Twin Flowers on One Branch, Undercurrents Surge

The morning light on the back mountain gradually brightened, golden sunbeams piercing through the branches of ancient trees to cast dappled shadows upon the grass.

After changing into that sweet, dainty outfit, Ning Rongrong seemed like a completely different person. Though she was usually lively and cheerful, there remained a certain reserve and restraint deep in her bones, typical of a young lady of her standing.

But today, dressed in that white and pink dress, paired with white stockings and pearl-adorned shoes, her skirt swayed gently with every step, and she radiated an unprecedented sense of confidence and brilliance.

She would lower her head from time to time to look at her hem, then steal a glance at Yi Chen, a smile she couldn't quite suppress tugging at the corners of her lips.

Xiao Wu, wearing her starlight dress, stood on the other side of the ancient tree, the pale gold patterns on her skirt shimmering with a soft luster in the sunlight.

Seeing Rongrong's undisguised joy, she huffed, though she didn't say anything mean-spirited. She simply walked over, looked Rongrong up and down, and offered a reluctant assessment: "It's alright, it suits you quite well."

Ning Rongrong blinked, smiling as she replied, "Yours is very pretty too, you look like a fairy."

The two girls exchanged a glance, the air thick with a subtle atmosphere of both competition and reconciliation. They both understood the other's intentions and knew that they were now standing on the same starting line.

Yet, neither chose to tear off the mask; instead, they tacitly maintained a superficial peace. At least for today, in front of Yi Chen, neither wanted to make things difficult for him.

Watching this scene, Yi Chen breathed a silent sigh of relief. His greatest worry was that his two disciples would develop friction because of him, but for now, the situation was better than he had anticipated. He set down his teacup, stood up, and clapped his hands. "Alright, the clothes are changed, time to train. Today's task is advanced duo-mode training. Rongrong and Xiao Wu will be a team, and I will be your sparring partner."

"Eh?" Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu voiced their confusion in unison.

"What, afraid?" Yi Chen raised an eyebrow.

"Who says I'm afraid!" Xiao Wu was the first to accept the challenge, lifting her skirt as she marched toward the chessboard. "Bring it on! Don't come crying to me when you lose!"

Ning Rongrong followed suit, standing beside Xiao Wu with a look of determination in her eyes. "Master, don't you dare go easy on us! If we're going to win, we want to win fair and square!"

Yi Chen looked at the two spirited girls, a slight curve forming on his lips, before he walked to the other side of the chessboard.

The match began.

In this duo-mode battle, Yi Chen deliberately suppressed his strength, eschewing any unconventional maneuvers and relying purely on basic economic management and positioning to counter them.

He wanted to see what level of synergy they had achieved after this period of training and practical experience.

The results were satisfying. Although Yi Chen ultimately won the match by a narrow margin, the coordination between Xiao Wu and Rongrong was significantly more tacit than before. Rongrong handled economic planning and equipment synthesis, while Xiao Wu managed positioning and the timing of engagements. Their communication was concise and efficient, almost entirely free of the delays caused by disagreements that had plagued them previously.

Yi Chen set down his chess piece and offered his critique: "Your coordination has improved, but there is still room for growth. Rongrong, your economic planning is more flexible than before; you managed to maintain interest while balancing the quality of your lineup. Xiao Wu, your positioning adjustments are more nuanced, especially in how you handled the assassin lineup."

He paused, then added, "However, your awareness of your opponents needs strengthening. In that last round, you were too focused on building your own lineup and neglected to observe the economy and health of the other players. An eight-player game isn't just about developing yourself; it's also about disrupting and predicting your opponents. This will be the focus of our next training session."

Xiao Wu and Rongrong looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

The training lasted the entire morning. As noon approached, Yi Chen announced a break, and the three sat beneath the ancient tree, sharing the bag of Osmanthus Cake Xiao Wu hadn't finished the night before and the fruit Rongrong had brought.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows upon them.

Xiao Wu leaned against the tree trunk, a piece of Osmanthus Cake in her mouth, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across Yi Chen's profile before quickly darting away.

Rongrong sat on Yi Chen's other side, head bowed as she peeled an apple. Once finished, she cut it in two, handing one half to Xiao Wu and the other to Yi Chen.

Xiao Wu took the half-apple, took a bite, and mumbled, "Thanks."

Rongrong smiled without saying a word.

Yi Chen took the apple and took a bite; it was sweet.

He leaned against the tree trunk, watching the swaying leaves above, feeling the tranquility and warmth of the autumn afternoon, a rare sense of relaxation filling his heart.

