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

Chapter 248 The king doesn’t see the king
In the LCK commentary booth, as Yasuo's blade fell, several commentators' voices were incredibly excited, one after another.

"Yasuo looks like he's about to make a move in the top lane! Canna, run! You're no match for him!"

"The acceleration cannon was blocked by the wind wall! Should I switch to the hammer to break it? But a wave of minions is coming!"

"Yasuo is back in front, but! Keria! The crucial support!"

The Roaring Emperor's voice suddenly brightened, "This is Shen's support ability! Oner is also rushing to the river! This looks like we can get a kill!"

"They've given us a chance! Phi!" another commentator, CT, suddenly shouted, "For the sake of the viewers, take down Yasuo! T1!"

The commentary is a bit melodramatic; it's just a gank, but they're bringing up all sorts of things like friendship and bonds.

But the result can only be described as extremely humorous.

With Yasuo's EQ flash speed boost, the three instantly fell silent.

As the [Whirlwind Slash] landed, the three of them changed their tone and began to wail!
Amidst shouts of "Pizza!", Yasuo, at full health, slays two opponents, forces Lee Sin to retreat, and his power shakes the world!
At this moment, countless Korean viewers in the LCK live broadcast room went wild!

[West 8 T1, what on earth are you doing? Did you come to Worlds to embarrass yourselves?]

[Two out of three were killed in a 3v1 situation? This is really confusing. This Yasuo was 0-0 just two minutes ago, and now he's 5-0?]

[After all, he's Phi; a man you should never underestimate.]

[I thought other LCK teams were pretty strong, so why did you guys slip up? You got swept by EDG twice?]

[What's so surprising about that? It's been like this every year. You think it's like SKT in S6? That was five years ago!]

It's normal that we can't beat EDG. EDG still needs Xu Xiu to handle things. Daesang Hyeok getting into the semifinals would be a success.

Having watched the game this far, the Korean viewers naturally understood that T1 was already in a losing position.

After all, the commentators emphasized before the match that T1's strongest weapon is split-pushing and support within the global meta system.

As a result, we've gotten to this point, and we can't even split push anymore. Yasuo can kill as many as he comes. What's the point of fighting then?
After securing two more kills, Yasuo's economy surged once again, even matching Lucian's.

The rest is just wasted time.

EDG's two carries have formidable fighting power, and with three dragons in hand, they have plenty of ways to win the game.

At 22 minutes, EDG initiated the Dragon Soul team fight precisely on time.

With a huge economic lead, EDG's entire team except for the support had two items, while T1's equipment was far behind, and they had no ability to engage in team fights. What could T1 do?

If they give up the Fire Dragon Soul, EDG will immediately initiate a team fight at Baron Nashor. Should they then release Baron Nashor again?

Then we'll have to release them at the base as well.

They had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept the tour group.

But the result was that EDG didn't even give them a chance to fight back. Jiejie's Monkey King used his stealth E to enter and started spinning, igniting the Dragon Soul team fight with a not-so-skilled initiation!
With such a huge advantage, EDG's only concern is whether they can initiate team fights, not whether they can initiate them poorly.

With the combined fighting power of the two carries, there's no chance of them losing.

JieJie went in and took a huge amount of damage, and then flashed to the back row before dying, unleashing his second ultimate skill, which knocked up both carries at the same time.

Ming Jing had been waiting for this moment. Yasuo instantly used his ultimate to enter the fray, and together with Kennen, who also entered the fray, they wiped out the backline with swift and decisive strikes.

Viper, on the other hand, used continuous sliding steps and Luna's ferocious output to clear out the front line, easily achieving a team wipe with a one-for-five trade.

After winning the team fight, it's time to take down the Fire Dragon Soul and the Baron one by one.

Returning to base for supplies, the economy has already exceeded 10,000.

One final push and we easily ended the game!

"Congratulations EDG!"

In the commentary booth, Guan Daxiao looked at T1's base crystal shattered on the ground and shouted loudly: "After defeating T1, they also finished the group stage with a perfect record of 6 wins and 0 losses, becoming the second team after DK to advance with a perfect record!"

Backstage at EDG, Abu and Maokai exchanged a glance, then looked at each other.

The newcomers to the lounge this time were my cousin Mingkai, who had recently arrived in Iceland, and my boss Edzhu.

As promised, Edward Zhu went to Iceland to watch the game after the team advanced to the knockout stage.

The boss watched as his team won 6-0 and advanced to the next round, a smile of indescribable joy on his face. He glanced at the corner of the lounge, then followed the people around him out of the lounge to welcome the players back.

In a corner of the lounge, Scout arrived at the venue as required. He was staring blankly at the broadcast screen, seemingly lost in thought.

On the screen at this moment, the EDG players are walking to the T1 players' bench, and the two players are exchanging fist bumps as a sign of goodwill.

Mingjing walked up to Li Xianghe and raised his right fist.

"Well played," Ming Jing said in English. "See you in the finals."

Hearing Mingjing's words, Li Xianghe raised his head slightly, somewhat surprised.

