010

The individual match was dragging on a bit, with neither team showcasing standout players, but Smoke Rain managed to gain a slight edge. Clearly, both teams were focusing more on team battles and the arena matches.

In the arena match on the map Broken River, the first characters had already entered the fray.

Ninja, Lin An Cao Jing.

Magic Swordsman, Wu Lang.

The chosen map didn't offer much in terms of a home-field advantage. It was a popular map even in online matches, so both sides were quite familiar with it. However, saying it was unfavorable for Samsara was an overstatement.

Apart from the diagonal divisions marked by the trees and hills, the open areas along the river and the main road provided ample visibility for ranged attacks. While both sides had clearly opted for ranged fighters, the Elementalist's spell-casting typically required more cover, making this map less ideal for them.

Zhong Qing heard the two people on her left discussing how straightforward this map was and speculating about what map would appear in the team matches. They also mentioned that Samsara was determined to break through the first round of playoffs this year, suggesting that Zhou Zekai and the team were finally on the same page.

She glanced over to recognize them but decided it was better to remain a quiet spectator, especially since Sun Xiang, sitting next to her, hadn't even noticed the two veteran players.

The focus now was on the duel between the two vice-captains.

This arena map was slightly larger than usual. Lin An Cao Jing loaded in at the southwest corner, while Wu Lang entered from the northeast, with plenty of wide roads connecting them. However, for a stealth-type character like Lin An Cao Jing to charge down the main road and engage in a straight fight at the intersection with the river seemed absurd.

As expected, Li Hua chose to control the ninja character and headed directly into the stony forest.

"Li, what do you think is the intention behind Samsara choosing this map?" asked the commentator, Pan Lin, trying to keep the commentary lively while waiting for a direct confrontation.

"We'll have to see how Jiang's vice-captain manages the choice of battle locations. Any side that is deemed to be playing passively will face difficult random respawns in a map where you can die right after spawning," he replied.

"It's quite rare to have a map that disadvantages your team's first combatants in the playoffs. Given the current situation, we can only guess that Samsara has its own plans."

However, it seemed there was no need for guesswork.

Wu Lang was already heading straight for the stony forest.

A message appeared in the map channel just before his actions.

[Lin An Cao Jing]: "33.41, Jiang, let's not waste any more time."

"Isn't that a bit too straightforward?" Pan Lin felt choked by the bold moves on screen.

Wu Lang stepped into the stony forest. Almost the moment his character crossed the boundary, an Ice Wave Pulse Array spread out around him, followed closely by a high-damage Ground Split Sword aimed at any targets within range.

The ninja, using the Ninjutsu technique, evaded this attack, but the next moment, what should have been a direct strike against Wu Lang abruptly halted, as Silver Weapon Sixteen Nights' icy gleam swept in from behind Wu Lang.

The Lightning Wave Pulse Array came charging in!

"These two are going all out!" Sun Xiang, known for his reckless style, was surprisingly impressed.

Jiang Botao typically showcased a tricky playstyle, rarely seen playing so aggressively. The result of this aggression was that both players' health bars were dropping rapidly.

One side's Flame Wave Sword had just sent the opponent flying when the Shadow Dance was triggered. One side used a Backside Binding Technique, while the other countered with a powerful spinning attack.

Both players were soon at critical health.

Despite the ninja not gaining a stealth advantage at the start, the Magic Swordsman was the last one standing, though his health was now quite low. Smoke Rain's second player, a martial artist, managed to take him down, with Samsara's second player falling almost simultaneously.

So when Windy Rain and One Shot Through Clouds appeared on opposite sides of the Broken River, both had full mana and health.

It felt a bit like an individual match now.

"One Shot Through Clouds has been under Zhou Zekai's control since Season Five and was selected for the All-Star team in Seasons Six and Seven. Windy Rain, as a representative of the Golden Generation, has also been a frequent All-Star member.

Entering this arena match in such peak condition means we're witnessing a rare 1v1 duel," said Pan Lin.

"Yes, we can see that these two are placing their duel at the center of Broken River. While the road isn't narrow, either side could easily be pushed into the water. If either uses a levitating technique or a dash skill effectively, they could take the advantage."

Rapid-fire shots rang out, splattering blood on Windy Rain's robe.

Chu Yunxiu's speed was exceptional. While dodging, she retaliated with an electric strike, but One Shot Through Clouds executed a slide that narrowly avoided the stun, only to be hit by the following firebomb.

Her control was steady; in this setting not suited for casting spells, she decisively opted for instant-cast skills, focusing more on effective movement.

Both sides' health was only slightly decreasing.

"Windy Rain raised her staff; this move indicates she's preparing to cast... Knee Strike interrupts!" Pan Lin started to praise the "beautiful" move, only to be cut off by the electric glow surrounding Windy Rain. "That was a nice baiting move..."

Though her skill didn't get interrupted, the electric aura on the Elementalist exploded, causing damage. Simultaneously, the invulnerable sniper only took damage this round due to the invulnerability effect, quickly following up with a shooting attack.

This round of close-range fire was enough to take away 20% of Windy Rain's health.

Just as the sniper pulled off a swift shot, she activated an Instant Teleport and threw out a Shadow of Night.

"Chu Yunxiu's movement technique is solid; typically, an Elementalist caught up close wouldn't be able to hold onto their skill like this, but they need to be careful—their positioning is dangerous. Chu Yunxiu is going to fall into the water!"

No, she wasn't.

The Absolute Zero freezing spell wouldn't freeze the entire river, but it was enough to create a momentary frost beneath her feet. Without any hesitation, Chu Yunxiu used her level 65 ultimate at this precise moment, timing her exit from the river perfectly as One Shot Through Clouds turned to blind her.

Although her skill was on cooldown, she now had the casting distance.

Lightning Inferno!

This was another skill that cast quickly; as long as it hit with one bolt, the rest would track automatically. Given her positioning, it was the optimal choice.

One Shot Through Clouds made another slide forward. Even facing an incoming Frost Snowball, he couldn't afford to be hit by the lightning.

However, the Elementalist's mobile casting was free this time and wouldn't be interrupted. She opted for her level 70 ultimate, Thunder and Fire from Heaven.

Chu Yunxiu was playing aggressively, but she never disrupted her skill rotation. One Shot Through Clouds attempted to close the distance, and although he hadn't succeeded yet, he had avoided all damage he could.

In the midst of Thunder and Fire, he boldly chose double control—

Barter Sniper hit!

Both players' health dropped by 30% simultaneously!

With both ultimates in cooldown, the two league legends let loose. The accumulated damage from their minor skills became significant, and as the difficulty of evading increased, the APM stats on-screen skyrocketed.

"Wait, let's pay attention to Chu Yunxiu's positioning," Li Yibo called out.

"She jumped into the water."

The Elementalist, submerged in the waves, just narrowly avoided the sniper's freshly recharged rapid-fire. The rapid-fire exchange frequency caused almost everyone in attendance to forget that she still had a skill in hand.

The staff flickered with the status of Concentration.

An instant-cast Flame Impact was unleashed.

In the end, only 2.6% of Windy Rain's health remained in the arena.