LOL: My talent is top-tier, my professional skills are unparalleled.

Chapter 672 Spring Regular Season Undefeated! A Return to the Golden Road 2018!

While everyone was discussing the matter, the match continued.

Although Wang Yao managed a pentakill against five opponents, EDG was unable to end the game quickly because his teammates were all dead.

After taking down the dragon, Aatrox quickly moved to the mid lane to clear the minion wave.

Compared to when he was doing it just now, Wang Yao felt more nervous now.

Because in the vast Summoner's Rift, he was the only hero left.

The eyes of all five JDG players and four EDG players were now focused on Aatrox.

After quickly clearing the minion wave, Wang Yao immediately went into the enemy jungle to steal jungle monsters.

Seeing that he had almost no money left in his pocket, he pressed the B key to return to town and replenish his equipment.

Upon returning home, Wang Yao immediately paid in full for his last divine item, the Guardian Angel.

With the release of this resurrection item, JDG fans were utterly devastated.

Even if their own team does find an opportunity to instantly kill Aatrox, the rest of EDG will definitely arrive at the front line during the Guardian Angel's activation time.

Then Wang Yao's Sword Demon will unleash another small combo, and the Sword Demon will be back to full health.

"Sigh...it's all gone, it's all gone."

"Let's see what happens next, this game is really over."

"There's nothing we can do. Kshine's skills are already good, and if we give him heroes that are good in team fights, it's normal that JDG can't beat them."

"Yes, but you must do your best in the next game!"

Go JDG!

Just as everyone has said.

Even after LokeN went back to base and bought a fourth armor penetration item, he still couldn't beat EDG in team fights.

After the dragon fight, the two sides fought two more waves, and JDG lost both.

The reason is simple: Aphelios's kind of maneuvering isn't something you can pull off in every team fight.

This requires not only dense enemy positioning, but also the user to have Flash.

But Aatrox is different. Even without Flash, and even if the enemy doesn't group up, his lifesteal and damage are still very high.

So after two consecutive team fights, Wang Yao didn't even lose his resurrection armor.

Finally, when the game reached 27 minutes, JDG's high ground fell, and the base crystal exploded!
Wang Duoduo's voice quickly came from the commentary booth.

"So, after a perfect team fight where zero could be exchanged for five, EDG took the victory."

"Congratulations to EDG! They're leading 1-0!"

Amidst enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience, both teams returned to their respective rest areas for a short break.

On EDG's side, Jiejie pushed open the door and entered, followed by Clearlove and Abu striding over.

"Well done, guys!"

But before the EDG players could even celebrate, Clearlove spoke up again.

"but!"

"This game also has big problems."

Upon hearing this, the team members' expressions changed.

The slight upturn of his lips instantly turned down.

They knew it was about to begin.

As for what was about to begin, it was naturally the factory manager's sermon.

During the ten-minute break, the factory manager spent eight minutes reviewing the situation.

Because of the game that just ended, EDG did have some serious problems.

For example, the bot lane duo and the mid laner's three-man gank on Aphelios not only failed but also gave Aphelios three kills.

The subsequent dragon fight left these coaches terrified.

If it weren't for Wang Yao's heroic efforts, EDG would have been the ones to lose the game.

The four players humbly accepted the issues pointed out by the coaching staff.

Meanwhile, everyone in the JDG lounge was also busy.

While offering words of encouragement and comfort, Coach Hongmi also subtly pointed out some issues.

The five players did recover somewhat, but the rest time was only ten minutes long, so it was impossible for them to completely recover from the previous game.

Soon, the second game of the BO3 series began.

JDG banned Aatrox right from the start and then relentlessly targeted Wang Yao, ultimately helping Flandre secure Graves.

This is the hero he is currently most proficient with.

Although he was crushed in the last game, Flandre knew that if he picked something else, he would only be crushed even more.

Seeing that the enemy top laner was Graves again, Wang Yao idly picked Irelia.

In the first round of the draft, there were only three ban slots. JDG banned Aatrox, Fiora, and Darius, so Irelia was naturally left open.

In the blink of an eye, the draft phase ended, and the match officially began.

JDG fans were hoping that JDG would play better in this game and win to force a third game.

However, less than 3 minutes into the game, the top laner Irelia secured the first blood.

This was just the beginning of Wang Yao's slaughter.

Five minutes into the game, facing a two-man gank from the enemy top laner and jungler, Wang Yao calmly executed his maneuvers, transforming Irelia into a killing sprite, weaving through the battlefield and securing a double kill.

Then, 7 minutes later, he got another solo kill in his lane.

At 9 minutes, in coordination with Jiejie, they eliminated the enemy's top, mid, and jungle players, secured the Rift Herald, and began their push.

The relentless pace of the event sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

Compared to the first game, the second game unfolded much faster!
In just 19 minutes of gameplay, the two teams had already created a 10,000 gold difference.

