League: I really didn't tank!

Chapter 466 Sword Demon, Sword Demon, it's the Sword Demon again?

7 month 10 number.

The fourth day of the Intercontinental Championships, which is also the final day.

Chen Dongqing walked into the backstage dressing room and had just found a seat when he heard Lin Weixiang and Xiangguo next to him discussing who should go on stage first.

"It's definitely our turn!" Xiangguo said proudly. "We have the best record in international matches, we should get a winning start!"

"What if LCK pulls some dirty tricks again and lets SKT go first?" Lin Weixiang said with a grin, "Then we should let our third seed go. We, the third seed, beat SKT's fourth seed and go all out."

"What if the opposing team has the second seed?" Ning Wang chimed in from the side. "That's why we should go up! We're the second seed; we can beat strong teams, and against weak teams, we'll go all out!"

That makes sense; starting the second seed is always the safest option.

But the people present didn't care about any of that and argued endlessly over the starting position.

Chen Dongqing didn't want to get involved in this competition. He took out his phone and glanced at the messages.

The first message came from my girlfriend, whose profile picture I had pinned to the top of my chat list.

[Keep it up! I'm in charge of the halftime interview today!]

Following the message were a set of selfies of Lin Yuanhua wearing a dress today.

"This outfit looks great!" Chen Dongqing, being quite tactful, first complimented his girlfriend's beauty before saying, "Don't worry, I've got her all to go today!"

After sending a message to his girlfriend, Chen Dongqing scrolled back and saw messages from various friends and relatives on WeChat, wishing them good luck in the competition.

This includes his cousin who visited him a few days ago.

Besides sending good wishes, my cousin also posted a screenshot of his League of Legends match results.

His cousin is already on summer vacation. It's the summer before the new semester starts, so there's no summer homework or extra classes. It's the happiest two months of the year.

For the past ten days, my cousin has been playing Chen Dongqing's Korean server super account at home every day to rank up, and he has now reached Diamond I.

If you can maintain this rate of ranking up, then reaching 1000 points in the Korean server Challenger tier might not be a dream at all!

In the game screenshot, my cousin was using Chen Dongqing's champion Fiora, achieving a godlike score of 8-0-6.

Chen Dongqing smiled and typed "Awesome," then exited WeChat and glanced at the forum.

With the finals approaching, discussions on Tieba (a Chinese online forum) are in full swing, with many people analyzing the upcoming finals in advance.

There are even professional high-ranking players who first list the strengths and weaknesses of the eight teams on both sides, then list the head-to-head combinations, and analyze the win rate of each combination.

Chen Dongqing clicked in and took a look. It was indeed quite professional, and the analysis of most situations was very logical. For example, he confidently filled in 100% win rate for all four possible matchups against QG.

But this guy clearly wanted to ruin Chinese esports; he boldly filled in 0 for all four options related to EDG.

Upon seeing this, Chen Dongqing knew that this guy was up to no good. He glanced at the EDG members next to him, thought for a moment, and decided not to show it to them. He then left the thread and continued to enjoy his time in the bathroom.

He quickly found what he wanted to see.

[Here's some pre-match coverage from Korean online tournaments for you guys!]

Chen Dongqing really wanted to see how the Koreans viewed the final, so he immediately clicked on it.

Surprisingly, the atmosphere on Korean online forums and anti-Japanese online communities was very similar, with people analyzing possible scenarios based on various permutations and combinations.

We still need to find a way to avoid QG. How about letting AFS play against QG? A win would be a huge bonus, and a loss wouldn't be a loss!

【Wait, why send AFS? SKT is the fourth seed!】

[Did you forget that SKT beat Flash Wolves yesterday? SKT can beat teams KZ can't beat easily!]

SKT is the strongest team in the LCK this year!

This guy is shameless; how could he say something like that?

[Haha, you only won one game against Flash Wolves, you really think you're something special. KZ not winning just means KZ is trash, it doesn't prove that SKT is strong, understand?]

For some reason, the style of the post inexplicably went astray.

Because SKT defeated Flash Wolves yesterday, avenging KZ, countless dormant fans in Korea have been resurrected and are now dominating Korean online forums.

Many people have expressed that the weakness in spring is only temporary, and that SKT will surely rise again this summer!

