But before he could exert force with the five fingers gripping Samuel Thompson's shoulder and crush his shoulder bone, Samuel Thompson's shoulder suddenly shook and slipped, breaking free from Stan's grasp like taffy. At the same time, his left hand seized the opportunity, forming a blade, and slashed down at Stan's forehead, targeting a vital point. Accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, the attack made Stan's brow sting sharply.

　　"Long Ang!"

　　Facing this fierce strike, Stan let out a low growl, thrusting his left hand upward to block Samuel Thompson's descending blow head-on. As their arms collided, the force from Stan's body shook violently, dispersing Samuel Thompson's attack along the slant of his arm. Without pause, he gathered his strength into his palm and pressed down hard toward Samuel Thompson's face.

　　As his palm pressed down, his palm turned bright red, as if waves of heat were rising. The force and blood energy throughout his body surged violently at that moment, rushing forth.

　　Hidden force!

　　This is hidden force!

　　Samuel Thompson's pupils contracted.

　　Unstoppable!

　　Still suffering from the effects of hidden force in his right hand, Samuel Thompson quickly retreated.

　　With one retreat, the initiative was lost.

　　Stan was a battle-hardened veteran—how could he miss such an opportunity?

　　With great strides and overwhelming momentum, the distance between them closed in an instant. A punch, carrying immense power, followed the retreating Samuel Thompson and crashed down. This punch was like a flood bursting through a dam, vast and surging, like a tsunami crashing down.

　　"Bang!"

　　Samuel Thompson blocked with a horizontal palm, and his body trembled instantly.

　　Stan's blood energy was several times greater than his, and now he was using his left palm to block. Even though Stan hadn't used hidden force this time, the sheer strength of his overt force still penetrated Samuel Thompson's left palm, shaking his arm and forcing his blocking hand to rebound hard against his own chest.

　　"Stacked Waves! Break!"

　　Stan's eyes widened in fury. The moment Samuel Thompson's blocking left palm struck his own chest, a force no weaker than the previous blow exploded again from his fist!

　　"Bang!"

　　The force penetrated through, and the ribs beneath Samuel Thompson's left palm instantly fractured, his palm turning blood red.

　　But...

　　The second burst of force was ultimately weaker than the first.

　　At the cost of losing feeling in his left palm and breaking a rib, he managed to block the punch and halt the impending rout.

Chapter 12: Life-and-Death Struggle

　　A broken rib—one misstep and it could injure his internal organs.

　　But at this moment, Samuel Thompson's mind was crystal clear. He paid no attention to his injuries. The instant he blocked Stan's punch, his body shifted, turning along Stan's punching right arm, and he rammed himself fiercely into Stan's chest.

　　But just as he was about to crash into Stan's chest, Stan's chest, under his precise control, caved in slightly, causing the explosive impact to land on empty air. Even Samuel Thompson's own balance was thrown off for a moment.

　　"Opportunity!"

　　A sharp glint flashed in Stan's eyes.

　　But before he could act, the off-balance, slightly leaning Samuel Thompson suddenly leaped into the air!

　　At such close range, his hands couldn't be used, but...

　　That didn't mean his feet were immobilized.

　　The moment his body rose, Samuel Thompson's right leg bent, and his knee shot upward with wild, blazing force, slamming hard into Stan's chest, which could no longer dodge.

　　Light as heavy, heavy as light!

　　This level ensured that a martial artist could react at the fastest speed to any change.

　　"Thud!"

　　A sound like muffled thunder spread as the two collided.

　　Stan's face flushed, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes, but his powerful will suppressed the disadvantage. His right foot shifted to the side, force penetrating down, stamping a deep footprint into the solid earth. Then, without hesitation, he steadied himself and used his body to pin Samuel Thompson's knee, wrapping up his upper body, left hand, right leg, and waist in a tight embrace.

　　Python Constriction!

　　For a human with a physique like his, the strength of his arms was enough to instantly crush all the bones in a person's waist.

　　"Up!"

　　Unleashing the python constriction technique, Stan roared, sinking his energy to his dantian, force erupting, biceps trembling madly, and strength surging rapidly throughout his body. The tightly embraced Samuel Thompson was lifted off the ground, suspended in midair. In the next moment, Stan would use the power of his waist to arch backward, slamming Samuel Thompson's head into the ground.

　　If this blow landed, Samuel Thompson's skull would be shattered, dying instantly, with no chance of survival.

　　Just as Stan was about to slam the suspended Samuel Thompson down, the power within Samuel Thompson surged and boiled, his heart pounding wildly. In an instant, terrifying force gathered throughout his body. His slightly swollen right hand was raised high, carrying a godlike, earth-splitting might, and he struck fiercely at Stan's face.

　　If Stan insisted on his move, he could surely smash Samuel Thompson's head into pieces on the ground, but in doing so, his own face would be struck by Samuel Thompson's blow. The final result...

　　Mutual destruction!

　　When two rivals meet, the brave one wins!

　　In a life-and-death struggle, only the fiercest return!

　　The strong!

　　Not only must they possess a powerful body, but also a fearless, indomitable heart!

　　"Ha!"