Chapter 203 – Final Game of the Regular Season (4)

The second game started very quickly. During the selection stage, the map submitted by Li Cangyu surprised many viewers—Ice Valley!

It was a deceleration map.

[The first round is acceleration and the second round is deceleration. Cat G.o.d really knows how to play!]

Comments filled the live broadcast room and Yu Bing couldn't help saying, "Cat G.o.d's selection will really disrupt the Time team. Let's see how Captain Tan deals with it."

After the map selection, the two sides started to submit their lineup to the referee.

The referee's lights lit up and the first pairing of Zhuo Hang and Li Xiaojiang appeared on the Canglan side. The Time side was actually Cheng Wei and Lu Xiao!

This game made the jaws of many Time fans drop open. The Tan Cheng combination was broken?

Many Flying Feathers fans gloated: [The Su Yu combination was never torn down but Tan Cheng can't withstand Cat G.o.d!] The Time fans immediately fought back. [Flying Feathers still has to play Wind Colour in the afternoon. Su Yu might not necessarily be able to resist.]

Li Cangyu felt some surprise but this immediately changed to appreciation for the decisive Tan s.h.i.+tian. It seemed that the young captain discovered his intention to target Cheng Wei and immediately made adjustments.

The result was that his plan for the second game became like punching cotton.

Li Cangyu originally thought that since Li Xiaojiang's speed was slow, choosing a full deceleration map would also slow down the opponent so that Li Xiaojiang could better hit them. He didn't expect the Zhuo Li combination to have to go against Cheng Wei as well as the other main archer of Time, Lu Xiao.

Cheng Wei might be very depressed when facing Li Cangyu but he played consistently against other players. Otherwise, his popularity in the league wouldn't be so high.

Bai Xuan looked at Li Cangyu and whispered, "It will be hard to win."

Li Cangyu smiled back. "Try your best."

***

Zhuo Hang and Li Xiaojiang did their best but there was nothing they could do against Cheng Wei and Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao and Cheng Wei weren't fixed partners but they often cooperated in Time's team battles. They had been teammates for more than three years and naturally had an understanding. In addition, Lu Xiao's attack rhythm was similar to Tan s.h.i.+tian and his teamwork with Cheng Wei was quite smooth.

After the Zhuo Li combination was sent off, Cheng Wei consumed some blood from Shu Bai before withdrawing.

The second pair from Time was the double archers. They didn't play well in the first game but this time they quickly adapted to the slow paced map. They steadily maintained the 20% blood volume advantage to the end before pa.s.sing it over to the guard, Tan s.h.i.+tian.

Cheng Wei had already appeared so who would Tan s.h.i.+tian pair up with?

Was it the hunter Zhou Yu?

As it turned out, everyone still thought too simply of Captain Tan. He actually took a healer with him!

Li Cangyu felt somewhat speechless. An archer's attack distance was already far away, making them difficult to kill. Now with the addition of the healer's help, Tan s.h.i.+tian would become a quick moving undead c.o.c.kroach!

On Canglan's side, the third combination was still Li Cangyu and Zhang Jueming. There was the early disadvantage and they lost a bit of health. In a battle between an output and auxiliary and an output and healer, Canglan had no advantage.

In the end, Tan s.h.i.+tian relied on the help of the healer and the guerilla consumption tactic to win. Li Cangyu and Zhang Jueming failed to move back the disadvantage and let Time take a point.

The score on the big screen turned into 1:1 and the fans of both sides were in an anxious state.

***

Qin Mo couldn't help feeling anxious when he saw this and he asked, "What map will Canglan choose in the third game?"

Ling Xuefeng thought about it before replying, "If there are no surprises, it should be a kill map."

Qin Mo looked at his master with amazement. "In such an important game, wouldn't a kill map be too risky?"

Ling Xuefeng explained, "Captain Tan saw through Canglan's intentions and changed the order to target the newcomers. In order to cope with the situation, the best way is to use a kill map to take care of Tan s.h.i.+tian."

