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

Chapter 171 Xuanjun, you can't rely on him.

Under the watchful eyes of millions of viewers worldwide, the PSG base exploded, ending the match.

Countless people couldn't help but turn their attention to the top of the screen, looking at the match time and the kill count.

At 17 minutes and 55 seconds, the score was 14:0.

Without a doubt, this will be the biggest disaster of this year's MSI, bar none!

In the European commentary booth, several commentators looked at the screen in front of them and couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.

Nobody knows why EDG was so ruthless in this match!
"DangG is terrifying! Phi is terrifying! They are making this Mid-Season Invitational meaningless!"

"Yes! You're right, Jeff! They don't want to stop now; they're showing their full strength!"

If I remember correctly, this is the third time EDG has achieved a shutout, except that in the previous two instances, they gave away a kill to the opponent at the last moment.

At the time, the European commentators referred to it as the pity of the East.

Now it seems that the Easterners' compassion has been exhausted?
In the LPL commentary booth, Guan Daxiao also came to his senses, cleared his throat, and concluded the match: "Let's congratulate EDG! They've secured their sixth win in the competition! Without a doubt, it was a smooth and effortless victory!"

957 nodded in agreement: "I can only say that this game was already over when Lucian got two kills at level one! Xiaofei's performance was too consistent!"

At this moment, the live stream chat was filled with a tremendous outpouring of comments from countless viewers.

[The most brutal episode]

[It's him again, Xiao Fei!]

[You're only going to go this far in 4v4 matches, aren't you? Little Fei, you have no heart!]

[Hey, didn't you see how aggressive PSG's draft was? They didn't even bother banning Lucian until the second round. I've never seen a draft like that before. Even DK and RNG wouldn't dare to play like that.]

[That's really true, it's quite disrespectful.]

At this moment, the two players have reached the post-match handshake segment.

When the EDG players arrived at the opponent's bench, they saw the PSG players with their heads down and gloomy faces.

Under such intense and pleasurable torture, it's impossible for anyone to have a normal expression.

Even if you get wrecked like that in ranked games, you'd have to stop playing LOL for at least a week.

A smile involuntarily appeared on Ming Jing's lips, but he was too lazy to talk to his opponent and instead continued throwing punches.

However, Flandre, who was walking in front, seemed to enjoy the show. When he bumped fists with Maple, he cheerfully said, "Your draft is really great," which made the EDG members laugh.

Generally speaking, given Flandre's foreign language proficiency, it would be difficult for him to communicate with his opponents during the World Championship.

But unfortunately, the person on the other end could understand Chinese.

PSG lowered his head even further after hearing Flandre's words.

With the match having progressed this far, the PSG players naturally understood that their eavesdropping activities had been discovered by EDG.

Along with shame, the PSG members also felt a pang of annoyance.

If I had known, I wouldn't have resorted to these underhanded tactics.

When the opponent is already planning to throw the game, why bother with every little bit of advantage in the draft phase?
Even if we take a step back and assume that both sides played normally in the draft phase, this situation would never have occurred!
The outcome of this match is insignificant for EDG, since they are number one regardless of whether they win or lose.

But for the PSG, this would be absolutely fatal.

After losing this match, their overall score will be 2-4, dropping them to fifth place in the group and officially eliminating them from the qualification zone.

They can no longer allow any failures.

After the fist bump ended, Mingjing packed up his mouse and keyboard and returned to the lounge. He had just put his peripherals into his backpack when the hosts came looking for him.

The MVP of this match undoubtedly went to Ming Jing, so he naturally accepted the interview on the main stage.

Mingjing followed Sjokz onto the stage and heard the question conveyed by Xia An through the translator.

"Phi! It's great to see you again! Your performance with Lucian in today's game was amazing! How did you manage to do all that?"

After the last interview, Sjokz knew what kind of interview Mingjing was like, so now she tries to focus the questions on Mingjing himself and avoid mentioning his opponents.

To avoid this B saying something like, "The opponent was a bit weak, so it's normal for me to win."

But Mingjing clearly didn't understand Sjokz's idea; he thought about it for a moment.

"Since I'm an AD carry, Lucian is one of my better champions. When playing this champion, I'm quite confident that I can carry the game."

Ming Jing smiled and continued:

"I can only say that the opponent's draft was a bit irrational. Before the match, we didn't expect that the opponent would dare to make such a bold draft decision when the points were so tight. We were really surprised by that."

Without evidence, some things cannot be definitively proven.

Ming Jing couldn't be 100% sure that his opponent was actually eavesdropping.

However, in any case, there are only two possibilities for PSG to release Lucian.

One possibility is that they genuinely eavesdropped and naively believed that EDG wouldn't pick Lucian.

The second type is someone who's genuinely stupid and doesn't take Ming Jing seriously.

