Chapter 141: The Emergence of Records, Aren't They Just Meant to Be Broken!

"Push the base! Push the base and we win!" Miller roared, his voice full of genuine emotion.

As they witnessed the T1 main nexus explode into a pile of fragments, the emotions of the "Haier Brothers" at the LPL commentary desk reached a boiling point.

"Congratulations to EDG! They did it!" Wawa waved his fists vigorously at the commentary desk: "Sweeping T1 in the group stage, sitting firmly in the top spot of Group A, they have created history for the LPL region and broken T1's team history record!"

"This is the first time in history that an LPL representative team has surpassed T1 in the same group to advance to the knockout stage as the group leader!"

"It is also the first time in T1's ten-year history that they have advanced as the second seed from the group stage!"

"T1 claims that the LCK is the true elite, but as the LPL's first seed, EDG wants to tell everyone that they are the ones who beat the elite!"

By the end, the Haier Brothers' voices were trembling slightly.

If they had defeated any other LCK team, they wouldn't have been this excited.

But this was T1 at the World Championship, the world-class powerhouse that had brought countless painful memories to every LPL team!

Clearly, although this was just a group stage match.

Its significance was far more than just a group stage match.

"Ye, this young 18-year-old rookie, has shown extraordinary performance in his first appearance on the World Championship stage, not falling behind at all against the legendary mid-laner Faker, and can even be called the team's greatest contributor!"

"I think he has once again truly proven himself, a proof that needs no further words!" Wawa continued to praise loudly.

Listening to his partner, Miller was also flushed with excitement: "That's right, although this surprise pick of Nunu didn't get a solo kill like the LeBlanc in the first game, it definitely taught everyone a lesson in a unique and singular way!"

"And the infinite tempo in the mid-game created tremendous pressure on the entire T1 team; he is absolutely the clutch player!"

The livestream chat fell into a frenzy; clearly, this was a result no LPL viewer had expected.

The speed of the scrolling comments was incredibly fast, even causing the stream to lag momentarily!

【Oh my, they actually managed to knock T1 down to second place in the group!】

【If you had told me before the World Championship that EDG would sweep T1, I would have thought you were talking nonsense. Is this going to be the most hopeful year again!?】

【I heard T1 is guaranteed to be first in the group stage? Is this it? Is this all they've got?】

【The era of the old guard has ended; now it's the era of the new guard!】

【Not to mention anything else, sweeping T1 in the group stage is something no previous EDG mid-laner has ever done! Replacing the mid-laner was definitely the best decision EDG made this year!】

The director's camera focused on the EDG players celebrating at the player station.

Ye Bo, who hadn't yet fully detached from the focused state of the game, was still looking at the damage he dealt before taking off his headset.

22, 00, not bad.

Immediately after, his four teammates rushed over to high-five and hug him, almost knocking his headset cable flying.

Just as Ye Bo was about to speak, he saw Jiejie raising his arms high, shouting words he couldn't understand.

Not only that, Flandre and Meiko, and even the usually calm Viper, were doing the same.

Ye Bo could feel that everyone was venting.

Even in the peak championship year last year, EDG hadn't been able to truly defeat T1 in the group stage, still suffering a reversal after losing two consecutive games in the second round.

Not to mention the humiliating history before that.

But this year, they finally did it!

Why?

Was it because T1 had become weaker this year?

The top laner changed from the "rat" Canna to Zeus; could this possibly mean T1 had become weaker?

It was only possible they had become stronger.

So, anyone with a discerning eye could clearly see that this could only be because EDG had also become stronger this year, and they had become stronger by more than just a little—the margin was even greater than T1's!

And the only person EDG changed was the mid-laner.

"Master Ye, the two of us are truly amazing!" Jiejie grinned so wide he couldn't close his mouth, "That one big snowball pushed the opponents into a daze; even I was stunned!"

"I told you we would definitely win~" Ye Bo replied nonchalantly, his expression full of satisfaction.

"I told you what I said before the match wasn't trash talk," Viper suddenly chimed in, amusing everyone.

"You're awesome, Master Ye!" Flandre put his arm around his shoulder: "Honestly, I could feel how uncomfortable Zeus was through the screen; he must be so unconvinced, haha!"

