You've only been playing for half a year, and you've already reached the finals?

Chapter 168 Things are changing

As the Tsar landed his final auto-attack on the crystal, the DK base shattered, ending the match at 30 minutes and 43 seconds with a kill score of 16-6.

The game was actually quite brutal. Although EDG focused on macro play, they still managed to rack up a very high number of kills.

The main reason is probably that DK collapsed too quickly, and it was just a matter of EDG getting kills.

"Congratulations to EDG on their victory!" Wang Duoduo shouted from the commentary booth. "One to zero! They've secured a winning start in the tournament and won this crucial China-Korea showdown!"

Since the inception of MSI, the top spot in the group stage has always been a bastion for both China and South Korea, with the only suspense being who comes in first and who comes in second.

The decisive factor in this suspense is, of course, the battle between the two teams!

One game can directly create a two-point gap!

This time, EDG won!

Beside her, Tongxi was also beaming with joy, "EDG's early game decisions were very correct! They concentrated resources on Xiaofei in the early game. Once Xiaofei got his items, they quickly ended the game!"

"The main reason is that Xiaofei's mechanics are really consistent!" Wang Duoduo added, "I don't know if you noticed, but Xiaofei even slightly pressured Syndra in the first three levels of the laning phase!"

People who don't play this lane matchup might not know what it means to pressure Syndra with Azir.

We usually only use two words to describe this kind of person.

Fried fish.

Last year, after watching his performance at the World Championships, I thought Showmaker had already secured his place as the world's number one.

But now it seems like there's no difference between her and Cryin!

"It seems like the EDG players are in great form! They're all really playing with enthusiasm!"

The camera then panned to the EDG players' bench, where everyone had stood up, fist bumping each other and laughing.

This match was arguably the most crucial of the competition, and now that it was won easily, everyone is naturally in high spirits.

The crowd gathered around Ming Jing, praising his steady performance.

"That last wave was a bit over the top!" even Flandre couldn't help but exclaim, "They pushed down four of them in one go!"

Once equipped, the Tsar can achieve a fairly high skill floor simply by using his stabs.

But if you want to reach the upper limit, you still have to go in and push it.

The Tsar is a hero often played in disadvantageous situations, and many times, a single push from the Tsar can be the key to turning the tide of the game.

"It's alright," Ming Jing chuckled. "They gave us a good chance; I guess we were knocked unconscious."

Mingjing was actually a little disappointed.

After all, DWG had left a deep impression on him at last year's World Championship.

In last year's finals, this team put immense pressure on Ming Jing, making him truly feel that he might lose.

Therefore, he was extremely serious about this match.

According to the jokes made by members of the Anti-Japanese Bar, even if he doesn't enter the final third stage, he's probably at least in the second stage or higher.

Because he was also afraid of losing the game due to not taking it seriously enough.

But who could have imagined that DK would be so vulnerable?
Mingjing understood that EDG was very strong. However, they weren't strong enough to easily crush DK.

DK's strength is definitely not limited to this.

Was it carelessness? Or was it a problem with his condition?
Ming Jing was itching to play; he didn't want this kind of crushing victory, he preferred a more evenly matched contest.

Hopefully, DK will perform better next time they face off.

Ming Jing habitually took two steps backstage, ready to leave, but suddenly remembered that this match was a best-of-one (BO1), and they would have to shake hands afterward.

Mingjing hasn't played a BO1 match in a long time.
Following the team to DK's bench, we saw that the DK players also seemed unable to accept this crushing defeat, and their faces were not good.

As Mingjing punched his way through, he could see that Nuguri's face was full of gloom, and even Canyon's usually calm face showed obvious seriousness.

Showmaker, needless to say, looked stiff and absent-minded.

Ming Jing didn't say much, he just kept punching his way through.

After exchanging fist bumps with former Star Fury Ghost and Beryl, Ming Jing bowed to the empty audience in the center of the stage, then packed up his mouse and keyboard and turned to leave with his teammates.

