Chapter 769
The God of Solo Driving
Su Mo looked at the four LNG members rushing towards him, a cold smile playing on his lips. He had no interest in the front tooth tower.
Using his Phase Rush and Vulnerability movement speed, he skillfully dodged Leona's E skill, calmly retreated from the high ground, and disappeared into the jungle.
Twenty-two minutes.
Although EDG lost Syndra in this team fight, they successfully destroyed LNG's mid-lane inhibitor and escaped unscathed.
Although the Baron buff had been largely delayed, the pressure from the super minions was already overwhelming for LNG.
"This is the ultimate example of strategic maneuvering," PDD exclaimed. "Brother Mozi was incredibly calm. He knew that a direct confrontation might be risky, so he chose to trade towers, forcing LNG to abandon their pursuit. This kind of pressure without bloodshed is terrifying."
Twenty-five minutes.
The fifth dragon is about to spawn.
Due to the previous alternation of ownership of the dragon, this dragon is a winning hand for both sides (EDG has three of each, LNG has two).
"We can't let this dragon go. If we do, we'll really be waiting to die." Coach U gave this order backstage.
The five LNG members huddled together and cautiously advanced towards the lower river channel.
At this moment, Su Mo's Fiora was pushing the top lane, having pushed the minion wave across the river.
Twenty-five and a half minutes.
LNG has gained visibility in the river and has begun to move.
"They're attacking the dragon. I'll go hold them off, you guys stay up there and keep them at bay," Su Mo directed over the voice chat.
He did not submit TP to the front.
Instead, they led a large wave of minions straight towards LNG's top lane inhibitor tower!
"Here we go again! The ultimate split-push tactic!" the doll shouted. "LNG is in a dilemma! If they take the dragon, they lose their top lane inhibitor; if they defend, they lose the dragon!"
"We'll take down the dragon! Nasus, go back and defend!" Scout gritted his teeth; they had to get the dragon to survive.
Twenty-six minutes.
Zika's Nasus recalls to defend the top lane high ground.
But at this point, Su Mo's equipment had reached a terrifying five-piece set (Divine Split, Hydra, Mercury's Treads, Death Dance, and Resurrection Armor).
Facing the dog head that was returning to defend, Su Mo did not hesitate at all.
Dive straight under the tower!
The ultimate move, [Peerless Challenge], is activated, instantly revealing four weaknesses!
This time, Su Mo's speed reached its peak.
It didn't even take a second.
An extremely spectacular quadratic attack unfolded under the tower, and Nasus was instantly killed before he could even unleash his ultimate!
"Instant kill!! Instantly kill a full-health Nasus under the high ground tower!!" Miller roared hoarsely, "That damage is outrageous!"
After killing the dog, Su Mo easily destroyed the top lane inhibitor tower and crystal.
At this point, LNG managed to secure the dragon with great difficulty in a direct confrontation.
But the price was that two high ground positions were breached!
Twenty-eight minutes.
The second dragon is about to spawn.
Faced with the pressure of two lanes of super minions, LNG was locked inside the high ground, without even the right to leave the high ground.
The jungle is completely black.
EDG's five players began finalizing vision control around the Baron pit.
Thirty minutes exactly.
Baron Nash refreshed.
EDG didn't probe at all and went straight for Baron.
The five LNG players stared at the gray screen in the fountain, falling into a deathly silence.
"Let's go out and take a look. We absolutely can't defend the inhibitor turret if Baron falls." Tarzan's voice was filled with helplessness.
The five LNG crew members gritted their teeth, started scanning, and tried to explore the riverbed.
Thirty minutes and thirty seconds.
When the five members of LNG reached the Red Buff intersection.
What awaited them was not EDG's formation.
Instead, she is a peerless swordswoman standing in the shadows, wielding a sharp blade, like the Grim Reaper.
Su Mo did not go to fight the dragon.
He waited for them there for a full thirty seconds!
"He's here!!" the female tank shouted in terror.
But it was all too late.
Su Mo immediately used Flash and charged into LNG's five-man formation!
The ultimate ability is applied to the head of the Leona at the very front.
One second! Fourth breakthrough complete!
The Leona melted instantly, and a massive healing spell bloomed amidst the LNG crowd!
"One against five!!! Brother Mozi jumped into a group of five people all by himself!!!" Wawa roared wildly.
With the terrifying healing from the healing array and Death Dance, Su Mo withstood the combined fire of the four LNG members, and his health remained firmly locked at more than half!
