052 The Secret Ring of White Bones

As Xiunan hesitated, the situation shifted unexpectedly—a sudden birdsong echoed from afar.

It sounded like the shrill wailing of a human infant.

Under the sunlight, a peacock-shaped bird darted swiftly toward them. Its underbelly was lined with diamond-shaped scales, resembling rows of grayish-white eyes. Bone spurs jutted out from its wings, and when it shrieked, its mouth revealed rows of black, serrated teeth.

The moment it appeared, it seemed to have already chosen Iron Yang on the ground as its prey. In an instant, the monstrous bird dove from the sky, its razor-sharp talons outstretched.

Iron Yang on the beach roared in defiance, the runes of his secret ring spinning rapidly. Silver-white energy surged across his body like a tide; his arms swelled, thickening several times over in a heartbeat.

With feet planted firmly, he drove a punch skyward like a cannonball.

The blow collided with the descending talons, producing a metallic clang.

Only now, locked in combat with Iron Yang, did the monstrous bird reveal its vast wingspan, instantly enveloping Iron Yang in its shadow.

The creature was at least a meter and a half tall.

At such close quarters, the two clashed furiously. The bird’s head snapped upward, its black beak darting down like a bullet, aiming straight for Iron Yang’s skull—its hunting instinct at work. Clang!

The impact sent ringing shockwaves through both their heads, leaving them momentarily dazed and locked in a stalemate.

Luckily, Iron Yang’s head was forged of iron—any ordinary person would have had their skull pierced in an instant. That bird’s beak could punch through a bull’s head without effort!

“Triple Heavy Punch!”

Suddenly, the runes of Iron Yang’s secret ring flared with light, power flooding his arms like a rising tide.

With a furious roar, Iron Yang smashed his fist upward.

The monstrous bird was hurled away in an instant.

Yet Xiunan, watching from a distance, could see clearly that Iron Yang had been hurt. Blood dripped slowly from his head and arm; his metallic defense had been breached by the bird.

“Why can’t my bullets pierce his defense,” Xiunan wondered, frowning, “but the bone arrow just now, and now the bird’s talons, could? The bullets should have more kinetic energy…”

He couldn’t make sense of it.

“Unless it’s not just metallization at work—both Iron Yang’s defense and the bird’s attacks must contain some other kind of energy… That power lets them withstand ordinary attacks, tear through normal defenses, and stand among the extraordinary…”

He had a faint inkling he’d grasped the key.

A piercing bird cry resounded through the clouds.

On the beach, the battle had reached its fever pitch.

The monstrous bird flapped its wings and soared to the top of a tall coconut tree. Its pitch-black eyes fixed on Iron Yang below, and suddenly, white light began to emanate from its sockets.

The eyes turned completely gray-white.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

From the bird’s beak came a sound like the grinding of mechanical gears, the tempo quickening with each moment.

Clack! Clack! Clackclackclackclackclack…

Iron Yang, charging across the beach like a silver-white giant, began to slow. A similar clacking sound echoed from his limbs now, emanating from his very bones.

An overwhelming stiffness seized Iron Yang; his arms and legs felt weighed down with lead, his bones weak and aching. His joints grated together, like unlubricated bearings.

Xiunan, not far off, heard the noise as well—the distance blunted its effect, but he still felt himself moving sluggishly, his neck stiff and creaking as if he were dragging open a rusted iron gate.

“What kind of ability is this?!”

Another shriek from the monstrous bird as it took flight.

Sensing its enemy below had lost all strength to fight back, it seemed to decide the time had come for a feast.

With a thunderous flap, the bird shot downward, talons slashing for Iron Yang’s neck in a bid to sever the vital artery.

“Iron Yang is finished…” Xiunan thought.

Boom! The bird was blasted away like an arrow.

Its beak was knocked askew by a single punch!

Iron Yang threw back his head and roared, entering a state of explosive fury. His upper body swelled as if inflated, black veins twisting beneath the skin like steel cables.

Blocks of silver-white muscle twitched with terrifying energy, each contour radiating an indescribable sense of power.

“They’re both monsters in their own right,” Xiunan thought.

He suddenly felt utterly insignificant. Against either the man or the bird before him, he would be no match in a fight to the death. If only his pistol could penetrate their defenses!

Only with a weapon of overwhelming power might he threaten Iron Yang in his current state. His sole advantage was the time gained through meditation, but sadly, it was not a combat ability—only useful for escape.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The silver-white giant was charging forward, Iron Yang forcing himself onward with sheer muscle power.

On the ground, the monstrous bird struggled upright, flapping its wings in panic as it shot three meters into the air.

Iron Yang’s feet struck the ground together, launching him upward. His massive hands reached for the bird’s wings.

“That bird is about to be torn apart…” Xiunan thought.

Suddenly, a chorus of strange clacking sounds echoed from all directions.

Several more monstrous birds, their eyes glowing white, burst forth—three or four in total, each slightly smaller than the original.

But numbers gave them the advantage! The relentless ticking sounded like a clockwork mechanism.

Iron Yang fell from the air, unable even to land properly, tumbling across the sand.

He scrambled to his feet and dashed madly for the forest, heedless of the birds attacking his back, intent only on escape. Bloody claw marks soon appeared on his back, but he managed to vanish into the trees.

The birds wheeled above the beach, not daring to pursue him under the canopy. Moments later, a group of a dozen or so natives arrived.

They wore grass skirts, their faces painted with red and white stripes—pigment, it seemed, distilled from some local plant, marking them as warriors of the tribe.

A few strong men led the way, the others showing them great respect; clearly, their status was high.

The foremost native slowly extended his arm.

A monstrous bird flapped over, alighting on his arm. In the next instant, it seemed to melt into his skin, transforming into black tattoos that crawled across his back and settled as a rune, inlaid quietly on a pale ring.

“So it’s a ring beast of a Secret Ring Adept… This is the mysterious power the islanders possess? But their rings—they’re not the same as those of ordinary adepts…”

Xiunan sensed a secret lay hidden here.

The first Secret Ring of a true adept was always made of bronze wood—a material famed for its extraordinary energy conductivity, ideal for bearing the primordial force.

But the rings these natives bore were clearly not bronze wood at all. They looked more like bone?!