On the stage of the Spirit Battle Arena, six great martial souls floated in the air—Titan Giant Ape, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, White Tiger, Evil Fire Phoenix, and Sausage—all of them encircling the Soft Bone Rabbit soul at the very center. They spun around it, pressing closer and closer toward the core.
Directly below, Tang San lay helplessly on the ground. Unlike usual, he wasn't calm—rage, grief, resentment, and a storm of tangled emotions pounded inside his head. In that moment, he felt powerless and despairing, and sorrowful tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
He watched with wide, despairing eyes as the six martial souls drew closer and closer, until finally they began to merge.
Xiao Wu was his beloved. Yet now, she was undergoing an intimate martial soul fusion with five other men. Among them, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were once the very brothers Tang San had cherished!
Struggling, Tang San forced himself to sit up, his pupils trembling violently as he saw—
At the very heart of the martial soul fusion, Xiao Wu's silhouette merged together with those of the five men.
The radiance of fusion spread across the arena.
The green light of the Titan Giant Ape, the green light of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the green of the White Tiger, the green of the Evil Fire Phoenix, and the green of the Sausage—five beams in total, five dazzling streams of green light!
One after another, like waves crashing upon him, they poured down on Tang San below, drenching him completely in their green brilliance.
From afar, his dark skin shimmered with a misty green haze, making him look just like a little green man.
Within the green glow, his eyes burned red, his breath heaving like an enraged bull. He stretched out his hand, desperate to stop it, but the whip marks across his body left him powerless.
At the same time, Tang San felt as though something was missing.
Yes—that was it! Whenever Xiao Wu underwent martial soul fusion with other men, his so-called "good brothers" (he ground his teeth at the thought) would hold him down, urge him to endure, tell him to accept it.
But now, none of them were here. Three of them were fusing with his beloved right in front of his face, and another—Tai Long—was down in the audience!
So that's how it was. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar—fine, very fine! From now on, titles like War God, Phoenix God, and Food God have nothing to do with you!
You've all chosen the path of death—the path of death! You'll anger me to death!
Tang San suddenly realized—there was still one more person: Tai Long!
His gaze whipped down to the stage below, where Tai Long was staring, dazed, at the martial soul fusion onstage. At that moment, Tang San's eyes grew even bloodier, his breath more frantic than ever.
"Tai Long, you damned dog slave… don't tell me you too—"
A terrifying thought struck Tang San: could Tai Long also have some secret entanglement with Xiao Wu?
No! Impossible! Never! Tai Long was nothing but a lackey of the Strength Clan—how could he possibly dare to touch Tang San's woman?
Tang San refused to believe this dreadful suspicion. His "good brothers" betraying him already pushed him toward collapse. But at least Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar were men he once truly regarded as comrades. Tai Long, though—Tai Long was just a worthless servant. If even that lowly dog dared lay hands on his woman, then Tang San… Tang San dared not even imagine it!
The six-in-one martial soul fusion was enough to shock the world. Their surging soul power overflowed, broke past its critical point, and suddenly reached the level of a Soul Douluo!
Members of Spirit Hall began recording and analyzing the battle.
"This… this is a battle worthy of the history books. Never before, and perhaps not again for a thousand years—a six-in-one martial soul fusion reaching the level of a Soul Douluo!" one research scholar exclaimed.
Others worried aloud: "But what if our Spirit Hall team pushed too far? No matter how strong the Golden Generation is, they're only Soul Kings and Soul Emperors…"
ROAR—
A single furious bellow shattered everyone's thoughts.
The six-man martial soul fusion finally revealed its full form, drawing every gaze in the arena. They wanted to see—what monster could such a technique create?
Within the cocoon of light, the phantom of a colossal beast took shape.
The claws of a White Tiger tore through the cocoon. The Titan Giant Ape's mighty arms slammed down the mist. A Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's tail lashed behind. Phoenix wings spread wide, keeping the giant aloft.
Five smaller heads extended from its body: dragon, tiger, ape, phoenix, and even… sausage.
And on its abdomen—an enormous rabbit's head, pink-furred and red-eyed!
The beast towered forty to fifty meters tall, utterly terrifying!
"Martial Soul Fusion Technique—Six-Headed Chimera!"
From within the monster, the mingled voices of six people thundered out.
Its overwhelming might poured down upon the seven members of the Spirit Hall team. Tian Yue, Qing Ming, Guang Ning, and the others braced themselves against the storm, their hair swept backward by the force.
