Douluo Continent.
The two words, spoken by a pleasant, robotic female voice, echoed in Huo Feng's mind.
"I've transmigrated?" he thought, bewildered. "And into the Douluo Continent, of all places!"
Just a moment ago, he was soaking his feet. How did he end up here? As an avid reader of web novels, he instantly recognized the world he was in. Just as the realization dawned on him, a flood of memories that weren't his own rushed into his mind. The sudden influx made him feel dizzy, but the sensation passed after a few seconds.
Then, the mechanical voice returned.
"Location: Notting City, Holy Soul Village."
Oh, no, Huo Feng thought with a groan. This is bad.
According to the memories he had just absorbed, the original owner of this body was an orphan. His only relative, his grandfather, had passed away recently, leaving him all alone at the tender age of six. He was dirt poor, with nothing to his name but a small stone house and a half-acre vegetable garden.
To make matters worse, his house was only a few dozen meters away from the home of the series' protagonist, Tang San. While their living situations seemed similar on the surface, Huo Feng knew the truth. Tang San had a hidden background and immense potential. He, on the other hand, had nothing.
His future looked bleak.
[Ding!] [Host detected in Douluo Continent. The Heaven Sacrifice System is now activating.] [1%... 20%... 50%... 99%... 100%!] [The Heaven Sacrifice System has been successfully activated!] [Newbie Mission issued: Sacrifice Tang San.] [Time Limit: Three days.] [Mission Reward: Dugu Nine Swords Spirit.]
Wait, what?
A Heaven Sacrifice System? That sounded powerful, but the mission it gave him was shocking.
Sacrifice Tang San?
Huo Feng thought about it. From the memories he had, he and Tang San were around the same age and had a pretty good relationship. "System, you're making things really difficult for me," he muttered under his breath.
He pursed his lips and added, "For a job like this, you have to pay extra!"
[Ding!] [Acknowledging host's request. Additional rewards will be granted upon completion of the Newbie Mission.] [Additional Reward: Innate Full Spirit Power!]
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Huo Feng said, a small smile forming on his face. The boy who was friends with Tang San was the original owner of this body. What did that have to do with him? Besides, he never really thought Tang San was a completely good person anyway.
The deadline was three days. According to the timeline, the Spirit Awakening ceremony for Holy Soul Village was also in three days. That meant he had to sacrifice Tang San before he awakened his Spirit.
But what did "sacrifice" even mean?
As if reading his thoughts, the system explained.
[Ding!] [This is the Heaven Sacrifice System. The host can choose any item to sacrifice and receive a feedback reward.] [The quality of the reward is based on the value of the item sacrificed.]
"So, I can sacrifice anything?" Huo Feng asked internally.
[Correct. The higher the value of the sacrifice, the better the reward.]
Huo Feng nodded. He looked around the small, bare room and picked up a clay teapot from the wooden table. "System, sacrifice this teapot," he commanded in his mind.
The teapot vanished from his hand as if it had never been there. Huo Feng stared in shock for a moment before a soft white light glowed on the table. When it faded, a large plate of hot, delicious food had taken the teapot's place. The smell of roasted meat filled the air.
[The system increases the value of the sacrificed item and provides the most appropriate reward based on the host's current needs.]
"Okay, but how do I sacrifice a living person?" Huo Feng asked, his curiosity piqued. Surely it couldn't be that simple.
[Physical contact with the target is required.]
Huo Feng drew in a sharp breath. "That's... surprisingly convenient." A grin spread across his face, but another question quickly came to mind. "What happens to the person after the sacrifice?"
It wouldn't be good if Tang San just disappeared into thin air. His father, Tang Hao, was still in the village, and if his son suddenly vanished, he would tear the whole place apart looking for him.
[The person being sacrificed will not undergo any noticeable changes, though they may feel a bit weak afterward.] [The same person cannot be sacrificed repeatedly in a short time, but they can be sacrificed multiple times over a longer period.]
So there was a cooldown. That made things much easier.
Huo Feng grinned, his stomach suddenly rumbling loudly as the aroma of the food wafted toward him. He looked down at the plate, his eyes landing on a large chicken drumstick. He realized he was starving. The original owner's diet had been simple and bland, leaving him thinner than other kids his age.
Although it was still morning, Huo Feng didn't hesitate. He grabbed the chicken leg and began to eat like he hadn't seen food in days.
At that same moment, on a small hill overlooking Holy Soul Village, a thin boy sat cross-legged, his breathing steady and rhythmic. As the sun rose, casting away the pale dawn, the boy stood up. A faint purple light flashed in his eyes before disappearing.
It was Tang San.
"Achoo!"
He suddenly sneezed. "Is it getting cold?" he wondered aloud. He was dressed warmly enough, and with his Xuantian Technique, the morning chill shouldn't have bothered him. For some reason, he also felt a strange sense of unease. Shaking his head, he turned and started walking down the hill.
Three days passed in a flash. The day before, Old Jack, the village chief, had stopped by to visit Huo Feng. He brought him some food and reminded him about the Spirit Awakening ceremony.
When the time came, Huo Feng left his house and headed toward the Spirit Hall in the center of the village. Along the way, he met Old Jack and Tang San, who were also on their way there. Huo Feng naturally fell into step beside them.
"Hey, Huo Feng," Tang San said with a friendly smile.
Huo Feng smiled back and casually reached out to pat Tang San on the shoulder. As his hand made contact, he silently commanded, "System, sacrifice Tang San!"
[Ding!] [Sacrifice in progress... 1%... 50%... 100%!] [Sacrifice of Tang San successful!] [Newbie Mission complete. Rewards are being distributed. Please check.]
A powerful energy, seemingly from the heavens itself, descended and poured into Huo Feng's body. A wave of warmth spread through every inch of him, so intensely pleasurable that he almost closed his eyes to savor it. A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips.
"Ah!"
Another cry sounded at the same time.
Tang San staggered, his knees suddenly going weak, and he nearly collapsed. Huo Feng quickly grabbed his arm to steady him.
"Tang San, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Huo Feng asked, his face a perfect picture of concern.
The sudden commotion caused Old Jack, who was walking ahead, to stop and turn around. He saw that Tang San, who had a healthy, rosy complexion just moments ago, was now pale. He leaned heavily on Huo Feng to stay upright.
"Little San, are you not feeling well?" the old chief asked worriedly.
Tang San shook his head, feeling confused. For a brief moment, he had felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body, but now he felt fine, just a little tired. He looked at Huo Feng's anxious face and felt a bit embarrassed.
"I'm fine, Grandpa Jack. Maybe I just didn't sleep well last night. Let's keep going."
After a short pause, the three of them continued on their way.
Meanwhile, inside the Spirit Hall, Su Yuntao, the Spirit Master in charge of the ceremony, was resting on a wooden bench. His eyes suddenly snapped open. He could have sworn he felt a distinct fluctuation of energy nearby, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
It must have been my imagination, he thought, shaking his head before closing his eyes again. How could there be energy fluctuations from a Spirit Master in a remote village like this? He didn't have time to dwell on it. He had a job to do here, and another village to get to afterward.