Instead of retreating, he continued to chase and slash at the low-health Zhao Xin!
Just then, four members of EDG who had just finished taking down Baron Nashor arrived at the battlefield.
Achen's Lee Sin kicked Azir away, and Syndra and Aphelios went on a killing spree.
The army was defeated like a mountain.
LNG suffered a devastating blow in the wild.
Zhao Xin, Tsar, and Han Bing fell one after another.
"Total wipeout!!!"
Thirty-one minutes.
With the Baron buff and two lanes of super minions, EDG's five players drove straight into LNG's inhibitor turrets.
The two turrets collapsed instantly under the onslaught of super minions and Fiora.
The blue crystal nexus was fully exposed.
Thirty-one minutes and thirty seconds.
With the final basic attack landing, the blue crystal nexus shattered, turning into a dazzling rain of light.
"Congratulations to EDG! They've secured a stunning victory in the first game!" Wawa exclaimed from the commentary booth. "Mozi's incredible Fiora has once again demonstrated to us what true split-pushing and mechanics dominance mean!"
Miller nodded repeatedly, still reeling from the shock of that final 1v5 play: "Yes! Especially those two engagements on the high ground and in the jungle, they completely shattered LNG's mental defenses. EDG takes the lead now, 1-0!"
PDD, stroking his chin, sighed, "LNG actually played quite well in the mid-game and regained some rhythm. But it was useless. Mozi's Fiora was too far ahead in farm, and the two-lane split push completely shut down LNG. Now the pressure is all on LNG's coaching staff. The draft for the next game is going to be hellish."
The lights came back on in the stadium.
Su Mo took off his noise-canceling headphones and calmly rubbed his wrists. He picked up the black thermos on the table and walked towards the backstage lounge first.
Ah Chen and Xiao Yue were excitedly discussing the match they had just watched.
"I was stunned by Brother Mo's 1v2 comeback on the high ground! That Mind's Eye Blade blocked the Tsar's ultimate and stunned the enemy, his reaction speed is insane!" Ah Chen said with admiration.
Xiao Yue was also still shaken: "Yeah, during that mid-game dragon fight, when I got instantly killed, I thought we were going to be turned around, but Brother Mo managed to pull the game back by pushing lanes."
Su Mo walked ahead and replied calmly, "Don't be too happy yet. LNG is very resilient. They will launch a fierce counterattack next time."
Halftime break room.
Abu was waiting at the door early. When he saw the team members come in, he couldn't hide his smile: "Well played! This Fiora split push strategy was played perfectly! LNG's 'old turtle formation' is completely ruined!"
Mingkai tapped the tactical board with a serious expression: "Everyone, pay attention, LNG is on the red side next game and has a counter pick. They will definitely go all out this game and make huge adjustments to the draft. Mozi, they might continue to target and restrict your hero pool."
Su Mo walked to his assigned sofa, sat down, unscrewed the thermos, and filled it with more than half a cup of hot water. "Let them seal it." He blew on the steam rising from the rim of the cup, his voice low and resolute, "In the face of absolute strength, the hero pool is just a number."
There was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge, and Yu Shuang entered carrying an exquisite fruit platter. Today, she was wearing an elegant moon-white cheongsam, exuding a gentle and graceful demeanor.
"Everyone's worked hard. Have some fruit to replenish your sugar levels." Yu Shuang smiled as she placed the fruit plate on the table. Then she walked over to Su Mo, handed him a slice of watermelon, and said softly, "You must have had a tough first game. I saw that when you were fighting five against one in the jungle at the end, your hand speed was so fast that there were afterimages."
Su Mo took a bite of watermelon from her hand, a gentle smile flashing in his deep eyes: "Not tired. Just warming up."
Seeing this, Ah Chen and Xiao Yue very tactfully pulled the bottom lane duo to the other side to discuss tactics, not wanting to be third wheels.
The fifteen-minute break passed in the blink of an eye.
"Let's go, it's the second game. Let's try to get off work at 2 AM and go home for a late-night snack." Abu clapped his hands and led his team back onto the court.
Meanwhile, in the LNG lounge, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Zika kept his head down, remaining silent. He had been utterly humiliated by Fiora in this game, and his confidence had been severely shaken.
Coach U took a deep breath and clapped his hands: "Everyone, lift your heads! This is only the first game! Didn't we fight back in the mid-game? That shows we can engage in team fights with them! Next game we're on the red side, so we need to be more aggressive in the draft! Zika, I'll give you my signature hero, are you up for the challenge?"
