After Ye Shaoyang returned to his room, he casually scrolled through Weibo on his phone and happened to see the announcement from Tianhuan's official account: "Congratulations to Team Tianhuan for successfully advancing past the first round of the playoffs!"
There were tens of thousands of fan comments—
"Finally not a 'one-round trip' in the playoffs!"
"In previous years at this time, the official account's post was always '[Although Team Tianhuan stops here this season, we will continue to work hard. Add oil for the next season]'. Suddenly changing the script this year feels kinda strange?"
"Knocked out in the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. Good luck this time, rooting for you!"
"Haven't won the championship yet, so definitely don't get cocky. Play well in the next match."
Ye Shaoyang reposted the Weibo: "Keep fighting!"
Chi Shu reposted the Weibo almost simultaneously: "Add oil."
As soon as their posts went out, fans were puzzled: "Are Captain Chi and Yangyang together? They reposted at the exact same time. Did they plan this?"
"They probably scrolled through Weibo together on the way back to the hotel and clicked repost together when they saw the official post!"
"The Sun-Moon duo's synchronicity never disappoints~"
Ye Shaoyang privately messaged Chi Shu: "Can we not be synchronized even when posting on Weibo?"
Chi Shu replied: "Can't sleep, scrolling Weibo to calm myself down."
Ye Shaoyang: "…"
He was also scrolling Weibo to calm himself down.
Two hot-blooded adults secretly kissing in a hotel room inevitably led to racing thoughts.
Thinking of the scene where they hugged and kissed just now, Ye Shaoyang's ears burned fiercely. He quickly typed to end the topic: "Sleep early."
Chi Shu: "Not playing ranked?"
Ye Shaoyang: "Not calm enough. Playing ranked might pit my teammates."
Chi Shu understood his meaning and replied with a chuckle: "Okay, go take a shower and rest early."
Ye Shaoyang ran into the bathroom to shower, his mind in a chaotic mess.
Since confirming that he was bent because of Chi Shu, he had quickly accepted the fact that "I am dating a man" and felt no resistance to Chi Shu's intimacy. Today, he even couldn't help but kiss Chi Shu…
Perhaps this was the benefit of being big-hearted?
After transmigrating to the ABO world, he quickly accepted the world's strange gender settings. After realizing he had fallen for Chi Shu, he swiftly accepted dating a man.
Then he discovered that dating a man was actually quite nice?
Ye Shaoyang took a cold shower to calm himself down.
Just now, not only did he not reject Chi Shu's kiss, but he actually liked it very much?
He truly was thoroughly bent!
…
The next day, all members of Tianhuan flew back to the Imperial Capital base. The coaching staff carefully reviewed the match against Jingzhe and began intense preparations for the tactical arrangements of the next match.
Currently, Beimu and Yueying in the Winner's Bracket still had to play a match. The winner would face Tianhuan in the second round.
Jingzhe had fallen into the Loser's Bracket. The teams in the Loser's Bracket were not as strong as Jingzhe, so barring any accidents, Jingzhe could play a few more rounds there until teams from the Winner's Bracket were knocked down.
Under the double-elimination format, the final grand final would be the Winner's Bracket Champion vs. the Loser's Bracket Champion.
Tianhuan had been knocked into the Loser's Bracket for three consecutive seasons, and last season they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This season, the coaching staff's wish was "We must hold onto our seat in the Winner's Bracket until the end!"
Once knocked into the Loser's Bracket, a slight mishap could lead to a crash and elimination, wasting their entire year of hard work. Therefore, it was best to reach the grand finals as the Winner's Bracket number one.
The Tianhuan members gathered their thoughts and began serious training.
Ye Shaoyang and Chi Shu tacitly refrained from intimacy, focusing on preparing for the next match.
They both knew that no mistakes could be made in any playoff game. If they lost due to personal relationship issues, they would not only betray their teammates' trust but also fail to forgive themselves.
Time passed quickly.
The situation in the Loser's Bracket gradually became clear. Huowen and Binghun each defeated their opponents to enter the second round. On September 20th, the winner of Huowen vs. Binghun would face Jingzhe, who had been knocked down from the Winner's Bracket.