Qin Mo nodded while inwardly thinking, 'Is Master's guess right?'

As it turned out, no one could beat Ling Xuefeng's understanding of Li Cangyu. For the last game, Canglan also chose a kill map—Void Realm!

This was a secret map in Miracle. The entire map floated in the air and there were a number of different sized stones chaotically suspended. Players could stand on these stones but once they fell in the gap between stones, they would be directly swallowed up by the map. This was the origin of the name.

Choosing such a difficult map in a key deciding game really frightened the audience.

Tan s.h.i.+tian hadn't expected Cat G.o.d to be so bold but he soon understood. Cat G.o.d's wind spirit!

The advantage of Li Cangyu's wind spirit's control on this map was extremely obvious. He would definitely be in the guard position. Tan s.h.i.+tian lowered his head and thought about it while the other players of Time didn't dare both him. The impatient Cheng Wei saw that Tan s.h.i.+tian was seriously thinking and didn't dare speak.

Cheng Wei knew that this game was crucial to the Time team and Tan s.h.i.+tian would definitely think about a countermeasure.

***

This time, Captain Tan thought about it for a while. Li Cangyu submitted the partic.i.p.ants list early but the Time side was still in the 'waiting' state. This made many fans of Canglan so anxious that they couldn't sit still.

It wasn't until the final moments of the countdown that Tan s.h.i.+tian submitted the arena list.

The first round was still Zhuo Li from Canglan and Cheng Wei and Lu Xiao from Time. This was the same as the previous game, making the audience was very confused. This was the same lineup so what was Tan s.h.i.+tian thinking about for so long?

It was the same lineup but the results wouldn't necessarily be the same.

On the slow-paced map, Zhuo Hang was always controlled by Cheng Wei and couldn't play much of a role. This type of jumping map was Zhuo Hang's favourite because he was the best at rapid displacement!

The suspended stones in the air were in a mixed arrangement and some viewers were afraid when seeing them. Yet Zhuo Hang smoothly jumped between stones.

Zhuo Hang wore the hunter's costume and jumped on the map like a gust of wind, quickly placing a bunch of traps and letting Li Xiaojiang output very comfortably.

In this game, Zhuo Li held on for 15 minutes and almost tied with Lu Xiao and Cheng Wei. Zhuo Hang dragged Lu Xiao to die with him and by the time Li Xiaojiang died, Cheng Wei only had a trace of blood left.

The Canglan fans were very satisfied with this result, especially after the pa.s.sive beating of the previous game. Zhuo Li had quickly adjusted their status in the third game, which was very hard for two newcomers to do. Li Cangyu was also very satisfied.

The next combination was Shu Bai against the double archers of Time. It was almost a tie and the most crucial guard stage was handed over to the captains.

The audience stared intently at the big screen, looking forward to the partic.i.p.ants list of both sides. It soon appeared on the big screen. The Canglan team sent Li Cangyu and Xiao Han while the Time team sent Tan s.h.i.+tian and the hunter Zhou Yu!

The Time fans suddenly realized!

Tan s.h.i.+tian thought for so long because he was considering the arrangement of the guard stage. In the kill map, a combination wouldn't be effective unless it was as tacit as the Shu Bai combination. Otherwise, they would be killed by the map in seconds if they were careless. It would be impossible to win against Li Cangyu.

He eventually decided to take a hunter to control Li Cangyu's pets with the traps.

Li Cangyu's intention behind bringing Xiao Han was also very clear. It was because Xiao Han could go invisible!

Thanks to the thrilling terrain of the kill map, a person in stealth would psychologically suppress the opponents.

Of course, Tan s.h.i.+tian's psychological quality was very good and he wouldn't be emotionally tense because of the existence of the a.s.sa.s.sin. Zhou Yu was also an old player of Time and his expression was very calm. After the two people reached the middle of the map, Zhou Yu quickly placed some traps on the suspended stones around him. The result was that Li Cangyu's pets were easily trapped and his attack rhythm was affected.