First game Jayce and this game's Camille, first targeted by the draft, then continuously taken care of in the mid-lane.

The opponent just felt like they weren't even laning against one person!

"Let's go, let's go, let's go for the fist bumps first!" Meiko called out to everyone to hurry and find the T1 players for fist bumps and cross the stage together.

Although there were many T1 fans at the venue, EDG's fans were just as numerous.

The venue is always the place most easily infected by brilliant performances; at this moment, the vast majority of the audience sincerely offered cheers and applause to the winners who brought such a spectacular show!

And the T1 player station was noticeably a bit quiet.

Zeus just lowered his head and silently packed up his keyboard and mouse; after all, as the youngest, this was his first World Championship, so it wasn't really about tasting the bitterness of failure, but rather a new experience.

Oner was expressionless, looking as if he hadn't successfully reconnected with his brain's main host.

As for Gumayusi, he looked a bit dazed.

No, how did I get one-shot again!

It was one thing not being able to defend against the LeBlanc in the first game.

How could the Nunu in this game also be able to do that to his Sivir!?

Just recalling the scene of being ganked, Gumayusi's thoughts couldn't help but become chaotic, and even the way he looked at Ye Bo felt wrong.

Plus, this guy really liked to say cocky things before the match; seeing the boomerang fly back, it was a little awkward.

And Keria, who was always the easiest to show his emotions, was currently holding his head in his hands, seemingly unwilling to face reality.

By comparison, Li Xianghe's mentality was truly steady.

"It's okay, kids."

"This is just the beginning of the World Championship; just keep working hard later."

After all, this was just a group stage match.

Li Xianghe's professional career was simply too long, and he had experienced enough ups and downs; this loss really didn't mean much to him.

He had experienced countless crushing defeats far more painful than this.

There was still no excessive communication during this handshake.

Only, Li Xianghe seemed to be staring into Ye Bo's eyes the whole time.

Ye Bo inadvertently looked up and discovered the other's gaze, so he stared straight back—and then revealed his signature bright smile.

Li Xianghe was stunned for a moment.

Immediately after, he nodded at him.

And for this round of fist bumps, the other four EDG members were clearly much more forceful and direct compared to the first round.

"Actually, second in the group isn't unacceptable," the "Roaring Emperor" at the LCK commentary desk was comforting the fans: "The World Championship is very long; whoever has the stronger learning ability will be the one to come from behind!"

"That's right," T1's "Wolf" also hurriedly defended his home team: "T1 has enough honors and records; the title of group stage first place is harmless."

"Entering the best-of-five next, that will be T1's most proficient battlefield! We must believe in them!"

Compared to the LCK commentary desk's desperate defense.

The neutral Western commentary desk was all about genuine emotion.

"The Black and White Knights of the East, after injecting fresh blood, have become even stronger than they were last year!"

"Ye, this mid-lane genius who emerged from the LPL region, has successfully turned the matchup against Faker into his own stage!"

"Today, Ye is the protagonist, not Faker!"

"I can only say I'm really looking forward to their performance in the best-of-fives after the quarterfinals."

The Western commentary desk had top-tier ability to stir up the atmosphere, instantly igniting the venue.

However, Ye Bo couldn't hear the long string of commentary that rivaled a college English listening test, assuming it was just the enthusiasm of the audience, and happily waved to the crowd below.

Then came the organizer's interview segment.

Ye Bo received an invitation once again.

His teammates took their peripherals back, while he returned to the center of the stage.

"Let's welcome Ye to the interview!"

Sjokz shouted down, drawing applause and cheers that were exceptionally enthusiastic!

There were even many people shouting Ye Bo's ID, which really gave him a taste of home-field treatment.

Sjokz began the interview with a smile: "Congratulations to EDG for successfully taking first in the group stage to advance, and also breaking the head-to-head record between the two teams. How does Ye feel right now?"

Ye Bo took the microphone and spoke slowly.

"Of course, I'm very happy! As for breaking records... aren't records meant to be broken?"

"I think we will break even more records in this World Championship!"

Ye Bo thought for a moment and added: "But the group stage victory is just the beginning; we won't get arrogant, we will definitely continue to work hard!"

The translator conveyed the meaning to the audience, immediately drawing howls and laughter from the Western fans.

