The open gunfire seemed to be right on Lord Grim's forehead. It was true that long-range attacks were at a disadvantage at close range, but at such close range, shots could be fired with extreme accuracy. Dodging would be impossible, something that no one could do.

Poof!

The bullet broke through the skull, and the sound of it entering the flesh was exceptionally clear. Lord Grim's head exploded with blood.

Just from the power and movement of this attack, those watching felt that it wouldn't be unfair if this one attack was able to directly kill him. But this was a game, after all, and everything had to follow the rules of the game. Lord Grim's head was still there even after being hit, but the sharp drop in his health was unavoidable. Cloud Piercer, as the Great Gunner, had an extremely high attack stat to begin with, and as a headshot, the damage was doubled. This one attack took one-third of Lord Grim's health, enough to hurt the heart. With the skills available to an unspecialized, who knew how many attacks would need to land in order to do that kind of damage to the opponent.

He can't go on?

At this moment, even Happy's most loyal of fans couldn't help but wonder. Even though the two hadn't exchanged blows for too long, even though Lord Grim's health was far from depleted, the might that Zhou Zekai's Cloud Piercer demonstrated onstage could generate this kind of despair.

A Thunder Snipe unleashed at close-range. Such an unthinkable thing spread despair offstage, and all those who stood opposed to Samsara felt it.

Not only did this one attack deal so much damage, the momentum carried by this powerful shot affected the character's balance. The head that remained amidst the blood jerked back, as though punched, and it carried the rest of the body with it.

But, he didn't fall!

Lord Grim's right foot stepped back, supporting the rest of this body.

Perhaps most people wouldn't have noticed this detail, but this was a powerful demonstration of Ye Xiu's skill. A snipe at this distance couldn't be avoided, but stepping back in time to support the rest of the body required reaction and response to the extreme. With this step, Lord Grim stabilized himself in the fastest way possible, and from here he could counterattack in the shortest time possible. After all, no matter how fierce or destructive, Thunder Snipe was only one attack. To switch the long gun for the revolver again, the character still needed to move, and this short span of time was a window for Ye Xiu to counterattack. Without this step backward, he would have no way of seizing this opportunity.

Amidst despair, hope arose. But only experts would be able to detect this kind of hope. Before this hope could spread to everyone, another wave of despair came crashing down.

Ka

A light sound, clear, crisp, but uncommonly powerful.

Thunder Snipe bullet reload?

No one dared believe their ears. Glory's Thunder Snipe only had one shot. Firing again required the skill to come off cooldown. But now, Zhou Zekai's Cloud Piercer, right after using one shot, was already reloading a second shot? Where did his skill cooldown go?

Skill cooldown?

As soon as they thought of this game terminology, a number of players reacted.

Dual Load!

This Sharpshooter skill could allow a skill that was currently in cooldown be ready for immediate use. Zhou Zekai must have used this skill. That was why, right after using a Thunder Snipe, it could be immediately be reloaded, because he used Dual Load to end the cooldown.

Bang!

The gun fired again

It was over. It was really over.

If what happened before could only be called a subconscious feeling aroused in the heart, then this time, this second consecutive Thunder Snipe, dragged everyone down into despair for good.

The gun's muzzle spat out fire. No one could even see the bullet fly out, because it was too fast, too close. The bullet would hit, blood would spatter, wasn't that how it went?

Clang!

No blood. What came with the sound was a brilliant flash of sparks, sparks generated from the friction of a metal collision.

The Myriad Manifestations Umbrella was lifted in front of Lord Grim's chest. The sword pulled from the center of the umbrella was still trembling after the sparks faded.

Sword form, Guard!

The stadium was in an uproar.

Those in front of their televisions were in an uproar.

He'd actually used the Blade Master's Guard, to block Cloud Piercer's Thunder Snip? At this close range?

What kind of eyesight? What kind of control?

No one could answer this question. All that they knew was that the two people currently onstage were accomplishing the superhuman.

If Lord Grim's step back was a hope that not many detected, then this time, using a Guard to block a Thunder Snipe, was a clear scene that brought clear hope, hope that could burn away the despair that Zhou Zekai wrought.

It wasn't over!

It was far from over!

Only a bastard would think it was over!

Those that supported Happy and Ye Xiu almost wanted to cry. This feeling of surviving despair was too wonderful, this feeling of hope was too wonderful.

At this time, the amount of time these two had spent attacking each other could be counted in seconds. But the rise and fall in emotion that it gave the viewers was just this intense.

But even after successfully blocking the Thunder Snipe, Lord Grim's situation couldn't be called stable. The momentum from the first shot that had hit his head hadn't been completely dissipated, and although the Guard absorbed the attack's damage, it couldn't completely dispel the momentum from this powerful Level 70 attack.

Step back, step back nonstop.

Ye Xiu didn't use backward rolls, the simplest and most effective way of dispelling momentum. He chose to use this more complex method, whose rhythm was harder to grasp, because he didn't want Cloud Piercer to leave his sight. An opponent like Zhou Zekai, even the short moment in a roll when his eyes would leave him was enough of an opening for him to seize.

And while stepping back, Ye Xiu counterattacked.

Bang! Gunshot.

The blade used for the Guard was already slid back into the umbrella. Raised parallel to the ground, the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella turned back into gun form, and fire spat out of the tip. This counterattack against the Great Gunner was also a Gunner shot, an accurate close-range shot, Stun Bullet!

But the distance between the two characters right now was still larger than it had been when Zhou Zekai had used his first Thunder Snipe.

Cloud Piercer was moving backward from the recoil, Lord Grim was moving backward from the impact of the attack. Even though Ye Xiu's shot was very fast, but distance still gave Zhou Zekai the space to react.

Twist the body, holster the gun!

This rifle that would not come off cooldown so quickly again was put away, and Cloud Piercer once again lifted his twin revolvers.

He twisted his body to avoid the Stun Bullet, activated Speed Firing, and the bullets flew outward.

But in this moment, Ye Xiu had already completely regained control of Lord Grim's movement.

Collapsing Mountain!

The gun was put away and the sword came out once again, not the tachi hidden in the umbrella stem, but the broadsword formed from the eccentric folded shape of the umbrella's surface. With burning killing intent, flying right past the bullets that Cloud Piercer shot, fall!