When Feng Xiaotian saw Xiao Wu's eyes, he immediately made up his mind—she's my Xiao Wu.
He planned to attract her attention by decisively defeating the short, dark-skinned guy next to her, eliminating him from the match and showing off his strength. Then, he could start pursuing Xiao Wu.
But before he could even carry out that plan, he suddenly sensed someone behind him. A faint fragrance—not like Huo Wu's scent—drifted toward him.
Two hands reached in from under his armpits and gently embraced him.
Feeling the soft presence behind him, Feng Xiaotian froze. He turned his head to see Xiao Wu smiling sweetly at him. Her red lips parted as she softly said,
"Brother Xiaotian, leave the rest to me. It'll feel very nice, I promise~"
Feng Xiaotian dumbly nodded.
A sphere of light enveloped the two of them. Within the glowing light, the figures of both people could be seen slowly merging.
Tang San was stunned.
Huo Wu was stunned.
The entire Wind and Fire Team was stunned.
So was the Shrek team.
The whole Battle Arena fell into dead silence.
"This… this is a Martial Soul Fusion Technique," Huo Qiang said in shock. Then, even more surprised, he continued, "What a dominant fusion technique—it's actually forcibly fusing with the opponent."
"But… whose side is this fusion on?" Salas turned his head and asked.
Huo Qiang replied, "If it were an equal fusion, it wouldn't even be possible in this scenario. Only a subjugated fusion can occur like this. The dominant soul exerts full control over the fusion's intent. Since Xiao Wu is able to forcibly perform this Martial Soul Fusion with her opponent, it's safe to say the result favors Shrek's side."
Ning Fengzhi nodded in realization. Staring at the pair fusing within the glowing light, he muttered in amazement,
"Just how many people can Xiao Wu fuse with? This really is… astonishing."
On the battlefield, Xiao Wu and Feng Xiaotian were fusing—the Swift Wind Demon Wolf and the Soft Bone Rabbit were merging.
Two powerful Martial Souls interwove together—charming pink light representing the Soft Bone Rabbit radiated toward the Wind and Fire Team, while the stormy green aura of the Swift Wind Twin-Headed Wolf shone down on the Shrek side.
At the center of the Shrek team, that short dark-skinned guy—Tang San—was fully bathed in the green glow, every inch of his body surrounded.
Watching his own woman, Xiao Wu, once again fuse with another man in such an intimate Martial Soul Fusion, Tang San's eyes turned red, and he began to pant like a furious bull.
A hand landed on Tang San's shoulder. He turned his head, black-faced, and saw Dai Mubai shaking his head with a heavy tone,
"Ah San… once a Martial Soul Fusion starts, it can't be interrupted. Otherwise, both parties could suffer intense backlash—some even suffer permanent harm. You don't want Xiao Wu to get hurt, do you?"
A second hand pressed onto his shoulder. Tang San turned and saw Ma Hongjun, who also shook his head, saying,
"Ah San, no one could've predicted this. But in the end, it's just a pure Martial Soul Fusion, that's all. Nothing really happened. So just… try to let it go, brother."
A third hand fell on his shoulder. Turning again, Tang San saw Oscar, who said,
"Fatty's right. If you look at it differently, Xiao Wu probably did this for your sake—so you can win the match and keep your captain's position. So obviously, just forgive her."
Then came a fourth hand. This time it was Tai Long:
"Young master, I believe the young madam still loves you. It's because she loves you so much that she couldn't bear to see you lose. That's why she brought their strongest member into a fusion—wasn't it all for you?"
Hearing his brothers' comforting words and feeling their strong hands on his shoulder, Tang San's fury eased a little. Surrounded by the green glow, he lowered his head. His face was contorted, and tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes.
From the center of the Martial Soul Fusion, a voice echoed—it was Feng Xiaotian and Xiao Wu speaking in unison:
"Flexible Dance of the Rabbit and Wolf Amid the Storm!"
Huo Wu, who had been stunned this whole time, finally snapped out of it.
What just happened?
At first, she didn't think much of Feng Xiaotian. But recently, he'd developed a powerful self-created Martial Soul Fusion Technique, and his talent had rapidly improved. Right before the Soul Master Tournament, he'd even stepped into the Soul King realm.