Zika suddenly raised his head, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Coach, get me a Warrior! I want to outplay him! We can't stay under the tower anymore!"
Tarzan gritted his teeth and said, "I'm playing a jungler with a strong early game, so I have to create an opening in the top lane!"
The second game has officially begun!
Accompanied by rousing background music, the large screen switched to the BP interface.
"Welcome back! EDG currently holds match point, leading 1-0!" Wawa shouted. "In the second game, EDG is on the blue side, and LNG is on the red side!"
Miller continued his commentary: "Let's take a look at LNG's draft picks for this game. In their first three picks, they decisively banned Fiora, Rengar, and Talon! These three bans are all champions that Mozi has been playing extremely well with recently!"
PDD chuckled: "LNG is really desperate. They're not even banning the strong champions like Maokai and Sejuani anymore, focusing all their efforts on the top lane. EDG's first three picks were very standard, banning Kai'Sa, Azir, and Nautilus to limit LNG's mid and bot lane carries and their engage support."
Enter the first round of picking.
EDG made their first pick and locked in a top-tier jungler in the current patch without hesitation—[Twisted Treant—Maokai]!
"Big Tree! Ah Chen got his most comfortable map-control jungler!"
On the first and second floors of LNG, the players immediately revealed Lee Sin and Varus.
"Tarzan picked Lee Sin! This is going to speed things up! Maximum early-game aggression!"
EDG's second and third picks added a bot lane duo: Ezreal (EZ) and Braum (Brown). This is an extremely stable bot lane composition with strong resilience and counter-attack capabilities.
On the third floor of LNG, Scout picked LeBlanc, increasing the early game strength of the mid and jungle.
The second round of banning players begins.
LNG continued their relentless targeting of the top lane in the fourth and fifth picks!
Ban [Aatrox, the Darkin Blademaster]!
Ban the Desert Butcher - Crocodile!
"Five bans on top laners!!! Another five bans on top laners!!!" Wawa exclaimed from the commentary booth, "LNG has completely shut down Mozi's light and heavy warriors! The only viable options left are pure tanks like Quesant or Sion!"
EDG banned [Lena] and [Ry] in the fourth and fifth picks, further limiting LNG's support options.
Second round of picking.
On the fourth floor of LNG, support Hang picked Alistar, the Minotaur Chieftain, to supplement the front line and provide strong initiation.
On the fourth floor of EDG, Xiaoyue locked in [Taliyah], using his ultimate to block the path and support the side lanes.
Now, all the suspense has converged on the fifth floor of the blue building!
Since EDG is on the blue side, they must reveal their top laner first, while LNG holds the last counter pick!
Facing the desperate situation of banning five top laners, facing the enemy's super strong early-game mid-jungle combination of Lee Sin and LeBlanc, and Zika who is about to unleash her signature move on the fifth floor.
All eyes in the room were fixed on the blank profile picture frame on the big screen.
“Mozi, there are no warriors outside.” Mingkai stood behind Su Mo, his brows furrowed and a layer of sweat beading on his forehead. “Their mid and jungle were too strong in the early game. If you pick a squishy champion, Tarzan will definitely gank top lane. How about we pick Quesant or Ornn to withstand the pressure? As long as you play it safe, we'll have an easier time in mid-to-late game team fights.”
Abu nodded in agreement: "Yes, our lineup for this game is defensive counter-attacking. As long as you don't get crushed in the top lane, you'll be fine."
Su Mo held his thermos, took a sip of water, and stared at the menacing lineup opposite him with his deep eyes.
Resilience?
That's not his style.
In the dictionary of the seven-time champion who has won every championship since S7, there is only offense, only suppression, and only utterly shattering the opponent's confidence.
He put down the thermos and lightly swiped the mouse with his left hand.
A profile picture that made the entire audience, commentators, and even the EDG coaching staff feel a sense of suffocation suddenly lit up on the fifth floor!
"I am the sun!"
Leona, the Dawn Goddess (Leona)!!!
The entire room fell silent for two seconds.
Then, the entire Hongqiao Performing Arts Center erupted in an uproar as if an earthquake had struck!
"Holy crap!!!"
Wawa jumped up in the commentary booth, her voice booming: "Leona?! Mozi is on the blue team, fifth floor, and he locked in Leona?! Isn't that a support champion?! Top lane Leona?!"
Miller clutched his head in disbelief: "What... what kind of black technology is this?! Leona in the top lane? She has no wave clear and her damage isn't high! How is she supposed to lane against fighters or tanks?!"
