The autumn breeze in the back hills was cool, lightly stirring the courtyard branches and leaves.
Yi Chen set down his teacup and slowly rose. The instant he did, the air around him suddenly tightened.
There was no earth-shaking spectacle, no roar of Soul Power erupting.
The air, which had been relaxed moments before, simply grew heavier. His carefree languor vanished completely, replaced by the steady presence of someone who had everything under control.
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu immediately sensed the change. Both looked up at their master.
Over the past two months, the popularity of Teamfight Tactics had swept across the entire continent.
What had begun as a little game a few people played for fun had gradually caught on and spread, until today, when participation across the continent had surged past a million.
These days, the lines at the Golden Spatula Pavilion never let up, even through the night.
Mercenaries and Spirit Masters in cities everywhere spent their downtime reviewing team compositions and studying positioning. Even the blackboards in Nuoding City's taverns featured daily updates with the latest recommended lineups.
But as its popularity skyrocketed, chaos had taken root as well.
Many people exploited the craze to recklessly alter the gameplay, invent fake rewards, and set up private matches with arbitrary rules.
If he let things go on, the system of chess he had created with his own hands would sooner or later be defined by others and twisted beyond recognition.
Yi Chen's gaze was calm. He had already made up his mind.
It was time to shed the trappings of an internal-test pastime and show everyone the true worth of Teamfight Tactics.
"Let's go."
Yi Chen casually tossed the gold-plated token beside his wicker chair to Ning Rongrong, his tone unhurried and composed.
"Head to the Main Control Hall. Rongrong, contact Zhuqing and have her join remotely from the Star Luo Empire. Xiao Wu, go meet Yan'er and Lingling at the back-hill entrance."
"Today, they aren't visitors. They're official competitors."
Xiao Wu paused, then asked, "Master, are you going to...?"
"Open the official season."
Yi Chen spoke mildly, but with an unmistakable certainty.
"A million participants is the tipping point. Rather than let outsiders change the rules and steal the show, we should set the tone first and establish the rules ourselves."
The Main Control Hall of Shrek's Golden Spatula Pavilion wasn't large. Its design was simple and solemn.
A panoramic projection screen, built using advanced Soul Tool Technology from Spirit Hall, was embedded in the entire wall. At the moment, it was dark and still, save for a ring of golden patterns along its edge that slowly brightened and dimmed like breathing.
The room held only a ring of low tables and solid-wood chairs. Yi Chen walked to the seat at the innermost end and sat down.
The next instant, eight hazy blank spaces appeared on the dark screen, waiting to be activated.
A moment later, the doors to the Main Control Hall swung gently open.
Zhu Zhuqing's figure appeared in the room through a remote projection from the Star Luo Empire, perfectly clear and indistinguishable from the real thing.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling followed Xiao Wu inside, the hems of their clothes still carrying a faint chill from the autumn air outdoors.
The four women stood side by side, all gazing at the eight blank spaces on the screen. Understanding flickered in each of their eyes.
They knew this moment meant that Teamfight Tactics was about to turn an entirely new page.
Yi Chen lowered his eyes slightly. He didn't release any terrifying Soul Power to crush the room.
He merely gathered in his usual casual presence, becoming steady and profound, like an unfathomable abyss beneath towering mountains.
The lights in the hall flickered gently. The golden patterns on the screen brightened at once.
That brief change in his presence made the four women's hearts tighten.
Yi Chen slowly opened his eyes and drew in his aura, as if nothing had happened.
"Don't be nervous."
He spoke calmly, his tone a little lighter.
"I'm just making sure those who still think Teamfight Tactics is a child's game perk up their ears and listen."
As he spoke, Yi Chen raised a hand and tapped the screen three times.
The entire projection screen trembled slightly, and a crisp image spread across it.
The complete eight-player board, the shared pool, the round timer, the gold and experience bars, the bench, the battlefield positions, the equipment-dragging panel...
They had practiced with these familiar interfaces every day for two months, until they knew them by heart.
But today, several new, official season entries had appeared beside them.