The two girls sat on his left and right. Although there was still a subtle sense of competition between them, at least for this moment, they were quiet—no bickering, no cold war, only the rustling of autumn leaves and the occasional birdcall.

If days like these could last forever, that wouldn't be so bad.

Meanwhile, in a hidden valley hundreds of miles away from Shrek Academy, a different scene was unfolding.

Deep in the valley stood a crude stone house, its surroundings covered in complex array patterns that blocked any external detection of aura.

Inside the stone house, Tang San sat cross-legged on a stone bed, eyes tightly shut, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead as his hands formed a complex seal on his knees.

A dark red light circulated within his body, and every breath caused the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

His aura was more than a grade stronger than it had been a few weeks ago; his soul power had broken through level forty, reaching level forty-three, and it was still climbing.

Between his brows, a small, dark red mark flickered in and out of existence, radiating an ancient and majestic aura.

That was the God-given mark left by the Asura God. It not only helped Tang San break through his cultivation bottleneck but was also continuously transforming his physique and martial soul.

His Clear Sky Hammer was already wrapped in dark red lightning patterns, and every swing carried a heart-stopping aura of slaughter.

A phantom figure floated in the corner of the stone house, shrouded in dark red light. Its features were indiscernible, but one could only feel an aura as vast as the abyss.

It was a divine projection of the Asura God. Ever since he had bestowed the seed of divine power upon Tang San in the abandoned blacksmith shop in Soto City, this projection had been lurking by Tang San's side, guiding his cultivation and helping him digest the gift of divine power.

"Your progress is faster than I expected." The Asura God's projection spoke, his voice low and majestic, echoing through the stone house. "Level forty-three, and the Clear Sky Hammer has already begun to fuse with the Asura divine power. At this rate, you should reach level sixty within half a year."

Tang San slowly opened his eyes, a dark red light flashing deep within his pupils before fading away.

He released the seal, took a deep breath, and felt the surging flow of soul power within him, a satisfied curve tugging at his lips.

"Many thanks for the God's cultivation." He stood up and bowed to the Asura God's projection. "Without the God's help, I could never have reached this height in such a short time."

"You need not thank me," the Asura God's projection said indifferently. "I help you because you have the potential worth my investment. And..."

He paused, a hint of coldness in his voice. "That man named Yi Chen has already gone too far. The establishment of the Golden Spatula Association marks the fact that his influence has officially taken root on this continent. If he is allowed to continue developing, it won't be long before the order of the entire Douluo Continent is rewritten by him."

A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes. "I know. I have been keeping a close watch on his movements."

He walked to the window of the stone house and looked toward the distant Shrek Academy, his gaze deep and complex. There, he had his former companions, those he had once trusted, and his greatest opponent yet.

"His Battle of the Golden Spatula has already swept across the entire continent, with registered players exceeding three million and still growing rapidly." Tang San's voice was low and calm. "Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire—nearly all the major powers have established cooperative relationships with him. His influence has already grown to an extent that is difficult to shake."

"And so what?" the divine consciousness of the Asura God let out a cold snort.

"Influence is merely a facade; true power has never been something that can be piled up simply by having more people. No matter how strong he is, he is still just one man. As long as his weakness is found and a fatal blow is struck, everything he has built will collapse along with him."

Tang San turned around to look at the divine consciousness of the Asura God. "Does Your Excellency mean..."

"Continue to develop your own forces," the divine consciousness of the Asura God said. "Do not be in a hurry to clash with him head-on. You are not his match yet, and I do not advise you to go and throw your life away now. But you can do one thing: establish another system outside of his."

Tang San's gaze flickered slightly. "Another system?"

"The essence of the Battle of the Golden Spatula is to distribute cultivation resources through the medium of a game."

The divine consciousness of the Asura God spoke slowly. "The reason it can attract so many people is that it provides a path to becoming stronger without having to risk life and limb. But this path was ultimately paved by Yi Chen; all the rules are set by him, and all the rewards are distributed by him. If one day he were to shut down the system or modify the rules, those who rely on the Golden Spatula to gain power would be left with nothing."

"What you must do is make a portion of them realize this point, to make them understand that relying on a system established by an outsider to obtain power is ultimately unreliable. True power must still be attained through one's own cultivation."

Tang San was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand."

He raised his head, his eyes carrying a deep and resolute light. "I will make them see that true power has never been obtained by playing chess."

Outside the stone house, the wind in the valley wailed as it passed through the woods, carrying his whisper into the distance.