If it had been the regular season, this topic of utility would have been debated for a week. But the pace of the playoffs didn't give them that kind of time.
With the high frequency of one match per day, just watching the matches was too much for the eyes to take in. After every match, there would be a new feeling. The topic of utility would expire in the blink of an eye. Right now, it was already the first match of the second round, Samsara's home game against Hundred Blossoms.
Hundred Blossoms, who had already lost their away game, had no path of retreat. But facing the incomparably strong Samsara, whose goal was to win three consecutive championships, Hundred Blossoms didn't show the slightest fear. Under Yu Feng's lead, they actively attacked Samsara in their away game.
In the group arena, the two sides fought fiercely. One side went down, the other side went up. The players took turns, but no one was able to obtain a large lead. But in the end, it was Samsara who won the group arena 5 to 4.
Just like that, Hundred Blossoms fell behind by one point and entered the team competition that would decide life and death.
They didn't play conservatively. They just played cautiously in their away game. Hundred Blossoms, on the edge of the cliff, continued to be as proactive as possible.
In the last round of the regular season, Hundred Blossoms faced Samsara. It was also an away game, and they were also standing on the edge of the cliff. They tenaciously and resolutely fought for point after point, and finally won a spot in the playoffs with a one point advantage.
But in that match, in the team competition that followed, Hundred Blossoms had also fought hard to win, but in the end, they still lost. In the first round of the playoffs, Hundred Blossoms experienced Samsara's different temperament in the playoffs.
This team, which had already won two championships, had gathered a huge amount of self-confidence. This made their performance in the playoffs extremely steady and calm.
Just like that, they defeated Hundred Blossoms in Hundred Blossoms' home game, letting Hundred Blossoms clearly feel the difference in strength.
Hundred Blossoms wouldn't have a chance of winning if they continued to play so steadily. Samsara's steadiness made it impossible to imagine what kind of fatal mistake they would make.
That night, Hundred Blossoms' players were somewhat depressed. An opponent that seemed impossible to defeat made them feel a little down. But after one night, Hundred Blossoms' players adjusted their mental states.
Since they already felt that it was difficult to win, then what was there to be afraid of? Go all out, fight a lively battle, and be done with it!
Yu Feng felt the atmosphere in the team. Therefore, in this crucial away battle, they simply gave up on being conservative and let everyone give it their all.
Victory? Forget about it for the time being!
On the most ruthless stage of the playoffs, we'll use Samsara, our strongest team, to test just how far we can go!
The team competition was even more exciting than the group arena. Every member of Hundred Blossoms brought out their best form and performed outstandingly. However, the final victor was still Team Samsara.
Team Hundred Blossoms had been eliminated, but in this loss, Yu Feng could see unwillingness and frustration on the faces of the Hundred Blossoms members.
"If my placement of the Devil World Flower wasn't disturbed!" Summoner player Zhu Xiaoping slapped his thigh unwillingly.
"It's my fault. If only I had given you a proper cover …" Zou Yuan said.
"If I had succeeded in that ambush …" Assassin Zhou Guangyi said.
This competition left them with many ifs.
And these ifs, to Hundred Blossoms, represented hope. Because they would have the opportunity, the conditions, to turn these ifs into reality.
"Next year, we'll come again!" Yu Feng said.
"Again!" Zhu Xiaoping stopped slapping his thigh and waved his fist.
"Again!" All of the Hundred Blossoms members nodded solemnly.
Hundred Blossoms had fought their way into the playoffs, but in the first two rounds, their playoff journey had ended. They were regretful, they were unwilling. But Yu Feng felt that this was precisely what they had gained. Because of their regret, because of their unwillingness, they had the motivation to become stronger. If the strength of their opponents made them feel only despair, how could this team have the courage and confidence to fight again?
To have this kind of competition, to have this group of teammates, it was truly wonderful!
Yu Feng thought. He felt that he would definitely have an incomparably bright future. Tomorrow wasn't too far away.
Team Samsara had advanced into the semifinals. Their goal of three consecutive championships had taken the first step.
The next day's reports were, of course, still praising the victors. Two rounds, two group arena, two team competition. Samsara had won all of them, unquestionably taking the first round's victory. Aside from praises, there was nothing else to say about them.
"Samsara's greatest enemy might just be an emotion called 'pride'," one report said.
And within the team, who would be able to stop Samsara's three consecutive championships suddenly became a topic of discussion. Just like in the regular season, who would be able to end their winning streak, people began to talk about it enthusiastically.
Team Hundred Blossoms, who had ended Samsara's winning streak in the regular season, had been personally sent out of the playoffs by Samsara. Then, would another team bid farewell to the playoffs?
First round of the playoffs, second round, second match. Team Tyranny, home game against 301 Degrees.