Surprisingly, last season's Huaguo regional champion, Team Binghun, was eliminated by Huowen with a score of 3:1.
During the regular season, Binghun's performance had consistently been better than Huowen's. Unexpectedly, they crashed in the playoffs. Ye Shaoyang watched this match seriously. Binghun's team fighting was strong, but Huowen went against convention and didn't let them team fight at all. In the early game, they roamed frantically to catch the marksman, crushing the bottom lane.
Huowen's Captain Zhou was very strong individually, and their jungler A-Yan was also an All-Star player. Their mid-jungle synergy destroyed the marksman. Although Binghun's support Chen Qianhua was stable, if the marksman couldn't perform, they indeed couldn't go far.
Binghun's official Weibo stated that they had a few talented newcomers in the training camp. Next season, they would also seek reform and comprehensive development, striving for better results.
On September 25th, an upset occurred in the other Winner's Bracket match.
Regular season 1st place Beimu vs. regular season 4th place Yueying. The two sides fought fiercely for 4 games, tying from 1:1 to 2:2. In the final deciding game, bans were lifted for a blind pick.
Since there were no hero restrictions in the deciding game and duplicates could appear, Xie Weiyu picked his signature [Sharpshooter], and Zhao Xinping coincidentally also picked [Sharpshooter].
The two [Sharpshooters] sniped at each other in the bot lane. In a crucial small skirmish, Yueying's support blocked the opponent's bullet, while Xie Weiyu sniped Zhao Xinping dead with one shot, taking down the outer bot tower first.
Xu Zhuo frantically split-pushed to create pressure, ambushed in the mid lane, and solo-killed Beimu's mid laner Sean with a Flash play.
Yueying unexpectedly won against Beimu 3:2!
This result dropped the jaws of Beimu fans and sent Yueying fans into a frenzy of excitement.
Coach Lin was shocked after watching the match, even cursing in the conference room: "Holy crap, I thought our next opponent would definitely be Beimu. I didn't expect Yueying to play like they were cheating in this match. Their tactical thinking was very novel, and Xie Weiyu's level didn't lose out to Zhao Xinping at all!"
Ye Shaoyang said, "Xiao Yu has always had the strength of a top-tier marksman. In the regular season, Yueying lost more often because Old Xu and Xiao Yu hadn't meshed well, leading to disjointed team fights. Now that they've meshed well and the players in other positions aren't weak, they unexpectedly won against Beimu in the deciding game."
Chi Shu nodded in agreement. "There are too many uncertain factors in the playoffs. When it gets to the deciding game, luck also plays a part. For example, just now, when Xie Weiyu and Zhao Xinping sniped at each other bot, Xie Weiyu's bullet hit, while Zhao Xinping's bullet was blocked by the support. That moment was crucial."
Analyzing carefully, it was really just the difference of that one shot that first tore open the gap in Beimu's bot lane.
Then, Old Xu found an opportunity to ambush and solo-kill Sean, preventing Beimu, who had lost two towers consecutively, from stalling for the late game. Yueying quickly ended the match.
The team members watched with trepidation; it was truly too thrilling!
In the first 4 games, as long as it was a 2:2 tie, both sides would blind pick heroes in the deciding game, potentially choosing the same lineup. Yueying winning was indeed due to Xie Weiyu having slightly better form than Zhao Xinping in this match.
Just because you had good results in the regular season didn't mean you would definitely win in the playoffs.
E-sports competitions were full of variables. Even Tianhuan could crash.
Coach Lin said seriously, "There was a 2-month gap between the regular season and the playoffs. All teams will change and grow. We must put aside our impressions of many teams from the regular season and treat every match as a brand-new game. Currently, the competition in the Loser's Bracket is even fiercer than our Winner's Bracket. With Jingzhe and Beimu both falling into the Loser's Bracket, the second round of the Winner's Bracket is us against Yueying. We absolutely cannot be careless!"
Beimu and Jingzhe would compete for a finals spot in the Loser's Bracket. Once Tianhuan fell into the Loser's Bracket, it would truly become a slaughterhouse.
