In this epic showdown, Jamie Smith's spear was like a meteor slicing through the night sky, with a sound that shattered the silence, thrusting at Ray Cloud with incredible speed. The red tassel on the tip of the spear resembled burning flames, leaving trails in the air as it tried to catch the elusive target. However, Ray Cloud's figure seemed like a ghost, always deftly avoiding the fatal strike just before the spear's tip could reach him.

For Ray Cloud, even the supersonic arrows of an archer had to be within ten meters to pose a threat. His sharp eyes could discern every slight movement of his opponent, predicting the trajectory of the attack. Although Jamie Smith's spear was swift, to him, it was like watching a slow-motion replay, giving him ample time to react.

Each of Jamie Smith's attacks felt like fighting the wind, futile. He knew in his heart that to hit Ray Cloud, a miracle was needed. Yet, he did not give up; after each attack, he would quickly retract his spear, preparing for the next.

"Clang." The moment Jamie Smith's spear missed, Ray Cloud closed in like a cheetah, his twin blades dancing in his hands, creating dazzling arcs of light. Jamie Smith's reflexes were equally astonishing; he almost retracted his spear at the last moment before the light of the blade touched him, using the shaft to block the strike.

"Whoosh." Although he blocked the blade in his right hand, the blade in his left hand was already closing in on his face. At this critical moment, Jamie Smith raised his arms, and the forearm guard clashed with the left-hand blade, producing a muffled sound. He used the force of the "Eight Extremes" to temporarily repel Ray Cloud's offensive, buying himself a moment to catch his breath.

Ray Cloud looked at the blade marks on Jamie Smith's forearm guard with surprise, a glint of admiration in his eyes: "Using the forearm guard as a shield? Practicing the Eight Extremes?"

"There's no other way," Jamie Smith replied with a wry smile. He knew that the defensive power of a suit of armor was not uniform everywhere; the chest guard, forearm guards, and other parts had extremely high defense. Many melee experts would use their forearm guards as a "small shield." Ray Cloud's sharp blades, although fierce, were not enough to split his forearm guard.

"The forearm guard is too small, how many strikes can it block?" Ray Cloud's voice carried a hint of mockery. He moved around Jamie Smith like a hunter, leisurely and at ease, changing direction and accelerating at will. Jamie Smith had to stay vigilant at all times, ensuring his opponent was always within his sight. Ray Cloud's movements seemed relaxed, but for Jamie Smith, they were immense pressure.

"I just made a single thrust, a defensive and offensive spear strike, and Ray Cloud found an opportunity to counterattack, which I barely blocked with my forearm guard," Jamie Smith thought to himself. "Making a move gives an opportunity, but if I don't make a move at all, am I just going to keep getting hit?"

This feeling made him extremely uncomfortable. He seemed to experience the same feeling Eugene Fong had back then, when he could attack and retreat at will with his footwork advantage, completely suppressing his opponent. Now, Ray Cloud, with his footwork advantage, had trapped him in a predicament.

"Whoosh." As Ray Cloud circled around Jamie Smith, he occasionally swung a blade, each attack unpredictable and full of danger.

Although Jamie Smith's defense was tight, Ray Cloud could always find a weakness at the critical moment to launch a storm of attacks. Each time, Jamie Smith could only barely block with his forearm guard, but he knew such a defense couldn't last.

"Clang!" Once again, he managed to repel Ray Cloud with his forearm guard. He was filled with doubts: "I've been on the defense this whole time, and he still found an opportunity?"

Attacking, unable to touch the opponent. Defending, the opponent still finds opportunities! This made Jamie Smith feel an unprecedented pressure.

"I've experienced how terrifying the world's number one footwork is," Jamie Smith thought bitterly. He was also a third-order footwork master, but in front of Ray Cloud, he seemed clumsy and ridiculous.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

...

In the live broadcast room in Xiaguo, the audience witnessed this thrilling duel through the screen. Male guest Victor Daniels made a conclusion: "Ray Cloud's footwork is too powerful. When he fully displays it, Jamie Smith can't touch him at all! Jamie Smith has no chance, he's bound to lose."

Female guest Sarah Johnson also nodded in agreement: "Using the forearm guard to make up for the defensive weakness, but the forearm guard is not a shield, it can't block every time. I don't see any possibility of him winning. In fact, Jamie Smith has done very well, facing the world's number one in footwork, he's still holding on."

