Ma Hongjun rubbed his waist with a puzzled look, muttering,
"Boss Dai, couldn't you have kicked me somewhere else?"
Though he didn't understand why Dai Mubai had sent him flying off the stage, he trusted that his captain had his reasons. In this, Ma Hongjun had absolute faith.
"Hmph, so one ran away. No matter!"
Canghui Academy's captain sneered coldly, his voice laced with malice.
"Just what kind of trump card does Canghui Academy have to make Shrek's captain so cautious that he'd send his teammate off the stage?"
Dou Dou's commentary stirred the crowd, though Ma Hongjun was less than thrilled.
"Send? He kicked me!" Ma Hongjun grumbled, feeling wronged.
"It's time for you to witness the true power of Canghui Academy!"
As their captain spoke, all seven members of Canghui Academy activated their martial souls.
Whether they were three-ring or four-ring spirit masters, one specific spirit ring on each began to glow.
Seven beams of light—each a different color—shot skyward, illuminating the stage.
Their captain's smirk grew wider.
"Tremble in fear! Despair! Run away—"
"Oh, it's just a Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill? You're making such a big deal out of it!"
Dai Mubai interrupted, his tone dripping with disdain.
The Canghui captain froze mid-sentence, his smug expression faltering.
"…"
"Your so-called Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill isn't even properly integrated. Your fusion rate doesn't even reach 30%!"
Dai Mubai continued, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.
"If it were a proper Seven-in-One Fusion Skill, then yes, you could emulate the abilities of a Soul Saint or even martial soul avatars."
The members of Canghui Academy were stunned, their confidence shaken.
Who is this guy? How does he know so much about us?
Just as they were about to be impressed by Dai Mubai's insight, his next words threw them into further confusion.
"What's a Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill?"
"What's a Seven-in-One Fusion Skill?"
"Wait, could he mean… Seven-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
The last thought sent a chill down their spines.
A Seven-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Skill wasn't merely a combination of abilities—it was a short burst of divine-level power, capable of rivaling gods.
But such a technique had never been seen on the Douluo Continent and likely never would be. No god would allow such a technique to exist.
"Hmph! Even if you know about it, what can you do? Can you withstand our Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill?"
The captain's tone grew sinister as he declared,
"This is the price of your arrogance! If both of your Soul Kings had entered, we might have struggled. But now? With just you and that brute—"
"???"
Tang San froze, his mind going blank for a moment.
Brute? Me?
Dai Mubai's expression turned amused.
Canghui's captain is truly bold. Calling a Clear Sky Hammer spirit master a brute? That's practically asking for death!
Even if Tang San wasn't offended, there was no way his father Tang Hao—watching from the shadows—would let this slide.
"Enough talk! Just Tang San alone is enough to deal with you!"
Dai Mubai stepped back, deliberately placing Tang San in the spotlight, taunting the Canghui team.
Tang San's mouth twitched.
Boss Dai sure has confidence in me.
Dai Mubai continued to draw the team's ire, and they were all too willing to direct their pent-up frustration at Tang San.
"So, Tang San, right? Let's see how you handle our Seven Shura Illusion Domain!"
As the words fell, the fusion skill was completed. Seven colors of light enveloped the entire stage, obscuring everything within.
Dou Dou, trying to narrate the scene, paused mid-sentence when she noticed Dai Mubai standing beside her.
She blinked in confusion.
"Dai Mubai? What are you doing here?"
It was no secret that Dai Mubai could walk on air without activating his martial soul, but wasn't he supposed to be caught inside the technique?
Dai Mubai smirked and began to explain,
"Dealing with the so-called Seven Shura Illusion Domain is actually quite simple.
"In a battle with stage restrictions, you simply leave the range of the technique before it activates. Maintaining flight uses far less spirit power than sustaining such a skill."
"Once their spirit power is exhausted… Well, you can imagine what happens next."
He chuckled before adding,
"In an open battlefield without stage restrictions, countering this skill would be even easier. But, since this is Canghui's secret, I won't spoil it for you."
"Boo!"
The audience groaned in unison. Dai Mubai's smug half-explanation left them frustrated and wanting more.
"Dai Mubai, your teammate Tang San is still inside that Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill!" Dou Dou reminded him.
"Don't worry. I have full confidence in Tang San's abilities," Dai Mubai said calmly.
"In fact, among us, Tang San is currently the strongest."
With nothing visible on the stage, the crowd eagerly listened to Dou Dou's "interview" with Dai Mubai.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun, now safely back in the Shrek rest area, finally understood why Dai Mubai had kicked him out of the arena.
A Seven-in-One Spirit Technique Fusion Skill!
There's no way I could've handled that! Even Dai Mubai, a Soul King, chose to avoid it!
Inside the Seven Shura Illusion Domain, Tang San was struggling.
Without the fusion skill, he could've easily defeated the seven members one-on-one. But now, the odds were far from favorable.
"Ke ke ke… Tang San, your captain managed to escape, but once we're drained, we'll lose to him anyway."
"This match is ours to lose!"
"But the Seven Shura Illusion Domain isn't meant to end without bloodshed. How else can we prove our strength?"
"Enjoy your last moments, Tang San. When we're done, you'll be nothing but a mindless fool!"
Their mocking laughter echoed around him.
Tang San's fists clenched as anger surged through him.
Dai Mubai, Dai Mubai! All they care about is Dai Mubai!
But I, Tang San, have never lost to anyone in my life!
(End of Chapter)