"The Spirit Hall with its vaunted Elders, the Dragon, Tiger, and Cloud sects with their legacies," Grandfather Yu
scoffed, his voice a low rumble. "They parade their power, vie for dominion over mortals. They misunderstand true
strength."
Yu Chen slowly learned the truth of his family's formidable standing. The Yu Clan was not merely strong; they were a
foundational pillar of hidden might. Their ancestral martial souls were unique, reaching peak potential with an ease
that baffled external knowledge. Their techniques, passed down through generations, were intricate, powerful, and
often counter-intuitive to the established Spirit Master system, giving them an unpredictable edge. They possessed
complete spirit bone sets that dwarfed those of most Titled Douluo, not merely enhancing strength but altering the
very fabric of their martial souls.
He understood that his family, despite their relatively smaller numbers compared to the vast legions of Spirit Hall,
possessed enough concentrated power to repel any single major force. Grandfather Yu, with his ancient, celestial
martial soul, was rumored to have once stood against three Spirit Hall Titled Douluo, emerging without a scratch
while leaving his opponents shaken to their cores. The combined might of the Yu Clan's living Titled Douluo, paired
with their ancient defensive formations that drew power from the very peaks themselves, meant that an all-out assault
by the Spirit Hall or the Upper Three Sects would, at best, result in a bloody, pyrrhic victory for the aggressors, and
more likely, a decisive, humiliating stalemate. They simply would not lose.
"Our purpose is not conquest, little Yu Chen," his mother once explained, running a hand through his hair. "It is
preservation. Of our heritage, our knowledge, our way of life. The continent's great powers may aspire to dominion,
but we aspire to an unyielding autonomy. We have no interest in their squabbles, only in ensuring that the Starfall
Peaks remain untouched."
However, this strength, while immense, had its limits. Yu Chen understood that while his family could hold their own
against any singular power, or even a smaller coalition, they were not truly 'overpowered' in the grand scheme of the
entire continent. If, by some impossible convergence, all the major powers – the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire,
the Star Luo Empire, and the Upper Three Sects – were to unite their forces in a singular, relentless crusade against
the Yu Clan, the outcome would be different. In such a scenario, even the Yu Clan, with all their hidden techniques,
their powerful individuals, and their impregnable defenses, would find their strength stretched to its absolute limit.
They could, and would, defend their sanctuary, protecting every last family member within the Starfall Peaks, holding
out indefinitely against the siege. But to launch a counter-offensive, to break the combined might of an entire
continent and dominate them? That was beyond their capabilities. Their power was a shield, not a conquering sword.
They were strong enough to never be subjugated, but not strong enough to subjugate all others. They were the silent,
unmoving mountain in a world of shifting tides, a testament to ancient power, content to simply be.