Spirit Hall, the Elders' Hall's side chamber.
Yi Chen sat alone by the window, idly turning over a golden token he had just received. The words "Honorary Elder of Spirit Hall" were engraved across the front, while a burning flame pattern on the back represented Spirit Hall's supreme authority.
He tucked the token into his clothes and focused his thoughts on the system panel.
[Main Quest Progress Updated] [Current Stage: Beta Launch] [Quest Objective: Recruit 100 beta testers] [Current Progress: 3/100] [Stage Evaluation: Initial Success] [Side Quest Complete: Establish cooperation with a top-tier faction] [Cooperation Partner: Spirit Hall (one of the strongest factions on Douluo Continent)] [Completion Grade: S] [Calculating rewards...]
A flash of golden light burst across the system panel, forming lines of gilded text:
[Congratulations, Host. You have received the following rewards:] [1. Infinite Gold Soul Coin Privilege: The host may withdraw unlimited Gold Soul Coins from the system shop, with no cap or cooldown] [2. Divine-Grade Building Materials ×10: Can be used to construct exclusive Teamfight Tactics venues, with features such as automatic repairs and reinforced defenses] [3. System Shop Unlocked: The host may use Gold Soul Coins to purchase various game items, chess piece skins, and special effects] [4. Bonus Reward: Soul Power cultivation stabilized by 10%, maximum mental power increased by 20%]
Yi Chen's eyes lit up.
Unlimited Gold Soul Coins?
Now that was good stuff!
Though he was invincible, it was still hard to get anywhere in this world without money. Promoting Teamfight Tactics, building venues, advertising, holding competitions—which of those didn't cost a fortune? With an unlimited supply of Gold Soul Coins, he could finally go all out.
"Not bad, not bad." Yi Chen nodded with satisfaction, then glanced at the divine-grade building materials.
There were ten portions in all, each enough to build one exclusive Teamfight Tactics venue. According to the system, venues made from these materials would not only be incredibly sturdy, but could also automatically absorb the Soul Power of heaven and earth to keep running, and even had a certain degree of defensive capability—even divine-level attacks could be withstood.
"Perfect. I'll build a flagship venue in Spirit City first, and make it Teamfight Tactics' first foothold on the continent." Yi Chen already had a plan.
Just as he was about to get up and talk to Bibi Dong about choosing a site, he suddenly sensed a familiar aura.
It was a trace of his mental power, left on the trial card he had given Ning Rongrong.
At that moment, the mark was fluctuating wildly. Someone was pouring a large amount of Soul Power into it, activating a special feature of the trial card—[Share Mode].
"Oh? Has Ning Rongrong started recruiting people?" Yi Chen raised an eyebrow, a smile curling his lips. "Let's see who she gave the card to..."
He closed his eyes and sent his mental power along the mark, crossing hundreds of miles to see what was happening at the other end.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the council hall.
The brightly lit hall was presided over by the sect master, Ning Fengzhi. He sat in the place of honor, holding a cup of warm Soul Tea, though he had no intention of drinking it. His gaze rested on his daughter, a thoughtful look between his brows.
Ning Rongrong stood in the center of the hall, vividly recounting what had happened to her in the Star Dou Forest a few days earlier. Several sect elders sat on either side. Some listened intently, others looked astonished, and still others exchanged meaningful glances.
"That's what happened." When she finished, Ning Rongrong held out the golden-glowing trial card to Ning Fengzhi with both hands. "Dad, this Teamfight Tactics is really amazing! I think it could be a huge help to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Ning Fengzhi set down his teacup, took the card, and examined it carefully.
The card felt smooth and warm to the touch, and its material was unlike anything he had ever seen. What concerned him even more was the faint energy pulsing within it. Its level was so high that even he, a Soul Saint of rank seventy-nine, felt a shiver of unease.
"You're saying this card was given to you by a young man who looked under twenty?" Ning Fengzhi asked slowly, his voice steady.
"Right!" Ning Rongrong nodded vigorously. "His name is Yi Chen. He's really, really handsome, and he has an amazing air about him! And with just one look, he forced Dai Mubai to his knees. Dai Mubai couldn't even fight back!"
"Subdued a Soul Elder with a single glance?" Bone Douluo Gu Rong frowned, doubt in his voice. "Rongrong, are you sure Dai Mubai wasn't just caught off guard?"
"I'm absolutely sure!" Ning Rongrong shook her head like a rattle drum. "I was right there and saw everything clearly! Yi Chen didn't even release his Martial Soul or raise a hand. He just looked at Dai Mubai, and Dai Mubai dropped straight to his knees! And afterward, Tang San said that man was unfathomable and even made him afraid!"
"Tang San?" Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow. "Tang Hao's son?"
"Mm-hmm! Tang San has incredibly sharp senses. If he said that, then it must be true!" Ning Rongrong declared firmly.
