Only by Trusting Your Teammates Can You Win

Faced with another provocation from the Purple Team's Caitlyn, Lin Xiao calmly chose to ignore it.

But the specific issue Caitlyn mocked was indeed something to be taken seriously.
Typing rapidly on his keyboard, Lin Xiao sent a message in the team chat to his four teammates:

"Guys, don't all dive in during team fights."
"My damage is very high."
"Just protect me, and we can win the team fights~"

Lin Xiao spoke with absolute confidence, and his brilliant stats on Vayne made his teammates willing to follow his lead. Thus, following Lin Xiao's request, the Blue Team's Vi, Kayle, Zyra, and Malphite all expressed their agreement.

Seeing the teammates cooperate, Tang Guo, who was sitting next to him, was very happy: "Everyone is so cooperative~ That way, the next team fight won't be as disorganized, right?"
Lin Xiao nodded with a righteous expression: "Exactly, only by trusting your teammates and working together can we win—"

As he spoke, his mouse clicked rapidly to open the shop interface, and he quickly purchased a Quicksilver Sash.
"Eh!" Tang Guo was stunned. Didn't he just say he trusted his teammates? Why did he spend his precious gold on a defensive item?
Then, she heard Lin Xiao's habitual muttering:
"Only an idiot would rely on teammates to peel in solo queue..."
Tang Guo: "..."

Choosing to buy a Quicksilver Sash instead of continuing to build damage was naturally based on Lin Xiao's own calculations.
On one hand, at this stage of the game, his Vayne already had Blade of the Ruined King and Phantom Dancer, which provided more than enough damage.
On the other hand, the Purple Team had too much crowd control. Even if his mid lane Kayle could cast her ultimate on him at a critical moment, standing still wouldn't save him; it would only delay his death by two or three seconds.
Lin Xiao didn't want to just "survive for two or three seconds" in desperation; he wanted to fully unleash Vayne's elusive and lethal hunting potential in team fights.
Therefore, a Quicksilver Sash to cleanse crowd control was his most ideal item choice at this moment.

...

The game timer reached twenty-one minutes, entering the mid-to-late stage.
At this point, the turret count for both teams was identical: the outer turrets in the top and bottom lanes were gone, and only the tier-two turrets in the mid lane remained.
But neither side intended to group and push mid to breach the high ground.
For the Blue Team, since they had decided to play around their Vayne, they couldn't afford to waste ultimates like Malphite's or Vi's on reckless dives—forcing a turret siege was out of the question.

The Purple Team, on the other hand, had a pick-oriented comp. Initiating a fight under the enemy's high-ground turret would make it hard to utilize their comp's strengths. They also had to be wary of the enemy Malphite, Vi, and Zyra's engage ultimates.
Since neither side wanted to push mid, the focus of the standoff shifted elsewhere—
The Baron Pit.

At this point in the game, Baron Nashor had become the most critical factor that could turn the tide. Whichever team secured Baron would increase their chances of successfully breaching the enemy's high ground by at least forty percent.
Therefore, neither side would easily yield Baron.

But then again, as the saying goes, "Don't start Baron when ahead." Even the team with the advantage wouldn't easily start Baron, as it could lead to a stolen Baron or a disastrous ace... leading to a throw.
Moreover, at this moment, the game was in a state of equilibrium, making it even more impossible for either side to start Baron and introduce unpredictable variables.

To put it simply, neither side dared to start Baron, yet neither would allow the opponent to touch a single hair of Baron Nashor.
So what to do?
Naturally, they had to dance around the Baron Pit first.

Thus, the ten champions of both teams grouped up and constantly hovered around the Baron Pit, the river, and the entrance to the Purple Team's Wraith camp.
You ward, I sweep.
You clear, I clear.
In short, they were playing the vision game while keeping a close eye on the enemy's movements, ready to strike at any moment.

On the screen, the tense and suffocating atmosphere around the Baron Pit also affected Tang Guo. She knew very well that the next team fight was of utmost importance, almost deciding the final outcome of the match.
"Please don't make any mistakes, please don't make any mistakes..." Tang Guo prayed in her heart.

But reality often has a way of delivering exactly what you fear.

At twenty-one minutes and thirty-five seconds.
The ward in the brush below the Purple Team's Red Buff wall was cleared by the enemy's Vision Ward. The Blue Team's Zyra cautiously stepped forward, preparing to place another ward to secure vision.
The moment the ward landed and illuminated the brush, Zyra quickly retreated.
But her reaction was still a step too late.

The Purple Team's mid lane Syndra, who had been waiting in ambush on the left side of the brush, seized this exact opportunity. She raised her hands, and her "Scatter the Weak" combined with "Dark Sphere" was cast with lightning speed!
The Dark Sovereign's EQ combo!
Compared to the standard QE combo, reversing the order of the two skills made the execution harder, but once successful, it gave the opponent even less time to react!

Struck by the dark, glowing orb, Zyra was knocked back a few steps, her health bar dropping instantly as she was stunned in place!
"Ah! — " Tang Guo let out a cry of alarm, her heart instantly sinking to the bottom.

This misstep by Zyra practically spelled her instant death.
And losing their Support Zyra and her powerful crowd-control ultimate before the team fight even began meant the Blue Team was doomed!
To make matters worse, the other four members of the Blue Team, including Lin Xiao's Vayne, were quite far from Zyra. In this split second, saving her was impossible.

Bang! —
The Purple Team's Syndra quickly raised her hand, using her W, "Force of Will", to hurl a Dark Sphere at the stunned Zyra, chipping away more of her health while applying Ignite.

Not far away, the Purple Team's Pantheon, determined to secure the kill, didn't hesitate to Flash forward. He slammed his shield down with "Aegis of Zeonia", locking Zyra down further.
The rest of the Blue Team rushed over in a panic, but their mid lane Kayle, the only one who could save Zyra with her ultimate's invulnerability, was still three to four hundred units out of range.

They couldn't make it!
At this moment, the hearts of the Blue Team members tightened with despair.
Meanwhile, the Purple Team players couldn't help but grin with excitement.

In that flash of lightning, Syndra raised her hands again, about to unleash her ultimate, "Unleashed Power".
However, a variable occurred at this very second.

Whoosh! —
A crisp sound echoed as a shower of golden light suddenly flashed.
Vayne, who was still over a hundred units away, used Flash to instantly close the distance to within four to five hundred units of Syndra!
At the same instant, Lin Xiao released his finger from the F key and pressed the E key with lightning speed!

Vayne's E skill—
"Condemn"!

Thrum!!! —
The heavy vibration of a crossbow string rang out as a massive silver bolt shot from her hand, striking Syndra dead-on!
Struck by the immense force, Syndra was knocked back, slamming hard into the jungle wall behind her!

Bang!!! —
Pinned to the wall and stunned!