Feelings Bloom, The Master-Disciple Relationship Changes

Three weeks after the start of the S1 Season, the Golden Spatula craze across the entire continent had completely spiraled out of control.

The headquarters in Spirit City was seeing an average daily foot traffic of over twenty thousand people. At the Heaven Dou City branch, the queues stretched from dawn until noon. All three branches within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's territory were operating at full capacity, and the Zhu Family in the Star Luo Empire had opened two new locations in just two weeks, yet they remained packed every single day.

The total number of registered players had surpassed three million and was continuing to grow at a rate of nearly one hundred thousand per day.

Yi Chen watched the rapidly changing numbers on the system panel with a calm expression, though his mind was busy calculating his next moves.

[System Status: Registered Users: 3,024,891]
[Growth Rate: +98,422/day]
[S1 Season Progress: 21/90 days]

At this rate of growth, surpassing ten million registered players by the end of the year was a near certainty.

By then, the S1 Season's ranking reward system would completely transform the continent's cultivation ecosystem. Those players who gained spirit rings, spirit bones, and spirit power improvements through the Golden Spatula would become the most steadfast supporters and evangelists of this new system.

However, his mind was not entirely on the data right now.

Behind Shrek Academy, training proceeded as usual. But lately, Yi Chen could clearly feel that the way his disciples looked at him had changed.

Ning Rongrong was the first to show a shift.

She had always been clingy toward Yi Chen, but it used to be the dependence and admiration of a student for her master—tugging at his sleeves, circling him, and chattering away to report her progress.

But in the last few days, her way of being clingy had changed.

She started finding all sorts of excuses to be alone with him: lingering after training under the guise of asking questions, sitting next to him with her bowl during lunch, and even once, when it started raining mid-training, she took the initiative to hold an umbrella for him, not caring that half of her own shoulder was getting soaked.

Xiao Wu was the first to notice something was off. That day, when she saw Rongrong holding the umbrella for Yi Chen, she stood under the eaves watching for a long while, then pursed her lips and said nothing.

But from that day on, she began to "compete for position" with Rongrong intentionally or otherwise. When Yi Chen rested under the ancient tree, she would beat her to the stone stool beside him.

When Yi Chen critiqued their matches, she would stand at the closest spot beside him instead of standing opposite him as she used to.

Although Zhu Zhuqing was far away in Star Luo City, every time they conducted remote training, her gaze lingered on Yi Chen for significantly longer than it stayed on the chessboard.

She still didn't talk much, but while she used to only report training data and lineup strategies, she now added, "Master, have you been resting well lately?" After asking, she would turn her face away first, pretending to look at the data panel.

Ye Lingling's changes were the most subtle.

She remained quiet, restrained, and soft-spoken, but she started bringing things for Yi Chen. Sometimes it was a bag of pastries from a time-honored shop in Heaven Dou City, other times a small jar of flower tea she had brewed herself. She would leave them at the corner of his desk without saying who they were for or where they came from.

When Yi Chen asked her, she would only reply coolly, "I just happened to buy them," before turning and walking away.

Dugu Yan was the most straightforward of the four. She never hid her appreciation and fondness for Yi Chen, but this fondness currently remained at the stage of "admiration and longing for a strong individual," without any overly ambiguous elements mixed in.

She occasionally joked with Yi Chen and would take the initiative to discuss lineup strategies with him, but she didn't compete for his attention like Rongrong and Xiao Wu.

Yi Chen was no block of wood; he certainly felt these changes.

But he didn't point them out. On one hand, he was truly busy—the Golden Spatula Association had just been established, the network of branches across the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires was still expanding, and the rules for the S1 Season needed constant refinement. The tasks piling up on his desk were like a mountain.

On the other hand, he was also observing. He wanted to see clearly whether the feelings these girls held for him were merely fleeting admiration and dependence, or true affection.

That afternoon, after training ended, Ning Rongrong didn't leave immediately as she usually did.

She waited until the other three had left, then dawdled while tidying up the chessboard, stealing glances at Yi Chen from time to time, looking as if she had something to say but was holding back.

Yi Chen sat in the rattan chair, holding a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, patiently waiting for her to speak.

"Master..." Ning Rongrong finally gathered her courage and walked up to him, her hands behind her back, fingers twisting together. "Are you free this weekend?"

Yi Chen set down his teacup. "Tell me what it's about first."

"My father said he wants to invite you to be a guest at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Ning Rongrong finished the sentence in a rush, then quickly added, "It's not a formal meeting between Sect Masters! It's just... just a family dinner! He wants to thank you in person for taking care of me, and for the rewards from the demonstration match last time—just a meal! If you have the time."

Yi Chen looked at her face, which was slightly flushed from nervousness, remained silent for two seconds, then nodded. "Fine. I'll head over this weekend."

Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up instantly, and she couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upward. "Then I'll have my father prepare the best dishes! What does Master like to eat? Light or heavy flavors? Sweet or salty?"

"I'm not picky." Yi Chen stood up and brushed off his hem. "You should prepare tomorrow's training content first; that's more important than inviting me to dinner."

"Got it!" Ning Rongrong replied cheerfully, then turned and skipped down the mountain.

Yi Chen stood under the ancient tree, watching her figure disappear into the twilight. His lips twitched slightly, then he withdrew his gaze and turned toward the bushes on the other side. "You've been standing there for so long, aren't you tired?"

The bushes were silent for two seconds, then Xiao Wu walked out sheepishly.

She was holding a foxtail grass that she had nearly plucked bald; it was clear she had been standing there for quite a while.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop..." she whispered in her own defense, then realized the excuse was too flimsy and gave up, asking directly, "Master, are you really going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

"I promised, so I'm going." Yi Chen looked at her. "Do you have something to say?"

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, then closed it, repeating this two or three times before finally blurting out, "Then... then when you come back, can you bring me something delicious too?"

Yi Chen looked at her conflicted expression and couldn't help but smile. "Just that?"

"...Just that." Xiao Wu lowered her head, grinding a pebble on the ground with the toe of her shoe, her voice growing quieter.

"Rongrong's father invited you to dinner, and I can't stop you from going... but you can at least bring me something good when you come back, right?"

Yi Chen looked at her bowed head and the slightly reddened tips of her ears, remained silent for a moment, then spoke. "Alright. I'll bring you some."

Xiao Wu looked up, her eyes brightening, then she quickly lowered her head again, muttered "I'm going back to train," and turned to run away. She ran faster than a rabbit, her scorpion braid swinging behind her like a small flag.

Yi Chen stood under the ancient tree, watching Xiao Wu's retreating figure, then glanced at the jar of flower tea Ye Lingling had left on the corner of the table that morning. He was silent for a while, then picked up the cold cup of tea and drained it in one gulp.

He silently calculated his upcoming schedule: a banquet at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect this weekend, a trip to Star Luo City next week to inspect the operations of the Zhu Family's branches, and a chance to check on Zhu Zhuqing's training progress while he was there.

As for Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue had sent someone with a letter two days ago, saying that several details regarding their cooperation needed to be finalized in person. He would have to find time to make a trip there as well.