IRAJAS Chapter 145

Taking off the headphones, only then did he realize the clamor of voices at the scene.

Clearly in a foreign land, yet able to hear countless familiar voices cheering for them, as if still back home in China.

“Why are there so many fans here to see us? Aren’t we competing in Korea?”

“Wow. Didn’t they say the tickets were selling for sky-high prices?”

“Tickets were really hard to get. Lu Shi took a long time to help me get one.”

“Wow, is it really that exaggerated?”

“Forget about that, let’s raise a toast first!”

Their hearts blazing with excitement, the five of them suppressed their emotions, waiting for the coach and substitute players to join them. Together, they approached the trophy, standing at the pinnacle of esports, looking down upon the sea of spectators, receiving thunderous applause. As the countdown ended, all of them, under the gaze of the world, lifted the trophy in front of them together!

Golden confetti rained down from the sky, and the entire venue erupted in cheers for them!

This is the third trophy DT has lifted, heavier than any they’ve won before!

In truth, each of them struggled to get here. They bore scars, walked with weary steps, and were exhausted beyond measure. Yet, they finally reached the finish line!

As they lifted the trophy, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. They had to exert all their strength to raise it!

This is personal glory, this is team glory.

This is their proof to themselves, the medal of their efforts.

This is the meaning of being champions!

The golden rain finally subsided. Jiang Jin was the first to cry, tears streaming down his face. Then came Jiang Xu, tears lingering in his eyes.

Lin Lan didn’t cry; he kept smiling joyfully. But upon closer inspection, his eyes were moist the whole time.

He appeared invulnerable, impervious to everything. But no one knew that at the moment they won the championship, he was actually so moved he wanted to cry. He just held it in because he felt embarrassed.

Xiao Shengjing suddenly wrapped his arm around Lin Lan’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug. Lin Lan, nestled in his embrace, discreetly wiped the corners of his eyes, then smiled with relief as a tear rolled down.

This was the highest-caliber world championship Lin Lan had ever played in. It featured the strongest players from various countries, including the peak of Kuien’s career and the peak of Qi Mo’s. In the end, Lin Lan broke through the limits of his professional career, defeating them all in exhilarating matches.

He had finally proven himself, standing at the pinnacle of esports.

The scenery here was indeed very, very beautiful.

More beautiful than any match Lin Lan had ever witnessed.

On the fervent side was YK, who lost the match.

They were completely exhausted, lacking even the energy to pack up their equipment. The fervor belonged to DT; YK had no part in it. They were left only with a cold and empty feeling.

Kuien slowly lifted his head to look at Lin Lan on the stage. This was the first time he truly saw his opponent’s face.

Initially, Kuien hadn’t regarded him as a formidable opponent. However, after five intense rounds, his perception completely changed. By the end, he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of realm Lin Lan had reached in that final moment.

Did he witness a realm beyond that of the gods? What could that be like?

Kuien couldn’t understand. This was the first time someone had surpassed his realm, a realm he had never ventured into. This realization caused the once-dimmed fire in Kuien’s body to start simmering again.

On the stage, Lin Lan’s smile was too dazzling, as if he was born to be in that position.

So young and promising, with a bright future ahead. So daring and fearless… Kuien had a premonition that this young man would be his lifelong rival.

His teammates reminded him it was time to leave. Kuien sighed, finally picking up his equipment and turning away, feeling desolate as he departed.

After DT’s team descended from the stage, there was still a post-match interview to be conducted.

Journalists swarmed below. Their camera flashed relentlessly, constantly illuminating their faces as they fired question after question.

Lin Lan noticed he was no longer afraid of the camera flashes. Somehow, without realizing it, the things that troubled him were slowly dissipating.

Countless journalists below bombarded them with questions. Unsurprisingly, the first question was directed at Lin Lan: “From initially losing to Kuien to completely dominating and winning the match, can you share your emotional journey throughout?”

This was a question that almost everyone cared about: how did Lin Lan, who was almost shut down in the first game, manage to adjust and surpass his opponent?

Lin Lan answered without hesitation, “I realized three realms in the fifth game.”