The MVP of this match undoubtedly goes to Ming Jing.

After all, the Tsar's stats are really impressive: a KDA of 9-0-6, a teamfight participation rate of 93.6%, and a damage share of 41%. It would be unreasonable not to give him the MVP award.

Therefore, he was unsurprisingly invited to participate in the post-match interview.

Following Mingjing onto the stage were Sjokz, the host from the European region, and Xiran, who was in charge of translation.

"Hi, Phi! It's nice to see you again!" Sjokz looked at the handsome young man beside him and chuckled, "How does it feel to be back on the world stage?"

Mingjing could actually understand Sjokz's question, but he patiently waited for Xiran to translate it into Chinese.

The time he spends translating can be used to organize his thoughts.

“It feels great, of course,” Ming Jing said. “Actually, I’m really looking forward to coming to the world stage, because in addition to competing for higher honors, it also allows me to experience high-level combat.”

“However,” Ming Jing changed the subject and continued, “DK did not satisfy me today. Their performance was not good, and they did not perform at the level of last year’s World Championship.”

Hearing this, Xi Ran couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Dude, is that something you should say?

She couldn't help but glance at Ming Jing, even hesitating whether to translate the last sentence.

But Ming Jing also glanced at Xi Ran at this moment, and everything was understood without words.

Xi Ran immediately understood and simply translated the sentence verbatim into English.

Upon hearing this, Sjokz couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Ming Jing's words were quite explosive, even in the European region where people like to create drama.

Are there even people who directly plant grass after the game?
At this moment, the live broadcast room was bustling with comments.

【burst!】

[That's so right, this is exactly the kind of interview Xiao Fei is looking for!]

[Xiao Fei really only likes to tell the truth. I don't know what DK was doing today; Showmaker was just giving away freebies!]

[But isn't that incredibly arrogant? Aren't they afraid of the backlash?]

Who do you think Xiao Fei is? If DK's got the guts, they should win it back in the second round.

Even the three commentators on the LCK panel had reservations about Mingjing's words.

No, it's just one match we won, what's with the show? Acting like we've won the championship!
However, their current crushing defeat left them speechless, and they could only hold back until DK won back their victory before unleashing their fury.

Sjokz smiled helplessly, then simply posed the second question.

"After winning this match, EDG will temporarily rank first in the competition group. So what goals will Phi have in the upcoming matches?"

Ming Jing didn't say much this time, and simply said, "If we win the championship on our first MSI appearance, then we'll consider it a success."

Xi Ran even paused for a moment before conveying her message in English.

Mingjing's words did not generate much discussion this time.

After all, everyone knows that EDG is the favorite to win the championship, and with Mingjing being the FMVP, it's only natural that their goal is the championship.

The interview ended there. Mingjing handed the microphone back to Sjokz and then turned to leave.

On the way back, Ming Jing was still casually scrolling through his phone, looking at feedback on various forums.

[Just arrived, whose fault was it in this game, DK?]

[Is that even a question? This game wasn't just a pure mid-lane difference in skill.]

[Those who say there's a mid-lane gap are being unfair, wasn't Showmaker just getting ganked and crushed?]

[Still getting crushed? You watched the game on a VPN? How do you explain Syndra getting counter-pressed by Azir at level 3?]

[Syndra missed seven Qs in a row at the start, it's hilarious! If I went up there and randomly spammed the buttons, I might even hit one!] [Don't worry, even Faker would have to miss his Qs.]

[Still calling for Faker, still calling for Faker? Faker hasn't been in a world tournament for over a year, are you still trying to revive him?]

It's not just Faker anymore, the entire LCK region is a mess now, that's enough.

In the midst of a resounding victory, the members of the Anti-King Bar were naturally excited and jubilant. Every post was filled with praise for Xiaofei's greatness, while also taking a jab at DK and the entire LCK region, proclaiming the prestige of the number one region.