Because he didn't sense any condescension from the other person's words, but rather a deep sincerity.

Lee Sang-hyeok and Myung Kyung exchanged a glance, then both raised their right fists. "See you in the finals."

Ming Jing smiled and nodded, then brushed past the other person.

Mingjing's words were not just polite; he genuinely believed it.

The T1 team in front of us is by no means as useless as outsiders think; it is an absolutely strong team.

It's no exaggeration to say that T1 has a real chance of winning the championship.

Of course, it would be even better if the team structure could be optimized.

Mingjing and Canna lightly bumped fists, then he and his teammates went to the center of the stage, bowed to the audience, and turned to leave.

At the entrance to the backstage area, commentators from various regions had been waiting for a long time, but this interview had nothing to do with Mingjing. They found Viper on the main stage, Flandre from the LPL, and Meiko from the LCK.

So Mingjing had a smooth journey back to the backstage dressing room.

Seeing his cousin and the boss standing at the door, Ming Jing's eyes lit up, and he went over to greet them.

"Why are you here so early?" Mingjing asked with a smile.

"Of course," Boss Edward Zhu laughed. "You guys have been playing so well this year, I certainly don't want to miss your matches. You did a great job today!"

Ming Jing smiled and said, "It's my pleasure."

"Keep it up!" Edward Zhu laughed. "If you win this year, you'll get a reward!"

"Oh?" Jie Jie perked up immediately upon hearing this. The boss's offer must be substantial, so he quickly asked, "What kind of reward?"

The boss looked around and smiled, "Let's go inside and talk."

As everyone was talking, people kept walking past them, making the already narrow lounge corridor seem a bit congested.

According to the rules, the draw ceremony for the quarterfinals must begin immediately after the last group of matches are completed. Representatives from all eight teams must be present, and some teams even strolled over together, so there are quite a few people standing backstage at the venue.

Back in the lounge, everyone heard what the boss's reward was.

It's very simple, just an apartment in the Pearl River Delta.

"Oh my!" Even his cousin couldn't help but laugh. "He's really bleeding a lot."

"It's alright, it's not that expensive." Edward Zhu laughed, "It's just a small apartment of about 60 or 70 square meters, the price is a little over one million, it's good to use it as an incentive for you guys."

"That's not right," my cousin asked again, "Why didn't you say this when we made it to the World Championship?"

Ed Zhu was a little speechless, "Because it's pointless to say anything."

Mingkai immediately objected, "What do you mean it's pointless to say anything?"

The boss glanced at his cousin sideways, said nothing more, and understood everything without words.

Ming Jing listened without saying a word, but he was quite amused.

Soon, several teammates returned after finishing their interviews. Upon hearing about the reward the boss mentioned, their eyes lit up.

The EDG players don't really need such a house, since neither their hometown nor their workplace is in the Pearl River Delta, but even if this thing were to be sold, it wouldn't be a small amount of money.

Soon, there was another knock on the door of the lounge. When everyone opened the door, they saw Xiaohu and Xiaoming standing at the door, greeting the EDG team.

Clearly, Hu Ming and his companion didn't want to wait idly in the lobby and wanted to come in and grab a seat.

EDG and RNG have had a love-hate relationship for years, so there's definitely some connection between them. Xiaohu, with a lewd grin, sat down next to Flandre and hooked his arm around his shoulder: "What do you say about today's draw?"

"What do you mean, how so?" Flandre laughed. "What, you want to be drawn into the same half of the bracket as us and have a go?"

RNG and EDG both qualified as group winners, so there's no worry about them meeting in the quarterfinals. However, it would be difficult if they were placed in the same half of the bracket.

"No way!" Xiao Ming immediately waved his hand. "That's too painful. Let us play against the Korean team instead, and let's meet in the finals!"

"OK, OK." Ming Jing smiled. "Then let's become sworn brothers!"

Mingjing certainly didn't want a civil war, because it wouldn't matter who they fought.

At that moment, the director was displaying the list of the top eight teams on the TV in the lounge.

Group A: DK, C9
Group B: EDG, T1
Group C: RNG, HLE
Group D: GEN, MAD
It must be said that the South Korean team this year is quite strong, with all four teams making it to the quarterfinals and all maintaining a high level of competitiveness.

In contrast, the LPL side was a bit lacking; Feng Yiqi suffered a major setback in that wave.

It can only be said that this is the style of LPL teams. With their chaotic playstyle, their stability is not as consistent as that of LCK teams, which emphasize discipline and strategy. Every year, there is always one team that makes it to the top 16.

Soon, another staff member knocked on the door of EDG's rest room, indicating that the draw was about to begin and that the team needed to send a representative to wait backstage.

This shouldn't have anything to do with Ming Jing, since he's not EDG's captain and has the least seniority.

But then Edward Zhu came over and patted Ming Jing on the shoulder, saying, "Go ahead, you're the face of EDG now."

Mingjing scratched his head, then stood up and set off with Xiaohu to wait at the backstage entrance.

Beside me, staff members were running back and forth, carrying some props for the lucky draw onto the stage.

