Chapter 373 – Su Ming Shows His Edge

“Wah…”

Suddenly becoming the center of attention made the already nervous and uneasy Tong Xinyao stiffen all over. With a timid expression, she couldn’t help but hide behind Su Ming, completely afraid to show her face.

It couldn’t be helped—among the over sixty people present, aside from Bai Ruxiang and Bai Xiaoyan, everyone else was an Upper-Rank Professional.

Among them, there were even quite a few Five-Star Professionals, and even Six-Star Professionals.

Being stared at by such a group of experts, Tong Xinyao naturally couldn’t help but show fear.

In contrast, Su Ming remained as calm as ever, even revealing a slight smile.

That smile appeared utterly fearless.

This caused many people to pause momentarily before frowning.

In the end, it was Chi Qian who stepped forward to speak.

And with just one sentence, she rendered everyone present speechless.

“The Commander and Yaoyao can both use Advanced Spirit Art.”

When these words came from Chi Qian’s mouth, the entire crowd fell silent.

“Advanced Spirit Art?”

Not to mention others, even Xu Xiayan, Wang Di, Wang Qian, and the others were momentarily stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.

“Is that true?”

Qiao Zhi even voiced his doubt aloud.

Advanced Spirit Art—that was the strongest Spell Formula below the Forbidden Art, each possessing earth-shattering power.

Spirit Art of this level, generally speaking, could only be learned and used by Upper-Rank Sorcerers.

Moreover, without compatibility or suitable talent, even Upper-Rank Sorcerers might not be able to learn any Advanced Spirit Art.

Spell Formulas of this level were typically impossible for Lower-Rank Sorcerers to master.

Of course, there were always exceptions. If someone had extremely high compatibility with a particular Advanced Spirit Art and possessed exceptional spiritual affinity and talent for using it, then even if they weren’t an Upper-Rank Sorcerer, they might still learn that Advanced Spirit Art.

This was the wonder of Spirit Art—compared to Hunters’ combat techniques, it placed greater emphasis on innate talent and ability.

Setting Su Ming aside for now, did Tong Xinyao have the talent and ability?

The answer was naturally affirmative.

“Yaoyao.”

Mu Yan called Tong Xinyao softly.

Tong Xinyao slowly peeked her small head out from behind Su Ming, looking at everyone. Though she still appeared somewhat timid, she understood Mu Yan’s meaning and slowly stepped forward.

Then, Tong Xinyao raised one hand and channeled her Spirit Power.

“Bzz…”

With a faint humming sound, one circular array after another appeared in Tong Xinyao’s hand.

There were seven circular arrays in total.

Everyone present was an Upper-Rank Professional, so they naturally understood what this scene meant.

According to the rules of Spirit Art, when a Sorcerer uses Spirit Art, the rank of the Spirit Art’s sequence is directly proportional to the number of circular arrays that appear.

For Spirit Art ranked 1-10 in sequence, one circular array appears during use.

For Spirit Art ranked 11-20 in sequence, two circular arrays appear during use.

For Spirit Art ranked 21-30 in sequence, three circular arrays appear during use.

And so on—for Spirit Art ranked 61-70 in sequence, seven circular arrays appear during use.If it were a Forbidden Art ranked 91-100 in the sequence, it would manifest a maximum of ten circular arrays upon activation.

The fact that Tong Xinyao could construct seven circular arrays indicated that, at this very moment, the Spell Formula she was preparing was at least ranked 61 in the sequence.

And Spirit Arts ranked 61-90 in the sequence were Advanced Spirit Arts.

In other words, Tong Xinyao had genuinely constructed the circular arrays of an Advanced Spirit Art.

Being able to construct the circular arrays meant she could undoubtedly unleash one of the Spirit Arts within that sequence range.

Thus, Tong Xinyao had remarkably mastered an Advanced Spirit Art, despite not yet advancing to the rank of an Upper-Rank Sorcerer.

The Spell Formula Tong Xinyao was constructing at this moment was naturally the Advanced Spirit Art Su Ming had previously taught her—【66th Form: Green Vine Breath】.

Through diligent study during this period, although Tong Xinyao had not yet advanced to an Upper-Rank Sorcerer, she had successfully mastered the Advanced Spirit Art 【Green Vine Breath】, becoming a genius prodigy who could wield an Advanced Spirit Art while still a Lower-Rank Sorcerer.

Witnessing this scene, the crowd couldn’t help but murmur in astonishment.

“She actually learned an Advanced Spirit Art?”

“Incredible.”

“As expected of the rumored Spirit Bearer—able to learn an Advanced Spirit Art before even reaching the realm of an Upper-Rank Sorcerer.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a genius of this caliber.”

The way many looked at Tong Xinyao shifted noticeably.

