Xie Chen's words fell in the room, carrying a resolute coldness, but Su Nian, nestled in his arms, could clearly feel the slightly disordered heartbeat emanating from his chest. It wasn't because of anger, but more like... a forcibly suppressed, instinctive palpitation.

The black ash that the cactus had turned into remnants of energy stirred a subtle yet undeniable resonance deep within his soul. It was as if a dormant volcano had been disturbed by external tremors, causing its internal magma to churn restlessly.

This feeling was fleeting, so quick it was almost an illusion. But Su Nian, through their soul connection, caught that fleeting anomaly. She looked up at Xie Chen's taut jawline and the bewilderment deep in his eyes—a bewilderment so different from her own violent killing intent—that he couldn't completely conceal.

"Xie Chen?" she called softly, with a hint of barely perceptible inquiry in her voice.

Xie Chen snapped back to reality, meeting her clear, concerned eyes. The confusion in her eyes was quickly replaced by a deeper chill. He tightened his grip, pressing her head back against his chest, preventing her from looking into his eyes. His voice was muffled, deliberately emphasized with a cold hardness: "I'm fine. It's just... I hate these cowardly rats."

He didn't mention that moment of resonance. He himself couldn't understand it, and didn't even want to delve into what it was. He instinctively rejected and loathed anything that might be associated with "Star Remains," including any uncontrollable abnormal reactions he might have himself.

Su Nian didn't press further, simply leaning against him quietly, her heart churning with turmoil. There was indeed a hidden connection between Xie Chen and the power of "Star Remains" that she was unaware of. Was this connection a blessing or a curse? Was it a weakness that could be exploited by the enemy, or... some kind of breakthrough?

Security at the base was immediately raised to the highest level. Although Manager Wang was baffled by the “mysterious withering of the cactus,” under Xie Chen’s unusually forceful insistence, he still hired a professional security company to conduct a comprehensive electronic signal scan and physical security check of the entire base, and replaced all access control systems.

Training proceeded as usual, but the atmosphere was noticeably more somber.

With the Summer Split just around the corner, NF, the highly anticipated "new super team," will face off against the veteran powerhouse, tG, the team Lin Qi plays in their first match. This showdown has already been hyped by the media and fans as a "grudge match" and a "revenge battle," attracting unprecedented attention.

Inside the training room, the sound of keyboard and mouse clicks was as dense as rain.

Su Nian and Xie Chen's duo play became increasingly smooth and coordinated. Although her Ice Soul Power was suppressed by the rules of this world and could not be directly used, the extraordinary mental strength, reaction speed, and battlefield insight it brought were fully displayed in the game. She was like Xie Chen's most precise external brain, always able to anticipate danger, plan the optimal route, and allocate resources and control to where they were most needed.

Xie Chen's online playstyle is even more ferocious and aggressive, like a wolf king breaking free of all shackles, maximizing his offensive capabilities. With Su Nian behind him, he seems to possess immortality, able to charge into battle without any worries, perfectly combining individual skill with teamwork.

"Beautiful!" Another ranked victory. Fat Monkey looked at Xie Chen's exaggerated damage data and Su Nian's near-perfect team fight participation rate and control score on the results panel and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Brother Chen, Sister Nian, your bot lane is simply inhuman! I feel like Old Cat and I could win even if we just AFK."

Old Cat pushed up his glasses and calmly analyzed, "It's mainly because their level of understanding is too high. Su Nian seems to be able to sense Shen's every intention in advance. This kind of cooperation can't be explained by training; it's more like... telepathy?" As he spoke, he himself found it somewhat unbelievable.

Xie Chen ignored his teammates' teasing; his attention was entirely on Su Nian. He turned to the side, gently touching the back of Su Nian's hand that was resting on the mouse, and asked in a low voice, "Are you tired? Do you want to take a break?" His concern was almost overflowing.

Su Nian shook her head and smiled at him, "I'm fine." She could sense that as the competition drew closer, especially with Lin Qi as their first opponent, Xie Chen's anger stemming from betrayal, his fear of losing her again, and his restlessness at wanting to prove something, mixed with his inherent insecurity, made him even more clingy. He needed to constantly check on her condition, to confirm her presence, as if she were his only piece of driftwood in a storm.