The hall fell silent for several seconds.
Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.
A young man under twenty had subdued a genius at the Soul Elder level with nothing but his presence—and even Tang San, hailed as the son of Clear Sky Douluo, felt wary of him... This man was certainly no ordinary person.
"Rongrong, did Yi Chen say what rank he was?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Ning Rongrong tilted her head as she thought it over, then said uncertainly, "He didn't say exactly, but he admitted he was a Titled Douluo. When Xiao Wu asked if he was a Titled Douluo, he said, 'More or less.'"
"More or less?" Ning Fengzhi repeated, his brows knitting tighter.
That answer was too vague.
An ordinary Titled Douluo could simply admit it. But he had used such an ambiguous phrase. Either he was being modest, or... his strength went far beyond that of a Titled Douluo.
"And," Ning Rongrong added, "he said he was going to Spirit Hall."
"Spirit Hall?" Ning Fengzhi looked up sharply. "What was he going there for?"
"He didn't say, but he said he had something important to do." Ning Rongrong recalled Yi Chen's tone and imitated him. "He said, 'Spirit Hall is a good potential partner. I'm going to talk business with them.'"
"He wants to cooperate with Spirit Hall?" Bone Douluo Gu Rong's expression shifted. "An unknown Titled Douluo goes to Spirit Hall to discuss cooperation? What is he planning?"
Ning Fengzhi said nothing. He simply lowered his gaze to the golden card in his hand, lost in thought.
A mysterious young Titled Douluo with an unprecedented, peculiar ability, capable of creating cards that contained high-level energy... And now he had gone to Spirit Hall to seek cooperation.
It was all far too much of a coincidence.
"Dad, I think we should take the initiative!" Seeing that her father still hadn't said anything, Ning Rongrong grew anxious. "Yi Chen said Teamfight Tactics has an exclusive trait for our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect! If people from our sect play the game together, they can gain bonus stats! This is a huge opportunity for us!"
"An exclusive trait?" Ning Fengzhi looked up. "What do you mean?"
"It's... Oh, I can't explain it!" Ning Rongrong stamped her foot in frustration, then stepped forward and took the trial card from Ning Fengzhi. "Dad, just try it yourself and you'll understand! I'll teach you!"
Ning Fengzhi had meant to refuse, but when he saw the hopeful look in his daughter's eyes, he could only sigh and nod.
Ning Rongrong immediately perked up. She fed a trace of Soul Power into the card, and a golden chessboard unfolded before Ning Fengzhi.
"Look, Dad. This is the shop, where you can use gold to buy chess pieces. The pieces are all kinds of Spirit Masters and Soul Beasts..."
For the next half hour, Ning Rongrong patiently walked Ning Fengzhi through Teamfight Tactics, step by step—from buying chess pieces and leveling up the team size to activating traits and combining equipment.
At first, Ning Fengzhi maintained the composure of a sect master, acting rather nonchalant. But as one round after another passed, his eyes grew brighter and his expression more focused.
"Hm? If I put three Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect pieces together, it activates the 'Seven Treasure Glazed Tile' trait, granting all allies increased attack speed and Soul Power recovery?" Ning Fengzhi asked in surprise.
"That's right!" Ning Rongrong nodded excitedly. "And if we can gather five Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect pieces, the trait's effect will double! Then the fighting strength of all our allies will increase by a lot!"
Ning Fengzhi fell silent for a moment, then let out a long breath.
"This game... is indeed no simple matter."
He set down the card, his gaze profound. "On the surface, it looks like a simple strategy game, but it actually contains an extraordinary depth of tactical thinking. How to allocate resources, how to adjust your lineup to counter your opponent, how to maximize the benefits of your traits... There's as much to learn here as there is in a real battle between Spirit Masters."
He looked at Ning Rongrong, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Rongrong, you did well. This Teamfight Tactics deserves our attention."
"So you're letting everyone play?" Ning Rongrong asked in delighted surprise.
"More than that." Ning Fengzhi stood and walked to the window with his hands behind his back. gazing at the mountain ranges beyond, he spoke slowly. "I'm sending someone to Spirit City."
"To Spirit City?" Ning Rongrong blinked. "To find Yi Chen?"
"That's right." Ning Fengzhi turned around, his gaze resolute. "A young Titled Douluo who can cooperate with Spirit Hall is worth making an effort to befriend. And besides..."
He paused, a meaningful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "I'd like to see with my own eyes just how many more surprises this Teamfight Tactics can bring."
"Then I'll go with you!" Ning Rongrong immediately raised her hand.
"No." Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "Go back to Shrek and focus on your cultivation. When the time is right, I'll take you to meet him."
Ning Rongrong pouted, reluctant, but eventually nodded.
Ning Fengzhi returned to his seat of honor, picked up the golden trial card, and turned it over in his hand a few times as he murmured to himself:
"Yi Chen... just what kind of person are you?"