Huo Wu had started to fall for him. She'd just been holding back out of pride.
But now?
She was furious. Her teammate had just been stolen by a seductive fox from next door.
Immediately, Huo Wu activated her Martial Soul and charged forward, both hands igniting with blazing flames aimed directly at the fusion center, trying to forcefully interrupt the fusion.
However—
The glowing cocoon split open, and a massive two-headed wolf emerged before her.
It looked like the Swift Wind Twin-Headed Demon Wolf, but its fur was now covered in the fluffy hair of the Soft Bone Rabbit. Its body was slimmer, more agile. Wolf heads, rabbit ears—and in its mouth, the signature small buck teeth of the Soft Bone Rabbit.
The massive wolf let out a ferocious roar, sending a stormy wind howling at Huo Wu.
She froze.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
The flames she shot out were instantly blown back, engulfing her in fire and leaving her in a sorry state. Before she could recover, a giant wolf paw slapped her away—eliminated on the spot.
"Huo Wu!" her brother Huo Wushuang cried out in worry.
But the twin-headed rabbit-wolf was already upon him in a blur, slamming him away as well.
Then, it charged into the Wind and Fire Team, leaving destruction in its path. With each gust of storm, more of their members were thrown out and defeated.
Eventually, the Martial Soul Fusion Technique wore off. Xiao Wu and Feng Xiaotian reappeared on the battlefield.
The arena quieted—then the crowd erupted into cheers:
"Shrek! Xiao Wu! Shrek! Xiao Wu!"
Xiao Wu stood beside Feng Xiaotian and turned to ask,
"Brother Xiaotian, do you still want to keep fighting?"
Feng Xiaotian, gentlemanly as ever, replied gracefully:
"Sister Xiao Wu, this victory belongs to your team. On behalf of the Wind and Fire Team, I concede."
Only then did the referee announce:
"Shrek Academy vs. Wind and Fire Academy—
Shrek Academy wins!"
Under Tang San's "leadership," Shrek finally achieved a great victory.
As they came down from the stage, Tang San asked darkly, "Xiao Wu, why didn't you follow my battle plan?"
Xiao Wu replied, "Ah San giegie, Xiao Wu only did it for your own good. When I heard about your bet with Brother Tianheng, I couldn't bear to see you lose your captain position.
After stepping onto the stage, I realized my spirit could resonate with the opponent's spirit, so I took the liberty of changing the plan. Ah San giegie, you're not mad at your Xiao Wu meimei, are you?"
Tang San's dark-skinned face stiffened. "No, of course not. Giegie could never blame you."
But in his heart, Tang San was bitter:
In the end, Xiao Wu did it for me, which forced her to fuse spirits with that damned Feng Xiaotian. It's all because of those damn spirit fusion techniques.
Why… why can Xiao Wu's spirit resonate with Yu Tianheng, Er Ming, and Feng Xiaotian—but not with my Blue Silver Grass or my Clear Sky Hammer? If I could also fuse spirits with her, then none of this would've happened…
Tang San's heart seethed with frustration and sorrow.
After stepping off the stage, Tang San cast a gloomy glance at Yu Tianheng. Even though they'd won, he had no interest in bragging—there was no honor in it. After all, it was his own woman who ran off and fused spirits with the enemy's strongest fighter, and that's how they won. That kind of victory wasn't what Tang San wanted.
But Dai Mubai, ever the tactless one, went straight into provocation mode: "Yu Tianheng, did you see that? This match was won by our Ah San. Are you convinced now?"
Yu Tianheng gave a cold laugh and said, "Yeah, they won—but what does that have to do with your Ah San? Wasn't it Xiao Wu's fusion technique that sealed the deal?"
Ma Hongjun stuck out his neck and snapped, "Hmph! Who cares how we won? Just answer the question—did our Ah San win or not?"
Yu Tianheng sneered, "Oh yeah, yeah—he won, alright. Your Ah San won… by relying on a woman. What a touching scene~ So heartwarming~ So… pathetic!"
"You dare say our Ah San relied on a woman to win?" Dai Mubai rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw down.