At 21 minutes, EDG grouped up and secured Baron Nashor, then pushed down the mid lane and achieved a perfect team fight with a 1-for-5 exchange.

AD sacrifices to the heavens, his power is boundless.

At 22 minutes, JDG's base crystal exploded, and EDG secured a clean and decisive victory with a score of 2-0!
In the commentary booth, Wang Duoduo and Tong Xi looked at each other in bewilderment.

Well, that's it for the day before I clock out.

They had expected the game to be a close contest.

But damn, that's way too fast!
Immediately, Tong Xi's sweet voice rang out first.

"Congratulations to EDG for defeating JDG 2-0."

"From the start of the Spring Split until now, EDG has played a total of 11 matches and won all 11."

"Congratulations to them for defeating JDG; they are now firmly in first place on the leaderboard."

Wang Duoduo nodded and said:

"Yes, let's congratulate EDG on their victory once again!"

In the official live stream room, countless comments scrolled by.

"EDG is awesome!"

"This is what State Grid should be like!"

"11-0 is really awesome. We're just 5 games away from returning to the dream season of S8."

"Moreover, there didn't seem to be any particularly strong teams in those five matches, so it's very likely that EDG will win all of them."

"It's not easy for upsets to happen in a best-of-three series, you know what I mean."

"Tsk, in recent years, EDG has been dominating the LPL Spring Split, winning every time. It feels like a five-peat is really on the horizon!"

"If EDG really wins five consecutive championships, it will be a historic moment!"

"Yao Ge has won the FMVP award for five consecutive seasons in five different positions. This is unprecedented in terms of prestige!"

"Stop talking, I'm getting goosebumps."

"..."

Most of the comments were discussing whether EDG could achieve a five-peat.

With a perfect record in the Spring Split, it seems that EDG has already secured their victory.

Amidst the thunderous cheers from the audience, the five returned to the lounge feeling refreshed.

Rookie is being interviewed today.

During this time, the EDG team continued to review the two games.

After the interview, the group went upstairs together and returned to the EDG base, thus concluding the match.

……

In the blink of an eye, another month or so has passed.

The time came to October 2021, 3.

Today is the last day of the S11 Spring Split regular season, and also the moment that will determine the final rankings of the 17 teams.

After RNG defeated OMG 2-0, the playoff schedule was finalized.

This is why teams and viewers pay so much attention to regular season rankings.

The lower your ranking, the more matches you'll play.

For example, BLG, who are ranked tenth, will have to start from the first match of the gauntlet.

They need to defeat LNG, Top Esports, and JDG in a best-of-five series to qualify for the playoffs.

BO1 matches are prone to upsets, and BO3 matches also have the chance of an underdog winning, but BO5 matches are the true test of both sides' strength.

Whichever side wins is stronger than the other side.

While playing more games can improve your skills, the prerequisite is winning.

Unlike the subsequent double-elimination tournament, the bubble stage doesn't give any teams a chance to revive.

If you lose, you're truly eliminated.

Besides BLG, LNG, RA, and AL, the teams ranked 7th to 9th, will also have to start from the first match.

Teams like JDG and TES, who are further up the hierarchy, start from the second game.

RNG and WE, who are ranked third and fourth overall, started from the last match of the gauntlet.

As for the first and second.

Because of their good performance and high ranking, they started with a double-elimination tournament, so even if they lost, they would have a chance to revive.

It's worth mentioning that FPX won all their matches except for those against RNG and EDG.

They ultimately finished second with a record of 14-2.

Firstly, without a doubt, EDG achieved a perfect 16-0 record, ranking first in the standings as the undisputed champions.

Wang Yao proved himself to be the strongest top laner in the LPL right now with three months of competition!
In 16 best-of-three matches, totaling 34 matches, Wang Yao earned 29 MVPs and 2 SVPs!

Nowadays, the LPL top lane circle is terrified of Yao.

The contestants seemed to be suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and they would tremble with fear at the mere mention of the words "Wang Yao" or "Brother Yao".

The veteran players were fine, but the newcomers were definitely scared.

Some of them were streetball legends, while others were promoted from LDL.

These guys can't even beat Bin and Ale in lane, let alone Wang Yao.

While EDG is actively preparing for the playoffs, other teams have already started their matches.

There will be six matches from March 26th to March 31st, one match per day. Winners will advance to the next round, while losers will be eliminated.

Two teams stood out in these six matches.

They are TES in the upper bracket and JDG in the lower bracket.

These two teams didn't rank high in the regular season, so they need to win two consecutive best-of-three matches to get a revival.

But what was unexpected was that TES first defeated LNG and then WE, successfully advancing to the double-elimination tournament.

However, after defeating RA, JDG lost to FPX and was eliminated, missing out on the playoffs.

