C28 This Is the Animal Bone!

A dense black glow enveloped Lin Yaoyang's entire arm.

"Swoosh!"

A barely perceptible noise emanated from Lin Yaoyang's arm as if something had extended from his grasp.

Yet, with his arm shrouded in darkness, the object within remained unseen to all.

A merciless look etched Lin Yaoyang's features. He harbored no sympathy for those harboring murderous intent against him.

Had Kou Quan surrendered and pleaded for mercy upon being caught, Lin Yaoyang might have granted him a swift end.

Instead, the man sought to sully Lin Yaoyang's reputation, inciting all mercenaries against him and even attempting to steal his treasures in his downfall.

From that moment, Kou Quan was as good as dead. The sound from Lin Yaoyang's arm was the Animal Bone he had acquired from the Ghost Faced Demonic Spider.

Lin Yaoyang found that upon releasing the Animal Bone, it emerged like a spear-like Spider Leg from the back of his hand, causing no discomfort.

The Spider Leg seemed perfectly natural, as if it had always been part of his hand, without any sense of incongruity.

It moved fluidly, obeying his every command. Lin Yaoyang had not yet tested the Animal Bone's power on a Demonic Beast, and the system had indicated that the bone's level was too low to unleash its full potential.

In time, as his own power grew, the Animal Bone would evolve with him, eventually allowing a Spider Leg to emerge from each bone in his hand.

It was as if he were armed with a formidable weapon. Additionally, the Animal Bone possessed a skill, though Lin Yaoyang had yet to discern its nature.

The system provided no clear answers, suggesting the skill varied with the user and required personal discovery.

Since Kou Quan had willingly walked into his trap, he would serve as the perfect test subject! And, to Lin Yaoyang's delight, with the enhancement of the Power of the Ant King, his arm remained cloaked in black light, ensuring that even upon releasing the Animal Bone, it too would be veiled in the same dark sheath.

In the shroud of black light, the contents remained invisible to outsiders. In combat, the element of surprise was guaranteed to be a game-changer, and it also cleverly concealed the fact that he possessed the Animal Bone.

Kou Quan charged at Lin Yaoyang with unyielding speed, his body enveloped in a swirl of yellow, earthy luminescence. Pushed to his limits, Kou Quan tapped into his deepest reserves of potential, exerting his Qi like never before.

His form radiated with a bright yellow aura as a substance as tough as iron and stone coiled around his fist.

"Argh! I'm going all out against you!" Kou Quan bellowed, launching a punch toward Lin Yaoyang, who met his challenge with a smile and a straightforward punch, exerting only half his strength.

"Slash! Bang!" The fists collided, but the initial sound wasn't that of flesh hitting flesh, but rather the sharp noise of something penetrating skin. The mercenaries around them wore looks of confusion, unable to spot any weapon in Li Yi's hand, and ultimately, they could only let it go.

For Kou Quan, the experience was starkly different. As their fists met, he felt the immediate impact, a straight, hard object driving through his forearm.

As a First Grade Martial Master, Kou Quan had channeled all his Qi into that punch, staking everything on it. The force was formidable, yet his fist crumbled like tofu against the unyielding object, easily punctured and perforated.

Following the piercing of his hand, Kou Quan braced for the black light in Lin Yaoyang's grasp to consume him, expecting to swiftly lose consciousness and succumb to death.

But reality diverged sharply from his expectations. In that instant, Kou Quan's senses became acutely sharp, clearer than they had ever been. He could see details hundreds of meters away, hear the mercenaries' hushed conversations, and feel every single hair on his body.

The sensation was crystal clear, yet the clarity came with a severe side effect: the pain was as overwhelming as a mountain collapsing.

Kou Quan's expression transformed in an instant as agony struck; his features twisted in torment.

"Ugh... Argh!"

The sound that escaped Kou Quan was beyond a scream—it resembled the grotesque noise of a decaying zombie clawing its way from the earth, akin to the grating screech of splintered wood grinding together.

Kou Quan's ghastly demeanor struck terror in the onlookers. The faces of the surrounding mercenaries blanched; just one glimpse of his condition, and they could almost feel the excruciating pain he was enduring.

Lin Yaoyang remained unfazed. He understood the unique effect of his Animal Bone. When it pierced another's flesh, he could choose to release a toxin. This toxin had the power to drastically amplify one's senses.

Though it might seem like an enhancement, there was another toxin, one that inflicted unbearable pain. The combined effect of the two toxins made it impossible for the victim to appreciate any sensory boost.

Such a toxin, if used for torture, would surely strike dread into the hearts of many. Yet Lin Yaoyang was still puzzled by the true nature of the Animal Bone's active ability.

As the pain continued its assault, Kou Quan's presence faded, his body growing weaker. His face was drained of all color.

It was worth noting that less than a minute had passed since their confrontation began, and Kou Quan was already on the brink of losing his ability to fight. With the last shred of consciousness and strength, he gasped, "This... How can this be? What kind of combat skill is this?"

Lin Yaoyang watched Kou Quan with an icy gaze and replied, "Combat skill? This is no combat skill, this is... Animal Bone!"