Looking at these comments, Chen Dongqing just found them funny.

As someone who traveled back in time, he certainly knew how terrible SKT was in Season 8.

It's not just the S8.

SKT's period of weakness and pain will last for four years, until S12, when they will finally recover.

This year's SKT should be considered a success just to make it to Worlds, let alone "rise up".

If we encounter an LPL team later, as long as it's not EDG, we'll most likely get crushed.

Then, the chaotic dream should end.

After browsing the forum, Chen Dongqing turned his attention back to the lounge and saw that the argument among the people next to him seemed to have reached a conclusion.

"So, brothers, what do you say?" Chen Dongqing asked, walking over. "Who wants to go first?"

Letting the players decide their own playing order is the result of discussions among the LPL coaching team.

This intercontinental competition may seem like a game of strategic maneuvering, where brainstorming and vying for the highest score are possible, but in reality, it all comes down to luck.

When there is no communication between the two sides and no information whatsoever, who can guess what the other side is thinking?

The result of being too clever for one's own good is like what happened in yesterday's LMS region, where they sent out their strongest team in the first round, only to run into the opponent's fourth seed.

So ultimately, it's better to let the team members decide for themselves, so that they don't have to bear any burden and their psychological pressure is less.

Xiangguo pointed sullenly at Prince Ning: "Let them go."

Chen Dongqing was somewhat surprised. "How did he convince you?"

"I played rock-paper-scissors, and I was the first one eliminated, damn it."

Rock-paper-scissors, a game that is both absurd and somehow reasonable.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Chen Dongqing patted his teammate on the shoulder. "Let's try to win the next round."

Just then, Riot Games staff knocked on the lounge door, asking the LPL region to submit the list of teams participating in the first match.

Banbazi was already prepared and handed over a rubber ball.

The staff member nodded and took the colored ball away. Not long after, another staff member brought over another rubber ball.

Inside this rubber ball should be the leading team from the LCK region.

With anticipation, everyone opened the rubber ball, and a bright red team logo appeared on the screen.

KT.

Chen Dongqing raised an eyebrow.

Ok?

"What a coincidence," Chen Dongqing said with a smile. "Both sides have fielded their second seeds."

These two teams faced off in the group stage.

At that time, IG easily won thanks to Aatrox's divine power.

Now, two days have passed, and it's unclear whether KT has resolved the Aatrox issue.

Both contestants took to the stage, and the match began!

As it turns out, KT is quick to learn new champions; despite being on the blue side, they didn't ban Aatrox.

On the other hand, IG had no reason to ban Aatrox, and the final result was that KT directly picked Aatrox!

However, as a trade-off, IG secured Camille and Irelia in their first and second picks.

In the subsequent draft phase, KT decided to flex Aatrox to the top lane.

The two sides adopted almost identical strategies in the draft phase, both targeting the top lane, indicating that the top half of the map would be extremely bloody in this game.

But this is clearly what IG wants as well.

KT's players are getting old, how could they possibly compete with IG's young guys in terms of skill?

It wasn't until this point that IG revealed their true intentions, locking in Jayce for TheShy as their fifth pick.

Those who have mastered the Sword Demon skill will naturally know how to defeat it!

TheShy picked Jayce this game just to smash Aatrox's head!

Seeing this move, Chen Dongqing knew that IG had it in the bag.

TheShy's Jayce vs. Aatrox was a famous moment.

Right from the start of the game, Rookie and Ning's top-tier mid-jungle duo showed their sharp fangs. At three minutes, Camille kicked the mid lane, and Irelia's Twin Blades forced KT's mid laner Ucal to use Flash.

Rookie, who forced the opponent to use Flash, became increasingly dominant in lane, perfectly demonstrating his strength as an LPL All-Star mid laner. He excelled at both harassing and outfarming opponents, and firmly controlled the lane!

Ning seized the opportunity of the mid-lane advantage and dominated KT's jungle!

Peanut was helpless against the weakness of the mid lane and could only watch as his jungle was relentlessly invaded!

But that's not the most terrifying thing about IG.

At five minutes, the camera unexpectedly switched to the top lane, and TheShy's Jayce hit a ranged minion with a single shot, and the AOE damage from hitting the ranged minion affected the enemy Aatrox!

