Night Talk and Secrets, Shrek's Tremors

Night fell, and the Star Dou Forest returned to tranquility.

In the Shrek Seven Devils' temporary camp, the campfire crackled, casting orange light upon several young faces. The day's mission of hunting soul beasts had been completed successfully, which should have been a cause for celebration, but at this moment, everyone's attention was elsewhere.

"Let me see! Let me see!"

Ning Rongrong tugged at Xiao Wu's sleeve, her large eyes filled with eagerness. Ever since they returned to camp, she had been thinking of nothing but that golden card, not even having the heart to eat dinner.

"Alright, alright, don't be so impatient!" Xiao Wu giggled as she pulled the Golden Spatula Experience Card from her bosom and waved it in her hand. "Let's agree on this first: we'll look at it together, no grabbing!"

"Got it, got it!" Ning Rongrong nodded repeatedly.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun, who were nearby, also crowded around, curiously examining the card that shimmered with golden light. Although Dai Mubai had lost face earlier that day, he couldn't help but quietly prick up his ears.

Only Tang San sat a little further away, his brows slightly furrowed as he wondered about something.

Xiao Wu took a deep breath and, following the method Yi Chen had taught her, injected a sliver of soul power into the card.

Hum—

The card suddenly lit up, and a golden screen of light unfolded in mid-air, clearer and more exquisite than what they had seen in the forest during the day. Four large characters appeared in the center of the screen—"Battle of the Golden Spatula"—with a line of small text below: "Welcome to the world of the Golden Spatula."

Immediately after, a gentle male voice emanated from the card:

"Welcome to the Battle of the Golden Spatula. This tutorial will introduce you to the basic rules and operation methods of the game. Please follow the guidance and learn step by step..."

The voice was unmistakably Yi Chen's!

Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment before realizing that this must be a teaching guide Yi Chen had recorded in advance. A warmth spread through her heart; she hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful as to prepare a tutorial.

For the next half hour, Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong focused intently on following the tutorial. From how to purchase chess pieces and arrange lineups to bond effects, equipment synthesis, and population upgrades... every step was explained clearly and simply.

"So that's how it works!" Ning Rongrong suddenly realized. "Does that mean if we put soul masters from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect together, we can activate the 'Seven Treasure Glazed' bond and grant everyone a soul power bonus?"

"It's more than that." Xiao Wu pointed to a line of instructions on the light screen. "Look here, the effect of the 'Seven Treasure Glazed' bond is: all friendly units gain 30% attack speed and 20% soul power recovery. And if you collect three Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect pieces, you can unlock even stronger effects!"

"That's too amazing!" Ning Rongrong's eyes shone. "If everyone in our sect played this game, wouldn't we..."

She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something, and quickly covered her mouth, but the excitement in her eyes could not be hidden.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun watched, dumbfounded.

"This thing... is it for real?" Ma Hongjun scratched his head in disbelief. "Why does it feel like I'm dreaming?"

"It's not a dream," a cold voice suddenly spoke up.

Everyone turned to see Zhu Zhuying, who had been silent until now, slowly speak: "This game... is real. I can feel that the power contained within that card is completely different from the soul power we cultivate, yet it is just as real."

She paused, then added: "And that man named Yi Chen... is strong. Very strong."

Coming from the usually taciturn Zhu Zhuying, these words carried significant weight. The camp fell silent for a few seconds, and the atmosphere became subtle.

"Hmph, what's so great about it!" Dai Mubai snorted coldly, attempting to regain the face he had lost earlier. "Isn't it just a stupid game? Can it compare to real combat with blades and spears? I think that guy is just a fraud playing tricks!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the experience card in his hand suddenly grew slightly warm.

Dai Mubai was startled. He looked down to see a line of small golden characters appearing on the surface of the card:

"Questioning is the excuse of the weak; the strong only use their strength to prove themselves. —Yi Chen"

Dai Mubai's expression turned incredibly colorful in an instant.

"Pfft—" Ma Hongjun couldn't hold it back and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!" Oscar laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. "Boss Dai, you just got slapped in the face, loud and clear!"

"Shut up!" Dai Mubai, embarrassed and angry, threw the card onto the ground. "What a piece of junk! I don't care for it!"

The moment the card hit the ground, it turned into a streak of golden light and flew back into Xiao Wu's hand on its own.

Xiao Wu caught the card and blinked, her expression somewhat strange. "Um... Boss Dai, the card says... you have lost your eligibility to experience it. If you want to regain it, you need to apologize to Yi Chen in person."

"..."

The camp fell into a deathly silence once more.

Dai Mubai's face turned from blue to white, and finally, with a livid expression, he stood up and walked into his tent without a word.

Tang San watched Dai Mubai leave and finally broke the silence. "Xiao Wu, that card... may I take a look at it?"

"Of course." Xiao Wu generously handed the card over.

Tang San took the card and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

He had never seen the material of this card before. It was neither metal nor jade, nor any known wood or beast bone. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet it was exceptionally tough; even if he used all his strength, he couldn't leave the slightest mark on it.

What shocked him even more was the power contained within the card—the level of that power was so high that it far exceeded his range of cognition. Even the Mysterious Heaven Skill he had cultivated in his previous life seemed insignificant in the face of this power.

"Tang San, what's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked with concern, seeing his expression.

Tang San came back to his senses, returned the card to Xiao Wu, and forced a smile. "Nothing, just thinking... this game is indeed very interesting."

He didn't tell the truth.

He didn't dare to.

Because he vaguely felt that the man named Yi Chen might very well become the greatest variable in his life.

The night grew deep, and the camp gradually quieted down.

Xiao Wu lay in her tent, clutching the Golden Spatula Experience Card in her hand, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with scenes from her battle against Yi Chen earlier that day—the movement of the pieces, the unleashing of skills, the triggering of traits... every detail left her wanting more.

"This game... it really is so interesting," she murmured to herself, the corners of her mouth curling upward involuntarily. "I have to find him to play again tomorrow!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Star Dou Forest.

Yi Chen sat cross-legged atop the canopy of an ancient tree, eyes closed in meditation. Moonlight spilled across his face, casting a silvery-white sheen over his handsome features.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"All three experience cards have been activated... Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing—all three have completed the tutorial. Not bad, faster than I expected."

He extended a finger and tapped lightly in the air, causing a system panel visible only to him to materialize before his eyes:

[Current Beta Player Count: 3/100]

[Tutorials Completed: 3]

[Active Players: 3]

[System Evaluation: Taking shape, keep up the good work.]

"Only three people..." Yi Chen sighed. "At this rate, when will I ever gather one hundred beta players?"

He pondered for a moment, and suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Since the three of them have already gotten the hang of it, I might as well let them recruit others. Recommendations between girls are far more effective than me trying to pull people in myself."

With that thought, Yi Chen operated the system, adding a new function to the experience card he had given Xiao Wu—

[Referral Bonus: Invite friends to register and complete the tutorial, and both parties will receive a random reward. The more you invite, the more generous the rewards!]

"With this, I won't have to worry about a lack of players." Yi Chen nodded in satisfaction and closed his eyes once more.

The night breeze blew through the treetops, carrying the low roars of soul beasts from the depths of the Star Dou Forest. Yet, Yi Chen's mood was exceptionally light.

The beginning of all things is difficult, but once the path is opened, the road ahead becomes much easier.

He believed that it wouldn't be long before the name "Battle of the Golden Spatula" would spread across the entire Douluo Continent.