Host Shine Lewis also highly praised Jamie Smith's performance: "In the past, when Ray Cloud met opponents, it was a one-strike kill. This time, two blades are not enough, and he has to fully display his footwork... Jamie Smith can still hold on for so long, he is indeed very strong."

The audience was waiting for the result of this duel. Whether it was hostile people like Sean Hill, Lena Smith, or Jamie Smith's relatives and friends, they all clearly realized that the odds of winning this duel were almost zero.

"Emily Johnson and the others have dealt with those four opponents," Finn Brown said. The live broadcast scene was vast, showing the entire town within a kilometer, but almost everyone was focused on the peak battle between Jamie Smith and Ray Cloud. Those watching Emily Johnson and Quincy Shawn chase and kill the four members of Ray Cloud's team were few. Occasionally, they would glance over, but their gaze would soon shift away.

But at this moment...

The four members of Ray Cloud's team have been completely annihilated. With a single shot, Quincy Shawn watched the illusory disappearance of his opponent in front of him.

"Emily Johnson, all opponents have been dealt with," Quincy Shawn said over the team's voice communication.

Whoosh. Emily Johnson also arrived at this alleyway, nodded, and looked into the distance: "The captain is fighting Ray Cloud, let's go help him."

"Right," Quincy Shawn nodded.

The two quickly made their way, soon arriving at an inn about seventy to eighty meters away from the site of the battle. Both of them climbed to the roof of the inn, where they could clearly see the battle taking place seventy to eighty meters away.

Jamie Smith was being heavily suppressed; he had to give his all, and his spear couldn't even attack, only trying to defend time and time again! Even so, occasionally his defense would fail, and he had to rely on his forearm guard to block.

Fortunately, he only needed to protect his head! Ray Cloud's blade couldn't split Jamie Smith's armor, after all, after reaching the advanced stage of the Evolution Law, Jamie Smith's armor had become much heavier, and its defense had increased significantly.

"I can't help Jamie Smith; if I go over, I'm afraid I'll be gone in one move," Quincy Shawn said.

"Let me try," Emily Johnson carefully observed.

She sensed the wind, sensed the drifting rain, and her gaze fell on the moving Ray Cloud in the distance as she began to draw her bow, an arrow nocked on the string.

"Whoosh." Emily Johnson's eyes turned cold, and with a release of her finger, the arrow instantly tore through the air, a supersonic shot aimed at her target.

Ray Cloud, dealing with Jamie Smith, sensed the wind, his movements ghostly, riding the wind. Suddenly, he sensed an abnormal vibration in the 'wind,' and with a glance, he saw an arrow that had already traveled more than twenty meters away. Ray Cloud's rhythm shifted slightly, and the arrow whooshed past him, eventually embedding itself into the stone floor, blasting a crater.

"Yvonne Archer's arrows would require my full attention. But this little girl's arrows? I don't even need to look," Ray Cloud laughed, indeed, he didn't need to look.

With his keen sense of the wind, as long as he was within a certain distance, he could detect an attack even with his back turned.

"Did he just dodge that arrow so easily?"

From a distance, Emily Johnson saw this scene, feeling that Ray Cloud was just moving normally, with a slight change in rhythm, and her arrow missed.

"Try again, at least I need to disturb Ray Cloud," Emily Johnson took another stance and fired another arrow.

Ray Cloud didn't need to deliberately pay attention to the arrows, nor did he need to look. Sensing the abnormal fluctuation in the wind, he just needed to be mindful and adjust his movement rhythm accordingly. Ray Cloud took it as a fun exercise for his footwork.

"In my training field, I simulate a group of divine archers attacking me, and I dodge while killing enemies. Compared to the virtual opponents, this little girl is just one person, no threat at all," Ray Cloud stared at Jamie Smith, "On the contrary, Jamie Smith is really holding on; I'll see how many more times he can hold on."

Suddenly, he closed in again, his blade flashing.

Jamie Smith's focus was entirely on Ray Cloud, his spear doing its utmost to block.

Defend,

defend, defend again!

Ray Cloud's ghostly footwork and sudden blade techniques made Jamie Smith instinctively defend each time, with no time to think.

"Clang." Another difficult block with his forearm guard, forcing the opponent back.

"How many more times can I block?" Jamie Smith's entire body turned red, his eyes also red. His blood circulation reached its peak, already mobilizing every last bit of strength deep within his body, but he still felt like a prisoner in a desperate situation, the more he struggled, the more powerless he became.

(To be continued...)