Chapter 674: Skills Champion
"Thud."
The muffled sound of the football hitting the target was like a slap in the face for Cam. The smile on his face froze as he stared dumbfounded at the mark left by the pass.
Five points! It was another five points!
After three consecutive zero-point passes, he effortlessly scored two consecutive five-point passes. With a relaxed and carefree demeanor, the pass easily hit the bullseye!
His light and agile footwork, his relaxed and natural passing motion, his tall and handsome physique, and his warm and friendly smile made Lu Ke a beautiful sight to behold under the golden sunlight. He truly turned this skills challenge into an artistic experience! What's more, his textbook-perfect passing motion and accuracy drew all the envious and amazed gazes!
In an instant, all the schadenfreude froze into ice and turned into a painful humiliation. A burning pain spread across his cheeks, so quickly and fiercely that his cheeks began to twitch. The remaining smile on his face twisted hideously, like a clown's mask.
How is this possible?
How could this happen?
What's going on?
Cam stood frozen in disbelief, his hand covering his mouth as if it had been poured in concrete, remaining in a stiff position. He watched Lu Ke move sideways with shock, anger, and shame. Even now, he refused to believe what had just happened and refused to believe his eyes.
This isn't real. This isn't happening.
The next moment, the look of dejection on Cam's face slowly surged, and as Lu Ke continued to pass, it devoured his spirited demeanor little by little. His entire face slowly darkened, and the whole world gradually plunged into darkness. "How could this happen? How could this happen?"
Lu Ke was moving sideways quickly.
Without the interference of defensive linemen, this was the same as his usual footwork and passing drills. He was fully focused and truly entered a state of skills training. His footwork was in the right rhythm, and his eyes were fixed on the passing target.
The difficult part was that his usual training involved aiming at a net the size of a basketball hoop, but today he was aiming at an upright target. The control of the parabola was naturally different, and the windy conditions were also an obstacle. But the easy part was that his usual training was more demanding. The opening of the net was narrower, and the passing distances were more strict. Today's targets were very obvious, and the passing distances were not challenging.
After all, this was just the Pro Bowl skills challenge, not a Guinness World Record competition.
After warming up, Lu Ke had now found his rhythm.
Holding the football, he adjusted his passing angle and direction with short, choppy steps, always maintaining a steady body rhythm. He didn't aim intentionally, but instead relied on his muscle memory to raise his arm, draw back, and push the ball.
It wasn't a hard bullet pass. Instead, he used his wrist like a bull's tail, whipping out a burst of power to push the football out with a small arc, traveling through the fierce wind like a musical note dancing on a staff. Then, the descent speed suddenly increased, and the tail end of the pass created an arc that hit the target with a muffled groan.
After the football left his hand, Lu Ke didn't stop his steps and moved toward the seventh target, maintaining his passing rhythm.
Then, he heard the frantic roars of the on-site audience, who were shouting in unison, "Five!"
This simple word, like a referee announcing the score, was done by the audience, announcing Lu Ke's final score on the sixth target.
"Five points! It's still five points!" The commentator in the broadcast booth also became excited. "Three consecutive five-point passes! He accurately hit the bullseye. In this non-contact environment, Lu Ke's passing accuracy is truly amazing! The passing arc, wrist control, and power are all perfect! Beautiful! It's so beautiful! It's as if this isn't a football pass, but a three-pointer in basketball!"
After three consecutive zero-point passes, he had three consecutive five-point passes.
Lu Ke successfully raised the emotions of the on-site audience with his excellent performance.
Everyone held their breath, their fiery gazes focused on Lu Ke's shoulder. The excitement and anticipation were quietly rising, slowly climbing to the sky, like Jack's magic beanstalk, planted in the soil and then winding its way up to the sky.
Unconsciously, people rose from their seats and slowly stood up, clenching their fists and joining the shouts of the crowd.
"Five!"
This was the score for the seventh target.
Aloha Stadium had erupted. He had accurately hit the bullseye on four consecutive targets, successfully scoring a perfect five points. This not only showed his powerful scoring ability but also his wonderful passing accuracy, truly maximizing the charm of the skills challenge. More importantly, the suspense of the skills challenge championship was back, which made the audience exclaim in surprise.
