A Duo's Journey, First Live Broadcast Duel

The back mountain of Shrek Academy was exceptionally lively today.

Early in the morning, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were bustling about, setting up the venue, moving tables and chairs, arranging the Golden Chessboard, and brewing tea. They were having the time of their lives.

This was no ordinary training day; Yi Chen had organized the first official Golden Spatula exhibition match.

What excited them even more was that the match would be broadcast live to the Golden Spatula Pavilions in Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

In other words, thousands upon thousands of people would be watching their performance.

"Rongrong, do you think Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling will be very strong?" Xiao Wu asked, feeling a bit nervous.

Although she was usually carefree, the thought of so many people watching her every move made her palms sweat slightly.

Ning Rongrong, however, looked full of confidence. She patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and said, "What are you afraid of? We are the Master's personal disciples! We've been practicing for so long; there's no way we'll lose to them, right?"

"You're right!" Encouraged by her words, Xiao Wu regained her confidence and clenched her fists. "Today, I'm definitely going to show them what we're made of!"

Yi Chen sat on a rattan chair beneath an ancient tree, watching his two disciples full of vigor with a faint smile on his lips.

A golden system panel hovered before him, displaying the connection status of the live broadcast feeds.

The signals from Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were all connected, and the picture was clear and smooth. He could even see that the halls of the Spirit City pavilion were already packed with people, all gathered around a massive projection screen and whispering among themselves.

"Master, they're here!" Ning Rongrong suddenly called out.

Yi Chen looked up to see two graceful figures walking along the mountain path.

Leading the way was Dugu Yan, her signature long, ink-green hair flowing behind her, her posture elegant and her stride confident.

She wore a set of emerald-green athletic gear designed for ease of movement, with a silver belt cinched at her waist, giving her a heroic and spirited appearance.

Following behind her was Ye Lingling, dressed in a simple white gown. Her silver-white hair shimmered with a soft luster in the sunlight. With her cold, detached expression and light footsteps, she looked like a fairy treading upon the clouds.

The two walked up to Yi Chen and bowed in unison.

"Yan'er greets you, Senior."

"Lingling greets you, Senior."

Yi Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping over them with silent approval.

Dugu Yan's soul power fluctuations were steady and solid; it was clear she had fully adapted to her evolved martial soul.

Although Ye Lingling's aura was restrained, that composed and calm demeanor was truly rare among her peers.

"Are you both prepared?" Yi Chen asked.

A confident smile tugged at the corners of Dugu Yan's mouth. "We are ready. Lingling and I have spent the last few days researching several synergy lineups, and we were hoping to ask for your guidance, Senior."

Ye Lingling didn't speak, merely nodding gently, though a glimmer of anticipation flickered in her silver-gray eyes.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu walked over as well. As the four girls stood face-to-face, invisible sparks seemed to fly in the air between them.

"The rules are simple." Yi Chen stood up and walked between the four girls with his hands behind his back. "2v2 duo mode. Both sides will take turns selecting card packs, then adjust their positioning based on their lineup. It's a single-game elimination; the losing side will have their training load doubled for today."

"No problem!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu said in unison.

"Accepted," Dugu Yan replied crisply. Ye Lingling remained silent, but gave a slight nod.

Yi Chen nodded in satisfaction and flicked his finger through the air.

A massive Golden Chessboard unfolded in the center of the clearing, divided in two by a golden centerline. The left side was the territory for Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu, while the right side belonged to Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.

At the same time, inside the Golden Spatula Pavilions in Spirit City, Heaven Dou City, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the images lit up simultaneously on the giant projection screens.

The previously noisy halls fell silent as everyone's gaze locked onto the screens.

"It's starting! It's starting!"

"I heard both sides were personally coached by Elder Yi Chen!"

"I recognize the two on the left; they're students from Shrek Academy. I think they're Elder Yi Chen's personal disciples!"

"Who are the two on the right? They're so beautiful!"

"The one with green hair is Poison Douluo's granddaughter, and the other one seems to be the successor of the Ye family's Nine Heart Begonia!"

Discussions erupted one after another in the various pavilions. Everyone was filled with anticipation for this first public Golden Spatula duel.

Back at the Shrek mountain, the match officially began.

For the first round of card selection, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu chose the "General-Purpose Card Pack," which favored balanced development. It contained a basic combination of three assault-type pieces and two defense-type pieces—a standard, steady approach.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling chose the "Control-Type Card Pack," containing two control-type pieces and three output-type pieces, clearly intending to use a control chain as their core to unleash a burst of damage.

"Lingling, you handle the positioning for the front-row control pieces; I'll be responsible for the back-row output," Dugu Yan said quickly.

