile, too.
While the four of them enjoyed this rare moment of leisure, the Golden Spatula craze was already sweeping across the continent with ever greater force.
Spirit City.
Bibi Dong stood on the second floor of the Golden Spatula Pavilion, looking down over the crowded hall below.
In just half a month, the number of registered players in Spirit City had surpassed five thousand. Every day, hundreds or even thousands of people arrived from all over, just to try their hand at the legendary Teamfight Tactics.
"Your Holiness the Pope," Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan hurried over and reported with a bow, "a message has come from the Star Luo Empire. They hope to introduce Golden Spatula and establish a branch pavilion in Star Luo City."
A satisfied smile curved Bibi Dong's lips. "Approved. Send a team of experienced stewards to help them set up the pavilion."
"Yes!"
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi sat in the pavilion's office, surrounded by stacks of files and account books.
Since the Golden Spatula Pavilion opened, its daily turnover had already surpassed that of many of the sect's traditional businesses—and it was still growing.
"Sect Master," an elder said, pushing open the door, excitement written across his face. "Good news! Several noble families in Heaven Dou City have sent a joint letter. They hope to cooperate with us and establish Golden Spatula branches in their territories!"
Ning Fengzhi stroked his beard and smiled. "Good, very good. Reply that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to cooperate, but we must retain control of the branch pavilions' operations."
"Understood!"
Heaven Dou City.
Dugu Bo sat in the garden of his residence, a Golden Spatula board in front of him. Across from him sat a white-haired old man, the chief imperial retainer of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family—a ninety-fifth-level Titled Douluo.
(P.S. I've strengthened the two great empires. They both have Titled Douluo now.)
"Old Poison, is this thing really as amazing as you say?" The old man stared at the board, looking doubtful.
Dugu Bo chuckled. "Why not try it and see? Just don't go back on your word if you lose. I'm counting on that jar of century-old Huadiao wine you promised me."
"Hmph, as if I'd be afraid of you." The old man rolled up his sleeves and began the first game of Golden Spatula of his life.
An hour later.
"Another round!" The old man's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the board. "I refuse to believe I can't beat you, you old poison!"
Dugu Bo leisurely lifted his teacup and took a sip. "Bring it on. Who's afraid of whom?"
And in every corner of the continent, more and more people were starting to discover this extraordinary game.
In a blacksmith's shop in Suotuo City, the old blacksmith set down his hammer and gathered with his apprentices to study a borrowed trial card.
In a little tavern in Nuoding City, a few low-ranked Spirit Masters huddled together, heatedly debating the merits of a certain lineup.
Even the Soul Hunting teams on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest would take out Golden Spatula for a game to unwind during their breaks.
Teamfight Tactics was spreading through every corner of Douluo Continent with unstoppable force.
Meanwhile, the one who had started it all was sitting beneath the ancient tree on the back hill of Shrek Academy, watching his three disciples argue over where to place a piece, a leisurely smile on his lips.
"Master!" Xiao Wu suddenly turned around, puffing with indignation. "Settle this for us! Rongrong keeps saying my positioning is wrong, but I followed exactly what you taught me!"
"You're just copying what you see without understanding the essence!" Ning Rongrong retorted, unwilling to back down.
Yi Chen lifted his teacup and took a leisurely sip, then uttered two words:
"Start over."
"Ah!"
The two girls groaned in unison, but obediently started their match over.
Zhu Zhuqing watched quietly from the side, the curve of her lips growing a little more pronounced.
The sun was warm, and the breeze was gentle.
Yi Chen leaned against the tree trunk, watching his three disciples concentrate on their match. A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
If only days like these could last forever.