Beneath the Chimera, Tang San stared up blankly at the colossal creature above.
"So… this is the ultimate finishing move you all spoke of?"
The Six-Headed Chimera at Soul Douluo level was even stronger than the Haotian True Body he remembered from his past life's seven-in-one fusion. With this, they could all but guarantee victory in the tournament.
But his brothers, his lover, even his rivals—together they merged into one. Only Tang San was left outside. A desolate loneliness devoured him.
In the stands, the audience broke into an uproar.
"So powerful! Who would've thought this year's tournament would see such a grand fusion skill!"
"With Shrek this strong, can Spirit Hall's team still win?"
"Oh my god, I went all in betting on Spirit Hall to win!"
"No matter—Shrek, monsters, invincible! Shrek, monsters, invincible! Shrek, monsters, invincible—"
At the railing, Flender leaned forward, trembling with excitement.
"So this is the surprise the little monsters had for us? A super fusion skill at Soul Douluo level—even I couldn't withstand it! Hahaha! We've won! At last, our Shrek has defeated the almighty Spirit Hall team!"
While Shrek's teachers popped open champagne, Yu Xiaogang alone remained silent.
The sheer majesty of the super fusion skill meant victory was certain. But as Yu Xiaogang stared at Tang San below, standing woodenly beneath the Chimera's shadow, glowing green like a pitiful alien, the sight stabbed painfully into his eyes.
He wanted Shrek to win—but he wanted Tang San, at the core, to be the one delivering that decisive triumph. Only then could Yu Xiaogang's own prestige rise. Yet now, Tang San was reduced to a mere outsider.
"Ridiculous. Who says we've lost?" Onstage, Tian Yue retracted the Crocodile Emperor Whip in her hand, gazing up at the beast.
(Reader's note: In most fan settings, Tian Yue cripples Dai Mubai. But not in my version—Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu are locked together. If Dai Mubai were crippled, Tang San would wear far fewer green hats!)
Tian Yue looked solemnly at the strange colossal beast before her, which radiated an unparalleled aura of oppression. With a sharp "tsk," she said:
"Six-in-one Martial Soul Fusion Technique… Six-Headed Chimera. If we weren't prepared, we really might have fallen here."
Immediately, she leapt into the center of the other six, summoning her martial soul.
The phantom of the Golden Crocodile King appeared. At this moment, Tian Yue's Golden Crocodile King was about six to seven meters long—compared to the forty- to fifty-meter-tall Six-Headed Chimera, it was like a small fry.
"Form the Hexagram Array!"
The other six quickly formed a formation. They activated their soul rings, but did not release their martial souls.
A luminous array spread outward, connecting their positions into a six-pointed star barrier!
"Iterative Ring!" Tian Yue commanded.
Five soul rings from Guang Ning, Gui Xuan, and Qing Ming, plus four rings from each of the other three, all converged onto Tian Yue's Golden Crocodile King. A total of thirty-three soul rings gathered around it.
The Golden Crocodile King's phantom solidified, transforming into its true body. Its figure swelled rapidly until it grew into a golden crocodile over fifty meters long.
At this moment, the Golden Crocodile King's strength had reached the Soul Douluo realm.
What seemed like Shrek's certain defeat now became uncertain due to the appearance of the Iterative Ring Golden Crocodile King.
In the center of the Chimera's abdomen, the massive rabbit head opened its mouth, gathering a pink light.
The five smaller heads also opened their mouths, condensing different breaths, all locking onto the Golden Crocodile King.
"Chimera Convergence Wave!"
The rabbit head released its light wave first, followed by the five smaller heads. Their multi-colored beams intertwined around the rabbit head's main blast, merging into a spiraling beam that shot toward the Golden Crocodile King.
At the same time, Tian Yue pointed toward the Chimera. Of the thirty-three rings circling the Golden Crocodile King, her sixth soul ring shone.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Golden Light!"
The Golden Crocodile King opened its mouth and exhaled a massive golden beam.
In the center of the battle arena, the two beams clashed.
For a while, neither side could overwhelm the other. Sometimes the pressure pushed toward the Golden Crocodile King, sometimes toward the Six-Headed Chimera. Neither gained a decisive advantage, locking the fight into a war of attrition.
But a drawn-out battle wasn't in Shrek's favor!
From the Chimera came Xiao Wu's voice:
"Who would've thought the Spirit Hall team had such a trump card."