Ye Lingling nodded and used her slender, white fingers to place the two control-type pieces on the far left and right of the front row, forming a pincer formation. This ensured that no matter which direction the opponent attacked from, they would be hit by at least one control skill.

Ning Rongrong watched the opposing formation, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Xiao Wu, they're trying to set up a control chain. We'll put our main carry piece in the very center and let the two defense pieces stand in front to soak up the damage. We'll wait until they've exhausted their control skills before we start our output."

"Understood!" Xiao Wu adjusted their formation decisively.

With both sides finished with their layout, the battle officially commenced.

Golden light flickered across the chessboard as the pieces from both sides began to move simultaneously.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's control pieces struck first. Two blue rings of light expanded at the same time, freezing the two defense-type pieces in Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu's front row in their tracks.

Immediately, three damage-dealing pieces focused their fire, instantly depleting one-third of a defensive piece's health.

But Ning Rongrong had been prepared. She kept her main damage-dealing piece hidden in the safest spot in the back row, and while the opponent's crowd-control skills were on cooldown, she commanded two assault-type pieces to flank the side and dive straight for the enemy's back-row damage dealers.

Dugu Yan frowned and hurriedly adjusted her formation, but Ye Lingling reacted even faster.

She quickly pulled a control-type piece back to block the front of her damage dealer, forcefully tanking the wave of attacks.

Both sides traded blows, and the battle remained deadlocked.

Inside the Golden Spatula Pavilion in Spirit City, the audience watched with undivided attention, erupting into gasps and applause from time to time.

"That girl in white has such quick reflexes! That defensive maneuver just now was absolutely brilliant!"

"The coordination on the Shrek side is also impressive; the front line tanks the damage while the back line looks for openings to strike. Their strategy is very clear!"

"If the first round is this exciting, what will the later matches be like?"

The pavilions in Heaven Dou City and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were equally bustling with heat and excitement.

For many, this was their first time witnessing an official Golden Spatula match, and the tense, thrilling atmosphere drew them in involuntarily.

Behind Shrek Academy, the first round ended. Both sides had lost two pieces each, and with the remaining health and positions of the other pieces varying, the match was, on the whole, evenly matched.

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes. The strength of their opponents was truly greater than they had anticipated.

Dugu Yan also set aside her initial relaxed attitude, her gaze becoming focused. The disciples of Senior Yi Chen were certainly not famous for nothing.

The second round of card pack selection began. This time, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu chose the "Burst-Type Card Pack," gambling on the potential of high-star pieces.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, meanwhile, chose the "Sustain-Type Card Pack," intending to wear their opponents down through prolonged combat.

Both sides completed their setups, and the battle resumed.

In this round, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu clearly had better luck.

Their core pieces successfully upgraded to two stars, and combined with the attribute bonuses from the Burst-Type Card Pack, they dealt a massive amount of damage in the first exchange, instantly killing one of the opponent's damage dealers.

Dugu Yan's expression shifted, but she did not panic. She and Ye Lingling quickly adjusted their strategy, pulling their remaining pieces into a defensive formation and using the healing effects of the Sustain-Type Card Pack to forcefully stall the opponent's offensive.

The two sides fell into a war of attrition once more.

Finally, in the third and deciding round, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu utilized a precise adjustment in positioning to seize a tiny gap in the opponent's crowd-control chain, successfully breaking into the back row to kill Dugu Yan's core damage dealer and secure the victory.

"We won!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu cheered in unison, high-fiving each other.

Although Dugu Yan had lost, she did not look overly discouraged. She looked at Yi Chen and said candidly, "Senior, we lost. We will double our training volume for today."

Yi Chen looked at the four girls, a satisfied smile touching his lips. "Well played. Both of your performances exceeded my expectations."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the four of them. "Rongrong and Xiao Wu, your coordination is becoming increasingly tacit, but your ability to adapt on the fly could be faster."

"Yan'er and Lingling, your logic for the crowd-control chain was excellent, but the rhythm of the execution needs polishing. Sometimes, being just a beat too slow is all it takes for an opponent to find a flaw."

The four girls listened intently, taking every one of Yi Chen's critiques to heart.

"Alright, today's exhibition match ends here." Yi Chen waved his hand and put away the Golden Chessboard. "Go and get some rest; there is still training this afternoon."

"Yes, Master!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu replied in unison.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior." Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also bowed slightly.

Meanwhile, in the Golden Spatula Pavilions across the three locations, the audience remained immersed in the afterglow of the brilliant duel, still wanting more.

"Is it over already? I still want to watch!"

"Those four girls are all so amazing! It makes me want to go practice myself!"

"I heard Elder Yi Chen will be hosting an even larger-scale tournament. I'm definitely signing up when that happens!"

The craze for Golden Spatula was sweeping across the entire continent with an unstoppable momentum.