Starting with Zaozi Ge, a dream lineup

Chapter 373 Born for honor, die for honor!

As soon as Yu Shuang finished speaking, the director switched the camera to the big screen.

The originally dazzling lights in the venue gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep, dark atmosphere.

The audience gradually quieted down, with only occasional whispers remaining.

A deep and infectious background music rang out from all around the venue.

Thanks to the advantages of the enclosed venue, every audience member sitting inside the venue has a sense of being there.

It was as if an invisible killing intent surrounded him.

It was as if one were on a battlefield, and a sense of tragic grandeur welled up within.

A familiar figure appeared on the big screen.

In the dimly lit cave, Brother Zaozi kept hammering the solid rock with a stone pickaxe.

Pebbles fell around Brother Zaozi.

A voice-over says: "Time, environment, rules—the LPL is constantly changing. Over the past eight years, many people have asked me why you've been able to persevere in this environment, competing for honors in the game. What does it all mean to you?"

The dull thud of the stone pickaxe striking the rock occasionally sent up a spark.

Brother Zaozi did not answer.

The camera begins to pan across the ocean, showing the scene of IG lifting the trophy at the World Championship years ago.

Rookie looked up at the sky: "I've been to the top of the mountain and I've fallen into the bottom of the valley, and both have benefited me greatly."

"I've seen the most beautiful scenery and heard the most enthusiastic cheers. For these, I'm willing!"

After that, the playback speed suddenly increased, flashing countless scenes of splendor across the land of China.

It wasn't until they entered a seemingly unremarkable bakery that Shy appeared in front of the camera.

"Competition is like cooking; some people cook well, some cook poorly, some choose to improve, and some choose to stay where they are. For me, this is not the end."

After saying that, TheShy lifted the plate of bread in front of him, revealing the other LPL players.

"The LPL needs young talent; it's time for us to take over the game!"

The new generation of contestants took the stage one by one and began to make their debut.

"The remnants of the old era are awakening; come and challenge us!"

It was the older generation of players who started to appear.

The background music started to rise, and flashes of FPX winning the championship appeared. As the FMVP, Xiaotian took the lead, leading the FPX team through all obstacles and becoming unstoppable.

The scene seemed to be gradually coming to an end.

The next moment, the camera returned to the side of Brother Zaozi in the dimly lit cave.

However, at this moment, a large hand, like a ray of light, gently rested on Brother Zaozi's shoulder.

When he turned around, he was shocked to find that it was the giant of light who possessed the will of "7".

Then, beams of light began to converge, like a relay race, with everyone's hands resting on the person in front of them.

"Born for honor, die for honor, unwavering in our commitment!"

As Zaozi Ge (a popular streamer) slowly uttered the theme of S10 with a smile, the screen ended and the background music completely disappeared.

"Wow!!"

"Ahhh!"

"Edg!! Edg!! Edg!!"

"Ig!! Ig!! Ig!!"

"Go go go go go!!!"

"Wow, Edg is the face of S10!"

The scene went wild when the promotional video ended.

The quality of this promotional video maintains the old standards, and it's many times better than the mediocre promotional videos made last year. It also ignites the fans of both sides who are waiting for their teams to take the stage.

One after the other, the starch and chicken giblets took turns chanting the names of their supported teams, as if they wanted to determine a winner before the competition even started.

Standing backstage, I could hear the deafening roar of the crowd in front of me.

The FPX members also had some regrets, but the next second, they reaffirmed their choice.

From ancient times to the present, in any match where Edg fans are this enthusiastic, Edg has undoubtedly secured a steady victory.

"Welcome to the opening match of the 2020 LPL Spring Split! We are bringing you commentary for the opening match from Shanghai Hongqiao Tiandi!"

On camera, in the commentary booth, Wawa and Miller, both dressed in bright red suits and looking quite festive, were speaking with flushed faces and high spirits.

The audience members below the stage started cheering when they saw the two.

"Hello everyone, I'm Wawa!"

"Hello everyone, I'm Miller!"

"Wow, it's an honor to be here today for the first match of our 2020 Spring Split. The LPL is now the largest region with seventeen teams."

