Zhou Ping'an fired a shot and then glanced back at the several thousand soldiers who had lost their will to fight and were already far away. He didn't consider pursuing them any further.

He casually holstered the short gun at his waist and asked, "You have a sword, old gentleman, and the timing is just right. Do you wish to compare Sword Technique with me?"

"No, my sword is only used against Ferocious Beasts. Brown did say something that wasn't wrong; every S-Class warrior in the army has a duty to defend our land, and our defense is against Ferocious Beasts. We won't fight to the death with other humans unless it's absolutely necessary," he replied.

Jones casually unslung the broad-bladed sword from his back and grasped it in his hand. Flames sprang up along the blade, and with a swing of his hand, the sword was already thrust into the cliffside.

"As for Mr. Zhou's strength, it piques my curiosity greatly. All these years, I've never seen anyone cultivate their body to such a formidable degree, especially without genetic modification," he remarked, his eyes filled with intense curiosity.

Slowly extending his right palm, he added, "I wonder, Mr. Zhou, would you be interested in comparing strength with me to see what sort of inspiration and sparks an S-Class power matchup might produce?"

"Alright, let's compare strength then," Zhou Ping'an agreed.

Zhou Ping'an immediately sensed the complexity in Jones's heart.

The man was extremely reluctant to fight to the death over Brown's chaotic orders with another warrior of the same caliber.

But to just stand by and watch as soldiers from his homeland died before him, especially when the commanding general had also been killed, seemed inappropriate.

Though he could justify it with rules and push aside the criticisms of the Proluo State's citizens and elite,

he couldn't get over it internally.

He had to make a statement.

"Come on!"

Jones extended his right palm, sank his shoulders, dropped his elbow, his left leg stretched out like an arrow, his right leg bent like a bow. Stamping the ground heavily, his massive figure, like a mountain, thundered forward.

In front of him, the air boomed like thunder, red light flooded, and the air rippled like water, sending wave upon wave rippling outward.

At that moment,

inside Zhou Ping'an's Mental Induction,

he discovered

that at the Danzhong Acupoint of Old Man Jones,

the dormant and understated hot spring, erupted like a volcano, spewing out a force so potent and overwhelming that it focused on his arm, which was as large as a regular person's thigh, and slammed forward ferociously.

"What strength," Zhou Ping'an commented, his eyes shooting forth a sharp gleam for half a foot.

He took a deep half-breath, the Canghai Sword Qi surged wildly, the Immovable King Vajra Body and the Five Desires Demon Body reinforced him simultaneously, and a bright golden glow covered his face and body, recalling the Buddha in a temple. He also took a step forward.

His golden palm seemed to erase the air itself, silently imprinting upon the fiery red palm before him.

"Omm..."

A dull, thunderous roar emerged between the two men.

Golden light and raging flames intertwined, shooting out from their sides, carrying limitless waves of energy, tearing the ground beneath them, and gouging out a trench several meters deep.

Dust and smoke billowed for hundreds of meters.

The two men came together only to separate immediately.

Zhou Ping'an's muscles and bones made a metallic symphony, his tendons twanged, and he retreated five steps...

He steadied himself after the fifth step, the ground beneath him caved in, and he leaned slightly backward.

He spat out a scorching breath of fire, and as his sleeve ripped apart, his fiery red skin flashed with a black aura, then a white glow, before returning to its normal color.

On the other side, Old Man Jones retreated four steps, his final step crushing the trunk of a tree large enough to be embraced by two people. His upper body's pores exploded, releasing countless fine gilded auras like needles from his skin.

Clots of blood mist trailed behind.

His black and red face turned deathly pale, a trickle of fresh blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

After a long breath, soothing the faint ache in his limbs and body, he said with a smile, "Impressive indeed, your physique is even tougher than steel, and what's most remarkable is that sharp aura of yours, nearly unstoppable. I am not your equal in amassing strength."

Zhou Ping'an dusted off the ash from his arm and bowed with a smile, "Old gentleman, your energy could melt everything, and your strength is immense, surely over four hundred thousand jin. In terms of offensive power, you're stronger than I am."

"You are stronger!"

"You are a bit stronger!"

The two exchanged a few half-hearted compliments, but neither had any intention of continuing the fight.

They waved goodbye and parted ways.

It was only after Zhou Ping'an's figure had receded into the distance that White clambered up from the ground, spitting out a mouthful of dirt and leaves.

During their trial of strength, the sheer forceful aftermath had sent him flying like a kite, thrown more than ten meters away, leaving him dazed and confused.

He was just catching his breath when he witnessed the mutual praise between Zhou Ping'an and Jones.

With his discerning eye, he couldn't tell who was stronger.

However, seeing that Old Man Jones, despite his pallor, still wore a smile, he must have had the upper hand, right?

"Mr. Jones, with your strength, and since you seem to have the upper hand, why didn't you take advantage and keep him here?" he asked.

"Which eye of yours saw me having the upper hand?" Jones spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swayed, and a serious look flashed in his eyes: "The sharp energy inside that man's body could 'cut through anything.' It almost destroyed my internal organs.

The most frightening aspect is that he's so young and has no traces of genetic modification from Ferocious Beasts, yet somehow his strength has reached three to four hundred thousand pounds. I have no idea how he trained to achieve that. That country in the East is truly mysterious beyond belief."

"Ah, if he harbored any killing intent, Proluo State would be in grave danger," White said upon hearing Old Man Jones's cautious words about Zhou Ping'an's strength, trembling at the thought, his face showing fear.

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