The crowd could not help but wonder if Andrew was just that hurried to die,

"Dragon Claw Strike!" With a low, lethal growl, Ellis struck, his eyes full of murder.

His hands curled into claws, shooting straight for Andrew's chest and eyes, going for nothing less than a kill shot right from the start.

However, Andrew's expression did not change. He stepped back once, then again, calm and fluid. It looked casual, but every move was calculated—just enough to slip right past Ellis's deadly thrusts.

"Not bad. That's some decent footwork," Ellis sneered, his tone mocking even as he circled again.

Then, his wiry frame lunged low, sweeping toward Andrew with a lightning-fast kick.

Andrew's voice remained quiet and steady. "Dragon Claw Strike and Golden Cicada Stance are elite techniques from Silverthorn Monastery. Too bad you only learned the shell, not the substance."

He stopped moving. Like a rock in a river, his stance suddenly locked in place.

Ellis's sweeping legs, fast as