Today's host Sjokz and the raffle guest Ou Cheng walked past and stepped onto the stage, and the elimination round draw ceremony quickly began!
Ou Cheng bowed slightly to the audience, then stirred the No. 1 prize pool.

According to the rules, Ou Cheng will first draw the top four teams and assign them to different halves of the bracket.

Mingjing and Xiaohu exchanged a glance, knowing that this was a crucial moment.

This directly determines whether there will be an internal conflict between the two teams.

Soon, the first sphere was extracted, and Ou Cheng opened it, unfurling the small banner inside.

Group A leader: DK!

Upon arriving at the venue, the Showmaker, hearing the host's call, strode confidently onto the stage and stood in his designated spot.

Upon seeing this team name, many teams became somewhat nervous.

This year's World Championship is undoubtedly dominated by EDG and DK.

Being drawn into the same half of the bracket as these two teams is a recipe for disaster.

But Ming Jing acted unusually, licking his lips expectantly.

He wouldn't mind having DK blocked in half of the map beforehand.

Ou Cheng smiled at the camera and continued drawing lots. The next lot was drawn quickly!
This time, the banner is golden yellow, representing the team's theme color.

RNG.

Mingjing glanced at Xiaohu and nodded with a smile.

This draw at least means that the two teams will not face each other before the final.

But Xiao Hu's expression couldn't help but show some bitterness.

So you left EDG and are now joining DK?

He made a final adjustment before stepping onto the stage and standing on the Showmaker's side.

Once those two lots are drawn, there's not much more to say about the rest.

Rekkles continued the draw, drawing EDG and GEN respectively, placing the two teams in the lower bracket.

The representative of GEN was, of course, Ruler. This legendary AD glanced at Ming Jing, his eyes filled with indescribable seriousness.

Ou Cheng quickly began the second round of the draw.

This is the truly crucial moment, because the audience is clearly more concerned about the upcoming quarterfinal matchups.

For the LPL, the best draw would undoubtedly be to assign a Korean team to DK, allowing the two Korean teams to battle it out first.

Of course, the probability is not high, because the knockout stage will implement the same half of the group avoidance, and two teams from the same group will not meet before the final.

In Pool 2, the only Korean teams are HLE and T1. Since HLE and RNG are in the same group, only T1 is a possibility.

Ou Cheng reached out and stirred the pool, quickly drawing the first lot from pool number two.

Europe's No. 1 seed.

MAD!

Upon seeing this choice, the European audience below the stage erupted in a commotion.

Even Oucheng felt somewhat helpless.

They just randomly picked a Death Knight for their own team, who can stand that?

MAD's mid laner Humanoid also showed helplessness on his face, but he still stepped onto the stage, exchanged fist bumps with Showmaker, and then stood in the same spot.

In the LCK live stream, the three members of the Roaring Emperor group couldn't help but burst into laughter as they looked at the draw: "Hahaha, what a great draw!"

Due to the principle of avoidance, when only MAD and T1 are available as choices, MAD is undoubtedly the better choice!

Rekkles continued the draw, assigning opponents to RNG.

This time, he actually drew a South Korean team.

HLE.

On the stage, Ming Jing looked at the team logo and raised an eyebrow.

HLE and RNG are in the same group, so according to the rules, the order will be passed down to the next group.

The team below is EDG.

Even after this draw, the semi-final matchups were already determined.

Ming Jing had already figured out the matchups for the quarterfinals by arranging the combinations in his mind.

On stage, the spotlight shone brightly. After Sjokz explained the rules, HLE slid to the bottom half of the bracket and was placed in the same group as EDG.

The LCK commentators, who were just laughing heartily, changed their expressions again, and the group fell into an eerie silence once more.

HLE representative Chovy stepped onto the stage and lightly bumped fists with Mingjing. The two were not familiar with each other, so they did not talk, but simply nodded to each other.

Next up is the third draw, which will again be used to choose an opponent for RNG in the upper bracket!

On the scene, Guan Daxiao looked at the remaining T1 and C9 and said, "Now there are only two teams left that haven't been drawn, so the result is actually already determined."

C9 and DK are in the same group, so they definitely can't enter the upper half of the bracket.

In other words, RNG's only opponent can be T1.

The remaining C9 teams were naturally assigned to the GEN group.

The next two draws were the same.

In the third draw, Rekkles drew C9, and according to the rules, he was placed into the GEN group.

To ensure fairness, Ou Cheng still drew the last ball, which was T1.
At this moment, the large screen at the venue was already displaying the division of this year's knockout stage.

Upper bracket: DK vs. MAD, RNG vs. T1
Lower bracket: EDG vs. HLE, GEN vs. C9
Ming Jing squinted at it and nodded to himself.

This draw was completely unpredictable; it was purely based on merit.

The quarterfinals may not be very exciting, but the semifinals are definitely full of highlights.

The clash between DK and EDG will keep the suspense going until the very end!
"The draw for the 2021 World Championship knockout stage has now concluded, and the regional assignments are finalized! Let's look forward to the exciting performances of the eight teams in the knockout stage!"

(End of this chapter)