"Yes, seventeen teams. This season, every single one of them is incredibly strong, full of hidden talents. This Spring Split will be more exciting and intense than ever before. If you're not careful, you might lose your chance to enter the Spring Split playoffs." Baby's face still showed some astonishment. That promotional video was really well done.

"As you all saw in the promotional video, starting from S10, LPL has begun to focus on cultural heritage for the first time. As the world's recognized number one region, whether or not LPL can win the championship this season is of paramount importance!"

"Internationalization! This year, the LPL's English commentary booth is right next to us, and they will be broadcasting the matches simultaneously to the LMS and LCK. So, that's the advantage of being the number one region."

After that, the contestants began to take the stage one after another.

"Okay, before we watch the game, we'd like to express our usual gratitude to our sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, for their generous support. In addition, we also thank Guliduo, Zhanma, and Aofeng."

Taking advantage of the audience's attention, Wawa began her monologue, and it continued until all the team members were standing on the stage.

Miller, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but twitch his lips as he listened. After S9, LPL's sponsors reached their peak in history. Not only were there countless sponsors for each team, but even the official team received dozens of advertisements.

All of this is due to LPL's two consecutive championships and the exaggerated hype surrounding the season even before it started.

Miller sighed and rubbed his forehead, seeing his partner still reciting while everyone else had already started going on stage.

After a full half minute, the child finally let out a long sigh of relief and said wearily, "Okay, these are our sponsors for this season."

"Yes. With more sponsors, our venue has been renovated, which proves that LPL is developing rapidly and healthily. As you can see, the players from both sides have already started to take the stage!"

"Today, IG's starting lineup is TheShy (top), Ning (jungle), Rookie (mid), and Puff and Southwind (bot). Edg's lineup is Flandre (top), Clearlove (jungle), Scout (mid), and Uzi and Meiko (bot).

"Puff and Southwind both just started playing for IG this season, so let's hear what IG thinks about their prospects for this season!"

The camera pans, and Puff's figure appears on the big screen.

As a newcomer appearing in pre-match trash talk for the first time, Puff was visibly nervous during the recording.

His performance with VG last season wasn't great either. This season, after transferring to IG and replacing JackeyLove, the pressure on his shoulders has been increasing day by day.

As Puff's longtime partner, and also a player who transferred from VG, Nanfeng was also a bit awkward.

The two looked at the camera and stammered:
"From the day we transferred to IG... we shouldered a huge responsibility. Many people jokingly say we don't have the same control as JK and Baolan, but I believe you'll be very surprised after today's match."

"Last time I watched Uzi and Meiko's livestream, I couldn't help but send them a virtual airplane gift. I hope they can get their plane tickets home soon after today's match."

The two's performance immediately made the fans below burst into laughter.

The camera then switched to Edg's side, and Zaozi also appeared on the screen.

He said with a smile, "The opening match is definitely going to be a pressure for us, after all, IG is the S8 World Champion. But we've been practicing a lot in private matches, and we're looking forward to Puff proving himself in today's game."

As they spoke, Rookie's face appeared:

"If Puff destroys Edg's bot lane, then we'll decide on our own to change Puff to Pzi!"

Unlike the Spring Finals, the trash talk in the opening game was mainly for entertainment, and the audience laughed heartily, which also relieved the tension before the game.

Both sides are very confident.

"That's right. Judging from the pre-match interviews, both teams will likely focus on the bottom lane today. IG and EDG are arguably the two top teams in the LPL right now. This opening match represents the highest level of competition in our LPL region, and it's also attracting a lot of attention internationally."

"Yes, and I found the puppy quite clever. That last sentence, was it meant to stir up trouble?"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh when they recalled the line, "We're hoping Puff can prove himself."

"However, to be fair, the Puff and Southwind duo really showed significant improvement in their two best-of-three series against RNG last season. At first, they were being dominated by Uzi and Ming, but by the second time they met, they were able to go toe-to-toe with them."

"With both of them now joining the IG team, known for its aggressive playstyle, it's anyone's guess what kind of amazing chemistry they'll create in this match with IG's top, mid, and jungle trio."

The commentator's mention reminded everyone that IG's bot lane did indeed clash with RNG's bot lane twice last season.