After this shot hit, the Sword Demon's health was reduced to only one-third in an instant!

Nobody knows how Jayce managed to suppress Aatrox like that.

Seizing the opportunity, TheShy decisively switched to his hammer and accelerated, striking the ranged minion with the same hammer!

Before the Sword Demon could create distance, he was hit by an AOE attack and slowed down again!

TheShy activated his hammer form (W), chasing after Aatrox while wielding his 2.5 attack speed hammer, relentlessly hammering him!

Smeb realized he was getting out of control and quickly flashed away, but TheShy immediately flashed after him, using his auto-attack followed by his E (Thunder Strike) to secure a solo kill!

The last time IG beat KT, it was thanks to TheShy's perfect performance!

And this time will be no exception!

With the top lane opening open, IG's powerful attack seemed to have found an outlet. At six minutes, the mid and jungle ganked top, sending Smeb back to the fountain once again!

Next up is TheShy's solo performance.

Jayce wielded his cannon, unstoppable in a solo push, relentlessly hammering Aatrox until the opponent dared not even leave the tower!

Their teamfight attrition was unstoppable; each shot took away at least 30% of the target's health, helping IG secure dragons and towers in succession.

Jayce's heroic posture made the audience feel dazed, as if they were seeing that top laner with the surname "i".

My LPL is truly brimming with talent!

Although TheShy has always been taught a lesson by Tree, when he faces other top laners, he is a complete game-changer!

With Jayce dominating the entire game, IG easily won the first game without any trouble!

Seeing how easily this game was won, not only were the viewers excited, but the three commentators in the commentary booth—Wawa, Miller, and Guan—were also extremely excited!

"TheShy's really on fire this game!" Miller laughed. "He not only knows how to play Aatrox, but he can also dominate Aatrox! KT was completely dumbfounded!"

Smeb, who picked Aatrox this time but lost the lane again, sat in his chair with his head down, unable to stand up for a long time.

This match once again made him feel the cruel changes of the times.

He even felt that his career should come to an end.

Meanwhile, the IG players excitedly and hopped back to the rest room.

"Nice, nice!" Chen Dongqing and the other players stood up together, cheering and applauding for IG. "Their offense was so smooth!"

The IG team was in high spirits after winning the game, and TheShy, who once again won the MVP award, grinned widely, looking quite like a comedian.

After the celebration, the topic returned to the game.

Banbazi looked around at everyone and slowly said, "Who will play in the next match?"

There wasn't much time to think; the staff were already waiting at the entrance to the lounge, just waiting for LPL to upload the roster.

There are actually many reasons why he was chosen to play this match.

After losing the first game, LCK will definitely be taking this game more seriously, and they will most likely field KZ in this match in order to secure a win in the second game.

At this point, LPL had many options. If they were to take a tough stance, they could send out QG to directly and forcefully suppress the opponent.

If the opponent is at a disadvantage, we could consider sending in EDG to wear down their strongest force.

Of course, LCK teams can also resort to dirty tricks, such as fielding the weakest team.

"Come on!" Xiangguo rolled up his sleeves. "Let's continue!"

The decision was simple—it was rock-paper-scissors!

What do you care about the schemes and tricks you LCK players are up to? We LPL players don't even know which team we'll be assigned to, how could you possibly outmaneuver us?

Anyway, we're strong overall, and QG will be there to save the day in the fifth game, so we can win easily!

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

The three teams quickly made their choices.

Coincidentally, both Xiangguo and Scout chose stones.

Lin Weixiang is the one who laid the cloth this time.

"Whoosh!" Lin Weixiang couldn't help but let out a roar, "It's our turn!"

The staff nearby were amused by LPL's hasty decision, but they still asked, "Are you sure it's FPX?"

Seeing that Xiangguo had lost the rock-paper-scissors game again, Chen Dongqing had no choice but to say helplessly, "What kind of unlucky guy are you?"

"How was I supposed to know!" Xiangguo retorted, "Damn it, you come next time."

"There might not be a next time," Chen Dongqing said with a smile. "Let's see how this match goes."

If FPX loses this game, the score will be 1-1, and then perhaps QG and FPX can still put up a fight.

But if FPX wins, making the score 2-0, then the task of delivering the final blow will have to be left to QG.

