Chapter 169: Better Stay Steady

Yang Ruolin and Bai Chenxiang walked to Yu Tianyun's side after he had returned to normal, and the two women's beautiful eyes were filled with incredulous expressions.

"Yu Tianyun, you're actually this powerful! That strike was simply beyond imagination," Yang Ruolin exclaimed.

Bai Chenxiang also nodded in agreement: "If this were struck on a person, it would probably turn to ash in an instant."

Yu Tianyun looked at the destruction he had caused, his heart racing with excitement; this was not even when he had given his all, and he had not yet unleashed the Great Sumeru Hammer's ultimate secret—Explosion Ring!

Each of his Soul Rings can perform an Explosion Ring once; after the Explosion Ring, the Soul Ring's power bursts forth completely, instantly converting into his own strength and merging into the attack.

Thus it can generate power far beyond his original strength. When the Explosion Ring occurs, the higher the quality of the Soul Ring, the more pronounced the effect.

If he were to use an Explosion Ring, especially a simultaneous six‑Ring detonation, he reckons even a Peerless Title Douluo would not dare to recklessly endure it.

However, this is a desperate skill of the Great Sumeru Hammer; each Soul Ring launches an attack once, and when all Soul Rings have undergone Explosion Rings, the user himself falls into a weakened state.

Moreover, the Explosion Ring process is extremely dangerous; if poorly controlled and his own ability cannot suppress the energy generated, he could be devoured by that energy.

For this reason, only the Clear Sky Sect's successive Clear Sky Title Douluos are qualified to cultivate the Great Sumeru Hammer. Without great talent and deep foundation, recklessly using this ultimate art is undoubtedly tantamount to suicide.

Yu Tianyun's body is undoubtedly extremely robust; he is confident that during an Explosion Ring, he will hardly be counter‑attacked by the Explosion Ring's own power. Yet the other cost of the Explosion Ring is also huge.

After using the Great Sumeru Hammer's Explosion Ring once, all Soul Rings vanish within three days, leaving only soul power. It takes a full three days for the Soul Rings to gradually recover. Moreover, after a single Explosion Ring, at least thirty‑six days must pass before it can be used again, otherwise the Soul Rings risk actual Break.

This is why he has not tested his combat power with an Explosion Ring; his soul skill is also crucial, and although its amplification is not as massive as that of the Explosion Ring, it is enough to make his combat power comparable to a Super Title Douluo. Being unable to use his soul skill would inevitably cause a sharp reduction in his combat power.

After a period of meticulous comprehension, Yu Tianyun also sensed the difference between the Great Sumeru Hammer's amplification and that of his own soul skill.

His current amplified soul skill values basically remain around 300%, and when several Soul Rings are used simultaneously, they do not simply add up as if constrained by some limit.

When his first five Soul Rings are used together, the amplification can at most raise each attribute to about five times. This is why Yu Tianyun does not wish the later Soul Rings to generate further amplified soul skills; more would be useless.

The Great Sumeru Hammer is not bound by this limit; its amplification depends solely on the amount of energy stored in the Soul Rings and the gap between the Soul Master's own soul power and physical strength—the larger the disparity, the higher the amplification multiplier.

As long as his Soul Ring's age increases, storing more energy, the theoretical amplification has no upper bound.

Moreover, Yu Tianyun can feel that as his cultivation advances, the amplification from his soul skill seems to diminish slightly; though not obvious, he still perceives it.

In fact, amplified soul skills decrease as the Soul Master's physical quality and cultivation improve. It's like a hundred‑year Soul Ring that can grant a 50% boost at the teen levels; if that Soul Master reaches the Title Douluo realm, would it still provide such a boost? Certainly not—it would gradually wane unless the Soul Ring's age also rises.

This explains why Yu Tianyun's perception is faint; his first and fifth Soul Rings have continuously aged. If the Soul Ring's age grows faster than his own growth, the amplification increases, and vice versa; if his personal growth outpaces the Soul Ring's aging, the amplification diminishes.

Only the true form of the martial soul's amplification does not decrease with the Soul Master's growth, which is one reason the true form of the martial soul is vital to a Soul Master.

But there are exceptions. For example, the world's top support‑type martial soul, the Seven‑Treasure Glass Tower, is perverse in that its early‑stage amplification is low, yet each level up raises it by 10% and ignores the amplified party's soul power rank. Of course, if the amplified party's soul power rank is too high, exceeding the Seven‑Treasure Glass Tower Soul Master's own rank, the soul power consumed by the Tower Master will also increase.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that a beast‑type martial soul master like Yu Tianyun is poorly suited to amplified soul skills; comparatively, even if the amplification wanes in later stages, it still provides boost and remains highly useful.

And if the earlier Soul Ring skills are attack‑type, then in later stages, even a Title Douluo's powerful cultivation may enhance its potency, but it might still fall short of ordinary attacks.

Overall, possessing attack soul skills early on makes a Soul Master's early combat power strong, allowing safer growth.

Having amplified soul skills early, even if their effect wanes later, is still useful; it makes later combat power greater, though early growth becomes tougher due to a lack of offensive means.

Returning to the present, Yu Tianyun looked at the two women, his expression solemn as he replied: "This is a supreme technique passed down by my grandfather; its cultivation conditions are stringent and its consumption enormous. Unless absolutely necessary, it must not be used lightly."

Yang Wudi nodded in strong agreement: "You two must not be overambitious; this supreme technique is not for you to learn. Only someone with a talent and foundation like Yu Tianyun can wield it. Even I cannot; forcing cultivation would cause an Explosion body and death!"

The two women instantly felt a chill; although they harbored a slight desire to learn this powerful art, they did not consider themselves deeper in foundation than Yang Wudi.

Then the four turned their gaze toward the hole in the cliff wall, remaining silent for a long while, each replaying the Shock‑inducing scene in their minds.

Yu Tianyun felt excitement in his heart; the massive stone of his past‑life memories that had weighed on his mind since awakening finally settled.

On this continent, aside from the indifferent Silver Dragon King and the great beasts, no one else can threaten his life, and his family's safety is finally assured.

Next, he only needs to become a deity before Qian Renxue and Bi Bi Dong.

However, even if he ascends a step later than them, he is not afraid.

He must know that he is but a hair's breadth away from becoming a Soul Saint! If he breaks through to Title Douluo, how powerful would that be? Suppressing deities with a mortal body?

Yu Tianyun feels it is not impossible; he is filled with hope and confidence for the future.

Nevertheless, he will not be reckless; if he becomes unrivaled and draws heavenly foes, that would be disastrous.

Some first‑rank gods and divine kings in the divine realm are shameless, ignoring divine rules; if they find him displeasing, they might casually slay him from the lower world—a tragedy.

Moreover, those gods' strength is far beyond what the rookie mother‑daughter pair Bi Bi Dong and Qian Renxue can match.

"Better to stay steady!" Yu Tianyun sighed inwardly.

(End of Chapter)