All things considered, the second option might actually be a bit dumber...
But to outside viewers, PSG is clearly the latter.

This point received very positive feedback on Taiwanese online forums.

After the interview, Ming Jing returned home with the team.

Their next match is the last game of the day, with several hours in between. They'll go back to the hotel to rest and grab some meat and eggs to fill their stomachs.

On his way back, Mingjing happened to come across a repost of a post from the Yin Jian Forum on the Anti-Japanese Bar.

Is PSG arguably the most embarrassing team in the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan region? They're about to be eliminated in the top six.

Of course! I don't see a single person on this team who wants to win.

[Yeah, I don't understand what this coach is trying to do! Is this draft pick even humanly made?]

[We can start doing Iceland import services now; even if we can't beat the competition in terms of sales figures, we absolutely must beat them in terms of volume!]

[What's the rush? They've only played one match in the second round. Who says PSG is definitely out? Can't you have some confidence in your own team?]

At this stage, anyone who still believes in PSG needs to see a doctor.

It just goes to show that Taiwanese viewers really understand their own team.

This PSG team really doesn't show any signs of qualifying.

The break time passed quickly, and the EDG team returned to the arena when it was time to go on stage.

PSG's second match today is also coming to an end.

At this moment, the two teams facing off on the field are Vietnam's GAM and PSG.

These two teams are currently fourth and fifth respectively, and the result of their match will most likely determine the last qualifying spot.

If GAM wins, they'll secure their place in the next round; if PSG wins, they might still have a chance to fight back.

Unfortunately, the result was not pleasant.

The two sides fought fiercely for forty minutes, until the main road was worn away.

In the final battle against the ancient dragon, Captain Levi's Deathsong took off his shoes and drank a potion, entering his ultimate form.

He first sacrificed his life to defeat the crucial Ancient Dragon, and then, with the combined blessing of the Ancient Dragon, the Six Gods of Shoes, the Sorcery Elixir, and Unyielding Spirit, he used his soul to chant the devastating Requiem, extinguishing PSG's hopes of victory.

With this match over, PSG is basically out of contention for the knockout stage.

At this moment, the LPL live stream chat was filled with humorous and playful comments.

Holy crap, that's a brutal Karthus!

[This combination, plus the Elder Dragon, almost instantly killed the little cannon from full health? Is this for real?]

[Did Tristana's Hexdrinker not trigger? It got directly killed by the Elder Dragon's Slash?] [Late-game Karthus is like this, just one ultimate skill is enough to deal massive damage, but to be able to play Karthus this late game is truly amazing.]

[Change the channel! I want to watch EDG!]

As the EDG players entered the rest room with their luggage, they saw the PSG players with their heads down, preparing to leave.

After this match, they could really consider bringing their talents to the online shopping industry.

Ming Jing nodded at the other person with a kind smile.

The PSG members' faces darkened, and they hurriedly turned and left.

Not long after, EDG kicked off their second round of matches today.

EDG's opponent this time is C9.

C9 is a pretty strong team. They've only won one game against Vietnam so far, and with a record of 1-5, they're firmly in last place.

Facing such an opponent, the EDG team was naturally relaxed and happy, continuing the strategy they had at the beginning of the first game, focusing on training their players.

The two teams played for a long time this time, at one point reaching 35 minutes.

In the end, Mingjing and Viper, the two carries, proved to be superior. The late-game combination of Viktor and Senna worked together to defeat their opponents.

With the winning streak in full swing, the team atmosphere was cheerful and joyful.

During their rest that night, the EDG team even asked Scout if he wanted to go up and play.

After all, qualifying for the next round is already a done deal. Replacing players serves two purposes: firstly, to conceal their weaknesses and keep their tactics and trump cards hidden until the knockout stage; and secondly, to let Scout warm up.

Scout is a first-team mid laner, so it's unreasonable for him to always be on the bench.

But Scout remained steadfast and still shook his head in refusal.

The gist is that he doesn't want a starting position that he didn't earn himself.

This left the EDG team quite helpless.

Mingjing's performance is getting better and better with each game, what makes you think you can compete for a starting position?

On May 18th, EDG's matches were all concentrated in the second half, facing GAM and MAD in succession.

Although Scout was unwilling to play, EDG's determination to hold back was still quite firm.

They chose heroes they had previously picked, not taking a single new hero, keeping their trump cards tightly under wraps.

Of course, EDG still follows the meta quite well, so the heroes they choose are mostly those that are currently in the meta.

Although it didn't have any surprising effect, EDG's players' excellent individual skills led to a steady stream of victories!

With two more victories, EDG has extended their record to a terrifying 9-0!

Meanwhile, DK's record was equally impressive.

After losing the game by picking Lee Sin, DK successfully ruled out the mistake of picking Lee Sin in the mid lane and instead stuck to picking AP carry champions for Showmaker, playing the game in their usual style.