Xiangguo thought about this and agreed, so he simply lay back down on the chair.

But some are happy and some are sad.

Scout finally understood this and suddenly felt a little panicked.

Will EDG be unable to play in the finals?

He had planned to prove himself in the finals!

At this moment, Scout even began to feel conflicted.

Is FPX's victory good or bad for EDG?

At this moment, another staff member came to the lounge and informed LCK of the team selection for this match.

LCK didn't opt ​​for anything fancy in this game, but instead sent out their number one seed, KZ.

This is obviously not good news for FPX, after all, it's the third seed playing against the first seed, and anyone would feel a lot of pressure.

But what stands out about the FPX players is their optimism; they don't panic.

"Not bad," Lin Weixiang said cheerfully. "Winning is a huge profit, and losing isn't a loss either."

Mouse was even more foolish than Lin Weixiang, flashing his signature warm and healing smile as he said to everyone in the lounge, "Watch me play a fourth game with you guys, okay?"

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Karsa slapped Mouse on the back. "Damn it, what did you say? We might not even lose this round!"

"Just kidding, just kidding."

As the FPX members chatted and joked, they carried their peripherals toward the stage, leaving everyone in silence.

Why do I suddenly feel that letting FPX play this game was a mistake?

Are they even capable?

FPX was a team that made it to the semifinals last year. Although they lost to IG in a five-game series this spring, and although there are a lot of comedians on their team, that doesn't mean they're not good.

On the contrary, remaining calm even when faced with a collapsing mountain is a testament to their composure.

Both personally and professionally, Chen Dongqing is very optimistic that FPX will win the match.

Soon, the business paired up (BP) for both sides began!

KZ's draft strategy in this game was quite similar to their good friend KT, still picking Aatrox first and using him as a mid-top flex pick!

There was no other way; the mid and top lane flex picks for Aatrox were something they had been practicing for the past two days.

Wouldn't it be too stupid to abandon a player just because of a previous loss?

IG can beat Aatrox, but FPX might not be able to.

Well, sorry, but you really are a formidable fighter.

But FPX, on the red side, remained unfazed and once again pulled out their old tricks.

Kree!

Kled's Q skill comes with grievous wounds, and his two E skills allow him to get close to Aatrox and dodge the first two sword strikes, then dash behind him to dodge the third strike, perfectly avoiding Aatrox's Q skill. This is the perfect counter to Aatrox!

Moreover, Kled can be a top/mid player for FPX, and can wait until Aatrox's position is confirmed before switching to him!

Looking at the casting of Kled, the KZ members felt a sense of foreboding.

No way?

Ultimately, they decided to move Aatrox to the mid lane and lock Jayce in the top lane, aiming to focus on breaking through in the top lane.

Without a second thought, A Guang immediately locked in a top lane Mundo, and this game was going to be a nightmare.

The match began quickly.

Looking at the lineups on both sides, Chen Dongqing smiled and said, "BDD is probably going to have a tough time this round."

Chen Dongqing's prediction soon came true.

Just five minutes into the game, Doinb's Kled, along with Karsa's Skarner, launched a daring tower dive against Aatrox in the mid lane!

Kled's tower-diving ability needs no introduction. After taking a few hits from the tower, he can dismount and become invincible, shifting aggro. He was born to tower dive. Kled and Scorpion combined to slowly whittle down the enemy's health, torturing him to death under the tower.

At this moment, KZ jungler Cuzz tried to take down one or two more enemies, but before he could even get close, Kled countered with a few basic attacks, forcing him to retreat.

Once Kled and Skarner both reached level six, FPX's mid and jungle became increasingly arrogant in their tower dives. As the sound of Kled's ultimate ability rang out, the two rushed straight to the bottom lane and wiped out KZ's bottom lane duo under the tower!

That wasn't even enough; the FPX mid and jungle, in a frenzy, were even willing to bite the dogs on the side of the road! Seeing that the enemy jungler still dared to watch from the side, Karsa flashed in with his Skarner and used his ultimate to catch him!

Kill one more!

Behind the scenes of the LPL, some are happy while others are sad.

Most people in the LPL were excited and overjoyed to see such a huge advantage, wishing Doinb could get more kills!

Damn it, you think you're the LCK's number one seed? You got utterly crushed by our number three seed!