Chi Shu said, "Against Yueying, we should still target Xie Weiyu's lane. We can't let him farm up."
Lin Feng nodded. "Right. Regarding the point of Xiao Yu, I have some ideas—Yangyang picks a strong control hero, and Captain Chi flanks to cut him; or Captain Chi picks a strong control hero, and Yangyang bursts him. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Ye Shaoyang couldn't help but smile and say, "Actually, targeting Xiao Yu doesn't necessarily mean Chi Shu and I have to force a kill. We can let Xiao Xing lane against him and see."
He looked at Qu Jiang and Cheng Xing and said, "I think Yueying's support has inferior game sense compared to our Qu Jiang. Xiao Xing's current strength isn't much worse than Xie Weiyu's. In a 2v2 bot lane, we won't necessarily be at a disadvantage."
Qu Jiang felt warm inside and said, "Yangyang trusts me so much… Hehe, I can actually pick a control mage as support. Although a bit squishy, the damage is higher than a pure support."
Cheng Xing nodded excitedly. "Right, right, Brother Qu plays control mage supports very well. When we duo queue privately, he often supports me with Frost Goddess and freezes the opponent every time."
Coach Lin paused and looked back at Qu Jiang. "You want to pick Frost Goddess?"
Qu Jiang said, "Picking hard CC mages like [Frost Goddess], [Goddess of Storms], or [Holy Spirit Mage] for the support position works. [Holy Spirit Mage] is surprisingly effective against marksmen; the hard CC can seal Xie Weiyu."
Cheng Xing agreed, "Then I'll pick [Machine Gun Hunter] with the fastest attack speed. As long as Brother Qu can seal Xie Weiyu, I'm confident I can land my full Q skill and delete him with one clip!"
Ye Shaoyang said, "I'll pick a mage assassin and join hands with Captain Chi to kill Old Xu. Xiao Yu will be left to the two in the bot lane. Wouldn't breaking through at two points be more secure than a single-point breakthrough?"
He looked at Chi Shu, who raised his lips slightly and said gently, "Yangyang is right."
Old Qin rubbed his nose. "Then I'll pick a big meat shield to protect you guys and withstand the pressure from Old Xu top?"
Coach Lin laughed despite himself. "You guys have all become tactical masters, haven't you?"
The three chorused, "Learned from Yangyang and Captain Chi. We want to participate in tactical discussions too!"
Coach Lin couldn't help laughing out loud. "Alright. If we win the championship this season, I'll split half my coach's salary with everyone!"
Although Tianhuan's coaching staff was professional, the players' ideas could also be adopted.
Lin Feng had always been a very mild-tempered coach, unlike the authoritarian coaches of many teams. This was why Tianhuan's members dared to offer suggestions. Lin Feng felt that such a team atmosphere would be better; after all, playing heroes they liked made it easier to achieve spectacular results.
After synthesizing and studying the players' ideas, he selected several lineups targeting Yueying.
Qu Jiang used to play Mid, so picking a Mid hero for the support position required no transition; he could get the hang of it in a day. Ye Shaoyang picking another mage assassin would create a double-mage lineup that could control the opponent until they wanted to cry!
After another week of hellish intensive training, Tianhuan finally faced Yueying in the Winner's Bracket.
October 4th, Imperial Capital E-sports Center, Second Round of Playoffs.
Winner's Bracket, Tianhuan vs. Yueying.
Brother Dong said excitedly, "This match is the crucial battle of the second round of the Winner's Bracket. The winner will advance directly to the Grand Finals! The loser will fall into the Loser's Bracket and enter the battle for the finals spot in the Loser's Bracket slaughterhouse!"
Yao Mu said, "Yes, currently the Loser's Bracket has Beimu, Jingzhe, and Huowen, three teams vying for the finals spot. The team falling into the Loser's Bracket today will find it exceptionally difficult to advance!"
Brother Dong said, "Yueying's Old Xu is one of the few individual world champion top laners, and Xiao Yu is also a first-tier marksman in the league. During the regular season, results weren't great because Xiao Yu hadn't meshed well after his transfer, leading to disjointed team fights. But after half a year of integration training, the current Yueying has clearly improved significantly. Their top and bot lanes, as well as their team fighting, are very strong!"