Sjokz also smiled at his natural honesty and continued with her questions.

"So, regarding the Nunu mid, and the Pyke mid from the previous game, I think this is a question everyone is very curious about."

"I want to know how you, Ye, notice and develop these special heroes? After all, we know that professional players have a lot to practice; how do you have so much energy to practice these heroes?"

Ye Bo raised the microphone again, telling the truth: "For this, I suppose it counts as a hobby of mine."

"Researching and developing these heroes is, for me, a way of leisure and entertainment, so of course I have plenty of time to study them~"

"I really love playing League of Legends!"

"And there are nearly 160 heroes in League of Legends now; I feel like what I know is far from enough. Every hero has their own shining point, and I hope I can try more heroes in the future!"

The translator conveyed his words once again.

That simple sentence, "I really love League of Legends," seemed to instantly resonate with many people.

Those able to buy tickets and come to the venue to watch the match were definitely all fans of the League.

Yet, hearing the tone and expression with which Ye Bo said this, they could only feel two words.

Pure, passion.

After the cheers echoing through the venue died down, Sjokz continued her questioning: "Now that the even more brutal quarterfinals are about to begin, what are your prospects for your future, and for the opponents you might face?"

Facing this question, Ye Bo answered without hesitation.

"To win the championship, you have to defeat every opponent, so who the opponent is will not affect our goal!"

"Of course, if I must say, it would be best to avoid a civil war if possible; I look forward to playing against more players, as that allows me to learn more different things."

"No matter who the quarterfinal opponent is, we at EDG have full confidence that we will win the match!"

Thunderous waves of applause once again echoed through the venue.

After waving goodbye to the passionate fans inside Madison Square Garden and returning the microphone, Ye Bo walked quickly back to the lounge.

No one was in a hurry to leave, as they were waiting for the draw ceremony about to begin on site.

However, because the venue still needed to go through the process and be reset.

During this waiting time, Ye Bo also opened his phone.

He first sent messages to his mom and dad, then replied to the congratulatory messages sent by his friends.

Afterward, he casually opened the forum.

Although the match had only just ended a short while ago, the lively atmosphere on the internet had already begun to ferment, and the homepages everywhere were full of related topic posts.

【Truth be told, is there any expert who can comment? Discussing purely strength, what level is Ye Wen at now?】

【Not high, just the best in Jinmen, that's all.】

【At the very least, he's definitely the best active domestic player. Anyway, the last person who compared himself to him is probably swimming in the Pacific Ocean by now.】

【He can produce highlight reels in every game at the World Championship, a heart of steel! Just this point alone is something those old-timers can't compare to!】

【Indeed, a pure big-stage performer!】

【This is our LPL's new generation mid-laner: many signature champions, deep champion pool, fierce mechanics, and he can even act as a coach! He's capable of everything!】

【Could it be that the hope for a domestic mid-laner is really coming?】

Looking at the netizens' praise for him, the corners of Ye Bo's mouth curled up wildly.

However, just a few threads below the post.

He discovered that after losing the match, even Faker was receiving quite a bit of criticism.

【Big Fly! Big Fly! Big Fly!】

【You couldn't suppress a rookie in two games; I don't know why you haven't retired yet. You're simply a disgrace to the LCK!】

【I don't want to talk about a mid-lane gap, but this is the truth!】

【Lian Po is old, can he still eat?】

【Little Lu Bu, this Nunu isn't worse than LeBlanc, right? Uncle raised me~】

【Fei Fei really has privileges; he was invisible for two games and still got a five-point rating. It's not even as harsh as the Koreans flaming him themselves!】

Below, someone posted a screenshot of a repost from a Korean website.

Ye Bo finally realized that netizens around the world are really all the same: they lift you to the heavens when you win, and trample you wildly when you lose.

Even Faker, who has the most honors, is no exception.

And clearly, the current public opinion on the Korean websites was completely one-sided, a world of difference from the joy after the group stage ended a few days ago.

