At present, Gu Yang's attacks were limited to close combat, which placed considerable restrictions on him when facing certain control-type Soul Masters.
Against control-type Soul Masters, he either had to overwhelm them with speed and footwork so they could not catch him in their control.
Or he needed the ability to snipe them from a distance.
Thus, Gu Yang had also given ranged attacks some thought.
The most typical ranged application of Shikotsumyaku was Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets.
"AI, how do I kill this Exploding Bamboo?"
"As a Soul Beast, Exploding Bamboo has a volatile nature. A powerful external attack can easily cause the power within its body to run wild, producing a massive explosion that takes its enemy down with it. Therefore, you only need to strike it once, and the Exploding Bamboo will self-destruct."
"...What the fuck? And it managed to live for 7,501 years like that? I really am the chosen one. Then does its self-destruction count as my kill?"
"Because the attacker's strike causes its internal power to fall into disorder and run wild, triggering self-destruction, it counts as being hunted and killed. The Soul Ring belongs to the attacker."
After receiving the AI's definitive answer, Gu Yang made up his mind completely. He would choose this Exploding Bamboo for his second Soul Ring.
"Brat, weren't you looking for a suitable water-attribute Soul Beast for your second Soul Ring? Why have you suddenly switched to fire-attribute Exploding Bamboo? That's quite a leap." Hearing that Gu Yang wanted to choose the Exploding Bamboo before them as his second Soul Ring, Bone Douluo was caught off guard by this sudden change.
"Grandpa, plans can't keep up with changes. Since this Exploding Bamboo happens to suit me, I might as well choose it for my second Soul Ring."
Bone Douluo kept feeling that Gu Yang's development path was somewhat baffling-or rather, somewhat reckless.
Unfortunately, he did not understand Gu Yang's Martial Soul either, and had no evidence proving that the boy was necessarily wrong.
Besides, Gu Yang's first Soul Skill was indeed powerful.
"Are you sure you want it?"
"I'm sure!"
Seeing the determination on Gu Yang's face, Bone Douluo stopped trying to persuade him.
"Grandpa, stand a little farther away in a moment, so you don't get splashed!"
"It's only an Exploding Bamboo. It can't hurt me. Just worry about yourself!"
"Mm."
Gu Yang nodded, and the purple first Soul Ring beneath his feet, signifying a thousand-year ring, immediately pulsed to life. A half-humanoid skeleton encased his body.
At the same time, Gu Yang drew a white bone from his right arm. It promptly took the shape of a bone sword, and he lunged forward, slashing at the Exploding Bamboo.
As the bone sword touched the Exploding Bamboo, Gu Yang felt his vision instantly swallowed by light so intense it was white. Both hearing and sight were swallowed up, and all he felt was an enormous force striking the Bone Armor around his body, hurling him away.
Only after quite some time did Gu Yang shake his head and regain his senses. Devastation filled his vision; the lush bamboo grove had been reduced entirely to scorched earth.
The Exploding Bamboo's self-destruction was indeed immensely powerful. Fortunately, Gu Yang had the protection of his first Soul Skill, Bone Armor, but even so, the armor had cracked inch by inch and lay in tatters.
Fortunately, he had made it through.
Following his memory of where the Exploding Bamboo had stood, Gu Yang swept his gaze over.
A deep purple Soul Ring hovered quietly in midair.
[Exploding Bamboo, 7,501 years. Absorption success rate: 99%. Chance of obtaining an explosive Soul Skill after absorption: 98%. Chance of obtaining a toughness Soul Skill: 1%. Chance of obtaining another type of Soul Skill: 1%.]
Because it's one year older, the success rate is 99% instead of 100%?
"It also accounts for the fact that the host is not in peak condition after suffering the impact of the Exploding Bamboo's self-destruction. Thus, the success rate is 99%." As though sensing Gu Yang's question, the AI immediately answered.
"Ninety-nine percent. I shouldn't be that one percent!"
After reassuring himself, Gu Yang walked over to the Exploding Bamboo's Soul Ring and sat cross-legged. He circulated the Scripture of Supreme Mystery within his body and extended his right hand to summon the ring.
Although both were thousand-year Soul Beasts, the Exploding Bamboo was ultimately far older than the King Kong Baboon. Moreover, the fire attribute was indeed much fiercer than the earth attribute. Gu Yang's absorption process was nowhere near as smooth as it had been with his first Soul Ring.
For a time, his insides churned like raging rivers and seas. It felt as though he had been made to swallow a bowl of scalding-hot soup, burning him with extreme discomfort.
Fortunately, the final outcome was good. After enduring this ordeal, Gu Yang broke through in both his Soul Power Level and the Scripture of Supreme Mystery once again.
His Soul Power Level soared all the way to twenty-five!
Gu Yang slowly rose, and two purple Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet in succession.
Seeing this, Bone Douluo asked from beside him, "Brat, how do you feel?"
Gu Yang smiled. As he felt the changes within his body, a gleam flashed through his eyes.
"Grandpa, I'm in excellent condition."
"Haha, good. Then what's your second Soul Skill?"
Gu Yang's second Soul Skill differed from Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets.
To be precise, Gu Yang could indeed launch ranged attacks like Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets, but that was only a small part of its application.
More importantly, Gu Yang's bones could turn into bombs, producing explosions just like the Exploding Bamboo.
Sometimes, words alone could not make things clear. Only a practical demonstration would make the effects more apparent.
Just as Gu Yang was preparing to test this second Soul Skill with Bone Douluo, Bone Douluo changed his mind.
"Brat, I won't test it. We'll go back and use Old Jian to test your moves!"
With that, Bone Douluo summoned his Bone Dragon and returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Gu Yang, thoroughly satisfied.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were before them.
"Gu Yang's second Soul Skill? An offensive Soul Skill? Then I must see it!"
With the shining example of the first Soul Skill before him, Sword Douluo was naturally very curious about Gu Yang's second Soul Skill.
Bone Douluo had declined to test it himself and had Sword Douluo test Gu Yang's moves instead. Gu Yang naturally knew what Bone Douluo was thinking, so he gave Sword Douluo a friendly reminder.
"Grandpa Jian, my second Soul Ring came from a 7,500-year Exploding Bamboo. It packs quite a punch, so be careful!"
"Seven thousand five hundred years?!"
For Soul Beasts, five thousand years and ten thousand years were each a major threshold. A Soul Skill provided by a 7,500-year Soul Beast truly could not be underestimated. After all, for other Soul Masters, this would already be their fourth or fifth Soul Ring.
"Little fellow, go ahead without holding back!"
As a Titled Douluo, Sword Douluo naturally wore a proud expression.
Seeing his attitude, Gu Yang shrugged and said no more.
As his second Soul Ring bloomed with purple light, he raised his hands. The joints of his ten fingers shifted, and ten finger bones shot out like bullets.
Their speed made even Sword Douluo's gaze flicker.
The next instant, the Seven Kill Sword abruptly appeared, standing before him.
The bone bullets struck the blade of the Seven Kill Sword, making it ring incessantly.
Yet after this wave of impacts, all ten bone bullets exploded at once, and an enormous wave of heat swept outward.
Bone Douluo had moved to protect Ning Fengzhi in advance and took him out of the blast zone.
Sword Douluo, on the other hand, though uninjured, was left somewhat disheveled by this sudden turn. His white robes were torn and covered in patches of black ash.
At that moment, the way Sword Douluo looked at Gu Yang instantly changed.
Only after meeting Gu Yang's attack head-on did Sword Douluo gain a clearer understanding of its strength.