Yu Tianheng squared his shoulders and stared daggers at Dai Mubai. "What, I'm supposed to be afraid of a Soul Sect like you? Am I wrong? If it weren't for Xiao Wu, what could that trash Blue Silver Grass of his do? He's just a useless moocher. I don't even know how that little runt has the nerve to call himself Xiao Wu's giegie."
Oscar pointed at Yu Tianheng and shouted, "Yu Tianheng, don't get cocky! Just wait until our Ah San starts training with the Clear Sky Hammer—you'll be the one crying!"
"Oh, bring it on," Yu Tianheng said disdainfully. "Why would I be scared of that lousy hammer? This is the perfect chance to see whether my top-tier beast spirit is stronger than his so-called number-one tool spirit."
Tang San clenched his fists tightly, his eyes red. He glared at Yu Tianheng and said, "Don't get too full of yourself. I didn't even want to win like this. In the next match, I won't let Xiao Wu fight for me. I'll win—and I'll show you."
"Oho~" Yu Tianheng crossed his arms and smirked. "Then let's wait and see!"
Tang San turned and left with the Shrek Trio.
This internal conflict within Shrek did not escape the notice of Salas and Huo Qiqiang in the VIP seats.
Salas tilted his head slightly, and Huo Qiqiang gave him a knowing look.
Salas nodded: OK.
After that day's matches concluded, Salas went up on stage to announce the next round:
"Shrek Academy vs. Tianshui Academy."
Back at the academy, Flender and Yu Xiaogang informed the Shrek team of the upcoming match.
Yu Xiaogang said, "Our next opponent is Tianshui Academy. This team has only lost twice so far—once against the Windfire Team and once against the Starfire Team. All their other matches were clean sweeps. However, we've never seen them send out their full lineup, so their true strength remains unknown."
He placed his hands behind his back and added, "Based on my judgment, I believe they won't deploy their strongest lineup against us tomorrow. Their assessment of Shrek Academy likely won't warrant it."
But Tang San didn't hear a word of this. All he could think about was how dark his own luck was. Why had all of Yu Tianheng's opponents been pushovers, while his matchups were all monsters?
The Windfire team had a Soul King. Who knew what Tianshui Academy would bring? Even if there were no surprises, Shui Bing'er and her troublesome fusion technique would already be more than enough for Tang San to deal with.
And compared to his previous life, his current setup was weaker. His Blue Silver Grass had lost its bloodline trait, and he no longer had immunity to ice and fire. That made him a perfect counter-match for Tianshui Academy.
Plus, he couldn't let Xiao Wu fuse spirits with other men, and Zhu Zhuqing wasn't around, meaning Shrek had lost the "Nether White Tiger" fusion technique. All things considered, after hearing the next match was against Tianshui, Tang San felt an immediate headache.
Flender added, "Little monsters, even if we lose all our remaining matches, Shrek's current record is enough to qualify. But I want you to treat every match seriously. The round-robin phase and ranking matches are critical for gathering intel on your opponents. I hope you can shine again tomorrow."
In the round-robin phase, total victory wasn't necessary—qualifying was the goal. By now, the end of this phase was approaching, and losses here or there (even by teams like Tianshui or Shrek) were acceptable.
After Yu Xiaogang and Flender finished explaining the match situation, the rest of the time was handed over to the Shrek team.
Yu Tianheng looked at Tang San with a mocking expression and asked, "So, Captain Little Runt, how are you planning to arrange tomorrow's match?"
He walked up, patted Tang San's shoulder, and added, "But don't worry, Little Runt. Thanks to me, Xiao Wu, and Brother Er Ming, we've already secured enough points for Shrek to qualify. So whether you win or lose tomorrow—it doesn't really matter. Go ahead, show us your performance~"
Tang San shook off Yu Tianheng's hand and coldly said, "Don't get cocky. Tomorrow, I'll show you my real strength."
Yu Tianheng chuckled. "Alright, Little Runt. I'll be waiting to see if there's anything you've been holding back."
Tang San scanned the team and declared, "Tomorrow's lineup will be me, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Tai Long, and Huang Yuan."
