Like a sudden storm, Ye Xiu and Zhou Zekai faced off against each other.
For the number one players, this duel was obviously a hot topic, but in reality, even the media hadn't been looking forward to it.
They considered that Ye Xiu being the first player was already set in stone, while Samsara had always followed the rules and placed their Great Gunner as the third or fourth player. The chances of these two facing off in the group arena were minuscule. Even if Samsara wanted to break Ye Xiu's winning streak, they still had a relatively strong and reliable 1v1 player: Sun Xiang. Sending Sun Xiang as the first player and then having Zhou Zekai continue to defend the third or fourth position seemed more like Samsara's arrangement.
There was a story between Sun Xiang and Ye Xiu, but as early as last season's Challenger League final, this topic had reached its peak. Ye Xiu, who had left Excellent Era, led his own team, Happy, to defeat Excellent Era, giving Excellent Era and his successor, Sun Xiang, a resounding slap to the face.
At this point, the media was already quite satisfied with the story. They weren't in the mood to hype up the same topic over and over again. It was only when they saw that there seemed to be no chance of a showdown between the first and second place players that they settled for the second best story. They wanted to talk about Sun Xiang's growth after coming to Samsara and whether or not he had walked out of the shadows of his past.
But now, there was no need for any foreshadowing, but the media didn't regret it at all.
Compared to a duel between the number one players, who wanted to see Sun Xiang's counterattack against Ye Xiu!
Excited.
Everyone was excited.
Even those who felt that Samsara's arrangement wasn't very reliable couldn't help but look forward to this duel.
The two players were hailed as the strongest in Glory. Who was stronger? A direct confrontation was undoubtedly the most convincing, even if it was too hasty to draw a conclusion based on a single victory …
Why hasn't it started yet?
The contestants from both sides had already entered their competition booths, but because the time was not up yet, the referee did not immediately announce the start of the match. However, the audience was already impatient.
"They're actually sending Zhou Zekai up!!" The pro players were also discussing spiritedly. They were also filled with anticipation and curiosity for this battle.
But today's referee seemed to be so untactful. He knew that everyone couldn't wait for this duel, but he still strictly adhered to the start time of the duel. He waited until it was half past eight.
The competition began!
All kinds of sound effects, lights, and shadows were activated at this moment as usual, stirring up the audience's emotions.
In fact, there was no need for that.
The finals were a hot topic, and it was enough to ignite everyone's passion. Light and sound effects? At this moment, it was not as impactful as the applause and screams of the audience.
The character was loaded.
The map was loaded.
What about the audience in front of the TV? At this moment, he was listening to Pan Lin and Li Yibo bicker with each other. There were too many things that could be discussed in this duel. Both of them were particularly eager to speak up, achieving an uninterrupted bombardment of words.
"Map, Stalagmite Forest Cave."
In the end, the commentator quality was excellent. Even though he fought fiercely, the content didn't deviate from the topic. He didn't miss out on anything that needed to be introduced. At this moment, the map finished loading. Samsara's home arena map was Stalagmite Forest Cave.
"Oh … this map …"
"The stalactites in the cave aren't as dense as the forest, so even Gunners have a lot of room to play in this map." Li Yibo only hesitated for a moment before Pan Lin immediately took over.
"It shouldn't be said that they have a lot of room to play in. This map's stalactites are very suitable for Gunners to play in. Gunners aren't necessarily the best choice for long-range players like them in a flat space. Proper cover is also beneficial for them. "Li Yibo hurriedly took over and spoke to his heart's content in one breath.
"For Team Samsara with Zhou Zekai, this map seems to be quite biased." Pan Lin hastily said.
"Happy. Even though Ye Xiu's unspecialized can fight from afar or close range, from a practical point of view, the threat of an unspecialized in close-range combat is far greater than long-ranged attacks. As a result, this map isn't as suitable for an unspecialized as for a long-ranged Gunner." Li Yibo said.
"In terms of map selection, Samsara has a certain advantage." Pan Lin said.
They had only just seen the map. The loading bar hadn't even finished yet, but the two had already started talking back and forth.
"Okay, the map has finished loading. The match has officially begun." This sort of announcement was usually Pan Lin's job as a commentator. In this aspect, he was more accurate. Li Yibo had originally opened his mouth to speak, but as expected, he fell behind Pan Lin.
Stalagmite Forest was a completely enclosed space within a cave. The entire map was circular. Stalactites could be seen everywhere on the ground and ceiling. This was the only special feature of this map.