However, Ming Jing found it boring. He refreshed the page twice and quickly found something that interested him.

Here's some discussion from Korean online forums about victims.

Ming Jing clicked on it immediately.

As we can see, the discussion on the Korean website mainly focuses on Myung Kyung's post-match interview.

[You little bastard, Phi doesn't actually think he's already a shoo-in for the championship, does he? How dare he talk like that?]

Phi has changed a lot this year. I remember in an interview last year, he kept saying how strong we were.

【Don't you understand? Because Phi only tells the truth, which means LCK is even worse this year, and they're no longer good enough for Phi.】

[That's normal, isn't it? LCK hasn't won a championship in three years. Reaching the finals last year was a huge improvement. And right now, the region doesn't have a new generation leader like Phi, so it's understandable that they can't beat them, right?]

Seeing Showmaker get completely dominated today really makes me sigh. If Sang-hyeok were still playing, the mid lane definitely wouldn't be like this, right?

So here's the question: why didn't Sang-hyeok come? Did he not want to come?

What's most pathetic is that even with this kind of DK, they're still considered invincible in the LCK. It's unimaginable how bad the LCK has become!

It's okay, let's still believe in DK. MSI has only just begun, and the outcome isn't important until the finals. Hopefully, they can get back into form!

Seeing the dejected state of the Korean online community, the members of the Anti-Japanese War forum, while laughing, also felt a pang of sadness.

After all, the discussion atmosphere on the Anti-Japanese Forum was exactly the same a few years ago.

Countless spectators sighed and lamented their defeat, yet still hoped to win next time, waiting for the championship trophy that seemed so close yet so far away.

Fortunately, perhaps the god of esports heard the call, or perhaps the losing streak was successfully reaped, but in recent years, LPL talents have sprung up one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and even produced an ultimate talent monster like Mingjing.

It's just that fortunes change.

Now, countless viewers only hope that Mingjing can continue to realize his talent and lead the LPL region to a new peak!

On May 15th, the second day of the competition, the matches continued.

EDG will once again make their first appearance in this match, facing off against the North American champions, C9.

Although all the teams that came to MSI were champions from their respective regions, there are still differences between regions. As a result, the EDG players didn't feel much pressure for this match and focused on practicing their champions. They even gave Flandre a Lee Sin and asked him to play a game.

Mingjing's Lee Sin doesn't need practice; EDG intends to keep him as a trump card.

Even so, the process of this game was quite brutal.

Even Flandre got some showing off, with Lee Sin roaming freely in the top half of the map. He even managed a tower dive solo kill after building Bloodthirst, kicking the enemy top laner Sion to death under the tower with a powerful kick!

Just twenty minutes later, the super soldiers surged into C9's base, launching their final assault.

At this moment, the score is a dismal 11:0.

Looking at the kill count in front of them, the EDG players started discussing whether to give up a kill.

"Mingjing, go deliver one quickly!"

"That doesn't make sense. I went last time, but this time Xuanjun should go!"

"I definitely won't go. I've gotten so many kills this game, it wouldn't look good to die once! Go to Xian, he has the fewest kills!"

Viper listened to the team's conversation and, without holding back, immediately started feeding!
Xayah activated W, used her ultimate to chase down the enemy and auto-attack relentlessly, then used her ultimate to dodge a crucial skill, and finished with an E-flash to kill the enemy AD carry.

However, having used all his Flash abilities, he was doomed and was killed by the enemy Viktor with a Flash-QAR combo.

"Viper got instantly killed! But he dealt incredibly high damage! Xiaofei is about to go in and finish him off!"

Because JieJie locked in Rumble, MingJing was able to pick Lucian for mid lane.

At this moment, Lucian was shooting and sliding around the field, his movements so dazzling that he couldn't stop. The C9 players couldn't withstand Lucian's ferocious firepower and fell one by one!

"ACE!"

Another team wipe was achieved, and EDG pushed forward to end the game with a kill score of 16:1!