The facts proved that Zhou Yu's interference made it difficult for Li Cangyu and the speed of his pet summoning was significantly slower than in previous games.

However, the kill map slowly consumed the opponent's blood. In fact, it didn't matter if Tan s.h.i.+tian had 80% blood or 40% blood. As long as Li Cangyu could successfully summon the wind spirit to blow him down, it would still end up in death.

The battle lasted 10 minutes. Tan s.h.i.+tian's positioning was extremely cautious and Zhou Yu was beside him. Li Cangyu couldn't find a chance to kill him and both sides slowly consumed each other's blood down to 50%.

The tension of the fans reached the peak and many spectators had clenched fists.

Just then, Xiao Han suddenly disappeared.

Combat Stealth, this was a skill that had a long cooldown time but it forcibly let the a.s.sa.s.sin hide while in combat, forcing the opponent to lose the target. Many a.s.sa.s.sin players knew that it was saved for critical moments when confronting opponents. This wasn't a critical moment so why did Xiao Han suddenly enter stealth?

Moreover, the viewers couldn't understand why after entering stealth, Xiao Han stayed still instead of moving to Tan s.h.i.+tian.

…Was he frozen?

The audience was very confused and Kou Hongyi directly asked, "What is Xiao Han doing? Did he press the wrong b.u.t.ton?"

It was Zhou Yu's reaction that made Kou Hongyi understand. Zhou Yu turned his camera and quickly placed a trap on the suspended stone behind Tan s.h.i.+tian. His intention was to prevent Xiao Han from approaching.

At this moment, Li Cangyu summoned his wind spirit.

—Storm Fury!

The gust of wind blew and the jumping Zhou Yu fell into the cracks between stones and was instantly killed!

Kou Hongyi excitedly exclaimed, "It's too bad! Xiao Han's stealth was actually a psychological move to deliberately mobilize the other hunter and create an opportunity for his master!"

Yu Bing also praised him. "This child's awareness is excellent. After entering stealth, he stood in place. The other hunter is killed and now he can deal with Tan s.h.i.+tian."

Sure enough, Xiao Han saw that the hunter was directly killed by his master and moved behind Tan s.h.i.+tian's body. He had an understanding with his master and Li Cangyu didn't need to say anything. Xiao Han immediately started with Pain Blade!

Tan s.h.i.+tian was forcibly stuck in place and Li Cangyu summoned his fire spirit. Countless fireb.a.l.l.s aimed at Tan s.h.i.+tian.

The moment Tan s.h.i.+tian's control effect was about to end, Li Cangyu called the water spirit to freeze him again!

Tan s.h.i.+tian was controlled by the master and apprentice for six seconds. He instantly fell into residual blood and had no possibility of coming back.

[Old Cat has killed Ten Days!]

This news finally popped up on the big screen. Li Cangyu's hands left the keyboard and a handsome smile appeared on his face.

The Canglan fans immediately jumped up from their seats and cheered!

[Won, we won! Canglan really won!] [I knew that Canglan would be able to enter the playoffs!] [Great, our captain and little prince!] [Everyone is handsome!]

In the support group, the Canglan fans sent flowers to celebrate.

[Cat G.o.d, Vice-Captain Bai, Ah Shu, Old Zhang, Xiao Han, Xiao Gu, Xiao Zhuo and Xiaojiang, I am proud of you!]

The group leader Shasha sent this sentence on Weibo and thoughts of fans instantly forwarded it along with a row of thumbs up.

It was for the old captain who never won a prize but never gave up, the vice-captain who stood firmly beside him, the handsome Ah Shu, the uncle who persisted with his dream and the four newcomers who worked hard.