Advanced Spirit Arts, regardless of type, possessed astonishing effects.

If it were an offensive Spell Formula, it would represent the most formidable firepower.

If it were a defensive Spell Formula, it would form the sturdiest barrier.

This level of Spirit Art, which even Upper-Rank Sorcerers might not necessarily master, was one thing if unsuccessfully deployed—but once successfully unleashed, even Upper-Rank Hunters and Upper-Rank Phantom Demons could easily be overwhelmed if caught off guard.

Perhaps in one-on-one combat, they couldn’t match Hunters of the same rank, but on the battlefield, in group battles, their presence would be overwhelmingly dominant.

The deterrent power comparable to nuclear weapons was absolutely not an empty boast.

As long as the Spell Formula could be successfully released, even a Base City, without specialized countermeasures, would be reduced to ruins—merely a matter of time.

This very fact made Upper-Rank Sorcerers capable of using Advanced Spirit Arts highly coveted by every faction and Family.

After all, which power wouldn’t want to possess such a level of deterrence?

Naturally, every Professional team also coveted such talent intensely.

For the Professional community, which operated in teams and frequently undertook missions in groups, having a powerful Sorcerer join was a completely different scenario compared to not having one.

Take, for instance, the previous A-rank mission to the Chaotic Region to subdue Ghouls—facing tens of thousands of Phantom Demon troops, even Upper-Rank Hunters like Chi Qian, Mu Yan, and Feng Qing’er would find it challenging.

But what about Su Ming?

A single 【Vast Karma Brahma Scene】 altered the very heavens and earth, reducing tens of thousands of Phantom Demons to victims of a cataclysm—without a single exception, annihilated en masse.

Moreover, when confronting the Ghoul, although Chi Qian, Mu Yan, and Feng Qing’er joined forces to suppress it, defeating it quickly was no easy task.As a result, even though Tong Xinyao wasn’t using Advanced Spirit Arts, she still managed to deliver a decisive blow with just a few Intermediate Spirit Arts, relying on the inherent advantage of Spirit Arts against Phantom Demons, her own innate talent, and her Spirit Power.

Even though her Hunter companions at the front provided cover, allowing her to use Spirit Arts safely and without restraint, which contributed to this outcome, it precisely demonstrated how terrifying a powerful Sorcerer can be in team battles or group combat—as long as they have teammates to shield them, they can unleash Spirit Arts without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the number of Sorcerers is far fewer than Hunters, and genius Sorcerers capable of mastering Advanced Spirit Arts are even rarer—not even every Upper-Rank Sorcerer can achieve it.

Moreover, for Sorcerers, joining the Sorcerer Guild allows them to delve into various Spirit Arts, and since major factions are eager to recruit them, they rarely join Professional teams.

If Tong Xinyao can use Advanced Spirit Arts, even if she is a Lower-Rank Sorcerer, her value in the eyes of these Professional teams is no less than that of an Upper-Rank Sorcerer—perhaps even more valuable than those Upper-Rank Sorcerers who cannot use Advanced Spirit Arts.

Instantly, the way they looked at Tong Xinyao changed, some with fervent eyes, others growing restless.

Only Xu Xiayan paid no attention to Tong Xinyao, instead turning her gaze to another person.

“You can also use Advanced Spirit Arts?”

Xu Xiayan looked at Su Ming with an inexplicable expression.

Su Ming shrugged and extended his hand.

“Bzz…”

Amid the familiar hum, a series of circular arrays appeared in Su Ming’s hand, entering the sight of everyone present.

The circular arrays—still seven in number.

Yet, it was these seven circular arrays that silenced everyone and dispelled any doubts.

“He can actually use them?”

Qiao Zhi was inwardly shaken.

Already somewhat disdainful of Su Ming and having had conflicts with him, he found it hard to believe that this newcomer—whom he viewed as merely lucky to have gained Chi Qian’s allegiance—possessed such skill.

Not only Qiao Zhi, but even Wang Di and Wang Qian felt the same.

They didn’t necessarily look down on Su Ming, but regarding his ability to win Chi Qian’s allegiance, if it were said he did so through genuine capability, they still had their doubts.

In their eyes, they regarded Chi Qian as the representative of ‘Azure Mercury,’ not Su Ming.

But now, Su Ming’s performance felt like a slap in the face.

Regardless of whether he was a newcomer or what his Rank was, the moment these seven circular arrays lit up, it was enough to earn everyone’s serious regard and renewed respect.

“As expected, he’s not simple.”

As for Qiao Liang and Zhu Qian, though their eyes narrowed slightly, they didn’t react too strongly.

Ever since Su Ming could calmly appear and move about on this tenth floor, they had known that this Commander of ‘Azure Mercury’ wasn’t just a newly debuted Sorcerer as the rumors suggested.