With the conclusion of the matches on March 31, the subsequent matchups have been finalized.

In the upper bracket, TES fought their way out and faced EDG, while in the lower bracket, FPX faced RNG.

Of the four teams, the two that win the match will advance to the winners' bracket, while the two that lose will fall into the losers' bracket.

Finally, the winners of the winners' bracket and the winners of the losers' bracket will face off in the final showdown.

Whoever wins will get a ticket to the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational!
Many people say that the MSI is not as prestigious as the World Championship.

Indeed, but in any case, MSI is a world-class tournament, and the teams participating are the strongest in each region.

Winning the MSI championship would guarantee a lucrative salary and a significant boost in fame; no one would want to miss such an opportunity.

Therefore, from March 31 to April 12, the four teams that had a chance to get tickets were all training overtime.

Especially RNG, after losing to EDG, they seemed to be possessed.

The five players racked up thousands of ranked games in just a few months, and they were frequently seen in the top ten of the Korean server.

Moreover, RNG's practice match scheduling was even more outrageous.

Other teams might play one or two matches every few days, but they play two or three matches a day.

With increased training volume, your shooting touch will naturally be incredibly hot.

While not as outrageous as EDG's 16-game winning streak, their 13-3 record is still quite impressive.

However, TES and FPX didn't go that far, but they still trained much more than usual and their performance was still excellent.

Time flew by, and the date arrived at April 12th.

Today is the first game of the LPL Spring Split playoffs double-elimination series.

The two teams facing off have already been determined: EDG, who are first in the regular season standings, and TES, who are fifth in the standings.

Based on the rankings, EDG naturally has a higher win rate.

However, since the end of the regular season on March 15, EDG has not played any official matches.

This means that their performance is definitely not as good as TES's, who won two consecutive BO3 matches.

Viewers are unaware of how well they will adapt to the new version.

Despite reports that EDG dominated other teams in scrims.

But who isn't?

There was once a mourner who could kill one person with one shot in a training match, but after two minutes in a real match, he didn't even know who he was anymore.

Some players dominate in their own region's competitions, but become weaklings once they enter the World Championship.

As it turns out, Rank is Rank, scrims are scrims, matches are matches, and Worlds is Worlds.

These things should not be confused.

We'll have to wait and see how EDG performs before making a final judgment.

Inside the Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center, a huge crowd of fans sat in the audience holding up support signs.

Because it had been a long time since I had watched EDG's matches, and TES also has a large number of fans, the audience was packed with people.

Many viewers even went so far as to buy scalped tickets at high prices to watch this playoff game, which shows just how anticipated it was.

The official live stream was also packed with viewers, with countless comments flooding the screen.

"It's finally coming! It's finally coming! My Yao-ge!!"

"I haven't watched EDG's matches for almost a month. Do you know how I got through this time? How can I live without Yao-ge!"

"If it weren't for Niu Guli and Abin, the subsequent matches would have been really not worth watching. They were all playing top lane like cowards."

Is it possible that that's the normal way to play?

"However, it's really hard to say what will happen in this game. TES has been in such great form lately. The top domestic new generation mid laner, Knight, is no joke."

"Are you crazy? Yao-ge beating Ah Huang is a sure thing? You must be out of your mind!"

"That beast Wei Yan is definitely going to get killed if he runs into Yao Ge in the top lane. Just wait and see."

"..."

Meanwhile, the three commentators were already in position at the commentary booth.

As soon as the camera switched to them, they all started talking.

"Alright Summoners, welcome to the first match of the 2021 LPL Spring Playoffs Double Elimination Series. I'm your commentator, Zeyuan."

"I'm Rita."

"I'm a doll."

"I believe everyone has been looking forward to this match today. The two teams facing off are TES and EDG, both of which are very strong."

"Yes, this year EDG has returned to its peak in the S8 season. Following their undefeated record in the 2018 Spring Split, they have once again achieved a perfect record in the regular season of the Spring Split!"

"However, I think Top Esports is fully capable of putting up a fight today."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Wawa smiled and looked at Guan Zeyuan.

"First, they successfully launched a seven-game winning streak in the second half of the regular season, and secondly, they performed very well in the two best-of-five matches in the subsequent gauntlet."

"In terms of current form, TES is definitely better!"

"Actually, it's both a good thing and a bad thing for EDG to get first place. The good thing is that they can get the revival armor without taking any risks, but the bad thing is that they haven't had any matches to play during this period."

"Fortunately, it's a best-of-five series, which gives them time to adjust. Hopefully, both teams can deliver an exciting match."

"Alright, without further ado, the players have taken the stage. Let's turn the camera to both teams!"

As soon as the child finished speaking, the image on the big screen quickly changed.

On this side of the stage, countless lights were lit up, and the contestants were all in high spirits.