Four big people with four small ones, people initially weren't optimistic about their progress but they successfully entered the playoffs. The fans saw the hard work they put in and were moved, felt happy for them and proud of them.

***

In the soundproof room, the four teenagers excitedly hugged each other, Li Xiaojiang almost crying. Bai Xuan also felt hot as he looked at Li Cangyu. "Finally…"

Li Cangyu nodded. He knew what Bai Xuan wanted to say. It wasn't easy to walk this path for so many years. It was probably only Bai Xuan who knew what he felt best but in the end, Bai Xuan didn't say it. He choked up and the conversation stopped.

Xie Shurong placed an arm around Bai Xuan's shoulder in comfort.

Zhang Jueming came over and laughed. "I still feel like I'm dreaming."

Li Cangyu said, "It isn't easy but we're finally there."

Bai Xuan smiled and nodded. "Yes."

The playoffs and the trophies, the time wasn't that far away.

After the storm pa.s.sed, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. They were finally fortunate enough to witness it.

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Chapter 204 – Playoffs List

Canglan was in the playoffs!

The news swept through all of the Miracle League. The Canglan fans cheered excitedly while the Time fans were so uncomfortable they almost shed tears. Time was only one step away but they were eliminated in this match!

Cheng Wei was also ruining his teeth. If he wasn't stupid enough to be figured out by Cat G.o.d then Time wouldn't have been targeted so badly and Tan s.h.i.+tian wouldn't need to temporarily adjust the lineup.  It could be said that today's lost was because he didn't play the role of vice-captain and dragged down the team instead.

Time failed to make it to the playoffs in the sixth season. Cheng Wei thought it could turn it around in the seventh season but the result was that Time was once again shut out of the playoffs!

Since the old captain Xu Luo retired, the Time team had never been absent from the playoffs list. Now it happened in the last two years, whether from bad luck or other reasons. Even the optimistic Cheng Wei couldn't be happy after being eliminated twice in a crucial moment.

In the blink of an eye, the Canglan team members came over under Li Cangyu's guidance.

Cheng Wei usually pounced like a small fan when he saw Li Cangyu but this time he just hung his head and cried.

Li Cangyu felt so heartache for Cheng Wei. It was estimated that this person had suffered a huge psychological blow today. However, as a captain, Li Cangyu had his own principles. It was impossible for him to show mercy to anyone on the field. This was equivalent to looking for death.

Li Cangyu sighed inwardly when he saw the usually energetic Cheng Wei hanging his head. He patted Cheng Wei on the head and said, "Don't be discouraged, you are still young."

Cheng Wei looked up with a startled expression and saw Li Cangyu's smile.

His eyes were black and bright, filled with encouragement for the younger generation. "You have done too well in the last few years. It is time to calm down and think about your future. You're not even 20 years old yet. You still have a long way to go."

The comforted Cheng Wei finally calmed down. He clenched his fists and said, "I won't give up and will come back next year!" Suddenly he smiled and said, "Congratulations to Cat G.o.d. You have finally entered the playoffs. You must take the trophy back!"

The congratulations wasn't perfunctory. Li Cangyu could see sincerity from his eyes and couldn't help reaching out to hug Cheng Wei. "Thank you."

Many Time fans felt a bit awkward when they saw this scene. Some people who hated Cheng Wei ridiculed him on the Internet and some people joked that Cheng Wei was the undercover that Cat G.o.d sent to Time.

Tan s.h.i.+tian finished packing away his keyboard and opened his phone. He unexpectedly saw many negative comments towards Cheng Wei but remained silent when he saw Cheng Wei's simple face.

In the post-match interview, many questions were directed towards Cheng Wei.

"Vice-Captain, everyone knows that you are a fan of Cat G.o.d. Today Time lost the game. Is it because you were too excited at seeing your idol and played abnormally?"

"A netizen said that you are Cat G.o.d's undercover. What do you think of this comment?"