Yao Mu said, "Let's look forward to today's match between Tianhuan and Yueying!"
In the Game 1 BP, Tianhuan had priority side selection. Unexpectedly, they chose Red Side, banning the CC-immunity support [Light of Blessing] and the protective support [Holy Paladin], leaving all of Xie Weiyu's best marksmen open.
Yueying naturally first-picked a marksman, unhesitatingly grabbing [Sharpshooter], which Xie Weiyu had been feeling very good with recently.
Yao Mu evaluated, "This choice is very reasonable. Xiao Yu's [Sharpshooter] is almost never misses. Moreover, by picking this, they prevent Lieyang from taking [Sharpshooter] mid. It can be said they picked a hero they excel at while disabling the opponent's special strategy. A very good choice!"
When it was Tianhuan's turn, they decisively grabbed [Holy Spirit Mage] and [King of Fighters].
The Sun-Moon duo had used this combination in the regular season. [Holy Spirit Mage] served as a utility Mid, shielding [King of Fighters] and helping with crowd control, allowing the wild core to flank and cut people. The "Seal" control of [Holy Spirit Mage] couldn't be removed by Cleanse, and Ye Shaoyang often used this hero to Flash-control people.
Yueying's coach naturally assumed Ye Shaoyang would take this hero, so in the second phase, he didn't ban Mid laners but frantically banned supports like Shield of Glory and Forest Envoy, which were the ones Qu Jiang used most often to protect Xiao Xing.
However, in the second phase, Tianhuan unexpectedly picked another mage, [Illusionist].
Audience: "????"
The two commentators looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Following the Double Marksman lineup in the last match, Tianhuan has brought out a Double Mage lineup in this match!"
Yao Mu's eyes widened. "Locked! Is it really a Double Mage system?"
Tianhuan began swapping heroes rapidly.
[Holy Spirit Mage] was swapped to the 5th slot for Qu Jiang to use.
[Illusionist] was swapped to the 3rd slot for Ye Shaoyang to use.
Both brought [Flash].
Brother Dong suddenly realized, "Qu Jiang! We ignored Qu Jiang! He used to be an outstanding Mid laner, playing most mage heroes very well, and he's especially good at control mages! Although he switched to support this season, his mechanics on Mid heroes are definitely not a problem."
Yao Mu said excitedly, "So in this game, Lieyang takes the mage assassin [Illusionist] mid, and Qu Jiang takes [Holy Spirit Mage] support. Two mages with different divisions of labor!"
Brother Dong said, "Previously, Qu Jiang always picked protective supports to safeguard Xiao Xing's growth. But this game, he picked a control-type, offensive-leaning support!"
Netizens in the livestream chat also lamented—
[Coaches facing Tianhuan must be dying of headaches!]
[Tianhuan picks a marksman—is it Xiao Xing or Yangyang playing?]
[Tianhuan picks a mid laner—is it Yangyang or Qu Jiang playing?]
[Swapping back and forth, just to keep you guessing!]
Yueying's coach also wanted to vomit blood.
Ye Shaoyang often used [Holy Spirit Mage] to Flash-control people in the regular season. Who would have thought that this game, they picked [Holy Spirit Mage] but gave it to Qu Jiang?
A Double Mage lineup—isn't the early game damage output too fierce?!
Having two Mid laners allows you to be this willful?
What gratified Tianhuan fans was that Qu Jiang didn't need to protect Xiao Xing for the entire match.
Tianhuan's Xiao Xing had grown up, so Qu Jiang could also choose heroes he loved more and execute more brilliant coordinations—as the formerly most stable Mid laner, he could also actively seek offensive opportunities!
In this game, Qu Jiang's role was no longer to protect Cheng Xing while he farmed safely.
Instead, he would join hands with Cheng Xing to attack.
He wanted to tell everyone that Tianhuan's bot lane wasn't a weak link needing protection.
He and Xiao Xing could also strike proactively, using sharp arrows to tear open the opponent's defense line!