Playing in their comfort zone, DK certainly had no chance of losing to European, American, or Taiwanese teams. They also won consecutive matches, ranking second with a record of 7-2.

The two teams are now only one match away from concluding their rivalry.

Of course, this match wasn't important; the EDG players didn't take it seriously at all.

After all, with a two-game lead, even if EDG loses to DK in the last game, it won't affect the rankings of either team. A loss is a loss.

In contrast, DK is more serious.

After all, they had already lost to EDG once. If they lost again in the second round, it would be a bit embarrassing and inconvenient to explain to the fans.

Therefore, in the final battle, the DK team, if not exactly on steroids, fought with considerable seriousness.

In contrast, the EDG players were all smiles, and even planned to make a play around Flandre.

Because Flandre was in great form during last night's scrim, he completely dominated the European top laner and yelled for Nuguri to come over so he could beat him up.

"The Nuguri you wanted is here." Mingjing patted Flandre on the shoulder. "This game, I'll pick Orianna to farm and wait for you to carry."

Saint Gun's expression changed upon hearing the team's decision.

But at this point there was clearly no room for retreat, so he gritted his teeth and chose to fight it out.

It has to be said that Flandre is still trustworthy.

If you let him pick the top lane, he can still guarantee a lane advantage.

With the help of teammates, it's not difficult to create an advantage in the top lane.

Saint Gun played quite well this game, picking Lee Sin. His lane control and teamwork were perfect. He not only helped his teammates complete the top lane tower dive, but also cleverly roamed to the mid lane, using a smooth Insec kick to help Mingjing kill Showmaker.

But this is far from enough.

Because the lower half of the bracket has been completely lost.

Once DWG finds their offensive rhythm, they are invincible. Canyon picked a classic Graves pick this game, ganking, controlling dragons, and invading at the same time. He put Viper under immense pressure and secured three dragons at 18 minutes, putting tremendous pressure on EDG for the Dragon Soul.

At 25 minutes, during the dragon fight, Flandre personally joined the battle. Lee Sin, with his equipment advantage, entered the fray like a dragon and, with the help of his teammates, kicked Ghost's Jhin to death.

But it's clear that Ghost is the least important carry in DK's lineup.

While Flandre was kicking Ghost to death, Canyon's Graves had already started to roam in the team fight, and with just two shots, he sent JieJie's Rumble to his death!

At this moment, Meiko's Leona flashed and used Q to stun him. Mingjing reacted quickly, and his Orianna immediately used QR!

But at this critical moment, Beryl reacted quickly and used the crucible to remove the stun from Graves!

Canyon resumed free movement, used Flash and Gale to dodge Mingjing's ultimate move [Shockwave], and simultaneously got right in front of Mingjing!

Also posted was Luo's R-Flash-W!

Mingjing reacted quickly, flashing backward to dodge Luo's initiation and turning back to deal damage.

However, with her ultimate ability missing, Orianna's threat in team fights has been greatly reduced.

In addition, Viper was already underdeveloped, and his output was pitifully low.

Canyon ignored Orianna's Flash-out, since he couldn't catch up, and simply turned around to deal with Lee Sin in the enemy team.

Even with three items, Flandre couldn't get more than two shots out of the Lee Sin before being slowly controlled and killed.

With both carries severely lacking damage output, EDG's momentum clearly crumbled, and they were ultimately wiped out in a drawn-out battle.

After this, the outcome of the match was no longer in doubt.

The game went on for 32 minutes before DK pushed forward and won the match, which had nothing to do with the final rankings.

The EDG players weren't in a hurry after losing the game; they just felt a little regretful.

Mingjing stood up and waited for the DK members to come over and give each other a fist bump before patting Holy Gun on the shoulder, "You can't rely on me, Xuanjun."

Upon hearing this, Flandre blushed and secretly vowed to get his revenge in the future finals!
After the match ended, neither team's players rushed to leave the field.

On the contrary, MAD and GAM, who ranked third and fourth respectively, also arrived at the scene.

According to the rules, after the competition ends, the knockout stage will be held to determine the matchups.

The team pairing rules are simple: the first-place team chooses its opponent in the semifinals from either the third or fourth-place team.

After the first-place team has made its selection, the second-place team will naturally face off against the remaining teams.

Without hesitation, Mingjing, who was chosen as the representative to take the stage, directly selected GAM as his opponent.

The European region has been quite prominent in the last two years, and to be precise, they are even the defending champions of this year's MSI. Of course, they deserve some respect.

With this, the knockout stage matchups and schedule have been finalized!

They only rested for one day in between.

May 21st: Group 2 DK vs. Group 3 MAD
May 22nd: Group 1 EDG vs. Group 4 GAM
May 23rd: The final battle of the winners!
The 2021 Mid-Season Invitational has finally reached its climax!
(End of this chapter)