The First Round, a Crushing Defeat

On the day of the semifinals,

the five major sects coincidentally eased their cultivation intensity.

Countless elders and disciples flooded into the livestream to witness this grand esports spectacle.

In the barrage of comments, debates occasionally erupted over who was truly the strongest.

[Go, Team Slaying Immortals! The honor of rogue cultivators rests on your shoulders!!!]

[These rogue cultivators are strong individually, but I still think Lingxiao Sect is better… Their tactics and execution are unmatched.]

[With both the strongest combat power and the sharpest strategist, how can Lingxiao Sect lose?]

[Go, rogue cultivators!! Defeat Lingxiao Sect!!!]

[Bro, your username says "Infinite Sword Sect"… Are you just stirring the pot here?]

[It’s a shame Bai Mu isn’t competing… That guy is seriously OP.]

[Not as good as Lu Ze.]

[Lu Ze? More like Lu the Demon!]

...

"Junior Brother Lu? If he competed, it’d be unfair to everyone else… Hahaha."

Zhong Yi, the event commentator, chuckled while engaging with the chat.

Of course, many disagreed with this take.

After all, Immortal vs. Demon was a game where mechanics and teamwork mattered—everyone’s cultivation level was capped equally, and the illusion designers might not even be as skilled as the players.

"But as for this 'sharpest strategist' thing… Let me break it down for you."

Zhong Yi’s eyes lit up at the lone comment about the "sharpest strategist," and he instantly became a chatterbox.

He was the coach of Lingxiao Sect’s team, as well as the official commentator for the tournament.

But the audience didn’t mind.

After all, Zhong Yi’s commentary was undeniably hype, and his analysis during critical moments was razor-sharp.

Aside from his occasional jinxes, he was practically a gold-tier commentator.

"My prediction? Lingxiao Sect sweeps 3-0! No contest!"

Faced with the barrage’s questions, Zhong Yi answered with absolute confidence.

"Of course, I’m not underestimating our opponents… We’ve just prepared more and better! You’ll see soon enough!"

He dropped a cryptic hint before stepping away from the commentator’s booth to enter the illusion as the coach, walking among the altars.

"Let’s go, everyone!!"

Zhong Yi grinned, pumping his fist before stopping behind Liu Mo and patting his shoulder.

"Junior Brother Liu, your performance in the last few matches was stellar. We owe a lot to you!"

"Uh… yeah."

Liu Mo nodded nervously.

"By the way, why’d you skip training these past few days?"

With the match yet to start, the group chatted casually.

"Had to go back home for something urgent. But I can still log into the illusion from anywhere."

"No worries, no worries… Everything alright with your family?"

"...Yeah, all good…"

"Glad to hear it. If you need anything, just let your seniors know."

Zhong Yi sighed in relief and gave his shoulder another pat.

The drafting phase had begun.

This was a test of the team’s strategic mind—how to counter the enemy’s hero pool, dismantle their plans, and secure a favorable lineup.

Zhong Yi was a master at this.

"So? Should we just go with that plan? Team Slaying Immortals is probably our toughest opponent."

Zhong Yi grinned as he made the suggestion.

"You mean that annoying long-range poke comp?"

Zhou Qiaoling’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Exactly."

Zhong Yi nodded.

He had spent a lot of time researching strategies—from basic hero synergies like ultimate combos to full-fledged tactics like split-pushing and poke comps.

He even wrote academic reports on timing, power spikes, and optimal plays.

The poke comp was an idea he got after suffering in Howling Abyss, where five long-range enemies made his life miserable.

The core of the strategy was simple: whittle the enemy down until they couldn’t fight back!

"Hahaha, they’d never expect us to run a team with Nidalee, Kha’Zix, and Varus…"

The moment Zhong Yi finished speaking,

Varus—a hero no one ever banned—was slapped onto the first ban list.

"No big deal, just Varus. As long as we get two key heroes, we’ll be fine—"

Thud.

Nidalee joined the ban list.

Zhou Qiaoling: "..."

Zhou Yue: "Old Zhong, maybe stop talking?"

...

At first, they thought Zhong Yi’s infamous "jinx" had struck again.

But soon, it became clear something was off.

Team Slaying Immortals’ bans were exactly targeting their pre-planned strategy.

The problem?

The poke comp had never been used in competitive play.

How did the enemy know?

"Don’t panic, everyone…"

As the coach, Zhong Yi quickly steadied the team.

"Even without this strat, we outclass them in raw skill!"

"Relax, I’ve studied their hero pool—their most troublesome picks are all banned. Let’s crush them!"

...

...

Twenty short minutes later.

As their Nexus stood on the brink of destruction, Lingxiao Sect’s team felt suffocated.

"Why do they always know where I am?!"

Zhou Yue’s frustration boiled over.

This wasn’t like getting outplayed by Bai Mu in the jungle.

This was two or three people ambushing him at every turn, completely shutting him down as the team’s playmaker.

"NO!! Senior Sister Li’s dead too!!!"

Zhou Qiaoling wailed.

After Li Moran went down in a desperate 1v2, the match was effectively over.

"..."

Li Moran frowned but stayed silent.

Aside from Zhou Yue, the bot lane had suffered the most.

Every last-hit was contested, every trade punished—she couldn’t even think about going aggressive.

Everyone knew Li Moran (ADC) and Zhou Yue (jungle) were the team’s core.

But no one had ever managed to shut them both down at once.

Team Slaying Immortals did.

First, because they tracked Zhou Yue’s jungle pathing with terrifying precision.

Second, because Liu Mo—who had been performing well—suddenly went silent.

As the Nexus exploded, Lingxiao Sect suffered a crushing defeat.

Liu Mo hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, seniors… I played terribly."

"It’s fine. We’ll bounce back next game…"

Zhou Yue forced a smile, swallowing his frustration.

As captain, he knew better than to let his emotions affect the team.

But still…

His gaze lingered on Liu Mo, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

After changing his jungle path repeatedly, only to get caught every time…

Was it really just bad luck?