[S1 Season: Struggle of the Heroes officially begins] [Match mode: Eight players compete in an elimination format. Players are eliminated over successive rounds according to their remaining health, until a single champion remains.] [Complete rank ladder: Iron → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → Master → Grandmaster → Challenger] [Season settlement rules: Final rewards are determined by rank. Rewards take permanent effect and cannot be altered retroactively.] [Season-exclusive rewards: Soul Power Nourishment (break through bottlenecks and increase Soul Power limits), Soul Ring Age Fragments (targeted increases to Soul Ring age), rare Spirit Master resources, Bone Material Exclusive Quotas] [Core rules: All players share one pool; once pieces are bought out, they are gone. Players decide all positioning and equipment choices. All battles are automatically and fairly resolved from start to finish.]
"This is the complete picture you've never seen during your two months of practice."
Yi Chen leaned back in his chair, his voice steady and clear, each word landing with weight.
"Every match until now has been a beginner tutorial."
"I controlled the draws myself and arranged practice partners, so you could learn the mechanics in peace and refine your team compositions."
"But starting today, the pieces will come from the shared system pool. There will be no more preferential treatment."
"And your opponents won't be practice partners cooperating with you. They'll be seven real players giving everything they have to win."
He raised his eyes and slowly looked over the four women in front of him.
"Are you afraid?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, brimming with fighting spirit. She let out a light laugh. "If I were afraid, I wouldn't be standing here today."
Xiao Wu crossed her arms over her chest, her pretty face full of confidence. "Perfect! I want to see who can withstand my three-star carry. I'll send every opponent packing!"
A glint of gold flashed through Dugu Yan's green eyes. Her lips curved in a faint smile. "We've practiced eight-player battles for so long. Today's the perfect time to test all our strategies."
Of the four, the mild-mannered Ye Lingling was the calmest. She quietly confirmed, "All rank rewards are settled according to actual match data, fairly and without favoritism?"
Yi Chen nodded slightly, his tone assured.
"The system recognizes rank data, not personal connections."
"I can open the season channel for you, but today's opening exhibition match will be recorded directly on the season-wide leaderboard."
"Think carefully. When you take the field today, will people think Yi Chen's disciples are just playing around, or will you strike fear into everyone from the very first match, so no one dares underestimate you?"
The Main Control Hall fell silent for two seconds.
Ning Rongrong drew a deep breath and forcefully slotted the gold-plated token in her hand into the bench's card slot.
With a soft click, one of the gray spaces on the screen lit up, displaying her name and the exclusive emblem of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
"If we're taking the field, we give it everything we've got." Her eyes shone brightly. "No one is taking this spot from me."
One after another, the slots for Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling lit up as well.
The moment all four were in place, every public terminal screen outside the pavilion displayed a dazzling golden system announcement.
[Notice: S1 Season "Struggle of the Heroes" officially begins! Eight-player ranked competition, a full rank system, and season-exclusive rewards are now active across the entire network!]
Immediately afterward, Yi Chen's steady, clear voice traveled through the system's global network, instantly covering the entire Shrek pavilion.
Then it reached across the distance, broadcasting simultaneously to every branch terminal in Heaven Dou City, Spirit City, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Star Luo Empire.
His voice was steady and powerful, carrying an air of authority and the confidence of one who had established the rules.
"I am Yi Chen."
"Starting today, Teamfight Tactics is no longer a casual practice game. The official competitive season begins now."
"Eight players to a board. Rank reflects skill, and results determine rewards."
"Anyone who wants to hone themselves and improve their fighting strength is welcome to compete."
"Those who would rather watch and see what happens are welcome to observe in peace."
"Watch closely and see how this board I set up with my own hands decides the fate of the game with every move."
The moment the global announcement ended, the noisy crowd in the pavilion's front hall fell abruptly silent.
A second later, an even more furious uproar of cheers and exclamations exploded!
There was no fear, only the long-suppressed ambition and anticipation of countless Spirit Masters, now set ablaze!
In the Main Control Hall, Yi Chen drew back his distant gaze and turned it to the board, where eight spaces now shone brightly.
"The season's first exhibition match."
"You four will play, and the system will randomly match four more players to fill out the eight-player lobby."
His finger swept across the screen, locking in the match rules.
"I won't enable any administrative permissions in the background for this match. I won't check your hands, calculate your economy, or interfere with the game."
"I'll only judge rule violations. You'll have to earn your own victories, ranks, and placements."
He added a quiet remark, his tone mild.
"When this match ends, the S1 Season will be firmly established."
"From now on, more and more people will covet this system, try to change the rules, and seek a share of the spoils."
"But the initiative to make the moves and set the rules will always remain in my hands."
The match countdown appeared in the center of the screen.
[30, 29, 28...]