The first time, Puff and Nanfeng were so overwhelmed that they couldn't take care of themselves. After the second time, they were much better.

Both of these are bot lane duos that primarily engage in fighting. Meeting them today will definitely make things difficult in the bot lane. They need to focus on farming!

Just then, the players in front were ready, and the screen switched to the ban/pick interface.

In this match, IG was on the blue side and Edg was on the red side.

Right from the start, IG banned Elise and Nidalee, and then added Pantheon as their final pick.

Edg banned Kalista, Senna, and Sylas.

IG's bans this time were fairly standard, mainly limiting Edg's mid and jungle players' performance.

The biggest reason is that Ning played his Elise and Nidalee champions so badly that they didn't want to pick them or let Edg use them to create momentum.

On Edg's side, they still need to respect the champion Kalista and ban her, and then ban the two champions that IG has recently shown promise in scrims.

"IG banned both Nidalee and Elise, looks like they're going to let Ning pick a jungler first."

The doll said:

"Both of these jungle champions are currently trending upwards in ranked games, especially Elise. Under Clearlove's leadership, many Elise players have recently emerged in the Chinese server."

"As for Edg, we still need to give TheShy some respect. Although Flandre's ability to withstand pressure and his laning skills are no worse than TheShy's, if TheShy gets a long-range champion, it will be extremely difficult for him to fight," Miller said.

"Yes, let's see what both sides pick in the first pick. IG's first pick can only be Ning or Puff's Miss Fortune. These are both positions where IG is currently weak. Deciding in advance will be more beneficial for subsequent tactical decisions."

"I think he might pick Lee Sin or Jarvan IV. After all, Ning's Lee Sin is renowned. In this version, Lee Sin's damage is still very high. As long as you can firmly control the rhythm, most junglers will be afraid when they encounter Lee Sin in the jungle."

"Besides, if you don't pick them, Edg will definitely have to pick these junglers, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, we saw that IG had indeed picked Lee Sin for Ning.

"Oh, I knew it!"

Upon seeing this, screams erupted from the crowd.

"IG is about to start! In previous major tournaments, Ning has proven his victory with Lee Sin more than once, but since Clearlove started the jungle carry trend this season, Lee Sin's pick rate has plummeted in both servers. Let's see what surprises Ning can bring us in this game."

"Hey, are you implying that our factory didn't use blind people to prove itself?"

"Forehead"

Upon hearing this, the audience below burst into laughter.

4396 is an old joke, but every time it's mentioned, it makes people laugh.

There was a commotion and cheers within the Edg team.

"Hey, Factory, Ning from the other side is directly mocking you. Can you really stand for that?"

"It's tough. Ningren is going to give you a lesson in this game. You can't just not beat him to 4396 or 4395! That wouldn't be fair," Zaozi said with a grin.

Abu also said with concern, "Mingkai, how about I get you a powerful intrusion weapon, and you two have a showdown?"

In the past, Abu would never have made such a risky, impulsive, and frivolous decision.

But now, as Edg's strength becomes increasingly formidable, Abu has gradually loosened his grip and begun to focus on cultivating the players' confidence.

Seeing his teammates' reactions, Li Luo didn't show much emotion: "No rush, let's get the person first, time's almost up."

After that, Edg, as previously planned, prioritized the bot lane duo: Miss Fortune and Leona.

This combination is considered a dominant force in the current version of the bot lane. Since IG didn't intend to pick Miss Fortune first, EdG naturally wouldn't hold back and took her directly.

The problem now lies with Ig.

Currently, the only ADCs who can push against Miss Fortune are Varus and Senna. With Senna already banned, IG had no choice but to pick their own bot lane duo.

Varus + Lo.

Edg picked Akali as their third pick, a champion that can be used flexibly.

"The first three picks from both sides... wow, it feels like this game is going to be a fight again. Neither side seems to be trying to drag the game into the late game. Their first three picks are all designed to make a strong impact in the first 20 minutes, which is very suitable for the current dragon meta. It seems like both teams did a lot of preparation before the match."

They exchanged a glance, and a slight smile appeared on their lips.

As a commentator for such a major competition, witnessing such a fierce battle is incredibly exciting!
(End of this chapter)