"Xiao Wu," Yu Tianheng said, "this Golden Crocodile King is no ordinary martial soul. It's on par with the Golden Holy Dragon. Their clan and ours are like the Nine-Heart Begonia and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan—inseparable rivals."
"Enough talk. If this drags out, we might not outlast them," Ma Hongjun said.
"Then let's finish this in one strike!" Oscar suggested.
"Are we strong enough for that?" Dai Mubai asked.
"Don't forget—we still have a backup hidden resource!" Oscar replied.
"Backup hidden resource?"
The others quickly understood. Wasn't there still that little green guy sitting on the stage?
Though the fusion had ended, the Six-Headed Chimera still occasionally released green light toward the stage. Tang San sat right in the densest glow, looking like a helpless little green man.
His eyes were vacant, dazed as he watched the clash of titans before him.
Suddenly, a tentacle extended from the Chimera, reaching him.
Tang San snapped back to reality, puzzled.
"San-gege, we need your help!" Xiao Wu's voice came from the Chimera.
"Help? Could it be…" Tang San frowned. A thought struck him—did she mean he and Xiao Wu also had a Martial Soul Fusion Technique? Did she want him to join the fusion, turning the Six-Headed Chimera into a Seven-Headed Chimera???
The idea stirred his heart. He hated seeing Xiao Wu fuse with other men, but if it were with him—then it would be different.
If he and Xiao Wu could have a Fusion Technique, then in winning her heart, he wouldn't be disadvantaged. Competing alongside Yu Tianheng and the others, he believed he could secure Xiao Wu's affection—and thus the Asura God's position.
"San-gege, grab these tentacles and pour your soul power into them—we need your support!" Xiao Wu urged.
"Wha—just that?" Tang San's jaw nearly dropped.
"Yes, that's all. San, we need your soul power. Did you think Xiao Wu wanted a Fusion with you?" Tianheng pierced through Tang San's wishful thinking.
Er Ming's mocking voice came from the beast:
"Don't harbor such unrealistic fantasies, San. Ask yourself—do you and Sister Xiao Wu even have Martial Soul resonance? With your stubby arms, monkey face, dark skin—you think you deserve a Fusion Technique with her? Do you?"
The words stabbed into Tang San's fragile heart. Indeed, Martial Soul Fusion required resonance. And neither of his martial souls had any with Xiao Wu.
Dai Mubai spoke earnestly:
"San, I know this hurts, but why do we fight so hard? For victory! Don't forget—the reward includes a 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor bone and a Soft Bone Rabbit bone. Do you know what losing would mean?"
Tang San's heart wavered. It was humiliating, yes—but humiliation or not, he had to endure. He had to win.
Oscar added:
"San, because we can't afford to lose, we must win! Look at it positively—though you're not part of the Fusion Technique, you still get to join in through this method."
Xiao Wu also said:
"San-gege, I really do wish we had a Fusion Technique. But Fusion either exists or it doesn't—there's no forcing it. Oscar's right—even if you're not part of it, at least you can contribute and share in it. That way, you'll still have a sense of participation."
A sense of participation?
Tang San lowered his head, his face hidden. Then, with difficulty, he stood up.
"I… I understand." Tang San's body trembled for a moment. At last, he steeled his resolve. Raising his head with a face full of grievance and humiliation, he reached out and grabbed one of the tentacles. The instant his hand touched it, he felt his soul power being drained away.
"Take it, take it—all of my soul power, it's all yours!" Tang San roared in anguish and humiliation.
With Tang San's support, the beams of the six-headed chimera grew a little thicker, pressing forward toward the Golden Crocodile King.
The delicate balance was broken. For the moment, the chimera held the advantage.
Inside the hexagram formation, Tian Yue removed the cowboy hat from her head, her eyes bloodshot. "Don't underestimate us, you stitched-together freak! Hexagram array—full power! Push it through!"
The formation beside her roared into overdrive, channeling torrents of soul power into the Golden Crocodile. The beast opened its maw even wider, unleashing an even thicker beam, overturning its disadvantage and pressing the chimera back.
In the beam clash, the dragon head representing Yu Tianheng's power began to thin.
Xiao Wu hurriedly shouted to Tang San:
"Brother San giegie, Brother Tianheng's soul power is nearly drained. Why don't you lend him some soul power!"
"You want me to give Yu Tianheng my soul power??" Tang San's face was filled with disbelief.
