Chapter 129: Can You Even Call This a Prediction?

From the perspective of engagement, Li Bai indeed ranks as a formidable hero. His double dash not only allows him to penetrate the enemy’s backline but also delivers instant stun control. Moreover, Li Bai’s unique skill mechanism enables him to return to his original position after dashing.

Mechanically, this is undeniably powerful.

However, Li Bai’s damage output has been repeatedly nerfed. In ancient times, one ultimate could secure a pentakill in the Dragon Pit. But by 2022, he had earned the infamous nickname “Master Scraper Li” due to his diminished lethality.

Facing an enemy marksman outfitted with some armor, relying solely on his ultimate to chip away is almost ineffective.

But Lin Hao’s attention was elsewhere; he was waiting.

At a crucial moment, just as Li Bai finished his ultimate’s scraping, Lin Hao suddenly activated his second skill!

Luna plunged her sword into the ground, generating a massive suction that pulled all nearby enemies toward the center!

Not only did this drag in Ying Zheng and Zhang Fei, who had barely escaped to the edge of the circle, but even Li Bai was sucked in!

Xiao Jin was momentarily stunned.

Li Bai had already pre-input his first skill during the ultimate, planning to retreat.

This move was merely to help his teammates dismantle the fire, and during his ultimate scraping, he noticed Luna standing still in the circle, seemingly waiting for his follow-up. Seeing her health still relatively healthy, he prepared to use his first skill to return to the blue buff area.

As for Ying Zheng and Zhang Fei’s fate, all he could say was, “I did my best.”

Yet, he never expected Luna to pull him in with her second skill.

Xiao Jin knew that from the moment Li Bai becomes untargetable to when he uses his first skill to return, there’s a brief window.

For example, if you play Li Bai against Zhang Liang, if Zhang Liang repeatedly casts his ultimate while you’re channeling yours, he can lock you down during that interval.

But for Luna’s second skill to catch Li Bai in that tiny frame of time...

Can this be called prediction?

It should be...

Just a coincidence?

Lin Hao continued his combo, the damage also landing on Li Bai.

Xiao Jin quickly tapped his first skill and finally returned to the blue buff position just before the skill’s duration ended.

The first skill wasn’t interrupted.

Lin Hao shook his head regretfully and pressed on with his combo.

Ying Zheng’s health plummeted rapidly; no help was coming now.

With both red and blue buffs active, Lin Hao decisively executed Ying Zheng. Zhang Fei nearby was merely serving as a stepping stone and tool.

Meanwhile, Marco Polo kept up his harassment, but Lin Hao’s teammates quickly adjusted their formation and began counterattacking Marco Polo.

Ying Zheng finally fell. Li Bai, with his long early cooldown ultimate, could only sigh helplessly from behind walls. Zhang Fei, relying on his tankiness, retreated.

This team fight seemed to have been won.

---

However, over at the top lane, a kill suddenly erupted again.

Ma Chao secured a kill on Lao Fuzi.

“My, my, Ma Chao’s coming down, better retreat quickly,” Yi Fan said urgently over voice chat.

In theory, during his peak, Yi Fan wouldn’t dare say he could reliably beat Ma Chao with 24,000 points on Android.

The backstory of this engagement was that Yi Fan had killed Ma Chao once before but was heavily wounded himself. While trying to siege the tower, Ma Chao activated his sprint and quickly came to claim the kill.

Of course, before dying, Yi Fan did not forget his specialty: under the tower, he restrained Ma Chao, attacking both him and the tower together.

Though he lost a kill, Yi Fan reasoned that a dead player can respawn, but a destroyed tower is gone for good, so it was a worthwhile trade.

The problem now was that Ma Chao could teleport down via the teleportation portal.

Seeing the portal’s light, Lin Hao swiftly glanced at the top lane. Ma Chao’s health was still about two-thirds.

He could operate.

Lin Hao patiently awaited Ma Chao’s arrival.

Meanwhile, his teammates had begun an orderly retreat. After the initial harass from Marco Polo, Zhang Fei, and Ying Zheng, their health was dangerously low.

Ma Chao arrived, his sharp gaze locking onto Lin Hao first.

However, Lin Hao stood still in place... was he going to recall?

Ma Chao’s player froze momentarily.

Was he deliberately waiting for him?

As Ma Chao descended, Lin Hao ceased recalling and began to pull back.

Ma Chao aggressively threw a spear, charging toward Lin Hao.

Lin Hao lightly twisted his body, dodging the spear’s follow-up damage.

At the same time, he prepared to activate his second skill.

But Ma Chao suddenly halted his charge and abruptly pulled back.

Oh?

Lin Hao’s eyes brightened.

Playing tug-of-war with me?

This Ma Chao was quite skilled. He was clearly trying to bait out Luna’s second skill.

It’s important to note that, in the mid to late game when pushing side lanes, Ma Chao struggles against Luna.

This is largely because the lane minions provide Luna with a stepping stone to approach Ma Chao, allowing her to follow up with auto-attacks. Though Ma Chao has multiple mobility skills, it’s tough for him to create distance quickly.

However, in the jungle where there’s no stepping stone, it comes down to skill. If Ma Chao can bait, dodge, or avoid Luna’s suction from her second skill, he can prevent her from even touching him and then finish her off.

---

But now, Ma Chao failed to bait Luna’s second skill; instead, both continued their tug-of-war.

For a moment, the game scene became comical.

Ma Chao and Luna circled each other, their movements full of feints and probes.

It was evident Ma Chao was also a master of positioning, not only dodging but shifting angles vertically and horizontally, attempting to poke and steal damage.

This strange two-person dance lasted less than two seconds before Xiao Jin’s Li Bai re-entered the fray.

With two quick first skills, Li Bai pierced forward, and Xiao Jin prepared to unleash a rapid combo on Luna. Once her health dropped low, even without the tug-of-war, Ma Chao could overpower Luna in melee combat.

However, Lin Hao was ready. Anticipating Xiao Jin’s dash, he activated his second skill to pull him in!

Bang!

The next moment, the two collided.

Luna’s second skill suction stun and Li Bai’s first skill dash stun activated simultaneously!

Both were stunned for half a second!

They froze for just an instant, then Lin Hao swiftly slid his third skill. Luna dashed toward the still-tugging Ma Chao!

Almost simultaneously, Li Bai’s ultimate was cast, entering an untargetable state.

Meanwhile, the ultimate’s Crescent Assault briefly dimmed but immediately lit up again.

This ultimate had not been interrupted!

Incredible.

After dashing over, Lin Hao saw Luna’s health critically low and quickly pressed his first skill.

Ma Chao was marked!

Ma Chao tried to immediately poke with his spear to create distance, but Lin Hao didn’t even bother attacking. Instead, he pulled with his third skill, consumed the mark on Ma Chao, then displaced again, flying into the Dragon Pit.

Without pause, he unleashed another ultimate, cutting across the Dragon Pit and landing in his team’s red zone.

That was where his three retreating teammates were gathered.

---

The team fight had taken a decisive turn.