Xu Xiayan also gave Su Ming a deep look but said nothing.

Among those present, the most astonished were probably Bai Xuefei, Bai Ruxiang, and Bai Xiaoyan—the three female Hunters from the Bai Family.

“So Young Master Su is this impressive…”

Bai Ruxiang wore an expression of utter disbelief.”A one-star Sorcerer capable of using Advanced Spirit Art?”

Bai Xiaoyan wore a blank expression.

“……”

Bai Xuefei remained silent, feeling nothing but shame in her heart.

As someone from the same Base City, Su Ming’s current performance was delivering the strongest possible slap in the face to the female Hunters of the Bai Family who had previously viewed him as an “arrogant newcomer.”

This was especially true for Bai Xuefei.

Bai Ruxiang and Bai Xiaoyan were relatively fine—they had never particularly disliked Su Ming. In fact, they had previously enjoyed pleasant conversations with him and even felt a sense of camaraderie. Now, they were merely astonished, their perceptions completely refreshed.

But Bai Xuefei was different.

She had always believed that someone like Su Ming—who hadn’t even completed the full four years at the Demon Hunter Academy, hastily graduating after just his second year and rushing to a Professional’s Holy Land like Tianfeng City—was nothing but a reckless newbie who didn’t know his limits.

Especially when Su Ming rejected Xu Xiayan’s invitation and chose to make his way in Tianfeng City alone, Bai Xuefei was convinced he was overestimating himself and would eventually hit a wall, slinking back to seek Xu Xiayan’s protection.

It wasn’t exactly contempt, but she certainly didn’t have high hopes for him.

Moreover, as a member of the Bai Family, Bai Xuefei had developed some bad habits of looking down on men. When she first arrived in Tianfeng City, she hardly thought much of Su Ming and often ignored his presence.

Yet, through his actions, Su Ming had shown Bai Xuefei just how shallow her judgment was.

Whether it was successfully establishing the emerging team “Azure Mercury,” which broke the record left by “Summer Chasing Smoke,” or recruiting renowned figures like Chi Qian, Mu Yan, Feng Qing’er, and Tong Xinyao, Su Ming had proven with facts that he wasn’t being arrogant—he truly had what it took to succeed.

Now, by demonstrating his mastery of Advanced Spirit Art, Su Ming had once again proven that Chi Qian’s favor wasn’t won by mere luck.

In contrast, Bai Xuefei herself had faced numerous setbacks over the past month, learning that there were always greater talents and higher mountains. Her pride had been significantly humbled.

The comparison between them was stark, leaving no doubt about who had truly excelled.

How could Bai Xuefei not feel ashamed?

Of course, Su Ming was completely unaware of these thoughts and, even if he knew, wouldn’t have cared.

It had to be said that times had changed. Among the many Upper-Rank Professionals present, Bai Xuefei—a Genius from Longyao City—was rather unremarkable, causing Su Ming to pay little attention to her.

Now, he was the center of attention, while Bai Xuefei seemed to blend into the crowd.

Thus, Su Ming hadn’t really noticed Bai Xuefei, nor did he care about her previous opinions or views.

Their positions had now completely reversed—a true testament to how unpredictable life could be.

“Does anyone still have objections to my Commander and team members being here?” Chi Qian scanned the crowd.

Everyone present fell silent, no longer speaking.

Even Wang Di and Wang Qian, who had spoken up earlier, felt somewhat embarrassed and unable to back down gracefully.

Qiao Zhi’s expression darkened subtly as he glared at Su Ming, who seemed unwilling to say another word, feeling nothing but irritation.

As for Qiao Liang and Zhu Qian, they merely watched everything unfold quietly, appearing aloof and indifferent to it all.

In the end, it was Xu Xiayan who broke the silence.”Since Commander Su and Young Miss Tong can both use Advanced Spirit Art, it would be ideal for them to come with us.” Xu Xiayan stated: “With Sorcerers capable of using Advanced Spirit Art providing support, even if something goes wrong, we’ll still have a fighting chance.”

Against a Nightmare Species mutant, none of the Hunters present would stand a chance.

There was simply no alternative – the power disparity was too great, and no one believed they could prevail.

But with Advanced Spirit Art, that might not be the case.

Even a Nightmare Species mutant, when directly struck by an Advanced Spirit Art possessing earth-shattering power, would inevitably sustain severe injuries if not perish outright.

The Spirit Art of Sorcerers holds precisely this kind of battle-turning effect and status.

This is especially true for Advanced Spirit Art.

“Alright, let’s set out.”

Without further hesitation, Xu Xiayan gave the order.

Everyone immediately nodded firmly in response.

(End of Chapter)