Million Breakthrough, Prelude to a New Era

A month later.

Behind Shrek Academy, autumn deepened. The leaves of the ancient trees were tinged with gold, rustling in the breeze. Occasionally, a few fallen leaves spiraled down, landing on a chessboard, only to be gently brushed away by a fair hand.

Yi Chen lay on a rattan chair, eyes closed in repose. He held a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, showing no intention of drinking it.

His consciousness was immersed in the system panel, watching the constantly ticking number, a satisfied arc slowly curling at the corners of his mouth.

[Current Registered Players: 1,000,000]

A full million people.

A month ago, this number had seemed like an unreachable goal.

But with the joint promotion of the four major forces—Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Dugu Bo, and the Zhu Family—and the continuous fermentation of the Battle of the Golden Spatula's reputation, the growth rate of registered players had far exceeded his expectations.

In the northern region of the Heaven Dou Empire near Spirit City, the Golden Spatula Pavilion had expanded to its third branch, and every one of them was packed to capacity every single day.

The main pavilion in Heaven Dou City was even harder to get into; some people even started queuing a day in advance just to snag an experience slot.

Within the territory of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Battle of the Golden Spatula had become a staple topic of daily conversation among sect disciples, and even some elders couldn't help but join the ranks of the players.

As for the Star Luo Empire, the Star Luo branch managed by the Zhu Family had officially opened a month ago, and nearly ten thousand players flooded in on the very first day—a spectacle unprecedented.

And the source of all this was currently lying on the rattan chair beneath this ancient tree, as leisurely as a cat basking in the sun.

"Ding, congratulations to the Host for completing the second stage of the main quest: Sweeping the Continent."

The crisp chime of the system echoed in his mind, followed immediately by a golden system panel unfolding before his eyes, with lines of gold-leaf text emerging:

[Quest Objective: Reach 1,000,000 registered players]

[Current Progress: 1,000,000/1,000,000]

[Quest Rating: S]

[Quest rewards are being calculated...]

Yi Chen sat up, set aside the cold tea, and focused his gaze on the system panel.

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the following rewards:]

[1. Eight-player battle mode unlocked: Supports eight players competing on the same stage, each fighting for themselves, vying for the final victory through strategy and luck. This mode will serve as the core gameplay of the Battle of the Golden Spatula and will be open to all registered players.]

[2. Ranked tier system opened: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger—a total of nine tiers. Players can accumulate victory points and increase their tier by participating in the eight-player battle mode.]

[3. Tier reward mechanism enabled: Upon reaching a designated tier, players can claim corresponding rewards at the end of the season. Rewards include, but are not limited to, spirit power infusion, aged spirit rings, top-tier spirit bones, rare items, and more. The higher the tier, the more generous the rewards.]

[4. Host exclusive reward: As the Host completed the quest with an S-rating, you have received the following additional rewards: The Golden Spatula Sanctuary complete form is unlocked and can be placed in any location to serve as the headquarters dojo for the Battle of the Golden Spatula; the Host's own spirit power cultivation has been further consolidated, and the spirit power limit has increased by 30%.]

After reading through all the rewards, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Yi Chen's eyes.

The eight-player battle mode, the ranked tier system, and the tier reward mechanism combined would completely ignite the passion of the entire continent.

Especially for those spirit masters who had been stuck at bottlenecks for years—once they learned that reaching a high tier could grant them spirit rings and spirit bones, they would likely throw themselves into the Battle of the Golden Spatula like madmen.

And the complete form of the Golden Spatula Sanctuary was something he was particularly looking forward to.

The Golden Spatula Sanctuary he had obtained previously was only a prototype, usable only as a mobile dojo. Now that the complete form was unlocked, it should have many more unexpected functions.

With a thought, a palm-sized phantom of a golden palace appeared in his palm.

Unlike before, the details of this palace were more exquisite; flowing light moved between the eaves and arches, and the aura it emitted was more vast and sacred.

He could feel that the space inside the sanctuary had expanded several times over, enough to accommodate thousands of people for cultivation or battle simultaneously.

"Master! Master!"

Ning Rongrong's excited voice came from afar, interrupting Yi Chen's thoughts. He tucked away the sanctuary phantom and looked up to see Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu running up from the hillside, both their faces filled with excitement and thrill.

"Master! Did you see? The number of registrations has broken one million!" Ning Rongrong ran up to Yi Chen, waving a statistical report in her hand, her voice brimming with irrepressible excitement. "The message just came from Spirit City—just a moment ago, the millionth player successfully registered!"

Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly, adding, "And I heard there are still so many people queuing up to register in Heaven Dou City! Grandpa Dugu sent word that at this rate, it won't be a problem to break two million in another two months!"

Yi Chen looked at his two disciples' excited expressions, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift slightly.

"I know." He picked up the cold tea, took a sip, then set it down, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of solemnity. "However, the real challenge has only just begun."

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, both looking puzzled.

"Master, what do you mean?" Xiao Wu tilted her head and asked. "Haven't we already done a great job?"

Yi Chen stood up, walked under the ancient tree with his hands behind his back, and gazed toward the distant horizon. The autumn sky was as clear as a wash, with a few white clouds drifting leisurely by; everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

But he knew that the peaceful days would soon come to an end.

"One million registered players is just the beginning," he said slowly, his voice clear and composed.

"Next, the Battle of the Golden Spatula will enter a brand-new stage—the S1 Season. The eight-player battle mode, the ranked tier system, and the tier reward mechanism will all officially launch in this season."

He turned around to look at his two disciples, his eyes holding a profound glimmer. "By then, the Battle of the Golden Spatula will no longer be just a game."

"It will become a brand-new cultivation system, a path running parallel to traditional spirit master cultivation."

"More and more people will gain power through the Battle of the Golden Spatula, and more and more people will view it as an opportunity to change their destiny."

"And with that will come more challenges and trials."

Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu listened quietly, the excitement on their faces gradually fading, replaced by a sense of seriousness and gravity.

"Master, we aren't afraid of a challenge." Ning Rongrong spoke first, her voice filled with resolve. "We are your disciples; no matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them alongside you."

Xiao Wu nodded vigorously as well, clenching her fists. "That's right! Whoever dares to come looking for trouble, we'll beat them with the Golden Spatula!"

Yi Chen watched his two disciples' earnest expressions and couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, don't get so worked up." He reached out and ruffled their hair one by one, his tone laced with a hint of indulgence.

"Even if the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. You two just focus on training well and strive to reach the Challenger rank when the new season begins."

"Yes, Master!" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu replied in unison, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.

Yi Chen withdrew his hand and looked back toward the distant horizon, his gaze filled with a touch of anticipation and depth.

The S1 Season was about to begin.

And the landscape of this continent would undergo a world-shaking transformation because of it.