PDD's eyes widened, and he gasped repeatedly: "Holy crap! This is insane! Is Mozi doing some research in his final professional match? Leona top lane, the last time I saw this strategy was in a Bronze game! He's completely disregarding LNG's counter picks!"
LNG's battle zone.
Zika stared at the glittering golden Leona icon, and her brain completely shut down.
"He...he picked Leona for top lane?" Zika stammered as she turned to look at the coach.
Coach U's face turned pale and then red. He had meticulously planned a five-ban top lane strategy, hoping to force Su Mo to pick a cumbersome tank, allowing Zika to easily crush him with a warrior in the counter-pick position.
As a result, the opponent countered by picking the most unreasonable support hero for the top lane!
"Don't panic!" Coach U suppressed his shock. "Leona top lane is a joke! She has no solo kill ability and her wave clear is extremely slow. Zika, pick your most confident fighter! Crush him in lane! Make him pay for his arrogance!"
The fifth-floor checkpoint of the LNG terminal is lit up.
Zika took a deep breath, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"The day the broken sword is reforged will be the day the knight returns!"
Riven, the Exile!
locking!
"Riven!!! Zika picked his signature Riven in the final counter pick!!!" Wawa exclaimed loudly, "This is a clash of titans! Leona versus Riven! This is definitely the most bizarre and suspenseful top lane matchup of this summer split!"
Miller's expression was grave: "To be honest, I'm not optimistic about Leona. Riven's mobility and burst damage are too high. If Leona gets stuck under the tower and harassed by Riven, she won't even be able to farm minions. Besides, Riven has her E skill's shield, so after Leona's combo, she won't pose a fatal threat at all."
PDD stroked his chin: "Indeed. This game depends on what untold strategies Mozi's Leona has up his sleeve. If it's just about tanking, then Zika's Riven is definitely going to dominate!"
Game loading.
Welcome to Summoner's Rift!
All eyes were fixed on the top lane.
Su Mo's Leona bought the extremely rare Doran's Blade and a health potion! Instead of the usual support item or tank item Doran's Shield.
He took Flash and Ignite as his Summoner Spells! For runes, he chose the extremely aggressive Press the Attack, with Bone Plating as his secondary rune path.
"Doran's Blade and Ignite?! A Leona push?!" Miller gasped in the commentary booth. "Mozi is determined to go head-to-head with Riven in lane! This completely overturns our understanding of Leona!"
Ning, watching from the sidelines, chuckled: "Interesting! Leona's Q skill can reset her auto-attack. Combined with Press the Attack, if you can land an AQA combo, the burst damage isn't low. But the question is, will Riven give you the chance to get close and auto-attack her?"
At one minute and thirty seconds, the entire army launched an attack.
The director cuts the camera to the top of the road.
Zika's Riven learned the Q skill "Broken Wings" at level 1 and played with extreme confidence. He directly crossed the minion wave and stood at the edge of the bush near EDG's side, wanting to give Leona a hard time at level 1.
Su Mo's Leona came online with heavy steps, having learned the Q skill [Dawnbreaker Shield] at level one.
Facing Riven blocking his way, Su Mo did not back down and walked straight up to her.
At the moment when the two were less than 300 yards apart.
Zika made her move!
A quick Q dash, followed by a basic attack that deals bonus damage from the passive [Rune Blade]!
But Su Mo's reaction was incredibly fast!
The instant Riven landed with her first Q, Leona slammed her shield down!
"boom!"
Q skill [Dawnbreaker Shield] hits precisely!
Riven was completely stunned on the spot!
Su Mo did not retreat. Instead, he took advantage of the fraction of a second of dizziness to smoothly launch a basic attack, while simultaneously taking a small step to the side to create distance!
AQA! An extremely smooth combo not only dealt the damage of a Doran's Blade, but also instantly triggered the vulnerable state of [Press the Attack]!
Zika woke up from his dizziness to a shock, discovering that his health had dropped a little!
He quickly used his second and third Qs to try and counterattack, but Su Mo had already used that small step to create distance, and Riven's subsequent combos all hit the air.
"What a fine maneuver!" Wawa exclaimed. "Brother Mozi used the stun from his Q skill to perfectly execute a powerful attack, then created distance and traded blows without taking any damage! Zika suffered a silent loss at level one!"
Zika gritted his teeth and could only retreat behind the minion wave, where he consumed a health potion.
Two minutes. (End of Chapter)