The EDG players, especially Scout, looked rather strange.

Stop killing me, stop killing me, bro! I'm really about to break down!

We really want to participate in the Intercontinental Championship this year! Let us play a game!

Everyone understood that KZ's only hope of winning might lie with Khan in the top lane.

If Khan can replicate TheShy's dominant performance from last game, they might still have a chance.

The camera cuts to the top road.

It was observed that the CS difference between the two sides in the top lane was not significant, and even A Guang's Mundo's health was still very healthy, without any pressure.

Ah Guang was under no pressure at all, and was even quite relaxed. Mundo just stood behind him throwing cleavers, but he couldn't throw many cleavers or lose much health.

At this moment, Ah Guang even wanted to lean close to Khan's ear and say: Your Jess is not as good as an Ilex.

I've been getting crushed by Tree Bro's Jayce for two and a half years. Who do you think you are? You think your Jayce can beat mine? You're just a nobody!

While Khan was stuck in a stalemate in the top lane, Doinb in the bottom lane started to intensify his efforts. After acquiring Tiamat, his wave pushing became increasingly abnormal, and he roamed back and forth between the top and bottom lanes.

Khan ultimately did not escape death and was hacked to death beneath the tower.

KZ couldn't even find a single level match, and were beaten so badly they had to run away in panic!

At 23 minutes, a team fight broke out in the bottom lane.

Doinb's Kled single-handedly used his ultimate to enter the fray, first killing the enemy AD amidst a massive army, and then flashing away to hide in the jungle!

BDD uses Aatrox's E skill to jump over a wall and chases down a low-health Kled alone!

But after Doinb's W skill was ready, he didn't retreat but advanced. Taking advantage of the gap when Aatrox was using his Q skill, he decisively rushed in and landed four consecutive hits, successfully mounting his horse!

+1548!

A terrifying purple health bar reappeared on Kled's body, a number that was enough to make BDD despair!

With his health boosted from mounting the horse, Doinb used the grievous wounds from his Q skill and the agile movement from his E skill to successfully turn the tables and kill Aatrox!

Meanwhile, in the river, FPX's teammates also pursued fiercely, using Skarner's ultimate to kill Khan, achieving a 3-for-0 exchange!

At 29 minutes, both sides converged at the Dragon Pit and engaged in another team fight around the Dragon!

KZ is currently 6,000 gold behind, and their chances of winning are slim.

"Attack! Attack! Attack!" Doinb, who was pushing the top lane, shouted and teleported directly to the bottom lane minions.

The two sides are currently maneuvering in the upper positions, and his flank teleport from the bottom lane will be the final blow!

Deng Deng Deng!

Kled's ultimate move made a grand entrance with rousing background music, and the cowardly lizard beneath him kicked Pary.

With one E followed by another E, and a second E followed by a flash, Kled became like a leech, a nightmare for Pary.

At this moment, the opposing mid, jungle, and support players formed a triangle formation. Doinb suddenly had a flash of inspiration and made a bold decision.

Kled used a quick teleport to reposition himself at the apex of the triangle and began relentlessly attacking Lucian.

One slash, two slashes, Giant Nine resets his basic attack!

The cone-shaped effect of the giant hydra radiated from the apex of the triangle, perfectly spreading to the two people next to it, creating an extremely terrifying area-of-effect attack!

The visual effects of this scene were extremely terrifying. Not only was Pray killed instantly by those three blows, but GorillA and BDD next to him also lost a significant amount of health!

Taking advantage of this opportunity, FPX decisively followed up and pushed forward. This time, no one from KZ survived; they all returned to their fountain!

Immediately afterwards, FPX's voice chat became Doinb's personal channel.

Shouts of "One wave after another!", "Whoosh!", and "Nice brothers!" filled the backstage dressing room, making it impossible to have any peace and quiet!

But no one had time to think about that right now. Everyone was excitedly clapping as they watched FPX push the minion wave up to KZ's bottom lane high ground!

After the team was wiped out, the outcome was already decided!

In the final seconds of the game, Pray respawned in the fountain, but he was helpless against the five-man push and could only watch as his base exploded.

2-0! LPL takes a two-point lead without QG playing!

