Armor?
Director Gao also wore a puzzled expression.
Seven glowing spheres were floating around Su Ming's body, corresponding precisely to armor components for the torso, head, and left and right arms once their true forms were revealed.
Among them, there were four armor components for the arms—upper and lower sections for both left and right arms—and the torso component was also split into front and back pieces.
This armor lacked a lower body.
No, it would be more accurate to say it didn't need a lower body.
Under Xiao Hongchen's stunned gaze, Su Ming's Spirit Power flowed along the starlit 'branches' and merged into each piece of armor.
These armor Spirit Tools finally activated, connecting to form a unified whole.
Su Ming was like a person in a pilot's seat, controlling a massive suit of armor that consisted only of an upper body.
"What kind of Spirit Tool is this?"
Not to mention the team members, even Director Gao was utterly baffled now.
He wasn't involved in the production of humanoid Spirit Tools, and his rank wasn't high enough to be aware of the project's existence, so he didn't know what this signified.
The other members present didn't know either.
But that didn't stop them from being shocked.
A giant tree phantom appeared on Su Ming's body, interconnecting with the armor, giving the upper-body armor 'flesh and blood'.
The Star Tree enveloped Su Ming, its branches twisting and rotating to form a roughly humanoid upper shape that fitted closely with the armor.
The form of the Star Tree Giant seemed somewhat contorted, clearly not its original shape. The armor seemed insignificant on its massive frame, but its intensely flashing light undoubtedly indicated the armor was far from useless.
Su Ming controlled the Star Tree Giant and swatted out with its palm.
A shield formed from Stellar Energy covered the Star Tree Giant's palm, colliding with the Spirit Cannon projectiles fired by Xiao Hongchen.
BOOM!
The sky was covered in countless fireworks.
Although the Star Tree Giant's palm was obscured, the explosions of the Spirit Cannon projectiles marked its location.
This single palm had actually withstood the bombardment of eighty-one Class 4 Spirit Cannon projectiles!
Under Xiao Hongchen's dumbfounded gaze, the palm descended and grabbed him.
"Meng, save me!"
He instinctively looked towards Meng Hongchen.
I haven't even started fighting properly yet, I can't be taken out instantly! How embarrassing would that be?
However, Meng Hongchen was too late.
Xiao Hongchen was too weak, instantly defeated by Su Ming's single slap.
Su Ming flung Xiao Hongchen out of the designated combat area, then retracted the Star Tree Giant's palm.
This time, he had limited time to assemble a combat style he could achieve that also integrated his abilities as a Spirit Master.
The Star Tree Spirit Soul was the key, the main core filling the giant. As for the seven armor components, their purpose was to gather Spirit Power, compress the power of the Star Tree Spirit Soul, and assist in altering the Spirit Soul's form, making it more receptive to Su Ming's control.
Su Ming was panting heavily.
At this moment, two of the three Spirit Rings outside his body were constantly lit, the yellow and purple lights shimmering in tandem.
First Spirit Skill: Spirit Power Amplification. Second Spirit Skill: Accelerated Recovery. Even with this combination, a single strike had consumed half of his Spirit Power.
"And this is just the upper body."
Su Ming frowned, considering abandoning this combat mode.
He had shown what needed to be shown, establishing a pretext for future participation in the humanoid Spirit Tool research project. There was no need for him to waste further effort on this so-called 'Wooden Man' system.
Overwhelming power can make bricks fly.
The larger the size, the greater the power exerted, but the consumption would also be severe; the cost-effectiveness wasn't actually high.
Of course, bullying the weak was truly satisfying, just like how he had suppressed Xiao Hongchen with one hand.
In his normal form, Su Ming would have had to expend considerable effort, though the Spirit Power consumption wouldn't be as severe as it was now.
One must remember, he was currently in a Trinity form!
The Star Tree phantom disappeared, and the armor components were retracted into Su Ming's body.
Due to the massive Spirit Power expenditure in a short time, his face looked somewhat pale.
He canceled all amplification methods, and his Spirit Power aura slightly decreased.
"Everyone, let's put aside testing abilities for now. Let me help our side win this battle first. After all, this is also a demonstration of my capability," Su Ming said softly.
Director Gao wondered if he had misunderstood.
Did Su Ming mean he was going to take care of everyone?
In the next instant, his pupils contracted.
Su Ming's first and second Spirit Rings were no longer shining. His third Spirit Ring began to change, as if devouring the surrounding light.
An intense Spirit Power fluctuation erupted from the pitch-black Spirit Ring.
"Third Spirit Skill, Domain of Chaos!"
The six elements—water, fire, earth, wind, light, dark—along with faint, indistinct silver points of light merged into it.
After the collision of the seven major elements, chaos ensued. Various chaotic colors filled the area where Su Ming stood, and this area rapidly expanded.
The chaotic colors faded until they became invisible.
However, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Vital Energy became utterly disordered.
The biggest feeling for the members enveloped by this Domain of Chaos was—
We're doomed!
Acting on Spirit Engineer instinct, and aided by Su Ming's prior reminder, they activated their Invincible Barriers, frantically pouring Spirit Power into them.
BOOM!
Under the influence of Su Ming's Domain of Chaos, all attribute-based Spirit Cannons were affected, directly suffering breech explosions backfiring.
Along with the explosions came the sound of their hearts breaking.
No—
My Spirit Cannons—
No—
My Invincible Barrier!
This isn't the Soul Dueling Tournament; the Invincible Barriers won't be reimbursed!
When the explosions ceased and the flames dissipated, the petrified members were revealed inside.
They looked at the fragments that were once their Spirit Cannons, which they had just ejected, their expressions full of grief.
"Ahem, Director Gao, these Spirit Tools are an important part of the seniors' combat strength and also count as team assets, right? Damage incurred during training should be reimbursable, right?"
Su Ming spoke up, looking at Director Gao.
As the saying goes, an explosion is an art.
So, he had just adopted the most satisfying tactic: blowing up everyone else's Spirit Cannons.
But while blowing up Spirit Cannons was momentarily satisfying, replacing them was a massive financial pit.
If he didn't help these seniors strive for reimbursement from the academy, he estimated he would be subjected to their resentful gazes for the entire year ahead.
Director Gao snapped out of his thoughts, his face instantly falling.
This was not a small sum.
Those present were all the academy's elite. The combined cost of the Spirit Cannons they carried was substantial; the materials alone represented a huge amount of rare metals. If labor costs were factored in, the total would be at least equivalent to the entire net worth of a seasoned Class 6 Spirit Engineer.
The Invincible Barriers were an even bigger money pit; their price was truly high.
Of course, Director Gao reconsidered. While it wasn't a small sum for an individual, viewed against the academy's overall resources, the amount became much smaller.
"I will report this to the Principal. You will be given time to remake your own Spirit Tools."
Director Gao took a deep look at Su Ming.
He didn't reprimand him. Instead, he quickly accepted the reality and decided to leverage the situation Su Ming had created.
"Since Su Ming has helped you blow up your old equipment, you can also take this opportunity to attempt a fundamental, thorough upgrade of your Spirit Tools from the ground up."
There's another chapter being written, don't worry!
(Chapter End)