The back hill of Shrek Academy was unusually lively today.
Early in the morning, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu had been bustling about, setting up the venue, moving tables and chairs, laying out the chessboard, and brewing tea. They were having the time of their lives.
Today wasn't an ordinary training day. Yi Chen had arranged the first official Golden Spatula tournament.
What excited them even more was that the match would be livestreamed simultaneously to the Golden Spatula Pavilions in Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In other words, tens of thousands of people would be watching their performance at the same time.
"Rongrong, do you think Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling will be strong?" Xiao Wu asked nervously.
She was usually carefree, but at the thought of so many people watching her play, her palms still grew a little sweaty.
Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, looked completely confident. She patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder. "What's there to be afraid of? We're Master's direct disciples. We've trained for so long. There's no way we'll lose to them, right?"
"That's true!" Encouraged by her, Xiao Wu regained her confidence and clenched her fist. "Today, I'll show them what we're made of!"
Yi Chen sat in a wicker chair beneath an ancient tree, watching his two disciples bustle about with enthusiasm. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
A golden system panel floated before him, displaying the connection status of the livestream.
The signals to Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were all connected, and the footage was clear and smooth. He could even see that a crowd had already gathered in the hall of the Spirit City pavilion, chatting excitedly around a huge projection screen.
"Master, they're here!" Ning Rongrong suddenly called.
Yi Chen looked up and saw two graceful figures approaching along the mountain path.
Dugu Yan walked in front, her signature dark green hair unchanged. Her figure was graceful, and her steps confident.
Today, she wore a fitted, jade-green outfit suited for movement, with a silver belt around her waist. She looked valiant and spirited.
Following her was Ye Lingling, dressed in a plain white gown. Her silvery hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, her features cool and composed, and her steps light. She seemed like a fairy walking on clouds.
The two stopped before Yi Chen and bowed in unison.
"Yan'er pays her respects to Senior."
"Lingling pays her respects to Senior."
Yi Chen nodded, his gaze passing over them as he silently approved.
Dugu Yan's Soul Power was steady and solid. Clearly, she had adapted to her evolved Martial Soul.
Ye Lingling's presence was subdued, but her calm and composed bearing was rare among those her age.
"Are you both ready?" Yi Chen asked.
A confident smile tugged at Dugu Yan's lips. "We're ready. Lingling and I have been working on several team compositions these past few days. We'd like to ask Senior for some guidance."
Ye Lingling said nothing, merely nodding. A flicker of anticipation showed in her silver-gray eyes.
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu walked over as well. The four girls faced one another, and invisible sparks seemed to fly through the air.
"The rules are simple." Yi Chen rose and walked between them with his hands clasped behind his back. "It's a 2v2 doubles match. The two sides will take turns choosing card packs, then adjust their positions based on their lineups. One round decides the winner. The losing side will double their training today."
"No problem!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu answered in unison.
"Agreed," Dugu Yan replied briskly. Ye Lingling remained silent but gave a slight nod.
Yi Chen nodded in satisfaction and traced a finger lightly through the air.
A huge golden chessboard unfolded in the clearing, split in half by a golden line. Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu's side was on the left, while Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's was on the right.
At the same time, the projection screens inside the Golden Spatula Pavilions in Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lit up with the same image.
The halls, which had been buzzing with noise, fell quiet. Everyone's eyes fixed on the screens.
"It's starting, it's starting!"
"I heard both teams were personally coached by Elder Yi Chen!"
"I know the two on the left. They're students at Shrek Academy, and I think they're Elder Yi Chen's direct disciples!"
"Who are the two on the right? They're so pretty!"
"The one with green hair is Poison Douluo's granddaughter. The other seems to be a successor of the Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia!"
The pavilions in every city echoed with excited chatter. Everyone was looking forward to this first public Golden Spatula showdown.
Back on Shrek's rear hill, the match officially began.
In the first round of card selection, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu chose a "General-Purpose Card Pack," geared toward balanced development. It contained a basic lineup of three Power Attack System pieces and two defensive pieces: a straightforward, steady choice.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling chose a "Control-Type Card Pack," containing two control pieces and three damage-dealing pieces. They clearly intended to center their strategy on a chain of control effects and unleash a burst of damage.
"Lingling, you position the control pieces in front. I'll handle the backline damage," Dugu Yan said quickly.