"Time hasn't been able to enter the playoffs for two consecutive years. Isn't it proof that Time's overall strength is slipping?"

Cheng Wei was stunned because he didn't expect the reporters to target him like this. Normally his mouth never stopped moving when arguing with Tan s.h.i.+tian but now he couldn't say a word to the reporters' questions.

He truly was a fan of Li Cangyu and he never hid it. In his view, it was normal for a professional player to appreciate another senior G.o.d. He didn't think so much about it. Today, Time's loss really had a lot to do with him and Cheng Wei had no way to deny it.

After a moment of silence, he picked up the microphone and said seriously, "I really appreciate Cat G.o.d and admire him. When I first entered the Miracle League, he helped me a lot. Without him, there wouldn't be the Cheng Wei who won the Best Newcomer Award in the third season. However, before my admiration of him, I am the vice-captain of the Time team. I have spend four years in the Time team and have deep feelings for the team. I really didn't play well today but it wasn't intentional…"

His voice choked up a bit at the end. He had been in the Time team for so many years. He might not command any games or give the team much help but he did think of it as his home. Usually, he was noisy with Tan s.h.i.+tian but it was mostly joking. He was actually very close with Tan s.h.i.+tian. In addition, his relations.h.i.+p with Lu Xiao, Zhou Yu and the others were very good.

It was a bit too much to say that he was Cat G.o.d's undercover, which was equivalent to denying his value as the vice-captain of Time.

Cheng Wei couldn't go on. Suddenly, his fingers were gently held. The warmth pa.s.sed through his fingertips made Cheng Wei look up and met Tan s.h.i.+tian's gentle eyes.

Tan s.h.i.+tian pinched his palm to express comfort. Then he took the microphone and said to the reporters. "I know that Time wasn't able to enter the playoffs. Everyone is very sad so they will blame us but… matches are full of variables. Today the players tried their best and finally lost."

Tan s.h.i.+tian slightly looked back into Cheng Wei's eyes before continuing, "Vice-Captain Cheng is a member of Time. Accusing him is no different from accusing me. I really like the Time team's fans. I'm not looking for the applause given when Time wins the champions.h.i.+p but the encouragement and companions.h.i.+p that happens when Time loses a match. I hope that everyone will be less angry and more tolerant to the players. Any questions can be directed to me and I will accept it on my Weibo."

Captain Tan had a gentle and warm man image. These words were said with a smile but contained a trace of the captain's decisiveness. Many fans of Time liked this young and promising captain. They heard him say this and their emotions gradually calmed down.

The reporters who just questioned Cheng Wei turned red at the surrounding eyes and sat down.

A sensible reporter stood up and asked, "Time is going to stop here for the seventh season. What are Captain Tan's next plans?"

Tan s.h.i.+tian replied, "In fact, the fundamental reason for Time's loss is that our tactical system is too singular, especially in the arena. As we watch more matches, we can find that strong teams like Wind Colour and Canglan have a variety of combinations they can choose from. The Time team mainly consists of archers and it is too easy for us to be targeted."

"Before the compet.i.tion system changed, it wasn't so obvious in the single player arena. The seventh season as started focusing on partner combinations. There are drawbacks to having too many archers. I will look back on this point carefully. There are many outstanding newcomers in the Time team's training camp. You don't have to worry about the decline of the team's performance. After all, Time is from a big club. If our performance declines then as captain, I will be the first one to leave."

The reporters were attracted by Tan s.h.i.+tian's gentle and patient explanation. Everyone listened intently and the post-match interview turned into a happy outlook for the future.

Cheng Wei sat on the stage and listened to the person next to him talking.

At this moment, he was completely awakened. He realized why the old captain give the position to a newcomer in the team.

This man might seem gentle but he was powerful. Despite the fiery interview room, he used words to lightly blow it away and s.h.i.+ft the topic. He was like this. He was always smiling and looked like a gentle big brother but he was the toughest and calmest one on the Time team. Thus, he became the captain and a reliable support.