Amidst the deafening cheers of the audience, the players from both teams officially took their seats!

Since TES has the priority to choose sides, EDG was naturally assigned to the red side.

According to statistics, the blue side has a higher win rate than the red side, and they also have a first-come-first-served advantage, so most teams will choose this side without hesitation.

But EDG doesn't seem to care.

Having won all the way, they've never prioritized either side; they're used to it.

After taking the stage, both sides did a quick test of their equipment and internet speed. Once they confirmed that everything was in order, they sat in their gaming chairs and waited for the referee's instructions.

The top laner who will be facing off against Wang Yao this time is Wayward, the starting top laner for Top Esports, whose real name is Huang Renxing.

This player won the Best Rookie award upon his debut in the LPL and was once hailed as the hope of domestic top laners in the LPL.

But even with such a high starting point, he was not arrogant.

In order to win the competition, Da Huang actively sought advice from overseas players and learned a great deal from BeryL.

On countless lonely nights, he practiced CS:GO all night long, and was eventually given the beautiful nicknames "The Evening Sun" and "The Dawn of the New Day" by the audience.

This shows how popular Wayward is.

Faced with this kind of player, Wang Yao felt he could try playing some different heroes.

Of course, playing these strange and unusual heroes isn't for the sake of being funny or trying to attract attention.

Sometimes, unconventional player selection can yield excellent results, something Wang Yao did quite often when he played support last year.

Let's practice with the rhubarb today, so we can use it in the later competitions.

However, what specific games can be played will depend on the lineups of both sides.

Meanwhile, the ban/pick phase officially began for both teams.

TES, being on the blue side, were very strategic, banning three top laners: Fiora, Aatrox, and Irelia.

Although Wang Yao has played many heroes in the past three months, the results have been very good.

But these three heroes are what other teams fear the most.

Because the consequences will be very serious if they get fat!
Fiora's split-pushing is unstoppable, while Aatrox's teamfights are devastating.

As for Irelia, despite being criticized as a champion who wins in lane but not in team fights.

However, her skill ceiling is too high, and when combined with Wang Yao, a top-tier player, other players are afraid just by seeing this hero.

However, Wayward, young and fearless, thought that these three heroes were nothing to be afraid of.

The reason TES chose to ban three top laners was the result of unanimous agreement among the other four players and the coaching staff.

On the other hand, EDG's bans were more conventional, banning Ahri, Ezreal, and Hecarim from the mid, bot, and jungle positions respectively.

After everything was completed, the choice was in TES's hands.

As the most sought-after Tier 1 champion in the current version's AD position, Aphelios has been locked in.

Subsequently, EDG brought out the Xayah and Rakan duo to counter.

This combination's late-game damage is definitely not as good as Aphelios', but Xayah with the Aery armor penetration build is very strong in lane.

Aphelios is inherently weak in the early game. If you can suppress him in lane, Photic will naturally have no chance to deal damage in the late game.

When the choice returned to TES, they decisively picked Leona on the second floor to forcefully increase their laning strength, and then gave Karsa the Lee Sin jungler.

Upon seeing the opposing team's lineup, EDG immediately picked Volibear as a counter.

The voices of the three commentators came from the commentary booth one after another.

"I feel like TES is going to take the bottom half of the map, using Lee Sin's strength in the early and mid-game to help Aphelios establish an advantage, and then let Photic take over the game in the late game."

"Ideally, that's the case, but EDG's lineup is absolutely not afraid of Top Esports in fights. Xayah and Rakan paired with Volibear make for a very strong 3v3!"

"Now it depends on which top and mid laners both sides will choose. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Wayward performs against Kshine."

"The laning phase between Knight and Rookie is also very exciting!"

While the three were exchanging information, both sides had already completed their second round of bans.

TES continued to target Darius in the top lane, and then banned Rookie's signature Orianna.

After banning Knight's Akali and the meta-popular Sylas, EDG regained control of the picks.

"So, which of you two wants to go first?"

"I'll go first. I'll leave the counter to Yao-ge and lock in Tsar directly."

"Sure, as long as you're confident."

Rookie nodded, and the factory manager no longer hesitated.

If Wang Yao is the team's top-tier skill player, then he is the killing god who determines the team's ceiling.

Rookie is the most reliable player who provides a safety net for the team and helps raise the team's floor level.

If he says there's no problem, then there must be no problem.

Of course, Wang Yao's floor is quite stable, but this season he is playing top lane. What he needs to do is not to guarantee the team's floor, but to raise the ceiling!

With Rookie in the mid lane, EDG's floor is already solid enough.

Immediately afterwards, EDG locked in Azir on the fourth floor, and the choice returned to TES.

After a brief discussion, they decided to give Wayward the Renekton in the top lane and pick Zoe for Knight.

Once the top and mid laners are selected, TES's lineup will be complete.

(End of this chapter)