Tang San walked ahead, with the three Shrek brothers following behind. Suddenly, Dai Mubai stopped in his tracks. With a solemn tone, he said,
"Ah San, in our past life when I met you, I thought you were capable of anything. You led us through countless obstacles and ultimately stood at the very peak of the soul world."
"But in this life, you have neither the Eight Spider Spears nor the immortal herbs. Your bloodline has been stripped away. Our next opponent is Tianshui Academy. They possess a martial soul fusion technique, and their attributes restrain your Blue Silver Grass. So, Captain Ah San, there is no need for you to face an opponent you simply cannot defeat. Do you understand?" Dai Mubai asked.
Tang San turned around, his darkened face staring at Dai Mubai.
"Cannot win? I don't understand those words."
Today, the word "useless" from Yu Tianheng had deeply wounded Tang San.
Years of setbacks had left a knot in his heart, drowning him in depression and frustration.
Having lived three lifetimes, and long holding a high position in the God Realm, the one thing he could not tolerate was being branded as useless—especially in front of his beloved Xiao Wu. For him, being called useless was utterly unacceptable.
He refused to be looked down upon by his beloved. Therefore, no matter how difficult tomorrow's match would be, Tang San had every reason to win.
Dai Mubai's expression softened.
"Yes, when did I start to believe you were someone who could lead us to create miracles? As always, we Shrek brothers stand firmly behind you, supporting you. We also believe you can continue to lead us to create miracle after miracle. You must win, for Xiao Wu, and as a member of the Shrek Seven Devils!"
The small figure of Tang San, with his dark face, nodded heavily.
"Let's discuss tomorrow's battle plan together," Tang San said.
While Tang San was arranging the strategy, Xiao Wu encountered Feng Xiaotian in a pavilion.
Seeing Xiao Wu's beautiful and graceful figure, smelling the fragrance emanating from her, Feng Xiaotian was entranced.
He immediately conjured a flower from behind him, knelt on one knee toward Xiao Wu, and said,
"Xiao Wu, I love you. Please accept my confession."
"Why confess to me? Don't you have your sister Huo Wu?" Xiao Wu asked.
"Why? Because the moment I first saw you, I knew that no other woman could fit in my heart. Being separated from you is more painful than falling into the eighteenth level of hell," Feng Xiaotian said, gazing at her passionately.
"But…" Xiao Wu looked at him with eyes that seemed to both reject and invite.
"I am far older than you. (Over a hundred thousand years older.)"
"I don't care," Feng Xiaotian replied firmly.
"And not only that, besides you, I have many other men," Xiao Wu said.
"I don't care," Feng Xiaotian said again with determination.
Xiao Wu continued,
"I bear a blood feud. My enemy is someone beyond your imagination. While I walk among humans, I face danger at any time. I cannot guarantee that being by my side won't put you at risk."
"I don't care either. If anyone wants to kill you, I will not back down. I will stand firmly in front of you, and even if I die, they will have to step over my corpse first," Feng Xiaotian vowed.
Xiao Wu turned around, looking at him, and asked,
"Then what do you care about?"
Feng Xiaotian replied,
"I care about only one thing."
"Say it."
Holding Xiao Wu's hand, he gazed at her deeply and said,
"I only hope I can always stay by your side, watching you. Before I take my last breath and close my eyes, you are not allowed to die."
Xiao Wu and Feng Xiaotian gazed at each other tenderly. Suddenly, Xiao Wu threw herself into Feng Xiaotian's arms, leaning against him.
At that moment, footsteps sounded behind them. Yu Tianheng approached and, seeing this scene, froze.
Seeing Xiao Wu happily leaning in another man's arms, Yu Tianheng's eyes dimmed.
"Sorry, maybe I came at the wrong time."
Xiao Wu stretched out her hand toward Yu Tianheng, speaking gently,
"No, you came at just the right time."
Yu Tianheng smiled, walked up to her, and together with Feng Xiaotian, embraced Xiao Wu.
He didn't expect Xiao Wu to have only him in her heart. He only hoped that he could have a place in her heart.
That night, while Tang San racked his brains to devise the battle plan for tomorrow, in a hidden corner of the pavilion, his beloved was secretly cultivating a martial soul fusion technique together with Feng Xiaotian and Yu Tianheng.