Who knew a quarterback passing competition could be so exciting!
Strictly speaking, this was even more thrilling than the NBA's three-point contest, because the distance of each of the quarterback's passes was different!
At this moment, the passion of the entire stadium reached its peak.
All the spectators stood up, lost in excitement, and didn't even realize that their movements were in sync, because everyone was watching the field and Lu Ke with unblinking eyes.
Could Lu Ke hit the bullseye for the fifth time in a row? Could Lu Ke make a comeback and win the skills challenge championship? Could Lu Ke defeat Cam? Could Lu Ke end with a perfect performance? Could Lu Ke redefine everyone's understanding of a quarterback's passing?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Ke threw the ball.
"A..."
The gasp of surprise only came out halfway and was stuck in their throats, unable to erupt.
Because Lu Ke unfortunately didn't hit the bullseye. The football landed in the three-point area, deviating by about a hand's length.
For American football, this small deviation was nothing. A wide receiver could easily make the catch. But for the skills challenge, especially at this moment, it was mortifying. It was like watching a movie, and at the moment right before the climax, the screen froze. That feeling was truly indescribable.
The entire audience was collectively frozen in place.
In fact, this performance was already amazing. Four consecutive five-point passes and an accurate hit in the three-point area on the last pass. This steady and efficient passing performance was enough to be praised. But... it was just a little short. A difference of an inch or two caused him to narrowly miss a "perfect" ending.
Also, twenty-three points. This meant that Lu Ke and Cam were tied, and the champion had not yet been decided. It was a shame. It was a huge shame.
Lu Ke himself also sighed toward the sky. After all, a football wasn't a basketball. The precision still hadn't reached a perfect level.
At the last moment, his mentality was a little relaxed, and his wrist control was slightly off. Ultimately, this wasn't a real game, just a Pro Bowl skills challenge. His mood wasn't 100% tense. As the end approached, he was inevitably a little careless, and he didn't expect to cause a regrettable "near miss."
Lu Ke shook his head with a wry smile and stopped his steps, but at this moment, a burst of frantic and excited shouts came from behind him. "There's still time! There's still time!"
He could vaguely hear Romo, Logan, and Marcus. A lot of voices, too many to distinguish.
But in a flash of inspiration, Lu Ke realized that there was still time.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the countdown. "Eight, seven..."
This was enough for Lu Ke to make one more throw. He quickly picked up the football from the platform, readjusted his steps, his rhythm, and his posture. He wasn't flustered at all by the tightening countdown. He made sure his breathing and rhythm were on the same level, then he raised his hand and cleanly made his final pass attempt.
The entire Aloha Stadium held its breath. Not a single sound could be heard. All eyes were on that rapidly spinning ball, which was flying forward like a tornado. At this moment, even time stopped, and the whole world was frozen on this one football. It carried countless hopes and expectations as it slammed into the target.
"Five!"
All 35,000 spectators shouted in unison. Subconsciously, every person raised their hands and jumped up. It was a five!
It was definitely a five! A perfect five! A perfect five! Lu Ke did it! Lu Ke really did it! Five consecutive perfect fives! Five consecutive precise and fluid passes! He truly transformed passing skills into an art and showed the excellent style of a quarterback!
Twenty-five points!
A full twenty-five points! With a performance that could be called perfect, Lu Ke defeated Cam Newton and successfully won the quarterback precision passing championship of this skills challenge! More importantly, his amazing performance of hitting the bullseye five consecutive times opened a new chapter, making every spectator re-evaluate the quarterback position and football skills!
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhh!"
Boom! A thunderous roar instantly swept through the entire stadium, shaking it from top to bottom. The entire Aloha Stadium had gone crazy. People were cheering, screaming, yelling, roaring, jumping, celebrating, and getting excited. No one was an exception. Everyone let go of their inhibitions and completely joined in the frenzy!
This was a moment to be remembered in the history of the Pro Bowl. The skills challenge had finally awakened people's passion.
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 30 chapters in advance!