This complete dependence made Su Nian feel a great sense of responsibility, while also constantly touching the softest part of her heart. She began to feel more than just a sense of mission; she genuinely wanted to smooth the wrinkles between his brows and see him standing on the podium, relieved of all his burdens, smiling from the bottom of his heart.

A few days later, the opening ceremony of the Summer Split and the match between NF and tG finally arrived.

The stadium, capable of holding tens of thousands of people, was packed to capacity, brightly lit, and filled with a deafening roar. A giant circular screen played promotional videos and highlights of both teams. When the camera focused on the NF team's entrance, the thunderous cheers nearly lifted the roof off.

Su Nian, wearing the NF team uniform, walked beside Xie Chen. This was her first time standing on such a huge stage as a professional player. The spotlight shone on her face, somewhat dazzling, and below the stage were countless pairs of eyes filled with expectation, scrutiny, and perhaps lingering doubt. She could feel Xie Chen's breathing become slightly heavier, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the peripheral bag strap were visibly prominent.

He wasn't nervous about the competition, but rather suppressing the anger that almost overwhelmed his reason when facing Lin Qi, and... a trace of irritation that he himself hadn't even noticed, aroused by that strange resonance.

Su Nian quietly reached out and gently touched his hand in a corner out of the camera's view.

Xie Chen paused slightly and turned his head to look at her.

Su Nian smiled slightly at him and mouthed silently, "I'm here."

Those two simple words seemed to possess a magical power, instantly smoothing away the darkness churning in Xie Chen's eyes. He grasped her fingertips in his other hand, squeezed them tightly, then released them, his gaze returning to its cold and focused intensity, like a predator locking onto its prey.

"Welcome to the League of Legends Pro League Summer Split! Today's opening match features the reborn NF team against the formidable tG team! The focus of attention is undoubtedly NF's new bot lane duo, Shen and his mysterious yet powerful support—Su!"

The commentator's passionate voice echoed throughout the venue.

On the players' bench, the equipment was ready for testing. Across the stage, Su Nian could clearly see Lin Qi's gaze from the tG players' bench. That gaze was no longer feigned gentleness, but carried a cold, condescending scrutiny, with a faint, unsettling smile playing on his lips.

The ban/pick phase was highly competitive. tG had clearly done extensive research on NF's new bot lane, banning three support heroes that Su Nian had performed well with in the exhibition match.

"That's very targeted," the coach said over the voice chat. "Su Nian, how about Tahm Kench? He has good protective abilities and a high margin for error."

“No.” Su Nian looked at the opponent’s picks, her eyes sharp. “They want to dominate the early game and break us up. They’re picking Leona.”

Leona, the Dawn Goddess, possesses extremely strong initiation and control abilities, but she is also prone to becoming disconnected from her ADC, making teamwork extremely crucial.

Xie Chen answered almost without hesitation: "Take it."

Lock on, Aurora!

A gasp rippled through the audience. In such a crucial match, facing targeted bans, they actually picked such an aggressive support!

The game begins.

During the laning phase, tG's bot lane duo played extremely aggressively, constantly trying to trade blows and find opportunities. Lin Qi's jungler also frequently ganked the bot lane, applying pressure.

However, Su Nian's Leona seemed to be telepathically connected to Xie Chen's Kai'Sa. Every time Lin Qi ganked, she could anticipate his intentions, either using her precise E skill "Zenith Blade" to counter-attack the enemy jungler and disrupt their rhythm, or using her W skill "Eclipse" to absorb a large amount of damage and cover Xie Chen's safe retreat. Every movement she made, every skill she used, was perfectly timed, maximizing Leona's crowd control and protective abilities.

"My God! This Leona! Is her consciousness a radar?! She can always predict TG's movements in advance!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Shen's development was completely unaffected! His last-hitting was consistently superior! The synergy between this bot lane is simply unbelievable!"