Even until the end of the game, the Americans were still in a daze, unaware of what had happened.

What happened? What's going on? The match is over already?
Ming Jing also felt listless at this moment.

Although this is the World Championship, in terms of intensity, it may not be as high as LPL matches.

He hadn't even exerted his strength yet, and the other person had already fallen!
Ming Jing missed out on the MVP and interview this time, but he was happy to have some peace and quiet. He leisurely left the stage and brushed past the MAD members who were preparing to go on stage to install their peripherals.

The players of the European champion MAD turned around and looked at Ming Jing's back, their expressions becoming extremely serious for a moment.

It has to be said, this EDG team is really terrifying. So far, they have crushed any team they have faced!
They are about to face EDG, which puts a lot of pressure on the Europeans.

North America lost 1-16. Even if they lose, they have to lose in a respectable way!
And they did indeed do it.

They gained three more kills but lost the game 4-17. The game lasted for 35 minutes, but that was all; the goddess of victory never smiled upon them.

After defeating DK, EDG had no rivals in the first round and were unstoppable!
The subsequent PSG and MAD were naturally no match for them!
Because DK was keeping the score close, EDG practiced diligently, but their attitude never relaxed, and they played with great seriousness every time.

In the two matches on May 16th, Mingjing and Viper took turns to shine, each winning a game, helping the team to successfully advance to the first round of the competition with a score of 5-0!
The 5-0 scoreline gives EDG a bit more leeway.

Even if they lose to DK in the second round, they can still compete for first place in the group through a tiebreaker!

Of course, the EDG coaching staff has also emphasized that they should not take the rankings in the scrimmages too seriously.

It's certainly prestigious to finish first in the group stage, but it doesn't matter if we don't.

After all, it's a six-to-four competition, so there's not much difference between first and second place, since the two teams won't meet before the final anyway.

Instead of chasing the meaningless title of first place in the group stage, they should practice their lineup more, try different possibilities, and increase their chances of winning in the subsequent knockout stages.

On the other hand, DK seems to think the same way.

Since losing to EDG, DK seems to have stopped caring about their regular season ranking. Their lineups are quite bizarre, and they even picked Xerath for mid lane.

And the effect was surprisingly good. Xerath transformed into a lightning mage, dominating all three lanes and successfully helping the team win. The score was close behind EDG, and it seemed that they wanted to keep the suspense of the first place in the group until the second round.

All I can say is that DK's players are incredibly skilled, so as long as the draft picks aren't completely out of place, there shouldn't be any major problems.

After all, Showmaker is a player who plays Viktor and Clockwerk. Even if you give him Xerath, the gameplay won't be much different; it will still be within the same system.

But soon, they messed things up.

In the final game of the first round of the competition, DK faced off against MAD.

Showmaker made a bold attempt, picking Lee Sin, a champion he had never chosen before.

This hero selection surprised Mingjing quite a bit.

This guy can also play mid-lane warrior? Doesn't that break away from the DK system?
But soon, Ming Jing was no longer surprised.

Showmaker's Lee Sin has a green tint.

Not only did he suffer a significant disadvantage in the laning phase, lacking any rhythm, but he even paid homage to Mingjing's cousin in the mid-game, executing an abstract RQ failure.

In the 24-minute Baron team fight, Showmaker leaped into the fray, intending to kick one back, but was stunned in mid-air by Morgana's Q. He couldn't use his ward hop or Flash. Before dying, he used his R to kick the enemy AD out of his own team's skill barrage, sending his team to their doom.

At 32 minutes, the Europeans grouped up and pushed forward, handing DK another defeat!
After this match, the competition for the top spot in the group is basically over.

With a score of 5-0, EDG leads DK and MAD by a full two rounds.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, no one will threaten EDG's position as the top team in their group.

Seeing this, Ming Jing shook his head helplessly.

They were even planning to have another big battle with DK in the second round.

Judging from their attitude, they probably want to wait until the finals.

(End of this chapter)