Ye Lingling nodded. With her slender, pale fingers, she placed the two control pieces at the forward corners of the board, forming a pincer formation. No matter which direction their opponents attacked from, at least one control skill would hit.
Watching the opposing formation, Ning Rongrong narrowed her eyes slightly. "Xiao Wu, they're going for a control chain. Let's put our main carry in the safest spot in the back and have the two defensive pieces take the front and absorb damage. Once they've used their control skills, we'll attack."
"Got it!" Xiao Wu quickly adjusted their positions.
Both sides finished their formations, and the battle began.
Golden light flashed across the board as the pieces on both sides sprang into action.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's control pieces struck first. Two blue rings of light spread out at once, locking the two defensive pieces in Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu's front line in place.
Next, all three of their damage-dealing pieces focused their attacks, instantly knocking a third of the health off one defensive piece.
But Ning Rongrong had been ready for this. She had hidden her main carry in the safest spot at the back. As soon as the opposing control skills went on cooldown, she directed two Power Attack System pieces in from the flank, sending them straight for the enemy backline.
Dugu Yan frowned and hurried to adjust their formation, but Ye Lingling reacted even faster.
She swiftly pulled one of the control pieces back to block the damage-dealing piece, taking the brunt of the attack head-on.
The two sides traded blows, and the battle was locked in a stalemate.
In the Spirit City pavilion, the audience watched without blinking, breaking into gasps and applause every so often.
"That girl in white reacted so quickly! That retreat to defend was incredible!"
"Shrek's teamwork is good too. They're having the front line take the damage while the backline looks for chances to attack. Their strategy is clear!"
"If the first round is already this exciting, what will the rest be like?"
The pavilions in Heaven Dou City and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were just as lively.
Many people were seeing an official Golden Spatula match for the first time. The tense, thrilling atmosphere drew them in despite themselves.
Back on Shrek's rear hill, the first round ended. Each side had lost two pieces, and the remaining pieces had different health levels and positions. Overall, they were evenly matched.
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes. Their opponents were indeed stronger than they had expected.
The second round of card selection began. This time, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu chose a "Burst-Damage Card Pack," betting on the potential of high-star pieces.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling chose a "Sustain Card Pack," planning to wear their opponents down through prolonged combat.
Once again, both sides finished setting up, and the battle resumed.
This round, luck was clearly on Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu's side.
Their core piece successfully reached two stars. Combined with the stat bonuses from the Burst-Damage Card Pack, it dealt a tremendous amount of damage in the first clash, killing one of the opposing damage-dealing pieces outright.
Dugu Yan's expression changed, but she didn't panic. She and Ye Lingling quickly changed tactics, pulling their remaining pieces back into a defensive formation. Using the Sustain Card Pack's healing effect, they managed to hold back the enemy's assault.
The two sides were locked in another war of attrition.
In the decisive third round, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu made a precisely timed adjustment to their formation. They seized a tiny gap between the opposing control skills, broke through to the backline, and killed Dugu Yan's main damage-dealing piece, sealing their victory.
"We won!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu cheered together and slapped their palms in celebration.
Though she had lost, Dugu Yan showed little disappointment. She looked at Yi Chen and said frankly, "Senior, we lost. We'll double our training today, as promised."
Yi Chen looked at the four girls, a satisfied smile appearing at the corners of his lips. "Well played. Both teams did better than I expected."
He paused, his gaze passing over all four of them. "Rongrong and Xiao Wu are working together more and more smoothly, but you could react faster in the moment.
"Yan'er and Lingling, your control-chain strategy is good, but you still need to polish the timing between its links. Sometimes you're just a beat too slow, and your opponent can seize the opening."
The four girls listened attentively, committing every bit of Yi Chen's advice to memory.
"All right, that's the end of today's exchange match." Yi Chen waved his hand and put away the Golden Chessboard. "Go rest for a while. You still have training this afternoon."
"Yes, Master!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu answered together.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior," Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling said, bowing slightly.
But in the Golden Spatula Pavilions in all three locations, the audience was still savoring the excitement of the match, reluctant for it to be over.
"That's it? I want to see more!"
"Those four girls were all amazing! Now I want to give it a try myself!"
"I heard Elder Yi Chen will hold an even bigger tournament. I'm definitely signing up!"
The Golden Spatula craze was sweeping across the entire continent with unstoppable force.