Midway through the game, a crucial team fight broke out around the dragon.

tG team took the lead in securing advantageous terrain. Lin Qi's Lee Sin was like a ghost, landing a ward hop and a roundhouse kick, precisely sending NF's mid laner flying into the tG team's crowd!

At this critical moment!

Su Nian's Leona, like a golden meteor, flashed and then used her E skill, precisely targeting tG's ADC who was trying to follow up with damage! At the same time, her ultimate "Solar Flare" landed precisely in the center, freezing both tG's ADC and support in place!

"It's in! Leona initiated a great team fight! But the mid laner is in danger!" The commentator spoke rapidly.

Almost at the same instant Su Nian flashed to initiate the team fight, Xie Chen's Kai'Sa, without any hesitation, used her ultimate "Hunter's Instinct," transforming into a phantom and charging into tG's crowd! He wasn't going to save the mid laner, but was heading straight for tG's backline, who were being controlled by Su Nian!

Trust, complete and unreserved trust!

Kai'Sa's burst damage was instantly maxed out, and with Su Nian's crowd control, she almost instantly killed TG's ADC! At the same time, although NF's mid laner was also killed, TG's backline core had also fallen! The battlefield situation instantly reversed!

"My God! Shen charged in! He believed his support could create space for him to deal damage! He did it! Kai'Sa got the kills! NF won this team fight!" The commentator shouted hoarsely.

After winning the team fight, NF secured the Baron Nashor, rapidly expanding their economic advantage.

However, just as the entire stadium was erupting in cheers for NF's perfect teamwork, Xie Chen, sitting in the player's seat, suddenly turned pale!

Just now, when he used his ultimate move to charge into the enemy formation, his mind was highly focused and his killing intent was boiling, he clearly felt that the power belonging to the origin of stars in his body stirred uncontrollably for a moment, and resonated with an extremely subtle cold energy coming from a corner of the stage. This resonance was so strong that it made his soul tremble!

The feeling was countless times stronger than when he was at the base! It was as if something was secretly watching him and trying to establish a connection with him!

He suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, sweeping across the dimly lit audience below the stage.

"Xie Chen? What's wrong?" Su Nian noticed his unusual behavior immediately and asked anxiously over the voice link. Through the soul connection, she didn't feel the joy of victory, but rather a sudden, chaotic, and resistant emotional fluctuation.

Xie Chen snapped back to reality, forcibly suppressing the strange churning within him and the nauseating feeling of resonance. He took a deep breath, drawing his attention back to the game screen, his voice hoarse from the suppressed emotions: "It's okay. Continue."

In the following match, NF swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum. With their huge economic advantage and absolute dominance in the bottom lane, they steadily pushed down tG's base and secured a winning start to the Summer Split!

"Victory!"

The sound of victory echoed throughout the stadium, and the spotlight once again focused on the NF players' bench.

The team members excitedly stood up to celebrate, and Fat Monkey even hugged the old cat next to him in excitement.

Xie Chen also stood up, but instead of cheering like his teammates, he immediately turned around and tightly grasped Su Nian's hand beside him. His palm was covered in cold sweat.

Su Nian held his hand tightly, feeling the slight tremor in his fingertips. She looked up at him and saw that his face was still somewhat pale. The thrill of winning the game, especially the revenge against Lin Qi, did not seem to dispel the deep solemnity and... a trace of barely perceptible fear in his eyes.

"Congratulations to Team NF! Congratulations to Shen and Su! A perfect debut! This bot lane duo has shown us what absolute trust and chemistry mean!" The commentator praised them generously.

The entire audience rose to their feet, applauding and cheering deafeningly.

Amidst the clamor and glory of victory, Su Nian and Xie Chen stood side by side, receiving everyone's attention.

However, only they themselves know that beneath the glitz and glamour of the esports stage, a cold undercurrent lurking in the shadows, aimed at them, is becoming clearer and more dangerous as the competition progresses.

Xie Chen tilted his head slightly and whispered in Su Nian's ear, suppressing a certain emotion, in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"There's something in the audience seats."

He paused, then added, his voice carrying a hint of bewilderment and wariness that he himself was unaware of:

"It... is calling me."

(End of Chapter 92)