Tan s.h.i.+tian might always bully Cheng Wei with a smile but in crucial moments, he always stood up and protected Cheng Wei. If Cheng Wei looked closely, Tan s.h.i.+tian's side profile was handsome and he was as straightforward as Cat G.o.d. Tan s.h.i.+tian's handsomeness was very special. It felt as warm as a spring breeze.

In the interview, Tan s.h.i.+tian calmly responded to the reporters' various questions and Cheng Wei watched him in a daze. The sharp-eyed Time fans discovered this and couldn't help joking: [Xiao Wei, hurry and become Cat G.o.d's black fan. Look how good our Captain Tan is!] [Will Xiao Wei become Captain Tan's fan? Look at his infatuated eyes.]

Cheng Wei's gaze towards Tan s.h.i.+tian in the interview was screenshotted by fans and spread around as widely as Cat G.o.d's expression pack. The Time fans were connected and it swept through the major support clubs.

After the interview ended, Cheng Wei turned on his phone and flushed when he saw this. "W-Which b.a.s.t.a.r.d, why capture this expression?"

Tan s.h.i.+tian was very satisfied with this picture. It was a good feeling to be watched by Cheng Wei. Had this person finally realized that his Captain Tan was actually very handsome?

***

Unlike the tense atmosphere of the Time interview, the Canglan members were warmly baptized with flashes and claps.

The captain and vice-captain of Canglan attended together. The first question from a reporter was, "Cat G.o.d, how do you feel about finally reaching the playoffs after so many ups and downs?"

Li Cangyu replied directly, "It feels like a heavy burden on my shoulder has finally been put down. My body is very relaxed."

A reporter interjected, "Cat G.o.d, don't you think that the playoffs are a heavier burden?"

Li Cangyu smiled. "In fact, my biggest concern has always been for Canglan to enter the playoffs. The matches after that won't have too much pressure. I will play in a relaxed mood and might see the trophy if I'm lucky."

"Do you feel that Canglan's strength is enough to match Wind Colour and Ghost Spirits?"

Li Cangyu confidently nodded. "Of course, our team can't be weak if we made it to the playoffs. Our overall strength is no worse than Ghost Spirits and Wind Colour."

The reporters applauded his confidence. As for why he directly ignored the other team Flying Feathers, it was because based on Flying Feathers' current results, they wouldn't meet Canglan in the playoffs.

"Vice-Captain Bai, what do you think about the status of the players? In particular, will the four newcomers be able to cope with the pressure of the playoffs?"

Bai Xuan smiled. "There should be no problem. Their hearts are very strong after being abused by our captain."

"The opponent in your next match is still unsure. Canglan won against Time and your score is exactly the same as Flying Feathers. However, the match between Flying Feathers and Ghost Spirits isn't over. If the points aren't enough then Canglan will be third. According to the rules of the playoffs, the fourth place will face Wind Colour in the semi-finals." This reporter was obviously concerned about the playoffs. He looked at the charts on his laptop and asked, "If the next game is against Wind Colour, do you think there is a chance of victory."

Li Cangyu and Bai Xuan looked at each other. To tell the truth, if they directly confronted Wind Colour in the next match then Li Cangyu only had a 40% chance of winning. However, it wasn't impossible to play. He had to use his home court advantage as much as possible.

Li Cangyu thought this and replied bluntly. "Just based on strength, we have a 40% chance of winning. Still, Canglan has better luck recently. If I add the 20% luck then I have 60% confidence in winning."

The reporters, "…"

Cat G.o.d, how are you calculating things? Was your maths taught by a language teacher?

On reflection, didn't his words seem a bit reasonable? Canglan's luck had really picked up recently. They were almost knocked out and then Time experienced a big loss, giving Canglan another chance. If this wasn't luck then what was?

How far could the lucky cat go in the playoffs? Everyone was full of expectations.

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