Reporters gripped their microphones tightly, everyone holding their breath, eagerly awaiting his answer.

“Fearless and indifferent, regarding opponents as nothing. Self-sufficient and self-breaking, regarding oneself as nothing. I am the world, regarding boundaries as nothing. These are the three realms I realized, and it was by relying on them that I defeated my opponent.”

After he finished his answer, everyone stared at him in shock, completely bewildered. Even his teammates turned their heads with expressions of disbelief.

Did he just become a god on the spot?

Who exactly were they competing with as teammates??

The Chinese couldn’t even understand his answer, let alone fans from other regions who were sweating bullets trying to translate it. No one could clearly explain what kind of realms Lin Lan had realized!

Fans from other regions were going crazy, desperately asking what those few sentences actually meant.

It’s as if just deciphering these few sentences could lead to realizing the same kind of state as Lin Lan, like some kind of Eastern secret technique.

This answer draped Lin Lan and DT in a thick veil of mystery. Questions kept coming, even asking if Jiang Jin’s plush toy had some mystical significance.

Jiang Jin picked up his little cat, a bit shy in the face of so many questions. “I guess so. It helps me feel more at ease. Sometimes when I don’t know what decision to make, I just look at it. Though I know it won’t give me an answer, by the time I’ve looked at it, I already have the answer. Actually, I don’t really need it to give me an answer.”

Chinese viewers could grasp this mystical aspect, but those in other regions struggled. What kind of mysterious power was this? Did they really need its answers?

Looking at the bewildered faces of foreign journalists, the audience watching the domestic broadcast burst into laughter, almost wanting to instantly transform into translators to explain what these few sentences meant.

Later, reporters asked Xu Shengwei about his performance. They mentioned how he seemed to be a growth machine in these five games, smoothly developing in every match, and asked if he had a secret.

Xu Shengwei took the microphone, a bit hesitant. “Um, no secrets. Hard work is all you need.”

“Just hard work?” Can hard work secure a last-minute CS lead? Can hard work ensure a consistent four-digit gold lead every game? Can hard work enable clutch plays and secure a world championship??

Help. They feel their efforts are on a completely different level from Xu Shengwei’s!!

This banal answer from Xu Shengwei left journalists from several major regions dumbfounded. Subsequent questions gradually shifted to Jiang Xu, asking for his insights after winning the championship.

Approaching the microphone, Jiang Xu seemed unsure what to say, blurting out, “The world trophy is quite heavy, so I’m very happy.” He finished with a beaming smile, radiating happiness even through the screen.

The final questions returned to Xiao Shengjing, focusing on the captain who dominated countless junglers in the world championship. The multitude of inquiries was met with Xiao Shengjing’s composed and formal responses, leaving a poised impression on the international stage, with many journalists giving him a thumbs-up after their interviews.

Previously, LPL viewers often perceived Xiao Shengjing as reserved. But his composure at international events truly does credit to the LPL!

Finally, their coach, Shi Quan, was interviewed, and reporters posed a provocative question: which league is better, LPL or LCK? Shi Quan chuckled and replied, “Both are good, both are good.”

The interview circled back to Lin Lan again. When he hesitated to respond, Xiao Shengjing jumped in to help. As they exchanged words more frequently, a journalist asked Xiao Shengjing, “What’s the relationship between you and Lin Lan in private?”

Xiao Shengjing blurted out, “Teammate relationship.”

Realizing the implication, he paused for a moment, then glanced at Lin Lan.

Lin Lan promptly took the microphone and added, “A closer kind of relationship.”

Xiao Shengjing didn’t expect Lin Lan to be so straightforward in public. His eyes sought confirmation: was it okay to say this?

Lin Lan, unabashed, firmly held his hand and continued, “We’ve confirmed our relationship a long time ago.”

Xiao Shengjing turned back, suddenly blushing under everyone’s gaze, then nodded seriously and confirmed, “Hmm.”

Beside him, Lin Lan smiled beautifully, like a delicate rose. Xiao Shengjing was taller, towering over him even as they sat, giving off a knightly sense of security, instantly maxing out the couple feel.

Learning that this relationship was indeed real, the entire interview went wild.