"Brother San giegie, I know you have issues with Brother Tianheng, but this is a critical moment in the match. Can't you stop being petty?" Xiao Wu pleaded.
"Yeah, San, can you stop sulking? If we lose this match because of you, and Xiao Wu doesn't get the soul bone, you'll have to answer for it," Yu Tianheng added.
Tang San's eyes turned blood-red, his breath like an enraged bull. But for the sake of victory, he begrudgingly grabbed the tentacle representing Yu Tianheng.
"This is my soul power, Yu Tianheng—take it! But if you fail to win this match for Xiao Wu, I swear I'll never forgive you—never!" he snarled, teeth clenched, face twisted, tears streaming.
Yu Tianheng felt the influx from Tang San and said to Xiao Wu:
"Ah~ Sister Xiao Wu, I feel it—it's Brother San's soul power! Watch my Thunder Dragon's breath!"
Empowered, his dragon avatar unleashed a much stronger wave.
Seeing the battle tilt again, Tian Yue had no choice but to overload the barrier, pouring the last of her strength into the Golden Crocodile. Looking up at it, she urged:
"Big crocodile, let's do this together! Don't let that ugly stitched monster beat us!"
The Golden Crocodile King nodded with uncanny intelligence, releasing an even more devastating blast.
"Brother San giegie, Brother Mubai's soul power is nearly gone—quick, lend him some!" Xiao Wu cried.
Tang San's eyes bulged like a goldfish's, his face twisted, breathing harshly. He screamed in agony:
"Dai Mubai! Take my soul power!"
"Ah~" Dai Mubai let out a blissful sound. "Sister Xiao Wu, I feel it! Brother San's soul power—watch my White Tiger's roar!"
"Brother San giegie, Brother Hongjun's soul power is almost gone!"
"Brother San giegie, Brother Erming's soul power is almost gone!"
"Brother San giegie, Brother Oscar's soul power is almost gone!"
At last, Tang San was drained dry. The chimera's tentacles sucked him like pumps, drawing not only his soul power but also his very potential. By the end, his eyes rolled white, foam spilled from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.
The two sides' energy beams deadlocked. Finally, the compressed energy in the middle collapsed and exploded outward.
A blinding light spread in all directions.
Soon, the six-headed chimera was swallowed by the brilliance.
On the other side, Tian Yue's teammates fell one by one, her own soul power near depletion. With her last strength, she cast a golden barrier around them. The Golden Crocodile King too was engulfed by the blast.
The entire arena was consumed by the explosion.
To protect the audience, several Title Douluo jointly erected a barrier at the arena's edge, containing the shockwave.
From the stands, Yu Xiaogang stared anxiously at the stage.
"Little San—"
He worried Tang San might have perished. If that happened, what future would he have to rely on?
At last, the energies subsided. When people looked, the arena had vanished, leaving a giant crater. Inside the ruins, the two teams were scattered apart.
On the Spirit Hall's side, Tian Yue stood barely upright, pale, hair disheveled, clothes torn and filthy. Behind her, the shadow of the Golden Crocodile was nearly gone, fading into the air. Her teammates all lay unconscious around her.
On Shrek's side, it was no better. Only Xiao Wu remained standing, more wounded than Tian Yue, while the other six were down.
The two girls faced each other, but neither moved. Everyone knew—they were both spent. No one could attack. It was just a matter of who would fall first.
At last, Xiao Wu's knees buckled, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.
The referee strode into the center and shouted:
"Shrek Academy versus Spirit Hall Academy—the Spirit Hall team wins!"
In an instant, the quiet stadium erupted in cheers and celebration for Spirit Hall's victory.
Tian Yue sighed in relief, slumping to the ground, whispering with her final breath:
"We… won."
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang slammed his fist against the railing in fury.
"Xiao Wu! You were just one step away—why couldn't you hold on?! Why?!"
In his mind, if Xiao Wu had endured, the opponent would've fallen first, letting Shrek advance to the finals. Spark Team was weaker than Spirit Hall—armed with Xiao Wu's chimera fusion technique, victory would've been theirs.
Even if his own student hadn't been decisive, Yu Xiaogang could've boasted that it was thanks to his theoretical guidance Shrek had succeeded. He had already prepared to bask in the fame and glory.
But Xiao Wu—at the critical moment, you collapsed. Shrek was stopped at the top three.
And the top three… is not the same as champion.