Just as Li Yibo had analyzed, these stalactites weren't very densely packed. For a well-trained Gunner, the space created by the stalactites allowed them to move very nimbly. This was a technical map, not a violent one.
Zhou Zekai was known as the number one player in Glory. His position in the Gunner branch didn't need to be said. In addition, this was Samsara's home map selection. No one doubted his skill in this map.
Cloud Piercer's steps were light and quick. The broadcast gave him a first-person view, so everyone could see his unhesitant attitude.
As for Ye Xiu? He didn't seem to be as confident and determined as Zhou Zekai. From the moment Lord Grim took his first step, he was very careful. His camera turned and turned, constantly paying attention to the terrain. He clearly wasn't as familiar with this map as Zhou Zekai. In this sort of situation, choosing to take a roundabout route was a common choice. Ye Xiu wasn't an exception. However, Lord Grim's roundabout route was very large. It didn't seem like he was taking a roundabout route to the flank or the back. It looked more like he was avoiding his opponent from afar.
As a result, a minute passed. If both sides had cut straight to the center, the battle would have started long ago. But now? This highly anticipated battle had already started for a minute, yet the two still hadn't met. Ye Xiu's roundabout route was too excessive.
"He's probably trying to figure out the map first …" Pan Lin looked at Ye Xiu's Lord Grim and said.
"Ye Xiu might not be too familiar with this map, but he should have experienced a similar map before! He shouldn't need this much time to get used to it. It looks like he's being extremely cautious in this match, "Li Yibo said.
"Of course he has to be cautious. His opponent is Zhou Zekai!" Pan Lin said.
Zhou Zekai!
Zhou Zekai!
At this time, the Samsara Stadium was also bursting with such shouts. Even though they hadn't fought in the opening minute, the passion of Zhou Zekai's diehard fans didn't diminish at all. A battle between the number one players? This topic didn't exist for them. In their hearts, Zhou Zekai was already the best. There was no doubt about it. Their enthusiasm for this duel was mostly because they were looking forward to using a victory to completely erase this topic.
A minute passed. The topic was still there.
A minute and a half passed …
Two minutes passed …
Three minutes passed …
The topic was still there. Because the two hadn't fought yet, Pan Lin and Li Yibo were both at a loss for words.
Logically speaking, the map used in a one on one match wouldn't be too big. After three minutes, they would have appeared in each other's field of vision. However, the two of them were like two parallel lines that never intersected. There wasn't a single point where they intersected.
Playing passively, deliberately avoiding battle?
I couldn't tell!
Besides the large detour Ye Xiu had Lord Grim do at the beginning, it looked like he was also actively looking for an opponent. It was just that the two characters were never able to meet.
How could it be so coincidental?
Everyone was speechless. The referee also fell into deep hesitation. He couldn't see any foul play. Forcefully interfering in the match in this situation required a lot of courage. Moreover, this was the finals. His interference could affect who the final champion was.
He didn't want to interfere. He felt that if no one deliberately created a situation, the two characters would soon meet. In the end, three minutes passed.
Three minutes wasn't too long of a time. But in the Glory arena, especially in the 1v1 arena, three minutes of silence was enough to extinguish a lot of expectations and enthusiasm. In everyone's eyes, the quality of this battle for the number one player was plummeting. And Zhou Zekai's diehard fans in the stadium stopped their orderly and powerful cheers. They began to mock and ridicule. In their eyes, Zhou Zekai's attitude was impeccable, and Ye Xiu's large detour at the beginning of the match was seen as an evasion. What battle for the number one player? They thought it was laughable. Those who believed in this topic were blind.
"Too naive." But when the pro players heard the fans' mockery, they didn't think much of it, especially the more experienced pro players.
How could Ye Xiu run away from his opponent, especially on the pro stage? Running away wouldn't change the outcome. Did you think this was the game? Running away from your opponent and leaving the match unsettled?
Victory had to be decided. The two players had to fight. It was just that these three minutes had been a bit strange.
"Do you believe it?" Everyone asked each other. What they were concerned about was whether or not these three minutes were a coincidence.
More than half of the answers were: no.
"Look at the bird's eye view. Pay attention to Ye Xiu's positioning," Zhang Xinjie said to everyone.
The holographic projection didn't show this view, but the big screen in the stadium showed it. Before the holographic projection, the big screen provided the live broadcast. Apart from the lively atmosphere, the stadium also provided the audience with a viewing experience that they couldn't see on TV or online.
The comprehensive view had always been the unique advantage of the big screen at the scene compared to television or online broadcasts.
And now, this bird's eye view revealed the secret behind these three minutes of coincidence.
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