You have to know that these interviews are all live broadcasts!

And it’s global!

Which means they’ve gone public worldwide! And right after winning the championship!

Isn’t this the most beautiful love story between the champion mid-laner and champion jungler?

Damn, is there anything more romantic than this?

With DT’s championship trending, right behind it is the ShengLan CP. Many fans who have been shipping them for nearly half a year were thrilled to find out their ship is actually real, nearly fainting from happiness.

More thrilling than winning the championship is that they’ve witnessed a live CP in their lifetime!

And they’re the champion mid and jungle!

The synergy of this power couple! The CP vibes in this ultimate showdown!

It’s absolutely explosive!

At the end of the interview, DT even invited the entire ENG team up to take a photo with them because Shi Quan had said that DT’s championship victory had ENG’s contribution as well.

Although ENG didn’t win the championship, for some reason, seeing Lin Lan and DT win felt as touching as if they themselves had won.

Qi Mo smiled and stepped forward. He was pushed to the center position by everyone, standing with Lin Lan, the trophy, and DT, capturing an unforgettable moment in a photo.

This photo moved many ENG fans to tears. They had been waiting for ENG to win the championship for so many years, thinking their dream might never come true in their lifetime. But it happened in this unexpected way.

DT and ENG truly deserve the admiration of all fans!

The championship fever remained high, with almost everyone in the esports community sharing their thoughts on the World Championship, including several other regions, all agreeing that this year’s tournament had the highest quality.

And Lin Lan, who defeated Kuien, has rightfully become a world-class mid-laner. Every match he played in the World Championship has been scrutinized under a magnifying glass by everyone.

In the end, they despairingly discovered that many of Lin Lan’s maneuvers were impossible to replicate!

Even in the training camp, after countless rehearsals, many maneuvers were still impossible to execute!

Some say Lin Lan is a deity.

Because only a deity can pull off such maneuvers.

Others say Lin Lan has surpassed even the gods.

Because he defeated the long-established deity Kuien; his realm transcends that of his opponents.

But what lies beyond the gods?

“Who cares what it is, as long as it’s awesome.” Lin Lan disregarded the overwhelming barrage of comments, showing no trace of the halo he had on the battlefield. Like millions of ordinary gaming addicts, he faced the screen with dark circles under his eyes, happily exclaiming in the livestream, “Captain, I don’t care, but you must tank for me this game! They keep targeting me!”

Xiao Shengjing always maintained a stern expression elsewhere. But with Lin Lan, he often chuckled helplessly yet indulgently. “Alright, alright, come here. I’ll treat you to something nice.”

The chat exploded instantly: [Damn. What kind of indulgent literature is this?]

[The jungler giving the mid-laner the first river crab to eat??? Is this a madcap literary work?!]

[Captain Xiao, you’re spoiling him too much. You’ll spoil him sooner or later!]

[Ah, ah. As a single dog, is it normal for me to watch this?]

[My goodness, why am I here to eat dog food?]

[Help. I came to watch a livestream and ended up getting dogged…]

Some single dogs couldn’t take it anymore and went to Lu Shi’s livestream, only to find Lu Shi flirting with girls.

They then went to Jiang Xu’s live stream, only to see Jiang Xu laughing foolishly at the messages sent by Qi Rong.

Everyone rushed to Jiang Jin’s livestream, where he was solemnly naming each plush toy and took out one, saying it was his favorite wife.

Netizens were driven crazy. Eventually, they stormed into Xu Shengwei’s livestream.

[Ah, ah. Xu Shengwei, you’re still young, please don’t fall in love!]

[Underage kids absolutely should not date! Don’t follow their example!]

[Promise Daddy, absolutely no dating!]

[I will never date in my entire life!]

Xu Shengwei completely ignored the barrage. He took out his keyboard and started typing furiously, making the female player assisting him burst into tears on the spot.

Seeing this, all the netizen dads finally felt relieved. No need to worry. This kid won’t get a wife in his entire life.

All DT members were live streaming from their base, chatting and interacting frequently. Somehow, the conversation drifted to championship skins.

Audiences immediately perked up.

They were curious about what kind of skins they would choose.

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