The camera panned to the FPX players' bench, where Doinb was seen excitedly jumping up and starting to do monkey punches!

The FPX players around them were all in different states: some were short track speed skaters, some were grinning, some were pretending to be calm, and some were not familiar with their teammates, but they were all full of joy!

Ignoring the KZ team who had just lost the game again, the FPX players quickly grabbed their peripherals and rushed backstage to claim credit!

"What do you say, brothers!" Doinb shouted excitedly, "We've taken the LCK championship head-on!"

"Awesome! Awesome!" Everyone stood up enthusiastically and gave a thumbs up!

It has to be said that this move by FPX was indeed crucial.

Just like yesterday when SKT beat FW, directly shattering LMS's hopes of winning.

FPX's victory today has directly plunged LCK into a deep abyss!

Putting EDG aside for now, LCK needs to defeat QG twice in a row to win!

Is that even possible? It's very blue!

After the celebration, Doinb excitedly addressed the QG team, saying, "Brothers, it should be 3-0 now, right?"

After going up 2-0, no other team can take the stage next.

LCK now only has the third and fourth seeds left, while QG still has one ultimate weapon left.

Given such a huge disparity, what kind of plan is there to speak of? Just use nuclear weapons and wipe the enemy out!

QG's team name was submitted, and the news about LCK teams' participation was officially reversed.

In the third game, LCK's lineup choice was SKT.

Clearly, in this desperate situation, SKT, a team that once enjoyed great success, has become the hope of the entire region.

The entire LCK community hopes that SKT can defeat their number one seed just like they did yesterday.

Looking at the team name, Chen Dongqing narrowed his eyes slightly, and for a moment he felt a little nostalgic.

When was the last time you faced SKT?

That looks like New York in 2016, doesn't it?

Thinking about it, it's been over a year since I last played.

Upon hearing his old rival's ID, Xiangguo didn't hesitate. He turned around, pulled out his peripherals from his bag, and excitedly shouted, "Let's go! Let's charge!"

Chen Dongqing also stood up, moved his fingers, and his heart began to beat faster.

"Charge!"

After saying that, he walked onto the stage under the gaze of all the contestants in the competition area.

The intercontinental tournament's halftime break was short. After Chen Dongqing came on, he quickly set up his peripherals, and soon after, he heard the news that the third game could begin.

Chen Dongqing took a deep breath, and then saw the match begin, with the draft and banning (BP) interface popping up!

The Intercontinental Cup finals used a rule where the first game involved rolling dice to choose sides, followed by the loser choosing sides. However, because LCK won the dice roll at the start and then lost all their matches, they had to choose sides for the next three games.

Their choices in all three games were remarkably similar, consistently choosing the blue side. The reason behind this isn't hard to guess: they simply wanted to use the blue side's first-pick advantage to secure the crucial hero, Aatrox.

Ironically, in the first two games, LPL players each displayed their unique abilities, with TheShy and Doinb using their signature champions to defeat Aatrox, whom LCK considered invincible, making all of LCK's preparations for Aatrox a joke.

And now, this drama may be playing out for the third time.

The episode that most broke the hearts of LCK viewers.

Because of the back-and-forth banning on both sides, the first three bans have already been completed.

On the blue side, SKT banned Irelia, Fiora, and Camille, and banned three light fighters.

As for QG on the red side, there's not much to say. They simply focused on controlling Poppy, Rakan, and Ezreal, mainly targeting the bottom lane.

The selection process has begun.

In the commentary booth, Miller squinted and immediately said, "Aatrox is out again! What does SKT say, should they pick him?"

As soon as Miller finished speaking, SKT's first floor, Aatrox locked on!

November was another month with 200,000 words updated.

I have something to tell you all.

In mid-last month, I went to the hospital for a follow-up examination, and the results showed that one of the indicators was abnormal.

The doctor told me to get checked again in two weeks to avoid measurement errors, but the results of the second check were still abnormal.

Anyway, the situation is a bit delicate. I need to go see a doctor again on December 5th. It might be very troublesome. I also need to prepare some manuscripts in the next few days.

Anyway, let me give you a heads-up: there might not be as many updates in December.

I will explain further once everything is resolved.

Finally, I wish everyone good health, and please take good care of yourselves in your daily lives.

(End of this chapter)