301 Degrees had lost miserably in their home game last round. Everyone could already see that 301 Degrees' strategy, which had only been used for half a season, had a much lower chance of creating an opportunity in the more cautious playoffs. What's more, their opponent was Team Tyranny. They had a few incomparably experienced veterans, plus the extremely cautious Master Tactician Zhang Xinjie. In addition, Team Tyranny's current style was no longer one of attacking and charging, but rather one of defense. All of these factors greatly limited 301 Degrees' ability to perform.
This dark horse that had been favored by countless people ended up being the most disappointing team in the playoffs so far. The first round was like this, and this round was also like this.
6 to 11 …
Compared to the first round, 301's improvement was only that they had gained one more point.
"Your strategy isn't bad. Go back and practice harder!" After the match, when the players exchanged greetings, Zhang Xinjie said to 301 Degrees' foreign aid this season, Bai Shu.
Ridicule? Contempt?
Bai Shu clearly didn't understand Zhang Xinjie well enough. He completely misunderstood the meaning behind Zhang Xinjie's words. Actually, it was very simple to understand Zhang Xinjie's words. It was the purest and most direct meaning. Bai Shu's thoughts, however, weren't that simple. Because of the loss in the match, because he hadn't been able to use the strategy he had brought with him, Zhang Xinjie's praise of his strategy after the match sounded very ear-piercing.
Bai Shu was somewhat unhappy and prepared to retort. Trash talk was a universal language used by the entire world.
"Thank you for your guidance." But before he could speak, 301 Degrees' captain Yang Cong, who was walking in front of him, pulled him aside and responded to Zhang Xinjie on his behalf.
Yang Cong clearly understood Zhang Xinjie's personality. At the same time, he also predicted that Bai Shu, who didn't understand Zhang Xinjie's personality, would have a reaction after hearing this, so he took precautions.
Bai Shu paused for a moment, but didn't say anything. He expressed his obedience to Yang Cong's attitude and silently completed the post-match greeting. It wasn't until they returned to the prep room that Yang Cong explained to him that Zhang Xinjie's words had no intention of ridicule. He was just stating a fact.
"Continue to work hard!" Yang Cong patted Bai Shu's shoulder.
Bai Shu lowered his head in thought for a moment. He realized that the strategy they had only practiced for half a year still had many shortcomings. After using it for half a season, the novelty of it had already worn off for the teams in the Alliance. In the harsher environment of the playoffs, hitting a wall was unavoidable.
"Continue to work hard!" Bai Shu raised his head and replied to Yang Cong. His eyes were filled with determination.
Yang Cong smiled. As a player in Season 3, his career as a professional player wouldn't last long. Core, main force, these positions would gradually leave him. If he stubbornly refused to back down, he would instead become a burden to the team.
301 Degrees' future would no longer be created by him, Yang Cong. The person in front of him, Bai Shu, was the one who had to shoulder 301 Degrees' future. And in Yang Cong's eyes, Bai Shu was an outstanding player worthy of being entrusted to. He was quite happy that his team had been able to pull off such a stroke of genius, actually bringing back such an outstanding player from an overseas league.
Apart from the Glory Alliance, how many other Glory experts were there in the world that they had never seen or fought against? Yang Cong couldn't help but think.
If he had the chance, he really wanted to see them all! As Yang Cong thought this, he also felt a bit melancholy. Whether or not he would have this chance, he wasn't sure.
301 Degrees became the second team to bid farewell to the playoffs. And Tyranny, who had been looked down upon in the regular season, seemed to have been reunited in the playoffs. 301 Degrees, who had caused countless teams to suffer in the second half of the regular season, was finally beaten black and blue in front of Tyranny.
This was Team Tyranny's true strength! Quite a few reports said so.
"True strength." These four words always gave people a soul-stirring feeling. After Team Tyranny finished the first round, the support rate for them slowly increased by countless amounts. Quite a few people had already begun to predict that this year's battle for the championship would still be between Tyranny and Samsara.
And today's reports, apart from the content and commentary of last night's match between Tyranny and 301 Degrees, there were also some predictions and opinions for tonight's match.
Happy away game against Blue Rain!
Three days after the end of the first round, the two teams reignited the flames of battle. Happy haters swarmed out of their holes, wanting to see what kind of commotion could be caused in this away game after such a difficult and utilitarian first round. Happy, who had only been able to win because of their hard work in the first round, wanted to see.
"This round, Blue Rain is in an away game. I don't think there will be any big tree protecting Happy, right?"
Tree smashing Troubling Rain was still the most eye-catching joke of the first round. Happy haters especially loved to use this to prove that Happy won because of luck, because of a fluke. Unfortunately, they kept harping on this topic. Happy didn't do anything, but Huang Shaotian gnashed his teeth and fiercely cursed Happy haters a hundred times.
"That stinking brat, don't let me run into him!" Huang Shaotian had been constantly nagging these past three days. "Stinking brat," of course, was referring to Mo Fan. But "don't run into him," that was the opposite. Huang Shaotian desperately wanted to meet Mo Fan again.
= = =
August's new atmosphere, the first two chapters!
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