【That's enough, anyone with eyes knows how weak T1 is now. They almost couldn't beat a DK without Nuguri in the playoffs, and they were swept by Gen. in the finals. What's there to brag about in winning?】

【In all fairness, T1 is the weakest of the Korean teams this year; at best, they can sit at the same table as DRX.】

【That's right, that's right. Winning against T1 doesn't mean the LPL is stronger than the LCK. TES, the second seed, couldn't even beat our fourth seed, RNG struggled even against our DK, which had four people sick, and Gen. is an absolutely invincible existence!】

【Heh, the three-time champion is being belittled as the LCK's worst representative team. It's just one group stage match, it's not like we didn't advance?】

【Everyone said EDG accidentally entered the Group of Death, didn't expect them to be the Grim Reaper himself, hehe~】

【Just wait! T1 will definitely fight their way to the finals. If EDG has the ability, let them roll into the finals and fight another battle!】

【So can we restrict Ye? Why can this guy suppress his opponent no matter what champion he plays? Is this fair at all!】

【Pfft, he's just bullying an old man. Just wait! ShowMaker and Chovy will take action!】

The fan distribution within the LCK is extremely polarized, basically divided into T1 fans and other team fans.

The prevalence of Korean fan culture directly leads to the supporters of various teams being at odds like fire and water!

The fan groups of other teams were dying for T1 to collapse; seeing the three-time champion, who was hyped up before the match, get cut down, they were just short of popping champagne in the forums and shouting "good riddance."

Ye Bo found it hard to comment on these remarks.

After all, he had only played against T1 so far and hadn't played against the other Korean teams, so he had no right to speak.

But if he had to say, he did feel that the process of winning against T1 was much smoother than he had imagined.

Among this, the fact that his preparation was more thorough than his opponent's was the most important reason.

But T1 also seemed to still be in the process of exploring, as if they hadn't been able to exert their full strength.

The two teams had played scrims before, and Ye Bo was very clear that the mechanical skill of the other four people besides Faker was not bad either; it was just that they didn't have room to perform in these two games.

Ye Bo clicked on Bilibili, feeling bored.

He didn't expect to immediately swipe to the post-match loser interview clip of T1 that had just been uploaded.

Facing the reporter's question about the first-round loss.

Li Xianghe answered calmly with an unchanging expression: "It's a pity to lose the match, but the main reason for the loss is that our team has quite a few problems that need improvement."

This Korean reporter was simply a cyber Nurse Rong, continuing to press with a heart-piercing question.

"T1's record has been broken. Every time you participated in the World Championship before, you advanced as the first seed in the group, but this time you unfortunately lost. Will this have any impact on the teammates' mentality?"

Li Xianghe's expression still didn't change: "Records are created. T1 is the creator of records, and we will create new records."

"We have confidence in the subsequent schedule. The result of the group stage will not affect the subsequent matches."

The reporter immediately asked another question: "Then, regarding this match against EDG, is there any player you find impressive or particularly worth noting?"

This is a question that Korean reporters love to ask.

And they especially love to ask it when T1 loses a match.

And all along, Li Xianghe's answer has been, "There are no opponents who particularly impress me; losing the match is always our own reason."

This could be called "flexing" and "being stubborn," but it is actually a fact.

After all, over so many years, from old IDs like Ambition, Pawn, and Crown, to later ones like Rookie, Doinb, ShowMaker, and Scout, and then to the current Chovy and Knight.

He has truly defeated too many genius players, so it is indeed hard to have anyone leave a deep impression.

But Li Xianghe thought for a moment.

He discovered that there was indeed one person from the last match who was lingering in his mind.

"The opposing mid-laner. I hope there will be another chance to face him in this World Championship."

"The next victory will belong to T1."

Li Xianghe finished speaking faintly, his eyes still staring straight at the camera, as if he were having some kind of long-distance eye contact.

His eyes seemed full of fighting spirit.

Others might not see anything in this gaze, but Ye Bo felt it seemed somewhat familiar.

He had just seen it when they shook hands earlier.

However, Ye Bo actually had similar thoughts.

The result of defeating T1 seemed easy, but in reality, there were quite a few dangers in the process, especially the several waves of carefully designed ambushes that were seen through and then used against them by the opponent.

The strategy and confrontation within that made Ye Bo feel he benefited a lot.

It's just a pity that the draw has a "same group half-bracket avoidance" mechanism.

This meant that.

If both sides were to face each other again on this S12 stage, they could only meet on the final championship stage.

And the quarterfinal draw ceremony on the live broadcast screen had already begun.

(End of chapter)